The beginnings of Masonry are uncertain. It probably began with the stonecutters and masons who worked on the Medieval cathedrals. They organized themselves into guilds and lodges. To preserve guild secrets and tricks of the trade, they developed a closed institution with passwords and identifying signs. They also developed a number of legends regarding the antiquity of their craft. These are known as operative masons, that is, masons who actually work in stone. With the demise of cathedral building, the lodges began to die off. To preserve their identity some began to allow non-operative masons into their fellowship. Some of these masons began to see masonry as an opportunity for spiritual and moral truths to be taught. These were called Speculative Masons. They were heavily influenced from a variety of traditions, including the Kabbalah, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism and Templarism. By the end of the 17th century most lodges in England were wholly speculative in membership. In 1717, four of these lodges united to form the Grand Lodge of England. Soon, speculative masonry enjoyed a time of great growth. It spread from England to the Continent and to America. Beginning the mid-1700’s there began to develop various systems of higher degrees. Continue reading →