Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar
Priests
Degree of Knight of Eleusis
1996/2015
Compiler's Notes: There is no doubt that this degree was
converted to a
ceremony with a chivalric title from the older ceremony Priest
of Eleusis, the
title of the first part. In essence, the first part is based
upon the ancient
Eleusian Mysteries and the second part is a Christianised
version of the same,
having the Order of Knighthood appended.
Part one
Priest of Eleusis
In this Part, only four Officers are listed, the Hierophant or
Chief Priest,
Huperet the Conductor, Diachonos as Inner Guard and Cerberus as
Tyler. The
meeting is termed a Chapter and convenes at the declaration of
the Hieraphant.
The three within the Chapter wear white cassocks or smacks and
the Hierophant
wears upon his head a high cap, also of white. In the middle of
the floor stands
an altar covered in white on which stands a large white candle
and a rolled
scroll which, it is said, contains the story of the Eleusian
Mysteries as is
related in the ritual.
Opening
Hier., rises and gives *** with his wand: Priests,
I now declare this Chapter of Priests of Eleusis duly opened.
Brother Huperet,
attend our Sacred Altar, Brother Diachonos inform Brother Cerberus.
Huperet lights the candle on the altar and Diachonos informs
Cerberus that
the Chapter is opened. Hierophant gives * and all sit.
Advancement
Cerberus opens the door and advises the Candidate to stand in
the doorway,
Huperet goes to him and both wait there.
Diac., rises but remains at his place: What profaner
is this who
intrudes within these sacred precincts?
Hup., for Cand.: l am
no profaner, I
am but a dweller on the threshold and am come humbly seeking Light
in Eleusis.
Diac.: If you be honest
and sincere
in your desire, enter, and partake in the Ceremony of Lustration,
without which
no further progress can be made, for without washing the dust and
grime of
profanity from your bands you cannot remove the vanities of the
outer world.
Thereafter speak the Declaration.
The Cand. washes his hands in a small basin which is set upon a
table just
within the door and then dries them on a towel which should also
be provided.
Diac.: Repeat after me,
holding up
yow· right hand thus. Right hand held up
the fingers
together, thumb held apart, palm outwards. I,
…, do solemnly declare that in seeking advancement here I am
actuated by no
unworthy motive and sacredly pledge myself to keep inviolably secret
from wife
and child, friend or relation and from the whole world, the secrets
of, or
belonging to, this Order of Priesthood, should the Hierophant set
fit to entrust
me with the same, and may the Great Dispenser of Light and Life deal
with me in
the same manner as I keep this pledge. Cand.
stops
repeating.
And now, having conformed thus far to our Regulations, you will
proceed to
the Hierophant for further instruction.
Cand. is taken before the Hier. in the East where Huperet says:
Hup.: Wise Hierophant,
behold before
you a dweller on the threshold who has washed his hands of the
vanities of the
Outer World and has pledged unalterable fidelity to our Order.
Hier.: Approach, O
dweller on the
threshold. Cand. is advised to take jour
long steps
with his right foot and then three short with his left and then
kneel. Hier.
then advances to the Cand. and stretching out both arms, touches
him on the
ears, eyes and mouth and says: And thus I seal you
that you may hear,
see and speak concerning this Order, only that which may be as you
are
instructed. Do you renew again that pledge formerly made?
Cand.: I do.
Hier., raising Cand. by the right hand, says: MUO.
Hup., takes Cand,'s left hand and says: MUEO.
Hier.: Hear, see and be
silent touches
Cand. as before concerning
the Secrets
of Eleusis, with which I will now entrust you.
The Grand Word is KNOX OMPAX meaning It is finished. The Pass Word
is
ELEUSIS. The Sign is given by stretching forth both arms and
touching the
other's ears, eyes and mouth as was demonstrated to you before.
Finally, the
token of a Priest of Eleusis is given by taking the other's hands in
yours and
moving your hands as if washing his.
Lecture
The lecture may be given by the Hierophant, or another
designated to do so.
Hier.: My Brother
Priest, on being
raised in this Order of Priesthood you have symbolically represented
one of the
ancient candidates who sought to become an acolyte of the Eleusian
Mysteries,
and you should now be informed of the nature of that ceremony.
Naturally we have
but hinted briefly at the secrets in this very simple ceremony,
which are more
fully explained in that scroll. Points to
scroll.
The central myth of the Mysteries was that Demeter, a daughter of
Saturn and
Cybele, gave birth to a daughter - Persephone - as the result of her
union with
Zeus. Due to her beauty and charm, Persephone was carried off to
Sicily and
placed in a secret dwelling, erected by the Cyclops, in the midst of
an earthly
paradise. However, despite the protection, Persephone and her
handmaidens
Rhodope, Calypso and others, when they were gathering wildflowers,
were
surprised by Pluto, God of the Underworld, who appeared in a golden
chariot from
an opening in the ground.
This resulted in the rape of Persephone who was borne away to the
dark
regions underground and became the Queen of Infernus.
Demeter travelled the world in search of her daughter and carne,
fasting and
praying to Eleusis, where she became nurse to Demorphon, son of
Celeus. Zeus
interceding for his mortal wife, promised to restore Persephone on
the condition
that she had eaten nothing in Hades. Unfortunately she had partaken
of four
pomegranate seeds and therefore Zeus could only partially bring his
power to
bear on Pluto who was able to withstand Zeus' might for some of the
time.
Therefore Persephone had to remain with Pluto for half of each year,
while
during the other half she could return to her family on the surface
of the
earth.
Demeter instituted the Mysteries at Eleusis in commemoration of
these events.
They were divided into two grades, the Greater and the Lesser. A
candidate, on
completing the Lesser Mysteries, was distinguished by the title of
MYSTIS, while
one who had completed the teachings of the Greater Mysteries was
known as an
EPOPT. There was an interval between these two grades of at least
five years.
The lessons of the Mysteries were pertinent and represented the
decay of
vegetable matter and its return in a more beautiful form. Also, the
descent into
Hades came to represent the purging of the physical body from burden
of
earthiness of life and its preparation for a greater life to come.
Two millennia
after the Mysteries were established, the early Christians
interpreted the
legends in terms of the death and resurrection of the Christos,
concerning which
you will leam further in the second section of this initiation.
Hier.: Knox Ompax - It
is finished.
Priests of Eleusis, be secret and silent. *.
Huperet
extinguishes the candle on the altar.
All now rise silently and prepare to enter the Second Chamber.
Part two
Knight of Eleusis
In this part, the presiding officer is the Knight High Priest,
with a Knight
Vice High Priest, a Knight Cleric, a Knight Conductor and a
Knight Sentinel.
Exactly how the older degree was converted into a chivalric body
from a
priesthood is not exactly clear from the rituals but it would
appear to be on
the basis that in the early Christian era, a Church of Eleusis
was founded by
St. John and that in defence of the Faith. The clerics of the
Order became
militaristic and thereby assumed the title of Knight(ly) Priest.
The regalia was
the same white cassock as used in the first part but with the
addition of a
short surplice which was placed over the head and hang in front,
being of gold
or yellow material on which is emblazoned a patriarchal cross in
red.
While the original texts call for a Second Apartment, this is
not thought to
be necessary for exemplification as there is no great change in
layout. However,
the diagram of the Chapter shows the "dual apartment" layout.
The
altar is not employed in this part.
A piece of carpet should be laid upon the floor on which the
candidate is
made to lie before the Knight Priests assemble and he is covered
with a veil or
a sheet. When this is done, the Knight Priests enter and assume
their positions.
There is no form of Opening whatsoever.
KHP, gives *: What is the cause of our present
assembly?
KVHP: To learn for ourselves and to explain to a
Priest of the Old
Eleusis, the mysteries of the New Jerusalem Which is the new, and
true, Eleusis.
KHP: Where is he that
is to profit
from the lesson?
KVHP: He lies there points
to Cand.
dead in error but awaits the revivifying teachings of the New Law.
KHP: Let him be raised
from the Grave
of Error by the Power of the Word and the aid of the Three Points of
Faith, Hope
and Charity.
The Kt. Conductor advances to the Cand., draws back the sheet or
veil and
mises him with the right hand to right hand, covering the first
three knuckles
with the thumb, left hand to right shoulder and right foot to
right foot, viz
The Grip of Three Points, when the Cand. is erect the Word,
CHRISTOS, is
whispered to him.
K.Cond.: Rise by the
power of the
Word from Deadly Error to the Living Truth.
K. Cleric rises and reads slowly, Revelations Ch. XXL. When the
reading is
complete the Kt, Cleric resumes his stall and the KVHP rises,
proceeds to the
Cand. and takes hold of his right arm and says:
KVHP: Knights and Reverend High Priests, may I now
present to you,
a Priest of Eleusis who has been raised from the Death of Error to
the Living
Truth.
KHP: Companion …, I now
welcome you
to our New Mysteries and since you will also be a defender of our
Faith, we now
call you, not only Priest, but Knight Priest for not only will you
spread the
New Word you will also take up aims to defend its teachings. As such
there are
certain secrets which will now be made known to you.
KVHP: When you were raised from the Grave of Error,
this was done
in a certain manner. The hand that gripped yours, covered the first
three
knuckles of your right hand and when you were fully raised by the
Grip of Three
Points, the three were, hand to hand, shoulder to shoulder and foot
to foot. The
covering of the three knuckles and the three points allude to the
Trinity in
Unity. The Word which was given to you was Christos, meaning in
Greek, "the
Anointed" and is the name of Jesus. If you wish to enter a Chapter
you will
be met by the Knight and Priest Sentinel, who will demand this word.
When given
by you, he will respond by saying See thou do it not. (Rev.
xxii v.9). Should you
ever demand the
Word and it be correctly given, then you must make the same
response. You will
now listen to a further lesson from the Book of Divine Knowledge.
K. Cleric rises and now
reads Revelations
Ch. XXII at the end of which KHP says:
KHP: This concludes your Induction to the New
Mysteries and you
may now assume your rightful place here in this sanctuary of the
Lord. Kt.
Priest Cond. takes him to a seat and then resumes his place.
KHP, gives *, all rise: Knights and Holy Priests of
the New
Jerusalem, I say unto you now, The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you
all. Amen.
All: Amen. The
Chapter is closed.
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