Topic: York Rite

Modern occult organizations, including the Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and the OTO, frequently claim a direct lineage from the Knights Templar. Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma explores these connections, and the York Rite of Freemasonry even includes a specific Knights Templar degree. While these groups view the Templar tradition as a source of positive mystical wisdom, historical evidence regarding their actual secret rites remains scarce.

The discussion traces the history of an "Illuminati-like organism" that has influenced human history since ancient times, originating with cathedral builders and hermetic sciences. Frater X describes the 18th-century phenomenon of "degree peddlers" in Europe who sold pseudo-history and secret handshakes to itinerant masons. He highlights the rise of the Scottish Rite in America under Albert Pike and its historical tension with the York Rite.

Sullivan explains the structure of the Blue Lodge, consisting of the first three degrees, and the subsequent paths of the Scottish Rite and York Rite. The York Rite, influenced by Thomas Smith Webb and DeWitt Clinton, requires a specific pledge to Jesus Christ for its Knights Templar degree. In contrast, the Scottish Rite is more universal, requiring only a belief in a Supreme Being or Great Architect.