Degrees of the Scottish Rite

The teachings of the Scottish Rite are a series of instructions in ancient religions, philosophy, ethics, morals, history and mythology, taught by means of allegory and symbol. The purpose of every Masonic degree, and of every rite, is to encourage the individual search for knowledge. The degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite also depict man’s search for truth. The structure of the Scottish Rite is progressive, expressed through the lessons learned; yet the virtues contained in one degree are neither greater nor more dominant than those of another.

The degrees of the Scottish Rite are considered among the most dramatic and most instructive of all Masonic rites. They originate from a fertile period in the creation of Masonic ritual. It is known that French and German Masons, influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, created additional degrees appended to Craft Masonry. Several of these evolved into the so-called high degrees, which expand the lessons and symbols of ancient Craft Masonry.

BODIES OF THE RITE

From the Lodge of Perfection to the 33°

4°–14°

Lodge of Perfection

The first body of the Scottish Rite to receive a Master Mason is called the Lodge of Perfection. Within it are conferred the degrees from 4° to 14°, known as the Degrees of Perfection. The last among them, the Perfect Elu, is the symbol of a man who has completed the work of inner building and become a temple to the Creator Himself. In ancient times these degrees were also called the Ineffable Degrees, for in their original form they referred to the Name of the Great Architect of all worlds, reminding every Brother of His omnipresence.

15°–18°

Chapter of Rose Croix

The second body of the Scottish Rite confers the degrees from 15° to 18° and is known as the Chapter of Rose Croix. The name refers to the ancient symbol of the rose flowering upon the cross — a sign of sacrifice, renewal and consecration. In its outward meaning it speaks of self-sacrifice and suffering for the sake of humanity, of one who consents to suffer so that he may bring light to others. But in its deeper, esoteric sense, the rose springing from the wood of the cross represents the soul that blossoms through suffering — the eternal alchemical mystery of transformation, where pain becomes fragrance and thorns become a crown.

19°–30°

Council of Kadosh

The third body of the Scottish Rite, known as the Council of Kadosh, confers the degrees from 19° to 30°. Kadosh is a Hebrew word. It has several meanings: pure, bright, consecrated, and the like. In its ultimate sense it points to the Holy Place and to Makadosh, meaning temple. Thus the title Knight Kadosh may be read as Knight of the Temple — Knight Templar, from the Latin word templum, which likewise means temple.

31°–32°

Consistory

The last, fourth body of the Scottish Rite, known as the Consistory, confers the 31st and the 32nd — the last degree received through ritual work and personal advancement. Before the ritual revisions carried out in the nineteenth century by Albert Pike, the final degree of the Scottish Rite bore the name Prince of the Royal Secret. It was later renamed Master of the Royal Secret, to express more clearly the philosophy of the Order — that a man should not merely know the Secret, but master it: become the master of himself and of the lessons he has learned through all the degrees of Masonry.

The Royal Secret is not a word that can be spoken, nor a hidden formula. He who becomes a Master of the Royal Secret has brought his light and his shadow into harmony, turned conflict into balance, and thus become a bridge between wisdom and action. In him the Temple is completed and the Word found again — not upon stone, but in a heart that knows that truth is always threefold: in the thought that seeks, in the deed that builds, and in the silence that understands.

33°

The Thirty-Third and Last Degree

The Thirty-third Degree holds a unique place in the hierarchy of the Scottish Rite. It is the crown of the pyramid, the flame at the top of the candlestick, the completion of the path by which a Brother passes through all the preceding degrees in search of the Light that never sets. This degree does not belong to the regular course of initiation: it is not sought, not examined for, nor can it be won by work in the workshop. It is bestowed — as a sign of recognition, as an acknowledgement of merit and of service.

In the early days of the Order this degree bore the title of Sovereign Grand Inspector General and was reserved for the nine elect who formed the Supreme Council of each jurisdiction. Around 1816 the Supreme Council of France enlarged the number of members holding the 33°, and the Mother Supreme Council of the World — the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction — did the same in 1857, when certain Masons of New Orleans were received as honorary members, without legislative or voting rights. Their title became known as Inspector General Honorary — a mark of recognition, but also a bequest of responsibility.

To be crowned with the Thirty-third Degree is not a mere honour — it is the historical and spiritual fulfilment of the whole Scottish Rite. It is the moment in which the Apprentice, the Fellow, the Master and the Knight merge into one: a man who knows, believes and acts. For this reason it is called the thirty-third and last degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasons.