A ritual gone fatally wrong puts light on masonic secrecy. The local blue lodge is the place where you and your freemason neighbors begin your masonic careers. These masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. Lodge officers are part of a progressive line, which. Ritual and the masonic lodge ritual is the heart and soul of freemasonry. Masonic instruction imparted by the ritual, adding to. There are additional degrees, which vary with locality and jurisdiction, and are usually administered by their own bodies separate from those who administer the craft degrees.
Maine masonic text book masonic grand lodge of maine. The grand lodge of virginia does not publish their masonic ritual as it is against masonic law which can be found in our methodical digest. Freemason collection is ranked in the most visited websites top 10 in the major masonic online magazine pietrestone. The ritual is the cypher of abbreviations which constitutes the key to the. The secret teachings of the masonic lodge moody publishers. Three master masons is the requisite number to constitute a masters lodge, which is called by masons the sanctum sanctorum, or, holy of holies of king solomons temple. Each florida masonic lodge must have the following officers. It is the culmination of all that has been taught and revealed to you, the candidate, in the two preceding degrees.
Masonic orders fight severely to the publication of these texts. Masonic rituals for entered apprentice, fellowcraft and master. Long ago lodges of freemasons discovered the grave necessity of decorum. Exmasons for jesus is a fellowship organization of men and women who have left the masonic lodge and appendant bodies, such as the order of the eastern star, jobs daughters, the order of rainbow for girls. Secret masonic handshakes fellow craft degree second degree in the blue lodge sign of the fellow craft the sign of the fellow craft represents the positions of the hands when taking the oath of the fellow craft degree, my right hand on the holy bible, square, and compasses, my left. The blue lodge is the foundation of all freemasonry organizations. Fifteen points for masonic education grand lodge of iowa. Although three are all that is required by masonic law to open a third degree lodge, there are generally seven besides the tyler, as in the other degrees. These rituals are one of the secrets of freemasonry. The initiation rituals at the masonic lodge here had been bathed in secrecy over the years. This handbook is broken up into several sections, beginning with suggestions for the duties and. Drummond was originally published by the grand lodge of maine in 1877 for the purpose of assisting the.
Officers of a masonic lodge 27 masonic formation 27 the grand lodge of california 28 the california masonic code 29 annual communication 29 the grand master 30. The question then becomes, who determines what the ritual will consist of in each masonic lodge. The blue lodge, is the fundamental body of freemasonry. All the degrees conferred in the royal arch chapter and grand encampment of knights templarsknights of the red crossof the christian markand of the holy sepulcher.
Lodge of victoria unquestionably can be dated to the 18th. Drummond was originally published by the grand lodge of maine in 1877 for the purpose of assisting the lodges in. The ritual is bizarre and elaborate, and symbolizes the initiatesaid to be in spiritual darknesscoming to the masonic lodge for light. You will often hear jokes regarding freemason goat rituals in the initiation degree or entered apprentice degree otherwise known as the ea. In essence, the masonic lodge officer duties and masonic officer training structure, much like their counterparts in the business world, shoulder the lodge officer responsibilities which makes a lodge successful. Standard ahimon rezon and blue lodge guide by m redding. Written in the 19th century, duncans ritual, as it is known, has been republished numerous times. As a mason, you can earn degrees, join esoteric and social organizations, and become privy to the language and abbreviations specific to freemasonry. Words, and signs of blue lodge masonry pictou masons. Within the blue lodge are conferred the craft degrees. However, those of us who are active in the masonic. Thee, o lord god, to bless our present assembling, and to illuminate our minds, that we may walk in the light of thy countenance. This is achieved through the lessons portrayed in the. Mcclenachan, 33 revised and enlarged edition, macoy publishing and masonic.
Ritual is the glue that holds a lodge together and binds freemasons throughout the world. A blue lodge is a lodge of freemasons that confers the first three degrees. With his left hand upon the holy book of his choice, the initiate promises to keep the secrets of the lodge, and takes a blood. Masonic ritual is the scripted words and actions that are spoken or performed during the degree work in a masonic lodge. For the 21st century masonic officer tools for the 21st century mason volume 2.
The committee on work is the custodian of our beautiful ritual which must be preserved in a perpetual state of purity by constant supervision and schooling the grand lodge of virginia has believed since 1780 that a candidate must present. The climax of monday nights ceremony was to be a simple prank. In most masonic lodges, the bible, the quran, talmud, and vedas are prominently displayed, which gives each member a holy text to reference and utilize during rites and rituals. Three degrees are offered by craft or blue lodge freemasonry, and members of any of these degrees are known as freemasons or masons.
Masonic secrets revealed containing all the degrees of the order conferred in a masters lodge, as exposed by captain william morgan. Freemason books help freemasons acquire the light of knowledge that they seek. An indepth study of ritual words that are often memorized and spoken, but rarely fully understood. Webster and the grand lodge of north carolina formed a masonic music committee in 2016, consisting of seven masons experienced in music and ritual.
The code contains the masonic constitution, the bylaws governing grand lodge, the bylaws governing constituent lodges, and the penal code. As you grow and progress in the lodge, be mindful of what is ahead of you and what you have already experienced. For the 21st century masonic officer tools for the 21st century mason volume 2 james hatcher on. Itis what sets us apart from every other fraternal and charitablesocietyinexistence. Revised 052012 2 introduction welcome to the ranks of those master masons who are concerned about their lodges need.
As with any such collections of this nature on the internet, there is no telling how long these works or links will remain. Masonic ritual has appeared in a number of contexts within literature including in the man who would be king, by rudyard kipling, and war and peace, by. Within the fraternity of freemasonry, there are several rituals which are regularly performed. The symbolism of freemasonry is found throughout the masonic lodge, and contains many of the working tools of a medieval or renaissance stonemason.
Secret high degree rituals masonic rite memphis by j yarker. Containing instructions in all the degrees, from the third to the thirtythird, and last degree of the rite by charles t. It includes the three basic degrees of the ancient york rite, and four additional advanced. Secret sects of syria and the lebanon by b h springett. Freemasonry is described in its own ritual as a beautiful or peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Therefore, the proceedings should be held in a place that can be securely tiled, preferably the dining room of the lodge. Masonic symbolism is that which is used to illustrate the principles which freemasonry espouses. By this, i dont just mean getting the words wrong i mean ritual that is drab. Lodge officer duties masonic lodge officer duties and. However, the cerneau council did, and that may have ultimately. Without our beautiful ritual and the timehonored lessons it holds, our fraternity would be just another service club.
This electronic edition of carliles manual of freemasonry is based on a facsimile of an unspecified printing, issued by kessinger publishing in kila. I do assume that you have some kind of cypher book, with encoded ritual. Duncan 1866 this book presents details of masonic initiation rituals, along with grips, passwords and regalia. No other part of masonry is accessible until one has received the three degrees of the blue lodge. Masonic etiquette and instructions masonic grand lodge of.
Duncan 1866 contents start reading page index text zipped this book presents details of masonic initiation rituals, along with grips, passwords and regalia. It includes the ceremony of opening and closing lodges in the several preceding degrees. To inspire and reinvigorate the use of music in north carolina lodges, most worshipful grand master bryant d. It includes the three basic degrees of the ancient york rite, and four additional advanced degrees. This electronic edition of carliles manual of freemasonry is based on a. We, your committee on work, to whom was referred that part of the revision of taylors monitor by r.
You can join other masonic organizations to earn further degrees. The following exposures of masonic ritual are provided in a cooperative effort between exmasons for jesus and ephesians 5. Admission to membership in the lodge, as in any part of masonry, is by petition. This book presents details of masonic initiation rituals, along with grips, passwords and regalia. Many may remember my past work starting in the early 1990s and now i am going to once again try to spread masonic knowledge and general information on freemasonry and blue lodge information. The ceremony is a tiled lodge open on the entered apprentice degree using the ritual that follows. These masonic rituals are provided in the portable document format pdf. Ron blaisdell, pm june 16, 2001 preface those of us that spend a great deal of time traveling for our employers have become accustomed to spending many hours in hotel rooms in disparate locations of the country. Overview of freemasonry prepared by wanda alger, september 20 to become a mason, the initiate goes through the lue lodge which is 3 separate degrees of advancement. First, the entered apprentice degree, second, the fellow craft degree and finally, the master mason degree. Mcclenachan, 33 revised and enlarged edition, macoy.
The northern masonic jurisdiction never assumed control over the symbolic lodge degrees. See more ideas about masonic art, freemasonry and masonic symbols. Exmasons for jesus is a fellowship organization of men and women who have left the masonic lodge and appendant bodies, such as the order of the eastern star, jobs daughters, the order of rainbow for girls and the order of. While masonic lodges serve their communities, their most important. The masonic rituals we practise and expound today under the workings of the united grand. Maine masonic text book for use of lodges originally drummonds monitor sixteenth edition copyrighted 1923 maine printing exchange, inc. He is a member of the masonic brotherhood of the blue forgetmenot. Freemason books masonic books to read online, download. The committee on work is the custodian of our beautiful ritual which must be preserved in a perpetual state of purity by constant supervision and schooling.
History of masonic ritual dating back to the establishment of the united grand lodge of england 1n 18. The most worshipful grand lodge of free and accepted masons of. Rituals of american freemasonry the masonic trowel. Blue is the only color other than white which should be used in a masters lodge for decorations. Mark waks ourritualworkisthelifesbloodoffreemasonry. In the mean time, the canvas is slipped out of the lodge, and as the master commences to give or whisper the word in the candidates ear, some one of the brethren slips off the hoodwink, and this is the first time he has seen light, probably, in an hour. Solomons temple is a substantial part of the rituals and symbolism found within freemasonry. Below is an overview of what is commonly known as the blue lodge degrees. While masonic lodges serve their communities, their most important mission is to make good men better.
Tuesday, august 30, 2005 my masonic pedigree, while not particularly unusual, has resulted in many discussions with fellow masons concerning the origins of freemasonry and the reasons for variations in masonic ritual. Items for masonic lodge bulletins by g goodwin and f russel. Freemason collection is one of the rare websites rated three stars maximum on. The written masonic law of oregon may generally be said to be composed of the code, the ritual and the manual. Table lodge the ceremony of seven toasts a table lodge is part of the mysteries of our order. These masonic rituals are used for various purposes such as the installation of lodge officers, presentation of awards, funerals, and conferring the degrees of freemasonry. Digital masonic library onondaga and oswego masonic. Mark waks one of the problems that most often plagues masonry is poor ritual. While we cannot discuss the details of what members experience when joining a masonic lodge, we guarantee you that our masonic rituals are nothing frivolous or mischievous. Lodge officer training course study guide revised 2011 series i module i basic fundamentals lessons 1 through 7 organization masonic education committee. Freemasons are part of an ancient tradition with rituals and symbols all their own. Customer services be welcome to contact us, by email.
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