Masonic Miscellany

Question: It is customary, at the erection of all stately and superb edifices to lay the first or foundation stone at the NE corner of the building. Why the NE corner?

Bro.Rev Neville Barker Cryer tells us that the NE corner is the place in all medieval churches where the Easter sepulchre, the symbolic tomb of Christ was set and from that position the first light of Easter came. Easter proclaimed the great promise of God’s love and care for his people and fits well with the stress on Charity and Brotherly Love of which the WM speaks in his address at this partof the Initiation ceremony.

The ceremony of laying a foundation stone is perhaps the last remaining link between operative and speculative masonry, a link possessing the most ancient and historical traditions. The VSL has many references to foundation stones eg: Ezra iii, 10, 11, records the high significance of the laying of the foundation stone of the Temple: “And when the builders laid the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David King of Israel…………… And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” Clearly this was a very important occasion.

In Freemasonry Entered Apprentices are seated in the North of the Lodge because the North is the place of least light (for the same reason, few people were buried on the North side of the church. This side was usually reserved for the graves of suicides or unbaptised children). Further symbolism tells that the East represents Wisdom; the West, Strength and the South, Beauty, therefore, placing the Entered Apprentice at the North East corner symbolises the fact that he has come from darkness in the North and is aspiring towards the East, the place of greatest light. In case you haven’t noticed, the candidates gradual approach towards the East (if your Lodge follows the rubric strictly according to the Emulation ritual). HeisplacedintheWestbytheSW’s pedestal for “The 1st Degree Charge”, the Lecture on the 2ndDegree Tracing Board has him in the centre of the Lodge at the West side of the Tracing Board and for the 3rd Degree Tracing Board he stands before the Masters pedestal in the East (Note: In strict Emulation working the Traditional History is delivered by the WM). This movement through the Degrees symbolises his advancement in knowledge and the acquisition of greater light. Perhaps DC’s have forgotten the symbolism implied here as not many Lodges follow the exact path as described above.

The initiate enters the Lodge and begins his spiritual journey in the West –Have you ever thought why most baptismal fonts in churches are situated at the West end of the building? It’s because the West is also where we begin our journey through Christian life - yet another link with the early Christian influence on Freemasonry.