January 2021
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An Interesting Companion for a Leisure Hour Just for fun – this fascinating 1814 book is in the Library. Blending historical and geographical musings it includes a series of extracts, reflections and articles on topics Masonic. Designed to be dipped into a leisure it is an interesting companion indeed and one of my favourite texts
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After my chastening brush with copywrite law I have re-edited the Leo Taxil video to remove the offending video content. The new (and presumably legal) version is now available here. The old version has been consigned to the pit, along with Taxil’s works and legacy!
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IMPORTANT NOTE: I have just been advised (27 January 2021) that the Leo Taxil video I uploaded to YouTube yesterday contains copywrite material to which I am not entitled. Specifically it includes clips from the 1920 Swedish/Danish film ‘Haxan’. As this content is over 100 years old I mistakenly assumed that its copywrite had lapsed.
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A new Video – Leo Taxil – The Great Masonic Hoax A follow-up to the first video I ever did. This is the story of the infamous Leo Taxil and the hoax he perpetrated, both on Masonry and the Catholic Church, in the late 19th Century. A hoax whose consequences are still reverberating to the
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New text in Esoterica – The Hieroglyphic Monad It’s a bit self-indulgent to mention, but this month marks 30 years since I submitted my Masters Thesis on John Dee’s 1564 work Monas Hieroglyphica. (January 25th was also coincidentally, the date on which Dee finished writing the book)! In celebration I’ve uploaded a copy of this
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A new Video! The Masonic Goat is an interesting account of the origins, and corrosive effects of the legend of ‘Goat Riding’ in Masonic initiation ceremonies. Dating from 1936, I have been unable to determine its author or provenance.
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Newly uploaded to the Library. The True Masonic Chart or Hieroglyphic Monitor (1851) – Containing all the Emblems explained in the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason, Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, Royal Arch, Royal Master and Select Master.
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New book in the Library. The Craftsman and Freemason’s Guide is a fascinating 1854 publication detailing the symbolism in the rituals from the entered apprentice to Select Master degrees. Copiously illustrated throughout.
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A New Video The Ineffable Name: Lecture delivered in Research Royal Arch Chapter No. 100, S. G. R. A Chapter of Queensland on Wednesday 5th February 1947, by R.Ex. Comp. Rev. V. H. Whitehouse G. J.
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New to the Library is a full copy of the Regius Manuscript, presented with a parallel translation into Modern English. The oldest extant document in Freemasonry, the Regius Manuscript (also known as the Halliwell Document is a treasure of the earliest history of the Craft. The origins of the Regius are obscure. The manuscript was
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A new book in the Library! THE MYSTIC CHORD – A Collection of Masonic Odes and Melodies and the Ceremonies and Festivals of the Fraternity. First published in 1897.
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This lecture details the background, causes and outcome of the great ‘Antient and Modern’ conflict, which took place over sixty years and led, ultimately, to the foundation of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813.
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HERMES TRISMEGISTUS A brief summary of the highly esoteric 1912 work ‘The Kybalion’, by ‘Three Initiates’. It offers a surprisingly Masonic take on Hermetic Neo-Platonism. The broadcast is a brief summary of its content with reference made to Masonic connections.
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So you think you know about Freemasonry? These 20 questions will test your Masonic knowledge by delving into some of the lesser known byways of the Craft. Keep track of your score to receive feedback at the end. Good Luck!
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New arrival in the Library! The complete 3 volume edition of the Symbolism of the Three Degrees, by Oliver Day Street. Volume 1 – The Entered Apprentice Degree Volume 2 – The Fellow Craft Degree Volume 3 – The Master Mason Degree
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Now available in the Library. The two Volumes of Arthur Edward Waite’s summative work: The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry – an analysis of the Inter-relation Between the Craft and the High Grades in respect of their term of research, expressed by the way of Symbolism. Originally published in 1911.
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A new podcast This lecture was first published in November 1925 by the Masonic Service Association of the United States. I have removed a few small sections of this lecture where the content either is no longer aligned with Masonic practice, or where the views expressed are not in line with the values of contemporary
From the Quarries 