Knights Templar or Scottish Rite

So, of all of you Masons beyond the 3rd degree, which paths have you chosen (if any) afterward and why?

Both?

What are you gaining by progressing on your path? Knowledge? Guidance? History?

I am leaning towards the Knights Templar myself but I am interested in learning more on each path.

Who cares to share?

The York Rite contains the original 4th degree and the histories of the templars. The Scottish Rite contains a lot of middle east history and the 4th degree does get included along the way.

Originally posted by ATSluvDroid
So, of all of you Masons beyond the 3rd degree, which paths have you chosen (if any) afterward and why?

Both?

What are you gaining by progressing on your path? Knowledge? Guidance? History?

I am leaning towards the Knights Templar myself but I am interested in learning more on each path.

Who cares to share?

I've personally enjoyed both the so-called "York Rite" and the Scottish Rite. I don't care a lot about the Council (Royal & Select Masters) or the Commandery (Knights Templar) ...although they're nice degrees/Orders. But I really like the Royal Arch Degree as well as the Mark Master Degree.

My personal love however is the Scottish Rite. I'm a member in the Southern Jurisdiction where Albert Pike revised the rituals and added a LOT of lectures and readings which make it quite interesting to me, so I've put most of my Masonic effort (outside the Symbolic Lodge) into the Scottish Rite. So much so, that in 2001 I was quite humbled to be invested as a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor. KCCH is, of course, not a degree, but, it, too is a beautiful impressive ceremony, meant to remind the S.R. Mason of his duties as a Mason and member of the community.

Just my two cents.

Fraternally,

-John

Originally posted by FreeMason
The York Rite contains the original 4th degree and the histories of the templars. The Scottish Rite contains a lot of middle east history and the 4th degree does get included along the way.

I would say that the Templars' history and Middle Eastern history are inextricably intertwined, at least until the fall of Jerusalem. The Templars made pretty much their whole career fighting Muslims in the middle East until they were driven out.

I don't know about the different Rites, I only know that between 1100 - 1300 AD the real Templars constantly had a presence in the Middle East, as do the organizations that claim to be descended from them today.

Well, probably most will follow the lodge that they joined. A few may go in both directions if both are available in their area. I am lucky to have both in my area. My lodge is part of the Grand Lodge of Scotland so, we have the York rite and luckily my lodge itself is authorized to give the Mark Mason degree. The only problem is that for the higher degrees, I would have to take a two hour bullet train ride. But, there is an American Lodge close that follows the Scottish Rite, so maybe one day I may or may not go in that direction. Probably most will just go with what their lodge follows. If they are lucky to have both available in their area then they may follow both after getting started in their own first. I will follow this path as well. First, I will follow the York Rite, then may do the Scottish rite later on in my Masonic development.

Originally posted by JCMinJapan
Well, probably most will follow the lodge that they joined. A few may go in both directions if both are available in their area. I am lucky to have both in my area. My lodge is part of the Grand Lodge of Scotland so, we have the York rite and luckily my lodge itself is authorized to give the Mark Mason degree. The only problem is that for the higher degrees, I would have to take a two hour bullet train ride. But, there is an American Lodge close that follows the Scottish Rite, so maybe one day I may or may not go in that direction. Probably most will just go with what their lodge follows. If they are lucky to have both available in their area then they may follow both after getting started in their own first. I will follow this path as well. First, I will follow the York Rite, then may do the Scottish rite later on in my Masonic development.

So does the Blue lodge a man belongs to generally encourage it's members to go one way or the other? I know, like you said it depends on geographical availability, but I didn't realize that the Blue lodge would lean one way or the other.

You are not presented with a menu that says "either/or".

Surely Freemasonry is more the McDonalds (ooh a Scottish reference) of secret societies, but where some time after your burger has digested the questions are asked: "Would you like fries with that?" "What about an apple pie?"

Although the lessons of Freemasonry have much more fibre than the non-food of the world's leading franchise.

One of my favorite side orders is the Secret Monitor.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
You are not presented with a menu that says "either/or".

Surely Freemasonry is more the McDonalds (ooh a Scottish reference) of secret societies, but where some time after your burger has digested the questions are asked: "Would you like fries with that?" "What about an apple pie?"

Although the lessons of Freemasonry have much more fibre than the non-food of the world's leading franchise.

One of my favorite side orders is the Secret Monitor.

Nicely put, thank you. But some people I suppose would have the pie, then the fries, right? I mean, would the clerk automatically offer fries first?

What would you suggest?

I suggest any order at all (we are only bound to have savoury before sweet because of stupid western traditions), but stopping short of Mr Creosote's approach to menu selection.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
I suggest any order at all (we are only bound to have savoury before sweet because of stupid western traditions), but stopping short of Mr Creosote's approach to menu selection.

I think I will biggie size mine as well...

Um, I think I'm getting ahead of myself, though, because I haven't even gotten in the door yet. I've been standing outside smelling the food for quite some time now, and am becoming quite hungry.

I have only to open the door...

Everytime I meet for study I always try and get info out of my mentor. hehe

I throw stuff at him regarding different topics and sometimes I almost get hiim to say things. He knows what Im doing and it's kind of a joke between us.

I really want to learn more about the Knights Templar. Something about them....

I have had dreams of the Knights Templar (as crazy as it sounds) coming out of the clouds down to me. But it was freakish.

I have lots of very wierd dreams. Most of which have come after joining Masonry, not that it means anything. Very vivid dreams. Some have been very far into the future. Some have been of alien invasions. My most recent was:

I was overlooking a small town of people from afar on top a mountain or something. The couds began rumbling and changing into darkness only to reveal this huge black reaper like being who then split into 4 or 5 smaller versions of itself. Each one began chasing after people killing them.

The wierd thing about my dreams is, from the huge horsement (Knights Templar based from what I remember of their clothing), these reapers and other dreams, for some reason whatever it is in my dreams ends up coming toward me and I wake up.

I guess the point to all of this is, if I can find out more about what I think these dreams are for, I may unlock doors to my own conscious mind and more importantly my own energetic history. Learning more about the Knights Templar and trying to figure out why they would come out of the clouds in a quartet, seperate into different directions and then send one down to me.

Are dreams merely a recap of where your soul once traveled? Or is goign to travel into the future?

I believe that Masonry may provide at least some insight into things like this....

Maybe Im just a little loopy. lol

I just read this book about them, I thought it was really good. It's more about their role in the crusades, but it does go into a little of what they were doing when they were brought down. I found it to be a really good read, almost more like an adventure novel that is historically correct (supposedly, I cannot base a judgement on one book).

check it out here


There is a whole lot of books on amazon.com about them, but your library depending on where you live (city vs. country) probably has several.

Hope this helps. BTW, the Masonic Knights Templar are not connected to the original Templars, as far as I know. I don't think they claim to be.

Here is the Masonic Templars' website:

www.knightstemplar.org...

Your dreams sound very interesting... I myself never have been a vivid dreamer. Do you have any thoughts on what could be the meanings behind them?



[edit on 8/5/04 by The Axeman]

Originally posted by ATSluvDroid
I am leaning towards the Knights Templar myself but I am interested in learning more on each path.

Who cares to share?

There are actually Templar degrees in both Rites. The Order of Malta and Order of the Temple in the York Rite, and 27�, 29�, 30�, and 33� in the Scottish Rite are variations on the Templar legend. You will find that many active Masons are members of both Rites.

Fiat Lvx.

I really dont know what my dreams mean.

I know my mother has always had dreams that came true. Plane crashes and things like that. Very vivid. She used to tell me about them every now and then.

When I was a kid I was very empathic. I could honestly meet someone and within 30 seconds be able to tell them all about their lives, things that happened to them etc. Anytime I was near someone who was crying I would feel their emotions and cry myself.

Anymore, I just have dreams. They aren't very often, but when I have them they are very vivid and have a strong impact. I have had dreams of flight where I would wake up in a daze and feel the back of my head near the base of my neck almost tingling and warm. I would wake up feeling as though I could control my own flight but the more awake I would get, the feeling and warmth would disipate.

I don't even know if my experiences are all that uncommon. I have varied beliefs however and do believe that as the eyes are the windows to the soul, I beleive the energy within our bodies allowing our hearts to pump and minds to think as being the soul. all containing our conscious states of thought, of which can never be destroyed, only placed elsewhere or reused. So, if there are such as thing as past lives or looking into the future, I believe it would stemp from our dreams where the boundaries of our physical realities play no role and leave us as able as our souls would be without being hindred by the physical mass containing them.

Sorry bout all the typos. People are trying to chat with me on AIM as I type this stuff and it messes my train of thought and spelling up. lol

Originally posted by Masonic Light

There are actually Templar degrees in both Rites. The Order of Malta and Order of the Temple in the York Rite, and 27�, 29�, 30�, and 33� in the Scottish Rite are variations on the Templar legend. You will find that many active Masons are members of both Rites.

Fiat Lvx.

When and if I ever get into it I will definitely go for everything I can. I don't think you can get as much out of it if you don't experience everything. It's all terribly interesting to me.