Day 82 out of 100 to Learn Masonic Ritual, and what felt like a long time ago when we started this process is now starting to loom large on the horizon. Yesterday we continued our way through the Third Degree ceremony taking us from the Obligation through the Exhortation. I was planning to continue with the ceremony, but…
Learning Masonic Ritual, Day 82 of 100: Revising Installation Ceremony
In my book Investing the Officers starts on page 214 with the IPM, then picks up with the Senior Warden on page 223, through the Offices to page 235, then Resuming is on page 68 and Closing the Lodge is pages 62-65.
I was planning on continuing with the Third Degree today, but when walking my dogs this morning I thought I’d have a mental run through of the Installation ceremony and was a little shocked that without the insurance of having my Blue Book to hand how many times my mind went a little blank.
Because the Installation is about two and a half weeks away, and the soonest a Raising Ceremony is at least a month after that (actually, I already know that the first ceremony I’ll be doing will be an Initiation) I decided that today would be better spent on the Installation again. I think part of the problem is that after so much revision and repetition my mind had been “going through the motions” of it, and perhaps not been as focused as it should have been.
Therefore today don’t just think, “oh, Installation today” and gloss over it. Although in the rehearsal stage you’ll be practicing without the book (except for the occasional prompt) try it today and see how you get on. If there are problem areas, or even parts aren’t completely sure on, make a note of them. Instead of immediately checking in the book continue with the ceremony, then check in the book afterwards.