Sydney Ritual

The archives of the Dutch federation of Le Droit Humain has two little booklets, one of the first and one of the second degree. The image above says (translated):

Ritual of the first or Entered Apprentice degree
Fairly complete translation of the Sydney Ritual

The booklet appears to be typed on an electrical typewriter on very thin paper and has, as you can see, a bit of an odd format. It does not look like it was really used in a lodge. My guess is that one or a few people were interested in the ritual that Wedgwood and Leadbeater came up with and translated it for members whose English wasn’t strong enough.

As we saw before, the fourth edition of “Dharma” (though no longer using that name) was printed in Sydney in 1916. This could be the edition that Wedgwood and Leadbeater made and which was used to initiate Leadbeater. Snoek calls a 1921 edition, also printed in Sydney, but by another publisher, “The Sydney Rituals”. Unfortunately I have not found that edition yet.

The Dutch translation starts with “Voorbereidende ceremoniën”, a direct translation of “Preliminary ceremonies”. The portrait is placed above the seat of the Worshipful Master. This is also the case in the 1916 English edition, but not in the 1925 English edition.

In the 1925 the first part of the “Procession” is shorter. The Dutch translation has the same longer version as the 1916 English edition.

There is something odd to the Dutch translation though.

The preface of the 1916 English edition says: “certain verses from the V…s.S.L. and some well-known Masonic hymns have been inserted for their use.” The fourth and fifth English editions have two to choose from, but they differ from the Dutch one (!). The English versions have Psalms 122 or Psalms 100. The Dutch text doesn’t use either, but a text that I can only find in a Dutch Mark degree.

Then follows a striking similarity to both 1916 and 1925. The awkward “Introcessional” became the even more awkward Dutch “Introcessie”.

A bit of history of Leadbeater’s and Wedgwood travels may shed some more light on this ritual. This story can be found in a special edition of the periodical The Light Of Luxor.

“Mr. Leadbeater arrived in Australia in 1914 on a lecturing tour for the Theosophical Society.” “He decided to remain in Sydney, and for the first two years he publicly lectured on Theosophy each Sunday evening in addition to weekly talks to students.” “In 1915, The V. Ills. Bro. J. I. Wedgwood, 33°, (the then Grand Secretary of the British Federation) came to Sydney to consult Mr. Leadbeater on proposed amendments to the Co-Freemasonic ritual.” “As an instance The Very Illustrious Brother Leadbeater 33° instance of the thoroughness of their work, Bro. Wedgwood told me that they had consulted 52 Craft rituals, past and present, and the new ritual was published in Sydney in 1916. To all appearances this ritual work led to Mr. Leadbeater joining the Order”.

So Leadbeater started working on the “Co-Freemasonic ritual” in Australia at the request of Wedgwood who had travelled there from London for that occasion. Afterwards Leadbeater was initiated by Wedgwood, who was only Worshipful Master for that very occasion. Note: “the new ritual was published in Sydney in 1916”.
Of course this does not mean that this is the ritual known as “The Sydney Ritual”.

The story does teach us that before 1913, revisions (including the incense ceremony) were made without Leadbeater. That incense may have come from Wedgwood who was inspired by the use of incense in the Old Catholic Church that he had joined in 1913. Wedgwood and Leadbeater would later found the Liberal Catholic Church.

It seems logical to refer to the fourth edition with “Sydney” as it was printed there. Yet, as you can see above, the name “Sydney” is not printed on the title page. I doubt it is on the title page of the 1921 edition, but I hope to be able to say this with certainty some time.

Oddly enough, the British federation of Le Droit Humain says:

The Sydney Working came into being in 1925 and is not based on a documentary historical past; it was created by a member living at the time in Sydney and he claimed that it was communicated to him. The Sydney Ritual is based on Hindu philosophy and anyone familiar with books such as Veda or Bhagavad Gita, would feel very much at home with it.

Thus suggesting that it was the 1925 edition (printed in Glasgow) might have been (the basis for) the “Sydney” rituals. It seems much more likely to me that either edition printed in “Sydney” was referred to by that name, but never became an ‘official’ name.

The Dutch translation isn’t dated, but it is either a translation of the 1916 English edition, or the 1921 edition that I don’t have. It certainly is not a translation of 1925. I suppose -for now- we best follow Jan Snoek in saying that “The Sydney Ritual” is the edition published in 1921, skipped in the development of Dharma. Therefor the Dutch translation must be from a little later.