Old SymbolsWhere every symbol began

Plate 1 A sprig of acacia with small paired leaves

Acacia

A sprig of acacia, the Masonic evergreen, an emblem of faith in the immortality of the soul.

Masonic symbols

Meaning

At a Masonic funeral each brother wears a sprig of evergreen on his left breast and drops it into the grave, according to George Thornburgh's 1903 monitor, where the evergreen is 'an emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul'. Albert Mackey wrote that Masonry has always taken the sprig of acacia as its symbol of immortality, and that its meaning depends on the legend of Hiram Abif, the builder of the Temple in Masonic tradition.

Write in the Freemasons’ cipher

stringmash.comPigpen cipherThe grid cipher once used for lodge records, drawn from any text you type.

See also

Square and compasses, The letter G, All-seeing eye, Double-headed eagle, Boaz and Jachin, Checkered pavement.

Sources

  1. Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason, George Thornburgh, 1903, approved by the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, Project Gutenberg, Burial service
  2. The Symbolism of Freemasonry, Albert G. Mackey, 1869, Project Gutenberg, Chapters XXXII and XXXIII

Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research

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