The Degrees of the Scottish Rite, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction

The Southern Masonic Jurisdiction (SMJ) of the Scottish Rite essentially uses the same rituals that were written by Freemason Albert Pike in the 1860s. Pike wrote in Victorian times and liberally included Hebrew, Greek, and Roman mythology, as well as Greek and Latin phrases and biblical references that were readily understood in those days.

The SMJ rituals went through a revision starting in 1995 and finishing in 2000, but this was mostly done to eliminate repetition of lines, needlessly obscure references, and unnecessarily drawn out ceremonies. A few were also rearranged to put them in proper chronological order. Each degree can now be presented in about an hour, and the degrees were standardized so that all Scottish Rite valleys could use the same presentation materials.

The rituals retain the language and settings of Pike’s originals, and are referred to as the Revised Standard Pike Ritual.

This table lists the degrees of the SMJ.