Freemasonic
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| Masonic bodies |
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| Masonic |
| Masonic bodies · York Rite · Order of Mark Master Masons · Holy Royal Arch · Royal Arch Masonry · Cryptic Masonry · Knights Templar · Red Cross of Constantine · Scottish Rite · Knight Kadosh · The Shrine · Royal Order of Jesters · Tall Cedars of Lebanon · The Grotto · Societas Rosicruciana · Grand College of Rites · Swedish Rite · Order of St. Thomas of Acon · Royal Order of Scotland · Order of Knight Masons · Research Lodge · Corks |
| Masonic groups for women |
| Women and Freemasonry · Order of the Amaranth · Order of the Eastern Star · Co-Freemasonry |
| Masonic youth organizations |
| DeMolay · A.J.E.F. · Job's Daughters · International Order of the Rainbow for Girls |
| Views of Masonry |
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| Anti-Masonry · Anti-Masonic Party · Anti-Freemason Exhibition · Opposition to Freemasonry within Christianity · Suppression of Freemasonry · Masonic conspiracy theories· Papal ban of Freemasonry · Taxil hoax |
| People and places |
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| Masonic Temple · James Anderson · Albert Mackey · Albert Pike · Prince Hall · John the Evangelist · John the Baptist · William Schaw · Elizabeth Aldworth · List of Freemasons · Lodge Mother Kilwinning · Freemasons' Hall, London · House of the Temple · Solomon's Temple · Detroit Masonic Temple · List of Masonic buildings |
| Other related articles |
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| Great Architect of the Universe · Square and Compasses · Pigpen cipher · Eye of Providence · Hiram Abiff · Sprig of Acacia · Masonic Landmarks · Pike's Morals and Dogma· Propaganda Due · Dermott's Ahiman Rezon |
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and Grand Lodge of Ireland, over a quarter of a million under the jurisdiction of the United Grand Lodge of England, and just under two million in the United States.
The fraternity is administratively organised into independent Grand Lodges or sometimes Orients, each of which governs its own jurisdiction, which consists of subordinate (or constituent) Lodges. The various Grand Lodges recognise each other, or not, based upon adherence to landmarks. A Grand Lodge will usually deem other Grand Lodges who share common landmarks to be regular, and those that do not to be "irregular" or "clandestine".
There are also appendant bodies, which are organisations related to the main branch of Freemasonry, but with their own independent administration.
Read more about Freemasonic: History, Organisational Structure, Principles and Activities, Membership Requirements, Freemasonry and Women, Opposition To and Criticism of Freemasonry