THE SCOTTISH RITE RITUAL MONITOR AND GUIDE Arturo de Hoyos, The Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, Washington D.C., 2008. Hardback, xvii and 949 pages, £47.95. ISBN: 0-9708749-2-8.

This is a huge tome written by Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, one of the foremost experts and scholars of the Scottish Rite (known in the UK as the Ancient and Accepted Rite); he is also the Grand Archivist and Grand Historian of The Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, Washington D.C. And apart from a foreword, preface and seven appendices, the volume divides into sixteen sections or chapters each of which negotiate a particular aspect of this highly popular masonic system. Indeed, it contains everything from practical information for new members, to information about the Rite’s annual calendar. But the most interesting chapters by far, are the ones that deal with the Rite’s colourful ceremonies, its mythology, and the symbolism that adorns each of its thirty-three degrees.
     The information relating to the various degrees of the rite comprise four main sections: the ineffable degrees (4° to 14°), the chapter degrees of the Knights Rose Croix of Heredom (15° to 18°), the philosophical and chivalric degrees of the Council of Kadosh (19° to 30°), and the Consistory of Masters of the Royal Secret (31° to 32°). And aside from some really quite fascinating degrees like the Perfect Elu (14°), Knight of the East (15°), or Knight of the Sun (29°), the majority of Freemasons in both England and Wales will almost certainly be most interested in the information proffered on the degrees of the Knights of the Rose Croix, of the Eagle, or of the Pelican (18°), and Knight Kadosh, or Knight of the White and Black Eagle (30°).
     However, this book does not delve into a detailed history of the Rite, most especially its early history and provenance, when degrees like the Scottish Master or Knight of the East first emerged in the second and third quarters of the eighteenth-century. It is, nonetheless, an indispensable guide for anyone contemplating this enigmatic system, and I would certainly recommend it to all those who are interested in studying Freemasonry, either as a historical phenomenon or as a modern mystery school.

Matthew Scanlan