Sir Ramsey was born at Ayr, in Scotland, June 9, 1668. His father was a baker, but being a possessor of considerable property and money, he was in position to give his son, Michael Andrew Ramsey, a high and excellent education. He Graduated from the University at Edinburgh, Scotland, with distinguished honors. He then went to England and required a great literary reputation, and the Oxford University conferred upon him the Degree of Doctor of Laws. He then went to Paris, France, and delivered a great address before the Grand Lodge of France in the year 1740.
In the year of 1758, at Paris, France, a council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite was organized.
In the Scottish Rite, the central authority is called a Supreme Council. The thirty-three degrees of the Scottish Rite are conferred by several controlling bodies.
The first of these is the Craft Lodge which confers the Entered Apprentice, Fellow craft, and Master Mason degrees. Craft lodges operate under the authority of Grand Lodges, not the Scottish Rite. Although most lodges throughout the English-speaking world do not confer the Scottish Rite versions of the first three degrees, there are a handful of lodges in New Orleans and in several other major cities that have traditionally conferred the Scottish Rite version of these degrees.
The Scottish Rite is one of the appendent bodies of Freemasonry that a Master Mason may join for further exposure to the principles of Freemasonry.
In England and some other countries, while the Scottish Rite is not accorded official recognition by the Grand Lodge, there is no prohibition against a Freemason electing to join it.
In the United States, however, the Scottish Rite is officially recognized by Grand Lodges as an extension of the degrees of Freemasonry. The Scottish Rite builds upon the ethical teachings and philosophy offered in the craft lodge, or Blue Lodge, through dramatic presentation of the individual degrees.
Scottish Rite Symbols
The accepted symbol of our Rite is the Double-Headed Eagle. This symbol dates to the splitting of the Roman Empire and the establishment of the Eastern (Byzantine) and Western (Roman) halves.
The double-headed eagle was probably first accepted as a symbol of Freemasonry in 1758. In that year the body calling itself the Council of Emperors of the East and West, was established in Paris. The double-headed eagle was in all probability adopted by this body, which claimed a double jurisdiction. The eagle, one head inclined to the East and the other to the West, to guard any and all who might approach from either direction.
EAGLE OF LAGASH
The double heads are often emblematic of the reconciliation of matter and spirit. Other elements in the Masonic eagle reinforce the alchemical symbolism- a sword representing heavenly fire, and the crown of spiritual attainment. The Masonic eagle is often referred to as the "Eagle of Lagash," after one of the oldest uses of the emblem, in the ancient Sumerian city of Lagash. The two faced eagle was popularized in Europe by the Emperor Charlemagne, and the symbol was adopted formally into Freemasonry in the mid-eighteenth century, by the Council of Emperors of the East and West. At that time, the device was commonly used to depict the uniting of two bodies into one; this was probably a factor in the decision to use the eagle symbol.
(An ancient Hittite Eagle)
Yod is the most frequently occurring letter in the Scriptures as well as the smallest of the letters. The Mystery of Yod Suspended in mid-air, Yod is the smallest of the Hebrew letters, the “atom” of the consonants, and the form from which all of the other letters begin and end: The first dot with which the scribes first start writing a letter, or the last dot that gives a letter its final form -- is a yod. (Likutei Maharan) In the Jewish mystical tradition, Yod represents a mere dot, a divine point of energy.
Since Yod is used to form all the other letters, and since God uses the letters as the building blocks of creation, Yod indicates God’s omnipresence. In fact, the word (yod) itself depicts something of the geometry of creation. It begins with the Yod itself, as a dot, and then moves downward, from the divine toward the created order to form Vav (the “hook” of creation). Finally it moves outward in the horizontal realm as Dalet (the “doorway” of creation). This can better be seen with the following illustration: Since Jesus upholds the world by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3), and Yod is part of every Hebrew letter (and therefore every word),
Yod is considered the starting point of the presence of God in all things - the “spark” of the Spirit in everything. Yod and Humility The letter Yod, being the smallest of the letters, is also a picture of humility. For example, when Jacob was renamed from ya’akov to yisrael, all that remained of his former name was the letter Yod and Spirituality Yod means “arm” or “hand,” and its form suggests a hand that is reaching toward heaven. In addition, the letter somewhat resembles a man in prayer: Here the tag suggests a crown that is given to one who is humbled before the LORD in prayer, and the bent shape suggests submission.
Interestingly, the gematria of Yod is 20, the same value for the Hebrew root for vision (chazah). The Meaning of Yod as Ten The word (yod) means “arm” or “hand” and the numeric value is ten. Now ten is a number marking shelemut, or completion and order, as evidenced by the following: The base 10 number system is universal.
Just as Yod is part of all of the previous letters of the alphabet (as a component), so Yod is part of all of the numbers. It is said by the sages the Yod does not mean 10 because we have ten toes and fingers but we have ten toes and fingers because Yod means 10. There were ten things created on the first day and ten things created at the end of the sixth day of creation. There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, suggesting that the godlessness of those generations was made complete. There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, suggesting that the godliness of those generations was made complete. According to midrash, there were ten trials given to Abraham to demonstrate his merit as the father of the nations.
There were ten plagues issued during the Exodus of Egypt. God gave us Ten Commandments. The “tenth part” shall be holy for the LORD (Leviticus 27:32). There are ten days of Awe - from Tishri 1 to Tishri 10, culminating in Yom Kippur, which occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. Ten men are required for a minyan, or complete quorum needed for Jewish corporate prayer. (Jewish mysticism) There are ten forces of the “Tree of Life,” called Sefirot, that depict the metaphysical working of God in the universe.
Yod and the Olam Habah The Talmud states that God used the letter Hey to create the present world (olam hazeh) and Yod to create the world to come (olam habah). The sages derive this idea from the Name (yah) found in Isaiah 26:4: How did they come up with this? Well, they consider b’yah in the text as meaning “with Yod-Hey” instead of referring to the Name Yah. Some Textual Oddities An undersized Yod appears in Deuteronomy 32:18; "You neglected the Rock who begat you.” The LORD is made “small” when we turn away from Him through neglect. On the other hand, “Let the power of my LORD be great.” Here Moses’ intercession for the people of Israel is made, and the sages say that the oversized Yod is meant to recall the ten trials of Abraham and the merit he obtained on account of his faith. Finally, a Yod is missing in Exodus 32:19: Moses cast the tables from his hands.”
Here the spelling in the text (ketiv) is miyado, meaning“from his hand” (singular), but the text is read (Qere) as miyadav, meaning “from his hands” (plural). Why is this singular spelling used yet the text read as plural? According to midrash, when Moses brought the Tablets of the Law down from Mount Sinai, he was able to carry them in one hand (as the text says in Exodus 32:15) since they were made supernaturally light as the “Living Torah” of the LORD.
However, once the Tablets came into proximity with the Golden Calf, the “script flew off and ascended to heaven” to testify of the idol worship (Targum Yonasan) and tablets turned into normal, profane stone which Moses could no longer bear. Yod and the Divine Name Yod is the first letter of the Divine Name (YHVH) and the name of the Savior of the world, (yeshua), thus indicating its preeminence. It is also the first letter for the four names given to the Jewish people: - Ya’akov (or Jacob) - Yisrael (Israel) - Yehudim (Jews) - Yeshurun (Jeshurun) As the first letter (ot, or sign) of God’s Name, Yod shows that He is Spirit, He is One, and that from Him derive all other things by the power of His Word.
If the Mason, after joining the Craft, takes to heart that injunction laid upon him at the close of the Charge of the Entered Apprentice, he will naturally, inquire how he can comply with the terms.
The Master Mason gradually realizes that he must do more than attend the meetings of his Lodge, if he is to appreciate truly the value of Freemasonry, and understand the principles underlying Craft teaching. He must acquire an explanation and study the principles of Masonry.
As the Mason proceeds with his studies he will perceive that all has not been explained. We are told correctly that Freemasonry is progressive science, taught by degrees only.
The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry dramatically presents its degrees beyond the Third Degree so that the Mason may increase his knowledge and understanding of Masonry. It constitutes and advanced course-- a a college course --in Freemasonry.
It is indeed a liberal education. It is a lesson in Geography. Almost every country in Europe is visited in the dramatic presentation of Masonic history and tradition. Biblical lands appear frequently in the fast moving panorama of scenes and incidents.
It is a course in History. Biblical antiquity with its quaint but familiar scenes and universality known heroes, is faithfully portrayed. There is a startling page from the oldest book in the world., The Book of the Dead, which plants us in the midst of the oldest and yet most modern civilization in the world. Medieval chivalry makes it stately and courteous bow, adding mysterious atmosphere to the picture.
Its is a birds-eye view of philosophy. The greatest thought of the greatest thinkers of all times, the profoundest principles and the loftiest ideals are expressed in words, symbols and impressive drama.
