Freemasonry is filled with Degrees beyond those of the Craft. The Degrees of the Scottish Rite, The Degrees (and Orders) that compose the York Rite, ‘Side Degrees’ ranging from fun to serious, more Degrees than probably anyone can easily list.
I think that results in an obvious question, but a question that I seldom, if ever hear asked.
Has the development of ‘High Degrees’ been good for Freemasonry, or harmful to it?
Let’s chat about it…
The Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference is taking place in Seattle this upcoming weekend, and it looks to be superb again this year. Tickets are still available at:
Andrew Hammer, in “Observing the Craft,” argues rather sternly that side degrees detract and distract from the Craft.
I don’t think he means his way is the One True Craft. He doesn’t say Thou Shalt Not
His argument is more this.
If you’re an artist, why explore abstract or avant garde styles before you’re competent with composition and color? If you’re a martial artist, why explore fancy pants techniques when you haven’t grasped what the basics are trying to teach you?
Why chase shiny baubles over there when you have real treasures in your hands?
(I’m not necessarily agreeing with his arguments but I do think they’re worth wrestling with).
If you wish to join the Concordant bodies (York Rite and/or Scottish Rite,) be sure to be totally familiar with the Blue Lodge first. Do the studies. Take your time. If you’ve only been a Master Mason for a year or two, that’s way too soon.
If you join them too quickly, the ritual won’t make as much sense. I was a Master Mason for 13 years when I joined the Royal Arch, and I remember as I received the degrees that there were several “Aha!” moments during the ritual. It really worked well, filling in the gaps and answering questions about the Master Mason degree that only someone who was fully familiar with the degree would have understood. I joined the Scottish Rite only 4 years after my MM degree, and the degrees were super-cool, but at the end of that day, it felt like I woke up from a weird dream after eating too much summer sausage for dinner the evening before. They made more sense only after watching some of them years after I received them.
I agree with this view that it is best to wait to receive further Degrees until one has a good understanding of the lessons of the Craft Lodge. I joined the Scottish Rite perhaps five years after becoming a Master Mason, but was only truly active for a couple of years. I hope to change that now.
I did not join either the York Rite or the Shrine until I was Grand Master. I've not been active yet in either, but perhaps that will change now that I'm out of the East.
I'm not a 'Blue Lodge Fundamentalist' as I've noticed one prominent Mason has taken to calling himself, but I'm fairly close. I've seen far too many cases where men spread themselves far too thin to actually be effective in any Masonic organization.
Master of the Craft Lodge, some office or another in the OES, an office in one or all of the York Rite bodies, all while serving in a Scottish Rite position, and working in a Shrine Club. That man will likely burn out, likely piss off his wife, and not have enough focus on any given organization to make a positive contribution to any of them.
Unfortunately we sometimes see this in our Lodges as well. A man holding membership in multiple Lodges, and officer positions in multiple Lodges. I've never seen that working out well.
I think that if we want to lead our Lodge, our Masonic energy and effort needs to be laser focused on leading that Lodge. That focus is the only way we will truly be able to make a lasting impact. After that, when that is done, that is the time for Hauts Grades in my opinion.
Correct on the over-extending. When I joined the Royal Arch, I was just entering my second term as Worshipful Master of Tenino Lodge, and while my focus was presiding over that Lodge, I was prepping for new adventures in this concordant body when I realized its importance in how it links with the Master Mason degree. At that point in time, I was figuring I was going to be a side-liner in my Lodge for the medium to long-range future after my term as Worshipful Master, as there was a good line of officers behind me. A month later, I was asked by the Deputy Grand Master to be his District Deputy. I accepted, and my focuses changed a little. The Deputy position bumped ahead of the York Rite, and I did not take the Commandry Orders. After my term as Deputy ended, I wound up becoming the Secretary of the York Rite bodies I did join, with the acknowledgement that the Commandry also needed a Recorder. This prevented me from joining the Commandry even later, as I didn’t want to become the Secretary of yet another Masonic organization (I was also Secretary of Tenino Lodge by that time.) As my Grand Lodge duties increased, I have had to spend less time focused on the York Rite. I also surrendered my Secretary positions as well as a Committee position in the Grand Lodge. There’s only so much a Mason can do without losing focus on everything. And I could not only tell, I could Feel it. Finding replacements for those positions lifted burdens that were modest in themselves, but heavy in summation. I loved being in that previous committee, and I did enjoy being Secretary of Tenino Lodge, but you have to make choices. You can’t do it all.
Side degrees are ok, if the brother isn't finding what he's seeking out of his blue lodge. I belong to the SR, but I haven't attended a meeting in years, as they had conflicted with my blue lodge activities, and I valued my blue lodge experience over attending SR events.
But the SR has it's own issues, at least in my point of view. I think it's too hung up on fund raising for it's own charity that it's just a different version of the Shriners. I think they have also fallen into the same trap that the blue lodges have, that the rituals and degrees are all that matter education wise inside lodge. Everything else seems to be about raising money. I could be mistaken, it's been a long time since I attended a meeting. It's true that they have educational programs outside of the lodge, such as the Master Craftsman program.
Fun degrees are just that, fun degrees, also geared towards raising money for lodges. Nothing wrong with that and isn't conflicting with a blue lodge's duties to it's members. I've attended a number of different ones, and they are all entertaining in their own ways. Some more than others.
I agree with your view about fun side Degrees. They are great fundraisers, and done well, superb advertising for the Lodge that holds them to other Masons.
I've not attended the Pirate Degree in your area, but I have attended a number of others through the years. They are all quite unique and interesting in their own way. I will say though, that the Cowboy Degree put on by Naches Lodge in downtown Naches WA is the only one that fully embraced my irrational love for Copenhagen tobacco, so it's got to rise to the top for me.
I for one, can’t imagine why some never move beyond the blue lodge. I’ve enjoyed learning the path of Freemasonry and its rich histories. I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by a well informed and very intelligent brother when I began Free-Masonry. He has passed away since, but just to emphasize what an important man he was, the lodge devoted the its name after him (Marvin A. Armstrong Lodge #187). Some of the conversations we had intrigued me to look beyond the surface and investigate what's going on in and around the degree work. Some things aren’t what they appear, but reveals itself through the higher degrees and of course contemplation.
Most who have been through York right, notice right away there is no linear story line, as it circles back like one looking for misplaced keys. To me this indicates life if not linear, but circumambulates a journey within, searching for its meanings. In the Blue Lodge a candidate is in search of the word, but does not yet find it - but is given a substitute word - while learning gnosis from the ancients along the way. The search continues through York Rite and ties in with the order of Rosicrucians.
For anyone looking for recommended books that point to things around the degree work I would mention Kebra Negast (emphasis with the legacy of Solomon), History of the Dionysian Artificers, written by Hippolyto Joseph da Costa (emphasis on Hiram who designed the Temple, and the Phoenicians).
For further history to the degrees of Masonry, I would highly recommend the works of Martinez de Pasqually, Louis-Claude de Saint Martin, and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz. These guys implemented degrees into Masonry which were given permission by Prince Charles Edward Stuart. The higher degrees were influenced by Cabbala, Hermetic and Gnosticism; called the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priest of the Universe, or simply Elect Priests. The doctrine embodied a particular view concerning the Fall of Man and of all animated things belonging to the material order; it looked for the restoration of all, and on man as the divinely appointed agent of that great work to come. The High Priest were listed as from the bloodline of Seth which are said to include Melchizedek, Abraham, Elias, Enoch, Hiram Abiff, Jesus Christ, and at last, a nom de plume, “Christian Rosencrantz”. -Martinez de Pasqually, Treatise on the Reintegration of Beings, 1775
The allegorical description by alchemist and Rosicrucian; Daniel Mogling, is the implication of the Masonic ritual of Hiram Abiff; the Temple is the universe, its adepts are the wise men of all ages, its disciplines, those who practice the seven virtues. Life is therefore the school of the Holy Ghost. All sincere truth seekers are searching for the House of Universal Wisdom, and those who discover the true meaning of the “great work” become pillars of the Everlasting House and “go no more out.”
Lastly, if you get to the studies of Rosicrucian and the New Atlantis (America), about the time Speculative Masonry began, you may want to check out Francis Bacon (Elias Artista).
>>>I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by a well informed and very intelligent brother >>>when I began Free-Masonry. He has passed away since, but just to emphasize what an >>>important man he was, the lodge devoted the its name after him (Marvin A. Armstrong Lodge >>>#187).
I had an extremely similar experience. He wasn't my official mentor because my home Lodge wasn't his, but he was a constant visitor from a neighboring Lodge, and he worked to help teach me as I went through the Degrees. He was one of the 'ruffians' in my MM Degree, and I've never forgotten how surprised I was at his physical strength when he took hold of me, given his extreme age. He encouraged me to take a plural membership with his home Lodge, and arranged for me to be appointed to my first Masonic office within it. The last time I saw him was when he traveled across the state to the Lodge in the city I had moved to, in order to take a part in my installation as Worshipful Master.
Like Brother Armstrong, after he passed, the Lodge named itself after this man too.
Karl E. Warren Masonic Rail Road Lodge at Skykomish No. 259.
My journey was to mirror image what my Father did…
Blue Lodge, SR and the Shrine.
I did all three.
After (10) years I have concentrated on Blue Lodge and in mentoring (12) Men, emphasized during our months together contributing to Making Men better FIRST and reminding them of our 8-8-8 of time and filling in on outside activities to supplement their own education to make them stronger mentors.
If you do it right, Blue Lodge should remain a commitment.
After being exalted in the Spring of 2009, I keep telling Masons that the Royal Arch degree is needed as an important option for Master Masons who are seeking more knowledge in Freemasonry. It’s a key degree, and one that goes back as far as the Blue Lodge degrees.
There are some who think that all the concordant bodies should go away, and only the 3 degrees of Craft Masonry should remain as regular. Almost all of these Brothers aren’t members of anything but the Blue Lodge. And when a newer Master Mason who’s spent a few years learning more about the Master Mason degree comes to his local Lodge and asks where he could receive the Royal Arch degrees, and the Lodge Brothers tell him he doesn’t need it, that the Blue Lodge degrees are all he needs, they stand the risk of losing that Brother either to another Lodge that will tell him otherwise, or lose him altogether.
Has the development of ‘High Degrees’ been good for Freemasonry, or harmful to it? Yes & Yes! Different Strokes for different Folks! Can a 5 watt light bulb handle a Kilo watt charge? No! Can a Kilo watt bulb handle a 5 watt charge? Yes! It depends on the individual… With my very limited knowledge and experience in Masonry, I can subjectively share that many Brothers get placed or elected into Lodge positions, Temple boards and other Masonic boards and organizations and are not qualified to hold those positions. That especially and foremost includes me, in most instances.
It is my understanding that WA GL is under the York Rite Jurisdiction, Please correct me if I am in error. In my experience of being a York Rite Mason, a Brother Mason has to be recommended and investigated before he is invited to join the so called higher degrees, Orders or Colleges. Lately I have become more curious about the SR and thinking about learning what I have to do to join?
I agree with what Brother Clayton stated. Anyone that promotes (forces) their personal belief system on anyone does not understand Masonry. Brother Warren’s comments are deep and rich with Sofia. It is my personal belief that anytime any Masonic organization focuses most of it’s time on raising money more than studying and living Masonry, is headed away from Masonry.
It is my belief that Masonry is like the Horn of Plenty, a symbol of abundance and nourishment. You get to choose what and how much to consume or avoid.
>>>It is my belief that Masonry is like the Horn of Plenty, a symbol of abundance and nourishment. >>>You get to choose what and how much to consume or avoid.
This is an interesting perspective on the question. Thank you for providing it!
As for the Scottish Rite, being elected to receive the Degrees is not difficult. I'd be pleased to take you with me to Kelso SR so that you can meet the men there and decide if it is right for you.
Andrew Hammer, in “Observing the Craft,” argues rather sternly that side degrees detract and distract from the Craft.
I don’t think he means his way is the One True Craft. He doesn’t say Thou Shalt Not
His argument is more this.
If you’re an artist, why explore abstract or avant garde styles before you’re competent with composition and color? If you’re a martial artist, why explore fancy pants techniques when you haven’t grasped what the basics are trying to teach you?
Why chase shiny baubles over there when you have real treasures in your hands?
(I’m not necessarily agreeing with his arguments but I do think they’re worth wrestling with).
Agreed.
If you wish to join the Concordant bodies (York Rite and/or Scottish Rite,) be sure to be totally familiar with the Blue Lodge first. Do the studies. Take your time. If you’ve only been a Master Mason for a year or two, that’s way too soon.
If you join them too quickly, the ritual won’t make as much sense. I was a Master Mason for 13 years when I joined the Royal Arch, and I remember as I received the degrees that there were several “Aha!” moments during the ritual. It really worked well, filling in the gaps and answering questions about the Master Mason degree that only someone who was fully familiar with the degree would have understood. I joined the Scottish Rite only 4 years after my MM degree, and the degrees were super-cool, but at the end of that day, it felt like I woke up from a weird dream after eating too much summer sausage for dinner the evening before. They made more sense only after watching some of them years after I received them.
I agree with this view that it is best to wait to receive further Degrees until one has a good understanding of the lessons of the Craft Lodge. I joined the Scottish Rite perhaps five years after becoming a Master Mason, but was only truly active for a couple of years. I hope to change that now.
I did not join either the York Rite or the Shrine until I was Grand Master. I've not been active yet in either, but perhaps that will change now that I'm out of the East.
I'm not a 'Blue Lodge Fundamentalist' as I've noticed one prominent Mason has taken to calling himself, but I'm fairly close. I've seen far too many cases where men spread themselves far too thin to actually be effective in any Masonic organization.
Master of the Craft Lodge, some office or another in the OES, an office in one or all of the York Rite bodies, all while serving in a Scottish Rite position, and working in a Shrine Club. That man will likely burn out, likely piss off his wife, and not have enough focus on any given organization to make a positive contribution to any of them.
Unfortunately we sometimes see this in our Lodges as well. A man holding membership in multiple Lodges, and officer positions in multiple Lodges. I've never seen that working out well.
I think that if we want to lead our Lodge, our Masonic energy and effort needs to be laser focused on leading that Lodge. That focus is the only way we will truly be able to make a lasting impact. After that, when that is done, that is the time for Hauts Grades in my opinion.
Correct on the over-extending. When I joined the Royal Arch, I was just entering my second term as Worshipful Master of Tenino Lodge, and while my focus was presiding over that Lodge, I was prepping for new adventures in this concordant body when I realized its importance in how it links with the Master Mason degree. At that point in time, I was figuring I was going to be a side-liner in my Lodge for the medium to long-range future after my term as Worshipful Master, as there was a good line of officers behind me. A month later, I was asked by the Deputy Grand Master to be his District Deputy. I accepted, and my focuses changed a little. The Deputy position bumped ahead of the York Rite, and I did not take the Commandry Orders. After my term as Deputy ended, I wound up becoming the Secretary of the York Rite bodies I did join, with the acknowledgement that the Commandry also needed a Recorder. This prevented me from joining the Commandry even later, as I didn’t want to become the Secretary of yet another Masonic organization (I was also Secretary of Tenino Lodge by that time.) As my Grand Lodge duties increased, I have had to spend less time focused on the York Rite. I also surrendered my Secretary positions as well as a Committee position in the Grand Lodge. There’s only so much a Mason can do without losing focus on everything. And I could not only tell, I could Feel it. Finding replacements for those positions lifted burdens that were modest in themselves, but heavy in summation. I loved being in that previous committee, and I did enjoy being Secretary of Tenino Lodge, but you have to make choices. You can’t do it all.
Side degrees are ok, if the brother isn't finding what he's seeking out of his blue lodge. I belong to the SR, but I haven't attended a meeting in years, as they had conflicted with my blue lodge activities, and I valued my blue lodge experience over attending SR events.
But the SR has it's own issues, at least in my point of view. I think it's too hung up on fund raising for it's own charity that it's just a different version of the Shriners. I think they have also fallen into the same trap that the blue lodges have, that the rituals and degrees are all that matter education wise inside lodge. Everything else seems to be about raising money. I could be mistaken, it's been a long time since I attended a meeting. It's true that they have educational programs outside of the lodge, such as the Master Craftsman program.
Fun degrees are just that, fun degrees, also geared towards raising money for lodges. Nothing wrong with that and isn't conflicting with a blue lodge's duties to it's members. I've attended a number of different ones, and they are all entertaining in their own ways. Some more than others.
I agree with your view about fun side Degrees. They are great fundraisers, and done well, superb advertising for the Lodge that holds them to other Masons.
I've not attended the Pirate Degree in your area, but I have attended a number of others through the years. They are all quite unique and interesting in their own way. I will say though, that the Cowboy Degree put on by Naches Lodge in downtown Naches WA is the only one that fully embraced my irrational love for Copenhagen tobacco, so it's got to rise to the top for me.
I for one, can’t imagine why some never move beyond the blue lodge. I’ve enjoyed learning the path of Freemasonry and its rich histories. I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by a well informed and very intelligent brother when I began Free-Masonry. He has passed away since, but just to emphasize what an important man he was, the lodge devoted the its name after him (Marvin A. Armstrong Lodge #187). Some of the conversations we had intrigued me to look beyond the surface and investigate what's going on in and around the degree work. Some things aren’t what they appear, but reveals itself through the higher degrees and of course contemplation.
Most who have been through York right, notice right away there is no linear story line, as it circles back like one looking for misplaced keys. To me this indicates life if not linear, but circumambulates a journey within, searching for its meanings. In the Blue Lodge a candidate is in search of the word, but does not yet find it - but is given a substitute word - while learning gnosis from the ancients along the way. The search continues through York Rite and ties in with the order of Rosicrucians.
For anyone looking for recommended books that point to things around the degree work I would mention Kebra Negast (emphasis with the legacy of Solomon), History of the Dionysian Artificers, written by Hippolyto Joseph da Costa (emphasis on Hiram who designed the Temple, and the Phoenicians).
For further history to the degrees of Masonry, I would highly recommend the works of Martinez de Pasqually, Louis-Claude de Saint Martin, and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz. These guys implemented degrees into Masonry which were given permission by Prince Charles Edward Stuart. The higher degrees were influenced by Cabbala, Hermetic and Gnosticism; called the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priest of the Universe, or simply Elect Priests. The doctrine embodied a particular view concerning the Fall of Man and of all animated things belonging to the material order; it looked for the restoration of all, and on man as the divinely appointed agent of that great work to come. The High Priest were listed as from the bloodline of Seth which are said to include Melchizedek, Abraham, Elias, Enoch, Hiram Abiff, Jesus Christ, and at last, a nom de plume, “Christian Rosencrantz”. -Martinez de Pasqually, Treatise on the Reintegration of Beings, 1775
The allegorical description by alchemist and Rosicrucian; Daniel Mogling, is the implication of the Masonic ritual of Hiram Abiff; the Temple is the universe, its adepts are the wise men of all ages, its disciplines, those who practice the seven virtues. Life is therefore the school of the Holy Ghost. All sincere truth seekers are searching for the House of Universal Wisdom, and those who discover the true meaning of the “great work” become pillars of the Everlasting House and “go no more out.”
Lastly, if you get to the studies of Rosicrucian and the New Atlantis (America), about the time Speculative Masonry began, you may want to check out Francis Bacon (Elias Artista).
>>>I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by a well informed and very intelligent brother >>>when I began Free-Masonry. He has passed away since, but just to emphasize what an >>>important man he was, the lodge devoted the its name after him (Marvin A. Armstrong Lodge >>>#187).
I had an extremely similar experience. He wasn't my official mentor because my home Lodge wasn't his, but he was a constant visitor from a neighboring Lodge, and he worked to help teach me as I went through the Degrees. He was one of the 'ruffians' in my MM Degree, and I've never forgotten how surprised I was at his physical strength when he took hold of me, given his extreme age. He encouraged me to take a plural membership with his home Lodge, and arranged for me to be appointed to my first Masonic office within it. The last time I saw him was when he traveled across the state to the Lodge in the city I had moved to, in order to take a part in my installation as Worshipful Master.
Like Brother Armstrong, after he passed, the Lodge named itself after this man too.
Karl E. Warren Masonic Rail Road Lodge at Skykomish No. 259.
My journey was to mirror image what my Father did…
Blue Lodge, SR and the Shrine.
I did all three.
After (10) years I have concentrated on Blue Lodge and in mentoring (12) Men, emphasized during our months together contributing to Making Men better FIRST and reminding them of our 8-8-8 of time and filling in on outside activities to supplement their own education to make them stronger mentors.
If you do it right, Blue Lodge should remain a commitment.
Please take it from one who has sampled nearly everything available in the mainstream of American Freemasonry:
All you need is Royal Arch.
Jay
After being exalted in the Spring of 2009, I keep telling Masons that the Royal Arch degree is needed as an important option for Master Masons who are seeking more knowledge in Freemasonry. It’s a key degree, and one that goes back as far as the Blue Lodge degrees.
There are some who think that all the concordant bodies should go away, and only the 3 degrees of Craft Masonry should remain as regular. Almost all of these Brothers aren’t members of anything but the Blue Lodge. And when a newer Master Mason who’s spent a few years learning more about the Master Mason degree comes to his local Lodge and asks where he could receive the Royal Arch degrees, and the Lodge Brothers tell him he doesn’t need it, that the Blue Lodge degrees are all he needs, they stand the risk of losing that Brother either to another Lodge that will tell him otherwise, or lose him altogether.
Has the development of ‘High Degrees’ been good for Freemasonry, or harmful to it? Yes & Yes! Different Strokes for different Folks! Can a 5 watt light bulb handle a Kilo watt charge? No! Can a Kilo watt bulb handle a 5 watt charge? Yes! It depends on the individual… With my very limited knowledge and experience in Masonry, I can subjectively share that many Brothers get placed or elected into Lodge positions, Temple boards and other Masonic boards and organizations and are not qualified to hold those positions. That especially and foremost includes me, in most instances.
It is my understanding that WA GL is under the York Rite Jurisdiction, Please correct me if I am in error. In my experience of being a York Rite Mason, a Brother Mason has to be recommended and investigated before he is invited to join the so called higher degrees, Orders or Colleges. Lately I have become more curious about the SR and thinking about learning what I have to do to join?
I agree with what Brother Clayton stated. Anyone that promotes (forces) their personal belief system on anyone does not understand Masonry. Brother Warren’s comments are deep and rich with Sofia. It is my personal belief that anytime any Masonic organization focuses most of it’s time on raising money more than studying and living Masonry, is headed away from Masonry.
It is my belief that Masonry is like the Horn of Plenty, a symbol of abundance and nourishment. You get to choose what and how much to consume or avoid.
>>>It is my belief that Masonry is like the Horn of Plenty, a symbol of abundance and nourishment. >>>You get to choose what and how much to consume or avoid.
This is an interesting perspective on the question. Thank you for providing it!
As for the Scottish Rite, being elected to receive the Degrees is not difficult. I'd be pleased to take you with me to Kelso SR so that you can meet the men there and decide if it is right for you.
Thank you Brother Cameron, let me know the possible date so that I can put in on my schedule, Gratitude's.