Masonic glossary
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The terms below describe public aspects of Masonic history and organisation. Usage differs between countries and governing bodies; the examples identify a jurisdiction where that affects the meaning.
Lodges and administration
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Lodge | A local body of Freemasons. The same word can also refer informally to its meeting or meeting place. UGLE’s glossary describes the lodge as its basic unit.[1] |
| Grand Lodge | A governing body responsible for constituent lodges. It is not a worldwide government of Freemasonry; relations between Grand Lodges are established separately.[2] |
| Grand Orient | A title used by some Masonic governing organisations, such as the Grand Orient de France. Its precise constitution and responsibilities depend on the organisation.[3] |
| Obedience | In continental Masonic usage, an organisation to which lodges belong. One obedience may accommodate several rites, as the Grand Orient de France does.[3] |
| Warrant or charter | A document authorising a lodge or other body to operate. In English Craft Masonry the normal requirement is a warrant of constitution; rule 101 specifies exceptions.[4] |
| Constitution | The rules governing a Masonic body. Historical constitutions may also include accounts of its origins; see The 1723 Constitutions.[4] |
| Province or district | An intermediate administrative area in some organisations. UGLE uses Provinces for areas in England and Wales and Districts for many of its overseas lodges.[1] |
Rites, degrees and membership
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Craft | The branch of Freemasonry organised around the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason.[5] |
| Degree | A stage within a Masonic system. A degree number identifies its place in that system, rather than authority over every other Mason.[5] |
| Rite | An organised system of Masonic degrees and traditions. A rite and the obedience administering it are different things: several organisations may use one rite, and one organisation may use several.[3] |
| Additional or high degrees | Degrees associated with systems beyond the three Craft degrees. Their governing bodies and requirements vary; see The Appendant Degrees. Yarker’s account provides one historical example.[6] |
| Conferred by communication | In histories of higher degrees, a degree granted without a separate full ceremonial presentation. Yarker described some Memphis degrees as conferred by name. The precise arrangement depends on the body concerned.[6] |
| Chapter | A body in certain additional-degree systems. In English Royal Arch Masonry, Chapters come under the Supreme Grand Chapter. Other rites also use the word for different bodies.[1][6] |
| Master of a lodge | The officer who presides over a lodge. This is an office, distinct from holding the degree of Master Mason.[4][5] |
Relations between organisations
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Regularity | Conformity with the principles a Masonic authority considers necessary. The authority and its criteria should be specified; see Masonic regularity and recognition.[2] |
| Recognition | A formal relationship accepted by Masonic governing bodies. Recognition by one body does not amount to universal recognition.[2] |
| Visitation | Attendance as a visitor at another lodge. Governing-body rules and recognition relationships affect eligibility to visit.[2] |
Terms in the Egyptian rites
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sovereign Sanctuary | A governing body in some Memphis and Memphis-Misraïm systems. Yarker’s 1888 account uses the term for the British and Irish authority.[6] |
| Grand Hierophant | A leadership title in some Egyptian-rite bodies. The title’s authority depends on the bodies accepting the appointment; the disputed reception of Garibaldi’s appointment illustrates this.[7] |
| Succession or lineage | A claimed sequence of office-holders or transmissions of authority. Establishing the sequence requires examining the relevant appointments and charters; competing branches may give different accounts. See Memphis-Misraim organisations and recognition. |
See also
- Summary of the different rites
- The Officers in a Craft Lodge
- Degrees and organisation of Memphis-Misraim
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United Grand Lodge of England, public glossary; English administrative usage.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 United Grand Lodge of England, “Foreign Grand Lodges”, explanation of recognition and visiting.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Grand Orient de France, “Rejoindre le GODF”, section describing its rites.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 United Grand Lodge of England, Book of Constitutions, Craft Rules, March 2026, rule 101.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 United Grand Lodge of England, “Frequently Asked Questions”, public explanation of Craft Freemasonry.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 John Yarker, “Antient & Primitive Rite of Masonry”, The Kneph, vol. VIII, no. 1, September 1888; historical statement reproduced by the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon.
- ↑ Jean Bricaud, historical notes on Memphis-Misraïm (1933), updated by Constant Chevillon (1938), reproduced by L’Initiation as “Historique de Memphis-Misraïm”; an account written by leaders of the rite.
Memphis-Misraïm: Overview · Misraïm · Memphis · History · Degrees and organisation · Egyptian symbolism · Organisations and recognition · Regalia and imagery · Sources and further reading
People: Bédarride brothers · Marconis de Nègre · John Yarker · Giuseppe Garibaldi · Papus · Jean Bricaud · Constant Chevillon · Robert Ambelain
Background: Hermeticism · Martinism · Masonic glossary · Comparison with related traditions