1. Freemasonry for Non-Masons

Today, as in the past, the Eye of Providence, is generally associated with Freemasonry. The all-seeing eye first appeared as part of the standard iconography of the Freemasons in 1797, with the publication of Thomas Smith Webb’s Freemasons Monitor. It symbolises the all-seeing eye of God and is a reminder that humanity’s thoughts and deeds are always observed by God (who Masons refer to as the Great Architect of the Universe). Typically, the Masonic Eye of Providence has a semi-circular glory below it. Sometimes this Masonic Eye is enclosed by a triangle.

The Greeks called a place of public assembly agora; from this they built the word agoreuein, meaning speak, in the sense of addressing a public. When to this is added alias, meaning another, the compound gives us our "allegory," which is the speaking about one thing in the terms of something else.

In Masonry we have the allegory of Solomon's Temple, of a journey, of the legend of a builder, etc., in each case the acting and describing of one thing being intended to refer to some other thing. For example, the building of Solomon's Temple is described, not for the purpose of telling how that structure was erected, but to suggest men may work together in brotherliness at a common task.

In Latin apprehendre meant to lay hold of a thing in the sense of learning to understand it, the origin of our "apprehend." This became contracted into apprendre and was applied to a young man beginning to learn a trade. The latter term came into circulation among European languages and, through the Operative Masons, gave us our "apprentice," that is, one who is beginning to learn Masonry. An "Entered Apprentice" is one whose name has been entered in the books of the Lodge.

Leather aprons were worn centuries ago by stonemasons to protect their skin and clothing, as well as to carry their tools. Today, lambskin or cloth aprons, often elaborately decorated or embroidered, are worn by members as a symbolic connection to those medieval craftmen from which we derive our Masonic tradition.

The Perfect Ashlar is a hewn, or squared, stone. It symbolizes the state of perfection at which a Mason hopes to arrive. The Rough Ashlar is a symbol of a Masons’ rude and imperfect state by nature.

The Greek for God was theos; when the prefix "a" was placed before it, we get the origin of "atheism," signifying a denial of the god, or gods. The word should be distinguished from "agnosticism," which means neither to affirm nor to deny but to remain in doubt; and from "infidel", which means that one does not believe some doctrine. Christians call Mohammedans "infidels" because they do not believe the Bible; Mohammendans call Christians "infidels" because they do not believe the Koran. Inasmuch as Masonry requires of a petitioner that he believe in God, the atheist is automatically excluded from the Fraternity.

The box in which the ballots or little balls or cubes used in voting for a candidate are deposited.  It should be divided into two compartments, one of which is to contain both black and white balls, from which each member selects one, and the other, which is shielded by a partition provided with an aperture, to receive the ball that is to be deposited.  Various methods have been devised by which secrecy may be secured, so that a voter may select and deposit the ball he desires without the possibility of its being seen whether it is black or white. This is where the term, “Black balled” comes from, denoting a person is barred from joining.

Blue Lodge or Blue Freemasonry is a term often uses to denote the Craft Lodges operating the three degrees of freemasonry.

Blue is the color of the Ancient Craft Degrees, and it teaches the symbol of universal friendship and benevolence. Because blue represents heaven, each brother Mason should be equally considerate in his Masonic virtues of friendship and brotherly love.

The origin of the term may derive from the practice of English Freemasonry, and the masonic jurisdictions derived from it, which use blue as the colour of their regalia.

Tolerance for the beliefs and opinions of others.

Among Romans it was the custom for a man seeking office to wear a shining white robe. Since the name for such a color was candidus (whence our "candid"), the office seeker came to be called candidate.

In our ceremonies the custom is reversed: the candidate is clothed after his election instead of before.