Tag Archives: utensil

Truth

Truth is a Divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue. To be good and true is the first lesson we are taught in Masonry.On this theme we contemplate,and by its dictates endeavor to regulate our conduct. Hence, while influenced by this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among us, sincerity and plain dealing distinguish us,and the heart and tongue join in promoting each other’s welfare, and rejoicing in each other’s prosperity.

Webb’s Monitor, Morris’s Edition, 1872

Scales with Crossed Swords

Ravignat displays the image below in his translation of the “61th degree: Chevalier d’Orient – Knight of the East – Tschoudy and Bédarride”. Other images he uses, can also be found in the Fonds Gaborria, but there in the text of the 47th degree (also “Chevalier d’Orient”). The front with the lamb is in Gaborria, the backside is not. Ravignat appears to connect the scales with crossed swords with the 61th degree of Memphis Misraim.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

Extinguished Light

If the text hadn’t explained it, I wouldn’t have recognised it, but this is an “extinguished light” of which Cooper Connor says:

The extinguishment of light was the ancient symbol of the direst punishment for crime. Ezekiel xxxii: 7, says: “And when I shall put thee out (extinguish), I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark.” How forcibly is this thought brought to the mind of the neophyte in this ceremonial.

Shibboleth Templar Monitor by George Cooper Connor (1894)

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. This image appears to belong in the section about the degree(s): “Vrai Ecossais d’Allemagne, Chevalier de l’Aigle Noir ou Philosophe Inconnu”, or ‘Real Scot from Germany, Knight of the Black Eagle or Unknown Philosopher’.

Maçonnerie des Hommes (1766) Kl.MS:XXXIV Vol. VI

Chair

This complex tracing board of the degree of “Chevalier Prince d’Orient ou Chevalier del’epée” in the Kloss collection has more elements that I could cut out, but what’s with all these chairs?

I have a 1780’ies ritual of the degree. I can’t find anything that explains the chairs. The degree appears to be a forerunner of the 15th degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite which is sometimes called “Knight of the East and the Sword” (or “Dagger”). In French the title of the degree is similar to that of the historical degree that I took the image from. The AASR degree also offers no explanation of the chair. Interestingly, in an old Dutch version of the degree, some elements are described that can be found on the old tracing board such as a rectangular Holy Temple, the Ark of the Covenant, an arm holding a trowel in the South and one holding a sword in the North (below the towel is in the North and the dagger or sword in the South) and the river.

In the Baylot collection there is a degree called “Chevalier d’Orient et d’Occident, Princes Jerusalem” and this text mentions “22 little thrones”, one of which is for the candidate. This degree also speaks about a “council” and the brothers are called “Worshipful Elders”.

Also compare the stools on the image in Les Plus Secret Mysteres (1820). See for example here.

Continue reading →

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