Operative Masonry and Speculative Masonry

Freemasonry is often broken into two groups:  operative and speculative.  So what does that mean exactly?  Does one know the location of the Holy Grail, while the other keeps the Ark of the Covenant safe?  Not quite.

Operative Masonry is simply actual stonemasonry.  It refers to those who actually work with stone, those who designed the great cathedrals and those men who were highly respected in that the work that they did was kept secret.  The importance of keeping their trade a secret was that it allowed them certain freedoms and respects.  They could seek work where they wished, they were in high demand (not everyone could do what they did), and they were constantly called on by Kings to complete the great Gothic churches of the era.

The three degrees of modern day Freemasonry come from Operative Masonry, in that a new initiate to the trade would be an Entered Apprentice.  He would learn under a Master Mason, and it was through his tutelage that he learned the secrets.  He would progress to Fellow Craft, where he was well on his way to seeking out his own work and setting up shop.  Finally, after many years of hard work and honing his craft, he would attain the rank of Master Mason. 

Operative Masons learned signs and hand shakes in order to identify themselves as true members of the trade.  This was important, since the cathedrals and other important buildings commissioned needed to stand the test of time (as many of them have) and were held to a certain degree of perfection. 

Think about it.  Any average Joe could walk up to a group of Masons and say, "I'm a Master!  I need work!" They needed a way to make sure the men walking up to them claiming such things were the real deal, to keep with the quality of work they were all held to.

It wasn't long before Operative Masonry gave way to Speculative Masonry.

Speculative Masonry is Freemasonry as we know it today.  It's where we use the lessons, tools, and rituals of the Operatives as moral guidances, explanations, and secrets of the fraternity.  An example might be taking an Operative Mason's tool (such as the common gavel) and explaining it's typical use in an new way.

Operative Masonry was open to solely members of the craft for a long time, but given their prestige amongst Kings and the talk of the rituals they performed, it wasn't long before men who didn't have any kind of association to stone work sought membership.  That means Joe Stonemason was soon sitting next to King of England.  The really incredible part was, they were treated equally in lodge.  It was through this that Masonry started to evolve and become what it is known as today.

Today we still use the important lessons and history surrounding Operative Masonry to better our lives.  Whether it's the 24 inch gauge, the Square, the Compass, the Plumb, the Level, etc... every object has a moral lesson. 

And here I thought the 24 inch gauge was simply a teacher's disciplinary tool.