Letter of the month: November 2003

From: "Susan List-Purkey" <susan@midifactory.net>
To: <masonry-ask@mit.edu>
Subject: A Question
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 23:35:19 -0500

Greetings!

My father was a Mason and my mother wore his insignia ring as her wedding band. He has since passed away. She gave me her ring as a remembrance of their twenty five years of marriage.

Inside the band reads "VIRTUS JUNXIT MORS NON SEPARABIT." Can you give me the English translation to this inscription?

Thank you for any information you can give.

Sincerely,

Susan L-P

The ring is an emblem of the 14th Degree of the Scottish Rite. The translation of "Virtus Junxit Mors Non Separbit" is "What Virtue has joined, Death Cannot Separate."

The degrees of Scottish Rite Masonry (4th - 32nd) are a wide and elaborate commentary on the basic lessons of the primary three degrees of Craft ("blue-lodge") Masonry up to Master Mason. They have inspired many with the hopefulness and wisdom of their teachings.

• A description of Scottish Rite in the USA
• A summary of the Scottish Rite degrees