2009-12-19

Another minor update

Finally found an image of the original front board design for Cultus Arborum, vol. 4 in the 1889-91 "Nature Worship and Mystical Series" (someone was selling a first edition with the front board intact, but the spine apparently gone as it seems from the photo to be held together with tape, on Ebay for US$20), so this has replaced the substituted cover on the Unspeakable Press (Leng) release.

I should also mention that a zip file with all ten volumes of this series (though not the latest releases because it's something of a pain to re-gen and re-upload the entire archive every time one gets changed) can be downloaded from Megaupload.

2009-12-11

This month's excuse

Uploaded a slight fix to Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite to Scribd (dealt with a layout problem in the 3° lecture). This is one of a small selection of works of Masonic interest issued by Celephaïs Press / Unspeakable Press (Leng). While there are already many e-texts of this work on the Internet (contrary to the more idiotic statements of some of Pike's critics, the contents of this book were never a "secret" of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction 32°, as the Preface makes clear), this one (a) reproduces page layout, all illustrations and text in exotic fonts and (b) includes the Index, a later but valuable addition, originally sold as a book in its own right before being bound up in later printings of Morals and Dogma.

The other Masonic works issued are:
Manual of Freemasonry by Richard Carlile. Early 19th-century English exposure.

The Craft Degrees Handbooks by J.S.M. Ward. Short esotericist commentaries on the English craft degrees (early 20th century); originally published as The Entered Apprentice's Handbook, The Fellow-Craft's Handbook and The Master Mason's Book.

The Lost Key by Prentiss Tucker. Early 20th-century esotericist commentary on an American working of the Craft degrees.

Lectures of the Antient and Primitive Rite, translated and compiled by John Yarker (comprises Lectures of a Chapter, Senate and Council and Masonic Charges and Lectures).

"The Antient and Primitive Rite" from Jeremiah How's Freemason's Manual; a short and uncritical account of this fringe "high-grade" system.