Initiation Ceremonies Can Be Unnerving

Those who are interested in the cloak-and-dagger aspects of Freemasonry are rarely disappointed when learning of the initiation rites for newcomers. According to author Pat Morgan’s The Secrets of the Freemasons, traditionally, a candidate is ordered to roll up a pant leg and open their shirt before being blindfolded and led by a cable tow into a lodge. The candidate then feels a dagger placed to their chest as they’re asked a series of questions, and they’re warned that they’ll have their throat cut if they divulge any secrets of the brotherhood (or sisterhood — female freemasons, who are largely limited to their own groups, undergo similar rites). 

As these rituals are solely for candidates for the first degree of Freemasonry, the Entered Apprentice, there are different ceremonies — and warnings — for those awaiting entry to the next two degrees, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. (Beyond these three basic degrees, the total number of degrees differ according to the specific sect of Freemasonry. For example, members of the Scottish Rite can reach a maximum of 33 degrees.) However, Morgan stresses that punishments were never literally carried out and are no longer part of the official oaths.