The Eastern Star Emblem
A five-pointed star with one point down, each point colored for one of five heroines from scripture: Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha and Electa.
Also called: OES star · Order of the Eastern Star symbol · five-pointed star
What it means
The Order of the Eastern Star was developed in the 1850s by Rob Morris, a Master Mason, and its General Grand Chapter was organized in 1876. The emblem is a star with one point downward, and the five points carry the colors associated with the five heroines: blue for Adah, yellow for Ruth, white for Esther, green for Martha and red for Electa.
The Eastern Star is an affiliated body, not a Masonic degree. It is open to Master Masons and to women with qualifying Masonic relationships, and the exact eligibility is set by each Grand Chapter.
The letters at the center of the emblem are explained in the Order's own work, and this site leaves them there.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Eastern Star Emblem mean in Freemasonry?
A five-pointed star with one point down, each point colored for one of five heroines from scripture: Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha and Electa.
Who can wear the Eastern Star Emblem?
The Eastern Star emblem is worn by members of the Order. It makes a good gift for a member; it is not a general symbol for a Mason's wife or daughter who has not joined.
Sources
Drawn from the published monitors and from what the bodies concerned publish about themselves. Nothing here comes from, or goes beyond, any obligated material.
- General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star
- Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (1873)