What Masonic Hand Signs Actually Are
The hand signs used in Freemasonry are called tokens or grips. They are secret handshakes passed between members during initiation rituals. Each degree has its own set of signs, grips, and words. The three basic degrees are Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. There are additional bodies like the Scottish Rite that add more layers, but the core system is built around those three. These signs are not just theatrical props. In practice, they function as identification methods. A member can signal their rank and lodge affiliation through a series of movements that might look like a handshake to an outsider. The reason this exists goes back to when Freemasonry was an operative guild. Craftsmen traveled between towns and needed a way to prove they were trained and recognized. The grip served as a professional credential.
Unveiling Freemasonry Hand Signs And Symbols Explained The Hidden Language Of The Brotherhood
Here is how the basic workings are structured. The grip typically involves placing your hand in a specific position on another person's hand or arm, then applying pressure in a certain direction. The word or sign that accompanies it is spoken or done in a particular way. For the Entered Apprentice degree, there is a grip involving the thumb pressing against the solar plexus area. The Fellowcraft grip shifts to the wrist. The Master Mason grip involves the heel of the hand against the throat area. Each one maps to symbolic meanings about the stages of a mason's development. I learned this the hard way during a lodge gathering where someone I didn't recognize approached me and offered the wrong grip variation. They used the Fellowcraft grip when I was still at the Entered Apprentice level. There is a correct response for that situation, which involves gently correcting the grip and noting the discrepancy. If you respond incorrectly, it creates an awkward moment and raises questions about whether you know your obligations properly. The workaround I use now is to wait and see what grip someone initiates before responding, rather than assuming the standard sequence. Most experienced members do this subconsciously, but beginners often skip that step and fumble through. The symbols you will encounter alongside the grips include the square and compasses, the letter G, the blazoned tile, the apron, and various tools like the plumb rule, level, and rough and smooth ashlar. These are not random decorations. They carry specific allegorical meanings tied to moral instruction. The square relates to morality and fairness. The compasses relate to boundaries and self-restraint. The letter G is interpreted differently across jurisdictions, usually referring to Geometry or God, depending on the Grand Lodge's tradition.
Common Pitfalls When Learning These Signs
Most people who try to learn Masonic signs from books or websites run into a fundamental problem. The written descriptions are inherently incomplete. A grip involves subtle pressure points, angles, and timing that text cannot accurately convey. The best sources, like the official monitorial books published by each Grand Lodge, provide diagrams and detailed steps, but even those require practice to execute correctly. Another issue is regional variation. The United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of New York, and the Louisiana Supreme Council all have slightly different versions of the same signs. If you memorize one version and then visit a lodge using a different jurisdiction, your grip might not match. This is not a bug in the system. It is a known limitation of having multiple independent governing bodies over centuries of separate development. The workaround is straightforward: learn the version used by your own Grand Lodge first, then adapt when traveling to other jurisdictions. There is also a cultural misconception that these signs and symbols are connected to secret societies, occult practices, or conspiracy theories. They are not. Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that uses allegorical drama and symbolic ritual for moral education. The hidden aspect exists primarily to preserve the personal experience of initiation, not to conceal anything dangerous or nefarious. This distinction matters because it affects how seriously you should take unauthorized online guides claiming to reveal all the secrets. Most of them are either inaccurate or deliberately misleading.
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Where to Find Legitimate Materials
The most reliable sources are the official monitorial books published by your Grand Lodge. These are available through Masonic bookstores, both physical and online. Some Grand Lodges also publish free PDFs on their websites. The Scottish Rite publishes extensive material for its additional degrees. If you are not a member, you can still purchase some of these books, though they are most useful when studied alongside instruction from a working lodge. Online resources exist, but quality varies enormously. Freemasonry Info and the Grand Lodge of England website provide accurate general information. Forums and social media groups often contain speculation mixed with fact, so cross-reference everything you read. I once followed a YouTube tutorial on Masonic grips and nearly practiced the wrong sequence at a lodge visit because the video conflated two different degree demonstrations. The fix was simple: I stopped relying on video and went directly to the official monitor for my jurisdiction.
Practical Considerations
Learning these signs takes time and repetition. Expect to practice the basic grips for several weeks before they feel natural. The words and signs are meant to be memorized during the ritual itself, so the learning process is tied to participation in the organization. If you are simply curious, you can study the symbolic meanings and historical context without ever learning the actual grips, and that is perfectly fine. The grips are not gatekept to exclude people from general knowledge about Masonry, but they are reserved for initiated members as part of the organizational structure. The downside of the whole system is that reliance on oral and tactile transmission means some details get lost or altered over time. Different lodges in the same jurisdiction sometimes develop minor variations in how a grip is executed. This is accepted as normal. It does not undermine the validity of the system, but it does mean there is no single authoritative version of every detail across all of Freemasonry worldwide.
