The idea of the FMH book club pretty much fell flat on it's face owing to a few problems. Some members felt their budget would not support the purchase of the books. And the first book we chose, The Builders, turned out to not hold the readers. At all! That was my fault.
But I would like to know if anyone would like to try a book discussion again. I am thinking of a book that would serve to give many new and old Masons alike a solid foundation of the various Western Mystery Traditions. Many of which have had a profound impact on our Masonic Order.
I am speaking of The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall.
"In 1928, a 20-something Renaissance man named Manly Hall self-published a vast encyclopedia of the occult, believing that "modern" ideas of progress and materialism were displacing more important and ancient modes of knowledge. Hall's text has become a classic reference, dizzying in its breadth: various chapters explore Rosicrucianism, Kabbalah, alchemy, cryptology, Tarot, pyramids, the Zodiac, Pythagorean philosophy, Masonry and gemology, among other topics."
This book is a great read for no other reason than that it will introduce a serious student of the mystery traditions to many of the facets of this topic. My copy is very dogeared, highlighted, and footnoted by myself!
For those who won't spend the $17 dollars for the paperback edition (you know who you are) you are in luck. Since the copyright was never formally renewed in the US it can be legally reproduced and is available online in many formats.
I recommend sacred-texts.com
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/ They have it organized by chapter with links. It is missing some of the graphics as the copyrights for those were renewed.
Often when a discussion on a subject delves into the influence of or by other mystery traditions you can hear the crickets in the room. Now is your time to shine in a discussions and see what you've been missing.