Article: 530 of alt.freemasonry Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news2.near.net!yale!zip.eecs.umich.edu!panix!ddsw1!godot.cc.duq.edu!news.duke.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!swiss.ans.net!nntp.sunbelt.net!udel!news.udel.edu!usenet From: CRANMER@brivs2.bartol.udel.edu (Steven Cranmer) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry Subject: Re: Question about degrees Date: 16 Aug 1994 14:33:06 GMT Organization: Bartol Research Institute Lines: 157 Distribution: world Message-ID: <32qin2$bv6@news.udel.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: brivs2.bartol.udel.edu X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24 Hello, "LAURENDEAU,ANNE,MS" writes... > Could any one tell me about the names of the 33 FM degrees. I know > about the first three but not the rest. Also to which category do the > reamining belong, i.e royal arch,.. Below, I'll append a list of the 33 Scottish Rite degrees, and the York Rite degrees as well. This list was posted originally in alt.magick a year or so ago, and compiled by Doug Pavey. But first, I'll append a sort of "mini-FAQ" I wrote (also on alt.magick) a while back which tries to put the various "higher degrees" in perspective. It's not very complete, and there are a few things that I would change if I were to write it today. Someday I may work it into a real FAQ, but there seem to be a few other FAQ-to-be documents floating around alt.freemasonry, and maybe I should leave it to the Masons. _____________________________________________________________________________ > Can any of you (via personal email) describe other "branch" orders of Masons, > such as the Shriners, the AASR, York rite, and RAM? I ask, because I'm > interested in finding out about the possibilities that are in Masonry for > more, esoteric studies. Also, what the heck are reasearch lodges? Well, I'm not a mason, but I'm beginning to develop an appreciation for their symbolism. I'm also thinking about writing a FAQ for questions about masonry, but from a decidedly non-masonic point of view. Some of the masons out there may disagree with this viewpoint, but I think there are plenty of net.people who are interested in the *ideas* expounded by freemasonry, and even their (well-published) "secrets," but aren't interested in ever joining the club. So anyway, on to the rites: "Standard" freemasonry consists of three degrees: (1) entered apprentice, (2) fellow craft, and (3) master mason. A lodge of only these degrees is called a "Blue Lodge," after the fact that the *real* lodge is the big, wide world in which we live, canopied over by the azure sky. It's also called a "Symbolic" Lodge. After one goes through these degrees, there are many ways to go. Many masons don't do anything more, but some decide to explore the mysteries further. The two "mainstream" ways to go, at least in this modern day and age, are the York Rite and the Scottish Rite (AASR). I have a file somewhere with the names of all the degrees (4th through 13th for the York Rite, and 4th through 33rd for the Scottish Rite), which I could post if anyone is interested. The symbolism gets more intertwined with Christian (Rosicrucian, etc.) and Jewish (Kabbalah, etc.) elements, and such schools as the Golden Dawn drew on these degrees heavily when constructing their rituals. The rites of Memphis and Misraim (originally two separate Rites) have fallen out of use, probably due to their length (90 and 95 degrees!), and possibly due to their Caligostro-inspired Egyptian flavor. If by RAM you mean Royal Arch Masonry, then this is a subset of the York Rite. Of the Shriners I know little, however. A "research lodge," as far as I can tell, is something that (probably only) master masons can join, and the discussion is on a more scholarly level than in the run- of-the-mill Lodge. The name "Quatour Coronati," with probably many spelling errors, comes to mind as the name of a prominent research lodge. Their journal/proceedings is interesting to read, though -- look for such names as S.L. Mathers, W.W. Westcott, and, in more recent times, Ellic Howe, in its pages. By the way, large masonic temples often have libraries that are open to the public. They are gold-mines for the esoteric researcher. Hmmm, I wonder if being female would hinder one from using these facilities. I sure as hell hope not. Anyway, I hope that this helps. ___________________________________________________________________________ Degrees of York Rite Freemasonry as practiced in North America Symbolic Rite / Blue Lodge governed by a Grand Lodge 01. Entered Apprentice 02. Fellow Craft 03. Master Mason Capitular Rite / Chapter of Royal Arch 04. Mark Master 05. Past Master 06. Most Excellent Master 07. Royal Arch Cryptic Rite / Council 08. Royal Master 09. Select Master 10. Super Excellent master Chivalric Rite / Commandry 11. Order of the Red Cross 12. Order of Malta 13. Knight Templar Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: Ancient Craft / Blue Lodge 01. Entered Apprentice 02. Fellow Craft 03. Master Mason Lodge of Perfection 04. Secret Master 05. Perfect Master 06. Inimate Secretary 07. Provost and Judge 08. Intendant of the Building 09. Master Elect of Nine 10. Master Elect of Fifteen 11. Sublime Master Elected 12. Grand Master Architect 13. Master of the Ninth Arch 14. Grand Elect Mason Council 15. Knight of the East or Sword 16. Princes of Jerusalem Chapter of Rose Croix 17. Knight of the East and West 18. Knight of Rose Croix Consistory 19. Grand Pontiff 20. Master ad Vitam (George Washington Degree) 21. Patriarch Noachite 22. Prince of Libanus 23. Chief of the Tabernacle (The four Chaplains) 24. Prince of the Tabernacle 25. Knight of the Brazen Serpent 26. Prince of Mercy (Abraham Lincoln Degree) 27. Commander of the Temple 28. Knight of the Sun 29. Knight of St Andrew 30. Grand Elect knight 31. Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander 32. Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret 33. Sovereign Grand Inspector General { special honor for outstanding . contribution to the fraternity . and to society in general } _____________________________________________________________________________