The Scottish Rite, formally known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, is one of the most prominent appendant bodies in Freemasonry, extending the foundational three degrees of Craft (Blue Lodge) Masonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason.
Despite its name, it originated in 18th-century France with influences from Scottish Masonic traditions.
Unlike the York Rite's biblical and chivalric focus, the Scottish Rite is more expansive and eclectic, drawing from global history, ancient mysteries (Egyptian, Kabbalistic, Hermetic), alchemy, and humanism to explore moral codes, self-improvement, and universal brotherhood. Its philosophy is rooted in Enlightenment ideals: tolerance, justice, liberty, and the pursuit of wisdom, viewing humanity as capable of moral evolution. Teachings promote virtues like fidelity, integrity, and charity, while critiquing tyranny, fanaticism, and ignorance. Initiatory experiences are theatrical dramas (often conferred in "reunions" over weekends), using costumes, props, and dialogues to immerse candidates in allegorical lessons.
The motto "Ordo ab Chao" (Order from Chaos) encapsulates its core: transforming personal and societal disorder into harmony through knowledge and ethics.
Key symbols include the double-headed eagle (dominion over East and West, duality resolved), the rose cross (spiritual redemption), and ladders of virtues (ascent to enlightenment). Terms like "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret" (32nd degree) highlight esoteric "secrets" as personal insights.
The system is divided into four bodies: Lodge of Perfection (4th-14th), Chapter of Rose Croix (15th-18th), Council of Kadosh (19th-30th), and Consistory (31st-32nd).
The Complete System: Bodies, Degrees, and Initiatory Path
1. Lodge of Perfection (Ineffable Degrees: 4th-14th)
Philosophy: Builds on Hiram Abiff's legend, emphasizing moral duties and self-mastery. Narrative: Expands Temple construction, focusing on fidelity amid trials.
- 4th Degree (Secret Master): Experience: Ritual of guarding secrets; oath of silence. Teachings: Fidelity, reverence. Narrative: Post-Hiram death, preserving mysteries. Symbols: Acacia (immortality), key (secrecy). Key Idea: Duty to protect truth.
- 5th Degree (Perfect Master): Experience: Funeral-like rite honoring Hiram. Teachings: Integrity, remembrance. Narrative: Hiram's burial. Symbols: Green wreath (hope). Key Idea: Honoring the past.
- 6th Degree (Intimate Secretary): Experience: Trial of loyalty in a council. Teachings: Discretion, trust. Narrative: Solomon's court intrigue. Symbols: Curtain (division). Key Idea: Avoiding suspicion.
- 7th Degree (Provost and Judge): Experience: Judicial drama. Teachings: Justice, impartiality. Narrative: Enforcing laws post-Hiram. Symbols: Scales, sword. Key Idea: Equitable judgment.
- 8th Degree (Intendant of the Building): Experience: Architectural planning rite. Teachings: Diligence, charity. Narrative: Temple completion efforts. Symbols: Triangle (harmony). Key Idea: Benevolent leadership.
- 9th Degree (Elu of the Nine): Experience: Pursuit of assassins. Teachings: Courage against vice. Narrative: Seeking Hiram's killers (ignorance, etc.). Symbols: Dagger (resolution). Key Idea: Combating evil.
- 10th Degree (Elu of the Fifteen): Experience: Expanded pursuit. Teachings: Fortitude. Narrative: Capturing more foes. Symbols: Torch (light). Key Idea: Perseverance in justice.
- 11th Degree (Elu of the Twelve): Experience: Election and governance. Teachings: Leadership selection. Narrative: Choosing Hiram's successors. Symbols: Ballot box. Key Idea: Democratic virtue.
- 12th Degree (Master Architect): Experience: Design challenge. Teachings: Creativity, geometry. Narrative: Architectural mastery. Symbols: Compass. Key Idea: Intellectual pursuit.
- 13th Degree (Royal Arch of Solomon): Experience: Vault discovery. Teachings: Preservation of knowledge. Narrative: Hidden secrets in ruins. Symbols: Keystone. Key Idea: Recovery of wisdom.
- 14th Degree (Perfect Elu/Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Mason): Experience: Capstone rite with rings/oaths. Teachings: Perfection, union with divine. Narrative: Full Hiram resolution. Symbols: Ring of gold (eternity). Key Idea: Moral completion.
2. Chapter of Rose Croix (Historical and Religious Degrees: 15th-18th)
Philosophy: Philosophical and spiritual, blending history with Christian themes. Narrative: Liberation and redemption, from exile to enlightenment.
- 15th Degree (Knight of the East/Sword): Experience: Bridge-crossing drama. Teachings: Liberty, equality. Narrative: Post-exile return. Symbols: Sword (defense). Key Idea: Freedom from tyranny.
- 16th Degree (Prince of Jerusalem): Experience: Courtly negotiation. Teachings: Justice, tolerance. Narrative: Rebuilding efforts. Symbols: Palm (peace). Key Idea: Harmonious governance.
- 17th Degree (Knight of the East and West): Experience: Mystical assembly. Teachings: Unity of faiths. Narrative: East-West convergence. Symbols: Double-headed eagle. Key Idea: Universal brotherhood.
- 18th Degree (Knight Rose Croix/Sovereign Prince Rose Croix): Experience: Passion play with resurrection. Teachings: Faith, hope, charity. Narrative: Christ's life/death. Symbols: Rose cross, pelican (sacrifice). Key Idea: Love conquering death.
3. Council of Kadosh (Chivalric and Philosophical Degrees: 19th-30th)
Philosophy: Anti-tyranny, emphasizing knightly virtues and humanism. Narrative: Historical knights battling oppression, ascending virtues.
- 19th-20th Degrees (Grand Pontiff/Brother of the Grand Master): Experience: Priestly/knightly rites. Teachings: Devotion, chivalry. Narrative: Ancient orders. Symbols: Mitre. Key Idea: Spiritual authority.
- 21st-22nd (Noachite/Prussian Knight, Knight of the Royal Axe): Experience: Justice trials, labor honors. Teachings: Equality, industry. Narrative: Noahite/Charlemagne themes. Symbols: Axe. Key Idea: Humble service.
- 23rd-25th (Chief/Knight/Prince of the Tabernacle): Experience: Levitical rites. Teachings: Reverence, faith. Narrative: Tabernacle mysteries. Symbols: Altar. Key Idea: Sacred duties.
- 26th-27th (Prince of Mercy, Knight of the Brazen Serpent): Experience: Forgiveness dramas. Teachings: Mercy, healing. Narrative: Moses' serpent. Symbols: Brazen serpent. Key Idea: Compassion over vengeance.
- 28th (Knight of the Sun/Adept): Experience: Esoteric lecture. Teachings: Natural philosophy. Narrative: Solar myths. Symbols: Sun. Key Idea: Harmony with nature.
- 29th (Scottish Knight of St. Andrew): Experience: Patriotic vow. Teachings: Loyalty. Narrative: Scottish history. Symbols: Thistle. Key Idea: National virtue.
- 30th (Knight Kadosh/Grand Elect Knight): Experience: Vengeance-to-mercy transformation. Teachings: Self-mastery. Narrative: Templar persecution. Symbols: Ladder (ascent). Key Idea: Overcoming hatred.
4. Consistory (Official and Executive Degrees: 31st-32nd)
Philosophy: Capstone reflection on judgment and unity. Narrative: Imperial reformation, universal equilibrium.
- 31st Degree (Inspector Inquisitor/Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander): Experience: Self-examination trial. Teachings: Introspection. Narrative: Judicial review. Symbols: Balance. Key Idea: Fair self-judgment.
- 32nd Degree (Master of the Royal Secret/Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret): Experience: Encampment rite. Teachings: Equilibrium, brotherhood. Narrative: Cosmic camp (microcosm). Symbols: Camp layout. Key Idea: Universal harmony.
- 33rd Degree (Inspector General Honorary/Sovereign Grand Inspector General): Honorary, not conferred ritually. Teachings: Exemplary service. Narrative: Lifetime culmination. Symbols: White cap. Key Idea: Leadership in perpetuity.
Overarching Mythic, Initiatory, and Spiritual Narrative
The Scottish Rite's grand narrative is a mythic journey from chaos to order, extending Hiram's legend into a philosophical odyssey across history and cultures. Initiatorily, it's the soul's ascent through ladders of virtues, confronting vices (ignorance, tyranny) to achieve self-mastery and gnosis. Spiritually, it synthesizes ancient mysteries—Egyptian rebirth, Kabbalistic unity, Christian redemption—into a humanist parable: Humanity evolves from base instincts to enlightened equilibrium, building an inner temple of wisdom. The Lost Word evolves into the Royal Secret (balanced life), with symbols like the eagle representing resolved duality. Ultimately, it's a call to reform self and society, embodying "Ordo ab Chao" through tolerance and moral action.
“Deus Meumque Jus” (“God and my right”) is the motto under the double-headed eagle in many jurisdictions.
Degrees 1–3: Blue Lodge Entered Apprentice — Initiation into light, purification, and the foundation of the inner Temple. Fellow Craft — Growth in knowledge, proportion, and ascent through the winding stair of the liberal arts. Master Mason — The drama of Hiram Abiff, death and resurrection, and the search for the Lost Word.
Lodge of Perfection (4°–14°) 4° Secret Master — Silence, fidelity, and inner discipline. 5° Perfect Master — Reverence for virtue and the memory of the dead. 6° Intimate Secretary — Loyalty, discretion, and harmony. 7° Provost and Judge — Justice, equity, and discernment. 8° Intendant of the Building — Honor to labor and the continuation of Solomon’s Temple. 9° Elu of the Nine — Courage and zeal in defense of truth. 10° Elu of the Fifteen — Devotion to justice and liberty. 11° Elu of the Twelve — Conscience and moral duty. 12° Master Architect — The study of geometry and divine proportion. 13° Royal Arch of Solomon — Discovery of the Sacred Vault and hidden truths. 14° Perfect Elu — The completion of foundations, symbolizing wholeness and readiness to ascend.
Chapter of Rose Croix (15°–18°) 15° Knight of the East — Fidelity to freedom and the rebuilding of the Temple. 16° Prince of Jerusalem — Justice, equity, and responsibility in rulership. 17° Knight of the East and West — Apocalyptic imagery, the union of opposites, and reconciliation of the Testaments. 18° Knight Rose Croix — Rosicrucian degree of mystical death, resurrection, and union of the Rose and Cross.
Council of Kadosh (19°–30°) 19° Grand Pontiff — The mystery of divine law and eternal covenant. 20° Master of the Symbolic Lodge — Harmony of Masonry and the Great Work of the soul. 21° Noachite or Prussian Knight — Humility, conscience, and resistance to tyranny. 22° Knight of the Royal Axe — Labor, agriculture, and sanctity of work. 23° Chief of the Tabernacle — Study of sacred order and Mosaic mysteries. 24° Prince of the Tabernacle — The inner sanctuary carried within, symbol of the soul as Temple. 25° Knight of the Serpent — Wisdom, struggle with ignorance, and Hermetic allegory of the serpent. 26° Prince of Mercy — Teaching of forgiveness, reconciliation, and compassion. 27° Knight Commander of the Temple — Chivalric guardianship of truth, echoing the Templars. 28° Knight of the Sun — Hermetic philosophy, illumination, and cosmic order in light. 29° Knight of St. Andrew — Knightly devotion, courage, and humility. 30° Knight Kadosh — The avenger of Hiram, warrior of justice, symbol of courage against corruption.
Consistory (31°–32°) 31° Inspector Inquisitor — Self-examination, judgment, and the weighing of conscience. 32° Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret — The harmony of opposites, the Royal Secret of balance and equilibrium in all things.
Supreme Council (33°) 33° Inspector General Honorary — The summit, symbol of illumination, universal brotherhood, and service to the Great Architect of the Universe.