When the Entered Apprentice is invested, the apron is worn with the flap turned up. Geometrically, this produces a figure composed of a square surmounted by an upward-pointing triangle, forming a five-sided shape. The square has long symbolized the material world, moral conduct, and the measured life of man. The triangle, by contrast, has traditionally represented the divine principle, stability, and spiritual aspiration. Oriented upward, the triangle expresses dependence and appeal. The Entered Apprentice stands at the beginning of his Masonic life conscious of limitation, reaching upward for instruction, guidance, and assistance beyond himself. The posture is not one of mastery but of humility.
As the Mason advances to the Fellowcraft and later to the Master Mason, the apron is worn with the flap turned down. The triangle no longer stands above the square but is enclosed within it, with its point directed downward. This simple change radically alters the lesson. The divine principle is no longer external or merely sought; it is integrated into the life represented by the square. The downward-pointing triangle has historically symbolized blessing, descent, and bestowal rather than petition. The Mason is no longer only asking for light; he is now responsible for carrying it into his conduct. The change in the apron reflects a change in the man.
From this single garment, the numbers three, five, and seven emerge naturally. The triangle introduces three, the square introduces four, their combination produces five in the Entered Apprentice, and their full integration yields seven in the Fellowcraft and Master Mason. Masonry does not invent meaning for these numbers. Rather, it recognizes patterns that recur across nature, human experience, and sacred tradition.
The number three is foundational in Freemasonry. The Craft is structured around three degrees, three principal officers, three great lights, and three lesser lights. Albert G. Mackey described the number three as representing “the essential elements of all existence—thought, word, and deed” (Mackey, 1873). This understanding reflects a much older recognition of three as the minimum requirement for stability and order. In geometry, the triangle is the simplest stable form. In human experience, time is understood as past, present, and future. In narrative and cognition, thought proceeds from beginning to middle to end, a structure Aristotle identified as fundamental to intelligibility (Aristotle, c. 335 BCE).
Scripture reinforces this symbolism. In the vision recorded in Isaiah, the seraphim cry, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3, King James Version). The thrice-repeated declaration does not add emphasis arbitrarily; it signals completeness within the realm of holiness. Yet three, while stable, is not complete. It establishes order, but it does not finish the work. In Masonic terms, three provides the foundation upon which labor may begin.
The number five appears most prominently in the Fellowcraft Degree and is traditionally associated with the human condition. The Fellowcraft is instructed in the five senses, the five orders of architecture, and the five steps of the winding stair. William Preston explained that five “alludes to the human frame, standing as it does between earth and heaven” (Preston, 1772). The symbolism is precise. Five mediates between the divine and the material, between aspiration and embodiment.
Nature reflects this mediation. The human body is structured around fives: five fingers, five toes, and a form that can be inscribed within a five-pointed star, famously illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci. Many flowers display pentagonal symmetry, reinforcing the association between five and organic life. Aristotle linked human knowledge to the senses, identifying sense perception as the necessary bridge between raw experience and rational understanding (Aristotle, c. 350 BCE). In this sense, five represents learning through engagement with the world.
For the Mason, five is the number of movement and experience. It signifies effort, trial, and growth through error. It is not the number of perfection but of progress. The Fellowcraft is no longer merely aspiring upward; he is actively working, testing himself against both internal discipline and external reality.
The number seven represents completion, harmony, and wisdom integrated into conduct. In Freemasonry, seven is associated with the liberal arts and sciences, the completion of the ascent, and the traditional requirement of seven members to open a lodge. Albert Pike wrote that “seven is the number of perfection, because it unites the divine three with the earthly four” (Pike, 1871). This union mirrors the apron worn by the Master Mason, where the triangle is fully contained within the square.
Nature again reinforces the lesson. Music is organized around seven notes, forming a complete octave before repetition occurs. Time is measured in seven-day cycles. Classical astronomy recognized seven visible celestial bodies, each governing aspects of time and rhythm. In Scripture, creation unfolds over seven days, culminating not in further labor but in rest (Genesis 1, King James Version). Rest, not activity, marks completion.
The biblical tradition further links seven with wisdom rather than power. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10, King James Version). Wisdom here is not accumulation of knowledge but proper alignment of life with divine order. This aligns precisely with Masonic teaching. Seven does not signify elevation above others but responsibility toward them.
When viewed together, the progression from three to five to seven reveals a coherent pattern of moral development. Three corresponds to the Entered Apprentice, who stands upon foundational principles and acknowledges dependence. Five corresponds to the Fellowcraft, who labors, learns, and grows through experience. Seven corresponds to the Master Mason, who integrates principle into practice and bears responsibility for harmony within himself and his community.
The apron silently teaches this lesson long before it is articulated in words. With the flap turned up, the Mason is reminded that he is incomplete and in need of instruction. With the flap turned down, he is reminded that knowledge without embodiment is insufficient. The divine must not remain above life; it must be lived within it.
This teaching is not numerology. It is discipline. Nature completes nothing at three. Man matures at five. Wisdom rests at seven. Freemasonry uses these patterns not to mystify, but to form character. The Mason does not chase enlightenment as an abstract goal. He disciplines himself until wisdom has somewhere to live.
References
Aristotle. (c. 350 BCE). De Anima.
Aristotle. (c. 335 BCE). Poetics.
Mackey, A. G. (1873). An encyclopedia of freemasonry. Philadelphia, PA: Moss & Company.
Pike, A. (1871). Morals and dogma of the ancient and accepted Scottish rite of freemasonry. Charleston, SC: Supreme Council, 33°.
Preston, W. (1772). Illustrations of masonry. London, England.
The Holy Bible, King James Version.
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