Irregular ritual

[memphisrite]

In my lodge there is an excessive fixation on ritual, I find it almost comical in that the ritual is changed almost every year at the whim of the latest grand master.
You have to ask yourself where the historic significance of ritual goes after it has been modified continually
Eventually there remains little which could be recognized by one of our original brothers from ages past.
The fact is that the ritual is really insignificant to the fundamental lessons of the craft.

I have traveled to a couple places and visited a couple lodges, it seems that you will find different versions of the A&ASR everywhere you go. It´s called uses and customs. And even in the same Grand Lodge you will find lodges that have a different version of the same rite. Sometimes this worries me a little.

 

[Glen Cook]

I have traveled to a couple places and visited a couple lodges, it seems that you will find different versions of the A&ASR everywhere you go. It´s called uses and customs. And even in the same Grand Lodge you will find lodges that have a different version of the same rite. Sometimes this worries me a little.

Why does this worry you?

 

[memphisrite]

Well, what I mean is that sometimes, when i visit another lodge, i fear that I maybe doing something wrong because the uses and customs of that lodge are different to what I am used to.

 

[Glen Cook]

Well, what I mean is that sometimes, when i visit another lodge, i fear that I maybe doing something wrong because the uses and customs of that lodge are different to what I am used to.

I suggest it isn't "wrong", just different. I have traveled to many lodges in many countries. I have never seen someone bothered that a visitor did something different.

 

[GKA]

The differences I have seen are not anything that a visitor should concern himself with, after all, as a visitor, your not participating in the ritual

 

[GrandJojo]

There are many rituals practiced in the Grand Orient of France. The main one is the Rite Français. But there are "old" versions, and "simplified" - as well as numerous declinasions.

The Rite Français, through 275 years has gone through several reforms and changes due to political influence. Not all Lodges adopted these changes, and sometimes made changes of their own - anything is possiblle. The notion of God was entirely removed from the GODF by 1877, this was a progressive effort - which caused the creation of the Grande Loge de France. By 1920, the Rite Français was but a shadow of its former self. Efforts were mad to revive previous versions to various success - especially where the re-introduction of the Great Architect of the Universe was atempted to be reintroduced.

 

[chrmc]

The local GL recently reverted to its ritual from the1920s - having become disillusioned with many changes

Which is kind of interesting that they chose that particular ritual as being the "true and correct one." Because if you study the history of ritual development a bit you'll clearly see that changes have been happening ever since the 1700's. So why the 1920 should be correct, I'm not really sure.

 

[dfreybur]

I suggest it isn't "wrong", just different. I have traveled to many lodges in many countries. I have never seen someone bothered that a visitor did something different.

Visiting lodges in other jurisdictions and discussing ritual variations is fun to those who like the ritual. In other jurisdictions it's their way and just different.

Within jurisdictions that teach a standard ritual for all of their lodges, it becomes a discussion of what's an old version, what's a new version, what's a mistake, what started as a mistake that became a technically incorrect variation in that one lodge that no one has corrected.