Glimpses of Masonic History

Glimpses of Masonic History is a book by C. W. Leadbeater, first published in 1926. In this concise and readable work, Leadbeater traces the lineage of Masonic ideas through the mystery schools of antiquity — Egyptian, Cretan, Jewish, Greek, and Mithraic traditions — and follows the transition from operative to speculative Masonry in medieval Europe.

Written with the confident voice of an early twentieth-century scholar of esoteric traditions, the book seeks to connect ritual, symbolism, and fraternal practice to older streams of mystery teaching rather than to present a purely institutional history. Leadbeater’s approach is both sympathetic and speculative, treating Masonic rites as survivals or echoes of ancient initiatory systems and interpreting symbols as vessels of perennial spiritual meaning.

For readers seeking an esoteric or theosophical reading of Freemasonry, this volume offers stimulating — and at times controversial — perspectives on origins and influence. It remains of interest to students of Western esotericism, ritual studies, and the history of secret societies.