Ritual of the Cryptic Degrees: Reference Edition

The effort to create this Reference Edition of the Cryptic Ritual was first started by Illustrious Companion Jeffrey R. Day in 2009, although it has taken 15 years to reach the present form, to wit- Over nearly a decade, the careful review of many Companions, some of whom have since passed, led to an accumulation of notes for corrections and further improvements. These were incorporated into updated drafts in 2018 and again in 2022, but the most substantial effort to complete the work was started in 2024: A conversation concerning the typographical errors, omissions, inconsistencies, and lack of clear stage directions in the printed books then in use under the jurisdiction of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Oregon prompted Most Illustrious Companion Mark R. Reed, Grand Master, to ask Illustrious Companion Brian Kaufman, Grand Marshal, to come up with a better ritual book. Companion Kaufman, aware of my existing efforts, enlisted the Companions of Hiram Council No.7 who spent several months of Stated Assemblies focusing on the work, and continued to labor throughout the summer. They spoke out loud, reviewed, and discussed every page and sentence of the work; assisting me to re-structure it as needed to address every outstanding concern, so that a book as nearly perfect as possible, and entirely free of any prohibitive licensing restrictions, could be presented to the Ritual Committee of our own Grand Council, or more generally, be made available to any other Grand Council, for their future consideration. The teachings, lessons, symbolism, and events of the Cryptic Rite maintain their beauty and significance no matter which version of the ritual is worked, but until now, the Cryptic Ritual has suffered from less elegant language, containing numerous deviations away from familiar phrasing without substantive distinction to warrant it, and has been lacking in sufficient and accurate notes pertaining to stage direction and floor work-at least when contrasted with the rituals of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Oregon and the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Oregon.