The Sword Pointing to a Naked Heart
An emblem that justice will sooner or later overtake us, and that thoughts hidden from men are not hidden from the All-Seeing Eye.
What it means
Paired in Webb's monitor with the all-seeing eye. Our thoughts, words and actions may be hidden from the eyes of men, but they are not hidden from the One whose eye pervades the inmost recesses of the heart.
It is a moral lesson about accountability, not a threat, whatever the internet says about it.
In context: Masonic Myths, Answered Honestly
Frequently asked questions
What does the Sword Pointing to a Naked Heart mean in Freemasonry?
An emblem that justice will sooner or later overtake us, and that thoughts hidden from men are not hidden from the All-Seeing Eye.
Who can wear the Sword Pointing to a Naked Heart?
This is a lesson rather than a badge. It turns up on Lodge charts, prints and gifts, and owning or displaying one says nothing about rank. On a lapel most people will read it as Masonic.
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.
- Thomas Smith Webb, The Freemason's Monitor; or, Illustrations of Masonry (1797)
- Jeremy L. Cross, The True Masonic Chart, or Hieroglyphic Monitor (1819)