# Books for a Prospective Mason?



## WheatBarley (Jul 17, 2020)

Hello all,

I'm hoping to petition my local lodge this fall, and in the meantime, I would love to read more about Freemasonry. The problem is, I don't want to spoil the initiatory experience by knowing what to expect from the ceremonies. That makes me leery of buying some of the Masonic books I see available without another person telling me if they have any "spoilers".

I would love to hear your recommendations for some good books on Freemasonry which wouldn't risk spoiling the initiatory experience for me, should my petition be approved. I read Hodapp's _Freemasonry for Dummies_, but skipped the section on the ritual. Are there books that could give me a more general background, like stuff about medieval guilds, Enlightenment rationalism, or the building of Solomon's Temple which y'all would recommend?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: apologies if this should be posted in the general discussion area. Mods, feel free to move if that's the more appropriate section.


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## coachn (Jul 17, 2020)

I wrote "The Craft Unmasked! The Uncommon Origin of Freemasonry and Its Practice" with you in mind.  It gives a great overview of what to expect, without going through the actual details of the experience.

You can find it here: http://www.coach.net/TCU.htm


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## WheatBarley (Jul 17, 2020)

Thanks Coach! I definitely prefer books which I know are written by a Freemason, because ideally your obligations should keep you from "spilling the beans" too much.


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## TheThumbPuppy (Jul 17, 2020)

WheatBarley said:


> stuff about medieval guilds


My favourite books on that subject (so far) are:

_The Origims of Freemasonry - Scotland's century, 1590-1710_ by David Stevenson
_Cracking the Freemason's Code_ by Robert Cooper
Both are available as e-books.


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## Thomas Stright (Jul 17, 2020)

Please stay away from anything claiming to have anything to do with degree work....


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## WheatBarley (Jul 18, 2020)

Thomas Stright said:


> Please stay away from anything claiming to have anything to do with degree work....


Yes, absolutely! I don't want to know what to expect before I actually go through the rituals (provided my petition gets approved).


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## Mike Martin (Jul 20, 2020)

Hopefully you're already looking for a history of the grand lodge of colorado


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## Matt1 (Jul 24, 2020)

I'm not sure you find Masonic secrets in libraries or bookstores, but the internet sometimes reveals toi much. I did try to find out as much as possibile before I petitioned. Most of that was useful for taking that leap, but not all. There's disinformation, misinformation and too much information.


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## Winter (Jul 24, 2020)

The number one book I recommend Freemasons for Dummies.  It is written by a Brother and provides an excellent overview without spoiling anything for the prospective candidate.

https://www.amazon.com/Freemasons-D...595589340&sprefix=freemasons+f,aps,179&sr=8-1


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## M8925 (Aug 7, 2020)

Hello, I could recommend a book, without the risk of spoiler. It is called the Kybalion, and was wrote by the Three Initiates.

There are many books to recommend, but that book (The Kybalion), I think may be useful for you.

You could also read about the history of Modern Freemasonry (since 1717), read about the principles of Freemasonry, read about some Masonic phrases and analyze its, read about the history of the Masonic Lodge where you applied for admission.

There are books that talk about Freemasonry and Knights Templar, Freemasonry and allegories about Ancient Egypt, Freemasonry and Hiram Abiff, etc. Those books, you can search on the Internet and read its.

If you need any additional information, you can write to me. A fraternal greeting.


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