Warren D. Lichty
332 S. Centennial Mall, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508–2528

We see our flag so often that we seldom think deeply about it. We know that, originally, the stripes symbolized the 13 colonies and that the stars, on the field of blue, represented a "new constellation." But why a new constellation, and, especially, why a star with five points? We are so used to seeing them now that almost every star we see and use, at Christmas, on memorials, or in decoration, is a star of five points. But that was not always so.

Stars with an even number of points are far easier to cut or draw. It is only necessary to fold the paper. Stars with six points were much more common than those with five in the 1600s and 1700s, and in earlier times were usually just shown as dots. Why was a star of five points chosen for the flag? It is impossible to know for certain, but we can speculate.

The central, defining fact of the American revolution is that it was a result and outgrowth of the Great 18th Century Enlightenment which was sweeping Europe. It is hard for us, as children of the Enlightenment, to realize how things were back then. Before the Enlightenment, if you had said the phrase "human rights" to someone, he would have had no idea what you meant. Being human gave you no rights at all. Rights and privileges (and they were virtually the same thing) belonged only to royalty and, to a some extent, to the lesser nobility. Almost everyone else was, in one way or another, owned.

It was not slavery as we usually think of the term. But there were rules. Both church and state rigidly enforced them, and they told you where you could live, what kinds of clothing you could wear—as well as which fabrics it could be made of and what colors it could be dyed, which jobs you could hold, how much you would contribute to the church, how large your house could be, how many windows it could have, and where you could be buried. And there was much more.

The usual punishment for a first offense was a fine, with imprisonment and torture for a second offense. There was a place for everyone, and everyone was in his place. What you wanted or did not want was not even a question, certainly not an issue.

The Great Enlightenment came, and no wonder the ideas were so heady that some men and women became drunk with the idea of freedom. The Enlightenment thinkers said such unbelievable, treasonable and heretical things as You have a right to make decisions about your own life. Your life belongs to you, not to the state or church. No one has the right to take from you without your consent. You have rights, just like the king and nobles, and you have those rights just because you are a human being. They are given to you by God himself, and no one can take them from you.

The Enlightenment transformed Freemasonry, of course. The Fraternity became one of the major sources by which the ideas and ideals of the Enlightenment were spread across Europe and, ultimately across the sea to the American Colonies.

That, perhaps, helps to understand the "new constellation." We were still in a time when most men and women believed that the stars influenced human fate and destiny. In addition to the obvious symbolism coming from navigation, where men used the stars to steer the course of their ships, a "new constellation" represented a new force in the destiny of humanity. America was founded in the belief that men and women could control their own futures and chart their own course. The watchword of the Enlightenment was, in effect, "man is superior over institutions, and not they over him." That same understanding may explain the five-pointed star as well. For a long time, the five-pointed star had been a symbol of man. There were many different versions, but, in general, it was visualized like this.

Thus it may well be that the stars of the "Stars and Stripes" represent a new vision of humanity, a vision of men and women not the cringing property of the rich and powerful, nor slaves of the church to be disposed of as the hierarchy saw fit, but as masters and mistresses of their own destiny. As such, the five-pointed star is a profound symbol of empowerment.

It is also a powerful reminder, not only of our destiny but of our duty.

Warren D. Lichty is S.G.I.G. in Nebraska and has served as Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska, Vice Chairman of the Conference of Grand Masters, Grand Master of Cryptic Masons, Grand Commander of Knights Templar of the Nebraska York Rite, Founding President of the Scottish Rite Research Society, and currently serves as Grand Standard Bearer, Chairman of the Publications Committee of the Supreme Council, and First Vice President of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association.