THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

for protection. The third apartment is Darius' throne room, and is
decorated similarly to that of Cyrus. The fourth apartment is Darius'
banquet hall.
Battery: [1-4]. Darius poses the question "What is that which holds the
most powerful sway over mortals?" The Satrap of Assyria answers "King
Darius," the Satrap of Media answers "Beauty," but Zerubbabel answers
"Truth." The apron is crimson, edged in gold and aurora-color, and
with a square, shield, Delta (with three YOD's), balance, and a hand of
justice. The jewel is a mother-of-pearl lozenge, with a hand holding a
balance in equipoise; under it a sword with five stars surrounding the
point. On the left is a Hebrew D, on the right is a Hebrew Z.
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FOURTH SERIES: SOVEREIGN CHAPTER OF ROSE-CROIX -- PHILOSOPHICAL
DEGREES
(17th - 18th)
Officers: The standard officers, but prefixed by "Faithful Brother" in
the 17th, and by "Most Perfect Knight" in the 18th. The
Wardens are prefixed by "Zealous Brother" in the 17th, and by
"Most Excellent and Perfect Knight" in the 18th. The Master
is "Venerable" in the 17th (representing John the Baptist), and
"Most Wise and Perfect" in the 18th (representing Tirshatha).
Festivals: Chapters must meet five times a year; Ash Wednesday, the
Thursday before Easter, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Ascension
Day, and Christmas. The principal festival is Holy (or Maundy)
Thursday, when the officers are elected. A Knight Rose-Croix
writes his name in consonants only, and affixes a triangle
topped by a cross [the G.D. 0=0 altar symbol] in red ink.
17. KNIGHTS OF THE EAST AND WEST
This degree is the first of the Modern or "Accepted" degrees, as opposed
to the "Ancient" degrees preceding. "The Word is again lost, and, fig-
uratively, the Third Temple -- in the heart of man -- is to be built and
dedicated to the God of Truth." The Christian era brought the growing
syncretism among the Jews and Egyptians to a head, and it was said that
the writings of the Apostles were only an incomplete fraction of the full
philosophical and religious teachings and mysteries to be handed down.
In the year 1127, Pope Honorius II joined with Stephen, Patriarch of
Jerusalem, to ordain Knights to be clothed in the white of purity, and
to work to pass down these mysteries under the aegis of Masonry. There
were eleven "Knights of the East and West" (commemorating both their
home countries and the place of their original initiation), ordained by
Armelfo Guavi Mundos, Prince and Patriarch of Jerusalem, in 1118.
The Lodge is heptagonal in shape, hung with crimson and sprinkled with
stars of gold. Seven "square columns" are in each angle, with the init-