This book is indispensable to any texas mason who needs to catch up or keep fresh. May 08, 2011 this book appears to be a guide for the ceremonies of freemasonry. Texas cipher king solomons lone star brown technical. Texas code book my freemasonry freemason information and. By knowing this cipher you will not be able to decode a real masonic cipher. Click on this books subject categories to see related titles. Official masonic rituals are usually not printed as complete english text by the grand lodges. That agreeable to an ancient masonic custom in all regular and well governed lodges,it was then neccessary that i should be reminded to deposit something of a metalic kind, not for its intrisic worth or value, but that it might be laid upon among the relics in the archives of the lodge, as a memorial that i was therein made a mason. The cipher can still hold practical use for someone today. Program and the book entitled masonry and the mason, will answer most of your immediate questions and make you feel more at home with us while in the masonic environment.
Carter, it was founded as the grand lodge of the republic of texas, a. Educational tools, or a shortcut to doing the work of memorization. New book out, knights gold, explains how 5,000 gold coins discovered in 1934 baltimore were actually the property of the knights of the golden circle. How well can you answer these entered apprentice lecture. It is completely meaningless to anyone outside masonry and thus is a true code book. Freemasonry items which include texas cipher, texas masonic aprons, texas freemason gifts, texas masonic rings, texas freemasonry books. Pigpen cipher also called masonic cipher or freemasons cipher uses a substitution alphabet made of grid parts and dots. The pigpen cipher sometimes called the masonic cipher or freemasons cipher is a simple substitution cipher exchanging letters for symbols based on a grid. After the grand lodge of texas was formed, the ritual more followed the.
The title of this book is king solomon and his followers. New listing civil war vintage masonic book the revelations of a square geo. In or we have a code book that is like our code of ethics and actions. The scheme was developed and used by the freemasons in the early 1700s for recordkeeping and correspondence.
By code book do you mean a cipher or the masonic code. Austin attempted to organize a masonic lodge in 1828, when he and six. Still i think it should be required for every mason both new and old. I understood there were some updates that needed to be made before glot would approve its use throughout texas. I have not heard of anyone submitting legislation this year to allow a cipher book in the building. Platos philosophy is at the core of modern freemasonry. The purpose of the following is to serve as an aid in using the code and in following the instruction notes contained in the ritual and the. The lodge officers training program was designed to educate and test your knowledge of lodge procedures, business, penal code, and other areas. Kentucky, kentucky printed a cipher book several years ago called th ky rtl it.
Book, one thing and only one thing a masonic lodge can give its members which they can get nowhere else in the world. Despite appearances, these ciphers are all simple substitution. The books are full text and readable online free of charge. Morris utilized a coded book during ritual which violated masonic law in many. Wilmshurst, in his book meaning of masonry, writes, the very essence of the masonic doctrine. For the most current official information available regarding any local masonic lodge please visit their website if available, otherwise visit the respective states. The masonic fraternity, brought to the american colonies in the mideighteenth century, was well established in all of the united states by 1820. Inside the front cover, it says to be returned to the lodge incase of loss or the death of the person it was loaned to. There is no writing on the cover, back or spine of this book. Lot of 3 masonic mason freemason freemasonry lodge training program books. In texas it is considered a masonic offense to have or use a cypher or code.
The head of this chaptercastle in 1860s baltimore was also the grand master of the maryland freemasons. Classic esotericist interpretation of the craft degrees, largely based on english. There is an implied obligation that officers memorize all work, lectures, charges and grand lodge instructions associated with their office and that of the next office. A late charge of 10 cents per day per book will be assessed until returned if we are not informed of additional time needed. Ive been able to translate some of the book, it is very interesting, but it was accompanied by another book that says almost the same things, but not in code. M district of columbia 1994 wikileaks masonic cipher book grand lodge f. Texas cipher king solomons lone star macoy publishing.
Exmasons for jesus is a fellowship organization of men and women who have left the masonic lodge and appendant bodies, such as the order of the eastern star, jobs daughters, the order of rainbow for girls. Texas codebooks my freemasonry freemason information. It was founded as the grand lodge of the republic of texas, a. Florida has instituted a first letter cipher which is available to all master masons. Masonic formation 7 the masonic secret 7 symbolism 8 expectationsby you, of the fraternity and vice versa 9 officers of a masonic blue lodge 10 becoming a mason duties and rights of entered apprentices 28 proficiency and advancement 29 mentorship 33 the california masonic code 33 masonic landmarks 34 history of freemasonry 34. Everything texas masons need to be a texas freemason. In later years the grand lodge of some states decided to allow the ritual to be written in a type of code or cipher book so that the ritual could be standardized among lodges in that state and where after some basic instruction a new brother could use the code book as an aid to memorizing the ritual. I found a book from a masonic lodge that is in code, page 1. Pigpen cipher masonic decoder, encoder, solver, translator.
Texas masonic cipher code book keyword found websites. Freemasonry the handbook of texas online texas state. The only restriction is that it cannot be used in open lodge. However the royal arch was developed and early masonic records are notoriously incomplete history suggests that the royal arch degree was being conferred in london in the 1740s. In reality it is a cipher that was used by forces in during the civil war in the united states. It was difficult to locate a study partner close to where i was living at the time waxahachie, when i wasnt actually at the lodge. Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do, yeah, they were all yellow. The example key shows one way the letters can be assigned to the grid. When it comes down to it, the freemasons cipher in any version is a straight substitution cipher, so you can solve it by substituting a letter for each symbol. Masonic ritual is intended to be performed in a solemn manner to provide the most meaningful experience possible for the candidates and the membership alike.
Among the first americans to migrate to texas in the 1820s were a number of masons, including stephen f. This book appears to be a guide for the ceremonies of freemasonry. There was no discussion about allowing it or any other book to be used or even possessed in lodge or on lodge property. Both the ciphers on this page use the classic masonic cipher, which is also known as the pigpen cipher, as the alphabet is written into a series of grids, with some passing resemblance to pigpens. The grand lodge of texas, ancient free and accepted masons is the largest of several governing bodies of freemasonry in the state of texas, being solely of the ancients tradition and descending from the ancient grand lodge of england, founded in 1751. The reason for the question is that i regret that so much money is spent by texas masons on a book that is not only inaccurate, but is also produced by people that, as i have been told, are antimason. The freemasons have long used ciphers to encrypt their ceremonies and messages. Underhill continued the committee and placed in its charge not only the revision of the blue book, but also, the cumulative supplement. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. There are many themes that are adopted in emulation ritual from platos writings. The cipher itself has come to be called the pigpen cipher and works by setting up the alphabet into four separate grids. If you need an extended time, please call to let us know. For instance, the first masonic lodges in the republic of texas were chartered by the grand lodge of louisiana. Encryption uses 26 symbols to represent each letter of the alphabet by monoalphabetical substitution.
M district of columbia 1994 mirror site illustrations of masonry, by capt. Local masonic lodges in texas is a product of co 2 consulting group, inc. Some states have a cipher that will teach you what these shorthand words are, other states still use wordofmouth to teach other masons, mostly officers, how to read and understand this masonic shorthand. The master approaching me from the east a second time, who presented me with the lambskin or white leather apron, and informed me that it was an emblem of innocence and the badge of a mason. While this book is an excellent aid to the memory for those who desire to be proficient in the masonic ritual work as practiced in texas, please be aware that possession or use of this cypher is a violation of the laws of the grand lodge of texas, a. Ward complete in one volume with most of the senseless abbreviations restored. Mar 04, 2017 a geometric simple substitution cipher, which exchanges letters for symbols which are fragments of a grid. This week well discuss the pros and cons of cipher books and how different jurisdictions use them. Cracking codes and cryptograms for dummies add to cart. Discussion in freemasonry in texas started by plustax, nov. In later years the grand lodge of some states decided to allow the ritual to be written in a type of code or cipher book so that the ritual could be standardized among lodges in that state and where after some basic instruction a. Texas masonic cipher book keyword found websites listing. Texas code book my freemasonry freemason information.
The craft degrees handbooks free ebook download as pdf file. What it sounds like to me is that you have found an old masonic ritual, and your looking to learn what is in it and how to read it. In 1987, grand orator harrison challenged us to develop a masonic education program to teach masonology to our members. Starting on page 27 and continuing for the remaining 78 pages, the cipher detailed the rituals performed by the highest degrees of the masonic orderrites unknown to ordinary masons at the time. The grand lodge of florida encourages all members of the craft to further their knowledge of lodge operation, especially those concerning the elected and appointed officers of each particular lodge. A geometric simple substitution cipher, which exchanges letters for symbols which are fragments of a grid. If you are a mason in good standing, you may borrow up to three books at a time for 21 days. The 10 digit isbn is 0880532599 and the digit isbn is 9780880532594. The following exposures of masonic ritual are provided in a cooperative effort between exmasons for jesus and ephesians 5. A pocket companion for the initiated containing the rituals of freemasonry by robert macoy. Texas cipher only official ritual book approved by the grand lodge of texas a. I found a book from a masonic lodge that is in code page. Exmasons for jesus is a fellowship organization of men and women who have left the masonic lodge and appendant bodies, such as the order of the eastern star, jobs daughters, the order of rainbow for girls and the order of.
Starting on page 27 and continuing for the remaining 78 pages, the cipher detailed the rituals performed by the highest degrees of the masonic orderrites unknown. Creating an atmosphere that may lead to a positive transformation of the individual is the goal of masonic ritual. These subject areas are covered in an individual selfhelp study approach that addresses some basic concepts of masonry. It is a constant transformation through the use of masonic symbols, rituals, and teachings on a journey of return to the center of our being. If you closely compare this cipher with that of the york rite or blue lodge, you will see the subtle differences but know that they are different. This cipher became a frequent tool to be used by the masons in much of their hidden work. Ciphers are code books which usually contain one or more letters for each word in the ritual.
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