1st Degree Masonic Questions And Answers

Stepping into the world of Freemasonry is akin to embarking on a journey of self-discovery, guided by ancient symbols and time-honored rituals. The First Degree, also known as the Entered Apprentice Degree, serves as the very first step on this path, introducing candidates to the fundamental principles and teachings of the Craft. Within this degree, a series of questions and answers are exchanged, designed to impart essential knowledge and test the candidate's understanding.

Unveiling the Mysteries: Exploring First Degree Masonic Q&A

These questions and answers, steeped in symbolism and allegory, touch upon key aspects of Masonic philosophy, morality, and the candidate's obligations. Let's delve into some of the most common and significant questions and answers encountered in the First Degree, exploring their meanings and significance.

What is Freemasonry?

Answer: Freemasonry is a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.

• Meaning: This foundational definition highlights the essence of Freemasonry as a moral framework conveyed through symbolic representation. It emphasizes the unique and distinctive nature of the Masonic approach to self-improvement and ethical conduct.

What are the grand principles of Freemasonry?

Answer: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.

• Meaning: These three principles form the bedrock of Masonic philosophy. Brotherly Love emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, understanding, and compassion among members. Relief underscores the duty to assist those in need, both within and outside the fraternity. Truth signifies the pursuit of knowledge, honesty, and integrity in all aspects of life.

How do you know yourself to be a Mason?

Answer: By having been regularly initiated, passed, and raised.

• Meaning: This answer emphasizes the importance of proper initiation and progression through the degrees of Freemasonry. It highlights the legitimacy of one's membership through adherence to established procedures and rituals.

Where were you first prepared to be made a Mason?

Answer: In a room adjacent to the Lodge.

• Meaning: This refers to the preparation room, where the candidate undergoes symbolic preparations before entering the Lodge. This room represents a space for reflection and introspection, where the candidate divests themselves of worldly concerns and prepares for the transformative experience ahead.

How were you prepared?

Answer: By being divested of all metallic substances, neither naked nor clad, barefoot nor shod, hoodwinked, and with a cable-tow about my neck.

• Meaning: This detailed description outlines the symbolic stripping away of worldly possessions and status. The removal of metals symbolizes the rejection of material distractions, while the state of being "neither naked nor clad" represents a state of humility and vulnerability. Being "barefoot nor shod" signifies a connection to the earth and a willingness to walk a new path. The hoodwink represents the darkness of ignorance, and the cable-tow symbolizes the candidate's bond to the fraternity and their willingness to be guided.

What is the point of the cable-tow?

Answer: The length of my cable-tow is the distance of my ability to assist a distressed worthy brother, not to exceed the danger of myself or my family.

• Meaning: This emphasizes the principle of relief and the importance of assisting fellow Masons in need. However, it also underscores the importance of exercising prudence and prioritizing the well-being of oneself and one's family.

What do these preparations teach us?

Answer: That as we came into this world, so we should prepare ourselves for the Masonic journey: without worldly possessions, open to guidance, and ready to embark on a new path.

• Meaning: This answer connects the symbolic preparations to the fundamental principles of Freemasonry. It emphasizes the importance of humility, open-mindedness, and a willingness to learn and grow.

How did you gain admission into the Lodge?

Answer: By a knock.

• Meaning: This simple answer symbolizes the candidate's seeking of entry into the fraternity. The knock represents a call for admission and a willingness to be initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry.

What was said to you from within?

Answer: "Who comes here?"

• Meaning: This question challenges the candidate to declare their intentions and identify themselves as someone seeking knowledge and fellowship within the Lodge.

Your answer?

Answer: A poor blind candidate who desires to be brought from darkness to light, and to be received into this Worshipful Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons.

• Meaning: This answer articulates the candidate's desire for enlightenment and their willingness to embrace the principles of Freemasonry. The phrase "poor blind candidate" signifies the candidate's initial state of ignorance and their yearning for knowledge. The phrase "darkness to light" symbolizes the transformative journey of self-discovery and moral improvement.

How did you know it was a regularly constituted Lodge?

Answer: By the Volume of Sacred Law, Square, and Compasses.

• Meaning: These three objects are considered the Great Lights of Freemasonry. The Volume of Sacred Law (typically the Bible, but can be another sacred text depending on the individual's beliefs) represents the divine will and moral guidance. The Square symbolizes morality, honesty, and integrity. The Compasses represent boundaries, self-control, and the ability to keep one's desires within due bounds. Their presence signifies the legitimacy and authority of the Lodge.

What are the lesser lights?

Answer: The Sun, Moon, and Master of the Lodge.

• Meaning: The Sun represents the day and the light of knowledge, while the Moon represents the night and the reflection of that light. The Master of the Lodge symbolizes leadership, guidance, and the embodiment of Masonic principles.

What is the form of the Lodge?

Answer: An oblong square.

• Meaning: The oblong square symbolizes the universe and the boundless nature of knowledge. Its dimensions are said to extend from east to west, north to south, and from the earth to the heavens.

Why is the Lodge an oblong square?

Answer: Because our ancient brethren met in such a place.

• Meaning: This answer hearkens back to the historical origins of Freemasonry and the traditions passed down through generations.

What covers the Lodge?

Answer: A celestial canopy of blue, spangled with stars.

• Meaning: This symbolizes the vastness of the universe and the limitless potential for knowledge and spiritual growth. The blue canopy represents the heavens, while the stars signify the divine presence and the pursuit of enlightenment.

How is the Lodge supported?

Answer: By three great pillars, called Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty.

• Meaning: These three pillars represent the essential qualities that support a well-functioning Lodge and a virtuous life. Wisdom guides decision-making and promotes understanding. Strength provides the fortitude to overcome challenges and persevere in the face of adversity. Beauty inspires harmony, balance, and a love of the arts and sciences.

Why Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty?

Answer: Wisdom to contrive, Strength to support, and Beauty to adorn.

• Meaning: This elaborates on the roles of the three pillars in the construction of both the physical Lodge and the metaphorical temple of one's character. Wisdom provides the design, Strength provides the support, and Beauty provides the embellishment.

Who do they represent?

Answer: Wisdom represents the Master, Strength the Senior Warden, and Beauty the Junior Warden.

• Meaning: This connects the symbolic pillars to the officers of the Lodge, highlighting their respective roles in guiding and supporting the members.

Where is the Master supposed to sit?

Answer: In the East.

• Meaning: The East is the direction of the rising sun, symbolizing enlightenment and the source of knowledge. The Master's position in the East signifies his role as a guide and teacher.

Why is the Master supposed to sit in the East?

Answer: As the sun rises in the East to open and govern the day, so sits the Master in the East to open the Lodge and employ and instruct the Craft in Masonry.

• Meaning: This answer further clarifies the Master's role as a source of knowledge and guidance, drawing a parallel to the rising sun.

Where is the Senior Warden supposed to sit?

Answer: In the West.

• Meaning: The West is the direction of the setting sun, symbolizing the end of the day and the completion of labor. The Senior Warden's position in the West signifies his role in overseeing the Craft during their work.

Why is the Senior Warden supposed to sit in the West?

Answer: As the sun sets in the West to close the day, so sits the Senior Warden in the West to assist the Master in opening the Lodge, and to take care that the Craft come from labor to refreshment, and from refreshment to labor, that proper harmony may be observed.

• Meaning: This answer emphasizes the Senior Warden's role in maintaining order and ensuring the smooth flow of Lodge activities.

Where is the Junior Warden supposed to sit?

Answer: In the South.

• Meaning: The South is associated with midday, when the sun is at its highest point. The Junior Warden's position in the South signifies his role in overseeing the Craft during their refreshment.

Why is the Junior Warden supposed to sit in the South?

Answer: As the sun is in the South at high meridian, so sits the Junior Warden in the South to observe the time of day, to call the Craft from labor to refreshment, and from refreshment to labor, that proper harmony may be observed.

• Meaning: This answer highlights the Junior Warden's responsibility for maintaining order and ensuring that the Craft are properly refreshed during their breaks.

What are the immovable jewels?

Answer: The Square, the Level, and the Plumb Rule.

• Meaning: These three jewels symbolize fundamental principles of Masonic morality. The Square represents morality, honesty, and integrity. The Level represents equality, fairness, and impartiality. The Plumb Rule represents uprightness, rectitude, and adherence to principles.

What are the movable jewels?

Answer: The Rough Ashlar, the Perfect Ashlar, and the Trestle Board.

• Meaning: These three jewels symbolize the journey of self-improvement. The Rough Ashlar represents the candidate in their unrefined state, full of potential but lacking in knowledge and experience. The Perfect Ashlar represents the ideal state of moral and spiritual perfection that Masons strive to achieve. The Trestle Board represents the plans and designs that guide the Mason in their work of self-improvement.

What is the duty of a Mason?

Answer: To keep and obey the moral law.

• Meaning: This emphasizes the fundamental importance of ethical conduct and adherence to moral principles in the life of a Mason.

Have you any working tools?

Answer: Yes.

• Meaning: This acknowledges the importance of tools, both literal and figurative, in the work of Freemasonry.

What are the working tools of an Entered Apprentice?

Answer: The 24-inch gauge, the gavel, and the chisel.

• Meaning: These three tools symbolize the initial steps in the process of self-improvement. The 24-inch gauge represents the division of time into equal parts for work, rest, and devotion. The gavel represents the power to remove imperfections and shape one's character. The chisel represents education and the ability to refine one's thoughts and actions.

How are they used?

Answer: The 24-inch gauge is used to measure and divide our time. The gavel is used to break off the rough and superfluous parts of stone. The chisel is used to further smooth and prepare it for the builder's use.

• Meaning: This explains the practical application of each tool and their symbolic significance in the context of self-improvement.

What is the significance of the point within a circle?

Answer: It represents the individual Mason; the circle represents the boundary line of his duty to God and man, beyond which he is never to suffer his passions to betray him.

• Meaning: This powerful symbol emphasizes the importance of self-control and adherence to moral principles. The point represents the individual, while the circle represents the boundaries of ethical conduct.

What are the parallel lines said to represent?

Answer: St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, two eminent patrons of Masonry.

• Meaning: These two figures represent important virtues and principles within Freemasonry.

Upon what do you hope to arrive?

Answer: At that which was lost, and is now found.

• Meaning: This alludes to the search for knowledge, truth, and spiritual enlightenment that is central to the Masonic journey. The phrase "that which was lost" refers to a state of original perfection or knowledge that has been obscured or forgotten.

What is the covering of the Lodge?

Answer: A celestial canopy of blue, spangled with stars.

• Meaning: This symbolizes the vastness of the universe and the limitless potential for knowledge and spiritual growth.

How do we get into a regular Lodge?

Answer: By a knock, and by conforming to the customs and usages of the Craft.

• Meaning: This emphasizes the importance of following established procedures and adhering to the traditions of Freemasonry.

How many make a Lodge?

Answer: Seven or more.

• Meaning: This refers to the minimum number of members required to open and conduct Masonic business in a regular Lodge.

But in the absence of that number?

Answer: Five.

• Meaning: If a Lodge has at least five members, it is considered capable of opening and operating in a restricted way, handling certain business but not initiating new members.

How many make a just and perfect Lodge?

Answer: Three.

• Meaning: This refers to the minimum number of members required to open a Lodge for the purpose of instruction and Masonic fellowship.

Who are they?

Answer: The Master and the two Wardens.

• Meaning: This identifies the three principal officers of the Lodge as essential for its operation.

I will now ask you for the sign of an Entered Apprentice Mason; give it.

Answer: (Candidate gives the due-guard and sign.)

• Meaning: This is a physical demonstration of membership and knowledge of the First Degree. The due-guard is a gesture of respect and caution, while the sign is a specific hand gesture that identifies the candidate as an Entered Apprentice Mason.

What does that sign allude to?

Answer: It alludes to the position of my heart, denoting that I will rather have my heart torn from my breast than to reveal the secrets of Freemasonry unlawfully.

• Meaning: This emphasizes the solemn obligation of secrecy and the importance of protecting the integrity of the fraternity.

I will now ask you for the grip of an Entered Apprentice Mason; give it.

Answer: (Candidate gives the grip.)

• Meaning: This is a secret handshake that identifies the candidate as an Entered Apprentice Mason.

Has it a name?

Answer: It has.

• Meaning: This acknowledges the existence of a secret name associated with the grip.

Will you give it to me?

Answer: I did not so receive it, neither can I so impart it.

• Meaning: This emphasizes the importance of proper instruction and the fact that Masonic secrets can only be revealed in a specific and authorized manner.

How will you dispose of it?

Answer: I will letter or halve it with you.

• Meaning: This refers to a method of communicating the secret name by dividing it into syllables and exchanging them.

Begin.

Answer: (The candidate and the examiner each exchange syllables to reveal the secret name.)

• Meaning: This completes the exchange of the secret name, further solidifying the bond between Masons.

What is that?

Answer: Boaz.

• Meaning: Boaz is the name of one of the pillars that stood at the entrance to King Solomon's Temple, symbolizing strength and stability.

Where were you made a Mason?

Answer: In a regular and duly constituted Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons.

• Meaning: This reaffirms the legitimacy of the candidate's initiation and membership in the fraternity.

What makes a Lodge regular?

Answer: A warrant from the Grand Lodge and being congregated by proper authority.

• Meaning: This defines the requirements for a Lodge to be recognized as legitimate and authorized to conduct Masonic business.

How old are you as a Mason?

Answer: As old as the secrets I have received.

• Meaning: This emphasizes the timeless nature of Masonic knowledge and the enduring significance of the secrets that are imparted during initiation.

The Enduring Significance of the First Degree

The questions and answers of the First Degree are more than just a catechism to be memorized. They represent a profound exploration of fundamental principles and a commitment to a lifelong journey of self-improvement. By engaging with these questions and reflecting on their meanings, candidates begin to internalize the values of Freemasonry and embark on a path of personal growth and ethical conduct. The First Degree is just the beginning, but it lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning, fellowship, and service within the Masonic fraternity.