Celestial Lodge Above: The Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem as a Religious Symbol in Freemasonry

The hangings in the lodge room are blue, spread with golden stars. The Master and all the brothers wear a white robe as well as a blue headband with twelve golden stars on it, tied around their foreheads. The Master sits under a blue canopy on a throne, behind which is a transparent light that is sufficient to illuminate the whole lodge. Facing is a painting or image of a square city, or the celestial Jerusalem, descending from heaven, to crush the remains of the present Jerusalem. A Serpent or hydra with three heads representing the badness of the infidels remains there. This Celestial Jerusalem, elevated as on a cloud, has twelve gates, three on each side with a Tree in the middle that bears twelve different sorts of fruits. Under this is the ancient Jerusalem which is in ruins and overturned, along with the Serpent which is in chains and appearing crushed by the weight of the Celestial Jerusalem. There is a high mountain on one side toward which the candidate (for initiation) is directed by the Warden (the guide), who then retreats backwards, and after a moment of silence, the candidate takes three steps toward the three-headed Serpent and steps on each of the heads. He then advances in a special way toward the city and receives the secret sign, token, and password of the degree. He is also given a crimson sash with twelve golden stars on which hang a square jewel of gold from the right shoulder to the left hip, on one side the letter Alpha and on the other Omega. 1