THE WEARING OF MASONIC RINGS
I received the following piece quite recently, on this subject, and it is my pleasure to share it with you.
There are numerous answers to this age-old question. The simplest interpretation is that you wear it with the symbols facing you to remind yourself that you are a Mason, and wear it away from yourself to show the world that you are a Freemason.
Going one step further, if you wear the ring so that you can read the “G” then you are reminding yourself of the tenets of Masonry and of your obligation to remain within the points of the compasses and the due bounds of Masonry. If you wear it so that others can read the “G” then you are telling them to remind themselves of the tenets.
Some say that the ring should be worn with the point of the compasses toward the wearer because this is the only manner in which you will be able to view the square and compasses unless you are a presiding or Past Master. So when you look at your ring, the square and compasses are situated the same as when you approached the altar, a constant reminder of how those three great lights were explained in the first Degree. Upon becoming the Master of the Lodge, the ring should be turned, as it is now your obligation to employ and instruct the Brethren and remain within the due bounds of Freemasonry.
To an engineer, the square on most rings is “ internally calibrated”—meaning that is intended to measure the squareness of the interior rather than the exterior walls of a building.. Thus, he who wears his Masonic ring with the points outward is announcing his intent to determine if the world around him is square. One who wears the ring with the points inward is more interested in determining whether he himself is square, remembering the Biblical admonition “Judge not lest ye yourself be Judged”
A less common explanation for wearing a ring with the compass points out is that it is an external symbol of our internal qualities. One Brother suggested that he sometimes turns the compass’s points toward him, when he is angry, to remind him of the use of the two valuable instruments.
One word of caution: Do not assume that the way a Brother wears his ring should be interpreted in the same way you wear yours. He may wear his “Points Out” for exactly the same reason you wear yours “Points In”.
So the only correct answer to this question is:
PROUDLY, MY BROTHER AND WITH PLEASURE TO YOURSELF and HONOUR TO THE FRATERNITY.
Author unknown