The Symbol of the Skull and Crossbones and its Masonic Application

Guest Contributor: P.D. Newman

There has been a great deal of controversy of late concerning the symbol of the skull and crossbones and whether or not it should be regarded as a legitimate Masonic emblem. This article is an attempt to demonstrate that this symbol is indeed authentic in its Masonic association, for it both conceals and reveals genuine mysteries pertaining to our Craft.

Considering the fact that the skull and crossbones continue to be a common addition to chambers of reflection and third degree tracing boards of many Masonic jurisdictions as well as a prominent feature within the Templar and Kadosh Degrees of the York and Scottish Rites, it would seem to me that the symbol's legitimacy is, if the reader will allow the parlance, a "given," but unfortunately for many Masons, the connection between the seemingly macabre emblem of the skull and crossbones and our gentle Craft is one which remains obscured by what in all probability are simply and understandably the shadows of their own ill-founded fears and insecurities. The association of the symbol of the skull and crossbones with notions of piracy and poison has no doubt left many Masons desirous of distancing themselves and indeed the Fraternity from these and similar emblems.

Memento Mori.1 It is natural to fear death, but we as Masons are taught to view that inescapable moment not as something to dread but rather as the motivating factor in accomplishing our own work and duty as men and as Masons.

"The particles [of the hourglass] run rapidly, and, for aught we know, with the passing of one of them you or I shall die. It is uncertain. We should not…neglect a moment, but…do all we can do to the great end of being really happy. For we shall die, and in the grave there is no working. There is no device, no knowledge, no pardon there."2

For this reason we are given a sobering reminder every time we have the fortune to sit in Lodge during the raising of a fellow of the Craft to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason or during the Knighting of a Mason as a Templar or Knight Kadosh that death is always near and that it could come at any place and any time, regardless of the person or persons involved.

Be it in the chamber of reflection in the jurisdictions where one is permitted or required, the tracing board of the Master Mason degree, the Knighting ceremony of the Order of the Temple in the York Rite or the Knights Kadosh Degree in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the Southern Jurisdiction, that which stands as the primary reminder of the grim truth that death is ever imminent is the chilling human skull and crossbones. However, the symbol also has an esoteric application which is equally if not more profound in its relevance.

We shall begin our explanation by first focusing on the Masonic significance of the death's head or human skull. In his book, Low Magick, Brother Lon Milo DuQuette half-jokingly stated regarding the mechanism of ritual work and ceremonial magic that "[i]t's all in your head…you just have no idea how big your head is." According to one 18th century Masonic expose, Brother DuQuette is absolutely right. In Samuel Pritchard's Masonry Dissected we encounter the following dialogue:

Q. Have you any Key to [the Secrets contained in the Lodge]?
A. Yes.
Q. Where do you keep it?
A. In a Bone Bone Box that neither opens nor shuts but with Ivory Keys.
Q. Does it hang or does it lie?
A. It hangs.
Q. What does it hang by?
A. A Tow-Line 9 inches or a Span.
Q. What Metal is it of?
A. No manner of Metal at all; but a Tongue of good Report is as good behind a Brother's Back as before his Face.

- N.B. The Key is the Tongue, the Bone Bone Box the Teeth, the Tow-Line the Roof of the Mouth.3

A similar exchange, appearing in the Sloane Manuscript, led historian Tobias Churton to declare outright that indeed "the Lodge is in the head."4 This suggests that the Lodge, furniture, ornaments, and officers may all have their reflection within the make-up of man. Sufi-inspired Russian mystic, G.I. Gurdjieff, offered a similar teaching. According to Gurdjieff, every man, not unlike a perfect Lodge, has an internal sevenfold constitution which he termed the "Seven Men." This notion is not unlike the Theosophical teaching concerning the septenary nature of the soul of man, an interpretation which has, since the occult revival of the 19th century, consistently been extended by authors such as Manly P. Hall, J. S. M. Ward, and W. L. Wilmshurst to the seven officers which constitute a perfect Lodge.

"[M]an, the seven-fold being, is the most cherished of all the Creator's works, and hence also it is that the Lodge has seven principle officers, and that a lodge, to be perfect, requires the presence of seven brethren; though the deeper meaning of this phrase is that the individual man, in virtue of his seven-fold constitution, in himself constitutes the "perfect lodge," if he will but know himself and analyze his own nature aright."5

More recently, in his formidable book, Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance, W. Kirk McNulty applied a decidedly Jungian solution to the problem of Masonic ritual, placing the Lodge, candidate, and officers squarely and neatly within the conscious and unconscious mind; that is, inside of the head.

The crossbones also have an intriguing Masonic application. In the guidelines provided by the Grand Lodge of Colorado for implementing and conducting a proper chamber of reflection, Masons are informed that "[t]he crossbones are also a hint at the pillars, the portico of man upon which he must stand as he labors in the quarry."6 As Matthew C. Pelham, Sr. demonstrated in his thought provoking article "A Search for More Light in the Symbolism of the Skull and Crossbones," the association between the crossbones, which themselves are always constructed using human femurs or thighbones, and the two pillars of the Temple, stems no doubt from the verse in Song of Solomon which announces in a moving hymn to Deity that "His legs are as pillars."7 Still, there is another similarity between the pillars of the Masonic Lodge and someone's (or, more specifically, something's) legs which is so absolutely striking that I dare not fail to mention it.

In the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, the ship Argo sailed to Europa in Crete following Jason's legendary retrieval of the golden fleece. On the island of Europa, the Argonauts encountered a great metallic giant called Talos, meaning sun or solar, which was cast wholly of solid bronze. His legs, on the other hand, while also made of bronze, were cast completely hollow, and one of them, it was said, contained a single vein through which flowed the divine ichor or golden blood of the gods. The presence of the ichor within his leg animated the giant, enabling Talos to perform the sole function for which he was created, that is to circumambulate Europa three times daily in order to protect and guard the land from approaching pirates. If the reader will recall, the Pillars of Freemasonry are also said not only to have been hollow and cast from bronze, but according to some traditions within the Craft, it was only one of them which contained the treasured archives of Freemasonry, not unlike Talos' peculiar legs, only one of which was possessive of the Olympic gods' magical ichor. Lastly, it is notable that scholar A. B. Cook interpreted the myth of Talos as being a veiled allusion to the Masonically relevant lost wax casting method of metallurgy thus bringing us back full circle to the question of the legitimacy of this symbol.

Regardless of the negative connotations which may surround the image, the symbol of the skull and crossbones, whether considered exoterically or esoterically, is absolutely possessive of profound Masonic import. As we have demonstrated, the image is suggestive of both man's mortality and more significantly, initiation within the Masonic Lodge. We are hopeful that we've aided our more uncertain Brethren in laying aside some of their underlying fears and insecurities concerning this most curious and potent of Masonic emblems. The symbol of the skull and crossbones points at once to the inevitable end of man as well as to one of the means by which he might accept and come to peace with the knowledge and anticipation of such an ending, tried and true Masonic initiation.

End Notes

1 Meaning "Remember Death"
2 Folger Ms. 1
3 Samuel Pritchard's Masonry Dissected (1730)
4 Tobias Churton's- The Golden Guilders: Alchemists, Rosicrucians, and the First Freemasons, p. 222
5 Song of Solomon 5:15

References

Blavatsky, H.P.- The Secret Doctrine
Churton, Tobias- The Golden Builders: Alchemists, Rosicrucians, and the First Freemasons
Cook, A.B.- Zeus a Study in Ancient Religion
De Hoyos, Arturo- Committed to the Flames: The History and Rituals of a Secret Masonic Rite (with S. Brent Morris)
De Hoyos, Arturo- Albert Pike's Esoterika
DuQuette, Lon Milo- Low Magick: It's All In Your Head…You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is
McNulty, W. Kirk- Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance
Ouspensky, P.D.- The Fourth Way
Porter, Cliff- The Secret Psychology of Freemasonry
Pritchard, Samuel- Masonry Dissected
Ruck, Carl A.P.- Classical Myth
The Holy Bible: Master Mason Edition
Ward, J. S. M.- The Master Mason's Handbook

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Thinking Outside of the Masonic Box

BY: WOR. JASON E. MARSHALL

Back in February, Bro. Robert G. Davis and I took a road trip to Austin, Texas in order to attend a Lodge of Secret Masters (4th Degree Scottish Rite). This was a unique experience, because the brethren of the Austin Valley Scottish Rite have taken the ritual that is normally performed on a stage, and transformed it into an actual lodge setting. Therefore, instead of watching the degree from afar, you are actually taking part in a working lodge of Secret Masters. The lodge is only held once a year in order to initiate a brother into the 4th degree of the Scottish Rite. This was truly a rare and powerful event, especially since to my knowledge this is the only valley performing this kind of work.  

The passion that the brethren put into this was evident from the moment that we walked in, because the brethren managed to recreate the lodge of sorrow space from the ritual down to the most minute detail, including many custom pieces such as custom 9 pointed star candelabras with gold leaf, handmade stain glass pieces, carved leather banners, torchieres, and even a knight in a full suit of armor. 

During the reception following the event, one of the brothers told me that the project seemed too daunting during the original planning stages, because they knew that it would take thousands of hours and dollars to create the custom prop pieces. The brethren would also have to get special permission to form the lodge and perform the ritual, However, during our conversations, each brother expressed that the event was a labor of love, and that it had really brought the brethren of the valley closer together. It had also instilled a spark of energy in the valley, because it was something truly unique that the brethren could be proud of. This work resulted in a truly powerful experience, and there wasn't an empty seat in the house.

On the way home, Bob and I were discussing the event and the other successful Masonic events that we've experienced, and one of the key features that we kept coming back to for any successful Masonic event is passion. Without passion ritual is dull and forgettable; however, when the brethren performing a ritual are truly working to transmit Masonic Light, then it is a truly moving experience. The same goes for any event from a fish fry to a festive board. If the Brethren are simply trying to throw something together at the last minute, or go through the motions because they have to, then the event is flat and boring, and everyone secretly can't wait until they can slip out the back door. However, if the brethren are excited about the event and put real time and effort into the event, then everyone has a good time and the bonds of brotherly love are strengthened.

I think the often heard masonic idiom, "we've always done it this way", is actually a lethal phrase for the craft. If we continue doing things because that's the way its been done, we box ourselves in from new experiences, growth, and passion. One of the keys to being passionate about an event or project comes from thinking outside of the box, which allows us to expand our horizons, and even push the envelope of what can actually be done. Sometimes it can be something as simple as adding reflective elements to a lodge experience such as allowing a contemplative moment of reflection after opening, candles, education programs, music, or hosting a degree in a unique manner, like my lodge did last year when we held a Master Mason degree at low twelve, which ended up bringing in visitors representing 19 different lodges, 5 states, and 6 grand jurisdictions. Other times pushing the envelope can be something more ambitious like hosting a festive board with an out of state speaker, or a major event like a gala, ball, or an event like the Austin Valley's Lodge of Secret Masters.

Sometimes thinking outside of the box is going to be difficult, because while we are inside of the proverbial box we often have difficulty perceiving what could be, because we have only surrounded ourselves with what is or has been. However, when we allow ourselves to break outside of the self-limiting box of how we've always done things, then we can breathe new life into our lodges, appendant bodies, and our fraternity as a whole. As the brethren in the Austin Valley have shown, it may not be an easy road, but the results are well worth it, and now those Brethren have something that they can be truly proud of, and it all began with what seemed like a crazy out of the box idea. 

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How Long Must I Haul These Ruffians Around With Me?

BY: ROBERT G. DAVIS, 33*, GRAND CROSS

The degrees of Freemasonry are built on the clear understanding that men need to be engaged in a quest for self-improvement. But a lot of guys out there are not on board with the quest. They don’t know who they are or where they are going with their life. They are confused and often misguided by their primitive instincts. They are full of media defined ideas about masculinity, and their social conditioning has been based largely on physique, sex, wealth, and conquest. They may seem very successful in appearances. Yet, be wholly at sea in knowing what self-improvement means, where it comes from, and how one accesses it.  

Nevertheless, for most men, life is seen as a journey. Men intuitively know there will be some kind of initiation in store for them on their way to manhood. They just don’t know where it will occur, what it will look like, or how the results will turn out for them.

Even in Freemasonry, where the quintessential initiation takes place in the Blue or Symbolic Lodge, it is important to grasp that this is only the beginning of one’s journey. It is there that we learn of the importance of our outward relationship with others and the institutions of our society. It is there that we are taught it takes a combination of intellect, experience, intuition, feeling, emotion and education to make real progress in life. And it is there that we discover our dual nature. We come face to face with our own worst enemy—our ego. We are given the opportunity to transcend our passions and prejudices and become true to who we are.

However, we are left to our own resources as to how we are supposed to proceed with this profound quest. We are still at sea with embracing the path of self-improvement. In the nomenclature of our private association of men, this is part of the meaning of the Lost Word. As Master Masons, we still have a mountain of self-discovery to climb. It is at this very point that every initiated man either becomes ready for the higher teachings of Freemasonry, or he remains content to enjoy his title as Master Mason and relish in the attitude that his association with good men will bring him improvement enough.   

To a large extent, the higher degrees of Masonry are engaged in completing this drama--completing the quest—completing the process of becoming a man. For example, the degrees or teachings of the Lodge of Perfection in the Scottish Rite (4° - 14°)  explore in depth the shadow side of our own existence—the unfinished business we have with ourselves--our ruffians within. We all have the arduous task of overcoming ourselves. And it will prove the hardest journey of our life.

At least one aspect of our ruffian nature is revealed in each of the 4th through 10th degrees. Bringing these to the surface facilitates our own awakening of consciousness. For instance, the 4° informs us that the mysteries of our own being are not easily revealed to us--our inadequate understanding of things; our ignorance and short sidedness; passions and prejudices; selfish motives and lazy approaches to learning. In the 5°, we are warned of our selfish interests, our idleness and non-committal approach to a genuine interest in others; our unearned privileges, and lack of concern for equity and fairness. In the 6°, our ruffians become our hasty judgments; our inability to separate perception from reality; our “me-first” attitudes; our prejudices and fears.     

You get the idea. Our life is like a stream of water running from the past to the present, having its roots in ignorance, idleness and intolerance. By revealing our failings and inadequacies, we are able to address these in the light of our new knowledge, and change ourselves for the better. As these stumbling blocks to personal affirmation are collectively projected across the many aspects of our society, the overall work of the Lodge of Perfection becomes a kind of knighthood aimed at eliminating ignorance, tyranny and fanaticism.

The bottom line is that the foremost goal of human life is the quest for spiritual enlightenment. Self-improvement is only achieved through higher, more refined levels of awareness brought about by concentrating one’s mind on one’s innermost self—our essential center of being. This cannot be achieved as long as ignorance, tyranny and fanaticism linger in our minds. But the solution requires a little explanation.

The problem of toleration is remarkably difficult for most everyone because it is so easy to feel good about being intolerant. The highest price we are called upon to pay for freedom is not in taxes to defend the country, nor even on the battlefield. The highest price we must pay for freedom is to allow others to be free.

Religious toleration means that we must allow others the same right to freedom of worship we demand for ourselves, even if we find their practices wrong or repugnant.

Intellectual toleration means that we must allow the free and full exploration of every idea, even if we think it wrong or dangerous.

Social toleration means that we must allow others to live lifestyles we may find strange or uncomfortable, whether in a commune or in a same sex relationship.

Of all the lessons a man or a woman must learn to be truly human, toleration may well be the hardest. 

Tyranny is another form of intolerance. Tyranny does not equate to authority, but with attitude. We don’t call the skilled and caring teacher who maintains order and discipline in his or her class a tyrant, nor the nation which offers protection to another nation while carefully not interfering with the nation so helped, nor the husband or wife who discharges the affair of the household with authority but also love and concern.

The essence of tyranny is selfishness. And if tyranny is selfish in the world of material things, fanaticism is selfishness in the world of ideas and beliefs. Fanaticism is the sort of selfishness that says “I am right. If you do not agree with me, you are wrong, and I have the right to hurt you.”

It is ignorance that allows both tyranny and fanaticism to flourish, for only an informed populace can form the basis of freedom. Ignorance is the primary weapon of the tyrant and the fanatic. Both can give good reason why just a little bit of censorship is needed, or why we should control what people think or what they read because otherwise they may ask questions and lose the true faith. The fanatic always wants to benefit others. All he asks in return is your mind and soul.

We are admonished in the Scottish Rite to be always actively involved in the government of our country. Unjust taxes, government bureaucracies which are more concerned with self perpetuation than with service; creeping limitations on the freedom of the people –in the name of expediency, or of conformity, or the greater good--these things are not new. To truly be champions of the people, as Masonry calls on us to be, we must be concerned with every miscarriage of justice, every unreasonable limitation of liberty, every arbitrary act of court or state house or capital.

And our special concern has to be with those who do not have access to the courts, nor the ear of those in power, nor influence with city hall. Their very powerlessness creates a binding obligation on every good brother to promote human equity and impartiality.

Yes, it would be far easier, and far more comfortable, to just chill out. Most men do. But our duty is to be aflame. That is how we conquer the ruffians.

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