Non nobis Domine non nobis
sed nomini tuo da gloriam.
Not for us, Lord, not for us
but to thy name give glory.
This Ritual remains the sole property of the ORDER TS, mandated by the “Mother Lodge of the Secret Covenants” which may at any time request its immediate restitution without explanation. It is of course understood that no copy of any kind should be made. All officers must promise this on their honour.
The Master of Ceremonies must prepare the Temple according to the instructions and plan given below.
4 LECTERNS: 1 at each Cardinal Point.
– |
on the Lectern to the NORTH: |
a RED candle |
– |
on the Lectern to the EAST: |
a YELLOW candle |
– |
on the Lectern to the SOUTH: |
a GREEN candle |
– |
on the Lectern to the WEST: |
a BLUE candle |
All candles are lit.
A SWORD must be placed, pointing downwards, leaning against the Lectern of the Master of the Ritual.
The SHEKINAH in the centre, the apex of the Triangle facing West. On the Shekinah, a candelabrum holding 3 long white candles. There should also be matches.
TABLE OF THE VESTAL (placed on the right of the Lectern of the Master of the Ritual):
– a censer, already prepared and ready: rose-incense, burning coal
– matches
TABLE OF THE MASTER OF THE CEREMONIES
– the music should be ready (tape-deck/turntable, cassettes/records).
AN OCCULT TEMPLAR CROSS or A BEAUCEANT on the wall, above the Lectern of the Master of the Ritual.
THE GONG at the entrance near the Guardian.
THE TALARS of the future Brothers of the Parvis are placed on a chair, to the East.
THE TEMPLAR CROSSES for the future Brothers of the Parvis should be placed near to the Master of Ceremonies for handling to the Ritual Master at the appropriate moment.
1) Preparation of the Talars
The Escorts should make sure that the Talars are placed on the chairs in the order in which the Neophytes to be initiated will enter, that is
Chairs (Talars) |
6 5 4 3 2 1 |
Members (at the East) |
6 5 4 3 2 1 |
2) Black veils for the Neophytes
The Escorts should cover the head of each Neophyte with a black veil just before entering.
3) Entry of the Neophytes
Wait until the Interior Guardian has set the door ajar before knocking 3 times. The Escorts then usher the Neophytes directly to position East without bowing in front of the Shekinah.
4) How to conduct the Neophytes
The first Escort takes the first Neophyte by the arm. The others follow and do it exactly the same way (tuning at the same place etc).
The second Escort takes the last Neophyte by the arm and ascertains that the others follow, intervening kindly but firmly if necessary. (Members must be adequately briefed before entering.)
Escorts must take care that they place the Neophytes correctly and in a harmonious way in front of the Stations.
5) Presentation of the Talar
It is the Master of Ceremonies who hands over the Talars to the Escorts, who in turn will help the Neophytes to put them on.
6) End of the Ceremony
When the Master of Ritual says: “Thus ends our work of this day. Vestal before leaving, go and return the profane light to … etc”, the Escorts must separate the new Brothers of the Parvis into two groups: one is led to the South, the other to the North, leaving a passage for the Vestal and the Master Ritual.
7) Exit
The Escorts and the new Brothers of the Parvis again grouped together, will leave the room last (following the Dignitaries and the Members) in a clockwise order. In front of the Shekinah, facing East, they all bow together in a straight line.
– Members wait in the Antechamber of the Temple.
– The Guardian and the Master of Ceremonies are inside the Temple.
– The Guardian strikes the gong 3 times and calls in the members who, after bowing in front of the Shekinah, will go to their respective places (always going in a clockwise direction).
– The Neophytes wait in the Antechamber with their Escorts.
– Simultaneously, the Master of Ceremonies will put on (rather loudly) the Toccata by Bach or the Overture of the “Nuremberg Master Singers” by Wagner and will ascertain that harmony reigns and that everyone is in the right place.
– The members are standing, arms crossed in the Sign of Supplication
– When all members are inside, the Guardian will call in the Dignitaries in the following order, while striking the gong for each of them:
– The Watcher (he bows in front of the Shekinah and goes to the North Station).
– The Matre (she bows in front of the Shekinah and goes to the West Station).
– The Chaplain (he bows in front of the Shekinah and goes to the South Station).
– The Vestal enters carrying the Sacred Flame held high in both hands and places it on the Shekinah (between the candelabrum and the base of the Triangle), then goes to her place and puts incense on the already burning coal.
– The Master of Ritual enters after the Vestal.
– The Master of Ceremonies turns down the music and then turns it off.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Guardian, strike the gong 3 times to declare the opening of our work of this day.
The Guardian strikes the gong 3 times quite strongly.
The Master of Ritual either says a short prayer or makes an invocation to put Members in Unity and Harmony.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Vestal, go accomplish your secular duties and cense the 4 Stations of our Temple as well as our Sacred Shekinah.
Light the 3 Flames which symbolize LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE, manifested in our Lodge.
The Master of Ceremonies puts on the music—the Paradisium by Gabriel Fauré (conducted by Michel Corboz).
The Vestal censes the Stations (East—South—West—North) 7 times, then the Shekinah at the point West. She then puts down the censer and goes back to her place to the right of the Master of Ritual.
At the end of the Paradisium, the Master of Ceremonies will turn off the music.
The Neophyte(s) to be initiated will be waiting in the Antechamber and the Escorts now knock at the door.
Who knocks at the Door of the Temple at this hour?
GUARDIAN:
Venerable Master, it is a Soul inspired by God, seeking a greater Light and asking permission to be received in our Sacred Circle in order to be vested with the Consciousness and necessary Force to wear with dignity the Emblem of Purity and Unity of our Sacred Order.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
It is well, Guardian. Before introducing him2 into this Sanctuary, make sure that he is an active and regular member of our Templar Confraternity.
GUARDIAN:
Venerable Master. I can assure you that the Soul waiting in the Antechamber of the Temple is a sincere seeker, and a regular member of our Sacred Order.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Since you find him worthy to enter into our Sacred Circle and to be confirmed into our Templar Confraternity, I entrust you with the full responsibility of escorting him to us at this Station in the East of our Temple where I am waiting to welcome him.
GUARDIAN:
So be it, Venerable Master.
As the Neophyte(s), led by the Escorts enter the Temple, the Guardian checks that their heads and faces are covered with the black veil so that they may not see anything. They are led in and placed facing the East Station.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Dear Brother(s)/sister(s), Brothers and Sisters
At this Station which symbolizes the Great Light
rising in the East,
bringing Heat and Life to our planet,
In the name of our Sacred Order …
I welcome you.
Human Will must be the reflection of Divine Power.
All Creation is a function of Will.
But Knowledge remains hidden to ordinary men and to impostors and is expressed through symbol and allegory so that it may not be used for personal and selfish purposes.
At midpoint between Spirit and Matter, Man must struggle to gain more Light, to win the Absolute, and nothing can stop him if he carries Truth in his Heart, and Righteousness in his soul.
Therefore, I must first tell you that in order to work successfully on natural and supernatural philosophy, man must first of all build a Divine Temple in his heart.
A short moment of silence.
Let us now be united in this invocation:
(Free invocation) and a short moment of silence.
MAY THE COSMIC PEACE BE WITH US.
And now, (………… name)
In order to become a true Templar in the Service of Christ,
You must seek by all possible means
To be regenerated physically and morally.
At this Station,
I will now ask you if you are still determined to continue on the Path which leads to the Light?
The Neophyte(s) must reply clearly and audibly.
I give you my blessing
so that you may continue your way leading to the SOUTH Station of our Temple, where our Chaplain awaits you.
Make the sign of the Cross.
Escorts please lead x………. to the SOUTH Station of our Temple.
The Escorts turn the Neophyte(s) around and conduct them to the South Station.
I greet you, x…………
Your sincere and faithful quest
has led you to this Station
to the zenith,
where I welcome you with the fraternal bonds uniting us.
The Initiate, the Fulfilled Man,
The True Templar of Christ,
is seated between the two Pillars of the Temple.
The one at the right representing Law and Mercy,
the one at the left, Freedom and Rigour.
His Faith is the Science of the RIGHTEOUS
and his creativity is the sole link
between the absolute being and the relative being;
that is: between the Infinite and the Finite.
Thus we can say that
Beauty is the Splendour of TRUTH.
The Templar,
prostrate before the Sacred Cosmic Law,
must learn to express within himself
ACTIVITY and RECEPTIVITY,
the two balancing forces of the manifested world.
At this Station,
I bless you in the name of the Blessed Trinity
and the Force of the Templar Cross.
… sign of the Cross.
I encourage you to continue your way to the WEST
Station of our Temple where our Matre awaits you.
But before you leave this Station,
remember that destiny gently helps
on their way those who accept,
but puts to the test and treats harshly those who refuse.
Therefore, x………..
are you ready to calmly endure the Fire of the ordeals which will free you from the whims and impulses of the ego?
The Neophyte(s) must reply clearly and audibly.
Escorts, please lead x………….. to the WEST Station of our Temple.
The Escorts take the Neophyte(s) and place them facing the West Station.
MATRE:
x…………
At this WEST Station,
May my peace of the evening receive and keep you,
giving you some respite while I,
the Matre,
Enrich your quest for the Light.
Opposite the Sun, I am the Moon,
I am the Mother, fertilizing the seeds
sown in the Earth,
so that the New Man may be born in you.
In this evening peace, let the Divine forces work in you,
through the Alliance and the Marriage of the opposites,
of Fire and Water, and your two natures.
You, who wish to become Master of yourself,
must first tame your ego
and enter into true World Service,
where man is kept in contact with the High Hierarchies
And is pledged to the Service of our Planet and its evolution.
To do so, know that the Royal Path of Christ demands that you learn:
1. never to do what your ego desires;
2. to submit yourself to a strict discipline and an absolute obedience to the Great Cosmic Laws, even if you are not yet conscious of the profound reason;
3. if you are sleepy, learn to stay awake;
4. if you are hungry, learn to fast;
5. if you are tired, work.
Such is the human route which will take you to Absolute Truth,
to Eternal Consciousness.
Our best example is Jesus
who went through the crucifixion,
symbolizing for us the death of the lower self,
so that the Christ-Consciousness might find a loftier expression.
Such is LIFE … Such is the LAW.
Work without respite and remember
that it is only through working
and helping others
every day of your life,
with all your strength, with all your power,
that you can conquer the Great Light,
symbolized by the Celestial Jerusalem;
in this way
you will be working for yourself.
Everything that you will have done
with your heart and with joy,
will be returned to you a hundredfold.
Work … Meditate … Pray.
Are you ready to arm yourself with courage, perseverance, love and joy, to put yourself unremittingly at the service of the Christ Light?
The Neophyte(s) must reply clearly and audibly.
Before reaching the end of this celestial journey,
let me bless you
and give you
all the Love of the Mother.
Make the sign of the Cross.
May this Love warm and accompany you to the NORTH Station of our Temple, where our Watcher awaits you.
Escorts please lead x……… to the NORTH Station of Our Temple.
The Escorts take the Neophyte(s) to the North Station.
Are you still determined to pursue your journey and seek what lies hidden behind appearances?
The Neophyte(s) must reply clearly and audibly.
Now fear not.
Beyond the darkness of the North,
lies the Fire of the Spirit.
I am here to receive you and instruct you
until you are taken again to the East
where, once more, the Great Manifested Light
will shine forth.
But before that, allow me
to welcome you at this Station
And give you my blessing.
… sign of the Cross.
Life in the Cosmos
follows rhythmic pulsations,
comparable to the alternation of inhaling and
exhaling,
day and night, summer and winter,
life and death.
Death is the same for us all.
It is how we leave Life that makes the difference.
But always remember
that Death is an illusion.
In fact,
it is only another aspect of Life.
At this Station, let me tell you
that you must also consider Life
as ephemeral as smoke passing by,
or a cloud drifting overhead,
and all its glory
is like a flower in the meadow
which unfolds in the morning and dies at eventide.
In the world of illusions,
all must pass away.
Everyone must one day confront
the great problem or death
which alone gives meaning to Life.
You must be able to die to the profane world
in order to be born again to the Cosmic World.
Therefore, let the quality and the wholeness of Life
compensate for its shortness.
You, wishing to be a Knight of the Temple,
do not think of living a long time,
but rather of living according to Cosmic Good.
And since nothing is more uncertain
than the hour of Death …
prepare yourself each day to be FREE
to leave this Earth
and to continue your evolution
on a parallel Invisible plane,
free from all human and terrestrial chains
which keep you prisoner of yourself.
Then, you will become a CHRISTOPHER,
he who bears the Christ.
Your Escorts will soon take you back to the EAST Station,
but before leaving the North,
remember
that it is at the darkest hour of the night
that a new dawn appears …
May this Hope be ever present within you.
Escorts, please lead x………. to the EAST Station,
where the Light of Dawn
will rise again and shine forth.
The Escorts lead the Neophyte(s) to the East Station.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Beloved x……………
We have now come to the most moving
and solemn moment of our ritual.
Remain calm and collected
for the moment of purification is at hand.
Let us be united with the Chaplain during his invocation.
Chaplain, please prepare our hearts for purification with a prayer.
CHAPLAIN:
God of our Hearts,
let thy Divine Vibrations
penetrate this Sacred Place.
Harmonize us with thy Divine Cosmic Spirit
and make us receptive to the teachings and inspirations
we are to receive, here, in this Temple.
May this Temple forever be
a source of Light, Life, Love, and Peace for us.
May it be a constant Source of inspiration
for all the efforts we make,
individually and collectively.
So BE IT.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Chaplain, I thank you.
On the threshold of Aquarius,
We must leave the lunar phase and enter the solar phase
which was manifested through the Christ.
This means that
in our personal growth,
we must transmute our human instincts
into Cosmic Consciousness.
This is abnegation of self
for the good of the True Being.
And above all,
remember that it is Love that comes the closest
to Cosmic Energy.
It is the Sun of the Soul
and the Great Mystery of Life.
Our Being is free when it is conscious,
our Being is conscious when it is determined
to grow and to open to Universal Consciousness.
To conclude,
I must tell you,
seeker of the Light:
– The Light is a Sacred fire which Nature has put at the service of Will;
– It illuminates strong souls and strikes down the others;
– Pay heed to your actions, your speech and your thoughts;
– Only do and say that which your consciousness and heart approve;
– The Inner Light is the only conquest that man must make if he wishes to serve God, Life and his Fellowman.
Beloved x………….
The moment has come for you to humbly and
sincerely ask
For the purification of your bodies.
I repeat:
Increase your efforts to purify yourself,
To purify yourself always and forever,
Not through mortifications, deprivations and imposed penance …
For it is not your body, but your Soul and Heart that must be purified.
The Talar,
The White Robe of Monks,
symbolizes Purity, Unity, Force
and the Choice of Light and Knowledge
rather than Darkness,
Ignorance
and the forces of Separativity.
Its whiteness expresses readiness to serve
and the submission of the Ego.
It indicates also the first steps of the Soul of the
man, who,
in renouncing the hold of the human condition
is born again into the Divine Being.
This is the symbol of the Talar,
the white Robe with which you will be clothed
in a few moments.
Vestal, go and cense our Brother(s) and Sister(s) Neophyte(s), making a circle around them 3 times in order to purify their bodies (physical—soul—spirit) and to protect them.
Man
having been morally and physically regenerated,
regains the Great Power,
which he forfeited through his loss of innocence.
This Power
gives him spiritual insight
and he will recognize
that the physical clothing of all mortals
dedicated to God
must be the Talar,
like those not yet consecrated displayed before us,
and which, through the ages,
Men and women dedicated to God and the Cosmos
have worn.
But if the actual clothing itself
is sufficient for the ordinary man,
this must not be the case for us, Templars.
In order for the Talar to be perfect
and to become sacred,
it must be consecrated by the Spiritual Masters,
intermediary between God and us
and whom I humbly represent here
in this Temple.
Bow, kneel down on your right knee
and take the following oath.
The Master of Ceremonies invites each Neophyte to read and sign the oath. A pen must be on hand for the signing of the oath.
The oath must be signed on a Bible which is opened at the Gospel of St John, or on another Sacred Book held by the Master of Ceremonies or a Knight.
Masters who dwell in the Invisible,
I beseech you from my innermost heart,
to assist me and to allow me to make use
of the Powers with which my function has invested me,
humbly and without breaking the Great Law.
Beloved x………… ,
the moment has come for you
to purify yourself, casting off
all impurities, all habits and
all the human conditions
which keep you prisoner
of the material world.
Symbolically, rid yourself of these
by taking off your worldly clothes.
The Master of Ritual invites the 2 Escorts to take off the Neophytes’ clothes, leaving only their underwear.
The Master of Ceremonies lifts the black veil off the head(s) of the Neophyte(s).
At the same time, the Master of Ritual consecrates each Talar with a sign of the Cross.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
My Brother/Sister,
receive this Celestial Robe,
Symbol of Purity, Unity and Force.
Now that you have been raised to the grade of
Brother of the Parvis,
always remain worthy
of wearing this Sacred Robe
whatever may happen,
even if your physical life is in danger,
for you will soon learn
that physical life is of no importance.
Simultaneously, the Master of Ceremonies gives the Talars to the Escorts, who pass them on to the Aspirants.
Master of Ceremonies, as our newly received Brothers of the Parvis are attending a Templar Ceremony for the first time, would you acquaint them with the symbols of the objects around us and explain their meaning. But first, let me recommend, Brothers and Sisters, that you do not try to retain everything but just allow yourself to be imbued with the essence of what is being said.
The Master of ceremonies comes forward and reads.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES:
THE TEMPLAR CROSS is red. By its vertical branch, it forms a link through Spirit between Heaven and the Earth; by its horizontal branch it enables the manifestation of Spirit into form. For the Templars, there is no supremacy of one over the other, but a perfect and complementary Balance of Spirit and Matter. The Templar Cross is a pattee cross so as to receive at its points (its indented ends, the grail cups) the Celestial and Terrestrial Energies, to unite them and to bring them to perfection at its center, then send them out through its points with discernment to the world.
THE SWORD: if, for many it is synonymous with bloody battle, for us, TEMPLARS, it is our Strength, our Courage and the symbol of our inner Fight to master our primary nature, but especially to incarnate the Word in all its Justice and its Truth. Symbol of Creative Peace, it activates the Celestial Light and enables the liberation of the Divine Being through Knowledge. The Noble Knight carries within him a vertical Sword of Light which keeps him within the LAW of the Lord and renders His manifestation possible.
THE RED ROSE is the rose of Love for all. In the Temple and for the Mystic, the Red Rose, like the blood—vehicle of the soul—is synonymous with Perfection, transmutation and the perfect Realization of the Being. The Eternal and Immortal Rose bursts forth, comes into full bloom in the center of the Cross and radiates out Universal Love, LIFE, and Cosmic Consciousness through the Heart,
THE THREE-BRANCHED CANDELABRUM: Universal Light of the Worlds, representing Life and Salvation. Its three lighted Flames reinforce during the Ritual the manifestation here and now of LIFE, LIGHT, and LOVE. It also symbolizes our Adhesion, our Obedience, and our Consecration to the Great Universal Principles.
THE BIBLE (or other Sacred Book recognized by the Aspirant): it would not be enough to say that the Sacred Book is the Symbol of Divine Science and Wisdom. It is also the Symbol of the Universe, of Revelation through the Word and the Divine Message of Cosmic Order. Similarly, in the Quest for the Holy Grail it is the symbol of the Supreme Search that has become accessible to common mortals and where the Christ, through Jesus, shows us the Way and opens the Door.
THE RED VOTIVE CANDLE: Divine Presence in the midst of men, reminds us that the Fire of the Spirit abides in the heart of each atom of matter. Symbol of Purification, Illumination and Love, it is the likeness of Spirit and Transcendence.
THE INCENSE raises prayer to Heaven and heightens the perception of consciousness by purifying and etherealizing the air. It associates man to Divinity, the Finite to the Infinite, the mortal to the Immortal and seals the Covenants.
THE CLOAK of the Knight is adorned with the Cross of the Temple; by putting himself under the yoke of the Cross and all that it symbolizes, the Knight works voluntarily and totally in the Service of the Temple and the Christ in Glory; he institutes within himself the preponderance of Spirit over Matter and commits himself to placing Service for Glory of the Father before profane requirements. If the Noble Knight of the Temple still wears the White Mantle, it is to affirm his retreat into himself and into God, his non-identification with the profane world and its temptations as well as his renouncement of material instinct, attesting thereby to the Continuity of the Templar Tradition. By donning the White Mantle of invincibility, invisibility, forgetfulness of self and of metamorphosis, the Noble Knight reinforces his choice for Wisdom and assumes his responsibilities and functions in the worthy Service of the Temple.
THE BEAUCEANT, Banner of the Temple, represents the Mercy and Rigour of the columns supporting its Pediment. It creates a link between Heaven and Earth and symbolizes the victory of the RESURRECTED GLORIOUS CHRIST. It protects our Egregore by the power of its symbols, because all mystical Symbols are Forces in movement and action-bearing currents of Energy and Consciousness.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Thank you, Master of Ceremonies.
Brothers and Sisters, let us meditate for a few minutes and allow the power of the symbols we have just evoked to act within us
One minute of silence.
Brothers and Sisters, by the Oath you have just taken, you have now become Full Brothers and Sisters of the Temple. The Cross which I am now going to give you, Sacred Emblem of our Venerable Order, is its symbol and guarantor. It has been blessed by an Official Priest, Member of the Order, during a special sacred ceremony, and you should wear it at each meeting, Ceremony or Gathering of the Order.
The Master of Ceremonies turns the music up louder and comes back with the Crosses. The Master of Ritual steps forward and puts the Cross around the neck of each new Brother of the Parvis and gives the traditional Templar embrace in the name of all his Brothers and Sisters.
The Master of Ritual and the Master of Ceremonies return to their places.
MASTER OF RITUAL:
Brothers and Sisters,
let us be silent for a few minutes and thank Divine consciousness
and the Invisible Masters
for their assistance and guidance
during this Sacred Ceremony.
A short moment of meditation.
United in Love
and the unifying current among us,
let us now recite our Templar Psalm:
NON NOBIS DOMINE NON NOBIS
SED NOMINI TUO DA GLORIAM (3 times)
NOT FOR US, LORD, NOT FOR US
BUT TO THY NAME GIVE GLORY.
Thus ends our Work of this day.
Vestal, before leaving, go and return the profane Light to the profane world so that the True Light may shine forever in our Hearts.
The Vestal puts out the 3 candles, one after the other starting at the right, then the Sacred Flame, and each Dignitary puts out his candle at the same time.
The Master of Ritual leaves the room to the sound of a Hallelujah (of one’s choice), having bowed before the Shekinah.
He is followed by the Vestal, the Chaplain, the Matre, then the Members (all must bow in front of the Shekinah before leaving).
The Guardian strikes the gong 3 times when the Master of Ritual leaves the room and once for each dignitary to leave the room.
The Master of Ceremonies is responsible for putting the Temple in order and for returning the copies of the text of the Ceremony to the officer in charge of the Archives.
1 This ritual was given to me (Henrik Bogdan) in the form of a photocopy by Jean-François Mayer in 2004, and was transcribed by me in February 2005.
2 The text is to be put in the feminine or the plural as necessary.