Are you thinking about your next step in freemasonry? Around the world, the second largest order after the Craft is the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, consisting of thirty-three degrees. In England and Wales it is known as the Ancient and Accepted Rite, and is often referred to as ‘Rose Croix’, because candidates join at the 18th degree, which has the formal title Prince Rose Croix of Heredom.
Building on what you have learnt in the three Craft degrees and the Royal Arch, the 18° ceremony considers the principles of brotherly love, relief and truth through deeper philosophical and spiritual teachings, guiding candidates towards a greater understanding of themselves and their connection to the universe. It is a ceremony unlike any other in freemasonry, and is often described by candidates as their most profound experience since Initiation.
As the Royal Arch draws on themes from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), so the 18° draws upon various books of the New Testament, but you no longer have to be a Christian in order to join: the Order is now open to all Master Masons who will be of at least six months’ standing at the time of their ‘Perfection’, as the joining ceremony is known. The ritual uses the life and teachings of Jesus to illustrate masonic virtues, which Christians will recognise as the basis of their own faith, but these virtues are shared by all the major world religions and the teachings are of contemporary relevance to all, regardless of their faith.
Most Rose Croix chapters meet only three times a year, so membership is not a significant addition to your current masonic commitments, and the dues are among the lowest of any masonic Order. The regalia of the 18° consists only of a beautiful collar and jewel.
Interested? To find out more, please contact Lindsay (Taff) Hill, District Recorder of the District of Worcestershire at taff.hill@yahoo.co.uk , and he will be delighted to give you further details.