"Secret societies have fascinated those on the outside since the beginning of time, and here, in this extraordinary 1921 work, the mysteries and riddles of one of the most famous¿the Freemasons¿are exhaustively detailed by a preeminent 19th-century expert in esoterica. Complete with all the original illustrations, this two-volume work is an essential reference for anyone enthralled by the secret and the arcane, and will particularly captivate students of our modern conspiracy-theory culture. Volume II covers everything Masonic from L¿¿Lamartine¿ a French Mason of the revolutionary era¿to Z¿¿Zohar¿ a legendary text containing the secret tradition in Israel¿and includes intriguing entries on: ¿ Masonic symbols ¿ political aspects of Freemasonry ¿ psychical research ¿ quests in Masonry ¿ the rose in Masonic symbolism ¿ Scottish Rites ¿ Sublime Masters of the Luminous Ring ¿ Templar priests ¿ and much more American-born British author ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE (1857¿1942) was cocreator of the famous 1910 Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Among his numerous books are Devil Worship in France, The Holy Kabbalah, and The Book of Ceremonial Magic."