Freemasonry: Essays, Articles, and Questions

How can I Join?

What is Freemasonry?

Some answers by:

A View of Masonry, from the Masonic Service Association of North America
Also from the MSA, Masonry in popular fiction and in reality.
Wor. Steven Mesnick
Alexandria-Washington Lodge of Virginia
author John R. Robinson
Charles. H. Tupper
the United Grand Lodge of England
History and origins by The Lodge of Research No. 2429, Leicester England
The Masonic Information Center's statement on Freemasonry and Religion
What's Your Answer? by the Masonic Service Association
Lord Northampton in an address to the Grand Charity of the UGLE

What is the significance of the Masonic square & compasses emblem?

Various collected items

The Cornerstone Society has a superb collection of articles from their various yearly conferences. Well worth the visit!
The 3 volume Introduction to Freemasonry by Carl H. Claudy is now available for download.
READ THIS: Laudable Pursuit -- a remarkable and important discussion on the present and future of Masonry.
"Not One Person" -- Why become a Mason? Not for these reasons...
From U.S. News & World Report: Inside The Masons
The Philosophy of Freemasonry -- or more specifically certain famous Freemasons as interpreted by Bro. Roscoe Pound -- the first of five parts. Re-printed in the excellent One More Time Please series. If you don't know OMTP, this article is a good place to start.
USENET Masonry FAQ: The Classic compendium of Frequently Asked Questions about Freemasonry -- a great place to start!
Questions sent to A Page About Freemasonry
George Oliver's "Aphorisms on Freemasonry"
Masonry a secret society?
An Analogy
Anonymous: This is Masonry
Misrepresentations of Freemasonry
A Masonic Cold-Shoulder
A Farmer's Almanac: Character of a Freemason
Gene Still's letter to the Philalethes
Hermes Trismesgistos
How Freemasonry Can Teach
I Am Freemasonry
Tresner, Conscience and the Craft
Learning & Memorizing Ritual
Masonic Music
Prince Hall Masonry, and an 1897 report on Prince Hall Masonry from the Grand Lodge of Washington
A variety of articles are available on the Internet Lodge No. 9659 website.
Some articles about The Morgan Affair and the US Anti-Masonry movement.
Some articles by members of the LDS ("Mormon") Church about Mormons and Masonry
An unusual Masonic occurance on the edges of a recent tragedy.
The interview with a lodge: what the petitioner expected, and what really happened!
Masonry and the Templars: two pieces by Tore Akesson

The fear of Friday 13th and the number 13.
an anonymous painting that may depict the last Templar Grand Master.

Three essays by Burrell McKelphin:

Remarks by Bro. J.J.P. Goody:

Remarks on Diversity in Freemasonry
The pleasures of Masonic visiting.

Freemasonry as a Sacred Retreat
Information and advice for the wife or girlfriend of a new Mason.
One More Time Please -- a wide-ranging series of essays on all aspects of Masonry.
It Doesn't Have to Be Like This!
"Devil in a Red Fez, The Lie About the Freemasons Lives On" -- from a U.S. News & World Report August 26, 2002, special issue on hoaxes.
The Leo Taxil Hoax: the most famous anti-Masonic hoax of all time (from US News)
Desaguliers, and Masonry's Influence on History
A article from Gnosis Magazine: "Masonic Civilization"
Pythagoras and Mystic Science
National Sojourners
McLeod: Masonic Symbols
Infamous or Strange Masons
J.F. Newton: "When is...?"
Which Way? (original)
Which Way? (as published)
WKM: Thoughts on GM's Conference 1994
Why Men-only?
WWII-era article about Fascist attacks on Masonry
A sensible context for discussions about Albert Pike.
A paper on lodge refreshement and Masonic toasts.
York rite/American rites
an early (c. 1994) look at Masonry on the Internet
Sojourning in Subconcious: a more esoteric interpretation of Masonry.
Influence of Masonry in US History -- through 1846
In Search of St. John the Baptist -- concerning one of the "patrons" of modern Freemasonry.
Kabbalah in the Scottish Rite
Some alt.freemasonry clippings
Three Masonic German dramatists and their roles in changing history.
A look at some common church-based complaints about Freemasonry
There is a lot of mis-information in this History of Masonry by Thom Paine, but it's interesting to know that such an influential figure wrote on the subject.
Recovering a Rite: The Amaranth, Queen of the South, and Eastern Star, by Paul Rich, 32° and Guillermo De Los Reyes
Jazz and Freemasonry, by Gulsoy and Hutchison (PDF)

The Roots of Masonry

Modern Freemasonry emerged during the Enlightment Era — a time when writers, thinkers, statesmen championed the virtues of freedom of conscience, rational thought, and honest inquiry. Author Rebecca Newberger Goldstein reviews the thought and influence of writer/philosophers was Baruch Spinoza.
How should we regard Masonry's place in the Western Mystery tradition? Bro. Darren Lorente considers some alternatives.
Bro. Darren Lorente traces elements of gnostic thought within the teachings of Masonry.

Some Questions

"Aren't you guys a secret society or what? What's with all the secrets, anyway?"
"So, how does somebody join the Masons, anyway?"
People really do write to ask: "Aren't you Masons really Anti-Christianity? (Hint: No.)
"Doesn't the Eye in the Pyramid on the dollar bill prove that... uh... doesn't it prove something?
Have You Ever Considered Becoming a Mason?

One Day Classes

What do I think of the One Day Classes ? I'm so glad you asked! Here is another opinion on the subject.

What Do Younger Masons Want?

Two essays on the subject:

Thoughts from a Young Mason, by G. Cliff Porter, 32°: "I want my path to be challenging and enlightening."
What do Younger Masons Really Want?, by Timothy Bonney, MPS: "They want to earn it!"

The Firestone Articles

Wor. Bro. Roger M. Firestone has written a variety of first-rate articles on Masonry.

A repository of articles on topics of interest to Masons.
I am not at all convinced by this article claiming to show that Hiram the Builder was actually an Egyptian King, but you can see for yourself.
These Difficult Questions About Freemasonry and their straightforward answers will provide some sensible light and truth to anyone bewildered by the claims of anti-Masons.

WorkingTools.org

www.workingtools.org has a really intruiguing collection of articles about Masonry, including:

Does Freemasonry have a Soul? by John Ancaster
The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls by Michael Baigent
The Master Mason's Charge by W.Bro John Grange
Ritual: Its Meaning, Effects and Possible Future by Viktor Popow
The Voice Conventional: Druidic Myths and Freemasonry by Andrew Prescott

The Masonic Service Association

One of the activities of the Masonic Service Association is the Masonic Information Center, which has a group of books and brochures to help Masons respond to attacks from anti-Masonic critics.

The MSA's Short Talk Bulletins are published regularly on a variety of subjects:

MSA Short Talk Bulletin
American Masonic ritual is very much the work of Thomas Smith Webb
MSA Sept '95: The Eye in the Pyramid
MSA 71-5: Baphomet Revisited
MSA 72-10: Fundamentalism and Freemasonry
MSA ??-??: What's Your Answer?

Up to A Page About Freemasonry main page.