Marcus Garvey Council No.06 Washington and It's Jurisdiction District No.9
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Cryptic Degrees (Council of Royal and Select Masters)

The degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry are not told in a chronological manner. This is done intentionally so that as one advances in education and understanding of the degrees, they will be more impressive and have a more lasting impact on the candidate. In the degrees of the Council, the remaining questions and gaps in all of the preceding degrees are explained in a very dramatic fashion. The final degree of this body, that of Super Excellent Master has no direct connection to the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry, but serves to depict events leading up to the destruction of the temple, and inculcates impressive lessons on truth and fidelity. The Cryptic degrees are:

  • Royal Master
  • Select Master
  • Super Excellent Master



For more information on Cryptic Masonry checkout our About page.

 

 The Name - Cryptic

The focus of the Royal Master and Select Master degrees is a secret vault beneath the Temple of Solomon. "Cryptic" means "hidden", from the Latin crypticus, meaning "subterranean" or "concealed". Vaults beneath many churches are called "crypts". The expression "Cryptic Masonry" means, therefore, "Masonry of the Secret Vault".


 


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The Vault
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 much of  Freemasonry.  The legends conveyed in this system of degrees form an excellent allegory. The Masonic author, Albert G. Mackey, writing of the vault, says: 

"The vault was, therefore, in the ancient mysteries, symbolic of the grave; for initiation was symbolic of death, where alone Divine Truth is to be found.  Freemasons have adopted the same idea.  They teach that death is but the beginning of Life; that if the first, or evanescent Temple of our transitory life be on the surface, we must descend into the secret vault of death before we can find that sacred deposit of Truth, which is to adorn our second Temple of Eternal Life."

 

 


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