Wha
t is I
CE
S?
ICES
is a
non
-pro
fit e
duca
tiona
l ins
titut
ion
devo
ted
to t
he a
dvan
cem
ent
and
mys
tical
enl
ight
enm
ent
of
Man
kind
. I
CES
is
a C
olle
ge,
not
a se
cret
ord
er.
ICES
dis
tribu
tes l
ectu
res f
rom
the
tradi
tiona
l ini
tiatic
st
ream
. Man
y of
the
se l
ectu
res
wer
e or
igin
ally
in
a fo
reig
n la
ngua
ge
and
requ
ired
trans
latio
n in
to
Engl
ish.
Som
e of
the
se l
ectu
res
once
bel
onge
d to
fr
ater
nitie
s th
at w
ere
disb
ande
d du
ring
WW
II a
nd
are
no lo
nger
ava
ilabl
e el
sew
here
.
ICES
has
no
teac
hing
s of
its
ow
n, a
nd i
s no
t th
e au
thor
of
the
mat
eria
l it
circ
ulat
es.
Each
lec
ture
in
each
Lib
er c
arrie
s id
entif
icat
ion
indi
catin
g its
orig
in.
Som
e of
the
lect
ures
may
eve
n be
con
tradi
ctor
y si
nce
they
are
com
ing
from
diff
eren
t sou
rces
.
Mem
bers
sh
ould
take
wha
t the
y ca
n us
e, a
nd s
et th
e re
st a
side
, no
t fo
rget
ting
that
it
was
the
sto
ne t
he b
uild
ers
reje
cted
tha
t ev
entu
ally
bec
ame
the
corn
ersto
ne o
f th
e te
mpl
e.
ICES
firs
t sta
rted
as th
e IC
OM
, whi
ch a
t tha
t tim
e,
was
est
ablis
hed
to d
isse
min
ate
Mar
tinis
t te
achi
ngs.
La
ter
it br
oade
ned
its c
urric
ulum
to in
clud
e m
ater
ial
from
Alc
hem
y, F
reem
ason
ry, G
nost
icis
m, t
he G
rail,
th
e H
erm
etic
a, t
he K
abal
a, a
nd t
he R
osic
ruci
an�s
, et
c. B
ecau
se o
f th
is e
xpan
sion
of
subj
ect m
atte
r th
e na
me
was
cha
nged
from
the
Inte
rnat
iona
l Col
lege
of
Mar
tinis
t St
udie
s to
the
Int
erna
tiona
l C
olle
ge o
f Es
oter
ic
Stud
ies
in
1985
. ht
tp://
ww
w.ic
es-
colle
ge.o
rg
ICES
is
plea
sed
to s
hare
its
her
itage
of
esot
eric
te
achi
ngs
with
all
since
re a
spira
nts
who
hun
ger
and
thirs
t fo
r sp
iritu
al e
nlig
hten
men
t. I
CES
is f
or t
he
neop
hyte
on
the
esot
eric
pat
h as
wel
l as
for
the
ve
tera
n so
jour
ner.
Am
ong
our
mem
bers
hip
can
be
foun
d pi
lgrim
s of
bo
th
sexe
s fr
om
over
fif
ty
coun
tries
, an
d fr
om a
ll re
ligio
ns a
nd r
aces
. M
any
alre
ady
belo
ng
to
othe
r or
gani
zatio
ns
incl
udin
g;
AM
ORC
, Ast
ara,
ARC
, BO
TA, C
IRC
ES, E
ckan
kar,
Free
mas
onry
, Co-
Free
mas
onry
, Gno
stic
s, M
artin
ists
, R
ose+
Cro
ix,
Serv
ants
of
th
e Li
ght,
SRF,
Th
e Th
eoso
phic
al S
ocie
ty, a
nd o
ther
s. I
CES
doe
s N
OT
enco
urag
e m
embe
rs
to
drop
ou
t of
an
y ot
her
orga
niza
tion
they
may
bel
ong
to.
The
fact
is n
o pe
rson
or o
rgan
izat
ion
know
s ul
timat
e tru
th!
Ulti
mat
e tru
th e
xist
s on
ly i
n G
od.
Eac
h pe
rson
/org
aniz
atio
n is
giv
en to
kno
w o
nly
a re
lativ
e pa
rt of
the
tru
th,
for
one*
s tru
th c
hang
es,
as o
ne
beco
mes
mor
e en
light
ened
or
cons
ciou
s. A
bove
all
how
ever
, IC
ES m
embe
rs h
ave
lear
ned
to t
hink
for
th
emse
lves
, no
t to
m
erel
y as
sim
ilate
an
d re
peat
so
meo
ne e
lse�
s tru
th.
The
Ord
er
of
the
Gra
il pr
ovid
es
a fra
tern
al
com
pone
nt
for
thos
e m
embe
rs
who
de
light
in
ce
rem
onia
l. Its
ritu
als
and
Initi
atio
ns a
re b
eaut
iful
and
pow
erfu
l. W
e ho
pe y
ou w
ill e
njoy
and
ben
efit
from
you
r so
jour
n w
ith u
s. M
ay h
e w
ho g
ives
us
Life
, Lig
ht a
nd L
ove,
gui
de y
our
foot
step
s an
d le
ad
you
to t
he G
lorio
us K
ingd
om!
Ord
er o
f th
e G
rail
web
site
: w
ww
.ord
erof
theg
rail.
org
The
Ord
er o
f the
Gra
il is
a tr
aditi
onal
ord
er o
f mys
tic
Chi
valry
. Th
roug
h a
line
of f
iliat
ion
near
ly o
ne
thou
sand
yea
rs o
ld,
we
are
heirs
to
such
aug
ust
orde
rs a
s: L'
ORD
RE D
E LA
CRO
SSE
DE
GEN
ET,
L'O
RDRE
DE
SAIN
T M
ICH
EL, L
�ORD
RE D
E LA
TO
ISO
N
D'O
R,
and
L'O
RDRE
D
E SA
INT
LAZA
RRE
DE
JER
USA
LEM
am
ongs
t ot
hers
. Fo
r ov
er a
dec
ade,
the
Ord
er o
f th
e G
rail
(OTG
) ha
s se
rved
as
the
frate
rnal
bod
y of
the
Int
erna
tiona
l C
olle
ge o
f Es
oter
ic S
tudi
es (
ICES
). T
he I
CES
cu
rric
ulum
form
s th
e ba
sic
educ
atio
nal s
ubsta
nce
of
our w
ork.
The
OTG
ha
s tw
o fo
rms
of
oper
atio
n;
Com
man
derie
s an
d Pr
iorie
s. Ea
ch C
omm
ande
ry o
r Pr
iory
is
un
der
the
loca
l ju
risdi
ctio
n of
a
Com
man
der,
or P
rior,
and
all
are
acco
unta
ble
to a
G
rand
Com
man
der
who
ove
rsee
s op
erat
ions
, an
d gr
ants
ye
arly
di
spen
satio
ns
to
legi
timat
e O
TG
Com
man
derie
s and
Prio
ries.
The
Gra
il ha
s be
en
desc
ribed
as
m
any
thin
gs
incl
udin
g a
cup
(or
a di
sh)
and
a st
one
�falle
n fr
om
heav
en.�
In
the
mid
dle
ages
th
e G
rail
beca
me
iden
tifie
d w
ith th
e cu
p of
the
Last
Sup
per,
whi
ch w
as
acco
rdin
g to
leg
end
the
vess
el i
n w
hich
Jos
eph
of
Arim
athe
a ca
ught
Chr
ist�s
blo
od a
t th
e cr
ucifi
xion
. W
e m
ay e
ven
thin
k of
the
Gra
il as
the
Cup
of
Gno
sis.
We
find
hint
s of
thi
s in
writ
ings
of
the
Gno
stic
Oph
ites,
an e
arly
Sch
ool o
f Gno
stic
ism
, who
poss
esse
d a
bow
l with
a c
oile
d an
d w
inge
d se
rpen
t, w
hich
was
the
Oph
ite s
ymbo
l of
the
Red
eem
er a
nd
Son
of G
od. T
he G
nost
ic N
aass
enes
als
o po
sses
sed
a cu
p kn
own
as th
e A
nacr
eon
havi
ng m
uch
the
sam
e m
eani
ng. I
n th
e C
eltic
Mab
inog
ion,
fro
m w
hich
the
Chr
istia
n G
rail
Myt
hs a
re a
t lea
st pa
rtly
deriv
ed, t
he
Gra
il co
uld
be C
erid
wen
�s c
auld
ron
of i
nspi
ratio
n,
from
whi
ch G
wio
n is
rebo
rn a
s Tal
iesin
.
The
Que
st fo
r th
e G
rail
is a
jour
ney
in s
earc
h of
the
divi
ne s
oul.
It is
thi
s el
usiv
e m
yste
ry t
hat
lead
s us
ev
er o
nwar
ds t
owar
ds �
a st
ate
of G
race
�, a
nd t
he
reco
very
of
a sp
iritu
al p
osse
ssio
n of
the
hig
hest
wor
th;
one
whi
ch c
an b
e fo
und
with
in u
s. T
houg
h w
e ar
e be
set
with
man
y tri
als,
tem
ptat
ions
, an
d da
nger
s in
this
life
, it i
s po
ssib
le t
o ev
entu
ally
fin
d ou
r w
ay
thro
ugh
this
fo
rest
of
er
rors
. Ev
en
if pr
esen
tly w
e ca
nnot
see
the
fore
st fo
r the
tree
s!
Stat
emen
t of T
he O
rder
of t
he G
rail
We
mai
ntai
n th
at t
he i
nstit
utio
n of
mys
tic c
hiva
lry
embo
dies
th
e hi
gh
idea
ls
of;
nobi
lity
of
hear
t, ch
arity
, fid
elity
, int
egrit
y, u
prig
htne
ss, m
oral
ity a
nd
cour
age.
Abo
ve a
ll, a
Kni
ght o
r D
ame
is a
per
son
of
thei
r w
ord.
U
nder
the
rul
es o
f K
nigh
thoo
d an
as
pira
nt p
asse
s th
roug
h th
e ra
nks
of P
age
or S
erva
nt,
to S
quire
, an
d fin
ally
to
Kni
ght
or D
ame
in e
ach
succ
essi
ve g
rade
an
oblig
atio
n is
req
uire
d.
The
tradi
tiona
l Kni
ghtly
vow
s of
: obe
dien
ce, p
over
ty a
nd
chas
tity
are
an i
mpo
rtant
par
t of
the
se o
blig
atio
ns,
but N
OT
as th
ey a
re u
nder
stoo
d in
the
Lite
ral s
ense
. D
urin
g In
itiat
ion
the
cand
idat
e w
ill b
e in
struc
ted
as
to th
e es
oter
ic m
eani
ng o
f eac
h vo
w.
Aim
of t
he O
rder
of t
he G
rail
The
aim
, or
mis
sion
of
our
orde
r is
em
bodi
ed in
the
follo
win
g go
als:
1)
To p
rom
ote
the
mys
tical
and
es
oter
ic C
hris
tian
teac
hing
s an
d th
e ex
alte
d Sp
iritu
al
and
mor
al id
eals
of t
he R
osy
Cro
ss. 2
) To
pro
mot
e th
e in
stitu
tion
of
mys
tical
ch
ival
ry
by
mak
ing
Kni
ghts
and
Dam
es in
acc
orda
nce
with
our
trad
ition
, th
ereb
y en
cour
agin
g m
embe
rs t
o liv
e an
hon
orab
le,
deco
rous
an
d no
ble
life.
B
y ac
ting
in
such
an
ex
empl
ary
way
, no
t on
ly a
re t
he m
embe
rs t
hem
se
lves
upl
ifted
, bu
t al
so t
hey
beco
me
a m
odel
and
in
spira
tion
to e
very
one
in s
ocie
ty.
As
a re
sult
the
who
le s
ocie
ty is
rai
sed.
3)
To a
llevi
ate
som
e of
the
distr
ess
in s
ocie
ty th
roug
h gi
ving
aid
and
ass
istan
ce
to b
ona
fide
orga
niza
tions
. Esp
ecia
lly th
ose
who
he
each
com
man
dery
or
prio
ry i
s re
spon
sibl
e fo
r it�
s ow
n pr
ogra
m, a
nd n
o m
embe
r is p
aid
Sala
ry
Mem
bers
con
tribu
te y
early
or m
onth
ly �d
ues�
to th
eir
com
man
dery
, an
d at
the
end
of
each
gra
il ye
ar a
ll ex
cess
m
onie
s be
yond
op
erat
ing
expe
nses
ar
e do
nate
d to
cha
rity.
How
you
can
bec
ome
a K
nigh
t or
Dam
e
You
may
app
ly f
or m
embe
rshi
p af
ter
atte
ndin
g at
le
ast
3 C
onvo
catio
ns a
s a
visi
tor.
To b
ecom
e a
Kni
ght o
r Dam
e yo
u m
ust b
e at
leas
t 21
year
s of
age
an
d a
curr
ent I
CES
mem
ber.
Mem
bers
of t
he O
TG in
th
e fir
st a
nd s
econ
d de
gree
s sh
ould
als
o be
aw
are
that
they
mus
t als
o at
tend
Mas
s and
take
com
mun
ion
with
in a
wee
k pr
ior
to t
heir
third
deg
ree
Initi
atio
n.
The
Mas
s th
at th
ey a
ttend
cou
ld b
e G
nost
ic, R
oman
C
atho
lic,
Orth
odox
, A
nglic
an,
etc.
, ho
wev
er,
if ci
rcum
stanc
es
allo
w,
a G
nost
ic
Mas
s w
ould
be
pr
efer
able
for o
bvio
us s
ymbo
lic re
ason
s.
Ever
yone
adm
itted
into
the
high
er d
egre
es h
as c
ome
up th
roug
h th
e lo
wer
ran
ks, a
nd h
as r
ecei
ved
his
or
her p
revi
ous g
rade
s in
an O
TG C
omm
ande
ry o
r fro
m
a K
nigh
t or
Dam
e In
itiat
or.
Mem
bers
hip
is o
ffer
ed
to a
ll sin
cere
see
kers
18
year
s or
old
er, r
egar
dles
s of
se
x, ra
ce, r
elig
ion
or s
exua
l pre
fere
nce.
We
only
ask
th
at
you
ackn
owle
dge
a tra
nsce
nden
t fo
rce
or
�Sup
rem
e C
omm
ande
r� b
eyon
d eg
o or
per
sona
lity
and
the
mun
dane
lev
el o
f ph
ysic
al e
xist
ence
. A
nd,
that
w
hile
in
ou
r co
mpa
ny,
your
be
havi
or
dem
onstr
ates
resp
ect a
nd to
lera
nce
tow
ards
all
othe
rs
pres
ent
rega
rdle
ss
of
any
of
thes
e or
ot
her
diffe
renc
es in
phi
loso
phy
or o
pini
on.
Recommended
