Freemasonry: Rituals, Symbols & History of the Secret Society

by Mark Stavish

As one of the world's most famous mysterious societies, Freemasons remain the largest fraternal organization in the world. Some of the most heroic and creative thinkers in history belonged to the order, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Goethe, and Mozart. What links the philosophy of these great minds with the estimated four million Freemasons who actively maintain this ancient brotherhood today? From sacred geometry to legendary Masonic rites, author and Freemason Mark Stavish divulges the philosophy of Masonry and the moral code that all Masons share. Learn how Masonry's higher degrees, particularly Scottish Rite, were influenced by occult beliefs and practices, and how Masonry is linked to King Solomon, Gothic architecture, magic practice, alchemy, and Qabala. With exercises and suggested readings, this fascinating exploration is an essential learning tool that will answer questions and shed light on other Masonic mysteries, including initiation and the Lost Word.

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Mark Stavish, the Director of Studies for the Institute for Hermetic Studies (which he established in 1998), is a life-long student of esotericism with over 25 years experience in comparative religion, philosophy, psychology, and mysticism with emphasis on Traditional Western Esotericism. His articles have appeared in academic, specialty, and mass market publications specializing in spiritual studies, making Mark one of the leading authorities in Hermeticism today.

In addition to being a member and officer of several prominent Rosicrucian and Martinist societies, he served as the Director of Research for the Occult Research and Applications Project, of the Philosophers of Nature (PON). The Philosophers of Nature was founded by Jean Dubuis in France in 1979 and for twenty years was the leading resource for practical information on mineral and plant alchemy, as well as qabala. ORA, a statistically based research wing of the American branch of PON performed detailed exploration into the validity and practicality of various traditional esoteric methods. Original research from the ORA Project was published in the organization's journal, The Stone.

A graduate of King's College, in Theology (B.A.), and Communications (B.A.), and Rhode Island College (Providence), with a Master's degree in Counseling emphasizing psycho-spiritual modalities and Psychosynthesis, he brings a unique blend of tradition with modern research to the application of esoteric philosophy.

Reviews

[Javier Rebolledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente lectura para todo hermano en su crecimiento masonico

[IAO131 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very brief tour of Freemasonry, including some explanations of Scottish, York, and more esoteric rites. This appears to be written either for those in the Western Esoteric tradition or for Freemasons wanting to be introduced to the parallels in Western Esotericism with their own tradition. Each chapter has a summary for the intellectually stunted as well as a few exercises that amount to "go do your own research."

There are many parts of the book that appeared to simply be tangents onto various subjects the author found interesting such as John Dee and medieval angelology. When you get down to it, many of these parallels are not parallels at all but, instead, important figures and ideas in Western Esotericism that have had some very tangential effects on Masonry.

I personally would not particularly recommend this book to anyone unless they wanted a very simple, very watered-down understanding of Freemasonry that is liberally peppered with the author's own symbolic interpretations.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

People have allot of questions about us. I am a active Freemason in the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, a 32nd Degree Mason of the Scottish Rite and a Member of the York Rite of Freemasonry.

I'm in good company: George Washington, Ben Franklin, Goethe and Mozart had been members of the Masonic Order as well.

If you want to learn about us... this book is a must read. Non-Masons will find much to admire or scandalize us about depending on their worldview and depth of experiences.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic overview of the esoteric and occult ties within Freemasonry. Stavish includes a discussion of the evolution of the Occult and its relation to Masonry and argues that while numbers are dropping in the Craft, the majority of applicants are interested in joining for the esoteric philosophy that is apart of the Craft’s history. Includes suggested reading lists and assignments after each chapter in order to personalize and internalize some of the more esoteric teachings of Freemasonry.

[Becky Roper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this hoping to gain a better understanding of this interesting group, but found it only confused me further. I was surprised at the ties to occult practices and dependance on symbolism. A dense read that didn't illuminate much for me.

[James of the Redwoods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent arguments for the pursuit of mystical studies in a modern world.