Reprints of Old Rituals [Paperback]

Albert Pike (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1996

In 1879 Albert Pike, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, prepared and authorized for sale a collection of books 'for general distribution." Among these was also a collection of rituals, virtually unknown today. These included: 1) Degree of Master Mark Mason, being the work of the Grand Council of Princes of Jerusalem of South Carolina, and the oldest work extent anywhere; 2) The Wigan Ritual, of the Early Grand Encampment. 3) Grade, Mark Mason, Passed Master, and Royal Arch, Rite Ancient Maconnerie D'York. [Were originally translated from English into French, and used in the French West Indies in 1795.]; 4) Knights Templar, former English Ritual. 5) Grand Maitre Ecossais or Scottish Elder Master and Knight of St. Andrew, being the Fourth Degree of Ramsey. 6) Old Ceremony of Royal Arch Exaltation. This new book includes ALL of the above rituals in one volume. These rituals have become some of the scarcest items ever printed by the Supreme Council. Original copies now sell for between US $60 and US $100 each. All of these rituals are extremely important, each for unique reasons. The Master Mark Mason and Wigan Rituals are, for example, early, little-known versions of these degrees; the former lacking much of the Christian symbolism present today, and the latter (supplied by John Yarker), differing significantly from the current ritual. The MaConnerie D'Yorke rituals were obtained in New Orleans, and contain a wealth of historical information relative to their use, including references to Joseph Cerneau, who had long troubled the Southern Jurisdiction by his irregular branch the Scottish Rite. The 'former" English Knights Templar ritual appears to be the authorized revision of 1851, upon which the current ritual is based. The Grand Maitre Ecossais degree is an Hermetic degree which contends that the essential 'secret" of Freemasonry is the Alchemical transmutation of the initiate

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Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564599833
• ISBN-13: 978-1564599834
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,311,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the good stuff., March 25, 2002

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jobu_pks (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reprints of Old Rituals (Paperback)

With so many lodges/chapters/commanderies/valleys changing or adapting ritual to make it more interesting or less time consuming, degree candidates are more beholden than ever to the brothers who confer their degrees. What changes were made? What's been left out? Has the ritual been adapted faithfully? This book will answer those questions. The price isn't bad considering that Masonic books tend to be a bit expensive.