The Meaning of Masonry is a book by W. L. Wilmshurst, first published in 1922. Written by a practising Mason and careful student of esoteric tradition, it presents Freemasonry not as mere social ritual but as a living symbolic system: a road of moral and spiritual initiation that draws on ancient mystery teachings. Wilmshurst explains the rites and symbols with a conservative respect for tradition while asking probing, philosophical questions about their purpose — why the Craft works the way it does and how its forms aim to shape character and consciousness. The book reads as both a guide for Masons seeking depth and an invitation to serious students of Western esotericism. Its emphasis is on interior development — inner light, the discipline of moral work, and the symbolic architecture of spiritual progress — rather than on institutional history or practical lodge procedure. It remains a standard reference for readers interested in Masonic symbolism, initiation, and the Craft’s place among traditional mystery paths.
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