Unit One of the Degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

In this unit we will explore the history of the Rite, examine the ritual and hopefully assist you in understanding the important Masonic lessons contained in the lectures. Our goal is to give you a foundation on which to build your understanding of the Scottish Rite and hopefully, to show you how to apply these ancient truths to our daily lives in the 21st century. The Lodge of Perfection confers the 4° through the 14°. 

These are commonly referred to as the Ineffable Degrees. We have added a 12th lesson which recaps the teachings of the Craft Degrees to show how the Rite builds upon what the candidate already knows. There is one noticeable change in the legends. In the Craft or symbolic Degrees the assassins of the Grand Master Hiram Abiff are caught, tried and convicted. In the Scottish Rite they have escaped and are still at large. In the 12 lessons of this unit the candidate will observe many references, scenes and characters which recall and amplify the three Symbolic degrees.

“Across every mythology the world has ever known, there is the story of a Hero's quest. It is Jason seeking the Golden Fleece, the Knights of the Round Table searching for the Holy Grail, the journey of the Master Mason for the Lost Word, the quest of the Scottish Rite Mason for the Royal Secret. This paper explores the joumey through the Degrees of the Lodge of Perfection. It is hoped that it will provide the reader a concise understanding of the importance of the Scottish Rite and its practicality in contemporary society.

“Each Body of the Rite allegorically explains a different element in the quest tradition. In the Degrees of the Lodge of Perfection, we find ourselves on a quest for more Light in Masonry and the awakening of our own spirituality. The foundation for the Degrees of Perfection rests in the understanding that, in Masonry, the Lodge is a representation of the world and that our journey through the Degrees represents our journey through life. We have prepared well for our Scottish Rite journey through the Craft Degrees. As an Entered Apprentice, we learned the importance of our outward relationship with others and the institutions of our society. As a Fellowcraft, we were taught that it takes a combination of intellect, experience, intuition, feeling, emotion, and education to make real progress in life. We also discover our dual nature and that there is a spirit within us, which can lead us to self-improvement. As a Master Mason, we turn inward and come face to face with our own worst enemy-our ego; and then we are given the opportunity to transcend our passions and our prejudices, becoming true to who we, at our best, are.

“It is at this point that we are ready for the Scottish Rite experience. We have prepared ourselves, through our own efforts, to advance to a higher awareness that is to be found in the Degrees of the Rite. And, like the Craft Degrees, the Scottish Rite Degrees form a progressive system of morality, veiled in allegory.”^[1]

Our main study guides for this unit will be Morals and Dogma, A Bridge to Light and the Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide.

The goal of this course will be to provide you with a better understanding of the Scottish Rite and how we can use the lessons taught here as a practical application of how Freemasonry goes about making good men better.

Unit one: The Lodge of Perfection

SYLABUS:

LESSON ONE: The Life-Skills taught in the Craft Degrees.

LESSON TWO: The Secret Master

LESSON THREE: The Perfect Master

LESSON FOUR: The Intimate Secretary

LESSON FIVE: The Provost And Judge

LESSON SIX:    Intendant Of The Building        

LESSON SEVEN: Elu of the Nine (Elected Knight of the Nine)

LESSON EIGHT: Elu of the Fifteen

LESSON NINE: Elu of the Twelve (Sublime Knight Elect of the Twelve)

LESSON TEN:  The Master Architect

LESSON ELEVEN: The Royal Arch of Solomon

LESSON TWELVE: Perfect Elu (Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Mason)