In this blog, we explore the winding staircase; a symbol commonly appearing in Freemasonry to teach moral lessons to a Candidate.
The winding staircase consists of 15 stairs in total, but we'll focus on five in particular: the Tuscan (Hearing), the Doric (Seeing), the Ionic (Feeling), Corinthian (Smelling), Composite (Tasting). At first glance, the staircase seems like a simple visual allegory. But it holds esoteric lessons that help men to move inward, not upward.
Each lesson carries a meaning few outside the Craft ever hear explained. And yet the symbolism touches on something every serious student of self-development, has sensed intuitively:
That the soul, like any great structure, must be built with intention and from some objective design.
What follows is a publicly available Masonic essay shared by the Grand Lodge of Texas, presented here in full. Whether you’re a lifelong Mason or simply someone intrigued by what Freemasonry teaches, this essay offers something many readers hunger for: a thoughtful philosophy of personal growth, from the perspective of Freemasonry.
The Five Steps
From The Grand Lodge of Texas
During the Fellow Craft Degree, the candidate ascends the winding stairs on his symbolic journey to the Middle Chamber of King Solomon's Temple. In climbing the five steps, he is introduced to the five orders of architecture and the five human senses. In these symbols, the Mason is reminded of his pursuit of knowledge, as he is encouraged to develop his moral and intellectual self.
The five orders of architecture are the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. The monitorial explanation of these orders provides information relative to the origin, proportions, and details for each order. In addition, the Mason learns the Greeks developed the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders and thus these are called the ancient orders of architecture. The Romans added the Tuscan and Composite by combining characteristics of the three Greek orders of architecture.
While this information is of interest, one must consider the purpose of including this information within the Fellow Craft degree. There must be more to these symbols than the art of architecture. In this regard, the orders of architecture can only allude to the fact that buildings are created stone by stone following some plan. The Mason must develop a plan to enhance his intellectual and spiritual self, requiring that he enhance his knowledge fact by fact, his spirituality virtue by virtue. The multiple orders of architecture imply that there are many ways a Mason may develop his spirituality; yet an organized plan for self development must be followed, else he will build aimlessly and not achieve the proper balance in his life symbolized by the proportions of the various orders of architecture.
The five human senses, hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting are introduced as they relate to our acquisition of knowledge. It is through these senses that the mind receives its perception of things exterior to ourselves and thus becomes the storehouse of ideas. Of these five senses, Masonry reveres hearing, seeing, and feeling, as they are particularly important to our intellectual development. Hearing allows man to enjoy the pleasures of society and communicate our thoughts, knowledge and desires to others. Seeing allows us to explore the universe and perceive the dispositions of others. Feeling provides man the ability to distinguish different qualities and alludes to the fact that we learn through experience.
Within the Fellow Craft degree, education and pursuit of knowledge is stressed. These senses when coupled with our memory, imagination, reasoning, and moral perception allow the Mason to pursue his intellectual and spiritual development. Through them the Mason seeks education. With these senses, our mind and spirit, the Mason acquires knowledge and incorporates that knowledge within his plan for building his intellectual and spiritual self.
Why This Matters in 2025
To the uninitiated, the Five Steps might appear as a clever blend of art history and sensory biology.
In an age of life hacks, ChatGPT, and self-help gimmicks, Freemasonry insists on something more deliberate. The five classical orders serve as blueprints for the soul. They point to proportion, balance, and intentional development. You don’t get to build a cathedral by accident. And neither does a man become wise by default.
The inclusion of the five senses reminds us that human growth is not abstract. It begins within. Freemasonry does not reject the physical but rather points to the interdependence between what we take in through sense, and what we give out through speech, action, and demonstration.
The five steps aren’t about memorizing historical facts. They are about noticing how we absorb, process, and apply the material of life itself. They are, in a way, training the eye and the ear of the initiate to begin asking: what plan am I really building from? And what am I building with what materials I’ve been given?
For the Uninitiated
If you’ve ever wondered what Freemasonry teaches this essay provides a glimpse behind the curtain.
You’ll notice this isn’t dogmatic. It isn’t prescriptive. No one’s telling you what to think or believe.
What Freemasonry does say is that truth must be approached with discipline, humility, and intellectual honesty. Sorry bro, there’s no app for that. No podcast. Just the real work of assembling the symbolic stone, virtue after virtue, in pursuit of constructing a Temple not built with hands.
Conclusion
Whether you are a Mason reflecting on the Craft or someone simply curious about part of the process of becoming a Mason, consider this:
What are you building, what
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