Some Masonic rituals include prayer, circumambulation, symbolic use of the altar, presenting the lambskin apron and significance of the gavel. The Master or Chaplain must open and close all Masonic Lodges with prayer that is universal, and at the end of the prayer, members say "So mote it be," which means, "So may it ever be."
Masons perform the ritual of circumambulation by walking clockwise to symbolize the view of the sun's path from East to West. A candidate's walk around the altar indicates his preparedness. The ancient practice of circumambulation is observed worldwide as a journey that symbolically places the person in alignment with the order of the universe.
The altar, the lodge's central piece, symbolizes several rituals, including the presence of Deity as the point of contact. The central location represents the place Masons assign to God in Masonry and in their personal lives. The ritual of presenting the lambskin apron represents clean living and obedience to the Masonry laws.
The Lodge Master wields his gavel as a symbol of authority, and the way he uses it instructs members in rituals that require rising and sitting. One rap of the gavel from the Master's station in the East calls the members to order. Principle officers rise to their feet with two raps, and everyone else rises on three raps. Another single rap signals all to sit.