The Masonic book I spent $125 on.
I'm pretty sure I can say that I have one occult book that @rarebooksleuth doesn't have HA HA.
How much money would you spend on an old used book? Would you spend triple, maybe even quad digits on a book? I would! Honestly, I wouldn't resell this book to someone for quad digits. This sucker is mine!
I found this book at a used bookstore in Saint Augustine Florida 12 years ago. A bookstore that is no longer there. They had a HUGE occult section with several shelves full of Masonic books. Sadly I had it packed away in a tub in Florida with family for the past 7 years. Now that I got it back I can finally start going through it again.
Usually when you find old Masonic books they are small lodges that have just one years worth of that lodges history or something related to the Knights Templar, maybe even a later edition of Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma. So I was rather thrilled to find this big blue Masonic Book filled with 125 years of Masonic history on the shelf. It is a memorial volume over 500 pages long printed on thick paper that is gilded. For a book that is over 100 years old you can still see the shiny gold luster on the edge of the pages.
At the time I found this book I couldn't put it down. The fact that this book covers not just one year but 125 years of Masonic history is amazing! It turns out Lodge number 45 is one of the mother lodges here in the States going all the way back to the year 1785 during the time our country and Constitution was being founded. It documents EVERY member of this lodge from the years 1785 to 1910 along with the history of Freemasonry in America during all these times. This book is only presented to those after they've been sworn in as 33rd degree Freemasons. Hence why this book is blue for "blue lodge Freemasonry." I can't imagine there being maybe more than 50 to 100 of these books ever printed. Maybe even less? More? IDK
This is a poem that is written in the introduction at the beginning of the book. Throughout the book there is lots of other great poems written in it as well as the minutes and rituals and who swore in who during each year.
It even documents proof that Benjamin Franklin was sworn in as a Freemason in St. John's Lodge February 15th, 1730, in Philadelphia. Another thing to take note of is Franklin documents there being a meeting of masons on July 4th, 1730. That date, July 4th, does it have anything to do with that date later being when they would all sign the Declaration of Independence? Hmmm
If you want to know more you can read the entire contents of this book here on their website for free:
http://lodge45.org/history-of-lodge-no-45-book/
Lodge number 45 still exists to this day. Just check out the rest of their website. If you live in Pittsburgh you might even know where the lodge is and have driven past it yourself.
Thanks for looking and I hope you find this book informative and educational.
As always, I'm Theo aka Rainbow Man and here is the PROOF!!!
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Woah, what a cool find! My coolest old book finds are a hardcover binding of half the year of National Geographics from some year in the 20s (it, like your book, is in a tub somewhere in my mom's attic; one day we plan on tackling her attic and I shall find my missing box of books, lol), old copies of Love's Labors Lost and The Comedies of William Shakespeare, and two world atlases, one from during WWII so the maps clearly show axis/allies lines! One of the atlases also has several b&w photos of Chicago in it from the 30s I think was the date on the back of one.
I haven't paid that much for a book, though, I don't have that kind of fun money. XD The most expensive was the National Geographic collection, which was $20. The Shakespeares were under $10 each, and the atlases were part of a "buy a whole bag of books for $1" at the Salvation Army store years ago. :D
I haven't done thrift store books since then, though - because I brought home bugs in one once. I had bought an old bible that was just very cool and put it on the shelf; when I went back to it, it was just COVERED in so much bug ick I threw it away entirely. It took some work to clean off the other books on my shelf, which were thankfully not that hard hit yet. I was mad, though!
Since this is a memorial edition I bet not very many masons even know if a physical copy of this book even existence. As secretive as they are. I'm sure everyone who attends this lodge knows and printed off making there own bootleg copies of the book from the pdf file.
That's cool, a book that may have a few secrets in it. I believe their 'Secret' password was "Mah Habbon" with a certain ritual around conveying it too.
Years ago I passed up on an opportunity to pick up one of 666 copies of Anton Levey's Satanic bible for $80. But I was a student then on a very strict budget.
I used to have me a copy of the Satanic Bible and Rituals. I lost those over the years. Amazingly enough they sell it at Barnes and Noble so it isn't hard to find at all so eventually I might get me a new copy. I got a few of Aleister Crowley books too but they are shitty paperback editions that aren't worth shit.
I bet that is a interesting read.. especially if you're a history buff or a conspiracy theorist
I've got the Albert G. Mackey two volume Encyclopedia too. These books are more common. You could probably find you a copy of these on Ebay in better condition for around $50 - $100. I plan on getting these repaired if I can.
My grandfather was a mason. We didn't even know until after he passed away, he was that secretive about it. My grandmother received the benefit of living free of charge in a masonic palace for old folks in King City, California. So I guess there is a life insurance type of policy for being a member of a certain rank.
Always been curious about the organization myself. Almost want to join one and try the forbidden fruit to find out more of their secret ties. Don't think I have the stomach to brown nose a bunch of elites I despise.
I found out my Grandfather and an Uncle were masons after I started learning of this stuff. There is even a childrens version too call DeMoley. It was named after Jock De Moley, the last leader of the Templars that got burned at the stake when King Philip slaughtered them all on Friday the 13th.
A children's masonic order? I knew about Boy Scouts, and a few others. Very weird.