Scottish Rite degrees 4 to 17
The fourth to seventeenth degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite extend the legends and moral teachings of Craft Freemasonry. Their traditional subjects include the aftermath of Hiram Abiff's death, the responsibilities of judges and governors, the preservation of knowledge, and the rebuilding of the Temple. The seventeenth degree prepares for the eighteenth degree, Rose Croix.[1]
Conferral and demonstrations
Under the Supreme Council for England and Wales, the degrees from 4° to 17° are conferred by name before the candidate receives the 18°. They are commonly called the Intermediate Degrees in that jurisdiction.[2] The King Edward VII Rose Croix Chapter of Improvement organises demonstrations of Intermediate Degrees at locations in England and Wales.[3]
Practice differs elsewhere. The Supreme Council for Australia describes working these degrees in an authorised Chapter of Improvement. The United States' Northern Masonic Jurisdiction provides opportunities to witness degrees through its Valleys and other programmes.[4][5]
The individual degrees
The titles below follow the traditional sequence described by Charles T. McClenachan, with singular titles used for individual degrees. Each article identifies relevant differences in naming or interpretation.
- 4° - Secret Master
- 5° - Perfect Master
- 6° - Intimate Secretary
- 7° - Provost and Judge
- 8° - Intendant of the Building
- 9° - Knight Elect of Nine
- 10° - Knight Elect of Fifteen
- 11° - Sublime Knight Elected
- 12° - Grand Master Architect
- 13° - Royal Arch of Enoch
- 14° - Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Mason
- 15° - Knight of the East or Sword
- 16° - Prince of Jerusalem
- 17° - Knight of the East and West
Scope of these accounts
The principal historical source is McClenachan's The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition, published in New York in 1885. McClenachan was Grand Master of Ceremonies of the United States' Northern Supreme Council. In his preface he acknowledges Northern Jurisdiction sources and Albert Pike's contribution where Northern and Southern materials coincided.[6]
The articles describe that published historical account. Modern Supreme Councils have revised both titles and stories: the present Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, for example, calls its fourth degree Builder and its twelfth Master of Mercy. Its fifth degree retains the title Perfect Master but uses a different narrative.[7][8][9]
The ancient and medieval settings belong to the degrees' legends. For the historical development of the Rite, the Southern Jurisdiction traces Scottish high-degree traditions through eighteenth-century Masonry and records the establishment of the first Supreme Council at Charleston in 1801.[10]
McClenachan groups 4°-14° in a Lodge of Perfection, 15°-16° in a Council of Princes of Jerusalem, and 17°-18° in a Rose Croix Chapter. These groupings provide the framework for the linked accounts.[11]
See also
- Summary of the different rites
- History of the Scottish Rite
- Charles T. McClenachan
- History of Masonic regalia
References
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 9-10, 30, 70, 116, 138, 184, 220. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Berkshire Rose Croix, Introduction to Rose Croix Masonry. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ King Edward VII Rose Croix Chapter of Improvement, King Edward VII Rose Croix Chapter of Improvement. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Supreme Council for Australia, AASR Degrees. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, Our Degrees. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), title page and pp. 7-8. Digitised copy.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, 4° - Builder. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, 12° - Master of Mercy. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, 5° - Perfect Master. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, History of the Rite. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Charles T. McClenachan, The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, revised and enlarged edition (New York: Author's Edition, 1885), pp. 9-10. Digitised copy.