Governing Body, Headquarters & Eligibility Requirements
| Order / Jurisdiction Title | Women's Freemasonry in the UK (OWF & HFAF) |
|---|---|
| Governing Body in the UK | The Order of Women Freemasons (OWF, founded 1908) & The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (HFAF, founded 1913) |
| UK Headquarters | 27 Pembridge Gardens, London, W2 4EF (OWF) & 48D Talbot Road, London, W2 5LH (HFAF) |
| Candidate Prerequisite | Open to women aged 18 and over of good character who believe in a Supreme Being. |
Degrees Worked & Symbolic Working Tools
Each ceremony within Women's Freemasonry (OWF & HFAF) dramatises a specific episode of scriptural or chivalric allegory and entrusts the candidate with symbolic working tools:
| Degree / Ceremony | Moral & Historical Focus | Symbolic Working Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft & Master Mason | Identical three Craft degrees, working tools, and ancient charges as worked in UGLE Lodges. | 24-Inch Gauge, Gavel, Chisel, Square, Level, Plumb Rule, Skirret, Pencil, and Compasses. |
| Holy Royal Arch, Mark Master Mason & Chivalric Orders | Women Freemasons also progress through Royal Arch Chapters, Mark Lodges, Rose Croix, and Knights Templar. | All progressive working tools. |
Historical Development in Britain
Founded in 1908 (with HFAF breaking away in 1913), both Grand Lodges are recognised by UGLE as regular in their practice in every respect except that their members are women. In 2024, UGLE, OWF, and HFAF formed the historic Council for Freemasonry in England and Wales.
Official Apron, Sash & Breast Jewel Regulations
Regalia & Dress Guidelines for Women's Freemasonry (OWF & HFAF)
Members wear formal black evening dress or dark trouser/skirt suits with white gloves and traditional Craft aprons and collars.
Need regulation aprons, breast jewels, or signet rings for Women's Freemasonry (OWF & HFAF)? Explore our UK Masonic Regalia, Jewels & Signet Rings Hub.
Related Masonic Symbols & Ritual Guides
Square and Compasses
The Square and Compasses is the universal emblem of speculative Freemasonry. Conjoined together, the stonemason's try-square represents morality, fairness, and earthly conduct ('squaring our actions'), whilst the compasses represent spiritual boundaries, moderation, and self-restraint.
Working Tools of Each Degree
Speculative Freemasonry teaches moral philosophy by taking the physical iron and wooden implements of medieval cathedral stonemasons ('Operative Masons') and assigning an ethical meaning to each tool across the three Craft Degrees.
Masonic Tracing Boards
Unique in their richness to British and Commonwealth Freemasonry, Tracing Boards are painted architectural and symbolic canvases displayed in the Lodge room during each of the three Craft Degrees to illustrate the historical lectures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Women's Freemasonry (OWF & HFAF)
Are members of Women's Grand Lodges called Brothers or Sisters?
In both the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF) and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (HFAF), members address one another in Lodge as 'Brother' and the presiding officer as 'Worshipful Master', preserving the historical wording of the ritual unchanged.