Category Archives: historical degrees

Vesica Piscis

A complex geometrical patron, sometimes known as “Vesica Piscis”. In its simplest form, the Vesica Piscis is the overlap of two circles. Here many more circles have been drawn and words have been placed in the sections. The text is not easy to read, but they appear to be vices, both good and bad. The image comes from the “Grand Architecte” degree, the 24th in the French 1780’ies collection of degrees that were compressed to the French Rite.

Snake

There are several snakes and serpents on this website, but usually in combination with something else. Around an egg, around a globe, in a pelicans beak, around a cross, in a tree, with three pots. Or two around a cross. Also a brazen serpent. Then we have have a three headed snake and a coiled snake. All on its own, we find a snake on the tracing board of the historical, French degree of “Les Antipodiens”, the 60th degree in the collection of 81 degrees that were compressed to the French Rite. The text of the ritual says about the snake (in Microsoft translation):

The serpent signifies vice punished and trampled underfoot

Gun

The 1780’ies French collection of 81 degrees that were condensed to the French Rite, contains a short text (degree) called “Les Antipodiens”. An “Antipodian” is someone from New Zealand or Australia (walking upside down from the European point of view). The degree comes with an image that includes a bow and arrows and a gun.

An arrow, a bow, a gun, to defend them [the master and two surveyors] during their work.

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Dress

When I first saw this image, my thought was: laundry. A shirt above a tub. The image below comes with the short ritual of “Les Antipodiens”, the 60th degree in the French 1780 collection of 81 degrees which were condensed to the French Rite. An “Antipodian” is someone who comes from New Zealand or Australia. The French text actually explains the image (Microsoft translation):

The dress hanging in a basin signifies purity and innocence.

Left of the dress it says: “probitas” (‘virtue’).

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J.J.J.

Even though they are somewhat hidden on this old, French tracing board, the triple-J are mentioned in the name of the degree: “Ecossais Parisien où Ecossais Trinaire, dit les trois J.J.J. où Maitre Ecossais”, or ‘Parisian Scot or Scots Trinary, known as the three J.J.J. or Scots Master’.

According to Mackey the triple J. are not only mentioned in the 32rd degree of the French collection of 81 degrees that were compressed to the Rite Moderne, but also in the 19th degree of Memphis Misraim. The characters refer to “the mutials of Jourdain, Jaho, Jachin”.

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Magic

The book Maçonnerie des Hommes (1766) is a fairly common, handwritten, French collection of degrees. What caught my attention were the beautiful colour plates. Then suddenly there is a degree (?) with what looks like seals that we know from Solomonic magic.

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.

Tower

This image comes from the French book Liber Mutus Latomorum which seems to contain historical degrees. This tower has no ladder and neither appears to be the tower of Babel.

Les Plus Secret Mysteres (1820) speaks of: “The Tower where the murderers of Hiram are locked up”. Judging the three guys above, this might well be the explanation of the image above as well.

More about the book here.

Wolf head Dagger

In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees. The image above comes from a page with what seem to be (officers) jewels, see below.

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G on many Triangles

In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees. The image above comes from a page with what seem to be (officers) jewels, see below.

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Mountain

In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees.

Here we have one section of a plate (see below). Do the first two rows show emblems of officers? The third row general Masonic symbols (perhaps referring to the first three degrees)? And the bottom row? If the image on the bottom right is the Master’s drawing board does the mountain refer to the second degree and the mountain to the first? Do all images refer to different degrees?

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Unknown

In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees.

Here we have one section of a plate (see below). Do the first two rows show emblems of officers? The third row general Masonic symbols (perhaps referring to the first three degrees)? And the bottom row? If the image on the bottom right is the Master’s drawing board does the thing in the middle refer to the second degree and the mountain to the first? Do all images refer to different degrees?

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Bleeding Dagger

In the fascinating, French publication, supposedly originally from 1765, called Mutus Liber Latomorum we find about 30 beautiful colour plates with often uncommon Masonic symbols. There is a suggestion that they refer to historical (proto Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite?) degrees. The image above is early in the book, so it refers to a low/early degree? Simply the 3rd “craft” degree?

More about the book here.