FREEMASONRY. SYMBOLS, SECRETS, SIGNIFICANCE

(W. Kirk MacNulty, London, Thames & Hudson, 2006. Hardback, 320 pages, £24.95. ISBN 0-500-51302-3)


This book is such a delight, both visually and intellectually, that I need to come to the point immediately: buy it, read it, lend it to your friends. Kirk MacNulty is well-known to those who seek a closer acquaintance with the ancient mystical spiritual tradition which lies at the heart of Freemasonry and with this exuberantly illustrated book he has proved himself a true teacher, well able to simplify our rich tradition in order to intrigue and enthuse both masons and non-masons. The excellent photographs - many taken by Painton Cowen - are evocative and MacNulty’s captions explain the symbolism simply and expertly, exploring their use in the Temple as well as their moral or mystical meaning.

MacNulty is clear: he sees the philosophical context of Freemasonry deriving from the blend of mystical Kabbalah and Hermetic thought which arose in the Renaissance and which was then expressed in a ‘symbolic structure derived from the medieval Craft guilds.’ This understanding of the Craft is today gaining increasing currency as scholars find more and more data revealing the mysterious traditions which emerged in Europe during the fifteenth century.

The book is organised into several sections which, together, encompass most of the content of Freemasonry; its history, the three Craft degrees, the higher degrees, Freemasonry in Society – covering masonic schools, hospitals, charities, women’s Freemasonry and satirical or political attacks on the Craft - and masonic puzzles and secrets. This latter section looks at the conspiracy theories which have built up around the Craft involving the US Dollar note, the Great Seal, the layout of the city of Washington as well as exploring a variety of masonic ciphers.

Along the way we read a great number of intriguing stories and we learn about the great variety of men who became Freemasons - from Antarctic explorers like Scott and Shackleton to artists such as Marc Chagall. Freemason Alexandre Eiffel built his tower in Paris and then constructed the armature for the Statue of Liberty which was designed by another Freemason, Frédéric Bartholdi, and given to the people of the United States ‘as a symbol of the values which the two countries shared (and which Freemasons hold dear).’

Importantly, MacNulty points out, while there are many Grand Lodges, regular and irregular, ‘Freemasons remember that deep down they are all brothers.’

Michael Baigent