SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS, Read Carefully
When you have completed everything on this page (below) send an email toPrioress Katia with the subjectline in all caps, ARE YOU ONLINE?
IF she is online, she will then say, Yes, and ask youan important Templar question. OR if she is NOT online, you won’t getan email back for awhile. If you don’t get an answer from her by thetime you next check your email, don’t despair. Just try again in alittle while and keep an eye on your inbox for her reply.
Now before you send that fateful email, complete everythingbelow…
Make your sacred knotted initiation cord
Have it and and your white initiation cord fromyour first Templar initiation and your black and red one from your secondinitiation.
YOUR PILGRIMAGE
Make a pilgrimage to some place holy in your area. Historically, Templars-to-be and Knights in general were sent off on pilgrimages before their initiation. To this day spiritual teachers take their students to special places, holy places, for “retreats” and some even call them pilgrimages. They make these journeys in order to raise the spiritual energy needed to reach the level of initiation. Surely there is some holy place near you that you can travel to for a quiet moment of connection with the Deity. Try to feel Him/Her/them once you reach the sacred ground, and try to feel the journey in your bones, so to speak, as you travel to the spot. Obviously you probably can’t take a month long journey between now and your initiation, but try to make a day of it, at least, so that part of the initiation will make sense to you. Choose any “holy ground” or special spiritual place that you know of that you can reach by making a journey. Try to walk on the earth as much as possible, not just drive up and hop out. You want to make it feel like you’ve been to a sacred well in France or England visited by pilgrims for healing and connection to god, for instance… Or to a high mountain known for its links to the Divine Ones. If this is impossible for you due to health reasons or some other situation beyond your control, the following cyber pilgrimages will have to do. (Also required. Please visit all of the following websites)
Visit theDomeof the Rock and other Jerusalem holy sites with this picture toursite, Sacred Destinations.
Visit the Western Wall ofour sacred Temple Mount in Jerusalem via 360 cameras. In order to see allof the wall and “move around” you have to click on the tiny arrow in thelower left corner of the photo that says “show hotspots.” Then clickon the hotposts that come up and you will “go” there.
REQUIRED: Visit the Tomb ofthe Holy Sepulchre via 360 surround cameras, be sure to drag the little turquoise bar at the bottom left corner to the right so that you can click on all the Holy Sepulchre panoramas. Notice the black and whitepavement in the actual rotunda room of the Tomb of the Holy Sepulchre. Thisis very holy ground to Templars, since we helped guard this very place, helpedlay that floor, decorate the tomb, etc.
Watch These Tomb of the Holy Sepulchre YouTube Videos
Very Informative Documentary of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . This 9 min. documentary shows the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inside and out, and even gives a glimpse of the Magdalene chapel and the little chapel next to it where King Godfroi De Bouillion’s sword and spurs are kept. View it and then go back to the 360 surround panorama views and see if you can find the chapels.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
OTHER REQUIRED ONLINE PILGRIMAGES
Visit Mount Athos via websites given in our Lineagepage. (Study the Lineage page, while you’re at it! There will be one or two quiz questions from it.)
Visit the Via Delarosa with this moving musical slideshow, this photo tour, and these video tours at YouTube.
Visit a different holy site using the marvel that is the internet. Theydon’t call it the worldwide web for nothin’. Here on the right side of the page are links to photo tours of a bunch of the world’ssacredplaces.
SIDE NOTE: Understanding the enemy. Our enemy, militant violent segments of Islam, is part of a religion that makes pilgrimages, too. The legendary one to Mecca comes to mind. Every year at the Haj in Mecca at least 10 to 20 people are trampled to death. The problem with Islam is people DIE on their pilgrimages, and the authorities don’t seem to care. It is considered an acceptable loss to these unholy clerics. It seems they accept the mass deaths like a human sacrifice. They may be purposely “claiming” the life energy the deaths for their holy sites, thus taking energy vampirically, instead of emitting/giving spiritual energy. Muslim pilgrims realize they are playing a sort of Russian roulette when they go to Mecca, but the odds are stacked in their favor since only a small percentage die during each pilgrimage. Muslims make other pilgrimages. Here is one described in a news report the very day I am writing this. It is an annual pilgrimage attended by tens of thousands to honor a warrior-cleric. The pilgrims practice self flagellatation as part of this observance. Why do they still feel the need to engage in such a vile hold-over “spiritual practice” from the Dark Ages? A few bizarre Christians will sometimes flagellate themselves when they think of Christ’s death — a God who suffered and died. But these Muslim guys are flogging their flesh in honor of a warrior-cleric who died in battle with weapons in his hands. Honor him, yes, but self-flagellation? Sheesh.
“Klil said the operation was launched after reports that [Sunni] insurgents [in Iraq] planned to assassinate Shiite clerics and pilgrims during the Ashoura festival, which reaches its climax Tuesday.
Iran, meanwhile, closed several border crossings with Iraq for Ashoura, which culminates on Tuesday with processions and ceremonies, including self flagellation, to mark the Shiite saint Imam Hussein’s death in a battle.
Iranian state television said the crossings were closed to “contain the large number of pilgrims” bound for the Shiite holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq who were planning to cross into Iraq without “legal documents.”
No other details were given but the report indicated that not all border crossings had been closed and that some pilgrims were allowed through elsewhere.”
News Story, 1-28-07
STUDY THE NEW TESTAMENT LAY-OUT, READ THE NEW TESTAMENT
In the days leading up to your initiation, read as much of the New Testament as possible since doing so was a requirement for the Templars. During your initiation you have to show knowledge of the New Testament by reciting the headings below. You do not have to recite the names of all 27 books like our Templar brothers and sisters of the past had to, although if you know them and can recite them, good for you! All that is required is to recite the four major categories of the New Testament, sort of four headings. A memory aid is G H L P, standing for Gospels, History, Letters, Prophecy.
- The Life of Jesus, the Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (We modern Templars also recognize the alternative Gospels of Thomas, Philip, & Mary Magdalene, called “gnostic”. These suppressed Gospels are just as valid as the others) - History
Summary of the Acts of Apostles - 21 Letters
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2nd Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude - Prophecy
Revelation (some say Hebrews has much Prophecy in it, too, but it is in the Letters category)
Brush up on your Templar Trivia, such as who was the Grandmaster during thebattle which your most recent password names? Gerard de Ridefort
Who was the grandmaster killed at Acre? William (or Guillaume III) de Beaujuekilled in Battle of Acre in 1291
What is the original exact title of our order? The Order of the PoorKnights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon.
Whom does legend say JDM transferred his grandmaster title to before hisdeath? His nephew Jean-Marc Larmenius, but Palaprat probably made thisup. However, JDM is known to have had a nephew and his relatives and therelatives of his fellow prisoners visited him during his imprisonment. (Seehistory lineage lesson section)
Study our Order’s Templar take on the Shroud of Turin
Print a copy of the shroud of Turin to be used in your initiation.
Studythis Triple Tau lesson about God’s mark and sacred geometry tools.
Study the meaning and Templar significance of Psalm133
SETTING UP YOUR ALTAR
Youraltar will be quite different this time. It must be low enough to kneelat. Use a coffee table or other low table. If you have time and inclinationyou can make a triangular table as used by the York Rite masons to this dayin their ultimate Templar initiation. They do a triangular table becauseof the shape of the masonic apron. In real life stonemasons and brickmasonswear an apron while practicing their trade, so freemasonry has used apronsfor centuries to connect them back to their original practitioners. Templars didn’t wear the apron of masons of course, so you don’t needto make your altar a triangle for that reason.
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
3 candles in east, south and north, you will kneel in west.
We are of the west, focusing on the east. So we kneel in the west and facethe east.
Kneeling on left naked knee before a person, on right naked knee before Godin church.
SKULL
A skull for remembrance of death and Mary Magdalene symbolism. She is paintedcountless times with a skull. We know you probably don’t happen toown a skull. Feel free to use a plastic halloween skull! In York ritemasonic Templar initiations the initiate actually drinks from the skull.
Since you probably don’t have a skull handy(!)
you should print out this picture ofMagdalene contemplating the skull, and draw thesymbol pictured here on the right in ashes. It is known to alchemistsas caput mortuum, literally, “the dead head.” Get some ashes somehow– burn up a newspaper in your grill or fireplace or driveway if you haveto! Get enough ashes to spread on your altar (ashes to ashes, dustto dust) and draw the symbol of the dead head in the ashes. Some saythis might be what Yeshua scratched in the sand right before he said, “Hethat hath no sin, let him cast the first stone.” He may have been remindingthem of death which faces them all, not just the woman caught in adultery. The idea communicated to our mind-body-soul when using the skull symbolis “we’re all food for worms,” so brilliantly expressed by Robin Williamsin the movie, Dead Poet’s Society.
BIBLE: Open to the depressing chapter,Ecclesiastes12 to remind you of death, and your new initiation cord as a bookmarkplaced inSirach24, “Wisdom/Sophia Speaks in her own voice”. Sirach24 is from the Apocrypha and exists only in Catholic, Anglican and Greekbibles (not in Protestant Bibles such as the King James – they don’t acceptthe Apocrypha, no way!). If you don’t have a Bible containing Sirach,print it out here:Sirach 24,Wisdom Speaks . Fold it in half and lay it on your altar. Place your new black initiation cord curled on top of it.
The Templars were known to revere both these chapters and to use them intheir initiations, especiallyEcclesiastes12.
Sirach 24was used not only in initiations, but also in other ceremonies, because itconjures up the baptism of wisdom, or “baphomet”. This is yet anotherinterpretation of that mysterious word Baphomet we Templars know means Sophia/ Wisdom (by Atbash Cipher).
In the secret statutes of the Templars, Baphomet was besought with the introduction to the Qu’ran and dismissed with the 24th chapter of the Book of Sirach.” [Praise of Wisdom] – P. R. Koenig, “Too Hot to Handle”. [We at the Order of New Knights Templar are not sure about the Templars using the Koran. Our Eastern Orthodox sources have taught us this Koran use was a rumor, yes, but not very likely an actual practice. The Templars did occupy the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim-built shrine which may have had a Koran or two lying around(!). They ran into many a Moslem, so doubtlessly had copies of the Koran, but it is highly unlikely they would have used passages of it in their ritual and worship.]
“Another theory suggests that Baphomet is a compound of the words ‘baphe’ (baptism) and ‘metis’ (wisdom) …Both theories imply the Templars were worshipping, or at least privy to, a secret knowledge. Several commentators believed this points to the Templars having been gnostics (‘gnosis’ meaning knowing).” – Encounters magazine, issue 11: 45 | From: http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/masons/mysteries.html
This intriguing chapter has wisdom speaking to us so vividly that it is obviousthe Jews and Christians believed in God-ess, the partner of God. TheCatholic scholars who created the NAB Bible (my favorite Bible) are painfullyaware this chapter proves the Jews had a goddess, so they try to explainit away saying, “we can’t say with certainty this is a personal being…”and try to say if it is a being, it must be the Virgin Mary becauseshe’s the only authorized female, you know. But yet maybe they areprotesting too much and secretly believe in her themselves. Maybe theCatholic translators are saying to the reader, hint hint, there’s a personalbeing here, a real Sophia, a Mrs. God. Mother Mary is said to be Sophiaincarnate, and the Eastern Orthodox Church calls her Sophia-Maria. Here arethe footnotes from the NAB Bible scholars. As you read, every time you see the word Wisdom,substitute the real word, Sophia.
_________
1:1-27 In this chapter Wisdom[Sophia] speaks in the first person, describing herorigin, her dwelling place in Israel, and the reward she gives her followers.As in Proverbs 8, Wisdom[Sophia] is described as a being who comes from God and isdistinct from him. While we do not say with certainty that this descriptionapplies to a personal being, it does foreshadow the beautiful doctrine ofthe Word of God later developed in St. John’s Gospel (John 1:1-14). In theliturgy this chapter is applied to the Blessed Virgin because of her constantand intimate association with Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom[Sophia].
_________
They equate her to Mother Mary who has been called Sophia-Maria by esoteric Christians for many centuries. Very interesting. Click onSirach 24,Wisdom Speaks to read the rest of their comments and the entirechapter.
Here’sEcclesiastes12, the chapter about the inevitability of death. Open a Bibleto this chapter and place on your altar. (You don’t have to put it in thecenter, arrange your items how you wish).
NEW TESTAMENT & PSALMS: This item is optional. If you havea copy of just the NT or just the NT and Psalms, Proverbs, place that onyour altar too. It should be closed, whereas your Bible as mentionedabove should be open to certain verses. If you don’t have such a separateNT, that is okay.
EUCHARIST of the HOLY GRAIL
Because we are Christians and this is a Christian initiation, you will takecommunion. Have wine or grapejuice ready and a wheat-thin cracker orother eucharist wafer or bread of your choice. The Templars were Knightsof the Holy Grail and actually spent time in Jerusalem making archeologicalexcavations looking for the grail. To bring the Holy Grail into yourceremony, have a chalice, goblet or other container to drink from, and atiny plate if you have one, for your wafer/bread. The plate symbolizesthe holy grail as a platter (many old grail legends say the grail was nota cup but was a holy magical platter) and the chalice symbolizes the holygrail as a goblet or cauldron. We believe that like light is a particleand a wave, so the Grail is a chalice and a platter.
ARMOR TABLE
Display your ceremonial weapons and Templar materials on a regular table(which you can stand at) positioned a few feet to the west of your altar. It will be your armory and you will stand at it before approachingyour armor. At one point in the initiation you will lie prostrate onthe floor before your altar, so leave enough room for that. If youhave a black and white rug (think of the pavement of the Tomb of the HolySepulchre!) or sheet or towel to lay down between your armory table and youraltar, that would be perfect. You can then lie face down on a blackand white surface even if it isn’t the diamond checkered pattern of the Tombof the H.S. pavement, at least it will be the right colors. In ourlive versions of this initiation we have a huge diamond patterned clothfloor-covering made on the sewing machine. It is thin. One memberperformed this self-initiation using black and white squares of constructionpaper all taped together so he could lie on them! Just think of thecountless Templars initiated at the Tomb and at the Temple Mount on similarpavement, and then they would stand guard on that same pavement. Itis the mark of Christian holy ground in old Jerusalem.
Set up your Armor table and then lay what ceremonial weapons and Templarbanners you have upon it. Lay your sword at an angle, then cross itwith your dagger or another sword if you don’t have a dagger. Thismakes a crossed blades X appearance.
If you do not have all of the following weapons, print out pictures of theones you lack and place the picture on the altar. Some have acquired smallcharms of these weapons. (Or you may make quick versions of themout of clay or wax, or other material). Here is the list you need:Click on any item for pictures of it. Choose one and then print if needed.
Accoutrements:
Red Templar Cross
Beausant
Grand Standard
Weaponry:
Sword Spear Spurs Lance Templar Shield, rounded kite-shaped Mace (Templar mace was a spike-ball fastened to a stick)
Dagger Baldric
Read this article, Knights Templar Armour,Weapons and Battle Tactics by Gary Beaver KGCTJ, preserved on our websitein case it ever disappears from his website.
Please read this article, OriginalRequirements and Investiture Ceremony of a Knight of the Temple alsoby Gary Beaver
