An Introduction to the Cryptic Degrees

The Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of England and Wales and Districts and Councils Overseas was established in 1873. The degrees within this Order are often known as the Cryptic Degrees, as two of them relate to a crypt. Together they provide an important link between the Master Mason degree and the Royal Arch. There are now more than two hundred and forty Councils under the Grand Council, all administered from Mark Masons Hall. To join, a candidate must already be a Mark Master Mason and a Royal Arch Mason.

Most of the everyday business in a Council is carried out in the degree of Select Master. The degrees of Most Excellent Master, Royal Master and Super Excellent Master are opened only when candidates are being admitted.

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Select Master:

This degree takes place in the secret vault beneath the Temple, made up of several arches. One of these arches protects important secrets that are carefully hidden and later rediscovered. The story focuses on trust, duty and the safeguarding of knowledge.

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Royal Master:

Set just before the completion of the first Temple, this degree reflects on the finished vessels prepared for the House of the Lord. A Fellow Craft asks HA when he might receive the secrets of a Master Mason, which leads to a memorable and thoughtful discourse on life and mortality given by our Grand Master. The degree also explains how the secrets came to be placed in the crypt where they are eventually found.

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Most Excellent Master:

This degree marks the completion and dedication of the first Temple. It celebrates this achievement and includes the installation of the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. It provides a natural and dramatic lead into the Cryptic story that follows.

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Super Excellent Master:

Set during the final days of the first Temple, this degree describes the siege of Jerusalem by the forces of Nebuchadnezzar after the rebellion of King Zedekiah. It brings the wider story of the Temple to a close with a sense of history, reflection and dignity.