The traditional definition is: A peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.
But in modern terms, if peculiar means unique, a system means an organisation, and morality — the heart of Freemasonry — is understood by Rudolf Steiner to be a spiritual reality, then Freemasonry may be more accurately described as:
A unique spiritual organisation veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.
A cowan is a Scottish and northern English term for someone who builds dry-stone walls. The word also serves as a fitting metaphor for the clergy from the Middle Ages to the present: espousers of dry religion without spiritual content.
The beehive is often explained in Freemasonry as a symbol of industry and productive labour, yet its deeper significance is far more profound.
To the ancient initiate, the bee was a symbol of the human soul. The hive represented heaven and the flowers the earthly world. As the bee gathers nectar from the flowers and returns it to the hive, so man gathers the fruits of earthly experience and carries them across the threshold of death into the spiritual world. But the bee does not remain in the hive; it returns again to the flowers.
In this simple yet profound image, the Mysteries conveyed the idea of reincarnation: that the soul repeatedly journeys between heaven and earth, each life adding to the store of wisdom accumulated through its long pilgrimage toward perfection.
The Square is usually explained in Freemasonry as a symbol of morality and right conduct, yet its deeper meaning is found within man himself.
The Square is a symbol of man's ability to connect the physical and spiritual worlds through conscious thought. Its form can be seen in the profile of the human head, where the vertical and horizontal axes meet at the pineal gland, long regarded as the bridge between matter and spirit. The Square therefore represents spiritual independence — the capacity of every individual to seek truth and find the Divine through the development of his own thinking. It reminds the Mason that the true temple is built not only with moral actions, but with awakened consciousness.
At first glance, this painting appears to commemorate a historical event: the passing of authority from one Grand Master to another. Yet, as with all true symbolic art, the deeper meaning lies not in the figures themselves, but in the symbols that remain when the personalities are set aside.
Once the nobles and their attendants are mentally removed, a different picture emerges. Above, Apollo appears within a radiant wedge of light, holding a sword aloft. Beneath him stands an arched bridge crowned by a keystone, spanning what appears to be a dry riverbed. Following the eye downward, we encounter the Pythagorean proposition and, below it, the word Eureka. Even the capitals upon the columns contribute to the message.
Together, these symbols illustrate a profound spiritual transition. The imagery reflects the words from Acts: “I will show you wonders in the heaven above, and signs in the earth below.” The heavenly light above and the earthly symbols below reveal the meeting of two worlds. The bridge and keystone signify a new connection between heaven and earth, while the dry riverbed points to the passing of an older spiritual path.
The painting foreshadows Christ's promise that mankind would no longer be initiated through the ancient mysteries symbolised by water, but through the Holy Spirit. This is the central teaching of the Third Degree. The First Degree reflects the ancient Mystic initiation, the Second Degree the Ecstatic initiation, both were initiation practices of antiquity, while the Third Degree represents the new path opened through the death and resurrection of Christ.
The painting is therefore not primarily about the transfer of Masonic office. It is a symbolic declaration that a new form of initiation has entered the world. The old methods have fulfilled their purpose; a new bridge between the human and spiritual worlds has been established.
Finally, the presence of the five-petalled wild rose provides a subtle signature. For centuries, the rose has been associated with the Rosicrucian tradition. Its inclusion suggests that the artist, like Bowring, was an “Invisible” — a guardian of esoteric wisdom.