Originally posted by lucysadvocate
I've heard something about the book going into the thirty third degree and exposing drinking wine from a human skull, is this in the
book?
Yes, it's in the book. And no, it's not actually done in the 33°. It used to be part of the Cerneau ritual, which was deemed
"irregular" in the 1880s. In Chris Hodapp's book
Deciphering the Lost Symbol he writes
The specific ceremony described by Brown in the
prologue of The Lost Symbol was adapted from a sensationalized exposé, Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated, published in 1887 by the
Reverend John Blanchard. Blanchard's description of the 33° has been repeated by many anti-Masonic authors over the years, even though it is not
accurate. In his description, not only do 33°s drink from skulls, the lodge room is strewn with skeletons, and the candidate has skeletons thrust
upon him in scenes more reminiscent of nineteenth-century Odd Fellows rituals.
Brown's use of Blanchard's imagery is surprising in light of the glowing comments he has made about Masonry since the publication of The Lost
Symbol. In a recent interview with the Associate Press he said:
"I have enormous respect for the Masons. In the most fundamental terms, with different cultures killing each other over whose version of God is
correct, here is a worldwide organization that essentially says, "We don't care what you call God, or what you think about God, only that you
believe in a god and let's all stand together as brothers and look in the same direction.""
It could just be that Brown was taking poetic license and making Masonic ritual seem spookier than it is. Or he could be intentionally avoiding the
exact wording out of respect, so as not to reveal the precise details of Masonic ceremonies. Or he simply got them wrong.
— Chris Hodapp, Deciphering the Lost Symbol, pp 33-34
A lot of people may misinterpret it but It might be a real good public relations campaign might spark a lot of interest if it's framed in the
correct manner in a fair manner