Masonic Code Phrase?

While I was in a new town (one that I am moving to, for a new job), I had to ask an individual about how to get to a specific street in that town. I asked several people in one store, and after each one saw my rings refered me on to the next person. The rings I was wearing were the following: a 3 part ring that is interwoven, a stainless steel w/ etchings of fire, a carbon steel ring with etchings of mountains, and a Lexan ring with etchings of waves. The final individual that I was refered to was wearing a Masonic ring (he made sure I saw it). The individual was an older man, who kept telling me the phrase "You are a long way from home." while looking up at me. He then continued to give me suggestions about the location, and the job that I was being hired to do. My main Question is, did I miss a code phrase or something?

double post- sorry

[edit on 14/2/09 by MajesticJax]

Man I hate to speculate, but I swear, I heard one time that one of the phrases Masons use as a prompt is something like "I am a weary traveler", or something of that nature...... I very well may be wrong though; could someone please clarify?

[edit on 14/2/09 by MajesticJax]

Originally posted by MajesticJax
Man I hate to speculate, but I swear, I heard one time that one of the phrases Masons use as a prompt is something like "I am a weary traveler", or something of that nature...... I very well may be wrong though; could someone please clarify?

[edit on 14/2/09 by MajesticJax]

Hmm. That seems a lot like "You're a long way from home."
Maybe when the man said that, vitkiraven should've responded "I am a weary traveler."

In my experience Freemasonry doesn't use any 'code phrases' or anything of the sort in public. At least I have never heard of it.

The only way I have ever been able to identify another mason outside of a lodge is by seeing their ring or car emblem and just asking them.

There are certain informal catchphrases that masons use to informally investigate one another. However, your example is not one of them. Sorry.

Speaking from experience here, if it was a smallish town, those tend to be rather close-knit and... well, in a place where you have to make your own entertainment, sometimes locals will mess with a newcomer's head, just a little.

For example, when I was in Atlanta, Georgia, once... the locals kept telling me to "follow this road until you hit Peach Tree." The joke apparently being that half the roads in that city are, in fact, named "Peach Tree."

Not saying this is necessarily the case here, just something I've seen happen a time or two.

Yeah, you missed it, but the thing that is confounding me is how you were identified by your rings to be a member of the craft. The elementals you display on your rings are more along rosicrucian, wicca, or similar ancient cabbalistic ritual....witchcraft basically, which is what present day kaballah is, and where freemasonry originated. The 1st freemason was tubalcain, and if you know your history, he invented metal working. tubalcain is also the name of the passive grip I learned in the 3rd degree scottish rite. the normal grip at master mason is mahabone, the lion's paw grip, to symbolize raising up one another. Hope this helps.

Well with Obama in office now it is all about brotherly love isn't it? I believe the individual just realized that you were a traveling man and wanted to give you directions.

Sounds like he was giving you a shibboleth. This is more common than you may think, and by no means is it only the masons who do this sort of thing.

"Are you a fellow traveller?" is a question a mason can ask someone if he suspect the person is a fellow mason, or so I have heard. There are also ways they use body language to signal their membership and their rank, like standing with their feet in a 90 degree angle etc.


[edit on 25-4-2010 by Acharya]

Originally posted by quitebored
Speaking from experience here, if it was a smallish town, those tend to be rather close-knit and... well, in a place where you have to make your own entertainment, sometimes locals will mess with a newcomer's head, just a little.

I was thinking the same thing.

Seven years since I moved to a small town, and they still enjoying poking fun at me.

Originally posted by 11mistersinister322
Yeah, you missed it, but the thing that is confounding me is how you were identified by your rings to be a member of the craft. The elementals you display on your rings are more along rosicrucian, wicca, or similar ancient cabbalistic ritual....witchcraft basically, which is what present day kaballah is, and where freemasonry originated. The 1st freemason was tubalcain, and if you know your history, he invented metal working. tubalcain is also the name of the passive grip I learned in the 3rd degree scottish rite. the normal grip at master mason is mahabone, the lion's paw grip, to symbolize raising up one another. Hope this helps.

no you didn't. You never learned any of that in any lodge of the Scottish rite. Are you that bored that you have to invent being a mason? Please, give your opinion without the attention seeking lies.

reply to post by vitkiraven


I have never been instructed to give any of these phrases to identify another mason. I have heard similar phrases used, but I think the only place I heard them was here. If I see someone who is wearing a ring, or pin, I will ask them what their ring symbolizes. Then when they answer me, I shake their hand and introduce myself.

I just couldn't see myself going up to a guy and saying" the chair is against the wall" and hoping he replied with "Jack has a long mustache".


[edit on 25-4-2010 by network dude]

3rd degree Scottish Rite?

Originally posted by Taskism
3rd degree Scottish Rite?

exactly.

He learned that just after he receiving his honorary batman costume.

Originally posted by Taskism
3rd degree Scottish Rite?

Actually, there *is* a third degree Scottish Rite that is rarely worked in the United States. Here in the USA, practically all Blue Lodges are York Rite Bodies, and the Scottish Rite begins at the 4th degree, recognizing the first three degrees of York.

However, the words that mistersinister gave here do not correspond to the words in the Scottish Rite. His story is fictitious.

Also, it should be noted that he was also in error trying to link the Kabalah to witchcraft. The Kabalah is a school of philosophy within Judaism, and is usually considered Jewish mysticism. It has nothing to do with witchcraft.

[edit on 26-4-2010 by Masonic Light]

reply to post by Masonic Light


So many differing answers? And some from members that are good Masons?

No you didn't miss anything, it sounds like a normal phrase to me. Yes, Mason's do ask "Are you a travelling man?" or "I see you've travelled some?" It is not that secret, it just refers to the journey through Masonry that we share as brothers. ( I have also heard people ask, "How old is your Grandmother?" when trying to get a Lodge numer. Greek fraternities do similar things to vet out "posers.")

Now, as for giving away the names of the grips or some of that other stuff in the earlier post, too bad we don't take our blood oaths seriously anymore! In my opinion, that post was much more offensive than Southpark's Mohammed episode!

And, the York Rite does not number their degrees. The first 3 degrees are the Blue Lodge, or the 3 degrees of Masonry. They are not Scottish or York Rite. Scottish Rite numbers their degrees starting at 4 and going to 32 (33 is honorary).

Hope that clears up some stuff? Sheesh!

[edit on 26-4-2010 by getreadyalready]

"How old are you"

lol

Originally posted by getreadyalready
The first 3 degrees are the Blue Lodge, or the 3 degrees of Masonry. They are not Scottish or York Rite. Scottish Rite numbers their degrees starting at 4 and going to 32 (33 is honorary).

Actually, the first three degrees that you received in your Blue Lodge are York Rite degrees, if you are in the United States. Canadian and British Lodges mostly work in the Emulation Rite, whereas US Lodges work in the York Rite.

The main exception is District 18 in Louisiana, where the Blue Lodges are Scottish Rite. They were originally chartered by the Grand Consistory of Louisiana. When the Grand Consistory merged with the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, the Grand Lodge of Louisiana reissued charters to the District 18 Lodges, but allowed them to continue working the Scottish Rite ritual for the first three degrees.

Outside of English - speaking countries, most Blue Lodges are Scottish Rite bodies.

There are many similarities between the Blue Lodge rituals of the York and Scottish Rites, but also many important differences.

Scottish Rite numbers their degrees starting at 4 and going to 32 (33 is honorary).

The Scottish Rite actually begins with the Fist Degree, or Apprentice, and ends with the 33rd, Sovereign Grand Inspector General. In the United States, the Scottish Rite recognizes the first three degrees conferred in Blue Lodges of the York Rite, and begins at the 4° because of that recognition.

The 33rd degree is "honorary" in the sense that it makes the recipient an honorary member of the Supreme Council. But it is an actual degree, being the highest of the Scottish Rite.

[edit on 26-4-2010 by Masonic Light]