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

522
Chapter 7 - Rituals
The candidate is made to kneel on a cushion at the foot of the throne. Behind
her, the officers form a semi-circle, the Associate Conductress, Faith, and
Charity on the North side, and Truth, Wisdom, and the Warder on the South side.
The Herald, holding the standard, stands in the center of the tableau. The Royal
Matron, wearing a crown and representing a queen, receives a sword from the
Royal Patron. She explains to the candidate the accolade, the ceremony by which
knighthood is conferred. Placing the sword on the left and right shoulders, and
on the head of the candidate, she confers upon her the dignity of a Lady of the
Royal and Exalted degree of the Amaranth. Assisting the candidate to rise, the
Royal Matron says: "[...] and as the Amaranthine flower is typical of undying
friendship and eternal truth, so with this right hand accept our pledge of an
abiding trust, and a cordial reception into our fellowship." (p. 95). This "raising"
is a weak form of the raising in the third degree of Craft Masonry, where a
special grip is used. The Royal Matron then explains the symbolism of the sword
to the newly elected Lady:
The sword is a weapon of warfare. It teaches us to be always watchful
in the battle of life, and with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word
of God, to guard every approach to the heart, that the evil tendencies of
our nature may not overcome the good. Let us strike valiantly against
vice that degrades; against ignorance that blinds, against prejudice that
warps our judgment, and against hatred and malice that bring only