The Templar Standard: From the First Crusade to the Beauseant | Macoy Archive

In Part Second (Chapters I–VIII),

In Section Two, Macoy outlines three claims. First,  the "Preaching" that set Europe on fire, the “Beausant” was more than a flag and the actual "Organization" of the Orders. He didn't just want to tell you what the Templars did; he wanted to show you how they organized.

A bonus part of this video is we will show you the actual 1874 engravings of these flags used to print this book by Macoy that explains the secret 'Masonic allusions.’

 

Here are the 3 Distinguishing Claims and 3 Actions you can use today:

3 Distinguishing Claims from Part Second

1. The "Theory of Pilgrimage"

Macoy argues in Chapter I and II that the Crusades didn't start with a war, but with a "Theory of Oriental Pilgrimage" which was an “instinct of the human heart.” He tells of how Europe was inspired by Peter the Hermit and Pope Urban II. 

 

Peter the Hermit had just returned from the Holy Land. Macoy says, "He traversed Italy and France... he was everywhere heard as a messenger from Heaven; and the most agonizing descriptions which he gave of the outrages he had seen perpetrated upon the pilgrims... set the heart of Europe on fire."


On Pope Urban II Macoy states, "Go then... and employ in nobler warfare that muscle and that restless spirit which you have hitherto used in debasing and exhausting each other."

  • The Claim: He suggests that the desire to visit the Holy Land was an "instinct of the human heart" that prepared the world for Chivalry.
  • The Insight: Macoy is telling us that the "Seeker" path starts with a journey, not a sword. Before they were Knights, they were travelers looking for something "authentic".

2. The "Beauseant" was more than a Flag


In Chapter V, Macoy dives into the "Organization of the Knights Templars" and the specific symbolism of their standards.

  • The Claim: The Beauseant (the black and white banner) represented that the Knights were "fair and favorable to the friends of Christ, but black and terrible to his enemies".
  • The Insight: That’s a 19th-century way of saying: Approach life’s journey as a pilgrim; avoiding conflict but don’t sacrifice your moral principles.  Be armed to stand up for them.  Not with a sword, but with the patience and fortitude to see them play out.  Macoy also highlights that the Templars were the "bulwarks" of the kingdom. This wasn't just a club; it was a highly organized military machine with a "monastic discipline" that blended the "sword and the lance".

3. The "Division of Light" (Templars vs. Hospitalers)


Macoy makes a unique editorial choice in Chapters V and VI to show the "Organization" of both the Templars and the Knights of St. John (Hospitalers) side-by-side.

  • The Claim: He rejects the "jealousy" found in other histories that disparages one Order to favor the other, claiming their glory "shines with undivided light".
  • The Insight: Robert Macoy was a "Unity" guy. He wanted American Masons to see the "shared intellectual and spiritual DNA" between all branches of Chivalry

3 Actions for Your Life Today

1. Practice "Courteous Dedication"


Macoy dedicates this enlarged edition to "All Christian Masons" striving to honor their profession through "Social Graces".

  • The Action: In your business or personal interactions this week, pick one "Social Grace"—like active listening or formal courtesy—and treat it as a "Masonic Duty."
  • The Goal: Move from being a "military knight" to a "courtly" presence in your community.

2. Define Your "Bulwark"


The Templars were the "bulwarks" of Jerusalem—the wall that didn't break.

  • The Action: Identify the one person or cause in your life that depends on your strength right now. Commit to being their "unswerving" protector for the next 30 days.
  • The Goal: Build the "Independent spirit of chivalry" by being someone others can actually lean on when the "storm-cloud" forms.

3. Walk the "Way of the Pilgrim"


  • The Action: Take a "Physical Pilgrimage" this weekend. Go somewhere significant to your history—a family gravesite, an old lodge, or a place of faith—and do it without your phone.
  • The Goal: Reconnect with the "power of association" and the "sense of reverence" that Macoy says can never perish.


Watch the video of this blog here.

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