# Conceit, Egotism, Pride -- Why?



## Spacephx (Jun 11, 2021)

I am not a mason. I am not able to become a mason, or at least a traditional one because of gender. My friend recently told me he was joining. Worried for the friend because of internet stories, I researched into it just to make sure I was not losing that friend.

Now here's my question. Why is it that every mason I have talked to on every site, YT, reddit, FB, Twitter, etc, has so far been conceited? I don't mean just a misunderstanding either. I mean completely conceited.

They have all portrayed a 'holier than thou', 'smarter than you' attitude with me, acting as if intellectualism literally belongs to them and only them. (Which is not a great impression to anyone.)

No. I am not a mason. But I have researched. I have bought and downloaded books. Not just 'writings about' but legit books from ebay. Estate sales, thrift stores, etc. Legal places to buy these things. I have bought ritual books, the encyclopedias, the lexicons, and the full breakdowns of the rituals, their symbolism and the interpretations of that symbolism (despite Amazon reviewers saying don't waste your time, more conceit).

My question is why? Of all the 'good character values' your group is supposed to uphold. I would think humblness should be one of them.

But I keep getting the same thing. "No matter how much you research, or how much source material you have, you won't understand, _can't_ know without becoming one and going through it."

_This is a fallacy. _It is complete empiricism, 'knowledge by experience' which is rejected in Philosophy. Rationalism says you can have knowledge through reason and learning.  I understand I can't APPRECIATE it as well as a mason would. But to keep sitting there and telling me one can't learn even with all the tools and sources and complete breakdowns. Is just ... it's anti-knowledge. All the logicians and philosophers and scientists you look up to would be appalled. Davinci didn't just say he couldn't learn the things he taught himself unless he had a group to give him the experience. He taught himself. He researched.

You can self teach yourself anything with enough time, dedication, source material, and research. Religion, Quantum Physics, literally anything. Maybe you won't understand at first. But if you're truly dedicated and put time into it you can learn and understand. NO field of study has it where you can't know unless you experience it.

And since the rituals are allegorical plays. I'm basically being told I can't understand Romeo and Juliet and its symbolism without playing in it. And yes I won't understand the authors entire POV.   No one will, he wrote it. But I will understand the breakdown of it. You do not need to star in or write a movie to understand its symbolism.

So why are masons so arrogant with this when it goes against every intellectual they look up to? You are basically implying that the rituals are more than just symbolism despite labeling them as such that even your books, the legit ones you have, don't mention. Which is why so many write conspiracies about you, because that is a bad implication to make.

So to end this. Why do all the masons I've met talk down, and how do you think that's good character?


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## Glen Cook (Jun 11, 2021)

Yes, we are taught we should be humble. I am unconvinced we are successful in that teaching.

I suggest there is a distinction to be made between understanding the history, ritual, and philosophical underpinnings of Freemasonry, and the transformative process of the initiatory experience; the impact of the ceremony on your senses; the sense of belonging to the group; the inheritance of the traditions of century... I quite agree the intellectual component may be grasped, as demonstrated by Prof. Margaret Jacobs. But the experiential component?  I can read about any number of emotive experiences, but to truly know that experience, must I not have been involved in  the occasion arising to the feelings?  

I do like your use of  of “appreciate.”  I think you could appreciate the initiatory experience I have tried to capture. 

And I’m appreciative you think I could learn quantum physics. My math grades would suggest otherwise. .


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## Mike Martin (Jun 12, 2021)

Spacephx said:


> I am not a mason. ? snipped for relevance


Thank you for your input, it's interesting. I've read your missive a few times and I can't help feeling that you could probably use a good long look in the mirror.


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## Bloke (Jun 12, 2021)

Thanks for the post.

What country are you in ? Researching, I would assume you are aware of Le Droit Humain, Co-Freemasonry, Order of Women Freemasons etc etc. I see those organizations as pretty "traditional".

Thirdly, the internet does have the tendency to bring out the worst in people, and being human, that can be true of Freemasons too... but I can understand the approach some might have taken. At the end of the day, I can read all the books on birthing I like, even witness a birth,  but I will never know what it is to give birth until I actually do... I don't think that is a fallacy but a fact. However, we can certainly agree to disagree, and to do so without getting upset about it, especially if we are talking fallacies. You're arguing a point and in arguing a point, I think it is human tenancy to argue a different point back if the listener holds a different view. Especially if they perceive themselves as an expert in something they perceive the other person is not as experienced in the subject mater as themselves.



> I'm basically being told I can't understand Romeo and Juliet and its symbolism without playing in it.


I think you would get a much better understanding about Romeo and Juliet from having been madly in love rather than acting in the play.. and I guess that's the point, much about Freemasonry is about subjective experience and feelings. (Noting your subjective experience and feelings about Freemasonry are just as valuable as mine..) Maybe that's why Freemasons get so passionate about it sometimes.. but would imagine in reading about Freemasonry on a page, you would likely not get the same feelings; excitement, anticipation, perhaps fear, love, belonging and accomplishment as one who entered the lodge room for the first time to become a Freemason..


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## coachn (Jun 13, 2021)

Spacephx said:


> I am not a mason. I am not able to become a mason, or at least a traditional one because of gender.


But you could join an order that accepts females.


Spacephx said:


> My friend recently told me he was joining. Worried for the friend because of internet stories, I researched into it just to make sure I was not losing that friend.


You are a good friend...


Spacephx said:


> Now here's my question. Why is it that every mason I have talked to on every site, YT, reddit, FB, Twitter, etc, has so far been conceited? I don't mean just a misunderstanding either. I mean completely conceited.


Great question!


Spacephx said:


> They have all portrayed a 'holier than thou', 'smarter than you' attitude with me, acting as if intellectualism literally belongs to them and only them. (Which is not a great impression to anyone.)


Agreed!  Not a good first impression.


Spacephx said:


> No. I am not a mason. But I have researched. I have bought and downloaded books. Not just 'writings about' but legit books from ebay. Estate sales, thrift stores, etc. Legal places to buy these things. I have bought ritual books, the encyclopedias, the lexicons, and the full breakdowns of the rituals, their symbolism and the interpretations of that symbolism (despite Amazon reviewers saying don't waste your time, more conceit).


Research is good.  Questioning research is even better.


Spacephx said:


> My question is why? Of all the 'good character values' your group is supposed to uphold. I would think humblness should be one of them.


Ah!  The reason(s)...


Spacephx said:


> But I keep getting the same thing. "No matter how much you research, or how much source material you have, you won't understand, _can't_ know without becoming one and going through it."


Yep.  I've heard that as well.
_


Spacephx said:



			This is a fallacy.
		
Click to expand...

_It can be, but it truly depends on what it is that you want to come to know.


Spacephx said:


> It is complete empiricism, 'knowledge by experience' which is rejected in Philosophy. Rationalism says you can have knowledge through reason and learning.  I understand I can't APPRECIATE it as well as a mason would. But to keep sitting there and telling me one can't learn even with all the tools and sources and complete breakdowns. Is just ... it's anti-knowledge. All the logicians and philosophers and scientists you look up to would be appalled. Davinci didn't just say he couldn't learn the things he taught himself unless he had a group to give him the experience. He taught himself. He researched.


Yes, he did teach himself, and through his experiences, he learned much!


Spacephx said:


> You can self teach yourself anything with enough time, dedication, source material, and research. Religion, Quantum Physics, literally anything.


But you cannot bond with the other members if you're off learning without them all the time.


Spacephx said:


> Maybe you won't understand at first. But if you're truly dedicated and put time into it you can learn and understand. NO field of study has it where you can't know unless you experience it.


In the engineering college, we are first taught the theory, but we are required to experience the theory next through labs.  They know it is not enough to study, you must have hands on to _know the materials studied_.


Spacephx said:


> And since the rituals are allegorical plays. I'm basically being told I can't understand Romeo and Juliet and its symbolism without playing in it. And yes I won't understand the authors entire POV.   No one will, he wrote it. But I will understand the breakdown of it. You do not need to star in or write a movie to understand its symbolism.


It sure does come across that way...


Spacephx said:


> So why are masons so arrogant with this when it goes against every intellectual they look up to?


I think you may be confusing a well-orchestrated marketing ploy with arrogance.  They are not the same beast.

The target audience for many of these members are those who want to know more and who are attracted to intrigue.  These members know that if they act like they know more and they say to prospects that they will not know unless they experience it too, they will attract those who fall for this ploy.  They will also act this way toward people who are not targets since the conversation itself is marketing to those listening in.  These conversation do serve multiple purposes.

Unfortunately, most all who experience ritual have no clue as to the depth of what they experienced and they have to have it explained to them.  This explaining is usually done by people who made up the significance to make it sound important, but what they made up is usually so far off the mark that the next generation of members are even more clueless.

Much like those engineering labs I mentioned, I have countless examples of things mentioned or alluded to in ritual that would have much more significance for those experiencing it if they only knew the significance PRIOR to experiencing it.

<sigh> But this much needed change in our membership education ain't gonna happen in my lifetime. ;-)


Spacephx said:


> You are basically implying...


To whom is this "you" you refer?  Freemasons?  Keep in mind, no one member speaks for the organization.


Spacephx said:


> ... that the rituals are more than just symbolism despite labeling them as such that even your books, the legit ones you have, don't mention. Which is why so many write conspiracies about you, because that is a bad implication to make.


The organization is a very easy target for sure.


Spacephx said:


> So to end this. Why do all the masons I've met talk down, and how do you think that's good character?


You have simply not met the right ones.  Keep searching. You'll find them!


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## J Chapman (Aug 1, 2021)

You can read about Freemasonry until the cows come home, but reading and experiencing are VERY different things. 
Before joining, I did exactly what you did. Research, read whatever I could find. A large percentage of what I read was garbage and experiencing it for myself was unlike anything I imagined. 
So I have to respectfully disagree with you saying you can understand without experiencing. At least with respects to Freemasonry anyway. 
Good questions though  


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile


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## Brother_Steve (Aug 2, 2021)

I read about driving a car in high school in drivers Ed. That still didn't prepare me for what it would be like to actually drive a car...


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## Manwell (Nov 2, 2021)

Spacephx said:


> So to end this. Why do all the masons I've met talk down, and how do you think that's good character?



Not being a mason either, I'd guess the short answer is because they know from experience, but either can't put it into words, or they know they're unlikely to be comprehended - from experience, or it'd be seen as boasting if they tried.  

Ironically, ego or pride prevents access to all knowledge, because the soul knows knowledge is power.  If the body/mind isn't mature enough to handle that power, the body/mind prevents it from seeing what's hidden in plain sight.


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## JeffKeith (Nov 5, 2021)

Spacephx said:


> I am not a mason. I am not able to become a mason, or at least a traditional one because of gender. My friend recently told me he was joining. Worried for the friend because of internet stories, I researched into it just to make sure I was not losing that friend.
> 
> Now here's my question. Why is it that every mason I have talked to on every site, YT, reddit, FB, Twitter, etc, has so far been conceited? I don't mean just a misunderstanding either. I mean completely conceited.
> 
> ...


There is a Female Version of the Order called "Order of the Eastern Star" please look into this.


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## Winter (Nov 5, 2021)

JeffKeith said:


> There is a Female Version of the Order called "Order of the Eastern Star" please look into this.


Except that the Order of the Eastern Star is not a female version of Freemasonry. It is an association connected to Freemasonry. The requirement was that an applicant had to have a male family member who was a Mason, but not sure if that still applies. 

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## Keith C (Nov 8, 2021)

Winter said:


> Except that the Order of the Eastern Star is not a female version of Freemasonry. It is an association connected to Freemasonry. The requirement was that an applicant had to have a male family member who was a Mason, but not sure if that still applies.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


My wife is Conductress in her OES Chapter.  At least in PA (Which I realize isn't always representative of other Jurisdictions) you have to either be related to a Freemason or have been in Rainbow for Girls or Jobe's Daughters.  I believe Job's Daughters also requires a Masonic relation.


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## MarkR (Nov 9, 2021)

Keith C said:


> My wife is Conductress in her OES Chapter.  At least in PA (Which I realize isn't always representative of other Jurisdictions) you have to either be related to a Freemason or have been in Rainbow for Girls or Jobe's Daughters.  I believe Job's Daughters also requires a Masonic relation.


Job's has changed to "related to or sponsored by a Master Mason."


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## Number4 (Nov 21, 2021)

Winter said:


> Except that the Order of the Eastern Star is not a female version of Freemasonry. It is an association connected to Freemasonry. The requirement was that an applicant had to have a male family member who was a Mason, but not sure if that still applies.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk



One can join the OES if you are a Master Mason (yes, it is co-ed!), have a relative or an ancestor who was a Mason in good standing at the time of his death, or an OES member.  Also if you were a member of one of the youth groups (Job's Daughters or the Rainbow Girls).


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## Glen Cook (Nov 21, 2021)

Number4 said:


> One can join the OES if you are a Master Mason (yes, it is co-ed!), have a relative or an ancestor who was a Mason in good standing at the time of his death, or an OES member.  Also if you were a member of one of the youth groups (Job's Daughters or the Rainbow Girls).


But it does not purport to confer the degrees of Freemasonry, which is rather the point.

Additionally, not all jurisdictions allow their membership to join OES.

Many OES GC’s allow one to join upon recommendation of a mason.


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## Number4 (Nov 21, 2021)

Glen Cook said:


> But it does not purport to confer the degrees of Freemasonry, which is rather the point.
> 
> Additionally, not all jurisdictions allow their membership to join OES.
> 
> Many OES GC’s allow one to join upon recommendation of a mason.


I never meant to imply that it did, my Brother; OES is an appendant body with its own structure and rituals.  It is still a Masonic body however, and my life expectancy would be very short if told my wife otherwise!

I would be interested to learn about the OES GC's allow entry by recommendation, as it is not permitted here in VA and something of a sore point with membership numbers falling and local chapters being forced to merge.  

Wishing everyone a safe, blessed and Happy Thanksgiving
​.


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## Glen Cook (Nov 21, 2021)

Number4 said:


> I never meant to imply that it did, my Brother; OES is an appendant body with its own structure and rituals.  It is still a Masonic body however, and my life expectancy would be very short if told my wife otherwise!
> 
> I would be interested to learn about the OES GC's allow entry by recommendation, as it is not permitted here in VA and something of a sore point with membership numbers falling and local chapters being forced to merge.
> 
> ...


I looked at the post to which you responded. That post  post explained that OES is not a female version of Freemasonry. It appears you agree.


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## flipster (Dec 14, 2021)

Spacephx said:


> I am not a mason. I am not able to become a mason, or at least a traditional one because of gender. My friend recently told me he was joining. Worried for the friend because of internet stories, I researched into it just to make sure I was not losing that friend.
> 
> Now here's my question. Why is it that every mason I have talked to on every site, YT, reddit, FB, Twitter, etc, has so far been conceited? I don't mean just a misunderstanding either. I mean completely conceited.
> 
> ...


I have been a Mason for 25 years.  I have bought 1 book.  I don't recall anyone doing the searching at estate garage or online sales for books and articles.  Given the time frame for someone to join, I would gather that the search for information preceded the friend's interest.  I would doubt one should expect to lose a friend who becomes a Mason.  I would wish such a friend well, and work diligently to keep the friendship intact.


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## Winter (Dec 14, 2021)

flipster said:


> I have been a Mason for 25 years.  I have bought 1 book.  I don't recall anyone doing the searching at estate garage or online sales for books and articles.  Given the time frame for someone to join, I would gather that the search for information preceded the friend's interest.  I would doubt one should expect to lose a friend who becomes a Mason.  I would wish such a friend well, and work diligently to keep the friendship intact.


1 book in 25 years? Weird flex, but ok.  I have a rather nice library with many of the Masonic books in my collections obtained from estate sales or auctions and not a few from garage sales.


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## acjohn1 (Dec 14, 2021)

Hello One of the important things is that there are two Freemasonries out there. There are the regular and the irregular. In Virginia thee seamed to be quite a few irregular lodges. They really beleave they are Masons and beleaved in it and supported it for years. This is also the group that every 10-15 years someone seams to die during a initiation. The last I beleave was in DC and the poor fellow was shot with a unloaded gun. All I can say is   I do not know what  there beliefs are but it is about as far from the fellowship and brotherhood that I know. Make sure that the lodge your friend is joining is attached to the Grand Lodge of your state. Most Grand lodges have education materials that might help you a bit to. Some of your questions might not be answerable ether or you may be asking the wrong questions. I receive requests all the time about Freemasons but it always seams to be some outlandish, do you know where the Templar treasure is or do we serve the lizard people or who is pulling the presidents strings.My favoret is that once you get high enough you find out you are worshiping a bat or something. "They know" but it is always told by someone that is a friend of a distant cousin that they do not talk to. Instead ask What Freemasonry means to me, Why do I stay in the organization and proudly display that I am. Why do we help and support each other. Why do the Shiners build hospitals to help children or the Scottish rite help Dyslexic children and many more unadvertised deeds. Sometimes I think that it is a good way to find out what someone is about. If all they want to know are the "secrets" then they are getting in for the wrong reasons. Look up Cicero's 6 mistakes of man. There are more than 6 but when you can fully understand them you are on the right track. Good luck in your quest for information, answers always seam to come when you are ready for them.
john
No act of kindness is ever wasted


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## Winter (Dec 14, 2021)

acjohn1 said:


> Hello One of the important things is that there are two Freemasonries out there. There are the regular and the irregular. In Virginia thee seamed to be quite a few irregular lodges. They really beleave they are Masons and beleaved in it and supported it for years. This is also the group that every 10-15 years someone seams to die during a initiation. The last I beleave was in DC and the poor fellow was shot with a unloaded gun.


It was Long Island and they were Regular Masons initiating a new member into their Craftsman's Club.  Not a Craft ritual.


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## acjohn1 (Dec 15, 2021)

Winter said:


> It was Long Island and they were Regular Masons initiating a new member into their Craftsman's Club.  Not


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## acjohn1 (Dec 15, 2021)

I should have looked it up befor posting. Thanks for the correction. 
 I do think, looking back on the post, that this person should talk to people and not all the paper tigers on annonomise reddit,, fb ,Twitter etc


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## Winter (Dec 15, 2021)

acjohn1 said:


> I should have looked it up befor posting. Thanks for the correction.
> I do think, looking back on the post, that this person should talk to people and not all the paper tigers on annonomise reddit,, fb ,Twitter etc


I think you're wasting your breath. The OP made one post on the forum six months ago to vent about her interactions with some Freemasons she met and to lament that she can't join. I doubt she was looking for advice on how to help her friend research the Craft or that she has even returned to follow the discussion. 

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## Glen Cook (Dec 16, 2021)

It’s widely reported I am a person, though there is a vocal dissent. 


acjohn1 said:


> I should have looked it up befor posting. Thanks for the correction.
> I do think, looking back on the post, that this person should talk to people and not all the paper tigers on annonomise reddit,, fb ,Twitter etc


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## coachn (Dec 16, 2021)

Winter said:


> I think you're wasting your breath. The OP made one post on the forum six months ago to vent about her interactions with some Freemasons she met and to lament that she can't join. I doubt she was looking for advice on how to help her friend research the Craft or that she has even returned to follow the discussion.


Yep. One post... and never to be heard from since...  Still getting comments... not quite a zombie thread...  though this is a matter of degree...


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## flipster (Dec 16, 2021)

Winter said:


> 1 book in 25 years? Weird flex, but ok.  I have a rather nice library with many of the Masonic books in my collections obtained from estate sales or auctions and not a few from garage sales.


Could you share a few suggestions?


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## kwhtraveler41 (Dec 17, 2021)

I can only speak for what I have experienced so I will say this.  In my world of masonry where most bros look like me, we tend to not ever see the esoteric value and treat the craft like it is every other greek fraternity.   I hear a lot of talk about regular this, clandestine that, recognized and unrecognized but the truth is what the f@@@ are we really talking about?  We all use the same rituals, monitors, and jurisprudence books.  We don't all search for knowledge beyond that but that's another debate for another day.  The reality is that if you have not learned how to square your actions amidst humanity and embrace, help, and be squared with people outside of the craft, you're probably not going to do it with a dues card in your pocket.  I didn't come to masonry with this fairytale understanding about it.  I knew after my raising that there were principles that I needed to stand on to make myself ready for every aspect of life.  Masons practice our things around non-masons, but they do not understand beyond,  Ah that's a mannerly guy right there.  Many get the ring and car emblem and the camaraderie and for them that's it. Even as 32's and 33's.  Only the uninitiated think that means everything in freemasonry.


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## Winter (Dec 17, 2021)

flipster said:


> Could you share a few suggestions?


I'd be happy to.

I just recently finished "The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World" by John Dickie and it was a very interesting read.,

"The Lost Keys of Freemasonry" by Manly P. Hall

"American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities" by Mark Tabbart

"The Craft and Its Symbols" by Allen Roberts

We are living in a golden age of Masonic books being published.


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## coachn (Dec 17, 2021)

flipster said:


> Could you share a few suggestions?


Well, since you asked...

The Building Series, The Craft Series, & A Brother Asks Series









						A Brother Asks: Reading Order?
					

Freemason, Freemasonry, Mason, Masonry, Uncommon, Education, Coach Nagy




					buildinghiram.blogspot.com
				




Yes, I did write them!


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## MarkR (Dec 18, 2021)

Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote a few years ago.  It might be of some help to you.

*Cracking the Freemasons Code by Robert L.D. Cooper*

This has become one of my “go to” books to recommend when people ask for a recommendation. Brother Cooper is the curator of the museum and library of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. In this book, he writes about early Masonry, the transition from operative to speculative, the differences between American, English, Scottish, and Irish Masonry, Masonic symbolism, and a host of other interesting topics.

* The Rosslyn Hoax by Robert L.D. Cooper*

The astute reader will note that I do not include John Robinson’s Born in Blood in this list, which is one of the first books a lot of Masons read. While entertaining, I think that book has led a lot of Masons (including myself at one time) to believe that there is an established direct link from the crusading Knights Templars to modern Freemasonry. In “Hoax,” Brother Cooper debunks a lot of the myths that have grown up around the famous Rosslyn Chapel (still worth a visit; I’ve been there), the Templars, and Freemasonry. If you’ve read Born in Blood, you really need to read this one for balance.

*Freemasons’ Guide and Compendium (rev.ed.) by Bernard Jones*

While I’ll caution you that much of the content of this book is relevant mainly to British Freemasonry, I think that you’ll find plenty of interest to an American Mason. Besides, I’m always of the belief that you can’t really understand how you got to where you are without first understanding where you came from. It’s a big book, but well indexed, so you can read it cover to cover over an extended period, or use it for reference.

*Esoterika by Albert Pike*

Have you tried to wade through Morals and Dogma and swore you’d never be able to understand Pike? Give Esoterika a try. Here Pike takes on his interpretation of the teachings and symbolism of the three craft degrees. Interestingly, Pike did not want this book published, thinking that the material was beyond the ability of the average Mason to understand. However, I think that you’ll find this ever so much more accessible than Morals and Dogma, and the editing of Art DeHoyos clarifies much of the book with footnotes and appendices. You should know that Pike did, in fact, write rituals for the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees. (These are available, if you’re interested, in his The Porch and the Middle Chamber, which also requires you to obtain Esoteric Work of the 1st through 3rd Degree, According to the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The main book leaves out the “secret” parts, inserting a numbered code that you have to look up in the second.) These rituals make the Scottish Rite a complete 33 degree system, and Esoterika reflects his thinking in that regard, but you’ll still find it completely relevant to helping your understanding of the blue lodge degrees as we practice them. If you choose to purchase Esoterika, do it directly through the A&ASR Southern Jurisdiction web site, as it’s much cheaper there. In fact, I’d encourage you to enroll in their “Master Craftsman: Symbolic Lodge” course. The book is included in the program.

*The Freemason at Work by Henry Carr*

Brother Carr was the secretary of the world’s premier lodge of research, Lodge Quatuor Coronati in London. In that capacity, he would receive questions about different aspects of Masonry from all over the world, and he took some of the most interesting questions (some 200 of them) and his answers to them, and put them in this book. Once again, this is a book written from the perspective of the United Grand Lodge of England, but Brother Carr is quite good at noting where there are differences between the practices of UGLE Masonry and Masonry as practiced in other countries, particularly the United States. A must for the library of any Masonic student.

*Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry by S. Brent Morris and Arturo DeHoyos*

Anti-Masonry continues to be a problem. I have not encountered very much of it here in Minnesota, but I hear of it in other parts of the country on a regular basis, and it is, unfortunately, a constant problem for our brethren in Great Britain. In this book, brothers Morris and DeHoyos attempt to debunk many of the negative myths surrounding the craft. It would be difficult to find two more qualified Masons to take on this task than Morris and DeHoyos. In many cases, they are attempting the difficult, if not impossible, task of proving a negative. In other words, how do you prove to a skeptic that we _don’t_ do something that they say we do? However, they do a yeoman’s job of tracing the origins of the myths and providing as much evidence as possible to refute them. A helpful addition to your library for talking with friends or family who have “heard” things about our gentle craft.

*The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland’s Century by David Stevenson*

We all know that Grand Lodge Masonry began with the formation of the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster (soon to become the Grand Lodge of England) in 1717. However, prior to that, very little evidence exists of speculative Masonic activity in England. Where did it come from? Stevenson was a professor of History at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and writes about the roots of Freemasonry from the perspective of a non-Mason academic historian. Using primary-source documents, he makes a compelling argument that the real roots of Freemasonry lie in pre-18th Century Scotland. Along the way, you’ll get a primer in the historical road that led to Freemasonry.

*The Masons’ Words by Robert Davis*

Brother Davis, 33° Grand Cross and secretary of the Scottish Rite Valley of Guthrie, Oklahoma, has a life-long love of Freemasonry, inspired when he was a child witnessing the special relationship between his father and the men of his town who where his lodge brothers. In this book, he traces the development of Masonic ritual; why we say the words we do in Lodge. This is no easy task, given that so little of ritual was written down. His research is academic-quality, but written in the easy-going style that characterizes Brother Davis, rather than in the often-dry style of the academic.

*Observing the Craft by Andrew Hammer*

Brother Hammer is a rather harsh critic of Freemasonry as it is practiced in many, if not most, Lodges today. Chances are that some of his critiques and suggestions for improvement will irritate many of you. He is a main contributor to the Masonic Restoration movement, from which has sprung the concept of Traditional Observance (TO) lodges, with their emphasis on formalism, reverence, thoughtful education, and so forth. He does not mince words in his criticism of more casual Masonry. I don’t agree with everything he proposes; I doubt that many of you will agree with it all either. However, he has a lot to say that you should at least consider, to help you focus on just what it is that you seek from Masonry, and in those areas with which you disagree, the process of thinking through why you disagree is an important step.

*A Pilgrim’s Path by John Robinson*

In last month’s column, I made a passing reference to Robinson’s Born in Blood, a book that I find entertaining, but for reasons discussed then, not among my top ten due to the questionable nature of his findings. However, A Pilgrim’s Path makes my list because it tells the story of a man (Robinson himself) who finds his way to Masonry in a rather unorthodox way. The research for Born in Blood did not begin with any idea that Masonry would become the main point of the book. He was researching the English Peasants Revolt of 1381 and found events and people that led him to a conclusion that it was inspired by an early form of Masonry. After the publication of Born in Blood, he did the common author’s tour of radio and television talk shows to publicize the book. Often, rather than wanting to talk about the book, callers were attacking Freemasonry. He then did research on these allegations to be better equipped to respond to the callers, and what he learned in this research led him to becoming a Mason himself.

This is my list of ten favorites. I don’t call it a “top ten,” because on another day I might list other books, and as I continue to read I’m certain to run across something that would make the list. I hope you’ve found my list informative. Happy reading!


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## flipster (Dec 19, 2021)

Thank you for the suggestions.  I'll pick one and begin reading.


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## flipster (Dec 19, 2021)

I have gone through some storage at the lodge.  There were a couple boxes from a deceased brother.  I will check those out.  Thanks again for your kind suggestions.


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