Cemetery Symbols: What is the Masonic G?

Why is there a G in the Masonic symbol?

THE MASONIC G:
It seems like a simple question, “What does ‘G’ in the middle of the Masonic emblem mean?” Finding a simple answer, however, is not so easy.

As a teen I joined the Rainbow Girls, which is the youth group associated with the Masonic Temple. They must have thought I had bladder problems, because I constantly excused myself during class. Instead of using the bathroom, I’d poke all over the labyryhthine halls, hoping to discover something mysterious or strange.

I never did.

Our Rainbow Girl rituals, on the other hand, were pretty bland. They mostly involved memorizing long passages about the colors of the rainbow, and reciting them in candlelit ceremonies. (Example: I was required to wear a white dress while reciting a piece that started with, “I am white, the virgin color…”)

Back then, when I asked about the ‘G’ in the symbol, I was told it stands for ‘God.’ (Come to think of it, my inquisitive nature seemed to annoy the group leaders. I had similar problems in Sunday school… go figure!)

When I researched the matter at the library, I learned that the Masonic ‘G’ stands for three things, in part because the letter ‘G’ is the third letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Those three things are: Grand Architect, Generation, and Gnosis.

The ‘Grand Architect’ aspect does indeed refer to God, so my Rainbow Girl leaders were giving me part of the answer. By ‘Generation,’ the Masons are referring to knowledge being passed down through bloodlines. ‘Gnosis’ is Greek for ‘knowledge,’ so there you go: a not so simple answer for a simple question!

How to comment: Please comment about this post on Tui Snider’s Facebook. Leave your link in the comments, and I’ll drop by your blog, too. You can also tweet me at @TuiSnider. (My blog comments are broken, but I’m trying to get that fixed. *sigh*)

What is the April A to Z Blog Challenge?

Each April, people from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then use the blog hop linky to visit as many other bloggers as you can.

Visit other A to Z bloggers:

Find out more about the April A to Z blog challenge, and check out the other participants!

Want to stay in touch?

For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my newsletter using the form below:

Want to read my books?