Why the 3 Irregular Steps in Enter Apprentice
An Explanation of the three irregular steps in the first degree of Freemasonry
To understand the significance and meaning of the three irregular steps in the first degree we need to set the scene. Consider the following points and see if you agree that they will cause any man to be anxious, concerned and fearful to some extent:
The Candidate knows that he is about to endue a rite of passage into a society of men he really wants to join.
He knows nothing of what is about to happen.
He is probably feeling humiliation at being in a state of semi-undress.
He cannot see because of the blind-fold. He is probably having grave doubts about the whole experience but having come this far is unwilling to back out – although it has been known and some do.
He hears the knock and the doors open and he hears the voices of people inside the Lodge.
The doors close and he is still outside feeling confused. The doors open again and he is now taken by the hand and lead over the Thresh-hold. At this point his heart is probably thumping, he is probably feeling really confused and doesn’t know what is happening to him.
He finds he is dependent on his guide (the Junior Deacon) who he may not know or trust at this stage. He is questioned and his guide whispers words in his ear and he copies these
words as his answers to the questions. Then follows a series of events where he is guided around and hears people talking about him and what he is there for. He gets use to being lead by the hand in a firm way.
Then he hears someone addressing the Worshipful Master and hears a reply and a series of questions and again a friendly voice prompts him with answers. Then he hears the WM telling the SW to direct the Deacons to instruct him in the proper steps and gets lead off again on another blind journey. He is told to stop or at least his guide stops him and now whispers in his ear how to position his feet at right angles and tells him to take a step forward.
How do you think the Candidate feels right now? He has been pushed and pulled about all around the Lodge, which he cannot see, heard people speaking about him and now he is told to step forward. He is probably thinking – WHERE? – WHY?
This is where we are at when trying to understand the question about the irregular steps. An answer to the question emerges as follows.
Freemasonry appreciates all the above and so asks each Candidate to take a short step with his left foot because he is anxious, unsure, worried about what might happen to him. He is taking a step into the unknown. When he has done this and feels that nothing bad has happened because of this step, he is asked to take another a little longer and because he learning to trust his guide – he does take another, slightly longer step.
The third step is even longer and represents the enormous step into Freemasonry where he arrives at the pedestal (even though he does not know this yet) where he is about to take his Solemn Obligation and become a Freemason.
Some masons attach significance to the fact that there are three steps – they say the number represents the three degrees. It is more probable that there are three steps and three degrees because the number three was and still is regarded as significant in many ways to do with human life. In the original Masonic ceremonies there were only two degrees, that of Apprentice and that of Fellow of the Craft. A freemason was not regarded as a Master Mason until he had been installed in the Chair of his Lodge. Another modern add-on is the belief that the steps should be 9 inches, 12 inches and 15 inches representing a right-angled triangle. This is a misconception and was never laid down in the original ritual books. I hope this helps some of us understand why we take three steps of unequal length.
George Allan
To understand the significance and meaning of the three irregular steps in the first degree we need to set the scene. Consider the following points and see if you agree that they will cause any man to be anxious, concerned and fearful to some extent:
The Candidate knows that he is about to endue a rite of passage into a society of men he really wants to join.
He knows nothing of what is about to happen.
He is probably feeling humiliation at being in a state of semi-undress.
He cannot see because of the blind-fold. He is probably having grave doubts about the whole experience but having come this far is unwilling to back out – although it has been known and some do.
He hears the knock and the doors open and he hears the voices of people inside the Lodge.
The doors close and he is still outside feeling confused. The doors open again and he is now taken by the hand and lead over the Thresh-hold. At this point his heart is probably thumping, he is probably feeling really confused and doesn’t know what is happening to him.
He finds he is dependent on his guide (the Junior Deacon) who he may not know or trust at this stage. He is questioned and his guide whispers words in his ear and he copies these
words as his answers to the questions. Then follows a series of events where he is guided around and hears people talking about him and what he is there for. He gets use to being lead by the hand in a firm way.
Then he hears someone addressing the Worshipful Master and hears a reply and a series of questions and again a friendly voice prompts him with answers. Then he hears the WM telling the SW to direct the Deacons to instruct him in the proper steps and gets lead off again on another blind journey. He is told to stop or at least his guide stops him and now whispers in his ear how to position his feet at right angles and tells him to take a step forward.
How do you think the Candidate feels right now? He has been pushed and pulled about all around the Lodge, which he cannot see, heard people speaking about him and now he is told to step forward. He is probably thinking – WHERE? – WHY?
This is where we are at when trying to understand the question about the irregular steps. An answer to the question emerges as follows.
Freemasonry appreciates all the above and so asks each Candidate to take a short step with his left foot because he is anxious, unsure, worried about what might happen to him. He is taking a step into the unknown. When he has done this and feels that nothing bad has happened because of this step, he is asked to take another a little longer and because he learning to trust his guide – he does take another, slightly longer step.
The third step is even longer and represents the enormous step into Freemasonry where he arrives at the pedestal (even though he does not know this yet) where he is about to take his Solemn Obligation and become a Freemason.
Some masons attach significance to the fact that there are three steps – they say the number represents the three degrees. It is more probable that there are three steps and three degrees because the number three was and still is regarded as significant in many ways to do with human life. In the original Masonic ceremonies there were only two degrees, that of Apprentice and that of Fellow of the Craft. A freemason was not regarded as a Master Mason until he had been installed in the Chair of his Lodge. Another modern add-on is the belief that the steps should be 9 inches, 12 inches and 15 inches representing a right-angled triangle. This is a misconception and was never laid down in the original ritual books. I hope this helps some of us understand why we take three steps of unequal length.
George Allan