Brief History of Masonic Rituals and more
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Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no ritual work here.
This is the History of the rituals, how they got stated.
They do revolve around 'building' and Solomon's Temple but there
is much more to it. We suggest you begin on our main page,
starting with Enoch's words to a secret you won't find in
any bible except for the word "Watchers". Known as fallen
angels, these creatures began the human race. If you don't
believe this, read Genesis 1:26 again, right now. It reads;
Let US make a man in OUR image, in OUR
likeness, and let them
rule over the fishes of the sea and the birds of the air...
US?
Mason's have known about this for hundereds of years but common
church pew sitters never took the time to investigate this
curious line, or much else for that matter...We did....
Who is US? ..read
Enochs Words
Then read the next few pages in this site, beginning with
Forbidden and
Back to The Widow's Son
The Egyptians knew the secret....and then read 'Passage Forward'. Knowledge is the Key to the understanding of Masonry.
The following is from, OE LODGE UK
Certain present day Masonic words and meanings seem rooted from the time of the early Egyptians of this era: The virtues of truth and justice were said by them to be “on the square”. Confucius in 500BC referred to the squareness of actions; even Aristotle in 350 BC associates square actions with honest dealings. The square and its symbolism is very old and has maintained a remarkable consistency of meaning over the centuries. However, it does not necessarily follow that Freemasonry began in those eras any more than trying to assert that Regius Manuscript held in the British Museum is the oldest genuine record of Masonic relevance and was written in @ 1390. Its author was probably a priest and this MS takes the form of an historical and instructional poem. Interestingly, the phrase “So Mote it be” is first quoted from this text. Next, it is important to consider the Compton Room at Canonbury Tower in North London, a room embellished with wood panel carvings of Masonic significance commissioned by Bacon like the one below.
One can imagine the level of secrecy that must have surrounded the Invisible College in its early days and in the notoriously treacherous years before and after the Reformation – the consequences of taking the wrong sides or inviting criticism of any kind in those days was often fatal and is commented on frequently enough by Pepys in his famous diary. To get a flavour of the times in mid Seventeenth Century England, bear in mind that slavery was still universal and the gunpowder plot was in recent memory. Galileo was in deep trouble with the Catholic Church by insisting that the earth revolved around the sun, Bacon’s works were banned by Rome and The Inquisition and the Courts, at least in Scotland, were still burning witches and heretics. These were still times of fear, state control and comparative intolerance. Personal safety therefore probably demanded that discussion of anything with an esoteric, moral or scientific flavour take place underground.
So why would Thinkers and educated classes quietly develop or promote the concept of Freemasonry? Might it be possible that those opposed to intellectual and political suppression went underground and retained their anonymity and safety by clothing themselves with the appearance of an operative organization afforded by an early masonic lodge structure? It is then easy to see that embellishment of that structure by the adoption of old stonemasons Manuscripts and a perceived pedigree dating back to King Solomon would have given their membership a certain degree of authenticity and appeal.
Given that non stone-masons (Speculatives) were clearly being initiated from this time in England, some historians believe that Freemasonry was in transition at this point from pure Operative Masonry to Non Operative or Speculative Freemasonry. Equally, it could be argued that around this time, England copied the Scottish Masonic structure and set up an entirely Speculative form of Freemasonry which merely bore allegorical likeness to much earlier Scottish Operative lodges. This opinion has value when one considers that a disproportionate number of early Premier Grand Masters were Scottish and that the Constitutions were written by a Scotsman, Anderson.
The MASONIC FRATERNITY flourished for generations in it's OPERATIVE form. Then came a great change in its fortunes. EUCLID'S GEOMETRY was rediscovered and published, thereby giving to the public many of the Mason's trade secrets. The reformation came and the GOTHIC STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE began die out. Social conditions underwent a revolution and laws changed. These and other factors brought about a decline in the Craft. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (1500 and 1600), Operative Freemasons became so few in number that only a small Lodge here and there clung to a precarious existence.
To recruit their numbers Freemasons adopted a new practice. They began to accept non Operative Members. In the old days, only an Operative Mason could become a member but during the two centuries of the transition period, gentlemen with no intention of becoming builders, and out of curiosity for social reasons or from interest in the Crafts Ancient Customs were received as accepted Masons. At first there were few of these but as time passed their number increased until by the early part of the eighteenth century (1700) there were more Accepted Freemasons than there were Operative Freemasons. The Accepted Masons had become more influential. Note the origins of the terminology "Ancient Free and Accepted Masons".
Because Building of Cathedrals and Churches became their specialty, Freemasons were on excellent terms with the clergy and in order to pay a compliment to their patrons, High Church Dignitaries, Bishops and Cannons were admitted among the first Accepted or Speculative Masons. While some of these church Officials were quite experienced in the Art of Ecclesiastical Architecture -- and some were good craftsmen in their own right -- most were mainly interested in the Traditional and Social aspect of the Craft and their work of Benevolence.
Craft Guilds, including Masons, have always recognized and associated themselves with the church. Each had it's own Patron Saint, so it was natural that the symbolism of Operative Masonry and later Speculative Masonry would be based on Biblical Characters.
The Craft then took a step destined to revolutionize it and set it on a new path of power and magnitude. On ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST'S DAY 24 June 1717 four or more old Lodges of London and Westminster met in London and organized a Grand Lodge -- THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND -- and on the same day selected their First Grand Master of the Speculative Lodges, Most Worshipful Anthony Sayer.
Sir Christopher Wren, the renowned Architect of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, is regarded by many as The Last Grand Master of the Operative Masons. He died in 1723.
Dr. John Anderson, a Scotch Presbyterian Minister, and Dr. John Theoplilus Desaguliers, an Episcopal Clergyman, were two of the foremost Masons who guided and directed the development of the newly organized Grand Lodge of England in 1717. It is conceded that one or both of them changed the entire course of Masonic History by removing Christian belief as a requirement for membership, changing it to a belief in GOD only, thus establishing universality as a Fundamental Landmark of the Order.
Within a few years of 1717 the Craft had completed the transformation from being a body of Operative Freemasons to that of a Speculative Fraternity in which members were Masons in a Moral and Symbolic sense. The two old degrees were reorganized into the three (3) degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. All the old Masonic Manuscripts were collected and collated to produce the First Book of Constitutions and Lodges were being Chartered in many Countries including our own to take care of the Fraternity's expanding membership which began to rapidly increase shortly after the organization of the Mother Grand Lodge. Dr. Desaguliers has been called The Father of Modern Speculative Masonry, and we owe to him much of Masonry's development in the critical decade from 1720 to 1730 when Major changes in the Ritual took place. This was the beginning of Organized Speculative Freemasonry as we know it today.
The Grand Lodge of England became the "Mother" of all Masonry as we know it today and the essential teachings and ritualistic ceremonies which characterize Masonic Lodge's throughout the world are the same as they were over 200 years ago.
In 1751, a Second Grand Lodge was organized in England. Prior to that Grand Lodges had been set up in Scotland, Ireland and on the European Continent.
American Lodges of which one of the earliest with Authentic Historical Records was The First Lodge of Boston (1733) were under the charge of Provincial Grand Lodges, which were ruled by Provincial Grand Masters appointed by the Grand Lodges of England, Scotland or Ireland. There was Freemasonry in Virginia in 1725 and the earliest Virginia Lodge was The Royal Exchange in the Borough of Norfolk that was warranted by the Grand Lodge of England in 1733.
As a result of the revolution one after another American Grand Lodges became sovereign and independent. The question arose at the time as to whether there should be one Grand Lodge for the whole United States? The wisdom of the Craft prevailed and the scheme was abandoned. Grand Lodges were organized in each state, sovereign within it's own limits with no other Grand Lodge having any right to control Masonic affairs under each State's Jurisdiction.
The History of Masonic Orders and Rituals
Records strongly suggest a lineage to operative stonemason's lodges or guilds of fourteenth century Scotland and an inner fraternity of the London Company of masons. The records of the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) show lawyer and writer, John Boswell of Auchinleck, signing the minutes of a meeting held in 1600, although the first recorded admission of a non-operative doesn't occur until 1634. The oldest surviving Minute Book, that of the Lodge of Aitchison's Haven, is dated 9th January 1598.
We also found evidence that the Grand Lodge of France was founded in 1735 which represented a break from the English Grand Lodge. The source of friction being, London's objection to their lodges entertaining good relations with Scottish Lodges. Baron von Hund's creation of the Strict Templar Observence in the late 1740's represented a new developement within Scottish Freemasonry. Von Hund claimed his authority derived from members of the exiled Stuart supporters in Paris, a circle centered on Charles Edward Stewart ( 1720 - 1788 ), the 'Young Pretender'. If true - and recent research tends to support his claims his system would derive from the same circles as the already existing Scottish System.
The Strict Templar Observence had it's greatest success in Germany, where it was know at first as the Brethern of St. John the Babtist. It was opened on June 24th, 1751. The German Lodge has close links with the Rosicrucian societies particularly the Order of the Gold and Rosy Cross.. In France the Grand Orient was created in 1773. This disagreement centered on the involvement of Women.
In Spain there was a form of occult masonry known as the Order of Elect Cohens, in 1761. But this was tied to Charles Edward Stewart and the Scottish Lodges. The Egyptian Rites were created by Count Cagliostro after his introduction into the Strict Templar Observence, in 1777. Another Rite called Misriam was created in Venice in 1788, under a license granted by Cagliostro. Another important Egyptian Rite was that of Memphis, created in Montauban in 1838 by Jacques-Etienne Marconis de Negre (1795-1865). This sytem had ties with the Rectified Scottish Rite.
Thus the Rectified Scottish Rite, the Egyptian Rites and the Martinist Orders from an interconnected group of societies, all owing their origins to the Strict Templar Observance of Baron von Hund - which in turn derives from the Scottish Knights Templar - and the Rosicrucian lodges of Germany. So if anybody tells you the Rosicrucian order had nothing to do with masonry, you can tell them they are wrong.
The Ancient original ritual work has been destroyed in England, but apparently was introduced in the form of the Ancient Scottish Rite, in the United States, intack before 1400. Although there may not be documentation to support this, we do know that Henri Sinclair was here in America, in 1398. Henry Sinclair was a decendent of the origional Knights Templar who escaped France and traveled to the land of the star they saw to the West. They sailed to find the place marked by a star called la Merica. This star and the mythical land below it were known to have originated from scrolls found beneath Herod's Temple. When the Templars had been 'outlawed' in Europe, they undertook this search for the perfect land that lay over the great sea to the west. The 'la Merica' star is the reason the USA is called America. Proof of this visit is on our Knights Templar Page.
The Grand Lodge of England proclaims that "nothing is known for sure about the history of masonry before 1717". When it is they in fact who thraunt any attempt to research 'old' records or investigate the material that might be the missing Egyptian ingredents. Perhaps they feel they would be violating an oath if they did reveal the sources.
In the United States, Albert Pike had words removed from the rituals describing them as," incoherent nonsence and jargon: in some degrees of absolute nothingness - as having been purposely constructed to conceal their meaning". He then went to England and with his ignorance and arrogance, succeded the Duke of Sussex in assisting with the revision of ritual work.
"Fundamentalist anti-Masons love to condemn all Freemasonry based on the writings and philosophy of Albert Pike. They never say that Pike's works were written only for the Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Masonry, which was the limit of Pike's Masonic authority. He was the Sovereign Grand Commander of that Masonic body from 1859 until his death in 1891."
"Pike was convinced that he had benefited greatly from his lifelong studies of other religions and philosophies, because what he had learned gave him a broader understanding of all humankind. Many of the ancient religions he had studied were gone from the earth, but he was convinced that they had made contributions to later thought and moral systems. He had a good point: There are those who would deny that Muhammad learned anything from the Jews and Christians he met on his trading missions, or that Moses learned anything while growing up at the Egyptian court, but reason indicates the opposite."
This site gives us a clue as to what the anti's will do to
discredit masons.
Is it True?
One of the most frequently quoted passages by anti-Masons from
Morals and Dogma concerns Pike's theory that symbolic lodges
exist to hide the true secrets of Masonry from the masses.
Pike was simply repeating one of the currently popular theories
about the origins of the "high degrees." Just because Albert
Pike was a brilliant ritualist, an able administrator, and a
well-respected Mason doesn't mean all of his opinions are right.
The Masonic encyclopedist, Henry Wilson Coil, offers a good
summary of the influences on Albert Pike's Masonic writings.
Fate decided that Pike should enter the Scottish Rite only four years after he became a Mason and before he had time or occasion thoroughly to study the history of all branches of the Society and, so, he began his study from the upper levels without knowing much of the foundation. He evidently did not know until his later life that the Scottish Rite degrees were a part of that type of ritual which sprang up in France in 1737 and subsequent years but regarded it as Primitive Masonry which had come right on down from Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt and out of the Ancient Mysteries and Magism, which there held sway. He found books which said so and he never had any doubt about that theory.
He regarded Craft Masonry as then known to be puerile, though he said it had a deeper meaning which was hidden from its superficial adepts, who were taught to be satisfied with trite explanations. He even asserted that Craft Masonry had been devised so as not only to hide its true meaning but to cause its members to think that they understood it. [Albert G.] Mackey encouraged him in those notions, for he, too, had been made a Mason only four years before he began writing books on the subject, in which he adopted the more sensational theories of mystery and symbolism. But Mackey changed his views as soon as the work of the British realistic school began to be felt. Pike did not waver; his work was nearly complete and too voluminous to be done over.
"Make no mistake: Pike was a dynamic force in establishing a strong membership in his own jurisdiction, and a strong force in establishing degree work that has lasted for a hundred years. He was a towering figure in the history of American Masonry. What he was not was a Grand Master of any Grand Lodge, who alone is the final authority in basic Masonic practices and jurisprudence. He was never a spokesman for all of Freemasonry and never tried to assert himself as such. He was a strong man who never shrank from expressing his personal opinions, and it is important to remember that his pronouncements as they relate to Masonry are just that: his own opinions."
"His historical facts are usually correct, but that cannot always be said of his opinions. As an historian who has spent years researching the history of the crusading order of the Knights Templar, I was appalled to read Pike's words, "The Templars were unintelligent and therefore unsuccessful Jesuits," and "Their watchword was to become wealthy, in order to buy the world."
"On the other hand, most Christians will agree with much
of what Albert Pike has to say about his own faith in
Christianity. His discussion of baptism calls the Christian
rite "a baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins: that
is, the necessity of repentance proven by reformation." That
"reformation" of the repentant baptized Christian is now being
referred to as being "born again," which puts Pike's definition
of the sacrament right in line with the beliefs of those who
condemn him most angrily. His critics, of course, never quote
those points: Their aim is to extract comments about the many
religions, sects, and cults described in Morals and Dogma, so
that they can be cited, regardless of their original content,
as "documentation" that Masons believe the teachings of those
ancient cults, and must believe them. They know they are lying,
but quoting out of context is too wonderful a tool to be
abandoned."
..from
Albert Pike and Lucifer
According to Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, (Writers of the Hiram Key) the original degrees had early Christian elements that were considered non-christian and pagan by the time the Duke and Pike started their revisions. He thus 'neutered' the work and destroyed Scottish ritual that was put in place by William St. Clair and the original Knights Templar. The original Templers were Gnostic and the church controlled by King Philip, declared this 'pagan' and had alot of them killed. English freemasonry followed church doctrine in order to remain 'legal'.
We have discovered that because of this, there are many so-called 'clandestine' lodges in England, France, Spain, Germany ect., who have kept the original teachings intact, including the admission of women into the membership. We found that even Jesus admitted women into the 'brotherhood' if they understood the teachings. Jesus had seven women in the group of disciples that were always with him. This is an important step forward as it assures us that there are original correct teachings out there somewhere and it tells us that women have been lowered to an unfair place in religious history and in the Lodge.
THIS IS FROM A MASONIC FORUM, posted by Widowmaker. see it here.. Forum The more you learn about how Freemasonry is practiced in continental Europe and Latin America, the more disappointed you will become with what we practice in the USA.
At first, I was irritated and defensive. But, after reading about the differences over the past few years I how now come to the realization that we practice an inferior form of the Craft.
Allow me to summarize some of the things that I like about what they do:
* They don't let everyone in. They are exclusive in practice, not just words.
* It takes YEARS to advance degrees and advancing has to be earned by showing that you understand the teachings through papers and oral presentations. No "all the way in a day" bullsh*t.
* They actually have intelligent debate in lodge. They talk about ideas, philosophy, and expand each others minds. They become better writers, speakers, and thinkers with the help of their Brethren. We have to do this on our own if we do it at all (we all should.)
* They leave charity to other organizations. They don't manage gigantic bank accounts or massive buildings which leaves them free to concentrate on Freemasonry.
Brethren, I am embarrassed to say that I am a 32nd degree Mason to these Brethren. First off, they won't consider me one anyway due to the fact that it's serious business over there, taking 10-15 years to reach 32nd degree. Secondly, I am inadequate in my knowledge and would look like a fool.
This is serious. I know first hand from visiting Ecuador and Bro. Coach will back me up on this as he has family that are Masons there. The Masons over there are leaders in society, they are involved in trying to shape things. They are involved for real, not just writing checks and conducting fund raisers. Heck, anyone can do that. Freemasonry demands better than that from each and every one of us if we hope to even approach living up to the honor bestowed upon us by our lodges.
I realize that many of you may react negatively to this. I understand. I was very defensive myself when I first encountered this knowledge. I love the US and firmly believe that we are the greatest country this world has ever seen. Freemasonry here has become like everything else, an empty shell. It's time that we, as a society, get back to our values and use our intellects instead of constantly focusing on more possessions and screaming at microwaves to hurry up and cook our food because 2 minutes is too long to wait. Think about it. S&F,Ted
The information is supported by our friend and loyal supporter, Fred Broecker
who is known as Stonecutter and is the administrator of MasterMason.com.
He is Secretary - Illinois Grand Chapter
Association Representative, Northern Area
When we researched Mary Magdalene, we discovered she, and she alone understood all of Christ's teachings. But the Catholic church following the example of the Hebrews and put women in a sub-servant role and delibertly discredited them and called them harlots. Harlot means something all-together different that what you have been taught. And there's another secret about Mary and Jesus they've been hidding.
We believe the Grand Lodge was totally wrong in omitting the origional Templar work, but apparently there is a reason for this. The original 'brotherhood' and it's teachings were secret. Given to the 'brotherhood' by Enoch, nothing was taught outside the 'closed community' of initiates.
Our pages about Jesus and the Essenes prove there was a secret society and it is documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This society also followed 'the Laws of Moses' which also was derived from the words of Enoch. The Laws of Moses were not followed by the Jerusalem church even before the time the Romans controlled Israel. This is why there was a 'split' in the priesthood and the control of the Jerusalem Temple. The original teachings of the Essenes also are connected with 'the Great Isaiah Scroll' and we found proof they studied Pythagoras' works which were in use 300 years before Jesus walked on this earth.
"When the authentic school [in the 18th Century ] came to examine the English
records they could find no evidence at all of the existence of operative lodges. In medieval times the
operatives' lodge had simply been a hut or lean-to on the site in which they stored their
tools and took their refreshment and ease. By the 1600s the guild system, with the exception of the
London Livery companies, was virtually moribund. Nor was there any evidence of an English
Mason word or of the English operatives having had secret modes of recognition....Accepted
masonry simply seems to have appeared in England as a new organization without
any prior connections with the operative craft."
- John Hamill, The Craft, A History of English Freemasonry
The York Rite was established in 900 AD in Scotland and Scottish degrees have been traced to James, Lord Stewert of Scotland, who was a Master in 1286. This then connects Scottish degrees with the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and the crusades. Henri St Clair was a crusader and a Knights Templar and his family name changed to Sinclair possibly to hide the origin of the family line who claimed to be direct decendents of Jesus. Jacobite knowledge which began with Enochian traditions is the heart of Masonry. This Jacobite heritage remained intact in Scotland. William St Clair built a scroll sanctuary in 1440 in the form of Rosslyn Chapel where is still stands today in Edinburgh, Scotland.
"The Temple degrees, which comprise the top degrees of the York Rite are specifically
Christian. Or at least, it can be stated that the oath is: in some Grand Lodges in the US and
abroad, one need not be a Christian, but rather only be willing to take a Christian OATH.
The difference here is that there are some who would willingly swear to defend the Christian
faith on the grounds that they would defend any man's faith. The Chapter (or Royal Arch)
and Council Of Royal And Select Masters (Cryptic Rite), which comprise the first two sections
of the York Rite, are not specifically Christian."
- Andrew Fabbro, Freemasonry FAQ Version 1.2
The Scottish degrees were officially brought to America by Stephen Morin in 1761, where he was made Grand Inspector of the New World. He was authorised to create new inspectors where the degrees had not been established suggesting that they were already in place in the US. In 1801 the Surpreme Council of the Thirty-third degree for the United States issued a circular to all the Grand Lodges of the World, dating the origin of Freemasonry to the beginning of the world. It declared itself, 'keeper of Secret Constitutions which have existed from Time Immemorial'.
In England, twenty four degrees have no ritual work and nothing is known about them.
The first degree after the fourth is the eighteenth and the
ninetheenth through the the twenty-ninth are given in name only.
There is no mention of the word .
Pike had these words after the destruction of ritual;
"The Surpreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction of
the United States at length undertook the indispensable and
long-delayed task of revising and reforming the work and Ritual
of the Thirty degrees under its jurisdiction. Retaining the
essentials of the degrees and all the means by which the
members recognise one another, it has sought out and developed
the leading idea of each degree, rejected the puerililies and
absurdities with which many of them were disfigured, and made
of them a connected system of moral, religious and philosophical
instruction. Sectarian of no creed, it has yet thought it not
improper to use the old allegories, based on occurances detailed
in the Hebrew and Christian books, and drawn
from the Ancient Mysteries of Egypt, Persia, Greece,
India, the Druids and the Essenes, as vehicles to communicate the Great
Ceremonies of the Orders of knighthood".
And to top that off, a reverend Whitaker in the U.S. and the Duke of Sussex in England, had more work changed to satisfy personal prejudices. What they 'chopped' consisted of the most ancient religious practices in the world. Those practices, we will attempt to revive, review and show their connection to present day Masonic ritual and history.
It is also known that the Grand Lodge of England was set up
in London in 1717 as a Hanoverian attempt to deny Scottish
origins which were far too Jacobite for English Tastes. The
Grand Lodge of England delibertly stifles any investigation and
denys even it's own history. In 1813, The United Grand Lodge of
England was formed and the wholesale destruction of Masonic
ritual was carried out.
Christopher
Knight and Robert Lomas, The Second Messiah
The
term "Jacobite" refers to James, ie. Jacob, the Lord's
stepbrother.
This paragraph came from a page that sells 'Rare Books - Reprints - Hidden Mysteries'. It gives us a clue as to what the original rituals might have contained.
Title: Reprints of Old Rituals
Author: Pike, Albert
In 1879 Albert Pike, Sovereign Grand Commander of the
Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern
Jurisdiction, USA, prepared and authorized for sale a
collection of books "for general distribution." Among these
was also a collection of rituals, virtually unknown today.
These included: 1) Degree of Master Mark Mason, being the work
of the Grand Council of Princes of Jerusalem of South Carolina,
and the oldest work extent anywhere; 2) The Wigan Ritual, of
the Early Grand Encampment. 3) Grade, Mark Mason, Passed Master,
and Royal Arch, Rite Ancient Maconnerie D'York.
[Were originally translated from English into French, and used
in the French West Indies in 1795.]; 4) Knights Templar, former
English Ritual. 5) Grand Maitre Ecossais or Scottish Elder
Master and Knight of St. Andrew, being the Fourth Degree of
Ramsey. 6) Old Ceremony of Royal Arch Exaltation. This new book
includes ALL of the above rituals in one volume. These rituals
have become some of the scarcest items ever printed by the
Supreme Council. Original copies now sell for between US $60
and US $100 each.
All of these rituals are extremely important, each for unique reasons. The Master Mark Mason and Wigan Rituals are, for example, early, little-known versions of these degrees; the former lacking much of the Christian symbolism present today, and the latter (supplied by John Yarker), differing significantly from the current ritual. The MaConnerie D'Yorke rituals were obtained in New Orleans, and contain a wealth of historical information relative to their use, including references to Joseph Cerneau, who had long troubled the Southern Jurisdiction by his irregular branch the Scottish Rite.
The "former" English Knights Templar ritual appears to be the authorized revision of 1851, upon which the current ritual is based. The Grand Maitre Ecossais degree is an Hermetic degree which contends that the essential "secret" of Freemasonry is the Alchemical transmutation of the initiate. It is rumored to be used by the American C.B.C.S. (Knights Beneficent of the Holy City), an elite Masonic body. The Old Ceremony of Royal Arch Exaltation is the ritual upon which the current English ritual is based. It includes references to the mysterious word "J.B.O.", which has since been expunged from English Masonry.
It is this writers opinion, and the opinion of Knight and
Lomas, that something is being hidden and that is why there is a rift between what is known as the
'Ancients' and the 'Moderns'.
"Secret messages have been removed that were carefully implanted
into the original rituals by William St. Clair and other Templar decendents".
Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, The Second Messiah
If you are not a Mason, what you will find here is an extensive history and background that has religious and moral meanings that are ancient indeed. Some people make themselves adversaries of Masonry without first finding out if a conflict really exist. Often, rather than asking a knowledgable Mason for clarification or information, they simply read books written by anti-Masons. Keep in mind the anti's will say anything to discredit Masonry. They make up their own definations and come to conclusions that are not fact or even close to correct. This site was compiled to bridge the gap and clairify the mis-information most people have about Masonry.
The Ancients believe that the reason that the craft of Masonry exists is because the 'brotherhood' began when God first made Adam out of clay, combined with the elements of Fire, Water, Earth and Air. These essential elements are in every living thing in the universe, with one special thing included and only given to man by God, his soul. God gave Adam several other things, knowledge, the seven sences and a mind to think and learn. The soul is generally conceived as an immortal life essence and is often said to be the seat of the personality. With this we move to a higher level of understanding.
The Seal of
Solomon is an ancient symbol used to draw in the balanced energy
of all four base elements. When these elements are combined,
they manifest the embodiment of the element of spirit. The star
is formed by uniting the Water Triangle with the Fire Triangle,
forming the six-pointed star, otherwise known as the Star of David.
We also see the square and compass and the form of the Pyramid.
Masonic authors William Meyer and J.S.M. Ward, also wrote that
this type triangle was worn in India by followers of Shiva,
who wear it in their foreheads!
Masonic author,
Albert G. Mackey provides us with the explanation in his book,
The Symbolism of Freemasonry, [p. 195, 1869 A.D.]
The triangle pointing downward "is a female symbol corresponding
to the 'yoni' and the upward pointing triangle is the male, the
'lingam'. When the two triangles are interlaced,
it represents the union of the active and passive forces
in nature; it represents the male and female elements." Vignettes
in Masonry from the Royal Arch Mason Magazine, [Missouri Lodge of Research,
1965, p. 132] stated that the hexagram represented "balance
and harmony" in all facets of the world. Another Masonic
publication links the hexagram with
the famous Chinese Yang and Yin symbol.
In the Dictionary of All Scriptures and Myths, by Gaskel,
he documents a powerful correspondence in the structures
of the major world religions. He shows how they all organize
the world according to five planes of manifestation, which is
basically the same as the sevenfold pattern, since he does not
differentiate the life force and compresses Higher and Lower Mind into one level.
He places the Absolute or Unconditioned, the Unmanifest God,
or God the Father above the planes of manifestation.
From this the five planes descend as follows;
V. Celestial: The Manifest God or God the Son. The Higher self or Christ.
IV. Spiritual: The Wisdom Nature or Holy Spirit.
The Higher Emotional Nature or Madonna.
III. Mental: The Higher Mind or Individuality: The Lower Mind or Personality.
II. Astral: The Lower Emotional Nature or Lower Self. The Desire Nature.
I. Physical: The Etheric Medium in all things. The Solids, Liquids, and Gases.
by Willaim Fix, Lake of Memory Rising
Much derision has been cast on the ancients for withholding knowledge that even a child can understand in its simpler forms. Certainly the simpler forms were taught openly, but their occult background was kept rigidly secret (as it is even now, though the world at large little dreams of this fact) as fit only for those who would not misuse the knowledge obtained. Can as much wisdom be shown today when, as soon as scientists discover some new device, opportunity is instantly found to turn that invention to destructive uses? One is driven to admire the strength and wisdom of the ancients who knew better than to turn knowledge over indiscriminately to those lacking moral control. With all our boasted superiority, we have not yet caught up on all lines with the scientific knowledge of our ancient forebears... from..The Lesser Mysteries
"In wisdom and foresight, nature is consistent throughout: one law, one plan, one structure. With charming thrift she rehearses the pathways of initiation through the cycles of sleep and death. Death and its processes form the heart and core of the Greater Mysteries: through death of the inferior the superior finds birth. Except the seed die, the flower cannot bloom; except the flower die, the seed cannot form. "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it'' (Matt. 10:39).
We seem to only live in the Physical plane. The ancients
lived in and studied the others as well. The Hindu's, Buddhists
and Egyptians knew the secrets of these 'other' planes of
conscienceness. Thus modern man has forgotten from whence he
came. He, in effect has 'lost the word'.
Is it time for
modern man to return to the ancient teachings?
In the Mysteries, geography was not merely a study of
topography; rather the periodical risings and sinkings of
continents was the subject of investigation in accordance with
the cyclic events of racial history; secret centers of the earth
were learned of, and our intimate relation to the two poles and
the four points of the compass. HPB suggestively hints:
The two poles are called the right and left ends of our globe --
the right being the North Pole -- or the head and feet of the
earth. Every beneficent (astral and cosmic) action comes from
the North; every lethal influence from the South Pole. They are
much connected with and influence "right" and "left"
hand magic.-- Secret Doctrine 2:400n
Meteorology was the study of the currents of wind and rain, not from the effectual standpoint, but as bearing streams of vital energy from all parts of the solar system and beyond. Lightning and thunder, etc., were not merely electromagnetic phenomena -- words that are accurate enough, yet unless occultly understood convey little more than a statement of effects produced. When considered from the causal aspect they are seen to be outer manifestations of interior forces bursting from cosmic space into our atmosphere and affecting the lives of earth.
In Chaldea, Egypt, Mexico and Peru, Wales, Iceland, and India, astrology was regarded with veneration. Its deeper teachings were transmitted from mouth to ear, so sacred and profoundly spiritual were they then considered. Mere fortune-telling and other similar trifles were held vulgar in the eyes of the hierophants. The recognized influences of the sun and planets upon human beings were not viewed as simply mechanical, compelling individuals to this or that character or mode of conduct. Such interchange of planetary and solar life energies among terrestrial beings was understood as springing from our common galactic heritage. The septenary nature of the planets was taken into account in reckoning septenary human nature. Hence the intermingling of life-atoms from the various planetary systems with the earth, and vice versa, constitutes one of the major studies of esoteric astrology.
Furthermore, the science of prediction of tremendous cyclic occurrences on earth was mastered not only in India to a fine hair's breadth (see the Surya-Siddhanta of Asuramaya, the oldest treatise on astronomy extant, Secret Doctrine 2:326), but also in ancient Chaldea, whose modern representatives of some four and five thousand years ago still held archaic astrology as a major characteristic of their secret Mysteries. The famous ziggurat or high tower of Borsippa in Babylonia is clear testimonial to know ledge of the sevenfold planetary influences on humanity. Called the stages of the seven spheres, each of its stories bore a different color, representative of one of the seven sacred planets. At the top of a ziggurat was a sacred shrine, often with a table or couch of gold.
Thus what may have seemed to the public mere astronomical observatories were secret training centers within whose inner recesses esoteric astrology formed one of the important studies of the Lesser Mysteries. Medicine and surgery, physics and alchemy, poetry, mathematics, and philosophy likewise were studied from their inner standpoint. This instruction consists not in the learning by rote of scores of formulae, but in the inner perception of occult rationale, so that knowledge benevolently applied for others may in time become wisdom.
Comparison of the ritual of the Lesser Mysteries, as practiced in the ancient world with slight variations of detail, reveals the universal story of the descent into the underworld in the symbol of the wheat or corn deity. The seed or grain represents the candidate. As the seed enters into the dark regions of the moist earth, many are the difficulties of soil and environment to contend with; it "dies" in giving birth to root and stalk. Finally, as the period of germination expires, tender shoots of the grain sprout above the surface of the earth, and in time the seed-that-was bursts forth in flower with the aid of sun and rain. In like manner the candidate "dies" in the regions of the underworld, the lower spheres, where he meets and conquers the difficulties of environment; shedding his impermanent self, he dies in giving birth to budding masterhood. At the appropriate hour, the disciple-that-was rises to the spheres of light and life; taken into the presence of other plants of divinity, he finds friendship with the gods and blooms into the full flower of adepthood.
Thus is dramatized in esoteric imagery the spiritual travail of those "giving birth to themselves" (Secret Doctrine 2:559) -- as an ancient manuscript describes the birth of the adept within the neophyte, the supreme initiation.
The Greater Mysteries
The Greater Mysteries entered upon by the neophyte, after the successful consummation of the preliminary degrees, constitute the becoming by individual experience of that which had been learned in the Lesser Mysteries. In this higher department of esoteric training, no quarter is given. The neophyte must face himself and conquer -- or die. All the stretches of his complex nature, from the divinely inspired to the grossly material, must be investigated and controlled. By this time the aspirant must have developed sufficient spiritual stamina to withstand reality. He must become nature in her lower and higher regions, pass the supreme test of self-identification , and yet retain his soul integrity.
Even as late as the second century, the rites of the Egyptian
Mysteries, however modified by Greek influence, were carried on
with due and appropriate reverence. Disciples from surrounding
countries sought initiation there as a fitting advancement
following their own ceremonies. Apuleius, Latin Platonic
philosopher, describes in his Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass,
the initiation in the Mysteries of Isis of one Lucius Patras,
now uniformly believed to be Apuleius himself:
from.
The Mystery Schools by Grace F. Knoche
We strongly recommend printing and studing all of this site
as it goes deep into the explainations of the 'mysteries' once taught and we believe
actually 'learned' by Jesus..
Because; The light was withdrawn, but so compassionately does the Brotherhood work that the truths have been preserved in symbol and stone, in allegory and mythos. As H. P. Blavatsky writes with respect to Egypt:
"Her sacred Scribes and Hierophants became wanderers upon the face of the earth. Those who had remained in Egypt found themselves obliged for fear of a profanation of the sacred Mysteries to seek refuge in deserts and mountains, to form and establish secret societies and brotherhoods -- such as the Essenes; those who had crossed the oceans to India and even to the (now-called) New World, bound themselves by solemn oaths to keep silent, and to preserve secret their Sacred Knowledge and Science; thus these were buried deeper than ever out of human sight. In Central Asia and on the northern borderlands of India, the triumphant sword of Aristotle's pupil swept away from his path of conquest every vestige of a once pure Religion: and its Adepts receded further and further from that path into the most hidden spots of the globe. -- Blavatsky Collected Writings 14:294
For good or evil man has had to make the choice for thousands of years. Masonry is the choice for good, and the search for knowledge and no matter what others say it is, it, by all means is not on the side of evil and darkness. By divorcing itself from the knowledge of the ancient world, religion as we know it cut itself off from the ancient teachings. Masonry on the other hand has retained these ancient teachings. A person seeking knowledge or 'light' must be willing to re-discover them.
What Masonry encompasses is straight out of the bible, any bible, any country, but the world's religious orders have done everything in their power to discredit the craft because they fear the truth found in the true 'brotherhood' of mankind. There are many so-called religious sects, who are printing garbage and lies to keep good, righteous men from joining the craft. They will tell you, Masons have been proven to worship Satan. They base this trash on the writings of Dr. Albert Pike, who, to some was a 'strange person', but was a scholar and Doctor of Theology and a 33rd Degree Mason. Brother Pike's work covered research of ancient beliefs and practices , which did not necessarily reflect his own beliefs.
Brother Pike, while being brilliant, unfortunately may have earned his 33rd degree by chopping the rituals to bits and he said and wrote things that were twisted by the very people who say they alone preach the truth. What they preach is HATE. Masonry, above all other things is a search for truth and the teaching of the unification of mankind for the purpose of bringing about 'Heaven on Earth'. Research is the only 'way' we will find answers. With answers comes peace.
The question of "Morals and Dogma", by Albert Pike, brings up an important point. Anti-Masonic writers are forever "discovering" something they find shocking in the book, largely because they don't understand what kind of book it is. Pike was attempting the almost impossible task of surveying and condensing the whole history of human thought in philosophy into one volume. He writes about things which were believed in ancient Egypt, China, Persia-- all over the world. It's easy to take a paragraph out of context-- as one writer does with Pike's comment about the ancient Egyptian belief in Osiris-- and then insist that Masons teach and believe that all good comes from Osiris.
Here is an example of their twisted mentality. from.. Cutting Edge Ministeries
"In one sentence, we see the admission that the Phoenix Bird of Ancient so called Satanic Egypt was changed into the Masonic Eagle and then Pike's admits that the Eagle is the Symbol of the Sun God and of the God of Mendes, both symbols being used by fundamentalists as common Satanic symbols of Satan/Lucifer!"
Satan is a creation of St. Jerome in the 4th century so there would be an opposing force against what they thought was the good God. That's right there were two! The problem is, Jerome took the Hebrew point of view and helped form a competitor for the wrong god who the Hebrews called Jehovah. This god they feared. What's wrong with this picture? Fear? OBEY? The bible was edited 6 more times before you got your copy! Those copies were printed by a King in England who was also head of the church. Not much changed until scholars began to re-decipher the Hebrew text. What they found is not what you are currently reading. And Jesus nor the disciples wrote anything in Greek.. What archeological digs have revealed is even more telling.
So who
said the Egyptian Phoenix bird was evil? ..from the Nag, origin..
"[...], so that in their world it might pass the thousand years
in Paradise - a soul-endowed living creature called "phoenix".
It kills itself and brings itself to life as a witness to the
judgment against them, for they did wrong to Adam and his
generation, unto the consummation of the age. There are [...]
three men, and also his posterities, unto the consummation of
the world: the spirit-endowed of eternity, and the soul-endowed,
and the earthly. Likewise, the three phoenixes
"And the worm that has been born out of the phoenix is a human being as well. It is written (Ps 91:13 LXX) concerning it, "the just man will blossom like a phoenix". And the phoenix first appears in a living state, and dies, and rises again, being a sign of what has become apparent at the consummation of the age. It was only in Egypt that these great signs appeared - nowhere else - as an indication that it is like God's Paradise".
And didn't Akhenaten worship ONE GOD? But which One? Was this idea directly from Joseph, who they don't realize was a traitor to the real religion of the 'One True God'?
Joseph was married to a priest's daughter. We think the evil 'Seth' priest and Joseph were connected for several reasons ..see Widow's Son 1 .. The Ancients believed that the power of the Sun - LIGHT, was God. There is nothing evil in this belief. If God created Heaven and Earth, he IS the Sun, the light and the reason for life on earth as we know it... But there is still only One Creator who sends his 'Word' to mankind so that we may learn from him. Unfortunately the 'Creator God' is also the unforgiving, cruel, human hating god of the bible.
The anti's Motive for the lies - check out the 'BOOK SELLER'
link at the bottom of the page. Hence MONEY, a deadly
materialistic motive indeed... and..Oh, and don't forget their
'salvation page'..
"If you have been involved with Freemasonry, you can turn to the Savior for forgiveness and restoration with Him".... "And this fellowship that we share is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah."... "The fellowship enjoyed by 'genuine' Christians is proof positive of salvation".
Not to offend, but...WHERE is THERE ANY PROOF that any of this is true?
1. We believe that only the true
'brotherhood' of mankind knows the truth. ( this includes
more of the members of mankind than just Mason's )
2.We believe that forgivness
of sins comes from the Father. But you don't need
the church to make it happen.( see Judiasm 101 )
3. We believe that 'Restoration' is not accomplished
in a church, but in your heart and your mind. ( see Gnostic )
4. Where in scripture does it indicate that Jesus said,
he is the ONLY SON? Christ is the only 'begotten son', Jesus the man, is a different story.
5. Who said his real name was Jesus Christ?
Yes, There was a Jesus and there is a Christ.
How did they become one and the same? ( food for thought )
6. Who said Jesus was a Messiah? This term does not
mean 'savoir'.( Messiah means 'rightful King', 'Jesus' means 'King or Governor' )
7. Who ( except them ) say THEY were 'genuine'?
Genuine Christians wouldn't act like this. In
these pages, we will show you what we believe is truth
..and there is no charge for reading it..
This too my brothern, is how they operate;
"... those who habitually absent themselves from God's house and do
not make it clear that they love being around God's children, are very likely to be tares and not wheat".
This friends, is MIND CONTROL
and manipulation at it's highest level and their incoherant
ramblings, accusations of devil worship and
out and out lies don't even come close to the truth.
Did the man we know as Jesus preach the need for salvation?, or did he just say we must know God? We believe 'Salvation' is a 'buzz word' used by the 'controllers'. However John the Baptist did preach the need for forgivness of sins. Jesus never preached that anyone must be 'saved', other wise interpreted by them as 'Born Again'... But born again.. this, Jesus said we must do. This term has a very different meaning than that which Christian writers, ect., proclaim. He stressed that we must 'know' ourselves to know God. Within this site lies the true meaning.
This is what Jesus preached from the
steps of the Jerusalem Temple. It was given in the
early hours of the morning of the Tuesday
before passover, only three days before the crucifixion.
Jesus was the High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek. Standing in the place
reserved for him on the eastern steps of the Temple,
he spoke the following words;
You Shall not eat
If the Poor do not eat
You shall not have clothing
If the poor do not have clothing.
You shall not have an habitation
If the poor do not have an habitation.
You shall not have warmth or a fire in your grate
If the poor do not have warmth or a fire in theirs.
You shall not be cured of your illness
If the poor are not cured of theirs.
Jesus the man, called the 'High Priest' and 'The Master', IN SCRIPTURE, is no coincidence.
God is Knowledge and God is wisdom. This concept was echoed many centuries later by Vincent de Beauvais who claimed that 'Man can encompass his salvation by means of Knowledge', not by the dogma of Church doctrine, which are 'Rules' and a means of control made by men.
The members of Rex Deus, the inner circle of the Knights Templar and the Cathars had one major common strand uniting their religious beliefs - They were Gnostics. All three groups followed a initiatory pathway or 'WAY', leading to higher levels of consciousness, knowledge or wisdom. This sacred knowledge , or gnosis and THE PERSUIT of 'Sophia', or wisdom was the responsibility of the initiates of the higher degrees. The gaining of the degrees of enlightenment while being preserved secretly, was not for the advancement of the group or the benefit of any individual alone, it was to be treasured, enhanced and used for the benefit of society as a whole to bring about the creation of Heaven on Earth.
The point being, a history
lesson is not a statement of theology.
quote from...
Conscience and the Craft, by Jim Tresner, Ph.D., 33rd degree, Grand Master of Masons of the State of Oklahoma, 1991-1992,
Director of the Masonic Information Institute of America.
How can one preach truth when one is ignorant of it? This includes the so-called X-Masons for Jesus, who are the most uninformed of all. A True "Master" knows the man we call Jesus is never forgotten or ignored. They just don't understand why he is not mentioned as Buddah, Mohammed, ect. are also not mentioned in the Lodge. They also base the lies on books written by so-called Christians , who make this junk up as they go along. The lies are based on ignorance, formulated by those who refuse to educate themselves. Those who believe this trash will not be swayed, no matter what solid proof we present to discredit them, but for those of you who are 'free thinkers', not controlled by your 'church', there is truth and light in these pages. This light encompasses all religions. A true Christian would know this because we are all 'Children of God'.
The "All Seeing Eye" on
the Dollar bill:The eye in the pyramid (emblazoned on the dollar bill, no less) is often cited as "evidence" that sinister conspiracies abound which will impose a "New World Order" on an unsuspecting populace. Depending on whom you hear it from, the Masons are planning the takeover themselves, or are working in concert with European bankers, or are leading (or perhaps being led by) the Illuminati (whoever they are). The notion of a world-wide Masonic conspiracy would be laughable, if it weren't being repeated with such earnest gullibility by conspiracists like Pat Robertson.
The first "official" use and definition of the all-seeing eye as a Masonic symbol seems to have come in 1797 with The Freemasons Monitor of Thomas Smith Webb -- 14 years after Congress adopted the design for the seal. Here's how Webb explains the symbol.... see.. The Eye on the Pyramid
Continued on Definations
more..Masonic Beliefs and Practices
Information on the Tracing Board
Warning to Black Americans; Something that isn't real Prince Hall Masonry..
Bogus
If you are
considering becoming a Mason, please read this before you join any group that says
it is 'under surpreme jurisdiction'.
If you got here by searching for 'Masonic Rituals', we invite you to start at Hiram Abiff, King of Egypt, 1554 B.C., Our main Page
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