The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 6 - Peculiarities of Masonic Language 375
In the third degree of the Heroines of Jericho, that of Heroines, the candidate
who "wishes to enter the Ladies' Palace of King Solomon's Temple," which is a
paraphrase for the Court of Heroines, she comes from "the camps of Joshua in
Israel" and is by nationality a "Moabitess," 1201 thus assuming the personality of
the Biblical Ruth.
The next section will explain further particular "places" appearing in Craft
Masonry:
6.16.1 The Four Points of the Compass
The most important direction in Freemasonry is the East. Not only in
Masonry, but in all philosophies and religions, the East has been conceived as a
sacred place, since men perceived the sun rising there. Hence, all mysterious
manifestations like gods were thought to reside in the East or originate from this
point of the compass. Due to this symbolism, all kinds of churches were oriented
towards the East, and the death are buried with their feet pointing towards the
East, in order to rise up facing this direction at the day of resurrection. 1202 The
operative stonemasons of the Middle Ages did not employ the symbolism of the
East in their constitutions yet. For example, the Gothic Constitutions do not
contain a hint to this cardinal point. However, the early exposés and catechetical
rituals that were published from 1723 onward contain such references. Thus, one
dialogue on the situation of a lodge is found in Grand Mystery of Free Masons
Discover'd, dated 1724: " 'How does it stand?' - 'Perfect East and West, as all
Temples do.' " 1203 In Freemasonry, the Worshipful Master and the Volume of the
Sacred Law have their place in the East:
The pedestal, with the volume of the Sacred Law, is placed in the
eastern part of the lodge, to signify that as the sun rises in the east to
open and enliven the day, so is the W. M. placed in the east to open the
lodge, and to employ and instruct the brethren in Masonry. 1204
The stations of the principal officer and the other lodge officers are chosen
due to the symbolism of the four cardinal points (cf. our chapter 8 on rituals).
This is a feature that male Masonry, female Masonry, youth orders, and the
quasi-Masonic and imitative orders all have in common. In Craft Masonry, the
Junior Warden's station is in the south, "[t]o observe the sun at meridian [...]; call
the craft from labor to refreshment [...], superintend them [...]." 1205 As is stated in
1200 Ibid, p. 33/34.
1201 Ibid, p. 35.
1202 Cf. CME, p. 221.
1203 Quoted in ibid, p. 221.
1204 GHCDF, p. 494.
1205 Cf. Nizzardini, p. 9.