STB-JU92

THE MOON IN MASONIC HISTORY
by: James P.W. Goss
Grand Historian, Grand Lodge of Vermont

There is no more spectacular reminder of 
our Masonic historical and ritualistic heritage 
than the moon at its height of fullness. While 
astronomers view the moon with the analyti-
cal eye of science, the moon has been a focal 
point for cultures around the world throughout 
history and has inspired music, poetry and 
religion alike. However, for Masons, and par-
ticularly Vermont Masons, the moon has not 
just been a symbolic light in our ritualistic 
teaching but also a literal light to our brethren 
of long ago. It thus behooves us to take a 
moment to remember the moon and its long 
association with the Craft and its origins.
Our direct Masonic tradition regarding the 
moon begins with the ancient Hebrews. In 
Genesis 1:14-19, we are told that on the fourth 
day of creation, "God made two great lights; 
the greater light to rule the day and the lesser 
light to rule the night." Despite the specific 
prohibitions against lunar worship in 
Deuteronomy and the Book of Kings, the 
moon was still regarded as a strong symbol of 
permanence and regularity associated with its 
usage to measure the passage of time. In fact, 
the monthly offerings to the moon found in 
Numbers 28: 11-15 are still read in some
Jewish synagogues.
It is from the medieval European science of 
Alchemy that the first uses of the moon in the 
graphic and ritualistic manner that Masons are 
accustomed to derive their meaning. The Al-
chemists were a group of mystics who first 
appeared in the 12th century and were the 
forerunners of our modern chemists. They 
believed that with the proper mixture of chemi-
cals and methods base metals such as iron and 
lead could be turned into gold and silver. 
Beyond this however, the Alchemists were
true philosophers who used symbols and draw-
ings extensively in their teachings and who 
insisted on strict secrecy from their initiates. 
Much of the graphic symbolism used in 
Masonry,such as images of the plumb, square,
level, rough ashlar and perfect ashlar, was 
taken from Alchemical texts.
To the Alchemists, the moon was a symbol 
of the metal silver and was used to depict that 
substance in the obscure writings which trans-
mitted their secret formulae. One of the most 
prevalent images used by the Alchemists was 
the stylized drawing of the sun and the moon 
with human faces. These images are now 
associated with the Masonic tracing boards of 
England and monitors of such American 
Masonic ritualists as Jeremy Cross, who lec-
tured in the lodges of Vermont in 1815.
It is in the Craft Ritual and the structure of 
the Masonic lodge itself that we must bring 
together all of the foregoing elements to give 
a true picture of the use of the moon in Masonry.
In modern American ritual the primary refer-
ence to the moon is as the second of the 
"Lesser lights," of Masonry. This modem usage 
follows from the early 18th century English 
ritual reference to the Three lights of the 
Lodge being the "Sun, Moon and Master-
Mason." In addition to these "moveable lights," 
there were also in these early English Lodge 
rooms three "fixed lights," which are described 
by some Masonic historians as three windows 
in the lodge room "to light men to, at and from 
their work." These three windows were later 
replaced with three candles located at the East, 
South and West corners of the lodge and 
situated before the Master, Junior Warden and 
Senior Warden, respectively. The reference to 
the Sun, Moon and Master of the Lodge as the 
three lesser lights of Masonry and their par-
ticular association with these three burning 
tapers and the associated officers was devel-
oped by the so-called Antient Grand Lodge 
which was active in England from the mid to 
late 18th century. The Antients, who appar-
ently consisted of Masons hailing from Scot-
land and Ireland, were at odds with another 
faction of Masons in England, the so-called 
"Premier Grand Lodge." The ritual of the 
Premier Grand Lodge only referred to three 
"great" lights without the Antients' reference 
to the "lesser" lights. The fact that the Antients 
held to the above interpretation of the three 
lesser lights was particularly significant for 
American Masonry as was their use of dea-
cons in their degree work, as we shall see.
In the modern American Webb work ritual, 
the moon is referred to in the First Degree as 
one of the three lesser or moveable lights and 
is identified as the biblical ruler of the night 
and as a reference of regularity for the conduct 
of the Master of the Lodge. In the higher 
symbolism of the lodge, the moon has always 
been particularly identified with the Senior 
Warden in the West, thus following the Egyp-
tian tradition associating the moon with this 
direction. This reference also corresponds to 
the recitation of the Senior Warden's duties in 
the lodge (A t s i i t W a t c o t d...). Some 
Masonic philosophers have found this to be a 
fitting parallel for as the light of the moon is a 
mere reflection of the greater light of the sun, 
so the Senior Warden, the officer associated 
with the Doric pillar of Strength, is intended to 
be a reflection of the "light" of the Worshipful 
Master who is associated with the Ionic pillar 
of Wisdom. It is thus particularly significant 
that the messenger of the Senior Warden within
the lodge is the Junior Deacon who, as his 
jewel, wears the square and compasses en-
closing the moon.
There is one other strong association of the 
moon with Masonry which in many ways is 
more meaningful than all of the above. In the 
early eighteen hundreds when Masonry in 
Vermont was still a new venture, the Green 
Mountain State was a wild and unsettled place. 
It is difficult for us to imagine the thoughts and
feelings of a nineteenth century Vermont 
Mason stepping into the bitter cold of a winter 
night after a lodge meeting to pursue his travel 
homeward. For him, a trip of several miles at 
night after a lodge meeting was a major 
undertaking where even the task of finding 
one's way was formidable. For this reason 
many of these early lodges in Vermont and 
other jurisdictions adopted the custom of hold-
ing their meetings during the week of the full 
moon. Hence, these lodges became referred to 
as "Moon Lodges."
Following the phases of the moon was no 
trouble at all for the agrarian folk of the nine-
teenth and early twentieth centuries and the 
brilliant "lesser light," provided a beacon that 
guided our elder brethren homeward along the 
dirt roads and beaten pathways of early Ver-
mont. Thus, in 1817, 26 of the 40 lodges in 
Vermont were "Moon Lodges." By 1901, 62 
of the 105 lodges in Vermont were "Moon 
Lodges," with the bulk of the others being 
located in areas of higher population and pre-
sumably better lighting.
But alas, as with so many customs of old the 
advent of modern society and its technology 
has slowly driven the Moon Lodge to the 
status of a quaint anachronism. The invention 
of the automobile and street lighting together 
wlth the general decline of agriculture made 
the setting of lodge meetings by the phases of 
the moon, rather than on a fixed day, a nui-
sance without purpose. Thus, by 1979 of the 
98 lodges working in the State of Vermont 
only 8 still set their meetings by the phase of 
the moon. Hopefully, the few Moon Lodges 
left in Vermont will not surrender this old 
custom to base convenience. They serve as a 
reminder to modern Masons travelling home 
by the light of the moon that they are in 
essence following in the footsteps of their 
elder brethren for whom the moon was a real 
as well as a symbolic light.

Many years ago the MSA had a digest entitled 
"Moon Lodges". it is now out of print but we
thought an excerpt from the minutes of a "Moon 
Lodge" might be of interest. The followingbexcerpt
is also amusing and we hope you enjoy it!
--Editor

Walter H. Amende, Secretary of Cassia Lodge, 
No. 14, writes: Cassia Lodge, No. 14, U.D., held its 
first meeting at Albion, Idaho Territory, Novem-
ber 25, 1882, and received its charter in Septem-
ber, 1883.
Albion is one of the oldest towns in Idaho and in 
early days was a way station on the stage route 
from Kelton, Utah, to Boise. At the time Cassia 
Lodge was organized, its jurisdiction covered a 
wide territory extending from 80 to 100 miles in all 
directions. The members having to come such long 
distances by horseback or wagon, was the reason 
for setting the meeting Saturday nights on or be-
fore the full moon.
One of the lodge's main social events each year 
in those early days was a dance or "Grand Ball".
One such affair took place on February 14,1887, 
and must have been quite an event, judging from 
the following Committees appointed: Arrange-
ments, 3 members; Music, 3 members; Floor Com-
mittee, 4 members; Invitations, 6 members; Re-
ception, 12 members. Entire families came to these 
dances. One time, as a joke, someone changed the 
coats and blankets on all the babies present. Most 
of the mothers picked up what they thought was 
their bundle and did not discover the mistake until 
they got home, possibly as far as 30 miles away. 
They all had to come back to Albion and find out 
whose youngster they had; quite a mix-up!
One time there was a candidate for the M.M. 
degree who did not have his F.C. proficiency. 
Rather than have him go to a long distance home 
and wait till the next meeting, the members voted 
to waive the test and give him his M.M. degree that 
evening.
Another time, in the long ago, a member joined 
under an assumed name and after a regular Ma-
sonic trial, it was voted by the lodge that he must 
take all of the degrees over again under his right 
name.
It did not state in the minutes of that meeting if 
he had to pay the fees again.

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