Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest secular fraternal societies, a society concerned with moral and spiritual values. Members are taught the rules of Freemasonry by a series of ritual dramas that follow ancient forms and use stonemasons' customs and tools symbolically.
The Library and Museum of Freemasonry houses one of the finest collections of Masonic material in the world. It is open to the public, Monday to Friday, free of charge.
Rosslyn Chapel is unique and famed world wide for the beauty of its carvings and for the aura of mystery and magic that surrounds it.
Built in 1446 by William St. Clair, third and the last Prince of Orkney, Rosslyn Chapel conforms neither to contemporary architecture nor to any fashion. Rich in ornament, its exact place in the creation of mankind still remain difficult to estimate. The carvings themselves, including the famous "Apprentice Pillar", are endless in variety and full of symbolism. Many of the Biblical stories and portrayed, and there are frequent references for those interested in the Knights Templar and Freemasonry, equally there are Pagan symbols and Rosslyn Chapel has the largest number of "Green Men" found in any Medieval building. There are also carvings pf plants from New World which pre-date the discovery of the land by Columbus by one hundred years. There is no doubt that Rosslyn Chapel has a place in history, not just of Scotland, but the wider world.
The Three Great Lights of Regular Freemasonry are the Volume of Sacred Law, the Square and the Compass. Taken together, they represent a symbol of Masonic life, because no regular Lodge can open the Craft without their presence.
The Volume of Sacred Law is a symbol of Tradition.