Fellow Craft
Second Degree
Second Degree — What happened?
Recap of the ceremony's lessons, symbolism and working tools; suggested questions for Lodge of Instruction.
Key Themes:
- Advancement in knowledge
- The Fellow Craft working tools
- Personal development and learning
Further Study: Visit Solomon for comprehensive courses on the Second Degree and attend your Lodge of Instruction.
Advancement to the Second Degree
Having been admitted as an Entered Apprentice, the candidate now seeks further light in Freemasonry. The ceremony of the Second Degree confers new knowledge and entrusts the candidate with the additional secrets of a Fellow Craft, marking a deeper commitment to learning and self-improvement.
The Working Tools
The working tools of a Fellow Craft are the Plumb, Square and Level. The Plumb teaches uprightness of life and actions; the Square, morality and virtue; and the Level, equality — reminding us that we all spring from the same source and share the same destiny.
The Winding Staircase
The candidate is taught the significance of the winding staircase, with its steps of three, five and seven. These represent the officers of the lodge, the five points of fellowship, and the seven liberal arts and sciences respectively — a progressive path of intellectual and moral development.
The Letter G
Central to the Second Degree is the letter G, which denotes God, the Grand Geometrician of the Universe, and also Geometry — the foundation on which the superstructure of Freemasonry is erected. It reminds the Fellow Craft of the divine and scientific principles that underpin the Craft.