I have been a very, very bad website maintainer! It's been six months with nary a new entry posted here, and much has happened. Most notably, this month I have been installed as Senior Deacon of Ashland Masonic Lodge No. 23, and as Captain of the Host of Siskiyou Chapter No. 21 Royal Arch Masons. Both were very nice ceremonies, and I am looking forward to this next Masonic year. I have the impression that our Royal Arch chapter is about to undergo a rejuvenation similar to that which has graced our Lodge these past few years.

I have been reading quite a bit about esoteric Freemasonry lately, including some excellent books recommended to me by Bro. Jay Kinney. You can click on these links to buy the books and help support this website, if any of them look interesting.

• Modern Esoteric Spirituality is a big book with a collection of articles by various authors. It has an interesting article explaining a theory that Freemasonry was originally a form of esoteric Christianity, and that the core parts were watered down when the pure Christian elements were stripped from the ritual in the 18th century.
• The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age by Frances Yates gives one a great overview of the religious and philosophical climate in England in the years just before modern Freemasonry emerged from secrecy. I think that an understanding of Renaissance thought is important in unraveling the more obtuse references in Masonic ritual.
• The Royal Arch: Its Hidden Meaning by Bro. George Steinmetz is an old classic. If you're a Royal Arch Mason, it's worth reading. Some of the ideas are old and very strange, and I certainly don't agree with all of them, but with all esoteric interpretations, they should be taken with a grain of salt.

In closing, I would like to wish all of my readers a happy holiday season. And remember, this is an especially appropriate time of year to remember those less fortunate than you!