The Double-Headed Eagle
The emblem of the Scottish Rite. With the motto Spes Mea in Deo Est, "my hope is in God", it is the mark of a 32° Mason.
Also called: Scottish Rite eagle · 32nd degree eagle · Spes Mea in Deo Est
What it means
The double-headed eagle is far older than Freemasonry: it was used by Byzantium, the Holy Roman Empire and Russia, among others. It came into Masonic use through the high-degree systems of 18th-century France from which the Scottish Rite descends.
On 32° emblems the eagle commonly carries the motto Spes Mea in Deo Est and a triangle or the numeral 32. The two American Supreme Councils, the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction and the Southern Jurisdiction, each use their own versions of the insignia. Pennsylvania is in the Northern Jurisdiction.
The 32° is the last degree a Scottish Rite Mason receives by membership. It is not higher than the third degree of the Lodge. The Scottish Rite says so itself: the Master Mason degree is the highest degree in Freemasonry, and the Rite exists to elaborate on it.
In context: The Scottish Rite Explained: 4° to 32°, and the 33°
Frequently asked questions
What does the Double-Headed Eagle mean in Freemasonry?
The emblem of the Scottish Rite. With the motto Spes Mea in Deo Est, "my hope is in God", it is the mark of a 32° Mason.
Who can wear the Double-Headed Eagle?
The 32° eagle is worn by Scottish Rite Masons who have received the 32°. Do not give it to a Master Mason who has not joined the Rite, and never give the crowned or 33° version to anyone who has not received the 33°.
Sources
Drawn from the published monitors and from what the bodies concerned publish about themselves. Nothing here comes from, or goes beyond, any obligated material.
- Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
- Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction
- Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (1873)