Glimpses of Masonic History by C. W. Leadbeater

Description

Glimpses of Masonic History is a book by C. W. Leadbeater, first published in 1926. In this concise, 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 20th-century scholar of esoteric traditions, the book aims to connect ritual, symbolism and fraternity practices to older streams of mystery teaching rather than to present a dry institutional history. Leadbeater’s approach is both sympathetic and speculative: he treats Masonic rites as survivals or echoes of ancient initiatory systems and interprets symbols as vessels of perennial spiritual meaning. For readers seeking an esoteric or theosophical reading of Freemasonry, this volume offers stimulating — sometimes controversial — perspectives on origins and influence, and it remains of interest to students of Western esotericism, ritual studies, and the history of secret societies.

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