The Compleat Rite of Memphis

by Allen H Greenfield

The Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry was influenced by the Hermetic Brotherhood of Egypt in Cagliostro's 18th century Order, and profoundly impacted the 19th century Rites of Memphis and Misraim. These, in their turn, greatly influenced the modern Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO). Previous to publication of this volume, information on the Rite of Memphis was scattered through many obscure works. Now, collected under one cover for the first time and explained in some detail are all 97 degrees of the Rite, along with much historical data and supplementary material.

Paperback

First published September 18, 2014

Reviews

[Danny Brzozowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing. I struggled through with difficulty and frustration. The book itself is hard to read, with odd formatting. Paragraphs are indented only a single space, spacing is cramped particularly in catechism and ritual sections, the font is inconsistent. Margins are narrow and uneven. The text itself is full of typos. This book was clearly self-published through a print on demand service, without a review of the proofs. I feel like I am reading an entirely unedited manuscript.

Regarding the content: This is not a complete set of rituals but a collection of catechisms, modes of recognition, essays, proclamations, and other miscellaneous documents, collected from various public domain sources, and published haphazardly without editing or organization under one cover. There is no table of contents, index, or clear sections. Information is hard to find and not sourced. There are no references provided. Even numbered rituals appear out of order. I fail to see how this book could be effectively used by an interested ritual group without dramatic adaptation, even one with a strong Masonic background. As there are existing Memphis Misraim Lodges practicing today, I can only assume that the author is unfamiliar with their work.

[Chris Feldman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject, but barely readable book.