In Freemasonry, light symbolises knowledge, truth and spiritual enlightenment. A newly initiated brother is referred to as a seeker of light, as he symbolically steps out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge. The ritual initiation into the light marks the beginning of his Masonic path, on which he works on himself through knowledge, ethical endeavour and self-reflection. This motif of enlightenment runs through the whole of Freemasonry and is reflected in its rituals, symbols and teachings.

The Roman Catholic Church prohibits its faithful from becoming members of Freemasonry, as it considers its principles to be incompatible with church doctrine. The 1983 declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasises that Catholics who become Freemasons are living in a state of grave sin and are not admitted to Holy Communion. The main reproach lies in the Masonic world view, which is regarded as relativistic and contradicts the exclusive truth of the Church.

John Wayne was a member of Marion McDaniel Lodge No 56, in Tucson, Arizona.

The first paper dollar banknotes were put into circulation in 1861/1862 to finance the Civil War. On the reverse side, the front and back of the Great Seal of the United States are depicted, which was designed in 1782 by the US writer Charles Thomson, who was not a Freemason. Some conspiracy theorists believe they can recognise signs of the Freemasons, the Order of the Illuminati or other supranational powers in the symbols of the seal.

Masonic lodges are organised as associations and are subject to the respective national association laws. They are mainly financed by membership fees, which are used to cover running costs such as rent or administration. In addition, they can be supported by donations or legacies, which are often used for charitable purposes or the preservation of lodge buildings. A central component of every meeting is also the collection for charitable purposes, which is used to support charitable projects and aid organisations.

Freemasonry is an ethical organisation dedicated to personal development and humanitarian values. Its structures are decentralised, and each grand lodge acts independently without a superordinate global leadership. In addition, its principles are open to public scrutiny and its members come from a wide range of social backgrounds, which would make the idea of a centrally controlled power structure contradictory

The square symbolises righteousness and justice, while the compass embodies the unifying force of brotherly love that unites Freemasons with all people.

‘The Magic Flute’ contains numerous symbols and themes based on Freemasonry. The figures of Sarastro and his priests symbolise wisdom, humanity and enlightenment, while the Queen of the Night stands for darkness and superstition. Tamino, the hero of the opera, has to pass trials by fire and water, which symbolises his inner maturing process and the search for truth. The music also reflects this symbolism, for example through the recurring motif of the number three and the rhythmic hammering in the overture, which is reminiscent of manual labour.
Sarastro's aria ‘In diesen heilgen Hallen kennt man die Rache nicht’ is well-known as the quintessence and moral guide for all temple work in Masonic lodges.

Ballotage (from the French ballotte: small ball, or ballot: ballot ball) is a secret ballot with white and black balls on the admission or non-admission of someone to a society: white means approval, black rejection.

Ballotage, which is still common in Freemasonry today, was introduced in the early Middle Ages by the Benedictines for the election of abbots.

Freemasonry is considered a secretive society because it does not publicise the personal experiences and exchanges between members or its rituals and symbols. This discretion serves to protect individual development and the free expression of opinions within the lodge. At the same time, its values and goals are open to public scrutiny, which is why it is not a secret society but a discreet community.

Even though the essence of Freemasonry is discussed in the conversations in Thomas Mann's ‘The Magic Mountain’, Mann himself was not a Freemason.

Carl von Ossietzky was a member of the Hamburg lodge ‘Menschentum’, Lessing of the Hamburg lodge ‘Zu den drei Rosen’ and Tucholsky of the Berlin lodge ‘Zur Morgenröte’.

The first Asian Masonic Lodge was founded in Calcutta, India, in 1729. Captain Ralph Farrwinter, an officer of the East India Company, was appointed Provincial Grand Master for the East Indies and granted the patent for the first Indian lodge ‘East India Arms, No. 72’, based in Fort William, Calcutta. This marked the beginning of the long Masonic tradition on the Asian continent.

After a pilot phase in 2017 that was only open to freemasons, the then Mayor of Bern, Alec von Graffenried, officially opened the Masonic Museum Switzerland to the general public on 3 November 2018.

In Freemasonry, the rough stone (ashlar) symbolises a person's imperfect, natural personality, which is to be refined through work on oneself. Just as a stone is hewn and smoothed to fit into a building, the Freemason should mould and improve his character traits. This symbolic process stands for personal development, ethical education and the constant search for (self-)realisation and perfection.

To become a Freemason, you have to register with a lodge or grand lodge independently, as Freemasonry does not actively recruit members. Motivation and personal suitability in relation to Masonic values are assessed in an examination procedure involving several interviews. Neither inheritance nor family connections or financial means are decisive for admission - only the personality and inner attitude of the candidate are decisive.

'Good and true Men, freeborn, of mature and discreet age’ means that a Freemason must be personally and legally free, i.e. join the fraternity of his own free will. The ‘good reputation’ refers to the fact that he should have an irreproachable character and lead a morally orderly life. These requirements were intended to ensure that only men of integrity and responsibility were accepted into the fraternity.

The son of a Freemason is actually called Lufton (or Lewis), after a stonemason's tool that lifts heavy stones, symbolising that he carries on his father's ideals and continues the Masonic work.

The Masonic principles of liberty, equality, fraternity, tolerance and humanity have their roots in the European Enlightenment of the 18th century. They were influenced by the philosophical and political movements of the time, in particular the ideas of John Locke and the Freemasons Montesquieu and Rousseau. Freemasonry adopted these principles and combined them with its ethical and humanistic ideals. Liberty, equality and fraternity in particular later found their way into the French Revolution, while tolerance and humanity remained central values in the Masonic tradition.

Neil Armstrong was not a Freemason. Buzz Aldrin is a member of ‘Oak Park Lodge No. 864’ in Alabama, John Glenn was a member of ‘Concord Lodge No. 688’ in Ohio, Gus Grissom of ‘Mitchell Lodge No. 228’ in Indiana.

As early as the 18th century, women were accepted into so-called adoption lodges with a Masonic initiation ritual, especially in aristocratic circles. With the French Revolution and the idea of equality, mixed lodges also emerged in which women were ritually accepted into men's lodges. Since then, there have been both women-only lodges and mixed lodges worldwide alongside the traditional men's lodges.

Since the office was founded in 1789, 45 people have held the office of US President. Of these, 15 are known to have been Freemasons, beginning with George Washington as the first president. The last undisputed Freemason among them was Gerald Ford. Ronald Reagan received an honorary membership in 1988, and Joe Biden was proclaimed a ‘Mason at Sight’ by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina in 2025, although it is disputed whether he actually accepted the membership.

The Masonic secret does not lie in hidden knowledge, but in the personal experience of the initiation ritual, which each brother experiences and interprets individually. Through symbols, rituals and inner reflection, a profound realisation emerges that cannot be fully grasped in words and can only be understood through personal experience. This ‘secret’ is therefore not something that can be passed on, but something that each Freemason discovers for himself.

An essential prerequisite for the founding of the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland in 1844 by the founding lodges was that the lodges were able to retain their rituals, i.e. the freedom of ritual, which is still unusual internationally today.

There are no district grand lodges in Switzerland and each lodge conducts its ritual in the language that suits it. Nationality plays no role in lodge membership, the only requirement is that the member must live or work in Switzerland.

Johannes Brahms was not a freemason. Franz Liszt, on the other hand, belonged to the lodge ‘Zur Einigkeit’ in Frankfurt, Jean Sibelius to the Finnish lodge no. 1 ‘Suomi Lodge No. 1’ and Clérambault to the Parisian lodge ‘Coustos-Villeroy’.

The following seven Federal Councillors were Freemasons:

• Jonas Furrer (‘Akazia’, Winterthur) from 1848
• Henri Druey (‘Espérance et Cordialité’, Lausanne) from 1848
• Eugène Borel (‘La Bonne Harmonie’, Neuchâtel) from 1875
• Louis Ruchonnet (‘Liberté’, Lausanne) from 1893
• Emil Frey (‘Zur Freundschaft und Beständigkeit’, Basel) from 1897
• Marc Ruchet (‘Liberté’, Lausanne) from 1899
• Adrien Lachenal (‘Fidélité et Prudence’, Geneva) from 1899