An interesting take on the origins, and history of freemasonry tying it to the Atlanteans and after them the Egyptions. A lot of the book is accurate and not as esoteric which makes it interesting reading.. ( )

off on a deification cloud of his own..... ( )

Charles Leadbeater is brilliant in his interpretation of the spiritual effect of Masonic Ritual and the greater hidden environment in which it operates.

Like most Theosophists, he weaves all of the pet subjects of Theosophy into this volume, but it is done in a way far less obtrusive than usual. The only thing I found hard to digest about this book are the sections where he begins to recount ancient (far ancient) Egyptian history with a certainty of having been there. I do not doubt that this information was well-intended and came from some sort of spiritual practice, but it hasn't much to do with Freemasonry or the Ancient Mysteries, and is most likely a lot of fantasy. That being said, you can easily set aside those portions of the book and read the rest with confidence that the author not only knows what he is talking about, but has had practical experience applying those things of which he speaks.

This may not be the best book for a new Freemason to make as their first piece of reading on the Fraternity, but once you have learned how to sort the valuable discoveries which might be of importance to the Craft out from the rubbish, this is a great and thought-provoking book to read.

It is written from a Co-Masonic perspective, but the author has kindly relegated most matters specific to Co-Masonry to a chapter at the end of the book. It also requires knowledge of some Theosophist abbreviations, such as H.O.A.T.F., which are unexplained in the text of the book. H.O.A.T.F. stands for the "Head of All True Freemasons" which is either a real or imaginary person (or spiritual entity) which watches over all Freemasonry on earth and works towards its success. While this concept is not found in regular Masonry, most Masons will have no trouble adapting the idea of a H.O.A.T.F. into something that makes sense in their own view, perhaps interpreting this role as that of a patron saint, an angel or a divine being, under whose charge the Fraternity operates. ( )

This book is a lot more peculiar than its rather generic Masonic title might suggest. It was written by Theosophist Leadbeater as a sequel to his Hidden Life in Freemasonry. In both that book and this one, he engages the postulate of a secret "Head of all true Freemasons" or H.O.A.T.F., which appears to be a metaphysical doctrine of Theosophical origin. For his references to contemporary Masonic work, Leadbeater focuses on the Theosophical strain of Co-Masonry.

In the first chapter, "Schools of Masonic Thought," he segregates Masonic historians and theorists into four camps: Authentic, Anthropological, Mystical, and Occult (or Sacramental). These distinctions are drawn clearly and seem useful enough; Leadbeater places himself in the Occult/Sacramental school, and thus concerned with the magic of ceremony, and the development of will and knowledge through ritual.

The author was clearly addressing himself to initiates, as the text presumes a familiarity with Masonic jargon and abbreviations. A reader who doesn't easily read Installed Master for "I.M." or know what a "s..n" is will likely be frustrated by the exposition. There is also fairly free use of Theosophical jargon such as "Rays" and "sub-races."

Possibly the most entertaining section of the book are those chapters dealing with the ancient mysteries: Egyptian, Cretan, Hebrew, Greek, and Mithraic. In all of these, the author sees the perpetuation of an Atlantean tradition of initiatic science, to be taken up in dilute form by Freemasonry. These accounts take into account the latest finds in archaeology in Leadbeater's day, but they are supplemented with his astral or visionary investigations of history, creating a more colorful (if less credible) story than would be otherwise available.

Later chapters treat in a similar manner the traditions of the medieval stonemasons and the genesis of modern Freemasonry, the development of the Scottish Rite, and the origins of Co-Masonry.

Appendix II is a "Table of Principal Masonic Events from 1717," which makes a convenient reference for dates, particularly in the development of the Memphis and Mizraim rites and Co-Masonic jurisdictions.

The Gramercy reprint lacks the illustrations of the original edition, which is something of a disappointment when the author references "a number of statuettes and votive figures found in Crete or in the outposts of Minoan civilization, which are represented in such indubitably Masonic attitudes that even the most sceptical student must acknowledge that no chance can explain this similarity." But the details are not described, and the promised plate is absent.

Originally published as "Glimpses of Masonic History", 1926 and "Ancient Mystic Rites", 1986