Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor
by Malcolm C. Duncan
[1866]
This book presents details of Masonic initiation rituals, along with grips, passwords and regalia. Written in the 19th century, Duncan's Ritual, as it is known, has been republished numerous times. It includes the three basic degrees of the Ancient York Rite, and four additional advanced degrees. There are over a hundred illustrations, all reproduced here, which show important details of the rituals, including gestures and symbolic pictures. Duncan's Ritual is careful to note known variations where they exist. This book will be of interest to beginning Masons who want a roadmap of the craft, as well as experienced Masons who need a review.
Note: Masonry over time has been secret, true. But now, it's a matter of privacy. You can go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Borders books and get a copy of Duncan's Rituals. The ISBN no. is 0-679-50626-8. In this is contained every single detail of what happens in the Lodge rooms of England, but still is pretty complete. This is not too substantially different than what Freemasons do in American Lodges. There you go... On a silver platter, we have handed you the operative keys to the mysteries of an ancient craft.
Freemasonry is personal, private and beyond description. We have rituals that we perform, like a play, that remind us of certain moral lessons, and hint at the antiquity of our craft. These are the material manifestations of what we do. They are no longer secrets, yet they remain private in most cases as every group or person has the right to personal privacy. They are the process of what we do. Just as what I do (for a living or otherwise) does not define me as a person, so the manner of what we do does not define us as Masons. My obligations (oaths) make me a Mason, and the manner in which I live and build my house of character show that I really understand and earn the title of Free and Accepted Mason.
The real secrets of Freemasonry are what happens in you! No man can see into your mind or heart. No man can tell you how to apply the allegorical lessons of Freemasonry to your life, actions and character. These are the real secrets...it's all about how your mind and conscious uses the information that you are presented.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Preface
Entered Apprentice, or First Degrees
Fellow Craft, or Second Degree
Master Mason, or Third Degree
Mark Master, or Fourth Degree
Past Master, or Fifth Degree
Most Excellent Master, or Sixth Degree
Royal Arch, or Seventh Degree
Extracts from a Dictionary of Masonry
Appendix
