Sorry? I think you are mistaken sir. The only official secrets we have are our modes of recognition. Everything else more than fair to be shared. It makes me wonder if you are in fact a mason, and if you are, if you bothered to open up the copy of the constitution they handed you as soon as you finished your first degree.

Have you never wondered why lodges have entire WEBSITES set up explaining the things I am? How authors like these are still members:

http://www.amazon.ca/Freemasons-For-Dummies-Christopher-Hodapp/dp/1118412087

You should apologize to me for that comment. Or even better, how about we place a wager? We both put $1000.00 In an escrow account. When I get home tonight, Ill post my certificate(s) as well as the relevant passages in our constitution. If I check out your $1000.00 goes to a charity of my choice. If I don't, my money will go to you or your charity?


But before you take my bet I would advise you to take a look around:

http://www.askafreemason.org/topten/

Here is right from the grand lodge of Albertas website:

http://www.freemasons.ab.ca/primary/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=31&Itemid=290


Why is Freemasonry so “secretive”?

It really isn’t “secretive,” although it sometimes has that reputation. Freemasons certainly don’t make a secret of the fact that they are members of the fraternity. We wear rings, lapel pins and tie tacks with Masonic emblems like the Square and Compasses, the best known of Masonic signs which, logically, recalls the fraternity’s roots in stonemasonry. Masonic buildings are clearly marked, and are usually listed in the phone book. Lodge activities are not secret picnics and other events are even listed in the newspapers, especially in smaller towns. Many lodges have answering machines which give the upcoming lodge activities. But there are some Masonic secrets, and they fall into two categories.

The first are the ways in which a man can identify himself as a Mason — grips and passwords. We keep those private for obvious reasons. It is not at all unknown for unscrupulous people to try to pass themselves off as Masons in order to get assistance under false pretenses.

The second group is harder to describe, but they are the ones Masons usually mean if we talk about “Masonic secrets.” They are secrets because they literally can’t be talked about, can’t be put into words. They are the changes that happen to a man when he really accepts responsibility for his own life and, at the same time, truly decides that his real happiness is in helping others.

It’s a wonderful feeling, but it’s something you simply can’t explain to another person. That’s why we sometimes say that Masonic secrets cannot ( rather than “may not”) be told. Try telling someone exactly what you feel when you see a beautiful sunset, or when you hear music, like the national anthem, which suddenly stirs old memories, and you’ll understand what we mean.

“Secret societies” became very popular in North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There were literally hundreds of them, and most people belonged to two or three. Many of them were modeled on Masonry, and made a great point of having many “secrets.” And Freemasonry got ranked with them. But if Freemasonry is a secret society, it’s the worst-kept secret in town.

It is literally word for word what I said in my AMAA, ONLY OUR MODES OF RECOGNITION. You should be careful pretending to know about something you clearly dont. Every once and a while someone might show up and make you look foolish.

>better off than the degree mill lodges that can't keep members.

California has declined from 82,318 members in 2002 to 52,096 members in 2015. Overall US masonry has fallen to 25% of its 1959 membership numbers. Where are these degree mills supposedly inflating masonry? I only see decade after decade of losses.

>>Only 20% of all masons have the talent and interest to serve in the officers line.

>Citation needed.

The Masons Words, by Robert Davis states that only 5% of membership will eventually become ritualists, but I've seen others quoting papers from The Masonic Renewal Committee of North America and more commonly saying 20%.

>If you're properly vetting your candidates during the prospect and applicant phases

How the hell do you vet for that? Short of requiring a battery of psychological and aptitude tests (which would be an illegal addition to the application form and so illegal under every grand lodge in the US), how can you select men for their ability to do the memory work necessary to be ritualists?

And why? Lodges of only bookworms already exist. They're called Research Lodges. Why would you want to exclude men of other abilities? Cooking good meals, playing the piano, woodworking, and many other skills are also important parts of a lodge. A lodge of only ritualists is still only part of a lodge.

You have multiple misstatements of the Masonic Renewal Committee of North America's recommendations, which is what CA seems to be following this year. If this is your first exposure to the ideas, don't worry, you'll be hearing them again and again.

In particular I can't believe this stupid combination of ideas from Grand Lodge CA:

>considering progressive lines that start only at the Senior Deacon or the Junior Warden's stations;

>maintaining progressive lines that don't advance annually, but instead, every two or more years.

"Hey guys! Remember how much difficulty we had finding men willing to join the officers line from Junior Steward to WM because it was a seven year commitment? Well we've now cut the progressive line to just the Senior Deacon, but now it takes twice as long in every position so it now takes eight years! See what we did there?"

>split its membership into new lodges. That sounds like a complete nightmare.

Well, given how these new UD lodges aren't recruiting any new members but only going around poaching members from existing healthy lodges and spreading membership even thinner, it'd sure be nice to see someone add people back to the community instead of just resorting an ever dwindling number of members into an apparently increasing number of lodges. But yes, the theory is healthy lodges are supposed to divide and spawn new lodges regularly like bee hives based on Dunbar's Number. It does work in England. But England only has 358,214 members compared to the USA's 1,898,130 so based on numbers the US model is the more successful. The counter argument is large urban cities like San Francisco had 10x as many lodges in the past as they do today. The counter-counter argument is smaller lodges tend to be a cult of personality, so after the split the lodge that doesn't get the favored leadership doesn't last long. Its worth investigating chartering new tiny lodges under this model (or "boutique lodges" as some people disparage them) and see how the experiment works, but I wouldn't go telling the existing established lodges they have to change as well.

>The number of prospects we have to entertain is no where near what you recommend.

I count as prospects ever time we answer the phone and respond to an email. You're counting the number of guys you actually entertain at dinner. Different steps in the process. I'm not sure we're actually that far off from each other in desired results.

I'm going to give you 5 steps, but you should read the following book. This will answer a lot of your questions.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B0FSAW4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Also check out the following YouTube channels.

Masonic Roundtable: https://www.youtube.com/user/MasonicRoundtable

What is a Mason: https://www.youtube.com/user/OneFreemason


>1. Find a legit local lodge. Go to the following link, and find a grand lodge in your state or country. The GL will have the locations of all recognized lodges in the area.

Know some lodges could be fake, and this is why this is step 1. By going through the UGLE or their recognized lodges, you pretty much know it's a mainstream lodge. Note there is a slight difference between Prince Hall and Freemason.

http://www.ugle.org.uk/about/foreign-grand-lodges


>2 . Contact your local lodge, and let them know you are thinking about joining them.

NOTE: each lodge may do things slightly differently, and there could be a different atmosphere about them. So before you get a petition, you may want to "shop around". Basically you could ask to visit the lodge, see what events are going on, or whatever. That away you can get a feel of the people.


When you do visit, please feel free to ask them your questions. There is no point in wasting your time if it isn't for you, but by asking questions they will know you aren't wasting their time.

>3 . Get your petition and fill it out. Note there is an initiation fee, and membership does cost. The amount differs depending on the area, but normally it's kinda low.

Note most places will require you to know a mason for a set amount of time (6 months or so). This is again why it's important for you to start asking about events and getting to know some masons.

Note depending on the area will depend if there will be a background check. We just want to make sure you aren't a nut job, or someone going to drag our name in the mud.

>4 . If things go well, you will get an interview. This interview is kinda like a relaxed job interview. It is a chance for you to ask questions, and what not. But you should be very up front about any criminal background.

>5 . You will be OK or rejected. If you are OK then you will be giving a time to show up and what not. You may want to ask what type of clothes to wear. Some lodges dress up in casual business, and others dress up in tuxedos.

Someone may forget to tell you this, so I will tell you this right now. You will be changing into some clothes (nothing revealing or anything). So make sure you wear some clean underwear (the outfit is meant to allow you to jump in and out of it. Depending on the lodge is depending on how exactly it looks. But I ran into a problem where no one told me, and I spent most of the night holding up my pants when I was going through my first degree.)


(I heard of some older members in some places will reject you, and require you to apply 3 times. I think this mentality is going away, but I wanted to note that so you know there might still be a chance if you get rejected.)


__

Things to note. Getting in the door can be a long process. It normally takes 3 months to just bring you in the door after you give them back your petition. But in some cases, it could take longer or shorter.



There is only 3 degrees, and most lodges won't allow you to sit in a regular meeting until you hit the 3rd degree. Each degree builds on the last, and it's meant to be more like a play. You won't be told what happens within it before hand, because each person gets something differently from the degrees.


Depending on the lodge and area, you will most likely need to return a catechism (basically a repeat of what exactly happens). If so, you should be given a coach to help you learn it. For the most part, everyone cares more if you know the meaning behind what you're saying. If possible, try to meet daily to semi daily. This massively speeds up the process.

Your first is most likely going to be the hardest simply because it's new. Expect it to take anywhere from a month to several months (2 or 3). I've personally seen it where some have taken over 6 months for a single degree.


If you are below a 3rd degree, it's highly recommended that you bring someone from your home lodge with you if you visit another (I recommend doing that in general to see how things are done. I also recommend you to pick yourself up a mason passport (it isn't a real passport. It's just something that keeps track of what lodges you been to and when.))

Lastly, note a first degree can only sit in a first degree meeting, 2 can sit in 1 and 2, 3rd can sit in all of them. Even if you have to visit another lodge to do this, you may want to watch someone else going through the degrees to see what you been through. If you have to return a catechism, then this should help you out a bit.

The bit about having your partner's support says a bit more about the last question you had. The lodge wants to make sure that you joining isn't going to cause undue strain on your family. That includes the financial aspect of paying dues as well as being out of the house an evening or two a month (or much more if you choose to be more involved).

If you were joining without concerning your SO's opinion, I'd vote against you. We're interested in making good men better and a man who chooses not to care about the thoughts and feelings of those most close to him isn't ready for Masonry.

Don't let Freemasonry cause problems in your personal or professional life. I've told my lodge brothers that I can't take a chair in the lodge because I end up working after-hours too often and I'm at the point in my career where going the extra mile makes a big difference. I've also told them that I just want to spend some quality time with my fiance. Every single time, my brothers are very understanding.

Truth be told, little to nothing that we keep secret has remained a secret. There have been books published "exposing the masons" for about as long as we've been around. Should you choose to join, you'll better understand the 'secrecy' aspect of our order, but it's not like we've got the lotto numbers or Hoffa's body or something lol. Having said that, I'd encourage strongly that you don't seek out those 'secret teachings' if you do intend to join at some point in your life. The history of initiatic tradition deals so heavily with the aspect of shared experience that trying to get a head-start is nothing but detrimental.

I hope we haven't scared you away too much haha. If you want to take more time to dwell on it, Freemasons for Dummies by /u/chodapp is a fantastic book that answers the most common questions people have about us from the outside. Again, if you think you'll join someday, take the author's advice and skip sections as advised.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions or if we can help!

I would like to suggest Kirk White's Operative Freemasonry. The book is "a manual on the art and practice of Freemasonry. By providing detailed information and advice often overlooked or forgotten on how Freemasonry 'works,' this book explores how the fraternity can actually 'make good men better' and keep them active in our lodges and chapters." (http://www.amazon.com/Operative-Freemasonry-Restoring-Vitality-Fraternity/dp/0615617158#)

Kirk is currently a District Deputy Grand Master in the Grand Lodge of Vermont, Past Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Vermont, has served as Illustrious Grand Lecturer for the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Vermont.

Full disclosure, he is a friend of mine. But I would suggest his book (and in person lectures) even without knowing him. He is incredibly well read and knows a great deal about the ritual and history of our fraternity.

I think you make a good point. I think writers like Chris Hodapp and S. Brent Morris have really opened up to the public what Freemasonry is, through their books Freemasons for Dummies and the Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry respectively.

There is a strong push to explain what Masonry is to the public but Freemasons find it difficult to explain our society. Freemasonry, as a topic, can be somewhat metaphysical. Even I find it hard to pin down what it is. I know I enjoy the meetings, I enjoy being a Freemason but at some abstract level, I can't be for sure why. So, for the most part, Freemasonry throws on autopilot and mentions the Shrine Hospitals, the scholarships we give to graduating seniors, our Masonic Homes, and other charities.

At the end of the day, most Freemasons I know feel that their membership is beneficial because of the focus on teaching, and learning, and being a better man through symbolism and mutual aid from your other brothers. Even this is not satisfactory as an answer to your question on openness but I think, by closing out the world without for just a couple hours and sitting in a room of men from different socioeconomic backgrounds, that have different political affiliations, and who define God in a different way, we find that our differences, although real, shouldn't keep us at a perpetual distance from others in our communities, especially when there are many things on which we can agree to work.

I hope that helps.

Ok, I'm on a trow-away/bug-me-not account too, and after reading this whole thead (and even commenting as I read it) I'm going vote this to be a TROLL. I too am a Past Master (in Indiana), and he is leaving out a lot of the ritual that is not posted all over the internet.



Then I visited the link that he keeps peddling (emfj.org), and he has never mentioned the wording of the Bible lecture. Also, he has not mentioned something that is mentioned in ritual too: "By the exercise of Brotherly Love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich the poor; who, as created by one Almighty Parent and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other. On this principle Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance."



For more details you can check out Chris Hodapp's book Freemasonry for Dummies. He is a Past Master from Broad Ripple Lodge in Indiana.



Here is what I read prior to joining Declarations of Priciples -- Indiana.



I'm going back to the ritual. I've got to brush up a bit for the MM degree on Wednesday (that us PMs have to put on). Hope to see the other Reddit Brothers there!



Anyway, I wish all of you the best, and I apologize to the everyone for the username that bug-me-not has blessed me with today. For a long time I kept getting "ReverseRacism".

EDIT

/u/k0np as promised

History

[Compasses and the Cross](Compasses and the Cross https://www.amazon.com/dp/0853182981/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zD2XBbRYDSW6A)

For the money this is the best introductory text on the actual and legendary history of Masonic Templary from it's origins France through its manifestations in the chivalric degrees of the 18th century, the Strict Observance, the Rectified Rite, Royal Order of Scotland, St. James Place, and the various iterations in America before and including the GEKT.

Freemasonry and Templarism

Pierre Moillere's essay is a near perfect exploration of the Masonic Templary and a wonderful companion to Dafoe's book above.

Ritual

Grand Encampment Rituals
Good or bad, master one's on work - then move on to advanced topics.

Reprints of the Old Rituals

Includes the oldest forms of Webb Work and the Higgins KT Rituals as well as old French Workings.

Chivalry

What is Manly Honor

Brother Brett McKay's 7 part treatise on honor in the America.

Hermeticism v. Illuminism

There is nothing wrong with Hermeticism. I invite you to consider that KT better aligns with illuminism, vis-a-vis warrior monks, versus warrior magicians.

To put it crudely - D&D - KT are paladins (dual classed fighter-clerics) not war mages (dual classes fighter-wizards).

The spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola

The historical and spiritual foundation of the the modern tradition of Christian Illuminism.

[Meditations on the Tarot](Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism https://www.amazon.com/dp/1585421618/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8c3XBbQWQ3NC3)

If I had to pick between this book and the Bible, I'd pick this book.

Activities

Historical European Martial Arts. Someone near by, even the SCA, most have some demos or classes

Heraldry. Our MW Brother, the Lord Lyon, has a wonderful presentation on the topic. Talk to /u/cookslc

Christian Mysticism. Odd as it may sound, there are ecumenical Orders of Monasticism who may be willing to talk about incorporating spiritual exercises in the life of laymen.

Every time one of these pictures is posted I have to recommend the book Aku Aku by Thor Heyerdahl. It's an amazing and true story/history of the people and culture on Easter Island, how they likely got there originally and how they made these fantastic statues. Ties in with his book Kon Tiki about how Pacific Islanders likely migrated. Good stuff, and an easy, great read for the curious.

Best place for you to look at would be the Lodge he was a member of. They'd likely be able to tell you a TON of information about him and there may be people there that were friends with him that could tell you tons of stories.

32nd degree means he was a member of the Scottish Rite and attained that degree within that body. Scottish Rite is an appendant body, you have to be a 3rd Degree Master Mason to join it. 3rd Degree is the highest degree, all the other degrees just "branch out" so to speak. I'd recommend hitting up a local Barnes & Noble or book store and check out this book Freemasonry for Dummies written by Bro Chris Hodapp, or if you want you can buy it. It's got a lot of great info, more than we could probably address here.

Also just read this while at work, and then proceeded to browse his website. I think he has a good insight into certain areas where the craft has lessons and his writing style may appeal to a generation that needs literature to be presented in a different fashion.

My brother and I started a book club at our Lodge (there were 3 of us including ourselves for a first meeting) to encourage some change. We just read Old Tyler Talks, and are working on Operative Freemasonry: A Manual for Restoring Light and Vitality to the Fraternity. I may have to suggest some of these articles as a way for some younger (I'm 29 and feel old) guys that are coming in to make them feel comfortable.

Thanks for the find!

My most recent reads were:

• Operative Freemasonry: A Manual for Restoring Light and Vitality to the Fraternity by Kirk C. White
  
  
• The Craft and Its Symbols by Allen E. Roberts
  
  I enjoyed both. (I liked Operative Freemasonry so much that I bought two copies to gift to some fellow officers for next year.)

I'm not sure about essential to every occult library (and I realize some of these aren't necessarily considered primarily 'occult' texts), but here are a few I've found useful:

• The Golden Dawn - Israel Regardie
  
• Morals and Dogma - Alfred Pike
  
• Modern Magick - Donald Michael Kraig
  
• The Secret Teachings of All Ages - Manly P. Hall
  
• Initiation into Hermetics - Franz Bardon
  
• Sefer Yetzirah - Aryeh Kaplan
  
• The Secret Doctrine - Madame Blavatsky
  
• Liber Null & Psychonaut - Peter J. Carroll
  
• The Book of Thoth - Aleister Crowley
  
• Undoing Yourself with Energized Meditation and Other Devices - Christopher S. Hyatt
  
• Prometheus Rising - Robert Anton Wilson
  
• Enochian Vision Magick - Lon Milo DuQuette
  
• The Chicken Qabalah - Lon Milo DuQuette
  
• Brain Magick - Philip Farber
  
• Info-Psychology - Timothy Leary
  
• Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson - George Gurdjieff
  
• Initiation, Human and Solar - Alice Bailey
  
• The Red Book - Carl Jung
  
• Principia Discordia - Malaclypse the Younger

It really depends on what aspects interest you the most. Arturo de Hoyos has a good suggested reading list here or you might consider taking the Master Craftsman 3 course. It utilizes Albert Pike's Esoterika which was personally one of the most eye opening books on Craft Masonry I have read.

ETA: Hodapp's Freemasons For Dummies is a good read for new Brothers as well.

This is a great source for quick little bits of masonic trivia

https://www.amazon.com/Masonic-Trivia-Amusements-Curiosities-Champion/dp/146636629X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536941529&sr=8-1&keywords=masonic+trivia

great for meetings when guys are getting restless

The Mason's Words: The History and Evolution of the American Masonic Ritual by Robert G. Davis is an excellent history. I really recommend not reading until after you're a Master Mason. A major part of the Degree experience is not knowing exactly what's going to happen next.

Thanks, I should have been more specific on the General Ahiman Rezon. There is actually a book called "General Ahiman Rezon And Freemason's Guide: Containing Monitorial Instructions In The Degrees Of Entered Apprentice, Fellow-Craft And Master Mason" "http://www.amazon.com/General-Ahiman-Rezon-Freemasons-Guide/dp/1484070151/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394037897&sr=8-2&keywords=General+Ahiman+Rezon"

It was written in the 1890's. The actual, or original Ahiman Rezon was written in the 1750's, to which your link accurately directs to.

I am trying to find out if the Civil War General Sickles, who seemed to be pretty loopy in the eyes of history, is the same guy who wrote the book in the 1890's, which is a fairly decent and educational book.

Thanks for replying though.

The Mason's Words: The History and Evolution of the American Masonic Ritual is a good look at how things have evolved in the United States.

I really enjoyed that one, as well as A Pilgrim's Path

I highly suggest you read this book as it is quite enjoyable. That said, it is not really, as mentioned below, accurate.

I recommend you follow up reading Born in Blood with reading Compasses and the Cross.

http://www.amazon.com/Compasses-Cross-Stephen-Dafoe/dp/0853182981

Cheapest #25 i could find was out of Canada for 126.00.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0880532599/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_iOHdBbD9FE5VS

Amazon has one used for 1250.00.
King Solomon and His Followers: Lone Star : A Valuable Aid to the Memory (No. 25) by G A GAVITT (1984-12-03) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FKRCPV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DMHdBbDT2QV26

Unicorns exist.... 😂

https://www.amazon.com/Freemasons-Dummies-Christopher-Hodapp/dp/1118412087 is the best book about Freemasonry that I've ever read.

Freemasonry for Dummies was a huge help for me. Just skip the chapter on the degrees.

https://www.amazon.com/Freemasons-Dummies-Christopher-Hodapp/dp/1118412087

Yeah don't read about the actual degree work until you go through it. A great book to read after you are raised is "the meaning of masonry". By wilmhurst. http://www.amazon.com/The-Meaning-Of-Masonry-Wilmshurst/dp/1595479120

What he says in that book about the first degree has stuck with me for years, and I didn't make the connection having gone through the degree until I read it.

The Southern California Research Lodge gives them out for free to any of their members that notifies them of a newly petitioned Entered Apprentice.

> Our prime project is in the field of candidate education or awareness. When a member of the Research Lodge notes an Entered Apprentice degree to be conferred in his Lodge, he notifies us, giving the name, address and date of degree. We then mail the member a free copy of Allen Roberts' The Craft and Its Symbols for presentation to the candidate when he receives his First Degree. Reading the book will no doubt smooth his way through the balance of his degrees. Due to the nature of the program, candidates in One Day Classes are not eligible. The candidate's address is their passkey to the second half of our program, in which we put the newly initiated Brother on our mailing list for three months, giving him a brief education and information on our Craft. One Day Class members are eligible for the mailings. Due to time and postage, foreign members are not eligible for the program.

Membership in the SCRL is $20.

Edit: Also, Amazon, but it looks like the "new" versions are way more than what I've been able to find elsewhere on the Internet. If you don't trust the Amazon affiliates program, Macoy's has them, also.

Our Lodge gives a copy of this book to every newly raised Master at the same time he's presented his Bible and apron.

agreed...

part of what's interesting about it is, though, is that's it's been around for a few centuries... and from my own experience - not without reason.

BTW - if you (unlikely) can't find a Masonic Temple near you, check out Freemasons for DUMMIES at your local library

(always been a fan of all the FOR DUMMIES series, BTW, regardless of the topic)

Sounds like Freemasonry and Its Ancient Mystic Rites. I picked that up at a discount store many years ago. It seemed rather... out there to me at the time, so I never finished it. I should go back and give it a second chance.

These definitely have satanic undertones, or more aptly, Luciferian. Hence the eyes. Notice how that one phone case has a Pharoah on it? Egyptian lore is very important for both Masonic and theistic satanism. Just ask the Temple of Set

I totally understand wearing stuff like that, I've worn stuff that had imagery I didn't fully understand the depths of at the time. When I did understand it, I retired those clothes. thats just me though. It just seems a bit sad to me people wear this stuff everywhere lately, and have no idea what it means. I wouldn't want to advertise this stuff.

look at those who push such trends like the aforementioned Jay Z

If you'd like to know more about this stuff, here's a PDF of "Morals and Dogma by 33rd degree mason and klan leader Albert Pike. Notice the top quote:

Lucifer the light bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darknesss! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual or selfish Souls ? Doubt it not!

I wouldn't recommend that book. If you'd like a factual, well-researched look at the masonic significance of the District, I'd recommend Solomon's Builders by Chris Hodapp (who also wrote Freemasons for Dummies). I can't comment on the DVD, since the link was broken.

I seem to recall you being in the US somewhere. If so: https://www.amazon.com/Masons-Words-History-Evolution-American/dp/061585382X/

It's not that long of a read, and it can pretty easily be broken down.

I would take a look at Claudy's Entered Apprentice Manual after you're initiated and as you work on your proficiency. It gives a bit of a historical perspective on what you went through along with a bit of review of what's taught in the lectures.

I'd also recommend reading /u/chodapp 's book at your leisure along with the Idiot's Guide.

Buy this book share it with your bros
https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Its-Symbols-Allen-Roberts/dp/0880530588

Cleopatra's Needle had 9,000 Freemasons parading the streets of new york when it arrived.

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

https://www.amazon.com/Freemasons-Dummies-Christopher-Hodapp/dp/1118412087/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3VU815UWFMKD4&keywords=freemason&qid=1555553244&s=gateway&sprefix=freemas%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-4

Just started it myself.

Freemasons for Dummies

The author is also a regular here in this subreddit.

Any one of these books should ameliorate your fears.

Failing that, he really can tell you everything you want to know about what he's been through/doing apart from the secrets, which are just a couple of words and salutes.