freemason's signs of recognition

Originally posted by chemlabco
A senior member in a lodge once told me they could tell another mason in the dark!

Its a twist on the idea of dark and light being used as allegories for ignorance and knowledge, respectively.

isnt there some kind of tax-exempt code or something for masons

Fraternities, as an organization, I beleive can apply for tax-exempt status, so masonry, college frats, KofC, etc, can do this. That is seperate from being a tax-exempt charity. Or perhaps I am conflating tax-exempt status with 'non-profit' status.

ellecampane
Only the very highest Masons, that is the 32nd degree and the York Rite, usually will know the true secrets

So shriners or Princes of the Sublime Secret or Knights Hospitaler are clueless eh?

Then and only then will he be told the real truth of what the Masons stand for

That doesn't really make any sense. A person that had bought into the goody-two shoes aspects of masonry wouldn't be very accepting of any evil purpose once he got to the 32nd degree (the 33rd degree is the final scottish rite degree though, and of course the scottish rite is in parrallel to the york rite, and there are dozens of side bodies along with all of that).

drbones666
Which is what exactly?

The truth of masonry seems to be little more than that there is a permanent soul, an afterlife, and that your duty and joy is to be a good person, from what I can see.

Originally posted by umwolves123

Originally posted by ConspiracyNut23
Does anyone know if the Masonic mode of recognitions are protected by law as trade secrets? What about OTO's? (similar to college fraternity rituals)

a VERY good question....actually they are protected by what you would call "masonic law". should a brother mason reveal the secrets of masonry "unlawfully", or another brother masons secrets (murder and treason accepted), it would be known as unmasonic, and they would be subject to a masonic inquery. kind of like a small trial. if found guilty though the worst punishment is to be banished from masonry though.

I just wanted to make a correction to this post but it's to late to "edit" i meant to write excepted instead of accepted.

Thanks

Originally posted by chemlabco
A senior member in a lodge once told me they could tell another mason in the dark!

The 5 senses are important to Masons. You have to be able to see the sign, ear the sign and feel the sign. (I don't think you need to taste or smell another mason. )

So being able to tell another Mason “in the dark” would probably mean using the secret grips. (feel) or whispering the password. (ear)



[edit on 13/7/06 by ConspiracyNut23]

the modes of recognition have all been leaked on the web.

Originally posted by Joe_knows
Even though my Grandfather (now deceased) , and my uncle are freemasons; you'd think id know a little about the subject... i dont though,... anyways isnt there some kind of tax-exempt code or something for masons, and if so why?..

Masonic societies are non-profit fraternal organizations, which qualify for income tax exemption under the IRS Code. We do, however, have to pay local property taxes on our buildings.

Originally posted by elecampane
Monkey King, what degree is your friend? Only the very highest Masons, that is the 32nd degree and the York Rite, usually will know the true secrets.

No, the "true secrets" are alluded to in each degree, beginning with that of Entered Apprentice.

Your friend will only hear of the good the Masons do until he has obtained the highest degree in the Order. Then and only then will he be told the real truth of what the Masons stand for.

The "real truth" of what "the Masons stand for" has been explained on this forum ad infinitum. It isn't necessary to join a Lodge in order to discover that much.

As far as I can tell, and mind you, I have never ever proclaimed to be anything but an open minded YOUNG investigator (who happens to have masonic heritage)

Forgive my bad syntax this evening but I have been celebrating something with a very old friend, the biggest secrets of Masonry that I have deduced is that there is a Supreme Being, and what you do in this life does impact upon what happens to you in the next.

Seems pretty compatible to most World Religions that I have studied, but please, don't take my word for it, as I said, I am a little impervious to grammatical correction tonight.

And besides (you shouldn't start a sentence with "and" if you'll excuse my merriment) doesn't this just mean, be a good person to everyone, or even "Do Unto Others....?"

Ahhhh...what do I know, I'm just an Aussie simpleton....but I do try and be a good person.

Originally posted by DrBones666
if you'll excuse my merriment

But of course, my friend. Moments of profound insight can be obtained by combining a great friend with a tasty beverage (or is it the other way around? )

Cheers (hic)



[edit on 13-7-2006 by Trinityman]

As others have stated, the modes of recognition are posted all over the internet. But knowing the grips and passwords won't really pass you as a mason. You'd be branded as a "cowan" if you tried to infiltrate a lodge. Besides, you'd need your "travelling card" or whatever freemasons call their membership card as well.

It'd be like having a fake document stating your an engineer, and a ring on your pinky. However, when you discuss things with other engineers, your ignorance would procede you, and you would be exposed as a fake right away.

take a look at this link
www.gaiaguys.net...
it's about the handshake , but is there other signs?

Here is another link that you could look at, that has the signs from Entered Apprentice to Master Mason.

www.ephesians5-11.org...

Originally posted by bigred1000
the modes of recognition have all been leaked on the web.

Not exactly all. Some, yes. Many, perhaps. But there is a "sign" and a "grip" for almost every degree and there are numerous degrees. For example I've NEVER seen the ritual or the secret work of the Masonic "Knights of York" the "Knights Preceptor" the "Order of Ish Sodi" or the "Order of the Silver Trowel" (all Masonic degrees) on the internet. Nor have I seen the ritual of the current Scottish Rite Degrees (4th - 32nd, 2001 version) or the ritual of the Knight Commander of the Court of Honour (K.C.C.H., ANY version) nor the current (1999 version) of the Thirty-Third Degree. So not "all" have been leaked on the web.

Originally posted by Edelweiss Pirate
"I know you.."
"Who's your mother?"
"Where were you born?"
"I'm very interested in architecture.."

None of those have any meaning to me, outside of the literal... and as I said, what good is a mode of recognition that isn't recognized?

Of course, now you're going to say "Aha! Denial! That's just what we'd *expect* you to say..."

Originally posted by Trinityman
Moments of profound insight can be obtained by combining a great friend with a tasty beverage (or is it the other way around?

)

Hard to stuff a friend into a proper blender, though.

wait.. that's it... Masonry is PEOPLE.

Originally posted by elecampane
Monkey King, what degree is your friend? Only the very highest Masons, that is the 32nd degree and the York Rite, usually will know the true secrets. Your friend will only hear of the good the Masons do until he has obtained the highest degree in the Order. Then and only then will he be told the real truth of what the Masons stand for.

The very highest Mason is a 3rd Degree Master Mason. Appendant bodies confer additional degrees (horizontal rather than vertical). Also, the 32nd degree is Scottish rite.

Originally posted by Edelweiss Pirate


"I know you.."
Answer: No you don't?

"Who's your mother?"
Answer: Madeline Short

"Where were you born?"
Answer: Philadelphia

"I'm very interested in architecture.."
Answer: Great build me a new home.

And so on and so on...

You would often never guess that you'd just been checked over by the masons.

For a while I couldn't figure out why so many job interviews I went to seemed to have people who knew me!

I certainly didn't know them!

PS: please stay away unless you want to have crooked politicians, perverts paeodophiles and murderers for friends..

< Nah I choose to stay away from your family memebers thank you very much..

We had one-1 dude try to enter my lodge since my start in masonry... Bad move just a bad bad move for him. A few days later I felt bad about what happen.

Originally posted by African459
We had one-1 dude try to enter my lodge since my start in masonry... Bad move just a bad bad move for him. A few days later I felt bad about what happen.

tell us what happened . Just for curiosity

Best way to find out if a man or woman is a Freemason is to ask " are you a Freemason" if they are any kind of Freemason , they will say " Yes".

Its easy when you get the hang of it.

Very, very true.

Be proud or the apron.