Most Masons coming to Templarly are accustomed to recieving Degrees, a Commandery of Knights Templar however confers Order.

Illustrious Order of the Red Cross

Order of Malta

Order of the Temple

Once considered the most important Degrees in the early years of Freemasonry and so dogmatic was the Mother Grand Lodge - from which all Speculative Masonry derives - that in 1813, when the two grand lodges in England united, a firm and solemn landmark was adopted and placed in the Articles of Union to […]

Councils of Cryptic Masons form the center body of the York Rite of Freemasonry. A Master Mason may join a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and receive the four degrees of that organization. After which he may seek further knowledge in Freemasonry and join a Council of Cryptic Masons.

The degrees of the York Rite are classified as Symbolic (Lodge of Master Masons). Capitular (Chapter of Royal Arch Masons), Cryptic (Council of Cryptic Masons), and Chivalric (Commander of Knights Templar). The Capitular Degrees derive their name from the title of a meeting of Royal Arch Masons - a Chapter. The word chapter comes from […]

In 1099 Jerusalem fell to Crusading Armies, resulting in mass pilgrimages of Europeans to Holy Land in the near East. Men, women and children pressed forward on their pilgrimage to the sacred city only to find that although Jerusalem was in Christian hands, the Moslems still controlled Palestine. The highways and byways leading to Jerusalem […]

Royal Master
This is the first degree of the Cryptic Rite as conferred in the United States of America. Candidates who receive the degree are impressed with its dignified ritual and relevant teachings. It contains one section which is generally regarded as an outstanding display of symbolism and content of philosophy. The ritualistic presentations in the […]

To understand the Capitular Degrees, it is important to understand 18th century Masonic history. Prior to the second quarter of 18th Century, it becomes difficult to prove that anything more than two Degrees of Freemasonry existed – Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft. Current research suggests the Master Mason Degree appeared no earlier than 1721, with […]

Templarly

Templar Organization: The Management of Warrior Monasticism

The Rule of the Templars : The French Text of the Rule of the Order of the Knights Templar (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion)

Born in Blood : The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry

The Templars : Knights of God

Unholy Worship? The Myth of the Baphomet, Templar, Freemason connection

The Warriors […]

As in many of the Masonic degrees, the origins of the degrees of Cryptic Masonry are shrouded in mystery. Yet, they have attained a substantial growth and one out of every two Royal Arch Masons is a Cryptic Mason.

Nearly two hundred years ago the degrees of Royal Master and Select Master appeared. Traveling Masonic […]

Biblical students and archaeologists know of the vaults or crypts beneath King Solomon’s Temple. Masonic Degrees were probably not actually conferred in these vaults. However, such a legend does persist throughout Freemasonry. The legends, conveyed in this system of degrees form a beautiful allegory or story. The Masonic author, Albert G. Mackey, writing […]