‘Better late than never: A&A Rite removes Christian requisite’

    

A&A Rite

Ending a 178-year tradition of reserving its high degrees to professed Trinitarian Christians, the Ancient & Accepted Rite for England and Wales eliminated that requirement earlier this month and announced so on Friday. (Its website doesn’t reflect the change yet.) This new rule will take effect March 1, 2024.

The Supreme Council empaneled an advisory committee comprised of a rabbi (Orthodox), a priest (Anglican), “and representatives of the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities” who “are satisfied that the ritual is appropriate and theologically sound,” according to a memo circulated to members. Changes to ritual are described as minor, such as referring to “Jesus of Nazareth” instead of “Jesus Christ our Saviour.” (This is the approach in the United States.)

“The Supreme Council has been considering the matter on and off decades,” it also says, adding how all nine members of Supreme Council are in unanimity on the decision.

The history of the Rite.

I suppose most American Freemasons think only of England transmitting Masonic degrees to America, but there are instances, such as the Scottish Rite and Cryptic Rite, of American Masons sending degrees the other way across the Atlantic. For the A&A Rite history, I cannot recommend strongly enough Rose-Croix: The History of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales by Alexander C.F. Jackson (1980).  In short, there were Scottish Rite authorities in America’s Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, led by J.J.J. Gourgas here in New York City, who received requests in 1845 for legitimate establishment of the thirty-three degrees from notable Masons in England. (One such letter, from the aptly named Robert Crucefix, was dated November 10, coincidentally enough.) The legal paperwork was settled quickly when the Americans issued that authority by the end of the year, making Crucefix a Sovereign Grand Inspector General—and they included a letter explaining how membership would be restricted to Christians. It was a discrete letter, not part of the official documents consisting of patents, statutes, rituals, etc.

If it was simple discrimination they desired to practice, I doubt that was even necessary. To be other than Christian in England at that time was to be nonexistent; Jewish people, for example, had nothing we Americans might term civil rights until 1858. But some Jewish men had been admitted to lodges in England since the 1730s, and the mid nineteenth century was a period when Freemasonry spread around the British Empire, resulting in men of a variety of other faiths—Muslims, Hindus, and more—being accepted into lodges.

In the United States, the Mother Supreme Council (Southern Jurisdiction) of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite had made the decision to end that religious divide in the nineteenth century (prompted by Albert Pike, if I’m not mistaken), and the NMJ followed in the 1940s. The English have referred to the American system as “theist” on account of our requirement plainly to believe in God. In its announcement Friday, the Supreme Council of the A&A Rite (being English, they don’t use “Scottish” in the name) says:

Click to enlarge.

“the Order’s current stance fails to reflect the Christian—and Masonic—need to be loving towards all and to treat one another with equity. To that end, the Council has come to the unanimous conclusion that the requirement to profess the Trinitarian Christian faith should no longer be a requisite of admission to this Order, which strives to be reflective of a modern, inclusive society. In the Council’s view, to remove the restriction is the Christian thing to do. There are many good people prevented from experiencing the Higher Degrees of Freemasonry, who would enjoy membership and who would be assets to our Order; there is no reason why they should not join if they wish, provided they are willing to strive to uphold the Christian ideals of faith, hope and charity exemplified by the life and teachings of Jesus, so beautifully represented in the 18°.”

The notion of religious distinction in the rite is rooted in its founding document, the fabled Grand Constitution of 1786, allegedly signed by none other than Frederick the Great, Article Five of which includes: “Each Supreme Council is to be composed of nine Inspectors General, at least Five of whom must profess the Christian religion.”

The Magpie Mason welcomes the A&A Rite for England and Wales into the twenty-first century. And I cannot help but appreciate the coincidence of its announcement coming at the moment adherents of a certain nazi ideology are swarming the streets of London, baying for the extermination of the Jewish people. Not much Freemasonry can do about that, sadly.

My thanks to Bro. David Chichinadze for the alert yesterday.

     

‘Feast of the Paschal Lamb’

     
New York City Chapter of Rose Croix, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, will host its Feast of the Paschal Lamb later this month.

Click to enlarge.

I’m going, if for no other reason than to hear Cliff speak.
     

‘Past MWM Night’

     

The flier says it all, so click on the graphic to enlarge, but I do want to say the dinner to be served at this event will be terrific. I have eaten in Bro. Thind’s restaurant and enjoyed every forkful, so, in addition to “the food that lasts for eternal life,” enjoy a great meal.
     

‘Rosicrucian Themes in the 17° and 18°’

     

The Passion Cross Banquet Table at the Feast of the Paschal Lamb
hosted by New York City Chapter of Rose Croix March 26 at Masonic Hall.

I had a great time last Thursday visiting the Scottish Rite Valley of New York City on the occasion of its Feast of the Paschal Lamb, the ecumenical memorial service for departed brethren that taps into Jewish and Christian traditions under the auspices of a Chapter of Rose Croix. It is one of the very few opportunities the public may witness a serious Masonic ritual, and the Scottish Rite Masons who brought that ceremony to life deserve to be commended—Most Wise Master Henry Colon in particular for ensuring a solemn and meaningful evening.

Along those lines, the Valley of New York City will host a four-body meeting (Lodge, Council, Chapter, and Consistory) next Tuesday at Masonic Hall when Ill. Piers Vaughan, 33° will present a lecture titled “Rosicrucian Themes in the 17° and 18°.” Masonic Hall is located at 71 West 23rd Street in Manhattan, and the brethren will be found on the 12th floor in the Gothic Room at 7:30. Piers a Past Most Wise Master of the Chapter of Rose Croix, and is 1st Lieutenant Commander of the Consistory, and of course is more than worthy and well qualified to discuss this topic thanks to his background in Rosicrucianism and other paths. Wish I could be there.

The Feast of the Paschal Lamb borrows from the lessons
of both Passover and Easter for a distinct Masonic experience.

     

‘Have a Rose Croix cigar’

     
Don’t ask me where one might buy a Rose Croix cigar, but evidently a limited number of the sticks were released late last year by Singularé. Made in Estelí, Nicaragua, it is a Nicaraguan puro measuring seven inches with a 46 ring. Basically a Churchill shape.

MSRP on single sticks is $12.85, and a box of 15 costs $192.75.

The reason for the cigar’s name is unknown. There’s hardly any publicity on the product, except for quick announcements in January about its release. With a name that lends itself to rich and historic symbolic illustration, one would think the packaging would display some pizzazz but, again, the brand is mute. Reviewing the cigar, halfwheel.com says:

Courtesy halfwheel.com

At first appearance, the Illusione Singularé 2013 Rose Croix doesn’t offer any over the top embellishments or visual traits that make it standout, but that is in fact what makes it such an appealing cigar. It is a gorgeous shade of brown: what I would describe as between a colorado rosado and colorado maduro, with a good bit of sheen and some toothiness. The veins are prominent and the roll isn’t perfectly smooth, allowing for a bit of give when squeezed while also showing the occasional firm spot. The band is the same one that has been used on previous Singularé releases, white and silver with a black EL on the backside indicating that it is a limited edition. The pre-light aroma coming off the foot is slightly sweet, with notes of cherry and a touch of cinnamon stick at first impression, with a bit of leather in the background. The cold draw on two of the cigars is much too easy and shows hardly any resistance, while the other two are much more dialed in. Both deliver notes of chocolate with just the slightest hint of pepper, and even a touch of mint was found.

The first puffs are smooth with a pinch of white pepper and allow for an easing into the Illusione Singularé 2013 Rose Croix, but it only takes a few more and both some sweetness and more pronounced pepper notes start developing and the cigar begins to show itself. The first retrohale has plenty of pepper but manages to remain enjoyable, though in measured amounts. The burn line starts to go a bit askew in the first inch, while smoke production is average at its lowest levels and picks up from there. Notes of leather and wood are subtle but present on the palate while the pepper notes tend to grab most of the attention—particularly in the nose—yet are far from overpowering, earning this cigar a mild-plus or medium-minus rating as far as strength in the early going. It is very clean and balanced, almost to the point of being refined beyond what most tobacco tends to deliver. The intensity of the flavors begins to back off in preparation for the second third, remaining present but subdued and drawing the senses into them as opposed to reaching out for them.

The Illusione Singularé 2013 Rose Croix mellows out quite noticeable at the beginning of the second third, which allows for a resting and clearing of the taste buds and olfactory receptors. The nose is the first thing reengaged by the cigar, with a fairly light note of warm wood wafting off the cigar as it rests, followed by a touch of sweetness on the tongue and an increasing creaminess. It’s just a bit doughy at first before returning with a more pronounced wood note and very gentle pepper, giving it a mild-medium body and strength. Past the midway point, there is an increased amount of pepper on the retrohale and is now much tougher to retrohale just the smallest amount of smoke. The smoke seems to add just a touch of thickness as it moves into the second half, while the burn line has gotten itself corrected and is burning much straighter and evenly.

Courtesy halfwheel.com

The final third proved to be the one with the most differing results. Among all four cigars, a very distinct but mild leather note starts to come out in the cigar’s aroma at the beginning of the final third, which starts to slowly morph into a chewy, chalky note that takes the burn line to the band. However, when it’s time to take the band of the Illusione Singularé 2013 Rose Croix off, things finish in a number of different directions. On the first cigar, a new note comes along that combines just the slightest bit of toasted wood with a thick, cherry sweetness that shows off a completely new side of the cigar. On another, it was just a touch sour and didn’t have any sweetness. Two cigars presented a much more vibrant wood note, almost sharp on the tongue that again hadn’t been found previously. The final third will either seal the deal that this cigar is a winner or leave you questioning its final approach, an unfortunate and unpredictable way end to what had been a fantastic cigar otherwise.

     

‘Storage Wars: Heredom’

  

Courtesy A&E

Ms. Jenny Grumbles, star of A&E’s Storage Wars: Texas series.

Cooped up inside the house again because of another crazy storm, this one dumping some snow on us—and with Phil Lesh performing down the street to boot—I reluctantly turn on the television, and find a new episode of the Storage Wars: Texas series. One of the bidders, the pretty blonde named Jenny, acquires a storage locker containing a number of items of Masonic interest.

Courtesy masoniccollection.co.uk

The locker catches her eye thanks to an inventory tag on the rear of a chest of drawers that reads MASONIC HOME. Not really knowing what that means, she quickly notices that this and the other pieces of furniture are of a quality that she believes she can sell at a profit. So she bids on, wins, and dubs it her Masonic locker. Going through the drawers looking for loot, she finds a 32° black cap which, of course, she immediately puts on. Then, out comes a Most Wise Master’s collar, with jewel, similar to those shown at right. Finally, and with some fanfare, she produces a jewel box, and opens it to reveal a gold ring with Masonic symbols all over it and a diamond too.

She visits Plano Lodge No. 768 and consults with two brethren who explain the significance of the regalia, and even offer approximate values. It is a funny segment with two older Masons rattling off Masonic jargon that only baffles the young lady even more. Asked about secrets, the two tell her the big secret in Masonry is that there are no secrets. (Don’t get me started.) The cap was put very optimistically at $50, if a buyer can be had. Then, using a copy of Jim Tresner’s Vested in Glory, they explain the purpose of distinct regalia for the Chapter of Rose Croix and its presiding officer. The Rose Croix regalia was valued at about $100, which isn’t too far from what is asked for such pieces on eBay. The ring, a Master Mason’s ring, with diamond, was said to be worth $1,100.

What these Storage Wars series never explain is how these lockers become available. I bet plenty of them are abandoned by individuals who do not pay their rents, but for sure others are auctioned off after the tenants die. I cannot help but wonder about the brother who rented this locker. I remember years ago reading about the Texas Masonic Home and School being closed after going bankrupt, which might be the source of the furniture. As I recall, the institution lost its money as an investor in Enron.
  

‘Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund’

  
As we say in Rose Croix, faith is, in part, “a modest and unassuming confidence that, if we are resolute, we shall overcome all difficulties in everyday life.” And of hope, that it is “the desire for a better life” that we await with patience as “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” And charity? It “means more—much more—than the giving of alms.”

And that is true, but this is the time for material contributions to help, aid, and assist brother Masons and their families.

MW Bro. James E. Sullivan, Grand Master of Masons of the Grand Lodge of New York, has issued a statement including the following urgent information:


If you are able to provide any amount of financial assistance for our Masonic members and families in need, please make your check or money order payable to the Masonic Brotherhood Fund and earmark your check for the Special Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

Your much appreciated donation to the Masonic Brotherhood Fund is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. All checks should be mailed (or delivered) to:

Grand Lodge of New York
71 W. 23rd St.
New York, NY 10010-4149
Attn: Special Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund

As you may or may not know, lower Manhattan is experiencing a rash of electrical power failures as well as the disruption of many fundamental services, such as mail delivery and public transportation. Bearing this thought in mind, we ask that you delay making requests and/or donations until the middle of next week to avoid being caught up in the confusion.


In addition and apart from this effort, Mariners Lodge No. 67 is collecting funds in a way that allows you to give immediately. Click here, and you’ll see how easy it is.

I have not seen a Grand Lodge of New Jersey initiative announced yet, but I’m sure it is being devised, or maybe I missed it, and I’ll add it here when I have it.

UPDATE: November 5 - Bro. Nick at the Millennial Freemason Blog announces an effort underway in Minnesota to bring much needed supplies to New Jersey.
  

‘Freedom is a light’

    

Facing Independence Hall is George Washington, standing in one of only five public squares

planned in William Penn’s 1682 survey of Philadelphia.

“Freedom is a Light for which many men have died in darkness” is the main inscription
on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington Square Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Today I’m just repeating a previous Memorial Day post, but with a different angle.

In everyday life, I think most people forget the meaning of patriotism, allowing that unifying virtue to be blended with what really is jingoism, or at best a “me too” moment, free of commitment or sacrifice.

As is often the case, the rituals of Scottish Rite Masonry help me make sense of such concepts. The Master of the Symbolic Lodge Degree (20º) in the A&ASR Southern Jurisdiction puts it succinctly:

“Patriotism, willing to sacrifice itself for the common good, even when neither thanks nor honor follow it; that asks not whether that which the country requires will or will not be popular, but does the right without regard to consequences. Let there be Light!”

As you know, this national holiday began as Decoration Day, the occasion to adorn the graves of the fallen of the U.S. Civil War. Decoration Day was established by General Order No. 11, issued by Gen. John Logan on May 5, 1868, who vowed: “If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.”

Again it is Scottish Rite that says it all. From the Chapter of Rose Croix: “So may the Light that never fails, the Love that never forgets, and the Life that never ends, illumine our world.”

SMIB.
    

‘Freedom is a Light’

    

Facing Independence Hall is George Washington, standing in one of only five public squares planned
in William Penn’s 1682 survey of Philadelphia.

“Freedom is a Light for which many men have died in darkness” is the main inscription
on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington Square Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Freemasonry in the United States is so interwoven with American history and patriotism that it baffles and even offends Masons from other countries. Lodges in America typically append to their opening ritual a salute to the U.S. flag, and while the salute is not truly part of the ritual, its proximity to the ritual’s conclusion creates the appearance of a seamless continuity. I suspect most Masons in America do not realize the salute is not part of the ceremony.

Few, if any, of us give it any thought, but Masons from other nations notice it. British brethren, if asked, happily would point out that their lodges are closed before, for instance, the queen is toasted at the festive board.

I’ll always remember one conversation over drinks very late one night during a recent Masonic Week, when this very subject was brought up. Was it not chauvinist or even jingoist to incorporate such flag waving into a Masonic ritual? It was Bro. Piers to the rescue, explaining that it is in fact the personal liberty represented by the flag that allows Masons to meet in their lodges, ergo a logical fit. (I paraphrase.)


“If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.”

          General Order No. 11, which established Decoration Day
          Gen. John Logan
          May 5, 1868


As we say in one of the Rose Croix rituals:

“So may the Light that never fails, the Love that never forgets, and the Life that never ends, illumine our world.”

SMIB.
  

‘A King in New York’

     
Thirty-two years ago, the Magpie Mason was the Magpie Elementary School Student, and I was lucky to have gone on a class trip to New York City to view treasures discovered in 1922 inside the tomb of King Tutankhamun. The exhibit left a big impression in my mind, and for many years I re-read the catalogue sold by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, trying to discern what message, if any, from a 3,300-year-old pharaoh might be of value today. I still do not know the answer to that, but Freemasonry has taught me, if nothing else, to observe symbols. So the iconic image of this pharaoh’s coffin, with enigmatic crook and flail, gained a new meaning for me as a Freemason.

Left: The Canopic Coffin of Tutankhamun was one of four miniature coffins that contained the young pharaoh’s internal organs – his heart and vitals, if you will. Tutankhamun, who died at age 18, ruled during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. Right: The 18° of the AASR is signified by a posture noticeably similar to the coffin’s design. (Watercolor of Knight Rose Croix courtesy of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.)

Last July, it was W. Bro. Tim Hogan of Enlightenment Lodge No. 198 in Colorado who showed me the connection. In a thread in the discussion forum of The Masonic Society, he explained how a sign used in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite very closely resembles the placement of hands shown in depictions of pharaohs, like the bejeweled, golden likenesses of King Tutankhamun.

The crook and flail are explained by Dr. I.E.S. Edwards (1909-96), former keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, who authored the catalogue Treasures of Tutankhamun (1976) that documented the Tutankhamun artifacts, the historic tour of which was organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He writes:

“Although the crook and the flail were most often represented as emblems of the god Osiris, they were also carried on some ceremonial occasions, besides the coronation, by the reigning pharaoh. Very occasionally the crook was held by viceroys of Nubia and also by viziers. A painted scene of tribute from Asia in the tomb of Tutankhamun’s viceroy of Nubia, Huy, shows the king holding both the crook and flail in his left hand and the sign for ‘life’ (ankh) in his right, while the viceroy holds a crook, but no flail, in his left hand and a single ostrich plume in his right. Only rarely is the flail shown in the hands of priests or officials and such instances are limited to scenes of royal jubilee festivals. Notwithstanding these sporadic exceptions, the crook and the flail were essentially Osirian emblems, though possibly not so in origin. Osiris is believed to have acquired them from Andjeti, the local god of a town in the Delta named Djedu, who was represented in human form with two feathers on his head and holding the crook and flail in his hands. At a very early date in Egyptian history Osiris absorbed Andjeti and adopted his insignia. Osiris, however, was regarded not only as a god, but also as a deified deceased king and consequently his insignia, particularly the crook and flail, were treated as symbols of royalty.

It is not difficult to imagine how a shepherd’s crook could have acquired the symbolical significance of rulership. Its name in Egyptian is heqat and the most common word for ‘ruler’ is heqa. Not unnaturally it has been compared with the crosier, the Christian pastoral staff. A flail (called nekhakha), however, seems out of character for a kindly and beneficent god like Osiris, and for this reason some authorities prefer to regard it as a ladanisterion, a flail-like instrument used until the present day by shepherds in the Mediterranean region and elsewhere for collecting ladanum, a gummy substance excreted from the leaves of the cistus plant. According to classical writers, it was used in the preparation of incense and unguents. This suggestion, proposed by the late Professor P.E. Newberry who helped in the clearance of Tutankhamun’s tomb, is plausible, but, as yet, there is no clear evidence that the cistus plant grew in Egypt in pharaonic times.”

For its part, the ritual motion affected during the 18° also has significance from symbolic shepherding in antiquity. It is defined in Isaiah: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.” (40:11, King James Version).

Anyway, I point this out now because Tutankhamun’s treasures will return to New York in April for a 36-week exhibition at Discovery Times Square Exposition. I plan to visit, and I recommend it to you too. In fact, discounts on tickets are available to groups, so organize your Chapter of Rose Croix and get over there. Tickets go on sale next month. The exhibit will close January 2, 2011.

Hanging in the Hall of Scottish Rite Regalia inside the House of the Temple in Washington are 36 oil paintings by Robert H. White, 32°. Shown here is 18th Degree: Knight of Rose Croix which depicts the apron, collar, and jewel of the degree. Read about its symbology here.