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| United Grand Lodge of England |
We went inside the
Freemasons' Hall as part of Open House weekend. I've been wanting to go for a while as secret societies and conspiracy theories fascinate me. Plus when I used to work nearby I would often see men with matching ties and briefcases go inside the Hall for clandestine meetings.
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| Freemason lodges in England |
Actually the Freemasons' Hall was disappointingly un-secretive, the Masons were very welcoming and inviting towards visitors. There's even a museum an information booklet and regular tours. So much for conspiracy theories and world domination plots. If you want to know more about the Freemasons their
website is suitably vague/informative or you could always read
Freemasonry for Dummies which was available to buy in the gift shop.
Symbolism is important to the Freemason society, five and six pointed stars can be found all over the building.
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| floor of the United Grand Lodge |
The five pointed star,the 'pentalpha', represents the five points of Masonic fellowship. For Pythagoras (an important figure to the masons) it was symbol of perfection and the universe. The Pentalpha is also an ancient emblem of good luck and health.
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| Celling of the United Grand Lodge |
The six pointed star, the 'hexalpha', (common also in Jewish faith, the star of David) is for Freemason known as the Seal of Solomon and is the badge of Royal Arch Freemasonry.
Other important Masonic symbols include:-
wheat = resurrection
lotus = waters of life
irises = eternal life
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doors to the Grand Temple, each door weighs 1¼
tons and depicts the building of Solomon's temple |
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| The Grand Temple |
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