Masonic Books H-M

Observing the Craft: The Pursuit of Excellence in Masonic Labour and Observance

Andrew Hammer

Observing the Craft is a manifesto of sorts for the observant Mason, who seeks quality over quantity in every aspect of Freemasonry. It is a stringent argument for the Symbolic Lodge as being the whole of Masonry, calling for nothing but the utmost effort and commitment to be put into the operation of a Masonic lodge and its meetings.

The Lost Keys of Freemasonry (Also Includes: Freemasonry of the Ancient Egyptians / Masonic Orders of Fraternity)

Manly P. Hall

Here is Manly P. Hall’s classic work on history’s most secretive brotherhood- reset and collected with two additional celebrated Hall volumes on occult Masonry.

Freemasonry is the subject of perennial fascination-recently the cover story of a national newsmagazine, the premise of the movie National Treasure, and the anticipated basis of a forthcoming novel by Dan Brown. The twentieth century’s great scholar of occult and esoteric ideas, Manly P. Hall was a Mason himself and nurtured a lifelong interest in the secret fraternal order, making it the focus of one of his earliest and best-loved books, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry. In this celebrated work, he examines the ethical training required of a Freemason, and the character traits a Mason must “build” within himself.

Freemasonry in Black and White

Charles Harper

For too long have the norms of society found its way into Freemasonry and leading men of a Masonic Lodge, instead of the beauty of Freemasonry being taught and sending this light into the world within enlightened minds that produces a better society. The knowledge found within the walls of a lodge can make a man truly a better man within his faith, a better father, son, husband and ultimately a better man for the world. There are issues, academic and social, that are preventing this process from happening in Masonic lodges today. For centuries, a Masonic Lodge has been the place of higher learning. Kings, scholars, presidents, white collar and blue collar individuals, have all advanced the beauty that the Creator of humankind, God, has innately placed within each of us. Like the power of centripetal force, goodness revolving in the center attracts goodness to it.

Masonic Membership of the Founding Fathers

Ronald E. Heaton

Photos and biographical descriptions of the founding fathers of masonry, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Adams, Benedict Arnold, and so forth. Hundreds listed.

Freemasons For Dummies

Christopher Hodapp

Take the mystery out of the Freemasons. Fascinated by Freemasons? Freemasons For Dummies is the internationally bestselling introduction to the Masons, the oldest and largest “secret society” in the world. This balanced, eye-opening guide demystifies Freemasonry, explaining everything from its elaborate rituals and cryptic rites, to its curious symbols and their meanings.

The 32 Secret Paths Of Solomon: A New Examination Of The Qabbalah In Freemasonry

Timothy Hogan

The 32 Secret Paths of Solomon is a new examination of the role of Qabbalah in Freemasonry. This book explores how Freemasonry holds certain keys which reveal a completely new perspective to the Qabbalistic science. Qabbalah is mentioned many times in the degrees of Freemasonry, and this book explores why an understanding of Qabbalah is important in order to truly understand Masonic ritual. This book also publishes for the first time gematria correspondences which are found within Masonic ritual, and it demonstrates how Freemasonry holds the keys to understanding a different layout of the Qabbalistic Tree than has ever been published before. This book will be of value to both the new and old student of the Qabbalistic science.

Entering The Chain Of Union

Timothy Hogan

Entering the Chain of Union explores different esoteric, spiritual, and initiatic traditions from around the world and illustrates how they share similar doctrines and rituals. This book is a first hand account by a western initiate as he examines traditions as diverse as Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Sufi, Druze, Taoist and Tibetan alchemical doctrines, Egyptian mysteries, Mayan traditions, and an exploration of many sacred monuments from around the world. It is also a first hand account of his meeting with spiritual leaders of different traditions, including Harun Yahya. This book will be particularly interesting to anyone with a background in Templarism, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, or Martinism.

Templars: The Rise, Fall & Survival of the Knights Templar

Sanford Holst

Mysteries about the Knights Templar are at the heart of this exploration into the lives of extraordinary people who shaped this legendary order. Their intriguing stories shed new light on the forces that propelled Hugh de Payens and his Templars to positions of exceptional influence in the Medieval world. Templar links to Solomon’s Temple have emerged as being more important than previously thought, and even added to the incredible wealth that filled their coffers. The rise of these knights also increased the power of the Vatican, whose later attacks on the Templars came back to haunt it. Walter de Clifton and other real-life Templars left testimony that revealed how they survived the arrests and executions that decimated their brotherhood in 1307.

The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts and Fictions

Margaret Jacob

Can the ancestry of freemasonry really be traced back to the Knights Templar? Is the image of the eye in a triangle on the back of the dollar bill one of its cryptic signs? Is there a conspiracy that stretches through centuries and generations to align this shadow organization and its secret rituals to world governments and religions? Myths persist and abound about the Freemasons, Margaret C. Jacob notes. But what are their origins? How has an early modern organization of bricklayers and stonemasons aroused so much public interest? In The Origins of Freemasonry, Jacob throws back the veil from a secret society that turns out not to have been very secret at all.

Freemasons: A History and Exploration of the World’s Oldest Secret Society

H. Paul Jeffers

In Freemasons, H. Paul Jeffers delves into Masonic history to reveal the surprising and controversial truths behind this ancient and secretive order, from its mystery-shrouded origins in medieval Europe through its rise in America, where Benjamin Franklin founded the first lodge. Today, some four to five million Freemasons worldwide pledge to live their lives in accordance with principles of morality, charity and loyalty–both to fellow Masons and to the order itself. But what exactly does Freemasonry entail, and what happens behind the lodges’ closed doors?

Early Masonic Catechisms

G.P. Jones and Knoop, Douglas

This extremely interesting book is the single most important reference work ever published on the development of Masonic ritual. It includes complete transcripts of every important manuscript and exposure describing Masonic rituals from 1696 through 1750. Also included are several rejoiners and a very useful introduction on the development of Masonic ritual. This is the only book of its kind and is practically impossible to find elsewhere. Its invaluable collection of documents belongs on the shelf of every Masonic student. Extremely valuable and highly recommended. Not for sale outside the U.S.A.

Haunted Chambers: The Lives of Early Women Freemasons

Karen Kidd

These women aren’t supposed to have existed. But they did. “Haunted Chambers”, for the first time ever, presents not only the most complete list of early women Freemasons but also as much detail about their lives as can still be found. Here are their stories, long suppressed, ignored and marginalized. They include medieval women stone cutters; so-called “adoptive” women Freemasons; an aristocrat; a countess; an early New Brunswick settler; a war hero; a writer of women’s rights; an immigrant Irish girl; the famed sculptress of Abraham Lincoln’s statue in the US Capitol Rotunda and many whose names are now lost. Some will find this book a challenge. Some would rather it never had been written, let alone published. “Haunted Chambers” is highly recommended to anyone who wants the actual history of these early women Freemasons and aren’t afraid to read it.

Freemasonry: An Introduction

Mark E. Kolko-Rivera PhD

An experienced Freemason and award-winning psychologist provides a precise and engaging exploration of the core meaning and practices of Freemasonry for the new generation of people interested in joining the order, and those who are simply curious in the wake of recent media coverage. Entertaining books and movies often depict Freemasonry as a shadowy, mysterious, and possibly sinister organization, and the TV and magazine specials on Freemasonry that inevitably follow often leave us with more questions than answers.

The Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia of History, Rites, Symbolism, and Biography (Cambridge Library Collection – Spiritualism and Esoteric Knowledge)

Kenneth Mackenzie

The nineteenth-century writer and Masonic scholar Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie (1833-86) studied occultism with Frederick Hockley, and met the famous French occultist Éliphas Lévi in 1861. He was also involved in the foundation of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This extensive encyclopedia, first published in 1877, is considered to be a classic Masonic reference work. It includes detailed information on the symbols, rites, legends, terms, people and places associated with Freemasonry. Some of the symbols are illustrated and lists of rankings are given, including a ‘traditional’ list of Grand Masters of England that includes Sts Swithin and Dunstan, Alfred the Great, Sir Christopher Wren (twice) and Charles II. Mackenzie aims in his entries to be critical when relevant: as he says in the Preface, freemasonry has ‘received a willing tribute’ in his book, but he hints at difficulties encountered in publishing material about a famously secretive society.

Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance

W. Kirk MacNulty

“The ultimate book on Freemasonry, with a rich collection of symbols and lore that illuminate the famous fraternal society.

“”The Craft,”” with an estimated four million Freemasons worldwide, remains the largest fraternal organization in the world. Written by an active Freemason, this book comprehensively explains Freemasonry through its fascinating visual culture, rich in mysterious and arcane symbols of life, death, and morality that have evolved over centuries of secrecy and that have profound philosophical meaning.”

A Dictionary of Freemasonry

Robert Macoy

Here is a remarkable history, encyclopedia and symbolic dictionary of Freemasonry all in one convenient volume and attractively illustrated with 300 nineteenth-century engravings. The 600-year-old brotherhood of Freemasons (based on a 3,000-year-old tradition) is one of the most widely known fraternal organizations in the world. Robert Macoy compiled this work in order to present comprehensive information on Freemasonry in an accessible form. Using the full resources of the Fraternity available to him, Macoy sought to sort out the truth from a myriad of half truths, rumors, superstitions and interpretations. He presents the rise and problems of Freemasonry and its kindred association both ancient and modern.

Is it True What They Say About Freemasonry?

S. Brent Morris with Arturo de Hoyos

For as long as there have been Freemasons, there has been a calculated effort to disparage and their practices. In this insightful text, masons de Hoyos and Morris explore the origins of the anti-Masonic mindset and delve into the falsehoods on which critics have based these perennial sentiments. Confronting opponents one at a time, the authors methodically debunk the myths that have surrounded Freemasonry since its establishment, investigating the motives and misconceptions that derive antagonists to spread deceit about Masonic traditions.