Category Archives: Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite

Two Serpents and a Cross

There is something odd here. In the Gaborria collection are two Misraim texts. One is said to be a 51th degree ritual, the other one has a bit of a vague description: “Le Chevalier du soleil. Prince Adepte. Grade philosophique composé par le bénédictin Don Pernetti. 28e de l’Ecossisme. 51e de Misraïm. 72e grade de la 8e série du Chap… Métr… de Fr…”. In short, a 28th Scottish degree, a 51th Misraim degree and also a 72nd degree in the Metropolitan Chapter. It is -indeed- the 72nd ‘degree’ in the collection of 81 that was compressed to the seven degrees of the French Rite.

When you look at both tracing boards, it seems that we are not looking at two serpents on a cross (or Caduceus), as the snakes appear to ‘stand up (somewhat) straight’.

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Cedar

The Tall Cedars of Lebanon International is a side degree of Freemasonry in certain Grand Jurisdictions, open to Master Masons in good standing in a regular Masonic Lodge. Its motto, “Fun, Frolic, & Fellowship,” is indicative of this social bent. Its members are distinguished by the pyramid-shaped hats they wear at their functions. The name is derived from the cedars of Lebanon that King Solomon used to build his Temple. (Wikipedia)

Of course cedars also refer to the trees that were gifted to build the Temple of King Solomon. Here we see them on a 22nd degree AASR tracing board.

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Kitchen Ladder

Typical symbol of the 30th degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The rungs on the left are listed with the liberal arts. This image from Charles McClenechan has Hebrew with the rungs on the right. There is an old French “Chevalier Cadocks” ritual (pre 1780) which has a variation of the ladder (just a ladder, not a double one). The Hebrew is here spelled in Latin script. Even though the first two words are the names of two Sephiroth of the Kabbalistic tree, the other words are not.

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Bridge with Letters L.D.P.

The three letters, which are on the Bridge, signify that all obstacles are destroyed, & liberty of passage (“liberté de passer”)

This scene is described in the degree “Chevalier d’Orient” (‘Knight of the East’), the 13th degree in the system of Mirecourt.

Sometimes there are different letters on the bridge, such as “Y.H.” which would stand for Yaveron-Ha-mayim with the same meaning.

On the bridge are the twelve apostles. The bridge goes over the River of Sorrow (Starbuzanai).

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Hand with Sword, Hand with Trowel

When Sanabal Hierusalem distrest,
With sharp assaultes, in Nehemias tyme,
To warre, and worke, the Jews them selves addrest
And did repaire theire walls, with stone, and lime:
One hand the swode, against the foe did shake,
The other hand, the trowel, up did take.

The image and text are from Choices of Emblemes (1586) of Geffrey Whitney (1548?-1601?). Belton and Dachez make quite something of this “Sanabal theme”. In his famous oration, Chevalier Ramsay referred to knights who rebuilt King Solomon’s Temple with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. That theme would later appear in early French ‘high degrees’, most notably the “Chevalier d’Orient”, or “Knight of the East” that is still part of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The text also seems to be used in the Royal Arch.

Choices of Emblemes (1586) of Geffrey Whitney (1548?-1601?)

Triangles in Triangle

Tracing board of the 26th degree in a Dutch book about the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The 10 triangles in the middle remind of the Tetraktys. I also have a contemporary French tracing board for the 26th degree of the AASR which is almost identical. The human figure (fourth row, right) is obviously Hermes in that image.

In 2012 antiquarian Hondtong republished the collection of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite as they were presented to Prince Frederik in 1817.

Table

Combination of symbols sometimes as part of the 19th degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (Dutch), sometimes of the 21th (1894 Vermont).

Also the 22nd degree of the same Dutch book has this table with geometrical instruments. On a contemporary French 22nd degree tracing board there is just the table as in the image above.

The Book Of The Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite (1884) Charles McClenachan