The Meaning of Masonry

by W.L. Wilmshurst​

Who are the Masons and what does their society believe in? Although there are over six million members of this fraternity worldwide, with some extremely famous past members including George Washington, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Simon Bolivar, little is actually known about what they do.

W. L. Wilmshurst's The Meaning of Masonry sheds light upon this notoriously secretive organization. As a mason himself in the early twentieth century Wilmshurst had first-hand knowledge of Masonic rituals and practices and here explains the symbolism behind it, its rites and beliefs, and ultimately why people become Masons.

From the various degrees that they hold to the clothing that they wear and the lodges which they attend, Wilmshurst's The Meaning of Masonry analyses multiple aspects of the organization. He provides a fascinating insight into the Masonic Order, uncovering the origins of their beliefs and placing them in the context of when they began.

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About the Author

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Walter Leslie Wilmshurst (1867-1939), an English solicitor and Freemason, was a Christian mystic and prominent 20th Century writer on Freemasonry.

Raised a Master Mason at Huddersfield Lodge No. 290 on December 11, 1889, he later joined the Lodge of Harmony No. 275. In 1927, he founded and became Master of the Lodge of Living Stones No. 4957, Leeds, UK, which today remains dedicated to the study of Masonry’s esoteric roots.

He is best known for his iconic work, The Meaning of Masonry (1922), which remains a much-valued exploration of the deeper meanings of our Craft.

The scope of his esoteric focus is reflected in the titles of prior lectures that became his chapters: The Deeper Symbolism of Masonry; Masonry as a Philosophy; Further Notes on Craft Symbolism; The Holy Royal Arch; and The Relation of Masonry to the Ancient Mysteries.

The purpose and value underlying this and Wilmshurst’s other Masonic writings are stated thus in the introduction to this seminal work: 

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“What seems now needed to intensify the worth and usefulness of this great Brotherhood is to deepen its understanding of its own system, to educate its members in the deeper meaning and true purpose of its rites and its philosophy. Were this achieved the Masonic Order would become, in proportion to that achievement, a spiritual force greater than it can ever be so long as it continues content with a formal and unintelligent perpetuation of rites, the real and sacred purpose of which remains largely unperceived, and participation in which too often means nothing more than association with an agreeable, semi-religious, social institution. Carried to its fullest, that achievement would involve the revival, in a form adapted to modern conditions, of the ancient Wisdom-teaching and the practice of those Mysteries which became proscribed fifteen centuries ago, but of which modern Masonry is the direct and representative descendant, as will appear later in these pages.” (1999 Barnes & Noble edition, pp. 16-17.)

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Several articles by Wilmshurst, also from an esoteric perspective, were published in the Occult Review, including: “Reason and Vision” (Oct. 1909); “The Hidden Church of the Holy Graal” (Mar. 1910); “Spurious Ecstasy and Ceremonial Magic” (Jul. 1911); “The Mystical Basis of Masonry” (Oct. 1911); and “Concerning Cosmic Consciousness” (Mar. 1924).

Other such papers, before being published, were addresses delivered to the Masonic Study Society of London, including: “The Working Tools of an Old York Master” (1923) and “The Fundamental Philosophical Secrets of Masonry” (1925).

For use by his Lodge of Living Stones, Wilmshurst also wrote detailed “analyses and commentaries” on the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft degrees entitled, respectively, The Ceremony of Initiation and the Ceremony of Passing.

Wilmshurst also wrote poetry of some renown during his lifetime, including the Masonic poems, “The Way to the East” and “Songs of the Building Craft.” The Oxford Book of English Verse includes three of his other works: “Anima Naturae,” Nox Nivosa” and “Mystical Verse.” 

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1592329071

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1592329076

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