Combatant Version

Be sure to review the Preparations for this initiation

Vigil of Arms

Fasting:  To purify your body and soul, remind you that you’re human and physically humble, and remind you that as a holy warrior you will defend the poor and hungry, seeing to their needs and causes whenever called to.

For at least 12 hours before your initiation, please abstain from eating.You may have beverages, but try to limit them to water only. Since the ceremony will take place an hour before dawn, this means you’ll just have to fast during the evening hours. (If you have a medical condition that precludes fasting, eat only what you need to eat for your health.)

Fasting serves several purposes. First, it acts to purify both your body and your soul (as long as your attitude is correct; read Isaiah 58 for more on this!). Second, it serves as a reminder that you’re human and physically humble. Knighthood, or connection with the Knights Templar, does not make you immune to your own physicality. Third, it reminds you that as a holy warrior you will defend the poor and hungry, seeing to their needs and causes whenever called to do so. Your own hunger will help you identify with the hungry and poor of the world. For these reasons, many people of various religious persuasions worldwide take a time of fasting on a regular basis.

Preparation of the Altar

Array all your weapons, your equipment, sword,spike ball, etc.  On the spiritual realm you are in a Chapel.  You are arraying your equipment and weapons for solemn consecration.  A Daughter or Cleric of Tsion (your partner) will bless them personally if you have him/her there with you in the physical realm, or spiritually by remote if your Templar partner exists only in the spiritual realm.

Also have ready in your altar area the new red and black cord, the elements of the Eucharist (some wine or grape juice and a bit of bread), and the Quaternity Chart that you’ve either drawn or printed out. You might want to use the red Magdala candle and the white or gold Yeshua candle that are used in other initiations, symbols of the Lord and His Lady, whose cause you will champion as a Knight of the Temple of Solomon. Have matches or a lighter handy to light candles if used.

Cut the lock of your hair.  Offer it to the Holy Ones by laying it on the altar. Remember this is your sacrifice, both symbolically and literally.

Now leave the altar area. You will not return until you are further prepared and robed.

Take a cleansing bath

If you are doing things painstakingly accurately, your cleansing bath should take place approximately One Hour Before Sunrise on the day of your initiation.Have your white initiation cord in the bathroom or area where you will get dressed.

If you don’t wish to disturb your household at such an early hour, wash your body with a damp cloth. When you are cleansing your body in the bath, pray that your whole being might be dedicated to God’s service.

After you are clean, put on white undergarments (a t-shirt and underwear would be fine at this point) and lay down on your bed. (It would be nice if you made it first!) Lie still for seven minutes, but don’t fall asleep! By this action you are symbolizing the death of your past actions. You might want to ask forgiveness for past mistakes during this time. Be sure to forgive yourself in the process!

When the seven minutes has passed, put on your white initiation cord (put your right arm and your head through it so that it is worn up on the left shoulder, going diagonally over your body to your right hip).

Approaching the Chapel

[Read the following and do the Robings AWAY from your altar area.  In your bedroom is good]

Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and “center”. Now imagine you are transported back in time to the Middle Ages. You are preparing for your initiation in your room.

A knock breaks the silence and you jump, though you’ve been expecting this for some time now. You open the door and two brother knights nod in greeting,turning to walk toward the chapel. You follow them in silence. It’s comforting to know that these two have gone through this before, as have many others.

Though the path toward the chapel is familiar to you, it seems to take longer to get there this morning. Your curiosity almost drives you to ask the brothers the questions that are running through your mind, but you catch yourself just in time.

Just inside the chapel, you are stopped in the foyer area. Two more brothers are waiting. One of them asks you sternly, “Have you prepared yourself for this rite according to your instructions?” Your mind whirls through what you were told to do; yes, you think you’ve covered everything. “Yes,” you respond. “Then take on this white robe, to symbolize your purity of body, soul, and spirit.” The second brother holds out the robe and you step into it, wrapping the belt around your waist.

[1st Robing (You should already be wearing your white initiation cord). The long white tunic symbolizes your new purity.  If you have something like this, put it on.  Otherwise imagine it.  Some initiates use a simple white garment or even their baptismal garment/robe.]

The first brother nods. “Now present your weapons to the service of the Lord and the Lady.” You panic momentarily; where are your weapons? You left them to be consecrated. But a movement to your right turns your head just in time to see them laid out on the table in the foyer of the chapel. You take each one in turn, repeating after the brother knight, “I dedicate this (name the weapon) to the service of the Lord and the Lady, and I dedicate myself to use it in justice and truth.” As each weapon is handed to the other brother,a figure in the shadows blesses them. The green cloak reveals that this is either a cleric or a Daughter of Tsion, assisting you in your pledge and praying for your success in battle. You feel the strength of these prayers surge through you as you conclude the dedication of your weapons.

The dedication finished, you face the brother again. “Take on the red garment,symbol of your willingness to shed your own blood for the cause of God’s work. Draw the hood over your head in representation of your own death, which you are willing to suffer for the cause of justice.” The second brother holds out the red robe, which you place over the white one and draw close to you.A shiver runs down your spine as you see flashes of battle-death before your eyes. You draw a deep breath before nodding to the brother to continue.

[2nd Robing:  Place a red garment over the white garment.  The red garment traditionally had long sleeves and a hood. (Use any red garment– do what you can.) This symbolizes you are now prepared to shed your own blood doing God’s work.]

“Take on the black garment, symbol of death. All will die, so you need not fear death. Wrap it around you, get to know it, so you will not run from death when it threatens you.” The second brother holds out the black robe,and you wrap it around you, over the other two robes.

[3rd Robing:  Now, put on a close-fitting black coat or other black garment.  You put it on over top everything else to remind you that everyone eventually meets death, and that a knight should never fear that death.]

A chill settles over you, despite the layers of clothing. You feel like a cloud has descended over your soul. You are tempted to run, but you feel another surge of courage; you glance over at the green-robed person and nod in thanks. Another deep breath and you face the brother again.

He looks at you and nods slightly. “Stand watch, for the hour is short.”

The Holy Watch
Visualize yourself entering the Templar Chapel. The doors of the chapel open and you walk inside toward the altar. [Walk to your altar]. Once there, you kneel and wait for sunrise. [Kneel and if you are doing this initiation before dawn, await for the sunrise. If you are doing it at some other time of day,kneel there until you feel a symbolic sunrise. As you wait you meditate on what you have experienced so far, and wonder what’s ahead. Your reverie is broken at sunrise, when another brother suddenly steps up near the altar.”Arise, and show how you will defend the cause of God,” he says. You rise up, adrenaline rushing, and go through your sword stances, just as you had been taught. At first it seems strange to be posturing for battle in God’s house, but as you continue you feel His approval, and courage rises up in your heart. [Rise up and repeat all your Sword moves, our Order’s stances. Go thru your paces, in other words.]

Panting slightly, and perspiring due to the layers of robes, you finish your sword stances. The knight watching you, nods in approval.

Click here and read this entire visualization: Trial for Honor

Equestrian Accolade
Since you have passed the above Trial for Honor, you have earned your golden spurs.  Knights wore spurs of gold, squires wore spurs of silver. Historical Templar Knights often wore spurs of iron because gold was considered too showy or pretentious.

Hear the Grand Master’s voice, “Are there spurs for this Templar?”  Sir Hauk and Sir Kathuros step up and place the spurs on your feet, while the Seneschal says, “As knights’ spurs goad the war-horse so should they goad the knight to Valor, Service, and Diligence. Let these spurs hasten the knight to his/her duty that s/he might maintain his/her order in the high honor to which it belongs. By placing precious golden spurs near his feet, a knight displays disdain for worldly things. They should be worn with honor and discretion lest they be hacked from your heels in shame and disgrace.” [Tap your right heel with a spur if you one, or with a metal coin, preferably a gold coin].

If we were initiating you in person, we would tap your right heel with a gold spur like the one pictured at right (which is now actually used by another modern Templar Order in their initiations). Some SCA groups place real spurs on the feet of their modern knights.  The above spoken by the Grand Master was written by a friend of a friend of a friend for just such an equestrian accolade used during an SCA knighting ceremony.

Cording
Receive the red and white cord. Your white initiation cord is under your clothing.  Place your NEW red and black one over top your clothing. Put your right arm and your head through it so that it is worn up on the left shoulder, going diagonally over your body to your right hip. Recite the Templar motto now [out loud]. Remember the symbolism of the red and black robes.  It is the same for the Templar cord.

The Adoubement (aka Dubbing)
Kneel before the Grand Master and hear his voice again, strong and clear.
“I dub thee once, in remembrance of the Past.”

“I dub thee twice, in mindfulness of the Present.”

“I dub thee thrice, and charge thee: Go forth into the Future, a Knight of the most holy and ancient Temple!”

“Rise, Sir/Dame  ______________.”

According to your preference, you are now Dubbed a Knight (Dame or Knightress)of the Temple.

Receive the Password:    Hattin

Making the Quaternal Sign of the Cross

Pick up the Quaternity Chart that you printed or drew.

Hold it up and turn it slightly so that you end up looking at a big red X instead of a red plus sign. Turn it so that spirit is at the top of the circle. See that Red X? Spirit at the top? There is a canted version of this on the initiation preparation page. Hold it with your left hand and keep looking at it, and take your right hand to touch your forehead. That’s spirit – Father God. Now lower your hand and touch the middle of your chest. That’s Body,Mother God. Keep looking at the chart. As you know from the Catechumen Lessons,we will next go to the right as opposed to the left when making the sign of the cross. Take your hand upward and touch the right side of your chest almost to the shoulder. That’s God-the-Son, the Word, and Mind and he sits”on the right hand” of the Father. Now end up by touching your heart on the left side of your chest. That’s Mary Magdalene of course, the hidden “heart”and soul of Christianity. So do the whole thing again. Touch forehead, down to middle of chest, over to the right and end up on the left.

You have made an equal bar cross across your body and have overlaid it with the Red X which forms the dividing lines between the four realms or dimensions.You sort of pull in that Red X, symbol of the Quaternal Godhead. The Red X is a mysterious coded symbol used by the hidden Grail (heretical) Church and can be seen in many Mary Magdalene paintings, as well as other Grail Church documents, watermarks and writings.

You have been given the password, and now the secret sign for this degree is…

… “The Red X”

Crossing your middle two fingers, especially of the left hand, is the hand gesture for this degree. If you are having trouble doing this with your fingers,don’t worry about it. But try hard! You take your MIDDLE two fingers and cross them. You know the saying, “cross your fingers.” Well, this is just like that only using the middle two fingers instead of the first two. Often this is done with both hands at once, but you can make the sign with your left hand only.


Eucharistic Rite
In silence of mind as well as word, eat your eucharist bread and drink your wine (or grape juice).  This “seals the deal” and marks the ritual as esoteric Kristian.


POST INITIATION:

Disrobe layer by layer, one item at a time, slowly.

Both your initiation cords, the white one and the red and black one, canhang by your bedside as Templars of  old did.  You will no longer wear the white one during operations or missions, but it hangs by your bed or rests on your altar (in a decorative box, or hanging on a hook, whatever you feel called to do).