MacNulty, W. Kirk. Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance (London: Thames & Hudson, 2006)

This book comprehensively explains Freemasonry through its fascinating visual culture, rich in mysterious and arcane symbols of life, death, and morality that have evolved over centuries of secrecy and that have profound philosophical meaning. Ceremonial regalia, paintings, manuscripts, tracing boards, ritual swords, furniture, prints, ephemera, and architecture: the book is copiously illustrated with many specially researched items from Freemasonry archives. This unrivaled compendium will appeal both to Freemasons wishing to learn the full story of their order and to a general audience that is intensely curious about this traditionally secretive and closed movement.

MacNulty, W. Kirk. Freemasonry: A Journey Through Ritual and Symbol. (Thames & Hudson, 1991)

This title explores the origins, development, rituals, and symbolism of Freemasonry, and examines Freemasonry as part of a tradition of Western mysticism going back to the Middle Ages. Includes many full graphic illustrations. Highly recommended.

Schuchard, Marsha K. Restoring the Temple of Vision: Cabalistic Freemasonry in Stuart Culture (Boston: Brill Publications, 2002)

This book uncovers the early Jewish, Scottish, and Stuart sources of “ancient” Cabalistic Freemasonry that flourished in Écossais lodges in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Drawing on architectural, technological, political, and religious documents, it provides real-world, historical grounding for the flights of visionary Temple building described in the rituals and symbolism of “high-degree” Masonry. The roots of mystical male bonding,accomplished through progressive initiation, are found in Stuart notions of intellectual andspiritual amicitia. Despite the expulsion of the Stuart dynasty in 1688 and the establishment of a rival “modern” system of Hanoverian-Whig Masonry in 1717, the influence of “ancient” Scottish- Stuart Masonry on Solomonic architecture, Hermetic masques, and Rosicrucian science was preserved in lodges maintained by Jacobite partisans and exiles in Britain, Europe, and the New World.

Carr, Harry. The Freemason at Work (London: Burgess & Son, 1976)

When Harry Carr became secretary and editor of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research, the answering of lodge questions became a major part of his duties. In a style that became a hallmark of all his masonic writing, he always answered a little more than the original question. In response to hundreds of requests from all over the world, the answers he gave to questions during his twelve years office as editor of Quatuor Coronati Transactions have been collected together in this book. Only the best and most interesting subjects are included and every question will be relevant to most brethren in the course of their work in the lodge. A collection of more than 200 questions with comprehensive answers to all manner of masonic subjects.

Carr, Harry. World of Freemasonry (London: Lewis Masonic, 1984)

The collected papers and talks of Harry Carr, secretary of Quator Coronati Lodge of Research. It represents a wealth in scholarship on the history, rituals and philosophy of Freemasonry.

Venzi, Fabio. Studies on Traditional Freemasonry (London: Lewis Masonic, 2013)

From the point of view of the origins, Fabio Venzi examines many documents, particularly those of British origin, and from these it appears that the foundation of modern Speculative Masonry was drawn from multiple sources, the most fundamental of which was Neo- Platonism with all its philosophical currents. Freemasonry, however, in itself stands as a continuation of the esoteric initiatory Tradition of the West. In this sense, then, the author says that Freemasonry is a Traditional association, whose nature is esoteric initiation. The book contains analysis of the symbols and rituals that follow various esoteric currents, including, in particular, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Alchemy and the Rosicrucians; symbolic allusions and also refers to the Mysteries of Ancient Greece. The main aims and founding of Freemasonry, then, are those specific to each esoteric initiatory association which aims for the improvement of knowledge, both ethical and metaphysical. This groundbreaking work by Fabio Venzi, is invaluable for its wealth of historical and analytical content; it allows the reader to understand what modern Masonry truly is and what its goals are in the current era.

Newton, Joseph Fort. The Builders: A Story and Study of Freemasonry. (Torch Press, 1916)

“The Builders: A Story and Study of Freemasonry” provides a general survey of Masonic origins, history and philosophy.“The Builders” offers a scholarly but approachable treatment of Masonry sure to enlighten not only a general audience, but practicing Freemasons. He starts with ancient Egypt, not because he believes that the Egyptians had functioning Masonic lodges, but because that is where monumental architecture began. He covers the ancient mystery religions, and Masonry in organizations of medieval stone-masons. Despite his rational stance, Newton is rhapsodic about the progressive influence of the Masonic movement and philosophy, both for individuals seeking ‘the lost word’, and for society as a whole. Newton claims that the world has benefited greatly because of the Masonic ideals of liberty, fraternity and equality.

Coil, Henry W, ed. Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia (New York: Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., 1961)

Bro. Henry Wilson Coil’s sober and scholarly encyclopedia remains a trusted reference. Over 1750 articles on the history, symbols, rituals, and philosophy of Freemasonry, amply discussed from A to Z, plus a chronology beginning with the 10th century through the 20th.

Arturo de Hoyos, ed., Albert Pike’s Esoterika: The Symbolism of the Blue Degrees of Freemasonry(Washington, D.C.: Scottish Rite Research Society, 2005, 2008)

Contains the complete text of Albert Pike's never-before-published esoteric study of the symbols of the Blue Lodge Degrees. Subjects include “The Compasses and the Square,” “The Weapons and Blows of the Assassins,” “The Three Grips,” “The Substitute for the Master’s Word,” “The 47th Problem of Euclid,” “The Truth,” “Is the Cable-tow a Symbol?,” “Corner Stones,” “The Ladder of Jacob,” and more.

Tresner, James. But I Digress. (CreateSpace, 2012)

A collection of experiences and musings from Dr. James Tresner, 33° Grand Cross of Honor, Director of the Work at Guthrie Scottish Rite and Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. This book strikes a perfect balance and has something for everyone in a tone and approach that feels a little like you have just met up with an old mentor. There are some real meaty topics handled within this almost 450 page volume. Everything from music to symbolism, from esotericism to morality, no topic seems off limits, but every topic is covered with the same widened and kind approach that is the hallmark of Dr. Jim Tresner.

Stevenson, David. The First Freemasons: Scotland’s Early Lodges and Their Members (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1988)

David Stevenson’s classic account of the origins of Freemasonry, a brotherhood of men bound together by secret initiatives, rituals and modes of identification with ideals of fraternity, equality, toleration and reason. Beginning in Britain, Freemasonry swept across Europe in the mid-eighteenth century in astonishing fashion–yet its origins are still hotly debated today. The prevailing assumption has been that it emerged in England around 1700, but David Stevenson demonstrates that the real origins of modern Freemasonry lie in Scotland around 1600, when the system of lodges was created by stonemasons with rituals and secrets blending medieval mythology with Renaissance philosophy and seventeenth- century history.

Morris, S. Brent, De Hoyos, Arturo, et al. Freemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy (Lexington Books, 20014)

In Freemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy editors Arturo de Hoyos and S. Brent Morris feature work by renowned Masonic scholars. Essays explore the rich and often controversial events that comprise the cultural and social history of Freemasonry. Other essays discuss the function and development of ritual rites and practices. The scholarship in this volume represents ten years of scholarly investigations by the Scottish Rite Research Society. Freemasonry in Context is the most authoritative compendium of Masonic scholarship available. Contained within this volume is the most erudite scholarly reflection on an enormous body of research conducted by academic historians and Masonic authors.

Eyer, Shawn. Ahiman: A Review of Masonic Culture and Tradition, Vol. 1 (Plumbstone, 2010)

Ahiman is a new periodical anthology of Masonic writing, offering a serious exploration of the rich initiatic traditions of Freemasonry. Edited by Masonic scholar Shawn Eyer, Ahiman is dedicated to stimulating scholarship, penetrating interpretation and inspiring creative expressions focused upon the history, rituals, symbolism, iconography and philosophy of Freemasonry. Carefully researched and lavishly produced, each edition of Ahiman offers important material of interest to Freemasons and other students of Western esoteric traditions.

Davis, Robert G. The Mason’s Words. (Building Stone Publishing, 2013)

This is the story of the Masonic ritual, the language and ceremonial forms that have evolved into the present structure of American Freemasonry, defined its lodge space, and offered its members the same stabilizing influence of instruction that has prevailed on every inhabited continent for nearly 400 years. The reader will discover that the language of the world’s oldest fraternal society has also made its own interesting journey, and been tested by the most powerful and the most humbling of men. The result is, that, in Masonic lodges across America, and, indeed, the world, men from every walk of life, of all ages, every social category and every spiritual and philosophical conviction are able to find a basis for reflection on who they are, why they are here, and what has meaning to them. By its common language delivered in a common culture of fraternal relationship, Freemasonry is enabled to exemplify a universal brotherhood of man.

Bullock, Steven C. Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730-1840. (University of North Carolina Press, 1998)

In the first comprehensive history of the fraternity known to outsiders primarily for its secrecy and rituals, Steven Bullock traces Freemasonry through its first century in America. He follows the order from its origins in Britain and its introduction into North America in the 1730s to its near-destruction by a massive anti-Masonic movement almost a century later and its subsequent reconfiguration into the brotherhood we know today. With a membership that included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Paul Revere, and Andrew Jackson, Freemasonry is fascinating in its own right, but Bullock also places the movement at the center of the transformation of American society and culture from the colonial era to the rise of Jacksonian democracy. Using lodge records, members’ reminiscences and correspondence, and local and Masonic histories, Bullock links Freemasonry with the changing ideals of early American society. Although the fraternity began among colonial elites, its spread during the Revolution and afterward allowed it to play an important role in shaping the new nation’s ideas of liberty and equality. Ironically, however, the more inclusive and universalist Masonic ideas became, the more threatening its members’ economic and emotional bonds seemed to outsiders, sparking an explosive attack on the fraternity after 1826.

Van Den Berk, M. F. M. The Magic Flute: Die Zauberflote: An Alchemical Allegory. (Brill Academic Publications, 2004)

This volume demonstrates for the first time that Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflote is an enactment of the alchemical magnum opus, in the form of a Chymical Wedding. Alchemy remains a prominent speculative and operational current within Freemasonry, of which Mozart and his librettists were members. The central part focuses on the opera’s alchemical structure, whereas the historical and mythological backgrounds are also dealt with extensively. The Magic Flute is a fascinating journey of discovery, an initiation into Initiation.

Della Mirandola, Giovanni Pico; Caponigri, Robert ed. Oration on the Dignity of Man. (Gateway Editions, 1996).

In the great humanist Pico Della Mirandola’s work, “Oration on the Dignity of Man,” Plato and Cicero converge. Pico combines Platonic theology with Ciceronian eloquence and presents a manifesto that challenges the medieval view of human nature, championing and embodying the “spirit of the Renaissance.” Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola’s humanist manifesto is an epitome of the Renaissance and deeply influential to the most learned thinkers of succeeding generations, and resonates in Masonic philosophy. This is the first single volume edition available of Pico’s masterwork, and it is a must have for all lovers of wisdom.

Matt, Daniel C. The Zohar: Pritzker Edition Vols. 1-12. (Stanford University Press, 2003-2017)

Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Radiance) has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth century. Written in a unique, lyrical Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Jung, Carl G; Shamdasani, Sonu, ed., The Red Book. (W.W. Norton and Company, 2009)

When Carl Jung embarked on an extended self-exploration, he called his “confrontation with the unconscious,” the heart of it was The Red Book, a large, illuminated volume he created between 1914 and 1930. Here he developed his principal theories—of the archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the process of individuation—that transformed psychotherapy from a practice concerned with treatment of the sick into a means for higher development of the personality. While Jung considered The Red Book to be his most important work, only a handful of people have ever seen it. Now, in a complete facsimile and translation, it is available to scholars and the general public. It is an astonishing example of calligraphy and art on a par with The Book of Kells and the illuminated manuscripts of William Blake. This publication of The Red Book is a watershed that will cast new light on the making of modern psychology.

Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic, and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. (Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, 1928)

This is the one of the most beautiful and comprehensive esoteric books ever published: full of symbols, arcane diagrams, and beautiful illustrations, some of which fold out into a magnificent two-page splendor. This is the definitive guide to secret societies, famous occult figures, and much more. Like no other book of the twentieth century, Manly P. Hall’s legendary The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a codex to the ancient occult and esoteric traditions of the world, which remain timeless and timely.