Welcome to Learn Masonic Ritual!

This website is a resource for those who are working their way through the progressive offices in Freemasonry, and heading towards the Worshipful Master’s Chair.

Of course, this website isn’t just limited to those Brethren, but is for all Freemasons (and associated Orders); where a member is required to learn Masonic Ritual ahead of Lodge meetings in order to perform a ceremony.

But it is that period whilst a member is a Master Mason that it is important for the habits of learning the Ritual are learnt – in fact it could be said that this whole website is dedicated to you learning how to learn!

Hosting the “In The Chair” Masonic Podcast and Blog

I joined Freemasonry myself in 2008, and went through the Chair in 2015. During that period I hosted the “In The Chair” Masonic Podcast and also the “In The Chair” Blog.

Neither of these are active anymore – but I managed to access original articles from an old back-up of the SQL database and have copied them onto this website. And though it’s no longer on iTunes you can listen to the archive of podcast at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCSF52kRfWB8j4Ew6g-Mv5A

The Blog was a record of not only what I got up to during my year in the Chair (I did a lot of visiting!), but also my preparation for it; including how I was learning the Ritual. To make it easier to navigate I have divided the articles into the following categories:

Learn Masonic Ritual book
Learn Masonic Ritual book

100 Days To Learn Masonic Ritual – the book

Over the course of the hundred days leading up to my Installation into the WM Chair I wrote a blog article on what I was learning in preparation, and gave some hints and tips as I progressed. Each day I also shared a summary on Twitter so that people could follow along.

Although this proved popular, it was also impractical as Master Elects don’t all get Installed on the very same date in September 2015. Therefore (following requests) I took the 100 Days blogs, applied hindsight and practical experience. From there this lead to writing 100 Days To Learn Masonic Ritual (available on Amazon).

The book’s primary section is a workbook, designed for the Master Elect to spend around 10/20 minutes each day learning the Ritual. Over the course of the 100 days the reader should be fully prepared for their Installation, but also have a good working knowledge of the other Three Degrees in Freemasonry. That means that during the course of his year in the Chair he needs to rehearse the upcoming Ritual, not be under pressure to learn it from scratch.

The additional benefit of learning it this way means that it is embedded more deeply in the long-term memory, meaning that even in future years if he is asked to stand-in with little notice (or just hold the chair at a Lodge of Instruction or rehearsal) they will find they remember the words with ease – with barely a quick skim of the book required to bring the words to the front of the mind!

My Progress in Freemasonry

Getting Installed as Worshipful Master
Getting Installed as Worshipful Master

Since writing the book things have moved on, and I’ve joined Enborne Lodge. Although there are plenty of Light Blues in the Lodge, two years of lockdown restrictions has meant that some Offices need to be filled by past WMs whilst the new guys progress. Therefore I’ve taken a Warden’s Chair and been informed that I will be progressing into the Worshipful Master’s Chair in the next few years. I’ve therefore looked back on the book, and with the benefit of hindsight feel that a second edition is needed to bring it up to date.

I was invited to be a Provincial Grand Steward in the Masonic Province of Berkshire, and currently hold the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon.

And that brings us onto this website. The first edition has links to some resources, but the goal is to marry the book and website into a combined and interactive learning experience. However, both can be utilised independently.

Hopefully you enjoy the journey, and this website aids you get the maximum fun from your Freemasonry by giving you the confidence to enjoy it.

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