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Swedish Rite

Kalip78

Registered User
So, here are some hot reflections aftet anniversary meeting of Den Nordiska Första St:Johannislogen. First of all you have no doubts that this is EA ritual. But there are some diffetences comparing to Polish ritual. On the East there is no All Seeing Eye, no Sun and Moon. On the VLS, next to the S&Cs there is a sword. EA's bring the tracing board and so on. In this meeting there was ca. 150 Brethren so everything looked very theatratical and took a lot of time.

One more interesting thing - the officers have special officer's aprons in yellow and blue and of interesting shape, not the degree aprons. You can recognize their degree by sash only.

And even Swedish brethren say that I should visit the meeting in IV/V degree. And so I will. Someday... :)

Frats from Stockholm!


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SimonM

Registered User
Nice to hear an outside perspective on the ritual! The apron of the officers are of the MM of the SweR, but they have their own sash to indicate the grade they are on. This is because they are working as MM as officers, not as the (higher) grade they are in individually.

I found a public picture of the hall that the Stockholm lodges use and I believe you where in. I won't comment on it but if look closely I think you can see similarities and differences to how it can look in an american lodge.
The building is from the 17th century and have been in the Swedish Grand Loge possession since 1874. The furniture are from the late 18th century.

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Kalip78

Registered User
Yes, that is a blue Temple in Stockholm. I even took the same picture nad I recognize "my seat"... :)

You know talking about Swedish Rite there is one non-masonic institution worth to mention. I mean the Order of Charles XIII. It's Swedish Crown's knight order for Freemasons only (there's no other institution like this one). There are only 30 knights - 27 lay persons and 3 pastors/priests. I met some of them - including Swedish GM Bro. Anders Strömberg - in Den Nordiska Första St:Johannislogen.

Frats from Poland!
 

Kalip78

Registered User
By the way - I had a funny chat with Swedish Bro (VI degree). He pointed out his GM and few Brethren with XI degree with a lot of chains and crosses on their breasts and said they have the highest rank which is not reachable for ordinary Swedish freemason (for most of them X degree is the highest). And than I said - don't worry Bro, everything is a matter of perspective. From my point of view there's no higher degree than Master Mason and all above is just appedant. He couldn't stop laughing for 15 minutes... ;-)

Frats from Poland

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SimonM

Registered User
By the way - I had a funny chat with Swedish Bro (VI degree). He pointed out his GM and few Brethren with XI degree with a lot of chains and crosses on their breasts and said they have the highest rank which is not reachable for ordinary Swedish freemason (for most of them X degree is the highest). And than I said - don't worry Bro, everything is a matter of perspective. From my point of view there's no higher degree than Master Mason and all above is just appedant. He couldn't stop laughing for 15 minutes... ;-)
The SweR is more integrated than any other rite that I know of, and it is very easy for us in it to see the MM not as the end of masonry proper but as the first major point in a series of several. I'm not saying that this is necessary a correct view, but it is common.

Idries Shah, in The Sufis, makes the comment that the reason Masonry does not progress very far into the higher mysteries is that Richard the Lionheart was only initiated into the lower levels of Sufism.
Here comes a question of what part of Masonry was Idries Shah referring to. The first three degrees of emulation rite? Scottish Rite? The whole of the Rectified rite?
Different rites present different lessons and lead the candidate to different places. It could theoretically be true that medieval masonry in GB had the initial but not the advanced teachings of mysticism, but after the 18th century when everyone had a chance to write a high degree and add whatever point of view into the greater masonic system we are no longer limited to that. Now there is a very wide variety of lessons to get hold of though Masonry today, but if a person is primarily interested in mysticism and the esoteric side I would recommend him not to limit himself to just becoming a mason.
 

Kalip78

Registered User
The SweR is more integrated than any other rite that I know of, and it is very easy for us in it to see the MM not as the end of masonry proper but as the first major point in a series of several. I'm not saying that this is necessary a correct view, but it is common.
Of course, Bro! The truth is that 3 degrees system (even with appendant orders) and Swedish Rite are incomparable. All we have to do is to accept it and draw from both sources as much, as we can.

In some way SweR Masons are privileged. If you have VI degree you can work in 18 degree of AASR as well, as in Royal Arch. Royal Arch Mason can't just knock on AASR Temple and work with them. But from the other side we have more fun I think... ;-)

Frats from Poland!

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chrmc

Registered User
Quite so. Are you willing to identify suitable organizations or practices?

Both Rosecruscianism and Martinism has a number of things in common with masonry. Likewise it is well know that the teachings of freemasonry builds many of it's lessons upon both alchemy and Kabbalah.
 

SimonM

Registered User
Quite so. Are you willing to identify suitable organizations or practices?
It depends on the interests of the person asking, but the suggestions from chrmc är very good. Martinism and Rosecruscianism are two good esoteric currents. However, I suggest that you take a close look before as there are many groups that claim to be authentic but many have muddled lineages or have mixed the original practices with later inventions.
Alchemy and kabbalah are of course good sciences but it might be hard for a beginner to take up a rewarding practice without proper guidance.

With the exception of alchemy, those seem to me to be embedded in older energy structures, like the current form of Masonry.
As the Cosmos unfolds I hope to see new qualities emerge within the human race and gestalts transmitting new understandings of the nature of Reality.
Of course, the eternal will be reflected in the new cultures and ideas that will come. But it is my belief that for now our best option is to use the established traditions like Masonry since they are well rooted into our western understanding and paradigm. To move to new ideas or traditions outside our culture will only increase the difficulty since we the not only have to spend time on the new idea, but to learn the other paradigm as well.
 
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CHodapp

Registered User
Sorry to come in so late on this discussion, but I just came across the following bit on the Wikipedia entry for the GL of New York concerning GLs that operate under the Swedish Rite, and wondered if anyone knew of any action taken after the two year extension ended.

It reads:

"In May 2012, at its Grand Lodge Session, GLoNY had approved the findings of a Special Committee which has determined that certain Grand Lodges, notably those following the Swedish Rite, restrict their membership to members of the Christian faith. As a consequence of this, the members of the Grand Lodge of voted unanimously that non-Christian Masons living in these Grand Jurisdictions will not come under the exclusivity enjoyed by said Grand Lodges. A notice was sent out to all Grand Lodges with which the GLoNY is in amity, that the GLoNY will recognize as Regular any Lodges opened up in these territories by any other regular Grand Lodge. Furthermore, the committee's tenure was continued for an additional two years in order to determine if further measures need to be taken."
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
A notice was sent out to all Grand Lodges with which the GLoNY is in amity, that the GLoNY will recognize as Regular any Lodges opened up in these territories by any other regular Grand Lodge.

I wonder if they in theory would now recognize new lodges formed in the territories of states whose jurisdictions have been taken over by theocracies.

I figure the declaration is theoretical. Who's going to open a lodge in Sweden in open defiance of GLofSE territory? When organizing a new GL it's all about how rapidly all other jurisdictions will recognize you to establish regular practice. Having one foreign GL, in theory only, ready to support you is not much.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I wonder if they in theory would now recognize new lodges formed in the territories of states whose jurisdictions have been taken over by theocracies.

I figure the declaration is theoretical. Who's going to open a lodge in Sweden in open defiance of GLofSE territory? When organizing a new GL it's all about how rapidly all other jurisdictions will recognize you to establish regular practice. Having one foreign GL, in theory only, ready to support you is not much.
And, given the NY-DC dispute over Lebanon, that would seem an inconsistent move. It would be a very serious disruption.
However, the declaration (my word) does make one question about something similar for TN and GA. It's the same principle, is it not?
 

SimonM

Registered User
The Grand Lodge of Sweden have recently taken step to ensure that those who want to become masons in Sweden but are not christians should have opportunity to do so. We have very good relations with our neighbours in Finnland and have allowed them to open up blue lodges in sweden, working in Swedish with the emulation rite. As of now there are only one or two of these lodges, but if there is more interest I'm sure more will pop up.
 

chrmc

Registered User
The Grand Lodge of Sweden have recently taken step to ensure that those who want to become masons in Sweden but are not christians should have opportunity to do so. We have very good relations with our neighbours in Finnland and have allowed them to open up blue lodges in sweden, working in Swedish with the emulation rite. As of now there are only one or two of these lodges, but if there is more interest I'm sure more will pop up.

So with this positive move assume it's basically only Iceland and Norway that are the only countries that operate Swedish Rite only lodges.
 

SimonM

Registered User
So with this positive move assume it's basically only Iceland and Norway that are the only countries that operate Swedish Rite only lodges.
I thought I heard somewhere that there are blue lodges (i.e. Not s:t johns lodges) working under the grand lodge of norway, but I cant find any information on when I google on it. I might have remembered wrong, if someone with more insights about the situation i Norway can share their information it would be really intresting!
 

Kalip78

Registered User
Dear Bro. SimonM and Elexir!

Could you tell me please on what level in the official Swedish conversion charts are the Knight Templar / Knight of Malta degrees?

Fraternal regards from Poland!
 
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