There are many other Masonic degrees and Orders which are called "additional" because they add to the basis of the Craft and Royal Arch. They are not basic to Freemasonry but add to it further by expounding and illustrating the principles stated in the craft and Royal Arch degree.
Some of these additional degrees are numerically superior to the third degree but this does not affect the fact that they are additional to and not in any way superior to or higher than the Craft. The ranks that these degrees carry have no standing with the Craft or Royal Arch. Here is poem I have written about visiting.
Feel free to use it but please do accredit it to the author. We should not be severe, passing judgment hastily. It is an imperative duty to be just, fair, and merciful.
Universal brotherhood is the message of the Ninth Degree. All through the ages men have been seeking God, each in his own way, and have worshiped Him, each in his own tongue. A Master of the Temple is taught that God is best served by those who best serve their fellowmen and who reveal in their own lives the compassion of the Eternal.
The lesson of this degree is taken from the testament of Solomon, written by him during his latter years when he was undergoing the terrible torment of the sentence of the Lord for his transgressions. The ancient lesson of this degree insures that the violator of his obligations will not go unpunished.
The lesson of the Eleventh Degree is that the true and faithful brother sooner or later will receive his just reward. The Drama depicts an incident during the reign of King Solomon which condemns, in the strongest and most uncompromising manner, improprieties by those holding public office. It reminds us that public office is a public trust, and that public officials owe a special obligation to those whom they are chosen to serve. The purpose of the Twelfth Degree is to teach the quality of forgiveness.
Forgiveness means a spirit of compassion and a tenderness of heart which dispose a person not just to overlook the opportunity for revenge, but to cease to feel enmity or resentment toward an offender. The lesson taught in the Thirteenth Degree is that the true and faithful Brother should not be deterred by difficulties and dangers, however great, from pressing onward toward Perfection.
The Fourteenth Degree, the final and climactic lesson of the Lodge of Perfection is revealed, a belief in the one living and true God and a deep reverence for His Holy Name. It is a profoundly religious degree, not promoting a particular doctrine, but encouraging each of us to worship God at an altar of our individual choice.
It is expressive of the deep spiritual roots of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite and of our constant endeavor to attain that perfection of character embodied in the concept of a loving Heavenly Father. The Degrees of the Council of Princes of Jerusalem are known as the historical degrees. They take place during the rebuilding of Jerusalem by Zerubbabel follow the release of the Israelites from Babylon. In the year B. Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylonia in B.
Darius I continued this generous policy and gave substantial aid to the returning exiles. Both Cyrus and Darius were disciples of Zoroaster. They believed in one God, who demands righteousness from his worshipers. These religious beliefs, similar in many respects to the faith of the Jews, motivated their considerate attitude toward the captive people. Inspired by such leaders as Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah, groups of Jews endured the hardships of the long journey, and joined with their loyal brethren in Jerusalem to rebuild the Holy City and the Temple of their God.
The second Temple was completed and dedicated in B. In the Allegories of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Degrees, we are taught, by the example of Zerubbabel, the important lessons of loyalty to conviction, fidelity to duty and devotion to Truth.
They are complex, as they attempt to invest the candidate with a deeper understanding of religion, philosophy, ethics, and history. The intellectual challenges presented in these degrees can take years to master. The attitudes of the three factions of the Jewish religious population reflect the conflicts which continue, even today, as we try to understand our places in the plan of the Grand Architect.
This degree teaches that we must seek truth in our path through life, and that we should learn from, and avoid repeating, the errors of the past. The Rose Croix Degree teaches that the new Temple is in the heart of man where God is worshiped in spirit and in truth. An Entered Apprentice is entrusted with certain Masonic secrets around morality and ethics, which he can communicate only in accordance with Masonic law. Members of the Fellowcraft degree pursue a more advanced search for understanding in philosophy, intellectual enlightenment, and wisdom.
This degree represents the member reaching manhood. The third degree represents maturity, with advanced wisdom and knowledge. Master Masons are taught about virtue and morality, along with the duties and tools of a Master Mason.
Once a Mason has completed his third degree - which usually takes some years - he receives all the rights and privileges available to him and will become known as a Master Mason. Compared to the three degrees in standard freemasonry, the Scottish Rite, an offshoot of Freemasonry, has 33 degrees.
This means that a member with a 21st degree in the Scottish Rite has the same ranking as someone with the 3rd degree of masonry. You could think of these additional degrees as honorary, given to those Masons who have maintained consistent, significant participation with the order. These degrees are given based on merit and ability, although Master Masons cannot progress through these degrees without time and examination.
To attain the 32nd degree, for example, a Freemason must have been a Master Mason for at least 14 years, have been elected Master of the Lodge, and have satisfactorily served the Supreme Council. There are more than an estimated , members of the Scottish Rite in the world, with just some 4, holding the 33rd degree.
Aside from the Scottish Rite, there are several other orders with more than 3 degrees, including the New York Rite with nine degrees and the Swedish Rite with ten degrees.
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