The Structure of Freemasonry

In The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown emphasizes the mysterious and highest 33rd Degree of Scottish Rite Masonry. As the villain Mala’akh said many times, there are circles within circles, brotherhoods within brotherhoods. It takes only a few seconds on the Internet to learn how Dan Brown is correct in his writing. The Masonic “plot” seems to be everywhere. The main accusations deal with political, religious, racist, or even diabolic associations. They are as old as the existence of Freemasonry and are similar for other initiatic groups. In the nineteenth century, an Anti-Masonic Party attempted to destroy Freemasonry in the United States. But since the beginning of the nation, the Craft has been well represented everywhere, its philanthropic actions are well known, and these accusations didn’t succeed. It isn’t necessary to debate the falseness of these accusations of conspiracy, but it is interesting to explain how Freemasonry is organized and how it works.

First of all, it is worth noting that information about Freemasonry is available in books, on the Internet, and directly through the Freemasons themselves. Even more, it is always possible to visit Masonic temples in the United States and around the world. It’s a wonderful way to receive explanations of the structure, goals, and symbolism of this famous brotherhood.

Dan Brown’s novel presents the different degrees of Freemasonry as a pyramid-like hierarchy, controlled by the Supreme Council, the governing body of the Scottish Rite in America. The accompanying artistic illustration shows you the complete structure of Freemasonry.

The foundation of the whole system is based on the first three degrees: 1st Entered Apprentice, 2nd Fellowcraft, and 3rd Master Mason. This is the original structure and for many years nothing more existed. Consequently, the 3rd Degree completes the Masonic structure. All you need to know in Freemasonry can be found in these three degrees. It is important to know that, because the huge chart could suggest a different idea.

Figure 27: Square and Compass
in the 1st Degree

Figure 28: Square and Compass
in the 2nd Degree

Figure 29: Square and Compass
in the 3rd Degree

What I called a Masonic lodge or a Blue Lodge is composed of members of these three degrees. You may become aware of a local lodge from a road sign showing the square and the compass, and the meeting days, or simply a Masonic flag on the building itself letting you know that a traditional organization of the Craft is meeting there. Then, a common question arises: how to join them?

From time to time, you can see a sticker on cars stating “2B1 ask 1” or “To be one, ask one.” This advice means that the best approch is to ask someone already a Freemason. If you don’t know someone, you can simply go to the website of your state (or country) and send an e-mail or make a phone call. The Western Tradition says, “Knock, and the gate will be opened for you.” So really, this first step in Freemasonry is simple.

After a few interviews, you may become initiated in a lodge and begin your Masonic journey. You will participate in ritual meetings, banquets, and instructional meetings. Some months later you may be initiated to the second step, Fellowcraft, and later to the third one, Master. The work and your apprenticeship are not finished after your 3rd Degree initiation. But Freemasonry considered that, as Master, you have most of the tools necessary to learn, practice, and improve your knowledge of the Craft. This is the main and the most traditional progression in Freemasonry, practiced in the same way everywhere on the planet. It is never required to go further, and many Freemasons continue to practice in the lodge just as Masters.

All the lodges of a state or a country are administratively governed by a Grand Lodge with a common statement and bylaws. They are working under the protection of the Grand Lodge, keeping alive the high standard of the brotherhood. It is important to remember that a Grand Master (as a Master of the Lodge) is elected for one year and then is a Master Mason.

Considering this structure and its functioning, it is easy to see that a Masonic “conspiracy” would be visible to everyone. The villain of The Lost Symbol, Mala’akh, began with these three degrees and, as expected, found nothing more.

In this case, the solution is to imagine another occult government, another secret circle inside the outer circle. If you look at the representation of Masonic structure, you can see several steps above the Blue Lodges. In this upper structure, you must consider three parts: (1) the Scottish Rite steps (on the left); (2) the York Rite steps (on the right); and (3) the Allied Organizations (in the center).

These names (Scottish and York) are missing in the Blue Lodges. In fact, there are several further rituals, sometimes different, in the Blue Lodge too. The two most important are called the Emulation Rite and the York Rite. There are other rites, less numerous (though interesting): Scottish Rite and others with local characteristics, Canadian Rite, French Rite, Memphis-Misraim, etc. In fact, this multiplicity can be considered an illusion. Most of the time the differences are minor and rarely involve the basics: symbols, myths, initiation, etc. Every Freemason practicing one of these rites can immediately understand the other ones. The diversity is just an illusion.

However, things are quite different in the superstructure.

Since the beginning of Freemasonry, the Masters were interested in the development and the deepening of some parts of their tradition. They gathered outside of the Blue Lodges and worked, learned, and developed other rituals to explain some secondary aspects. Some of these groups were more focused on esotericism, others on symbolism or mythology. From these original groups of researchers came new initiatic steps, complementary to the first degrees. After several centuries, the most significant of them were organized in complete and coherent systems. The two most important are the Scottish Rite[1] and the York Rite.[2] Some others, like Egyptian degrees, were developed here and there. Some have disappeared over time.

The Lost Symbol focuses on the most representative of this system, the Scottish Rite in 30 degrees. Don’t be confused by this number. Remember that the first three degrees in the Blue Lodge are for everyone, so the next step is the 4th (Secret Master, 1st on the left scale), the highest being the 33rd (Sovereign Grand Inspector General, 30th on the left scale). The complete name of what is called the Scottish Rite is in fact “the Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA” (commonly known as the “Mother Supreme Council of the World”). It was the first Supreme Council of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

The Scottish Rite charters Subordinate Bodies in cities (called Valleys) or states, territories, or countries (called Orients). A Valley can have up to four Scottish Rite bodies, and each body confers a set of degrees. In the Southern Jurisdiction (the one described by Dan Brown), these are the Lodge of Perfection (from 4° to 14°), Chapter of Rose Croix (from 15° to 18°), Council of Kadosh (from 19° to 30°), and the Consistory (from 31° to 32°). The Supreme Council confers the 33rd Degree of Sovereign Grand Inspector General. So instead of talking about just the structures of the Blue Lodges, I am now talking in this scale of the Scottish Rite of Lodges of Perfection, Chapters, Councils, and Consistories.

In the United States, these degrees are separated in two jurisdictions: Northern and Southern. So there is not, as The Lost Symbol implicitly states, a unique Supreme Council governing the whole planet, but instead several, and, in this case, two in the United States. The one with its headquarters in the House of the Temple in Washington DC is the Southern jurisdiction, overseeing the Scottish Rite in thirty-five states (the other states fall within the Northern Jurisdiction, which is an independent body).

Just as you did for the first steps in Freemasonry, you can ask to begin your progression in the high degrees of the Scottish Rite. However, you cannot ask to receive the 33rd Degree, but must be proposed for this final step in recognition of your engagement, dedication, and work for the ideals of the Scottish Rite.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol shows a challenging set of initiations, and an occult government manipulating people and initiates. This is a part of the “conspiracy theory” surrounding Freemasonry. There are accusations of diabolic purposes. Some fundamentalists believe that Scottish Rite Freemasons worship the devil in bloody rituals. But it is difficult to imagine that the funny hats of the Consistory can be a cover for some purpose more worrying or shameful.

It is, of course, quite impossible to disprove such hostile fantasies to someone already convinced of them. The character of Mala’akh in the novel shows such suspicious behavior. But facts are facts and you must not forget the novelistic features of The Lost Symbol. This advice is more important considering Dan Brown’s bold declaration in the front of the novel that the geography, organizations, architecture, and rituals used in his novel are real and nonfictional. Maybe it would be better not to place the words “real” and “rituals” side by side. Maybe it would be better to say that such rituals were published by detractors of Freemasonry. The reality is that for many centuries detractors have published false rituals in order to discredit Freemasonry. Leo Taxil in Europe is one very good example of this, and a few minutes on the Internet will show you different satanic-Masonic rituals. So, yes, there are rituals in which the candidate kills lambs and others in which the candidate is obliged to drink blood. But these rituals are imaginary! They are inventions intended to discredit the fraternity. Don’t be misled by fantasy presented as “fact.”

But, if this is the case, it is difficult to understand why it is useful or desirable to keep such an initiatic hierarchy. Of course, as Mala’akh declared many times, all would be revealed in the 33rd Degree—but in order to figure out what is really going on, I must provide more information about the goal and activities of this Supreme Initiatic Hierarchy.

There are two main actions: one visible, another invisible. The first one can be seen very easily. It is the main activity of the members. Philanthropy is the first manifestation of the Scottish Rite in society. Through different programs (such as RiteCare Childhood Language Programs, Youth Programs, Scholarships, Internship Program, Disaster Relief) the organization and its members secure donations and help people in all these areas. These actions are for the benefit of everyone, regardless of color, gender, religion, etc. This is a real, powerful, and visible social action resulting from the brotherhood’s individual and inner work on philanthropic values. This is a key to understanding the heart of the Scottish Rite and Freemasonry. The second aspect is educational. Freemasons are encouraged to increase their knowledge of the Craft, and many elements are available for that. Most of this work and learning is also available to non-Freemasons and they are welcomed to participate.

But I spoke about another dimension, one that is invisible to the outer world.

A stone building is more than a quantity of stones. Even when the word lodge is used to speak about the building, it is also used to speak about the group of initiates who gather there. The lodge is the basic cell of Freemasonry. This group of brethren, initiated in the same way and sharing the same ideals, will reveal a real psychological dimension as well as a spiritual one.

The lodge can become a community of spirits sharing the same goal. Every initiate is in the group to become better, to work on his own realization as human being, overcoming the unbalanced passions that so often lead him in wrong ways. In this temple, a space entirely devoted to this purpose, each member is able to focus on this essential goal: to keep away for a while what is selfish or much too personal. Far from any social judgment, the lodge is the perfect place where human brotherhood can be practiced in order to do the same in society. The work in the lodge is the expression of a utopia in progress. Every initiate can experience it, feel the difficulties, and make some improvements. All these common efforts have both an inward and an outward result. By using this method, the initiates can access this special experience and knowledge of a better humanity. They can understand the remaining efforts necessary to share these precious values with other people. This knowledge can help us work for the common good.

But as in a real family, such fraternity doesn’t deny individual character. It does not demand every follower to blindly abandon his own essence. Nevertheless, there is more to the lodge than the mere sum of its parts. Like the stone building, the lodge becomes a kind of independent psychological creature, progressively developing its own special character and becoming more and more effective. This identity is larger than each brother and sometimes gives the feeling of being in another space. The name and the history of the lodge are important factors in the constitution of this invisible counterpart. Its longevity is another factor that contributes to this invisible essence. The more an initiate is involved in the life of the lodge, the more he will feel this strange presence. It seems that the will, the desire activated by the founders, progressively gave birth to this. Even more, this presence, sometimes called the egregore of the lodge, somehow helps the new initiates. It is the same for a lodge in trouble. Some help can appear by “chance.” I spoke about a psychological entity rising from the group and producing a result larger than itself. Noetic science can lend some elements to theorize these manifestations. Even the theory of synchronicity can contribute to our understanding of how this results from the actions and thoughts of the brethren.

In the Western Tradition, different initiates have considered this idea in another way. In saying that there is more to the group than the sum of its parts, I didn’t speak about the existence of an invisible and independent entity. But it’s possible to claim the existence of an archetype of a Masonic lodge. The ritual work performed over many years can give birth to something called a “thought-form,” to use a Theosophical expression created by Helena P. Blavatsky. As an archetype, the thought-form can be the result of a conjunction of wills, thoughts, and ritual acts. Over the years, this archetype can become somehow autonomous. If you want to imagine this phenomenon, think about the preparation of a pancake. Different elements are put together and mixed. But sometimes in the preparation lumps appear. They are representations of the archetypes, the thought-forms. Of course, they appear because of what you did and what you put in. Of course, in the case of a lodge, these archetypes are a good thing, contrary to the lumps in the pancake batter. Even more, an archetype can be consciously invoked by the inner work performed by the officers during the ritual. As I explained in another chapter, each initiate builds an inner temple. He works in his heart prior to working on the visible plan. So the ritual you can see is the result of spiritual and inner action. This is the origin of its power and efficiency. This is a real invisible action. The visible lodge becomes the manifestation of the spiritual lodge existing in the ideal world.

There is really something “magical,” which is better named “theurgic.” The beauty of such traditional theory is its intrinsic character. If this spiritual archetype exists, it can be a powerful help for every initiate as well as for the ideals of Freemasonry. If it is not the case, nothing changes regarding the inner work and the social philanthropic actions. Nothing is to lose, but something can be won and it will be fine to act as if it was the case.

For centuries the initiates preserved this important idea of a spiritual level. This is a good indication of the founding Masters’ understanding. Of course, what is right for a lodge is right for a Grand Lodge. I can say also that there is more to a Grand Lodge than the sum of each lodge. This Masonic organization, this meeting of all the lodges in its jurisdiction, gives a special character and may be a particular egregore. While a Grand Lodge is firstly an administrative institution, its purpose and goal is larger. Every Grand Master has an insight and gives the best he has to be the worthy heir of an old family. Every action, every proposition he will undertake becomes part of this familial story. The presence of respectable authorities as the founding fathers is still there and is a part of this egregore. It is impossible to act lightly this duty is felt. This is an occult part of Freemasonry, and may be underestimated. Freemasonry has the full weight of its tradition, this synergetic progression capable of keeping the ideals alive, no matter the period of time. And when leaders understand that, the result is powerful and beautiful. What you are doing today echoes in all of eternity! This is the exactly the meaning of this occult action of the Craft.

Figure 30: Mason marks found on old stones of the
White House, Washington DC

I am often amazed by the power of the invisible plane. Authentic traditions seem guided by some divine providence, which organizes the occult life of the orders according to definite spiritual laws. This was also the case with the formation and development of the United States. A very old tradition, which is still used in Hermetic orders today, is called the “magical chain.” One central sacred stone is consecrated and put in a symbolic place. Later, other stones are brought into contact with this central stone and then given to initiates of the order. After this transmission, they are able to work in spiritual and vibratory contact with the mystical center. In 1948, during the presidency of Freemason Harry Truman, the White House was restored. It was impossible to find the cornerstone, but several stones were discovered, complete with Masonic markings. President Truman decided to distribute each marked stone to one of America’s Grand Lodges. The spiritual chain was formed!

And so, you (the reader) may still be wondering about the secret 33rd Degree. Dan Brown suggested in his novel that this 33rd Degree would be the place where all is revealed to the initiate, the moment of the manifestation of the divine powers the initiate has been working to receive. This degree has been associated by its founders with a rich symbolism. As the novel accurately states, this number (33) can be connected to many symbols in the Western Tradition. From the symbolic age of Jesus Christ at his death, to the number of discs in the human spinal column, to the height of the capstone of the Washington Monument, this number seems omnipresent. The founding Freemasons noticed this far-reaching and symbolically important number and used it as the upper level of the scale of advancement within the order. From this perspective, I could say that the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite has in its grasp an enormous and invisible power: the ability to find ways to keep alive this high standard of morality and to continually develop it, in order to help with the construction of a more evolved humanity.

Mysteries of the Rose-Cross

In The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown is focused on certain aspects of Freemasonry, but he also mentions other groups that are connected to Freemasonry. These are called Allied Organizations. The chart on the structure of Freemasonry provided earlier in this chapter diagrams the most important Allied Organizations; these may be found in the middle of that diagram, under the arch. Most of these groups are composed of Freemason groups such as the Shriners, Grotto, etc. Others are feminine adjuncts of Freemasonry groups, such as the Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of the Nile. The third listing is composed of the sons or daughters of Freemasons. It is important to understand that, even though these organizations are connected with Freemasons or restricted to Freemasons and their families, they are not a part of Freemasonry. The reasons these adjunct groups are not a part of Freemasonry may be simply stated: (1) Freemasonry only accepts adult males, and (2) Freemasonry is composed of initiatic degrees validated by the tradition.

Figure 31: Symbolic representation of the Pelican and the Rose-Cross

In reality, these Allied Organizations are groups that are devoted to the Masonic ideals. They are focused on different social philanthropic activities. Despite its name, the Shrine (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine) is in no way connected to Islam. The Shriners International is a fraternity managed by Master Freemasons that supports the Shriners Hospitals for Children. This is an international health-care system of twenty-two hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing special needs pediatric care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs. Of course, any child who needs help will receive treatment at the Shriners Hospitals and no child is ever turned away. There is no requirement for any child to be related to a Freemason in any way in order for him or her to be eligible for care; any child in need will receive care there. All services are provided at no financial obligation to families. The Daughters of the Nile group is the feminine equivalent of the Shriners.

As Dan Brown remarks in his book, these philanthropic organizations are very remote from the concept of any secret organizations connected to the Egyptian pyramids. However, there are other circles connected to Freemasonry that are perhaps less well known, which Dan Brown seems to be unfamiliar with. These groups, which are commonly found all over the United States, fall into the category titledAllied Masonic Organizations, or Masonic Appendant Bodies. Membership in any of these organizations requires the applicant to be a Master Mason, while others require a membership in the Royal Arch (right of representation). These degrees or initiations are detached degrees, some of which, many years ago, were conferred under Craft warrants and formed part of the then loosely governed Freemasonry of that period. (See the glossary at the end of this book for the definition of any special terms used here.)

Many of these detached degrees became dormant, although in others they were conferred as side degrees. In time, the most worthy of these degrees were grouped together in an organized body under the title of Allied Masonic Degrees. These organizations not only work to foster the ideals of Freemasonry (such as the hospital work already mentioned), but another purpose of these organizations is to improve the opportunities for study and research. Of course, these groups are not a different Masonic path, unique unto themselves; they are adjuncts and, just as the name states, allied organizations.

Among the large number of allied structures found in the United States, one of them is a society called the Societas Rosicruciana. In his novel, Dan Brown employs the symbol of the rose cross as an explanation of the mystery of the cube of stone. In a few lines, he summarizes the traditional legend of the rose cross, mixing errors with truths. As you will see in Chapter Seven of this book, the 18th Degree of the Scottish Rite is called the Knight Rose Cross. This degree is actually connected to symbolic elements of the famous fraternity of the Rose-Cross. However, several initiations in Freemasonry also use this name or the symbol of the rose cross. Of course, none of these degrees pretend to be the heir to the ancient Rose-Cross that emerged in the eighteenth century. As Dan Brown noted, several philosophers and scientists from this time (such as Paracelsus, Bacon, Fludd, Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Newton, Leibniz, John Dee, Elias Ashmole, Robert Fludd, etc.) claimed to be members of the Rose-Cross or were associated with this mysterious order in some way.

However, Dan Brown is wrong when he asserts that the Order of the Rose-Cross is the same as the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis. As you will soon see, the second name refers to the AMORC, which is the name of a modern organization founded in 1915; this founding is subsequent to the already extant Orders of the Rose-Cross that still exist. In order to clear up some of the confusion created by The Lost Symbol, I will offer some precise elements about this important Western Tradition (the orders of the Rose-Cross) in order to help you to decipher the rose cross symbols used in that novel.

The first chronological markers are easy to understand and summarize.

The years 1614, 1615, 1616: The publication of the fundamental writings of the Rose-Cross by John Valentin Andreae and his “circle” of friends. There was no Rose-Cross organization prior to this.

1777: The organization of a German order connected to Freemasonry called the “Golden and Rosy Cross.” This initiatic group was active for approximately nine years.

1867: The organization, in England, of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.)[3] derived from the Societas Rosicruciana in Scotland (S.R.I.S.) following the admission of William James Hughan.

1888: The organization, in France, of the Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix (Qabalistic Order of the Rose-Cross)[4] by Stanislas de Guaita.

Only the two last organizations still exist. Any other such organizations you may find in your research are modern inventions, after the beginning of nineteenth century.

In order to understand the origin of these mysterious Rose-Cross organizations, it is necessary to look at the history of this developing movement. Between 1614 and 1616, three strange books were anonymously published in Germany. The authors were the pastor Johann Valentin Andreae and his circle of friends. They published the Fama Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis, the Confessio Fraternitatis, and The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz.

According to modern historians, there is no indication of any occult group called the Rose-Cross or Rosae Crucisprior to these publications. As for any esoteric traditions or religions of the same name, the founding myths of the group formed by Johann Valentin Andrae claim their works originated in antiquity and these myths continue to persist today. To clarify the situation, I will offer some facts. It is perfectly true that the symbols of the cross and the rose are ancient. Both symbols have demonstrably been used in poetry, religion, and esotericism since ancient times. However, the modern development of the pictures of the rose on a cross is new and not part of any ancient lineage. There are also several writers who have claimed that some such fraternities did exist prior to Andreae, but these writers held that they existed in secret, and their symbol was a rose on a cross.

Although it is never possible to absolutely prove or dismiss such assertions, it is certainly very easy to accept the existence of hidden/secret circles transmitting an initiation that was linked to the Ancient Mysteries. This was decidedly the case for the Hermetic and Neoplatonic Traditions I described earlier in this text. Christian Qabalists were directly involved in the perpetuation of this inheritance. Of course, they were Christians, which generally meant they were Catholics (as nearly everyone was at that time) with a few being ecclesiastics. However, it is very easy to see that their interpretation of the dogma was not very canonical. Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486–1535) and Dr. Heinrich Khunrath (1560–1605) are two very good examples of the existence of this esoteric tradition. As you can see in the magical books written by Agrippa, the ancient pre-Christian traditions are everywhere. There are no differences between the ancient divinities and the Hebrew divine names (as described in their works). It would be fair to say that all the writings of these authors, such as Khunrath and others, are closer to Christianity and the Hebrew Qabalah, but that they all have the same goal: to unveil the mysteries; thus, to penetrate the veil.

There are several examples of evidence of the existence of a real esoteric brotherhood prior to the publication of the Rose-Cross manifestos. Various special symbols were carefully chosen by the initiates of these Qabalistic circles. For example the Qabalistic Order of the Rose-Cross used some esoteric representations from Kunrath’s book called Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae (Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom), first published in 1595. One of the most famous illustrations portrays a rose of light with a central body in the position of a cross. This very complex and beautiful engraving was identified as a Qabalistic and occult symbol of the Rose-Cross Tradition. The analysis of this mandala shows a circular representation of the Qabalistic Tree of Life and can be seen as the first and most complete union between the Hebrew and the Christian Qabalah, in the shape of a hidden rose cross.

Nothing of this deep symbolism is present in the publications from Andreae. The origin of the texts he published and his purpose appear to be of a different nature. As I said, Andreae was a German pastor. He published those manifestos one century after the Reformation movement that was initiated by Martin Luther (1483–1546). Another of his books presents a city-state named Christianopolis. Undoubtedly, his purpose was to use antique esoteric “clothing” in order to present his ideas on religion, philosophy, politics, and society to the world. It is traditional to use allegories in such discreet publications and this was also true in the past. The alchemical symbols linked to some powerful founding myths gave birth to many a creation that outstripped its creator(s). In this way, Christian Rosenkreuz (in English, his name translates as “Christian Rose Cross”) became the mythic father of the fraternity, a mythical hero, illuminated and immortal as a Master of the Tradition.

As a young German noble, Rosenkreuz was sent to a monastery for education. However, he left it to begin a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Middle East, looking for masters who would be able to give him the esoteric wisdom he was looking for. He found them and was welcomed as the one they were waiting for. After three years, he left with a sacred book called M. This may be a reference to the Book of the World, Liber Mundi. After spending time in Egypt in order to receive the esoteric teachings available in that part of the world, he came back to Europe and founded the Fraternity of the Rose-Cross. Under his direction, a temple called the House of the Holy Spirit was built.

This new monastery was the place where he developed and transmitted his knowledge to seven other members. After taking an oath of fidelity, silence, and work, they lived in different countries to work as members of the Rose-Cross, helping the poor without payment. Their seal was the acronym “R+C.” They promised to come back once every year. Nobody knows when the master died, but 120 years after his death, his body was discovered by a brother of the order, in a state of perfect preservation. He was buried in a chamber that had been previously erected by him as a storehouse of knowledge. On the sarcophagus in the center of the crypt was written, among other inscriptions, the Christian declaration “Jesus mihi omnia, nequaquam vacuum, libertas evangelii, dei intacta gloria, legis jugum” (“Jesus is everything to me, nowhere a vacuum, the freedom of the gospels, the inviolate glory of God, the yoke of the law”).

Following this first myth, the Confessio Fraternitatis appeared as a more socially oriented text and The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz appeared as an allegory describing a very interesting spiritual journey. Despite the constant use of alchemical and esoteric symbols, this myth is rooted in the Christian tradition with very little emphasis on the ancient Hermetic inheritance. The Hermetic and Neoplatonic Traditions are not present in this work. It is almost as if the author was not interested in these traditions, or at least not aware of this important knowledge. This ignorance of such important traditions (perhaps unintentionally) gave credit to scholars who set about explaining the political and religious character of these writings. Some studies go so far as to assert that these publications were jokes.Yet the mythical idea was firmly established and continued to exist after the death of Andreae as a new expression of Christian esoteric teachings.

After this period, the Rose-Cross Tradition found two main means of expression: (1) inside of or directly linked with Freemasonry (Christian character), and (2) linked to esoteric groups (Hermetic character).

Rose-Cross, the Masonic Lineage

Around 1755 in Germany, various groups called the Golden Cross and the Rosy Cross appeared. At that time, these groups were not part of Freemasonry. These groups were not organized together and continued to be isolated from each other for some years after their creation. However, close contacts were initiated between them and Freemasons interested in esotericism. In 1757, some Golden Cross and Rosy Cross groups took on a more Masonic structure.At this juncture, the relationship between Freemasonry and Rose Cross was only the result of specific individuals who decided to explore and cross-pollinate. However, in 1777, one of these circles became a unified group and took the name of the Golden and Rosy Cross of the Old System. Its structure was Masonic and it was composed of nine high degrees. It required its members to take a strict oath regarding rites and initiations, and it maintained a rigid hierarchical structure. This initiatic group recruited many Freemasons who were interested in the esoteric sciences, such as alchemy, the Qabalah, and Christian esotericism. The group initiated members of different political affiliations; since they worked in harmony with each other, the group became quite socially influential. Despite the fact that it grew in size very quickly, the order disappeared approximately nine years after its birth.

Figure 32: One of the representations
of the Rose Cross

At about this same time in France, a Freemason named Tschoudy devised a new set of degrees, which he named Knights of the Rose Cross. These degrees were progressively integrated into other Masonic systems, as you can see in the Scottish Rite today.

The next important step in the evolution of this line was the constitution in Scotland of the first Societas Rosicruciana, known as the Societas Rosicruciana in Scotia (S.R.I.S.). This group was directly influenced by the Rose Cross publications in Germany. It is difficult to say whether there was a direct link between the two, but they claimed that there was. In 1867, the famous Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (Society of Rosicrucians in England, or S.R.I.A.) was constituted from the S.R.I.S. and the discovery of certain manuscripts in the archives of the Grand Lodge. This order continues to exist today and is the center of all Societas Rosicruciana(s) that have been set up in every country around the world, including those in the United States. Its statements of philosophy are identical everywhere in every group that is set up using this model, and this is valid evidence of the presence and influence of this line of the tradition.

The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia is an independent Christian society. Admission is limited to Master Masons who are subscribing members of a lodge under the Grand Lodge of England or a jurisdiction in amity with this Grand Lodge, and who accept and believe in the fundamental principles of the Trinitarian Christian faith. Even if the affiliation is restricted to the Freemasons, the very restrictive confessional clause is absolutely not in the spirit of what was built by the founders of Freemasonry at its inception. All Masons remember the power of a belief in a supreme being without defining him. This is one of the critical and fundamental elements of Freemasonry; it is a warranty for world peace in our time.

The above is why this society of the Rose Cross is linked to Freemasonry, but must not be confused with the Rose Cross degrees present within Freemasonry. I am differentiating here between two disparate entities: one inside Freemasonry (R.C. Degrees) and the other outside of that body (the S.R.I.A.).

With this in mind, it is interesting to note that the S.R.I.A. has a very useful set of degrees that utilize the structure of the Qabalistic Tree. Three orders compose the progression (up the Tree): 1st order: Zelator, Theoricus, Practicus, and Philosophus. 2nd order: Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major, and Adeptus Exemptus. 3rd order: Magister and Magus. The society is focused on the practice of the rituals, their Qabalistic studies, and the writing of various research papers. These groups are very close to what are called now “research lodges.” Despite the obligation related to faith, the famous magical society called the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn emerged from the S.R.I.A. The three founders, William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, were Freemasons and members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. The complete system was a magical offshoot of the S.R.I.A. system, which attempted to integrate other esoteric elements such as the Enochian magic of John Dee, the writings of Agrippa, and, perhaps, some other documents that came from the old German Rose-Cross movement. Its hierarchy was built along the same structural lines as Freemasonry. However, as soon as these organizations began initiating women and non-Masons, they immediately lost recognition by the Masons, since women cannot be initiated into Freemasonry.

The original S.R.I.A. gave birth to two groups in the United States: the Societas Rosicruciana in America, and the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (Rosicrucian Society of the United States). The first group is mostly inactive today. The second group, created in 1880, is still active according to the original tradition of this branch.

Rose-Cross, the Hermetic Lineage

France is well known to be the place where the first symbolic Western nonreligious texts were written during medieval times. The Romance of the Rose and the Grail Quest are important texts revealing a real esoteric tradition emphasized by the troubadours in the south of France. Some of the founding Hebrew Qabalistic schools were developed during those years. This esoteric inheritance was linked to the Christian Qabalah of the Renaissance. It was for this reason that the south of France was always a special home of the Hermetic tradition. Many famous religions had their birth here, including those coming out of eastern Gnosticism and the gnostic beliefs of the Cathars. In these regions, religious freedom was the most powerful element, and the Catholic Church organized a crusade to exterminate all these “dangerous” belief systems. The south of France was also the birthplace of various high Masonic degrees that were designed to integrate Hermetic and Esoteric teachings. This region of France continued to be the center of the main Western initiatic societies, and it maintained this place in the collective imagination, which is, of course, larger than the actual country. For example, you might recall the examples of the mystery of Rennes le Château, the Priory of Sion, Holy Blood, Holy Grail,[5] and The Da Vinci Code, all of which center around mysteries that had the south of France as their geographic and mystical home. The Hermetists and occultists were always present and it was there (in the region of Toulouse) that this Rose-Cross lineage appeared. This was the result of three influences: the troubadour tradition, the work of the mystical and symbolical German Rose-Cross group, and the efforts of the Mediterranean Hermetic traditions. This last group’s influence led to an emphasis on alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. This Rose-Cross group was independent from Freemasonry, even though its members were very often Freemasons. They created little groups whose study and work were focused on the Qabalistic and Hermetic inheritance. In 1850, the Viscount Louis-Charles-Edouard de Lapasse, who was both a physician and esoterist, became the master of this secret school.

A fewyears later, in 1884, the Marquis Stanislas de Guaita met the brothers Peladan, who were linked to this order. De Guaita was initiated by Firmin Boissin, the Grand Master at that time. From Boissin, he received the transmission of this Hermetic Rose-Cross Tradition, its teachings, and a mission. His duty and goal were to organize a nonreligious order focused on serious theoretical teachings and powerful theurgic rituals.Because of the oaths of secrecy, the only part that remained visible to the public was the aspect composed of their studies.

In 1888, in order to honor his obligations, he founded the Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix (Qabalistic Order of the Rose-Cross). This date was not chosen by chance. You may remember that the Golden and Rosy Cross of the Old System was reorganized in 1777. According to its teachings, the new order was to be recreated exactly 111 years from that date. (With a beautiful synchronicity, the Washington Monument was officially opened in the same year: 1888.)

Among the most famous members of the O.K.R.C. (Q.O.R.C.) were: Papus (Gérard Encausse), Paul Adam, Jollivet-Castelot, Marc Haven (Dr. Lalande), Paul Sedir (Yvon Le Loup), Pierre Augustin Chaboseau, Erik Satie, Emma Calve, Camille Flammarion, and many other prominent figures of this time. The chiefs of the order were very regularly in contact with English initiates of the S.R.I.A. and the Golden Dawn.

This order continued to be the inspirational source of several Western spiritual schools. The tradition was transmitted on the visible plane as an honorific consecration in some French Masonic orders. However, at the same time, the real lineage was preserved in secret by Grand Patriarchs of the order, thus keeping intact the original and theurgic rituals, even today.

Strangely, Dan Brown came very close to uncovering these traditions in The Lost Symbol on two different occasions, but he never made a precise identification. Nevertheless, his intuition was extended into several other important areas, through his use of the Rose-Cross symbols. I will look at this aspect in the next section.

From the Rose-Cross to the Pyramid

In The Lost Symbol, a doubly symbolic connection becomes evident between the symbols of the cross, the rose, and our mundane selves. There is also a symbolic relationship between the cube and the cross. The cube is a symbol of the material world, of the “hidden stone” found at the center of one’s being. Thus, the symbolic relationship is obvious between the physical body and the stone. As Dan Brown explains, an opened cube in a two-dimensional representation is a cross. Of course, this symbol is not merely a Christian one. Very often the symbol of the cross is interpreted as a man standing erect, with his arms extended at both sides on the horizontal plane. This early form of adoration is represented by the vertical axis of the cross, which is the site of the ascending and descending movement of the divine powers. The horizontal bar of the cross represents materiality, our humanity balancing the spiritual energy of the vertical axis. The intersecting point of these two lines was later linked to the solar plexus, the Sun, and the heat at the center of our being. For this reason, this point was associated with the symbolic rose. In this way, the rose cross was born.

Figure 33: The cube and its development in the cross

Figure 34: Valentin Andreae Arms

Even if this symbol is very often used by different modern Rose-Cross Orders, or in Freemasonry, it is not as old as claimed. The truth is different. The rose was associated with the cross every time in the opposite position as we saw on the figure of Kunrath, the cross being in the center of the rose. The illustration by Kunrath and Luther’s coat of arms show this original position. This is an interesting point of view, to consider that you can be at the center of your rose. They are several connections between the rose, the development of its petals, light, perfume, etc. and your aura. If you are at the center, the connections are obvious. The hidden stone is really in the center of your body of light. With the mysterious cube inside you, the rose cross can be a clear illustration of an invisible reality. This symbolic representation will be used in a practical ritual in Chapter Seven.

Figure 35: Qabalistic Order
of the Rose-Cross

Figure 36: The unfinished pyramid
and its development in the cross

There is also another hidden symbol that Dan Brown never mentions. In The Lost Symbol, you may recall the description of the cube and the unfinished pyramid, which is the capstone of this cube. Apparently, (given his omission of mentioning any connection), we are to assume there is no connection between this important Masonic shape and the rose cross. In fact, there is strong connection, but it is less known than the first one I spoke of. If we consider some of the ancient symbols, we find that there is not one rose but four, one for each element. This is the case in the “first day” of The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz. After receiving an angelic message in a dream, Christian Rosenkreutz prepared himself in order to begin his spiritual journey. He put on a white linen coat and girded his loins with a blood-red ribbon bound crossways over his shoulder. Then he stuck four red roses in his hat. There is some interesting symbolism that associates the red cross and the four roses. But before considering its meaning, I should point out a clear and obvious link between these elements and Valentin Andreae’s coat of arms. Out of respect for this symbolism and its origin, the Qabalistic Order of the Rose-Cross chose a seal composed of four roses, a cross, and a pentagram. This cross is different from the red cross, which was the result of the esoteric development of the cube. We must keep in mind the Hermetic character of this lineage of the Rose-Cross.

As a consequence, the development of its central symbol is different and complementary. There is also a two-dimensional symbol. If I recreate the three-dimensional symbol of this cross, the result is not a cube, but an unfinished pyramid! These results are amazing. From one lineage of the tradition, we can obtain a cube, and from the other one we obtain a pyramid. If we add together the results of our investigation of these two lineages, by joining these two main symbols the manifestation of the tradition is complete: we have the cube and the unfinished pyramid. The human being (represented by the pentagram) can receive illumination at the secret meeting point of the circumpunct, his solar center: apotheosis.

[contents]

[1]. http://www.scottishrite.org/

[2]. The other branch is known as the York Rite, consisting of Royal Arch Masons, Royal and Select Masters, and the Knights Templar (http://www.yorkrite.org/).

[3]3. Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia: http://www.sria.info/

[4]. Qabalistic Order of the Rose-Cross: http://www.okrc.org/

[5]. Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, Holy Blood, Holy Grail. (city: publisher, year).