Page 99 - Amo Amass A-muse is some of the fruit of a lifetimes love of Freemasonry - the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235

ThE lANDmARkS

HE DICTIONARY DEFINES a Landmark as anything that serves to mark
out the boundaries of land. Usually these are made of stone for endurance. The
Tdestruction or removal of these marks is an offence because it destroys the proof
of ownership. In the ‘Field of Freemasonry’ we use this word symbolically, in the sense that
one side belongs to Freemasonry and the other does not. Lines joining these landmarks
would then define the limits of our property.
Now, our Society exists to teach a peculiar system of Morality and from time
immemorial our Landmarks have always been there. But, what are they?
Every Society must have its Rules and Regulations. Ours are contained in our “Book
of Constitutions” and are alterable only by our governing body, the United Grand Lodge
of England. They are made by ‘Man’ and are binding upon us.
There are also our Customs and Usages. These are the ways in which we carry out our
Work. Most are contained in Books of Ritual. Grand Lodge does not interfere in these
unless there is something in them which is not within the Landmarks, but they do advise.
On a higher level, we talk about “Principles and Tenets of the Craft”. Principles are
various fundamental Truths, also laid down by Man, whilst a Tenet is something that
someone may hold as a Truth.
Let us now return to our definition of a Landmark. Symbolically it must mean that it
is a point that cannot be altered, destroyed or moved ‘by Man’ at all. But what are they?
The last paragraph in “The Basic Principles for Grand Lodge recognition” says that —
“The Principles of the Ancient Landmarks shall be strictly observed” and Rule 4 of our
Book of Constitutions, which defines the powers of Grand Lodge to make Rules and
alter them, adds at the end - “Always taking care that the Ancient Landmarks of the Order
are preserved”. However, there is nowhere any definition of what these Landmarks are,
neither has there ever been one.
At first sight this seems very odd. Many attempts have been made to define them.
Some have said that there are only two Landmarks, whilst one American authority gave a
list of 13. In England, the only statement that has ever been made about Landmarks was in
1810 in the minutes of the Special Lodge of Promulgation which said that the “Ceremony
of Installation” was a Landmark. This was recorded by the Secretary, an emotional Brother,