Recommended Reading & Study for the Inquiring Freemason

Recommended Reading & Study for the Inquiring Freemason ©

To be sure our world is filled with all manner of sources for inquiry and study. While the internet may be filled with wondrous websites its also true that all kinds of quacks, self professed renegades and conspiracy fanatics also share space on the world wide web.  For the new Freemasons there is much to discover and for the older Freemasonʼs who have only regarded Freemasonry as typically an organization that dispenses charity and is largely a social club, these are likely the weakest of Freemasons for they truly donʼt know that they donʼt know, and likely never will and can never aid a new Freemason in looking further.   Freemasonry first and foremost is inspired by ancient wisdom and is largely concerned with the improvement of humanity through each brother finding his or her secret, the true secret of Freemasonry may be found in each of of its adherents, “Know ye not that ye are the Temple and the Temple lies within you” is the essential transcendental secret of the Craft. That we are all admonished to make a daily advancement in our knowledge and perhaps consciousness says to each one of us, donʼt waste your time exploring material reality (being a materialist 1) for you must learn to die before you die to know of the great secrets that lie inside us and all around us- a principally transcendental activity. Heavy thoughts indeed, but where to look and how to find?  Iʻm convinced that no one person on our planet has the quintessential answer that we are seeking (if any of us are willing to seek at all) for each one of us is different in our natures and thus in our own inquiries. The search for truth, your own truth, in whatever form it may be, is a long arduous and often “two steps forward” and “one back” kind of adventure. No one book, no one person no one Temple has the answer that we need but if we are willing to look with an open and reasoning mind, we will see more and find more. One just has to be of the conviction that they will take the first step and commit to themselves to seek inner truth. The true lover of wisdom or philosopher will walk as Pythagoras, or Melchizedek, Solomon, or Thumosis III, Plato, Plotinus, Heraclitus and any number of initiated did, in the path of light towards inner wisdom which includes but also lies beyond any material knowledge that is coveted in todays society.

A path must be suitable and inspiring for the inquirer and thus the approach to truth will be based upon a persons interests and preferences. Authors too will have their own ideas and approaches, with biases and technical details. Some may be more entrenched in only what they can see, while others will be inspired to speculate more based on what they ʻfeelʻ or are convinced of so the seeker has to be discriminating themselves. There are so many good paths to start upon, so many good authors and interesting fields of study, especially today that if one starts down a tributary one may join with a river that links to an ocean beyond and in this way, if one is patient and determined, one can find a larger treasure indeed but like anything, working out in a gymnasium for a better body, pursuing a education in a particular field, building wealth towards independence, its all the same really, finding your truth, your spirituality requires the same discipline and just plain hard work in putting the disparate pieces together.

It is up to each one of us to ʻfind the rightʼ, to find the ʻnuminousʼ (or spiritual) as psychologist Carl Jung stated. To descend into the bowels of the earth and travel to hades, the place of the dead and to come back having transcended ourselves. This is the heroʼs journey to sacrifice ourselves that mythographer Dr. Joseph Campbell spoke of, and to to die and to rise up once more in true Gnosis, “to know” and not just simply believe.

If we begin our seeking in Freemasonry we certainly want to find out about its rituals and how they have evolved but also how they have changed.  It is known that in and around 1717 large amounts of esoteric

knowledge of the Ancients or Antient Freemasons were stripped by the ʻModernʼ English Freemasons. Some basic reading, very general to any Freemason should be The Hiram Key by Knight and Lomas. Not terribly accurate but will cause the fresh Freemason to think and to look further.  As well, the history, functions of a Lodge and its symbols are well covered pictorially and informatively by Symbols of Freemasonry by Barnes & Noble, or a more detailed analysis may be through English Freemason Bro. Kirk W. McNultyʼs book Freemasonry,-Symbols, Secrets and Significance. Bro. McNulty also does a detailed study of the degrees in his The Way of the Craftsman-A Search for the Spiritual Significance of Freemasonry.  Symbolism in Craft Freemasonry by Colin Dyer is also a great book. If one is a lover of Freemasonic ritual then The Early Masonic Catechisms by Knoop, Jones and Hamer are worth study as is The Early French Exposures 1737-1751 which a very curious study into early 18th century ritual by Bro. Harry Carr. A really great book, that i picked up at the United Grand Lodge of England years ago was The Making of Mason (though dated-1978) by Bro. George Draffen that really speaks to the rights and privileges of a Freemason as well at the degrees. A great book to lend or for the new Freemason.

From a more esoteric standpoint, when i started in the Craft i was told to stay away from Manly P. Hall, esoterist, as his work was seen by the more basic and materialist Freemasons as fringe, exotic and nonsensical.  But Hallʼs books The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, Lectures of Ancient Philosophy and his occult opus The Secret Teachings of All Ages all have value in terms that they are detailed studies on all aspects of esotericism.  As well, though somewhat dated and written in more early 20th century prose, The Meaning of Masonry by W. L. Wilmshurst speaks deeply about the purpose of the Craft and its three degrees including the Fourth Degree or the Degree of the Holy Royal Arch Freemasonry.  The Masonic Letter G by Paul Foster Case who was a Freemason but also founded The Builders of the Adtyum (BOTA) is also worth reading.  I would also recommend the book The Inner West- An Introduction to the Hidden Wisdom of the West by Jay Kinney who was the founder and editor of the esoteric spiritual magazine Gnosis. This book introduces the reader to the Western Hermetic Tradition- Hemeticism, Neoplatonism, secret teachings, esoteric brotherhoods and mystics and teachers. For the esoterist as well there is the classic Morals and Dogmas by Albert Pike, somewhat dated now, but certainly worth a study as is the Kybalion.  The Master Game by Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval (2011) is also very comprehensive.

If one wishes to explore more of the history and influences of the Craft then this path will lead one into the so called ʻhigher degrees” of the Craft or the more esoteric (“eso” from the Greek meaning ʻhiddenʼ) thus such books like The Temple and the Lodge by Bro. Michael Baigent, and the books by Bro. Rev F. de P. Castells (early 20th century and hard to find but essential in terms of understanding the evolution or perhaps devolution of the Craft from 1600 onwards) The Genuine Secrets of Freemasonry Prior to AD 1717 and English Freemasonry in its Period of Transition 1600-1700, connects to the Antient or Ancient Freemasons, to early Holy Royal Arch Freemasonry, the Rosicrucians and early Kabbalists. As well a very great book by Prof. David Stevenson is The Origins of Freemasonry- Scotlands Century 1590-1710 and Scotlandʼs early Freemasonry.  The Golden Builders- Alchemist, Rosicrucians and the First Freemasons by Bro. Tobias Churton is also well written, historically accurate and presents a very interesting perspective. Churton also wrote The Magus of Freemasonry- the Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole-Scientist, Alchemist, and the Founder of the Royal Society that i would also recommend. One would also do well to study any of the books by Dame Francis Yates- The Rosicrucian Enlightenment and her The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age. The Byrom Collection-Renaissance Thought, the Royal Society and the Building of the Globe Theatre by Joy Hancox is a must read that explores remarkable and diverse influences of those who were at the crossroads of the Rosicrucians, Freemasonry, mysticism, Kabbalistic philosophy, numerology, cosmology, amazing stuff and very revealing. As well a little older but really great is The Treasure of Montseguer which studies the Cathar heresy and the nature of the Cathar Secret by Walter Birks and Bro. R.A. Gilbert.

If one chooses to look deeper into the building roots of the Craft, the Christian confraternities or monastic orders possessed much in the way of obscure information, classical knowledge of the Romans and Greeks. Knowledge of building, science, astronomy, astrology, chemistry, mathematics and geometry came via the Arabian culture who inherited this knowledge after the fall of the Roman Empire and flowed through into the Crusaders who brought this knowledge back to Western Europe. The building guilds of the Monastic orders and the Knights Templar involve topics of sacred geometry, sacred number and divine proportion as well as many other esoteric thoughts and should be a field of study for an inquiring Freemason. To this end, I highly recommend Bro. Paul Nadonʼs The Secret History of Freemasonry-Its Origins and Connections to the Knights Templar.  Secondly, an important book The Templars Legacy in Montreal, The New Jerusalem offers a wealth of new information. First Templar Nation is newly published (2013) by Author Freddy Silva and points to a far more knowledgeable and esoteric spiritual Knights Templar than is generally understood.  The Temple- Meeting Place of Heaven and Earth by John Lundquist and Sacred Geometry-philosophy and practice by Robert Lawlor are classics. Chartres-Sacred Geometry, Sacred Space by Gordon Strachan and The Mysteries of Chartres Cathedral by Louis Charpentier are also must reads regards to sacred geometry and cathedral building.  The Secrets of Solomonʼs Temple-Discover the Truth That Lies at the Heart of Freemasonry by Bro. Kevin Gest is also filled with numerical philosophy and transcendental truthʼs.  Talisman-Sacred Cities, Secret Faith by Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval also cover wider aspects of the meaning of the Craft, and how sacred knowledge has passed through generations to influence us today.   The Secret Zodiacʼs of Washington DC – was the City of Stars Planned by Masons by David Ovason is also a must read if one wishes to have a wider understanding of many aspects of sacred building and sacred knowledge.  Sacred Architecture by A.T Mann, A Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe by Michael S. Schneider, The Return of Sacred Architecture by American Bro. and Architect Herbert Bangs are all worth reading. If one wants to look a little deeper Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks- Astrological Symbolism in Art, Architecture, and Landscape by Jean Richer is older but gives one a larger perspective of how ancient man had manipulated the very landscape to bring heaven and earth closer together.   Not to forget Heavens Mirror by Graham Hancock, a wonderfully illustrated text that takes the reader around the world to different civilizations and explains in details its connections to the sacred and how the ancients built to inspire humanity.  And lastly the reader must seek out The Divine Blueprint- Temples, Power Places and the Global Plan to Shape the Human Soul (new 2012) by Freddy Silva which explains how the ancients and why they built these unique temples and sacred spaces around the planet.

I believe any true Freemason who wishes to see the real reason for our initiatory three degrees and their significance must study the rituals and beliefs of far earlier times. Though Freemasonry is not the lineal descendent it was certainly influenced or inspired by the ancient Mystery Dramas that were conducted in ancient Greece, Egypt and Asia Minor. To deny these early influences and their similarities- their transcendent purpose- to human psychological growth and inquiry is central to our Craft and the meaning of its degrees in the basic and ʻhigher degreesʼ. An inquirer will want to read The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess -The Secret Teachings of the Original Christians by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy.   Entirely central to the meaning of our Craft. A “materialist” or religious fundamentalist or fanatic will completely deny these books, but if you have an open mind and are ready to understand that the ancients partook of ceremonies that relayed sacred information through allegory and myth, then a Freemasons eyes and mind will be opened. After all, do we not read that Pythagoras traveled for twenty two years and studied the Mysteries found in Greece, Egypt, the Middle East and Asia Minor. He was a lover of wisdom and studied and was initiated into many Mystery schools.  As well, Canadian Author and Anglican Minister Tom Harpur writes of the symbolic (not literal) truthʼs of Christianity and a practicing Freemason will be startled to read The Pagan Christ (as well as his other offerings) and see how early symbolic Pagan Mysteries were the crux of thought, inquiry and the influence upon Hermetic initiatic groups through Western Europe into modern times.  The Jesus Papers by Bro. Michael Baigent, The Gnostic Gospels by Dr. Elaine Pagels presents unique and new perspectives into beliefs, illumination, and transcendence that will tie the Craft to early pagan and pre-Christian mysticism. Anyone who has the discipline to stay the path will find that studies of ancient history, sacred building, initiatory societies, Hermetic philosophy all serve to teach us about a knowledge that is not lost but ever present, that is within each of us and all around us.

I also believe that any study of Freemasonry cannot be done without a review and an understanding of ancient Egypt. This is the parent, the major influence of Freemasonry from Hermeticism which began with Hermes, the mythical god-man who brought knowledge from the gods to humans whose parallel is Enoch (as related in the higher degrees of the Cryptic Rite in York Rite Freemasonry). It is from Hermes that we learn of the maxim “that which above is so below” and this was the major impetus of sacred builders who wished to inspire humanity with sacred buildings that would affect consciousness from the Giza pyramids to the Manitoba Legislature, sacred buildings and symbolism is meant to direct the human psyche and this knowledge was embraced by and perpetuated through Hermeticism.  Serpent in the Sky- the High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt by John Anthony West is a must read (for the more serious reader i recommend the writings of R. A. Schwaller De Lubicz), as is The Hermetica -the Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs by Freke and Gandy, as well The Egyptian Hermes by Garth Folwer, The Temple of the Cosmos – The Ancient Experience of the Sacred by Jeremy Naydler PhD and his Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts- The Mystical Tradition of Ancient Egypt brings us closer to ceremonies and beliefs that Freemasons will readily understand and be startled by the fact that over 4,500 years ago living Pharaohs were initiated by the Priesthood to bring the Pharaohʼs closer to the divine through death resurrection dramas or ceremonies.  After which the King was considered the living arbiter between heaven and earth.

In the reading of Freemasonic history and philosophy one should keep their eyes open with the annual transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society or Heredom which is serious in its scope with well written and researched papers.  In Canada we have the Transactions of the Fat Lux Lodge of Research #1980 produced by a dedicated Bro. Garth Cochran out of Calgary Alberta which is consistently laden with good quality papers from submitting brethren from all over Canada and further afield.

There are indeed many, many other books, books and websites that can offer a Freemasonic seeker a solid path. As i have mentioned there is also lodes of conspiracy nuts who espouse their theories, most all are deluded and i would advise people to not go down that rabbit hole otherwise things could become very clouded.  There are many other topics, from The Sufis by Idris Shah (an excellent read) to Shamanism, i highly recommend any book by author Daniel Pinchbeck, to science, new physics and the study of consciousness, a great read is The Way of the Explorer by Apollo astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Science and the Akashic Field- an Integral Theory of Everything by Dr. Ervin Laszlo.  By reading the new science and matters concerned with consciousness we begin to see what the ancients may have been speaking to. Unlike modern materialism telling us there is no purpose in things, that consciousness is a function of a chemical or biological soup restricted to our bodies, that there is no consciousness in nature, that nature is purely mechanical, purposeless with no goal or direction, that unexplained phenomena is illusionary well i believe that Freemasonry and its ancient influences as well as new science tells us differently. If one is really willing to explore Freemasonry and indeed life more properly, in its entirety, i think we find a much different, complex and wondrous life all about us. This is a true path validated by science and spirituality that tells us that there is purpose, consciousness exists inside and outside of us, our minds and souls are very much more powerful than we can imagine, we are all connected to each other and much, much more.  I believe each one of us is a piece of God itself, that we are all capable of Gnosis or a direct knowledge of God whatever that Force, Consciousness, or Singularity may be and this is what mysticism, the sacred Mystery dramas of the ancients, and new science coveys to us. Given the chance, i believe that books are a great start and support to your own path but at the same time, books can only take us so far in our explorations because sooner or later the intellect only takes us so far and the toe must be dipped into the stream, and the initiate must have the courage and the willingness, to sooner or later experience life itself through sacred ritual and experience.

“The best life is spent preparing for death”.  Plato

“Know yourself” Inscription at the Temple of Delphi, Greece

“The nature of God is a circle of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere”.  Empedocles 5th century BCE

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