The Stairway of Freemasonry

The Stairway of Freemasonry

Published by Lewis Masonic, 2007.
ISBN 978-0-85318-272-6

Preface

For any enquiring mind, whether Freemason or not, this little book sets out to help answer questions - not so much: 'What does it mean?' but rather: 'What can it mean?', since the journey is concerned not with learning other people's answers, but in working out answers for yourself.

If you are not a Freemason, you may want answers to questions such as the following:
-Why can I not become a Freemason by reading about it in a book?
-What would initiation do for me?
-What is the point of secrets in Freemasonry?
-Why are the square and compasses in Freemasonry such a universal symbol?
-What are Masonic symbols for? Do they mean anything?
-Can Freemasonry be as meaningful for me as my religion?
-By being a Freemason, can I be closer to God?

If you are already a Freemason, you may want answers to other, but similar questions:
-Why are we called Free Masons?
-If secrets in Freemasonry are not to hide something, what are they for?
-What does the ritual mean when it talks of avoiding fear and rashness?
-How can symbols best be used?
-Can working tools really be used to make me a better person? If so, how?
-Why is it said that lodges stand on holy ground?
-How am I to understand light in a symbolic sense?

The list is almost endless! And the great thing is that you can devise your own questions, and then, by contemplation, provide the answers to them, or work out the answers in a group. But don't expect all members of the group to agree. We all have our own interpretation of Masonic symbols and practices, and there is no dogma, no 'right' answer.

Julian Rees