History - S.R.I.C. - Societas Rosicruciana in Canada

The Ancient and Accepted (Scottish) Rite

March 28, 2022April 30, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada

The Ancient and Accepted (and frequently termed ‘Scottish’) Rite is a large collection of philosophical degrees collated into a single progressive rite, with expression internationally. There is much history to the Rite, and much variation within the practice of this across the world.¹

Scottish or ‘Eccossais’ Masonry

The first mention of ‘Scotch’ masonry appears to be in 1733. The association between a Scottish origin of this more philosophic and Kabbalistic theme in masonry appears to be based in the Jacobite politics of the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries, and most especially in the masonry that was practiced in France in the first half of the 18^th century.^{2 3} Chevalier Andrew Michael Ramsey, a Jacobite exile, tutor to the children of the nobility and royalty, is considered to have been the most instrumental in the early development of this movement, and is believed to be the author of a number of these earliest degrees.^{4 5} By 1740, Ramsey has developed an initial rite of 7 degrees.^{6 7 8} It has been suggested that a number were politically motivated against the English, and in support of Roman Catholicism.9 This is a complex historical area of research involving political and theological disagreement, and most especially ideological dissent, and is a subject I can only briefly touch upon here.¹⁰

Are We Our Brothers’ (And Sisters’) Keepers?

February 28, 2022April 30, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

*Peter Paul Rubens – Cain slaying Abel (Courtauld Institute)*

From the title of this paper it is obvious that it is paraphrasing a well known passage contained in the Volume of the Sacred Law, Book of Genesis, Chapter 4, Verse 9, in which the Lord calls Cain to account for his brother Abel’s whereabouts. The answer, as we know, is one of defiance. In the words of the King James version of the Holy Bible it is the familiar response: “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” The more modern Living Bible puts it into these words: “How should I know?… Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?”

The Greatest Organization on Earth

February 21, 2022April 30, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

I believe that I belong to the greatest organization on earth, a brotherhood of men with the sole purpose of creating better men for a better world, who sees God’s creation as a masterpiece and that each one of us is connected to everything else in the Universe…to each other, to the plants and to all of the creatures of the earth and beyond.

We recognize our relationship to everything and that eternity isn’t a place where we go after we die—but eternity is here, now and forever. We believe that everyone is equal—regardless of our race, our creed, our gender, our economic status or our sexual orientation. Our lives are precious—all life is precious and that the Kingdom of Heaven, Nirvana, Cosmic Consciousness, Atonement, Enlightenment—whatever you call it—isn’t a place beyond us, but it is within us.

The Great Dissension (or Schism)

February 17, 2022April 30, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

*The School of Athens by Raphael (1509–1510), fresco at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City.*

Address by Wor. Bro. E. J. E. McLagan, member of the Hobart Lodge of Research, 21st. July, 1967.

I now address the issue of the Great Dissension, which occurred in the 18th Century, culminating in Freemasonry in England being divided into two factions bitterly opposed to each other.

These rivals became known as the “Antients” who formed a rival Grand Lodge in 1751, and the “Moderns”, who loyally adhered to the original Grand Lodge constituted in 1717.

Until comparatively recently the “Antients” have been apt to be described as “Seceders” or “Schismatics”, but both terms are quite unjustified seeing that not one of the first dissidents belonged to any lodge under the jurisdiction of the Premier Grand Lodge, and also that their ritual and customs differed scarcely at all from those of their Scottish and Irish Brethren, whose Grand Lodges, as we shall see later, were to recognize the so-called “Antients” as the Grand Lodge of England.

Why “Ancient, Free and Accepted”

March 5, 2017April 30, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

We are told, in the ceremony of investiture in the first degree, that our order is “more ancient than the G-F- or R-E-“. In actual fact, Freemasonry dates back to time immemorial, and still draws men to it by its fundamental truths.

But when we call ourselves “Ancient, Free and Accepted”, we do not necessarily mean that our order is “old”. Much of our ritual is legendary and the Hiramic legend is not based on historical fact. Actually, it has very little value as a story, since it merely tells of a tragedy which has been repeated in various forms in the long history of mankind. Its true value is derived from the lessons which are taught and the moral precepts it contains.

Amos, What Seest Thou?

October 7, 2016February 18, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

In all the Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana (and many other Grand Jurisdictions) the VOSL is open at the Seventh Chapter of Amos in the FC Degree.

Why do we do this?

This practice is not universal, but ours has the sanctity of long use and sacredness. Also, since one of the working tools of a FC is the Plumb, it is appropriate to open the Bible at the story about the plumb line of God. What do we really know about this man, the prophet Amos? Do we know why the God called him to deliver His message of judgment to His people of Israel?

Solomon received from his father, David, a powerful empire. During his latter years it began to fall apart. Expensive building projects sapped the strength and loyalty of native Israelites. As the adjoining nations saw the opportunity to assert their independence they did so and Solomon was unable to prevent the disintegration of the empire.

Before Solomon’s death, the Aramaeans had severed themselves from his kingdom, and shortly after the succession by Rehoboam, a further split took place. With this breakdown of the monarchy, subject states declared their independence so that the territory once ruled by David became divided into autonomous units. That portion of Solomon’s empire north of Mount Hermon, extending as far as the Euphrates, revolted and formed the kingdom of Syria, with Damascus as its capital. South of Syria was the kingdom of the ten tribes, known as Israel, or the Northern Kingdom, with its capital at Shechem. The Northern Kingdom included the larger portion of Palestine proper, an area of about 9,400 square miles. The kingdom of Judah included the tribe of that name, a portion of Benjamin, and Simeon, which had been incorporated earlier into Judah. Kings of the Davidic line reigned over Judah until the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (587 B.C.).

Advancing to the Altar

July 22, 2016April 30, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

The first degree lecture tells us that the E- A- degree is intended symbolically to represent the entrance of man into the world in which he is afterwards to become a living and thinking factor. It is not until the ( ?) receives the second degree lecture that he is told of the second of the two great Ps – one on the left of the entrance of the T – and one on the right, and he learns of the W-S, consisting of three, five and seven steps.

Symbolically, he leaves the outer world of ignorance and darkness when he passes those Ps and begins his Masonic life by ascending the first three steps of the W -So. In all three degrees the (?) is instructed how to advance to the altar. These steps are full of symbolism.

In the first degree, the (?) is instructed to advance to the altar by three irregular steps of about 15, 12 and 9 inches respectively. Later he is told that these steps were necessarily irregular, he not knowing where he was going. To the thoughtful Mason, these three steps have great depth of meaning.

A Charge for the Festival of St. John

June 23, 2016February 18, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

The Charge

Brethren; Being this day, by your choice, exalted into the chair, it is the fervent wish of my heart to render myself as little undeserving as possible of this distinguished honour: many important has a Master of the Lodge to perform.

To give instruction is one: I do not, however, presume upon any special abilities to dictate to my brethren; yet I think it incumbent upon me, whilst I have the honour to sit in this chair, on this and all other occasional festivities, and indeed my office requires it of me, to exhort you to consider the nature of our institution, and to remind you of the duties it prescribes.

These duties are very various and important, and have this day, I doubt not, been expatiated upon in many places by reverend brethren in the solemn Temple.

Our order instructs us in our duty to the great Artificer of the Universe; directs us to behave as becomes the creatures of their Creator; to be satisfied with his dispensations, and always to rely upon Him, whose wisdom cannot mistake our happiness, whose goodness cannot contradict it.

2016 Lecture – Searching for the Apple Tree: What Happened in 1716?

June 17, 2016 by LVX-SRIC

Prof. Andrew Prescott Professor of Digital Humanities, University of Glasgow Andrew Prescott is Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Glasgow. He is also Theme Leader Fellow for the ‘Digital Transformations’ strategic theme of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the major funder of advanced research in the humanities in the UK. Andrew trained as a medieval … Read more

The General Charge as the Ceremony of Installation: The Address to the Brethren

June 6, 2016February 18, 2022 by LVX-SRIC

It is possible that some brethren would be interested to know where the ceremony of installation came from. Most of it is done exactly as it was in England two hundred years ago. If you were to visit in an English Lodge when the Master is installed, nearly the whole thing would be familiar to you. There is one notable exception, one piece of ritual that was “made in Canada”, that is the General Charge, or Address or Charge to the Brethren delivered to the Lodge at the conclusion of the ceremony. I do not know if you have ever listened to it carefully.

It comes at the end of a long evening when you may be tired, and for that reason it is often abbreviated – and rightly so if the work is running late. In it entirety, it is magnificent and contains the very essence of Masonry.