A summary of the lower degrees, as told to 32nd degree Masons

I put only the interesting degrees.

In the 32nd degree the master of the lodge plays the role of Frederick II, King of Prussia

1st degree: you, as a man, have no resources other than physical strength ... subjugated and struggling towards freedom, blinded by superstition, destitute of knowledge, defenseless and with the chains of despotism around you.

2nd degree: labor is necessary and holy ... Man percieves that to supply his physical wants, his organs are but the instruments of intellect, the expanision of which, or knowledge alone, can constitute him a freeman and a king over creation

3rd degree: our inviolable destiny is death ... and immortality of the soul.

9th degree: we should not take the law into our own hands. The interests of society require that the administration of justice be entrusted to certain number of pure and upright men. Masonry discountenances all acts of violence.

10th degree: It does not consist with good society that all should pretend to be in command. Administration of order, or the executive power, or the judicial power, must be confided to a few of the wisest and most experienced of the citizens.

11th degree: laws which are to govern a community must be elaborated, or legislative power exercised, by the most able and honest citizens, and that to such men only it belongs, to represent the people in the legislative assemblies, there to maintain the rights and freedom of the people.

12th degree: by labor alone can we attain happiness. A true Mason will never cease to labor, to make more complete the condition of his brethren.

13th degree: study is the only way to draw nearer to the Heavenly Father, and practicing true religion, the object of which is to attain a knowledge of the perfections and unbound munificence of God, and thereby become more perfect by imitating his kindness in our relations with our brethren.

15th degree: hope and faith in the new Era which dawns, when men will be emancipated from dead forms and ceremonies.

16th degree: every religion must eventually crumble to pieces. The Masonry of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, founded on the simple and pure doctrine of love, toleration and reason, must be eternal, because it is true and a reality.

18th degree: illustrates, by example, the truth of the doctrine of accumulation of intellectual wealth by inheritance, for in it are exhibited ... sublime truths ... uttered by all former intellects, whose names, shining in the past, are so many resplendent proofs of the perfectability of mankind ... in the sublime teachings of the Master from Nazareth. ... The degree is open to men of all creeds, who believe in the fundamental doctrines of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Masonry. ... if error be combatted, with no other weapons than those of Masonry, the total regeneration of humanity will come in God's good time.

19th degree: we must bridge the abyss that divides us from our brethren ... and win them over to us ... we must ... bring about the reign of peace, harmony and science.

20th degree: those who tread upon and live by the propagation of false creeds, may not defeat our plans for the emancipation of human intellect.

21st degree: strive earnestly to learn the means necessary ... to raise man to the consciouness of what he is, and will soon become; what he ought to be.

22nd degree: you ... need to be ever watchful and always on the alert, to bar the way of entrance against sectarianism.

23rd degree: after firmly establishing the Ancient and Accepted Rite, we should profoundly study the doctrine of the master from Nazareth.

24th degree: teaches how arduous is the task of a true Mason, who endeavors to oppose sectarianism, for the sectarian will always obstinately maintain his own, narrow and exclusive creed, as the absolute and only truth and ... hold a large portion of mankind in bondage.

25th degree: maintain the doctrine of liberty, equality and fraternity, as the only means ... to repel and defeat the encroachments of idle theorists and kingly and priestly usurpers.

26th degree: a sincere and lasting alliance may be effected between the three intellectual classes of men: disciple of natural law and philosophy; those of the law of Moses and other ancient faiths; and those who follow the doctrine of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, or the law taught by the Grand Master from Nazareth. However crude, defective or erroneous men's opinions may be, they will always listen to the voice of mercy, benevolence and affection.

27th degree: the noblest reward ... of [the] champion of universal peace and toleration; who has aided the fraternity to overcome and annihilate all forumlas that stood in his way, will be to enjoy the fruits of his toil, among those who were once divided ...

28th degree: the ultimate result of the doctrine ... is that mankind are at last to become one single peaceful family, whose father and head is the eternal God, infinite in love.

30th degree: organize that army of tried and veteran Masons ... and cause these usurpers to tremble, like the Babylonian king, when an awful hand wrote the word of judgment on the wall of his banquet chamber.

Well I beg to disagree. Having,myself been through all 32 degrees, you missed two the critical degrees, which lead meto believe you either have not have these degrees conferred upon you or your view of SR Masonry is vastly different from my own, which is ok. However, from your post, my instinct leads me to believe the former, and this is a cut and paste job.

Just my 2cents worth

reply to post by dredz

The OP is not a Mason. I have not been through the Scottish Rite, but as a Master I can tell you I have a much different interpretation of the first 3 degrees and to that which leads into the York Rite.

reply to post by dredz


I think the 14th and the 31st were the two that made the most impact on me at the time.

I do not know what is going on here. I logged on and had a meesage saying that an off topic post was removed from this thread. I do not know how my post got on your thread. I do not even know what the post was about. I am confused as all can be here. I did not even read your thread. What the heck is going on, on ATS?

I appologize to the op.

Well whatever was cut out of the OP, it just confirms what I always thought and what a Mason friend of mine told me, that there's no secrets or cover ups, just that Masonry exists to believe in an all powerful being similar to the Christian God and to try and do as much good to help others as possible.

Shame the theories still abound about them though.

reply to post by vcwxvwligen


I do the Master's part in the ritual of the 32°. The Master in that degree does not represent Frederick.

I would argue that the summaries given tend not to have anything to do with the degrees that they are supposedly associated with. For accurate summaries, see Hutchens' "A Bridge To Light".

reply to post by dredz


Which degrees are those, I will look them up?

This is quoted from the 32nd degree initiation in a book I have, it's not my own personal interpretation.

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

What book is that?

The masonic/secret societies mystery of mysteries,not so secret anymore,occurs between 3/11 thur 3/12 2011With all the planets,stars,moon /religious characters taking to the skies All over the world.you will witness rising in the sky all the "people" in the religious stories being planets,stars,comet,and moon configurations.Go to Stellarium during 3/11-3/12 2011 dim the atmosphere(Adams Spear ) and sun(sons/saviors/gods,heroes and witness the virgin mothers/goddesses(milky way)giving birth to them from the four cardinal points anywhere in the world.In the Mideastern religions the date is 3/12 2011 at 22:33:any seconds,see my other posts(newbie)cant thread yet, for more details.You have been thawed from a frozen 32 degrees to a warmer,more tolerance 33 degrees.This is the global warming TPTB are scared off ..99.999 % media news is on ground,look down,look down,.0001 % news about the start of all calenders and religious beings/stories are tied to these celestial events.Right About Yesterday the pope and all other "religious" figures are shaking and hoping the chemtrails will keep trying to hide this once in a progression/lifetime event 3/11 thur 3/12 2011.Go to China during this time stand in the right direction with the planets view as a long serpent/dragon and with the buttons watch the moon ride along the out stretching serpents/dragons back and back to china's starting point of their myths and legends and calender.In south america during this time in the four cardinal points the Olmec,Incas,Mayans,Aztecs religious heroes appearing as planets,stars,moon comets telling their religious stories The comet Elinin is the astronomical/religious Elijah appearing before Jesus and or Ra the sun/son rises/is born in the sky again on 3/12 2011 22:33:any seconds in the eastern sky under the milky way mother.Prophets are the comets in the religious texts.

reply to post by admiralvenderfry

I must not have gotten the memo on the secret occurring between 11th and 12th of March. I will be traveling, but I'm sure I could take some time to watch the skies.