Masonry is the word with which it is popularly called that secret society, which is spread over several countries and whose members are structured and associated with each other from lodges, which are concerned with promoting friendship and help.
Secret Society born in Europe in the seventeenth century and whose purposes are to spread charity, friendship and philosophy
It has a hierarchical structure supported by the fraternity that exists between the members, who are distinguished from others and identified as part of an organization of this type through signs, symbols and rites.
However, not just anyone can integrate it, these institutions make special selections to add new members, in which it is evaluated that they can justly meet their philanthropic, intellectual and progress objectives.
Meanwhile, the lodges are the physical spaces in which the Masons meet, and the assemblies or meetings that they hold in these spaces to discuss and address issues of interest are also called that.
Dignify friendship
That is to say, Freemasonry is a society with eminently philanthropic and philosophical characteristics in which friendship is the supreme value that is dignified and promoted.
The meetings of the Freemasons, as the member of the Freemasonry is called, are proposed above all things to undertake the search for the truth of things from reason alone, that is why especially the intellectual and moral development of the individuals that compose it is promoted so that later they can spread the apprehended message outside the lodge and to their own environment.
Hierarchical structure and classes of Freemasonry
Among the Masons it is plausible to distinguish hierarchical levels, among them: apprentices (It is the initial grade and therefore it is made up of the most novices), companions (it is the next grade and in this the learning takes place) and teachers (It is the third degree and the Mason is already actively involved in all aspects of the organization).
It should be noted that the aforementioned lodges serve as base groupings, that is, they do not imply authority per se, but they usually respond to a higher organization that is designated as Grand Lodge.
There are many lodges around the world and therefore it is that each one uses emblems and distinctive signs that distinguish it from the general, although of course, the spirit that they all pursue and respect is the one mentioned above.
Anyway, it is worth mentioning that in the world two currents are distinguished, on the one hand the regular masonry, which is the one that follows the traditional rules and on the other hand the liberal masonry , which does not follow any kind of doctrine or dogma.
In addition to the aforementioned, there is a clear differentiation between the two regarding the inclusion or not of women, in the regular ones women are not admitted for any reason, while the latter are permeable to their inclusion and fight for the freedom of conscience of their members.
For its part, regular Freemasonry is very adamant about prohibiting any discussion of politics and religion.
Meanwhile, the oaths that are made are made on sacred books such as the Bible or any other that is considered as such.
The origin of Freemasonry, also called freemasonry, goes back to late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in Europe, then spread throughout the world.
The relevance of symbols and rites
As we have already indicated, symbology plays a determining role in this type of organization and is precisely based on many symbols to build itself and to promote the progress of people on the moral and intellectual planes, for example.
Among the most popular and well-known are the square, which refers to virtue, the compass, which represents the limits that a law mason must always respect and observe with respect to his peers.
The letters also have special meanings, such as A and G, which are used to account for the concept of the Great Architect of the Universe that is used in many of the rites they perform.
We cannot ignore that due to the secrecy that was attributed to many of these groups, for many years and even today, they are tinged with a certain halo of mystery and darkness, however, as we have already said, their objectives are positive and are associated with the search for well-being and the common, mostly.
It is important to note that due to its secret status, Freemasonry, practically since its inception, has been enveloped by a cloak of controversy, and even, on many occasions, the true intentions of this type of organization have been questioned.
