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“Know Thyself”

INTROSPECTION
A SCOTTISH RITE TRIVIA

Giovanni A. Villegas

ID YOU KNOW that the first degree of the Scottish Rite system is still the Entered

D Apprentice degree? Many Masons make the mistake of thinking that the 4° is the first
degree of the Scottish Rite system, simply because it was the first degree conferred them
upon joining. Actually, the 4° is a natural continuation of the 1°, 2°, and 3° of the Symbolic Lodge,
but not exactly those locally practiced. Here in the Philippines, the first three degrees worked are
those of the American York Rite system and are controlled exclusively by the Grand Lodge. The
Scottish Rite has its own set of the first three degrees but none are actually worked within the
Rite itself. Such degrees are worked, however, in jurisdictions that use the Scottish Rite system of
Continental Masonry, many of which are considered by mainstream Masonry to be irregular. The
only symbolic degrees (1°-3°) of the Scottish Rite system that are still worked in a regular and
recognized Lodge of Master Masons are those of the old Lodges in Louisiana.

DID YOU KNOW that the name of the body by which the first three degrees (1°-3°) are called
depends on who is naming it? Some call it the Blue Lodge, the Craft Lodge, the Symbolic Lodge, or
St. John’s Lodge. Those who call it the Craft Lodge or the Ancient Craft Degrees are generally those
that use the Constitutions of British (English, Scottish, Irish) Masonry. Those who call it the Blue
Lodge are generally those that use the first three degrees of the American York Rite system, using
the color Blue on their Craft aprons to distinguish them from other Masonic bodies that use
correspondingly different colored aprons. Those who call it the Symbolic Lodge are usually those
that use the Scottish Rite system, attributing it to the first three degrees, called in its rituals as
“symbolic degrees.” They are called symbolic therein because of their striking peculiarity in using
the speculative symbolisms of the working tools of Masonry as their prominent and almost
exclusive mode of instruction. 1 It is also called such to distinguish it apart from another kind of
lodge that exists within the Scottish Rite called the Lodge of Perfection.

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DID YOU KNOW that the interpretation of the Square as a symbol of the lower, earthly, physical
qualities, and the Compasses as a symbol of the higher, more divine attributes, as taught by some
Masonic lecturers and speakers, is not exactly an official Craft teaching? The idea was just
speculated by some Masonic philosophers like Albert Pike in order to make the context of
Masonry far more esoteric and mystical than it actually was. Such was their own personal
interpretation and injection, and was never in the official teachings of early Craft Masonry. As far
as the regular rituals of mainstream Freemasonry are concerned, the Square, as a speculative
working tool, is used to “square” one’s actions, meaning a reminder to be moral and to do good,
while the Compasses, as a speculative working tool, is used to restrain one’s passions, meaning a
reminder not to do bad. It’s that simple and uncomplicated. (Some rituals have additional
symbolisms for the Compasses such as unerring and impartial justice; the width and limits of
attainment; and the containment of the most important tenets of Freemasonry.) To teach
something else is no longer within the realm of Craft Masonry. One is of course free to interpret or
speculate upon the symbols of Masonry according to his own understanding and conclusion, but
to claim them as something Masonry itself teaches is simply deceptive. Be very careful what you
learn and what you teach. Be sure to distinguish between Masonic fact and Masonic opinion. For
though it is true that Freemasonry is speculative in nature, the use of the word “speculative”
pertains to the symbolic signification Masonry itself bestows upon the stonemasons’ working
tools outside of their operative usages, instructing Masons to regard them according to Masonry’s
own moral teachings (whose official meanings, by the way, are already clear and spelled out in
Masonic ritual itself). It does not mean that every Mason should put his own personal meanings
upon Masonry’s symbolisms beyond what Masonry itself teaches and expect others to simply
accept them as legitimately Masonic.

DID YOU KNOW that the Square-and-Compasses emblem with only one point of the Compasses
elevated above the Square is not necessarily indicative of the Fellowcraft degree? Such concept of
points positioning to indicate a particular degree was popularized only by the American York Rite
system that uses the latter Webb working. Although the concept of points positioning to denote
degree progression also exists in other English language workings of the British isles, such as the
Emulation ritual, Bristol ritual, and Scottish rituals, its use as a distinguishing Masonic emblem
between degrees is not known in other Masonic systems around the world, especially those that
use the first three degrees of the Scottish Rite system, e.g. Continental (mostly French and
Spanish) and Latin American Masonry. Many old European artworks, lithographs, and
illustrations depict the emblem with one point of the Compasses positioned above the Square
merely as an aesthetic decision or design preference. It is therefore technically incorrect to treat
the symbolism of the positions of the points of the Compasses as a general or common Masonic
knowledge, especially within the context of the Scottish Rite system.

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DID YOU KNOW that “Perfection” became a misunderstood word in the context of the Scottish
Rite? Its commonly believed connotation of faultlessness or flawlessness is actually incorrect.
Based on the history and purpose by which it was originally used in the Rite of Perfection, the
word Perfection, from its original French of “Parfait,” actually denoted fulfillment,
accomplishment, or, more accurately, completion. Perfection therefore alluded to the completion
or consummation of the degrees of the Symbolic Lodge. The Lodge of Perfection (4°-14°) of the
Scottish Rite can therefore more accurately be called a “Lodge of Completion” – the completion or
conclusion of the story left hanging in the Symbolic degree of Master Mason. 2

DID YOU KNOW that the Chapter of Rose Croix, that works the 18° of the Scottish Rite, is perhaps
the only regular Masonic body that never closes its labors? Unlike the convention of other Masonic
bodies, whether Lodge, Council, Consistory, etc., who ceremonially open their labors at the
beginning of each meeting and correspondingly close them in the end, such is not the case with
the Chapter of Rose Croix, whose labors resume from refreshment and then merely called off to
refreshment again at the end of the day. 3 A Chapter never closing signifies that it is always in a
constant state of labor and alertness for a brother in need.

DID YOU KNOW that the title “Illustrious Bro.” was, at one time, not just reserved to 33° Masons,
as a prefix to their names, but also applied to 32° Masons as well? In the early days, because there
was a limit on the number of Active Members in a Supreme Council, only a very few Scottish Rite
Masons reached the 33°, making the 32° the farthest they could realistically hope to attain. As
such, the 32° was already regarded then as a considerable status within the Rite. 4

DID YOU KNOW that it may be considered in bad taste to use the prefix “Illustrious” in the first
person? It is much like it seems inappropriate for you to address yourself as “Honorable A.B.” or
“His Excellency A.B.” even if those are your due appellations. Such titles and honorifics are meant
to be used in the second or third persons only, meaning that they are prefixes meant by others to
address you or to refer to you, not something you would use upon yourself. Therefore, for though
it is but proper to call and address an Inspector General as “Illustrious Bro. A.B., 33° ” (within the
confines of the Scottish Rite, of course), it may be considered improper for him to introduce
himself to others in such manner. Accordingly, it would be equally improper to use Illustrious as a
prefix to one’s own signature, especially when signing his letters or his messages addressed to
others (e.g. “Yours truly, Illustrious Bro. A.B., 33°” ).

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DID YOU KNOW that there is no such thing as an honorary 33° Mason? The 33° is an actual
Masonic degree conferred upon 32° Masons and can never be honorary, if by “honorary” we mean
not being a full-fledged 33° Mason. 5 The confusion lies in the title “33° Inspector General Honorary
(IGH)”, where the word “honorary” refers to one’s honorary membership in the Supreme Council,
not to his degree. In the Scottish Rite system of the Southern Jurisdiction (SJ), USA, a 33° Mason
can either be a 33° Sovereign Grand Inspector General (SGIG), who is considered an Active
Member of the Supreme Council; or a 33° Inspector General Honorary (IGH), who is only an
honorary member and has no voting rights in the Supreme Council. Make no mistake, however,
that both are full-fledged and legitimately-conferred 33° Masons, and not one is a mere honorary
33°. The bestowing of the degree may be given as an honor, and the membership in the Supreme
Council may be honorary, but there is no such thing as an honorary 33° Mason. A 33° is a 33°, so
be careful not to use the term "honorary 33°" if what you mean perhaps is 33° IGH.

DID YOU KNOW that the Grand Cross of the Court of Honor (GCCH or GC) was originally
conceived as an award to 33° IGHs who were deemed worthy of the honor of a 33° SGIG but could
no longer become such because of the existing limit in the number of Supreme Council Active
Members? Under the Scottish Rite system of the Southern Jurisdiction, the Grand Cross award is
given by the Supreme Council to a deserving 33° IGH whom it believes could no longer reach the
position of a 33° SGIG in his lifetime, either due to his old age or to the perceived unavailability of
an opening in Supreme Council Active membership. 6

DID YOU KNOW that Scottish Rite Masons, when signing their names on documents and papers
related to the Rite, should use particular ink colors specific to their degree or title? For instance,
18° Knights Rose Croix, 32° Masters of the Royal Secret, 32° Knights Commander of the Court of
Honor (KCCH), and 33° recipients of the Grand Cross award (GC) sign their names using red ink;
33° IGHs use crimson ink (deep red); 33° SGIGs use purple ink; and the 33° Sovereign Grand
Commander (SGC) uses violet ink (sharper shade of purple). The corresponding symbols of their
degrees or titles are likewise appended before their signatures using the same corresponding
colors. 7

DID YOU KNOW that it is technically incorrect to call the Dark Chamber in the 18° as a “Chamber
of Reflection”? The term “Chamber of Reflection” is actually now used like a proper noun to refer to
that room where candidates contemplate prior to being initiated to the degrees of the Symbolic
Lodge (not practiced in the Philippine jurisdiction). The Dark Chamber in the 18°, on the other

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hand, serves a different purpose and contains articles and objects far different from those of the
Chamber of Reflection. There is another apartment however in the 18° that bears slightly similar
imageries to the Chamber of Reflection, but likewise serves a different purpose and contains a
slightly different set of articles and objects. Both this apartment and the Dark Chamber do act as
places of contemplation and reflection, as do other similar styled rooms used in the other rites
and appendant orders of Masonry, but should never be confused with the actual Chamber of
Reflection that is understood throughout Symbolic Masonry as the one that is used prior to
initiation to its degrees. Although the Chamber of Reflection is popular in the Scottish Rite
obedience of French Masonry, its use is not necessarily absent in Anglo-American Masonry.
Traditional Observance Lodges, which are of North American origins and practice Anglo-American
Masonry, have adopted the Chamber of Reflection as one of their distinguishing practices. 8

DID YOU KNOW that it may cause confusion to use the term “Scottish Freemasonry” to denote
Scottish Rite Freemasonry? That is because Scottish Freemasonry is generally understood to refer
to the kind of Craft Masonry practiced under the Scottish Constitution or the Grand Lodge of
Scotland and those that use its Masonic system. The Scottish Rite, on the other hand, is merely an
appendant Masonic body invented in the USA to complement the Craft degrees. It should be noted
though that in the earlier days, a term known as “Scots Masonry” or “Scotch Masonry” did refer to
the early Masonic degrees in Europe that would later be adopted and refashioned by the Scottish
Rite.

DID YOU KNOW that it is incorrect to use “Scottish Rites” in such plural form? The Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, when referred to as a Masonic system, is singular. It may
consist of several degrees, but as a collective Rite or order, the correct term should be “Scottish
Rite,” unless maybe you are referring or comparing several distinct forms of Scottish Rite systems.

DID YOU KNOW that it is considered inappropriate even to affectionately refer to Morals and
Dogma as Albert Pike’s Magnum Opus or Great Work? It causes unnecessary confusion, especially
among Scottish Rite Masons, for another of Pike’s work was in fact titled, The Magnum Opus or the
Great Work. It contained the very first version of his reworked rituals of the early Scottish Rite
degrees. The Magnum Opus and Morals and Dogma are therefore two different and separate works
of Pike.

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DID YOU KNOW that just because Albert Pike was a brilliant ritualist, an able administrator, and
a well-respected Mason, it does not mean that all of his opinions are right? 9 In Morals and Dogma,
he controversially commented that “the Blue degrees (1°-3°) are but the outer court; the symbols
are displayed to the initiate but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations; it is not intended
that he understands them but that he imagines to understand them; the true explication is reserved
for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry,” 10 seemingly implying that the Scottish Rite is superior to
the Blue Lodge. The Masonic encyclopedist, Henry Wilson Coil, provides the following
explanation: “Pike entered the Scottish Rite only four years after he became a Mason, before he had
the time or occasion to thoroughly study the history of all the branches of Freemasonry. He began
his study from the upper levels without knowing much of the foundation. He evidently did not know,
until his later life, that the Scottish Rite degrees were part of that type of ritual which sprang up in
France in 1737, but instead he regarded it as ‘Primitive Masonry’, which had come right down from
Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt, and out of the Ancient Mysteries and Magism. He found books which
said so and he never doubted their theories. He regarded Craft Masonry (1°-3°) to be puerile, though
he said it had a deeper meaning that was hidden from its superficial adepts, who were taught to be
satisfied with trite explanations. He even asserted that Craft Masonry had been devised so as not
only to hide its true meaning but to cause its members to think that they understood it. Albert
Mackey even encouraged him in those notions, for he too had been made a Mason only four years
before he began writing books on the subject, in which he adopted the more sensational theories of
mystery and symbolism. But Mackey later changed his views as soon as the work of the British
realistic school began to be felt. Pike, however, did not waver. His work was nearly complete and
already too voluminous to be done over." 11

DID YOU KNOW that Albert Pike cannot be considered “the author” of Morals and Dogma? In fact,
if you take an original copy of the book, you will not see Pike’s name in any place therein where
the author’s name is usually found or mentioned, whether on the spine, the book cover, or the
cover page (although a small copyright line bears his name as the applicant). That is because even
the Supreme Council, at that time, acknowledged the fact that the book was more compilation as it
was written work. Pike extracted most of the contents of Morals and Dogma in full from their
original sources, without editing some of them down, and never bothered to properly reference
them anymore. 12 To regard him as author, therefore, would technically make Morals and Dogma a
work of multiple plagiarism. Nevertheless, the Preface of the book remarked that it might have
been better and more acceptable if Pike had extracted more and written less 13, subtly implying
that Pike’s opinions merit little compared to the actual source texts.

DID YOU KNOW that Morals and Dogma was never meant to be the authoritative guide to the
degrees of the Scottish Rite? Many Masons, and even non-Masons, have long treated it to be the
universally approved doctrinal book or “Bible of Masonry.” The fact is that it was not even widely

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distributed to or read by the greater population of Masons. It was only used by the Supreme
Council of the Southern Jurisdiction, which in 1871-1872 had far less than 5% of American
Masons as members, and in 1993 claimed only 20%, by which time the book was no longer
distributed even to Scottish Rite Masons. The Preface of Morals and Dogma itself gives the best
understanding of how all succeeding Supreme Council leaderships have viewed the book: “The
teachings of these readings are NOT sacramental. The Scottish Rite uses the word ‘Dogma’ in its true
sense: of doctrine or teaching; and is not ‘dogmatic’ in the odious sense of that term. Everyone is
entirely free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to him to be untrue or unsound.
It is only required of him that he shall weigh what is taught, and give it fair hearing and
unprejudiced judgement. The ancient theosophic and philosophic speculations are NOT embodied as
part of the doctrines of the Rite.” 14

DID YOU KNOW that the reason for the recent changing of the opening and closing ritual of the
Lodge of Perfection during stated meetings is because it might have been corrupted? For a time,
the Philippines had been using a peculiar ritual during stated meetings that is dissimilar to the
official 14° ritual used during degree conferrals. The one used during stated meetings contained
words and phrases unknown to the 14° itself. For instance, when communicating the supposed
Ineffable Word, a different word from another degree was oddly used in its place. Also, the word
“India” instead of “Judea” was remarkably used in the closing ceremony. Both India and the
previously mentioned incongruent word appear nowhere in the rituals and lessons of the 14°,
consequently confusing and misleading an entire generation of local Scottish Rite Masons. 15
Thankfully, the Supreme Council of the Philippines promptly rectified the situation immediately
after learning of the inconsistency. Thus answers the curious question of many local Scottish Rite
Masons as to why the opening and closing ritual used during stated meetings was recently
abruptly changed.

DID YOU KNOW that while the Scottish Rite system of the Philippines is that of the Southern
Jurisdiction (since the Supreme Council of the Philippines was spawned by the Supreme Council
of the Southern Jurisdiction), there are currently two local practices that are strangely from the
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (NMJ)? One is the Feast of the Paschal Lamb, whose adopted name,
ritual, articles, table arrangement, and date of observance were lifted entirely from the Northern
Masonic Jurisdiction. 16 The other is the 32° Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret – the only locally
adopted degree ritual that is currently disconnected to the designed progression of the other
Scottish Rite degrees. 17

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DID YOU KNOW that a Scottish Rite candidate was once required to execute a Last Will and
Testament? This was done in the 5° and was the standard practice from 1883 to 1935. One reason
was to teach him the uncertainty of when death would arrive; the other was to impress upon him
the duty of providing for his family and dependents. 18 Though this practice is no longer
mandatory, a candidate today is still encouraged to contemplate on these subjects and to make his
own Last Will and Testament during his own time. Some local Scottish Rite bodies even have
copies of the old form used in the said practice and still give them away to their candidates for
their personal contemplation and guide.

DID YOU KNOW that when a Scottish Rite Mason procures his official ritual books, he is tasked to
make arrangements of ensuring their return to the Supreme Council upon his death? 19 The said
instructions can be found in the last pages of the said ritual books. The primary reason for such
instruction is to guarantee that the said books will not fall into the hands of non-Scottish Rite
Masons.

DID YOU KNOW that there are other kinds of “Masonic Funeral rites” and memorial services
depending on the membership of the deceased? For instance, there are those supposedly provided
by such Masonic bodies as the York Rite Commandery of Knights Templar, the Chapter of Royal
Arch Masons, the Allied Masonic Degrees, the Shrine Legion of Honor, the Order of DeMolay, and
the Order of the Eastern Star, though not necessarily during the wake itself. However, the two
most popularly known, at least locally, are the Necrological services given by the Blue Lodge and
the 18° Funeral services given by the Scottish Rite. 20 Yet, there is another in the Scottish Rite that
never saw practice in the Philippines – the Obsequies of a Knight Kadosh 21, prepared by Albert
Pike himself in 1879. It did not become popular because the ceremony should be performed upon
the remains of the deceased within the Chapel of the Order, at midnight, and attended only by
Knights Kadosh – something whose permission from the immediate family would be very hard to
obtain, much less justify without appearing a little overbearing and demanding to an already-
grieving family.

DID YOU KNOW that the popular misconception that “Masons do not believe in God” actually has
legitimate basis? The confusion lies in the fact that there are actually two major “kinds” of
Freemasonry in existence – those of the Grand Lodge system popular among Anglo-American
jurisdictions, and those known in some European and South American countries as the Grand
Orient system, which basically follows the Scottish Rite obedience of French Masonry. On
September 14, 1877, the Grand Orient of France voted to eliminate references to the existence of
God from its Constitution, subsequently altered its rituals accordingly, and then started accepting

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atheists as members. As a result, the Grand Orient system, as far as the regular Grand Lodges were
concerned, ceased to be “Masonic”, and that its bodies were eventually denied recognition by
mainstream Freemasonry. So, when people say that “Masons are atheists and do not believe in
God,” they are actually referring to those Masons of the Grand Orient system. Unfortunately, the
general public cannot distinguish the difference between regular Masonry, where the belief in
God is a prerequisite for membership, and the Grand Orients, where the belief in God was
removed. Incidentally, the Grand Orient system, or what would eventually be called Continental
Masonry, Universal Masonry, and Liberal Masonry, is the type of Masonry that first became popular
in the Philippines during the era of its National Heroes, thus explaining the animosity at that time
between Masonry and the Spanish occupation which included the friars of the Catholic Church.

DID YOU KNOW that the discussions and debates pertaining to politics and religion were not only
allowed in some old lodges in Europe, but were even encouraged? That is why Masons were often
tagged as anti-government or anti-church. Many Masonic jurisdictions thereat, called Grand
Orients, were of the Scottish Rite obedience of French Masonry, meaning that their entire Masonic
system, constitution, and beliefs are different from the ones Philippine Masons are familiar with.
Whereas the local Masonic system is York Rite or Anglo-American, which puts more emphasis on
Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, the Scottish Rite system in Continental Europe, on the other
hand, puts more emphasis on Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Whereas the York Rite system is
more concentrated on self-improvement, the Scottish Rite system is more on the improvement of
society. It is inherent therefore for many Continental Masons to be actively involved in societal
reform, even if it meant possible rebellion. That explains why the Philippine National Heroes, who
belonged to such Continental Scottish Rite obediences, had stanch political and revolutionary
tendencies in the cause of Freedom (Liberty), Justice (Equality), and Peace (Fraternity).
Continental Masonry is likewise liberal and universal in its belief systems, with some Grand
Orients even allowing atheists and women into their ranks. This also explains why mainstream
Masonry and Continental Masonry will always have a hard time acquiring mutual recognition and
inter-visitation. They basically follow different, sometimes opposing belief systems and
landmarks, and are viewed by many to be fundamentally incompatible.

DID YOU KNOW that the growing popular belief that Masons adopted the Forget-me-not flower
during the Nazi period to identify themselves in secret, and as a substitute for the Square-and-
Compasses, is nothing but a myth? (Though this trivia is not Scottish Rite-related, it is deemed
important of mention herein in order to prevent its continuous propagation as fact.) For though it
is true that the Nazis did outlaw Freemasonry in WWII, and that Masons were indeed sent to
concentration camps where they allegedly seemed to have held meetings in secret, there is
absolutely no record of the flower, or the pin depicting it, ever having been used or worn by
Masons during the war anywhere in Germany, much less in concentration camps, as legends

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would have it. What happened was that the Grand Lodge zur Sonne of Batreuth in Bavaria
commissioned a pin which in 1926 depicted a Forget-me-not, it being a symbol for love, fidelity,
and remembrance in the region, including Germany. In 1934-1938, the Nazis used the same pin,
manufactured in the same Selb factory, using the same moulds it did in 1926 for the Grand Lodge
zur Sonne. After the war, the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Germany distributed the
same pin as a token of friendship whenever he made official visits abroad, most notably at a
Conference of Grand Masters in Washington DC in 1953, where he recounted the tragic tale of
Freemasonry under the Nazis. He there expressed the hope that the pin would be worn in
remembrance of that oppression. This probably explains how the blue Forget-me-not became a
German Masonic emblem after the war and why, when American Freemasons later founded
military lodges in Germany, at least one chose that flower as the lodge name. Many lodges in
Germany, at least up until recently, presented a Forget-me-not pin to newly raised Master
Masons. 22

DID YOU KNOW that the “unlucky” Friday the 13th superstition has no verifiable connection at
all to the arrest of the Templars, as currently being popularized even by Masons themselves?
According to the myth, the arrest of Templars on Friday, October 13, 1307 gave rise to the
superstition of Friday the 13th being an unlucky day. In actuality, however, the origin of the
Friday the 13th superstition cannot be academically pinpointed, although it is safe to say that it is
unlikely to have anything to do with the Templars’ day of arrest. There are currently no authentic
records of the superstition prior to the 19th century, and those that came afterwards were found
to have nothing at all to do with any Templar story, historically or otherwise. Such was merely a
recent invention, mentioned in the 1989 book “Born in Blood” by John Robinson, and later
sensationalized in the best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. Still, since the release
of the said books, even Masons themselves, especially those who believed their so-called direct
Templar lineage, have been propagating the notion, even amongst themselves, as if taking pride
that their supposed predecessors have unwittingly created such an enduring and endearing
superstition.

DID YOU KNOW that the reason why Scottish Rite stated meetings are always opened in the 14°
instead of its higher degrees is because the Lodge of Perfection (4°-14°) is the only Scottish Rite
body that is required to meet every month of the year? The Chapter of Rose Croix (15°-18°) and
the Council of Kadosh (19°-30°) are only required to meet at least once in every two months
(except during the months of July, August, and September according to the Statutes of the
Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction 23), while the Consistory (31°-32°) is required to
meet only once in three months. So even during those months where the higher degrees and
bodies needed to be opened, the 14° of the Lodge of Perfection likewise needed to be opened first.

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DID YOU KNOW that there is a relative limit on the number of Scottish Rite Masons who could
become 33° Masons or invested as 32° KCCH? The number of 32° Masters of the Royal Secret
(MRS) who could be invested with the rank of a 32° Knight Commander of the Court of Honor
(KCCH) at any given Session of the Supreme Council should not be more than twice the number of
32° KCCH who were elected to be conferred with the 33° in the same Session. 24

DID YOU KNOW that the Hiramic legend of the Blue Lodge has a slightly different version and
outcome in the Scottish Rite? Even the names by which the Ruffians were called are different. In
the Elu degrees (9°-11°), the three Ruffians met with fates different from the ones told in their
Blue Lodge counterparts, all however ending with justice being served.

DID YOU KNOW that the lessons and revelations of the degrees of the Scottish Rite are so
numerous and diverse that some of them actually seem to contradict one another? Take for
instance the 15° which teaches the lesson of never breaking one’s vow or promise no matter what,
in contrast with the 28° (or with the current 32° still being used in the Philippines 25) which
suggests that it is sometimes necessary to break one’s vow in the service of the greater good. This
does not mean that one degree is right and the other is wrong. What the Scottish Rite does is
provide scenarios for exploring many of life’s questions. Some answers may not necessarily be
absolute and, in many cases, especially when gray areas are involved, depend on the situation
itself. The Rite therefore does not just pose to provide dogmatic answers and solutions to life’s
problems, rather it teaches Scottish Rite Masons how to analyze different circumstances and
settings – from different angles and vantage points; and taking into account the moral teachings
of the previous degrees – in order to weigh and make just decisions on their own, devoid of the
dictates of conventional canons which usually do not entail case-to-case exceptions. In such cases,
instead of blindly relying on earthly laws which are beset with inherent imperfections, the Rite
provides a foundation for moral conscience, empowering Scottish Rite Masons to distinguish and
recognize what is right. It can be said, therefore, that the Scottish Rite is basically a training
program for future leaders of society. 26

DID YOU KNOW that the claim that Scottish Rite Masonry existed in the U.S. as early as 1767 is
wrong? Although it is true that an Ineffable Lodge of Perfection was established that year in
Albany, New York by Henry Francken, it was not part of the Scottish Rite but rather of the Order
of the Royal Secret, which was the original 25-degree system of Stephen Morin upon which the
degrees of the early Scottish Rite were merely based. The Scottish Rite and the Order of the Royal

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Secret are not the same thing. While the Order of the Royal Secret was the source of the degrees,
the Scottish Rite, which collected and remodeled the degrees into a 33-degree system, was
actually the invention of the first Supreme Council at Charleston in 1801. This first Scottish Rite
Supreme Council would eventually become the Southern Jurisdiction.

DID YOU KNOW that the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction was actually created to combat what was
then known as Cerneauism? Cerneauism was a rival and illegitimate Scottish Rite system
developed by Joseph Cerneau, whose “Supreme Council” was formed in New York without
authority from the Supreme Council at Charleston who actually invented the Scottish Rite. As a
result, a Supreme Council for the Northern District was created in 1815 (not 1813 as traditionally
recognized). It later became dormant by 1824, but was reactivated in 1826 by the Supreme
Council at Charleston with the help of Giles Yates. Then, with the Union of 1867, it finally merged
with the competing Cerneau “Supreme Council” in New York to become what is now known as the
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the USA.

DID YOU KNOW that Joseph Cerneau (who created the illegal Scottish Rite system called
Cerneauism), together with his followers that included many prominent Masons, played a pivotal
role in organizing the York Rite? In fact, the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of New York
was actually created in 1814 by Cerneau, et. al., as somewhat of an outgrowth from the Sovereign
Grand Consistory of his Cerneau Scottish Rite system. 27

DID YOU KNOW that the term “Sir Knight” is not permitted to be used as salutation to a Scottish
Rite Mason, specifically to a Knight Kadosh? 28 Though the members of a Council of Kadosh are
called “Knights” and its officers are indeed addressed with the prefix “Sir” (or “Brother”) followed
by their names or the titles of the offices they bear (except for the Commander who is addressed
as “Sir Preceptor"), the term “Sir Knight” is considered a redundancy and is not officially used
even in the actual orders of knighthood of kingdoms and realms. It is, however, officially used in
the York Rite’s Commandery, Allied Masonic Degrees (Knight of Constantinople and Red Cross of
Babylon), and Knight Masonry, and has become one of their distinguishing honorific titles, unique
only to themselves (though was later imitated by other sub-fraternal “orders” that are not
Masonic rites, such as the Order of DeMolay, the Order of Amaranth, and the Order of the
Creeping Serpent), which is probably one of the reasons why it is not permitted in the Scottish
Rite. (Note however that certain old practices in the Consistories of other Scottish Rite
jurisdictions once used the term “Sir Knight,” but such had long since been corrected and
discontinued.) Even in the other Masonic orders of knighthood, such as the English Knights
Templar, the English Knights of Malta, the Red Cross of Constantine, and the Royal Order of

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Scotland, the addresses used are either “Brother Knight,” “Noble Knight,” “Worthy Knight,” or just
simply “Knight,” but never “Sir Knight.”

DID YOU KNOW that the double-headed eagle only makes its prominent appearance in the 30° of
the Scottish Rite? 29 (Its first visual appearance is only minor in the 28°.) If so, why was it adopted
as the overall emblem of the Rite and of its Supreme Council whose highest degree is the 33°? It is
because the 30° Knight Kadosh was considered then, and still is to this day, as the ne plus ultra of
the Scottish Rite – its culminating degree, as it were, together with the 32° Master of the Royal
Secret. The double-headed eagle was supposedly inherited by the precursor of the Rite, the Order
of the Royal Secret, from the elder Council of Emperors of the East and West, which likewise used it
as its emblem. But more importantly, the reason why the double-headed eagle was adopted by the
Supreme Council is that it was also known to be the heraldic seal of Frederick the Great of Prussia
who supposedly created the 33°.

DID YOU KNOW that the Grand Constitutions of 1786, the basis and foundation of the Scottish
Rite Supreme Council, may just simply be allegorical like the rest of the Scottish Rite degrees? The
first Supreme Council in Charleston in 1801 (what would later become the Southern Jurisdiction)
drew the law of its existence from that Grand Constitutions. It became the source of its power as
asserted by its 1802 Manifesto or “Circular throughout two Hemispheres.” From this was derived
the authority of all regular and recognized Scottish Rite Supreme Councils around the world. The
Grand Constitutions allegedly originated in Prussia and supposedly written by none other than
King Frederick the Great, ratifying himself as the Chief of the Rite. According to legend, the
highest degree then had been the 32°, and the higher Councils and Chapters could not be opened
without the presence of King Frederick (or of his appointed substitute). In order to propagate the
supreme power, he established (supposedly on his deathbed) the 33°, for which the Supreme
Council would be formed, possessing all the Masonic rights and privileges of the King. It was
allegedly settled on May 1, 1786 at a “Grand Council in Berlin, Prussia,” 30 and it proclaimed its
power over the Rite across the world. Currently however, new theories are starting to emerge
that this narrative may not be historical, along with the contents of the Grand Constitutions itself.
First of all, the Rite (not yet Scottish Rite) did not have 32 or 33 degrees, but 25 when it was
brought from France to the Americas by Stephen Morin as the Order of the Royal Secret; and it
was only in the Americas where it later became a 33 degree-system, through the Scottish Rite,
with the 33rd as its overall governing degree. (It was only later when this new 33-degree system
would be re-imported back to France from America.) Secondly, there is growing evidence that the
said 25-degree system was really created by Morin himself, who took whatever high degrees he
initially received in France and refashioned them into his own brand of Rite, creating additional
degrees to fill the gaps and to form a total of 25 degrees. 31 Thirdly, it is entirely possible that the
document was merely drafted in America for it had special provisions relevant only to America

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during a later time. For instance, there was a convenient provision that only in the United Stated
can there be two Supreme Councils while the rest of the world could only have one per country. 32
Fourthly, it was recently discovered that the precursor of the Grand Constitutions of 1786, which
was that of 1762, 33 was merely a slightly modified version of the constitution of the Grand Lodge
of France. 34 Fifthly, the earliest known copy of the Grand Constitutions of 1786 are the ones in the
archives of the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction, dated 1801-1802 and handwritten
by Frederick Dalcho, 35 one of the founding members of the first Supreme Council in Charleston.
Dalcho therefore had good motive to create for the new Masonic body a “legitimate” lineage and
legend. Finally, the fact is that no other reliable proof exists that King Frederick of Prussia had
anything to do with the Grand Constitutions, or if he had any hand whatsoever in the
establishment of what would become today as the Scottish Rite.

- NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH -

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Notes:
1 Giovanni Villegas, Terminologia: A Chronicle of the Use of the Term ‘Blue Lodge’ in Early English and American Freemasonry; and an
attempt to Investigate its original Usage (Research Paper, work-in-progress, Draft ed., February-August 2016).
2 No. 18, Riddles of the Rite, accessed June 5, 2014, www.facebook.com/1419236461710789.
3 No. 4, Riddles of the Rite, accessed March 4, 2014, www.facebook.com/1419241315043637.
4 Villegas, The Grand Cross (Research Paper submitted to the Supreme Council 33° Philippines, 1st ed., June 2016). 2nd edition posted
at www.facebook.com/1894192267470196.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Article 97, Statutes of the Supreme Council, Philippines (The Supreme Council 33° Philippines, 6th ed., 2014).
8
“Traditional Observance,” The Far Eastern Freemason (2nd Quarter Issue, The Supreme Council 33° Philippines, June 2015), 18-22.
9 Arturo De Hoyos and S. Brent Morris, Is it True What They Say about Freemasonry? (Revised Edition, M. Evans, Rowman & Littlefield
Publishing Group, Inc., 2010), 11.
10 Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (The Supreme Council, 33° SJ, USA, 1872),
819.
11 Henry Coil, Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia (Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., 1961, 1996), s.v. “Pike, Albert.”
12 “The Problems with Morals and Dogma: An Unabashed Literary Book Review,” The Journal of the Masonic Society (Issue 29, The
Masonic Society, USA, Summer 2015), 10-13.
13 Pike, Morals and Dogma, iii.
14 Ibid, iv.
15 Villegas, Rectificat: Inconsistencies found in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Lodges of Perfection in the Philippines (Research
Paper submitted to the Supreme Council 33° Philippines, 1st ed., June 2015).
16 “The Feast Day of the Chapter of Rose Croix,” The Far Eastern Freemason (2nd Quarter Issue, The Supreme Council 33° Philippines,
2017).
17 “The Quest for the Royal Secret,” The Far Eastern Freemason (4th Quarter Issue, The Supreme Council 33° Philippines, December
2016), 27.
18 No. 6, Riddles of the Rite, accessed March 20, 2014, www.facebook.com/1419238988377203.
19 “How to Prepare your own Masonic Last Will and Testament,” The Far Eastern Freemason, (1st Quarter Issue, The Supreme Council
33° Philippines, March 2016), 33-34.
20 Ibid, 32.
21 The Inner Sanctuary, Part IV: The Book of the Holy House (The Supreme Council, 33° SJ, USA, 1884), 475.
22 Trevor McKeown, “Masonic Myths”, accessed April 1, 2017, www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/masonic_myths.html.
23 Article XV, Section 9, Statutes of the Supreme Council, SJ, USA (Revised and Approved, The Supreme Council 33° SJ, USA, August 2011).
24 No. 8, Riddles of the Rite, accessed March 27, 2014, www.facebook.com/1419238981710537.
25 “The Quest for the Royal Secret,” The Far Eastern Freemason (4th Quarter Issue), 27.
26 “Lessons and Revelations,” The Far Eastern Freemason (1st Quarter Issue, The Supreme Council 33° Philippines, March 2014), 30.
27 George Marshall, Jr., “A Brief History of the Formation of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar,” Knight Templar Magazine, Vol.
LXII, No. 6 (Grand Encampment of Knights Templar USA, June 2016), 8. Access at https://issuu.com/knightstemplar/docs/0616.
28 Villegas, Feast of Kadosh: The Book of Adopted Ceremonies (Research Paper submitted to the Supreme Council 33° Philippines, 1st ed.,
November 2016).
29 No. 5, Riddles of the Rite, accessed March 8, 2014, www.facebook.com/1419241321710303.
30 “The Formation of the Rite,” History of the A&ASR (Supreme Council of Scotland), accessed November 23, 2016,
www.supremecouncilforscotland.org/history.html.
31 “History of the Rite” taken from Bent Morris’ The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry, accessed November 23, 2016,
www.scottishrite.org/about/history.
32 Ibid.
33 Pike, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: The Constitutions and Regulations of 1762; Statutes and Regulations of
Perfection, and Other Degrees; Vera Instituta Secreta et Fundamenta Ordinis of 1786; The Secret Constitutions of the 33° (Masonic
Publishing Company, New York, 1871-1872).
34 “The Quest for the Royal Secret,” The Far Eastern Freemason (4th Quarter Issue), 39.
35 De Hoyos, The Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide (3rd Ed. Revised and Enlarged, The Supreme Council, 33° SJ, USA, 2000), 104.

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