ROSE CROIX - 18TH DEGREE

Rose Croix     ORDER OF THE SECRET MONITOR     ROYAL ARCH     GOLD COAST DAYLIGHT    

The Chapter meets at 7.00 p.m. (Queensland time) in the Burleigh Masonic Temple in First Avenue, Burleigh Heads on the first Thursday in the months of February, May (Enthronement), August and November.  Summer dress is worn at all meetings.

More information at the Website of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Australia

BURLEIGH SOVEREIGN CHAPTER ROSE CROIX NO 158

"The Supreme Council 33° of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Australia"

The petition for the creation of this Chapter was dated 4 February 1969 and was forwarded to the Supreme Council in England which was the governing body in those days, through the good offices of Most Ill Bro Leo G Catt 33° who was the Inspector General.  This was duly approved and the Chapter was consecrated on 30 August 1969, the first Most Wise Sovereign being Eric Barton Louttit.  When the Australian Supreme Council was formed the Chapter came under its jurisdiction.  There were 19 original petitioners.  Since then the number of members has varied both up and down.  At present there are 31 members who are –

 Understanding the Ritual - excerpt from Tony Ferrers

A Craft Mason who seeks to join the Ancient and Accepted Rite of the Rose Croix must have had conferred on him the three Craft degrees and subscribe to the Holy and Undivided Trinity stating that he believes in and professes the Trinitarian Faith. He must also be in good standing with his Craft Lodge. The ritual of the Mason joining the Rose Croix confers upon him the 18°, the intervening fourteen degrees being conferred by name.

I wrote an article entitled "Understanding the Ritual" that appeared in the Australian Rite Newsletter of April 2000. It reads with some amendments -

I tend to think that all Freemasons of whatever rank and whatever Order pay much more attention to learning the ritual by heart rather than to making the import of its content meaningful to them. In my view, if that is true to any extent, it is a great pity. After all, the reason for any degree is to convey a message and to illustrate a truth through the medium of an allegory and its symbols. In support of this let me quote some words from the 18° ritual:

a.. (The Fourth) degree teaches us to observe secrecy, silent and discretion.

b.. (The Seventh) degree teaches that we should practise moderation and temperance and give every man his due.

c.. The lessons of (the Eleventh) degree are that we must be faithful in the school of life, not to labour purely for ourselves, but for the welfare of all those with whom we come into contact.

d.. (The Fifteenth) degree teaches us perseverance in the face of difficulty.

From my observations over the years, on leaving the Lodge rooms, we leave the degree behind us as we make for the conviviality of the South and the good fellowship always found there.

I should like to pass on a few thoughts of my own which readers may find helpful. The A & A Rite in Australia is a Christian Order and every Prince is required to acknowledge the Trinity. This is really our starting point. From this beginning we commence our spiritual growth. Man is body, mind and spirit and to become mature, we must develop in each area: food for the body, education in its broadest sense for the mind and reflection and study for the spirit.

It is therefore not surprising that we find a number of quotations from the New Testament, all couched in the elegant prose of the King James's Authorised Version of the Bible, scattered throughout the 18° ritual. The very form of these ancient words is designed to enhance our spiritual growth. We cannot fail to be moved by them.

For instance, at one point in the ceremony the importance of faith, hope and charity is stressed as underpinning the Order of the Rose Croix. They are the virtues that bring us to the ultimate reality of meeting our Maker, the Word on which our eternal salvation must depend'. Some study of what these words mean is therefore important if we are to grow at all spiritually. The ritual acknowledges this at once by drawing on that famous passage of St Paul's first letter to his Christian friends in Corinth where he explains what love is. (1 Corinthians 13, vv 4-8). In this way the 18° ceremony is teaching us the vital importance of love in our lives and how it should dominate the conduct of ourselves. Those are tremendous words and repay careful study and meditation. That takes time, of course, but it will be time well spent.

The importance of faith, hope and charity is reinforced at another point in the ceremony as the candidate ascends the allegorical ladder. Those three virtues help him climb the lower rungs. It is not unlike Jacob's ladder, the one he saw in his dreamtime, on which the angels went up and down from earth to heaven. It is the same picture. When the candidate reaches the top of the ladder, he comes upon the Word, the ultimate reality of God, the great Emmanuel, just as Jacob saw at the top of his ladder.

Having persevered through the ceremony, he then receives his rewards, including his collar, the meaning of its embellishments having been previously explained to him. So that every time the candidate looks at his collar in future, he should be reminded of their meaning and of 'Him who is the Word', the One to be followed as we journey though life. The signs and words emphasise the centrality of God in our lives, in all that we are and all that we do.

It is often said that the Rose Croix ceremony is a beautiful one. That is true. Each one of us learns something beneficial to our spiritual development every time we have the privilege of being present. His spirit will mightily strengthen our inner man. It gives our soul life. We cannot live by bread alone.

Information about Rose Croix is available  - Please email our Recorder for any questions on the BURLEIGH SOVEREIGN CHAPTER ROSE CROIX NO 158

August 2006

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