Craft Masonry
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A timeless exploration of one of Masonry’s most enduring symbols — the Ashlar. In this classic lecture by J. Fairbairn Smith, Editor Emeritus of the Detroit Masonic World, the transformation from Rough Ashlar to Perfect Ashlar becomes a powerful allegory of moral refinement and spiritual craftsmanship. Join us From the Quarries as we uncover the
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This week From the Quarries presents Ashlars: Rough and Smooth by the distinguished Masonic scholar J. Fairbairn Smith, Editor Emeritus of the Detroit Masonic World. Drawing on a lifetime in the Craft—initiated as a Lewis in Hawick Lodge, Scotland, in 1925—Smith explores the transformation of the Rough Ashlar into the Perfect Ashlar as both a
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From a candlelit initiation in Boston in 1775 to the solemn unity of Masons at Congressman John Lewis’s funeral in 2020, this film traces the extraordinary journey of Prince Hall Freemasonry—a brotherhood born from exclusion that became one of the most powerful moral institutions in African-American history. Told with historical precision and reverence, it follows
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In ‘Secrecy’, an anonymous Masonic author reflects upon one of the Craft’s most elusive virtues—the sacred art of silence. Through meditative prose, the essay distinguishes Masonry’s private discipline of secrecy from mere concealment, portraying it instead as a spiritual method: the quiet shaping of character, the sanctification of fellowship, and the reverent guarding of truth.
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Good evening Quarrymen … coming to YouTube this weekend In ‘Secrecy’, an anonymous Masonic author reflects upon one of the Craft’s most elusive virtues—the sacred art of silence. Through meditative prose, the essay distinguishes Masonry’s private discipline of secrecy from mere concealment, portraying it instead as a spiritual method: the quiet shaping of character, the
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From the temples of ancient Greece to the tracing boards of the modern Masonic lodge, Euclid’s 47th Proposition—better known as the Pythagorean Theorem—has endured as a symbol of truth proven by reason. In this lecture, we explore its legendary origins, philosophical interpretations, and moral significance within Freemasonry. We’ll look at how figures like Albert Pike
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This lecture explores the history of Freemasonry in Russia, from its first appearance in the eighteenth century to its re-establishment in the late twentieth century. We trace the earliest lodges under Peter the Great’s successors, the flourishing of the Craft under Catherine II, and the dramatic suppression of Nikolai Novikov’s publishing empire. We follow the
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Good evening Quarrymen This weekend’s lecture traces the history of Freemasonry in Russia. It is a story marked by repeated cycles of growth and suppression: from the lodges of the eighteenth century, through Catherine the Great’s crackdown, the Decembrist movement, the long silence of the Soviet period, and the re-establishment of the Grand Lodge of
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William Hutchinson’s The Spirit of Masonry (1775) is one of the most influential works of eighteenth-century Freemasonry—an official, Grand Lodge-endorsed vision of the Craft as a moral and philosophical system. In this lecture, Hutchinson traces Masonry’s roots through the Essenes, the mysteries of Greece, medieval knighthood, and the philosophy of Pythagoras, showing how ancient wisdom
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✨ Coming This Saturday, 20 September ✨ Freemasonry in the eighteenth century was not merely convivial—it was a moral and philosophical system rooted in the wisdom of the ancients. In this week’s video, we explore William Hutchinson’s The Spirit of Masonry (1775), focusing on his account of the Essenes, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the great
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The story of Irish Freemasonry is one of profound continuity, stretching from the ritual pageantry of the Dublin gilds to the global influence of travelling warrants, and from the laughter of seventeenth-century satirists to the worldwide reach of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in our own time. To trace this history is to recognise that
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This presentation explores the extraordinary history of Freemasonry in Japan — from its arrival in the treaty ports of Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki, through suppression, war, and renewal, to the thriving Grand Lodge of Japan of today. Along the way we will trace the unique interplay between foreign traditions and Japanese culture, illustrated with stories
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Good evening Quarrymen and thanks to our recently upgraded YouTube channel Fellowcraft David Tyler! This weekend’s lecture was selected by our wonderful Channel Masters and Fellowcrafts. It explores the remarkable journey of Freemasonry in Japan, tracing its path from expatriate lodges in the treaty ports of the 1860s through earthquake, suspicion, and wartime suppression, to
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This week’s video … For over three centuries, the Catholic Church and Freemasonry have been locked in one of history’s most enduring conflicts. From Pope Clement XII’s first condemnation in In Eminenti (1738), through Pope Leo XIII’s sweeping attack in Humanum Genus (1884), to the sensational Taxil Hoax and the modern rulings of the Congregation
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Good evening Quarrymen Coming this Saturday, 23 August … a new deep dive: “Freemasonry & the Catholic Church—Three Centuries of Conflict”. From ‘In Eminenti‘ (1738) to ‘Humanum Genus‘ (1884), the Taxil hoax, and contemporary Vatican rulings, we trace the theology, politics, and myths on both sides—plus vivid case studies from Italy, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, and
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This week’s video is a concise reading of a section from ‘On the Degrees of Pure and Ancient Freemasonry’ by renowned Masonic historian Robert Freke Gould (1836–1915). In this precis of his longer work, we explore the evidence that the Craft’s symbolism and ceremonial traditions may have roots far older than the first Grand Lodge.
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Good evening Quarrymen Number one in the channel Master and Fellowcrafts poll, this Saturday’s video presents a condensed reading of ‘On the Antiquity of Masonic Symbolism’, a lecture originally delivered by the eminent Masonic historian Robert Freke Gould (1836–1915). Drawing upon Gould’s meticulous research, the essay examines whether the core elements of the Craft’s symbolism
From the Quarries 