# Masonic books in pdf



## Luciano Rodrigues (May 3, 2018)

What sites do you indicate, to download Masonic books in pdf?


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## chrmc (May 3, 2018)

Google scholar, archive.org, Hathi trust and https://countcagliostrosmasonicelibrary.wordpress.com/


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## hfmm97 (May 3, 2018)

Luciano, are you a Master Mason? If not, just focus on history and philosophy of Freemasonry - don’t bother with so-called ritual exposés


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app


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## vinceatwork (May 5, 2018)

In my researches I have not noted what Masonic books were in PDF.  You can find a good collection of books and articles here: http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/ebooks.php


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## SørenSweR(I) (May 5, 2018)

Surely there are no openly available masonic books online. That would be heavily frowned upon.


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## vinceatwork (May 5, 2018)

Why? Is it there anything in Masonry we should be ashamed of, or need to be kept secret?
Are we to frown upon these freely available books on the internet:

Higgins - The Beginning of Masonry - http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/higgins-beginningofmasonry.php

Fichte - Philosophy of Masonry: Letters to Constant - http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/letters-to-constant.php

Krause - Higher Spiritualization of the True Traditional Fundamental Symbols of Freemasonry - http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/krause/

Krause - The Three Oldest Craft Records of the Masonic Fraternity - http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/kraus/000-english-page-001.php

Preston - Illustrations of Masonry - http://pictoumasons.org/library/Preston, William - Illustrations of Masonry [pdf].pdf

d'Olivet - The Golden Verses of Pythagoras - http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/golden-verses.php

Mackey - The Principles of Masonic Law - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12186?msg=welcome_stranger

Mackey - The Symbolism of Freemasonry -  http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/Mackey_symbolism_fr.html

Pike - Morals and Dogma - http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/apikefr.html

AND hundreds more ...


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## Elexir (May 5, 2018)

SørenSweR(I) said:


> Surely there are no openly available masonic books online. That would be heavily frowned upon.



There is a diffrence in culture.
Anglo-saxan freemasonry was exposed in the 1700s. 
Our freemasonry has not sufferd from it due to our diffrences in ritual.



vinceatwork said:


> Why? Is it there anything in Masonry we should be ashamed of, or need to be kept secret?
> Are we to frown upon these freely available books on the internet:



Looking at it from a historical wiewpoint, originaly freemasonry was secret. The exposes was the reason things became more public.

In scandinavia in the Swedish rite we have not had the same exposes of our ritual and have therefore kept true to the original mode of secrecy.

Is it becuse we are ashsamed?
No. The reason for keeping it secret is so that when we experience the degree and the lessons with an open mind.


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## chrmc (May 6, 2018)

SørenSweR(I) said:


> Surely there are no openly available masonic books online. That would be heavily frowned upon.



This comment lacks context. In the Swedish rite, it is allowed to write down anything, and the regularly circulate and publish papers that would be seen as a grave violation of the obligation in many other Masonic jurisdictions. However these are closely guarded, held within lodges and libraries, and secured so they are not put in the hands of the profane. 

However in the rest of the world there is a greater tendency to publish Masonic books in general, similar to any other non-fiction topics. However these most often don't contain any Masonic secrets, unless we are talking about old rites etc. 

So, it really comes down to how things are handled within the various countries.


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## Matt Ross (Jun 27, 2019)

SørenSweR(I) said:


> Surely there are no openly available masonic books online. That would be heavily frowned upon.


Unfortunately pretty much every piece of every ritual of the Blue Lodge is available online cause someone found it and published it. The only real secrets that remain are the pronunciation of certain things. That's the only real way I see to distinguish a real Mason from a Non-Mason if Dues Cards aren't available.


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## Elexir (Jun 27, 2019)

Matt Ross said:


> Unfortunately pretty much every piece of every ritual of the Blue Lodge is available online cause someone found it and published it. The only real secrets that remain are the pronunciation of certain things. That's the only real way I see to distinguish a real Mason from a Non-Mason if Dues Cards aren't available.



Actully, the question you would ask are not universal.
And no, not all rituals are easyily avalible online. In some juristictions there are still a lot of secrecy.


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## Matt Ross (Jun 27, 2019)

Elexir said:


> Actully, the question you would ask are not universal.
> And no, not all rituals are easyily avalible online. In some juristictions there are still a lot of secrecy.


Thankfully so then. Some of the stuff I've found online is pretty close to American ritual. Minor differences here and there but the sentiments are usually the same. It's interesting to know how the modes of recognition change from region to region then. I'll have to keep that in mind should I ever decide to travel abroad.


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## Elexir (Jun 27, 2019)

Matt Ross said:


> Thankfully so then. Some of the stuff I've found online is pretty close to American ritual. Minor differences here and there but the sentiments are usually the same. It's interesting to know how the modes of recognition change from region to region then. I'll have to keep that in mind should I ever decide to travel abroad.



Maybe its becuse our ritual was not written in english and is only in use in 4-5 countries in the world.

There are defenently some things that do differ for various reason but also some things that are universal. Freemasonry is complicated and has some diffrence.


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## Winter (Jun 28, 2019)

Matt Ross said:


> Unfortunately pretty much every piece of every ritual of the Blue Lodge is available online cause someone found it and published it. The only real secrets that remain are the pronunciation of certain things. That's the only real way I see to distinguish a real Mason from a Non-Mason if Dues Cards aren't available.


The Emulation Rite my Lodge works in is available to be purchased by anyone and almost entirely written out with very few words ommited. 

Transmitted via R5 astromech using Tapatalk Galactic


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## Bloke (Jul 1, 2019)

Matt Ross said:


> ...That's the only real way I see to distinguish a real Mason from a Non-Mason if Dues Cards aren't available.



While you can be a MM and member of a Lodge, does that really make you a Mason ? I guess it does, but I see lots who are those things and perhaps are really yet to become Masons. I think Freemasonry is a vocation -  you might know every word of ritual and not really be a Freemason. Likewise, you might never have heard of the Freemasons and be closer to what I think a Freemason should be than some who have even become Past Masters...


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## Luigi Visentin (Jul 1, 2019)

Bloke said:


> I think Freemasonry is a vocation - you might know every word of ritual and not really be a Freemason


Absolutely agree !!! In any case a ritual exposed does not give any significant information to someone who is not a Mason. Often the best way to hide something is not to hide it at all.


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## Matt Ross (Jul 3, 2019)

Bloke said:


> While you can be a MM and member of a Lodge, does that really make you a Mason ? I guess it does, but I see lots who are those things and perhaps are really yet to become Masons. I think Freemasonry is a vocation -  you might know every word of ritual and not really be a Freemason. Likewise, you might never have heard of the Freemasons and be closer to what I think a Freemason should be than some who have even become Past Masters...


I hear you there. In the sense of literally being a Mason or not I'd say it comes down to the Modes of Recognition. However, the ability of the Mason is of course derived by how they carry out the lessons they've learned.


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## vinceatwork (Aug 30, 2019)

Here is another eBook: *Overview of the History of Masonry* from a German perspective, written 1802:http://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/history-overview-of-masonry.php


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## Bloke (Aug 31, 2019)

Matt Ross said:


> Unfortunately pretty much every piece of every ritual of the Blue Lodge is available online cause someone found it and published it. The only real secrets that remain are the pronunciation of certain things. That's the only real way I see to distinguish a real Mason from a Non-Mason if Dues Cards aren't available.


Well, I would disagree. The last thing we want to do is teach Cowan's how to get into lodges, but I think a smart PM would often have a sense of an imposer without even testing him. I know I have; and one had "the secrets" but was complete BS. And as a Sec, I have had a phone call from a PM who met a man who wanted to visit his lodge claiming he was a member of mine...he thought the guy was bogus from his second sentence and before the man did indeed "prove" himself...  he'd applied but was rejected.. he'd sniffed him out and called to confirm his suspicions. We need to be careful on giving visitors entry, but it is also not as easy to pretend to be what you are not, regardless of what imposters have read on the internet..


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## Matt Ross (Sep 5, 2019)

Bloke said:


> Well, I would disagree. The last thing we want to do is teach Cowan's how to get into lodges, but I think a smart PM would often have a sense of an imposer without even testing him. I know I have; and one had "the secrets" but was complete BS. And as a Sec, I have had a phone call from a PM who met a man who wanted to visit his lodge claiming he was a member of mine...he thought the guy was bogus from his second sentence and before the man did indeed "prove" himself...  he'd applied but was rejected.. he'd sniffed him out and called to confirm his suspicions. We need to be careful on giving visitors entry, but it is also not as easy to pretend to be what you are not, regardless of what imposters have read on the internet..


Oh I totally agree with you there! I was simply stating that the "secrets" are out there for everyone to see. However, that's not what makes a Mason as per the ritual as I'm sure you know. I was solely referring to the mechanics of the Modes of Recognition. I agree that an imposter is easy to point out if you truly know Masonry.


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## Bloke (Sep 6, 2019)

Matt Ross said:


> ..I was solely referring to the mechanics of the Modes of Recognition. I agree that an imposter is easy to point out if you truly know Masonry.



Indeed. Most of us drive cars. But put us in an F1 Car on the track and we will be easily found out as an imposter; even if someone has shown us or we have read on the web how to get into the car, put the helmet on and change gears..


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## Matt Ross (Sep 6, 2019)

Bloke said:


> Indeed. Most of us drive cars. But put us in an F1 Car on the track and we will be easily found out as an imposter; even if someone has shown us or we have read on the web how to get into the car, put the helmet on and change gears..


Exactly, brother! It's fun being in facebook groups with Clandy Masons from groups like FAAMM Inc.; They're very bad at proving they're Masons.


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## Brother JC (Sep 7, 2019)

Bloke said:


> Indeed. Most of us drive cars. But put us in an F1 Car on the track and we will be easily found out as an imposter; even if someone has shown us or we have read on the web how to get into the car, put the helmet on and change gears..


Great analogy, Bloke!


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