What is the GAotU?

Josh

Josh

Member
Ok, I have been reading around here like usual. Hearing peoples stories and all of that good stuff. I've came across that acronym a few times here which i believe is "Grand Architect of the Universe". It came up alot on the Sickness, Distress, Deaths, Happiness tab when people were given their prayers to fellow members. I feel as if I should restate the question because I'm just taking a wild guess here that that means god, or, like the creator? Can someone fill me in there. I've never heard that used before. Where did it come from? Is it a Freemason thing? (I am currently not a Freemason).
 
Duncan1574

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
It is the term used to describe the summation of the singular supreme being in a person's personal belief system. The term g^d is limiting as some spiritual systems don't use that term. GAOTU is the common acronym, just as SMIB is short for So Mote It Be. :)
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
Duncan1574 said:
It is the term used to describe the summation of the singular supreme being in a person's personal belief system. The term g^d is limiting as some spiritual systems don't use that term. GAOTU is the common acronym, just as SMIB is short for So Mote It Be. :)
Click to expand...
Which is fancy speak for" so must it be" or so be it. It is the equivalent to the word Amen. Sorry... I figured that would be the next question... :p
 
Duncan1574

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
SMIB has common usage in various neopagan spiritualities as well. It was one of my first 'say what?' Masonic moments. I have studied most of the world's religions to some level of understanding and Deity is common to most if not all of them
 
Winter

Winter

I've been here before
While GAOTU is the more common, some rituals, like Emulation, refer to the Grand Geomatrician of the Universe. The use of the term GAOTU has also led to some misconceptions and certain religions to claim that GAOTU is the G-d of Freemasonry as opposed to a generic name for Deity that allows men of diverse faiths to refer to G-d in a harmonious manner.

http://www.masonicinfo.com/gaotu.htm
 
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