A
POINT WITHIN A CIRCLE
by Wor. Bro. S. L. Waterman
Many students
regard the symbol of the point within a circle as belonging
exclusively to the Third Degree; but if we go back to the old
lectures - current in the 1880's and even more recently - we find
that this symbol enters into the explanation of the First Tracing
Board, and further, is referred to in the 6th section of the 1st
lecture. It figures on many of the old First Degree Tracing
Boards, and the lectures tell us that "in all regular,
well-informed constituted lodges, there is a point within a
circle from which a Mason cannot err; this circle is bounded
North and South by two grand parallel lines, the one representing
Moses, the other King Solomon; on the upper part of the circle
rests the V.S.L. which supports Jacob's ladder - the top of which
reached to heaven." The point within a circle is a
remarkable emblem; but let us look first at the circle itself.
The circle having neither beginning nor end, is a symbol of the
Deity and of eternity and it follows that the compasses have been
valued as being a means by which that perfect figure may be
drawn. Everywhere in every age, the circle has been credited
with magical properties and in particular has been thought
to protect from external evil everything enclosed within
it. Folklore contains countless instances of people,
houses, places, threshed corn, etc., being protected by the
simple means of describing a circle around them. The innocent
child could be placed within a circle, in which it was thought to
be safe from any outside malevolent influence. The virtues
of the circle were also attributed to the ring, the bracelet,
the ankle and the necklace which have been worn from
earlier times, not only as ornaments but as a means of
protecting the wearer from evil influences. The completed
emblem - the point within the circle - has been borrowed,
consciously or otherwise from some of the earliest of the pagan
rites, in which it represented the male and female principles and
came in time to be the symbol of the sun and the universe.
Phallic worship was common throughout the ancient world, simple
people being naturally inclined to adopt as the foundation of
their religion so great a mystery as the generative principle.
The symbol came to be regarded as the sign of the Divine creative
energy. Freemasonry adopted the symbol and easily gave it
a geometrical explanation:
Q. What is a centre? A. That
point within a circle from which every part of the circumference
is equally distant Q. Why in the centre? A. Because that
is a point from which a M.M. cannot err.
The ancient peoples
in giving great religious prominence to phallic emblems apprehend
no wrong in so doing. L.M. Child has said: "Reverence for the
mystery of organized life led to the recognition of a masculine
and feminine principle in all things spiritual or material . . .
. the active wind was masculine, the passive or inert atmosphere
was feminine . . . the sexual emblems conspicuous in the
sculptures of ancient temples would seem impure in description,
but no clean and thoughtful mind could so regard them . . . . .
the ancient worshipped the Supreme Being as the Father of men
and saw no impurity in denoting with phallic emblems the
kinship of mankind to the Creator." Some students hold
that the point within the circle represented to the ancients the
whole scheme of the universe, one point being the individual, or
contemplator, and the circle the horizon. What is This
World Coming To, and When Will It All End? "What is this
world coming to, and when will it all end? . . . How often we
hear that nowadays, frequently followed by, "Well, we can't do
much about it," in atone of resignation. Certainly there is
sufficient restlessness, and trouble about to cause a feeling of
despair. But history does record many examples of men and women,
who buoyed up by a clear and definite goal in life, have overcome
difficulties and changed conditions of the time and
place. Here we are then, Freemasons, here is your
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