Rituals In Freemasonry

Rituals in Freemasonry

Introduction

Freemasonry develops through the practice that masons make of their rituals. The Masonic rite can be defined as a set of ceremonial practices that help, on the one hand, to structure and give content to the lodge, and on the other, to the internal work that each mason must do in its strictest individuality. If we have already said in this book that Freemasonry is an initiatory order, for this we must understand that rites are necessary. It is not something exclusive to Freemasonry and much less of our current society.

Developing

Rites and initiations have lived with humanity since the beginning of civilization. But focusing on Freemasonry, which is our object of analysis, we will say that although it was founded in 1717, its rites derive from much older times, and are loaded with symbolism and history. Masonic rites have been growing, encoding and adapting to the new realities since the same 18th century, some falling into disuse and some new new ones are born, in part, seeking the coexistence between different ways of understanding Masonry and the ritual work that derive from it, giving him in turn, sense.

Before briefly stopping in some examples, we want to remember the defining characteristics of Masonic ritualism. The Masonic ritual is initiatory, since to participate in it it is necessary to have taken the voluntary and meditated step to be introduced into it. It is also esoteric in the sense that its wisdom is transmitted through legends, symbols, allegories and meanings that are granted only to those who are admitted in the rite.

And it is also traditional because it has its origin in the myths of the ancestors of humanity and around some of the longest symbols of it. 

We can find, in turn, the Masonic rites of the current of the modern ones (born since 1717) and that of the ancients (with origin prior to this date in Scotland). To the above we must add the two ways of thinking of Freemasonry. As it is not an organization with a single line of thought, we find that from their origin different rituals have been born (basically, ways of practicing it) that have treated such diversity: lay, deistics, Christians, Jacobites or Egyptians. Some of the best known Masonic rites are:

York rite. Born in the first American colonies, but of Irish origin, at the beginning of the 18. It consists of a total of 13 degrees being the first 3 common to all: apprentice, partner and teacher. Some of the degrees of this rite are the number 11, Knight of the Red Cross, or the 13, gentleman of the Temple. Old and accepted Scottish rite (Reaa). One of the rites that contains more information regarding Freemasonry and its organizational and ritual origins. 

It is connected to the Great Lodge of Kilwinning – or what is the same, with the mythical Templar Origins – and it is one of the rituals that has generated the most documentation over the world between versions, convents and codes of internal operation. Compiled in France with a clear Jacobita origin there through the mid -18th century, it did not reach the current 33 degrees until its complete development in the US. UU. Being, next to York, a rite born in a complex round trip process. He is the best known throughout the world and have derived many others. 

His character, very differentiated to that of the York rite, and loaded with symbolism, led to conflicts between masons that performed one or the other rite in their Masonic lodges. It consists of 33 degrees, and a total of six cameras or chapters: the Blue Freemasonry (from 1 to 3), the Lodge of Perfection (from 4 to 14), the Council of Princes of Jerusalem (15 and 16), the chapterRosacruz (17 and 18), the Consistory of Princes of the Royal Secret (from 19 to 29), the Kadosh Chamber (30 to 32) and the Sovereign Council of Grade 33 (grants Grade 33). The origin of this rite must be found in the Jacobites Catholics who took refuge in France, specifically in Marseille. 

From this lodge the so -called French rite arise, but also the EE.Aa. that arrives in the EE. UU. and return with the 33 degrees that make it today.  Emulation rite. We can say about the rite of emulation that is the one that contains the two slopes of Freemasonry: the ancient and the modern ones. It became the main rite of the Grand Lodge of England in 1813. Modern elements were introduced such as the relevance of the fraternal agape as an indispensable and ritualistic part of the Tenidas (meetings), the union chain, etc.

Rito Schröder. Born in what is today Germany in 1801. Its founder was Friedrich Ludwig Schröder. Based on the rites of the ancients, it is a Masonry with Christian dyes. In their played (meetings), the Masons wear a cup hat. It looks a lot like the York rite, but it has no altar. Rite and ceremony of the modern essenes "Ecce Orienti". It has an occult character and focuses on interpretation from that vision of the particularities of the Esenia Jewish sect. Irish rite. Framed in York, entered North America in 1730.

Finn rite. Born in the second decade of the last twentieth century, it is very similar to "Ecce Orienti". Canadian rite. Emulation derived and created in the second half of the nineteenth century. It is not practiced outside Canada. Rito Taylor. Also derived from emulation and created in 1908. Danish rite. Emerged in the 90s of the last century, it is practiced by almost 50 lodges that depend on the great lodge of ancient and free of Denmark. French or modern rite. Of a deeply deist, it belongs to the group of French or gálicos Masonic rituals that began to emerge from 1727. 

The first ritual of this rite that has been accessible is "Mason regulator", printed in 1801, such as compilation and adaptation of other texts of the year 1786. Brazilian rite. It was born in 1864 when a Rosicrucian gentleman (grade 18) headed a process to create a nationalist rite. It was about to disappear when the Grand Lodge on which it depended was discarded by a scandal that led to the conclusion that it did not meet the precepts of Freemasonry. Is inspired by the old and accepted Scottish rite.

Primitive Scottish rite. It is considered in favor of King Jacobo II of England and has a multitude of Scottish features, as well as elements of the Masonry of an operational nature. They wear a three -spike hat and are armed with swords in their played. It currently has relations with the Martinist order. The Memphis-Mizraim rite. Egyptian rites exist from the same origins of Masonry as we know it. It is logical taking into account the value and importance that Egyptian symbology has for those who seek the origin of our thought as civilization. 

The Memphis-Mizraim rite owes it to Garibaldi, an indispensable figure in the unification of Italy, which founded it in 1881. It has 99 degrees and its ritualistic is basically that of the previous Memphis rite (or Eastern rite, born in 1798). His lodges are mixed and suffered great persecution in World War II. The driver of the Egyptian rites is considered Cagliostro. The current conformation is the succession of the old and accepted Scottish rite, the ancient rite of Memphis or Oriental and finally that of Mizraim, to which another two degrees of management are added. 

This rite is barely recognized by the big lodges. No regular lodge considers it, because they do not accept Cagliostro as a regular mason. However, it has developed worldwide, with large international lodges and national lodges. In recent decades, some liberal lodges have also recognized this important rite. Scottish rite rectified. It is Christian and Sanjuanista Freemasonry. It was founded in the second half of the 18th century by Willermoz. 

conclusion

It is the only Freemasonry in the world that demands belief in a certain religion (in this case the Christian, although not specifically a Catholic, Anglican, Protestant confession, etc.) and has its continuation in the so -called Order of San Andrés del Cardo. Rite of strict observance. It is influenced by Martinism and everything that has to do with San Juan (key symbolic figure in the life of Freemasonry). We can say that the rites of strict observance are of clear Templar influence.