The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 7 - Rituals
The Mistress Masons are entitled to wear a burning Heart of gold, in whose
center is a pomegranate. The jewel of the Mistress is a Ladder of gold with seven
steps, on the upper end of which there is a diamond five-pointed star, "a symbol
of intellectual light and spiritual knowledge." (I., p. 57).
Those who have the second degree wear the bracelet of the order on their left
wrists, which is made of blue satin and tied with ribbons of the same color. On it
are written letters the Hebrew words for "Silence and Virtue" (cf. I., p. 13).
The Inspectress wears a gold Cross of the Holy Ghost, with a white dove
upon it (I., p. 13), as a "symbol of that devotedness which sacrifices itself for
others" and as a token of her "own Faith and Contrition" (cf. I., p. 64). The
Preceptress wears a bent bow of gold, with an arrow on the string, as a "symbol
of Truth, which every Masoness seeks to attain" (cf. I., p. 64). The aprons of
these two dignitaries are fringed with silver.
The alphabets and symbols for the officers have already been dealt with in
Section 4.4.2 on alphabets and cipher writing. The language of Adoptive
Masonry knows several other peculiarities; thus, instead of the period, four
points are used after an initial or an abbreviation (::), where a Craft Freemason
would have set three points (∴) (I. p. 15). The system of dating documents is the
Masonic counting according to A::L::, e.g. Anno Libertatis, beginning with 1776
(cf. I., p. 15). The plaudit is the same for the first three degrees of Adoptive
Masonry, except for the sign preceding it: six raps by twos, the sign of order, and
the exclamation "Huzza!" four times repeated (cf. I., p. 15).
Opening Ceremony of the First Degree
The Venerable Master raps once (in the ritual, raps are symbolized by [·] ),
and calls the Brethren and Sisters to order. This is executed by rising, placing the
hands on the chest, the right on the left, open, and the two thumbs meeting at the
points and forming a square (I., p. 17).
Then, he asks the Sister Inspectress what constitutes their first care when
assembled, and she answers, "To see that the door of the Lodge is duly guarded"
(I., p. 17), which corresponds to the Craft's expression "properly tiled." Then
follows a similar procedure as in Craft Masonry - it is made sure that the Sentinel
guards the door. Hereafter, the password is taken from the members. Then, the
Preceptress raps twice and reports to the Inspectress that all is as it should be on
her column, and the latter reports to the Venerable Master that all is in order on
both columns.
Then follows a long and interesting question-and-answer dialogue, which, in
contrast to the androgynous orders of the Eastern Star and the Amaranth, has
close similarity to Craft questions and ancient Masonic catechisms. The
Venerable Master asks the Sister Inspectress whether she is an Apprentice
Masoness of Adoption, and she replies that she believes so, because "an
Apprentice doubts and believes, but knows nothing" (I., p. 18). She further
answers that she is apprenticed to duty till death. Then, she has to answer where