how of the mystery surrounding the freemasons been solved by the lost symbol?
WASHINGTON — The lodge room of the Naval Masonic Hall is a colorful and somewhat inscrutable sight for the nonmember, with its blue walls, Egyptian symbols, checkered floor in the center and high ceiling painted with gold stars. Countless secrets supposedly have been shared in this and thousands of similar rooms of the Masons around the world. Facts of life have been debated, honors bestowed, rituals enacted. You would need to belong to a lodge to learn what really goes on. Or you could simply ask. “The emphasis on secrecy is something that disturbs people,” says Joseph Crociata, a burly, deep-voiced man who is a trial attorney by profession but otherwise a Junior Grand Warden at the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia. “But it’s not a problem getting Masons to talk about Masonry. Sometimes, it’s a problem getting them to stop.” Despite all the books and Web sites dedicated to Freemasons, the Masonic Order has been defined by mystery, alluring enough to
