25 Curious FACTS ABOUT FREEMASONRY
Have you heard of Freemasonry? If so what do you know about it? If you're like most people, you probably heard stories of its hidden agendas and their desire to achieve global domination through a new world order. But is this true? The answer may shock you. Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and largest fraternities. While its traditions date back to early history, Masonry in its current form appeared when its public events were noticed by the residents of London in 1717. Although Masonry—particularly during its early days—had some elements of secrecy, the first discovery of the supposedly highly secret Masonic ritual actually happened in 1696! Since then there have been tens of thousands of books published about this not-so-secret organization. Freemasonry’s singular purpose is to make men better and its bonds of friendship, compassion, and brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military, and religious conflicts throughout the centuries. Freemasonry is neither a forum nor a place of worship. It is not a religion, as many believe, and it does not teach a religious philosophy. Still, many questions remain about this “fraternity”. The following 25 Curious Facts About Freemasonry will attempt to shed some light on the matter and help us understand the organization’s cause and purpose a little better.
25 Curious Facts About Freemasonry | List25
Freemasonry exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around five million (including approximately 480,000 in Great Britain and over two million in the United States).
Contrary to popular belief, the Freemasons are not a secret society. A Mason can freely tell people they are a Mason. They just can’t reveal the secrets of the order.
The conventional establishment of Freemasonry is usually dated to 1717, when the Grand Lodge of London emerged on June 24. The emergence of this Grand Lodge marked the beginning of Grand Lodges governing other lodges.
Freemasonry employs the tools and instruments of stonemasonry to teach a system of morality, friendship, and brotherly love, hence, the standard emblem of Freemasonry is the square and compasses.
Masonic symbols are usually regarded as existing because of the fraternity’s secrecy. However, in reality, Freemasonry started being illustrated by symbols because at the very beginning most Freemasons could not read, so the symbols served to remind members of the fraternity’s teachings.
The oldest Masonic symbol is the square and compasses. It is also the most universally recognized symbol of Freemasonry, though its exact significance varies from country to country.
A Masonic “lodge” refers to the congregation of people who meet there, it’s not just the name of a building. Each lodge gets a charter from a “Grand Lodge” but they basically run themselves. There’s no overarching ritual for running a meeting; it varies with each individual group.
It’s impossible to become a Freemason if you’re an atheist. The first requirement is that potential members must believe in a higher power of some kind.
There are two known branches of Freemasonry. The Regular, guided by the United Grand Lodge of England, and the Liberal, represented by the Grand Orient of France.
Masons traditionally recognize each other by various “secret” signs, including wearing a ring with a Masonic emblem, various lapel badges, and sometimes the famous Freemason handshake (when shaking hands, the thumb briefly strokes the other man’s hand in a certain way), though the last is mostly restricted to Freemasons in San Francisco and Washington, DC.
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Places to see in ( Tenbury Wells - UK )
Places to see in ( Tenbury Wells - UK )
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 3,777. Tenbury Wells lies on the south bank of the River Teme, which forms the border between Shropshire and Worcestershire. It is in the north-west of the Malvern Hills District. The settlement of Burford in Shropshire lies on the north bank of the river.
From 1894 to 1974, it was a rural district, comprising itself and villages such as Stoke Bliss, Eastham and Rochford. From 1974 Tenbury was in the District of Leominster until it became part Malvern Hills District when Leominster District Council was taken over by Herefordshire Council in April 1998. The history of Tenbury Wells extends as far back as the Iron Age. The town is often thought of as the home to the Castle Tump, but this is now in Burford, Shropshire due to boundary changes. Though the Tump, possibly the remains of an early Norman motte and bailey castle, can be seen from the main road (A456) there are no visible remains of the castle that was constructed to defend and control the original River Teme crossing. It has also been described as ... the remains of an 11th century Norman Castle.
Tenbury was in the upper division of Doddingtree Hundred. Originally named Temettebury, the town was granted a Royal Charter to hold a market in 1249. Over time, the name changed to Tenbury, and then added the Wells following the discovery of mineral springs and wells in the town in the 1840s. The name of the railway station, which was on the now-defunct Tenbury & Bewdley Railway, was changed in 1912, in an attempt to publicise the mineral water being produced from the wells around the town.
One notable architectural feature in the town is the unique (often described as Chinese-Gothic) Pump Rooms, designed by James Cranston in the 1860s, to house baths where the mineral water was available. Other notable structures in Tenbury include the parish church of St Mary with a Norman tower, and a number of monuments. The church was essential rebuilt by Henry Woodyer between 1864 and 1865. The part-medieval bridge over the River Teme, linking Tenbury to Burford, Shropshire was rebuilt by Thomas Telford following flood damage in 1795. The Grade II-listed Eastham bridge dramatically collapsed into the River Teme on 24 May 2016. There were no reports of any casualties.
The Victorian Workhouse, designed by George Wilkinson, was used as the local Council Buildings from 1937 to the early 21st century and is currently being converted into residential housing. The Victorian infirmary behind the workhouse was demolished to create car parking for a new large Tesco Superstore, which opened on 27 April 2017. Tenbury was also known as the town in the orchard due to the large numbers of fruit orchards of apple trees and also pears, quince and plum trees, in the immediate vicinity of the town. This heritage is revisited every October during the Tenbury Applefest.
( Tenbury Wells - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Tenbury Wells . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Tenbury Wells - UK
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