"This remarkable exploration of intriguing people and events in Freemasonry sheds new light on how this brotherhood's practices, symbols and rituals took shape. An extraordinary wealth of documents is found in this pursuit, including parchment manuscripts dating to the 1300s. The roots of Freemasonry are traced to the building of Solomon's Temple, the rise of Christianity, and the Crusades in Europe. Masonry's controversial relationship with the Knights Templar and Vatican also takes on new and significant meaning. The emergence of this secretive society in Britain had a strong influence on George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other Masons who helped create a new country in America. All those struggles are seen through the experiences of people who lived through these events--often told in their own words and drawn from remarkable collections of records dating from those times. They reveal Freemasonry to be well-grounded in recognizable events, and show how its members influenced the world around them. Those influences are still felt in our lives today. Forty-five illustrations help bring to life this memorable journey of discovery."--Publisher description.

This exploration of the remarkable people and influential activities of the Knights Templar and Freemasonry is truly stunning. It sheds considerable new light on how the practices, symbols and rituals of these two brotherhoods took shape and affected the world around them. "Born in Blood" began this work before its author passed away in 1996. Now historian Sanford Holst has gathered many more discoveries and internal documents that give a deeper look into the workings of the Templars and Freemasons. The roots of Masonry are traced to Solomon's Temple, the rise of Christianity, and the Crusades, causing this society's relationships with stonemasons and the Templars to take on new and significant meaning. We come to see how actions by Templars and Masons affected the fall of kings in Europe, the rise of democracy, and the Vatican's loss of its supreme position atop the Christian world. After Masonry emerged into public view in 1717, it had a strong influence on George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other Masons who worked to create a new country in America. These experiences are seen through the eyes of people who lived through the actual events -- often told in their own words and drawn from remarkable collections of records dating from those times. A tantalizing question is asked: what practices among the Templars and Masons still affect our lives today? This well-documented look inside the secretive Templar and Masonic societies provides answers that may surprise you.

Its mysterious symbols and rituals had been used in secret for centuries before Freemasonry revealed itself in 1717. But where had this powerful organization come from and why had Freemasonry been attacked by the Roman Catholic Church? Robinson answers those questions and more.

The Sworn and Secret Grimoire is a 'Guide to Grimoiring', including explanations of the planetary hours and days, the Olympic spirits, the sixfold process of evocation, and more. Welcome to the Night School.

It's a masterpiece...if you're interested in American Masonry and its impact on our country, this book is for you.—Brent Morris, The Scottish Rite Journal

A stunning domestic thriller in the vein of Kimberly McCreight’s Reconstructing Amelia When Lizzie Thorne’s charismatic older sister Anna is killed in a tragic fall from the roof of her school, everyone is devastated. A year later, grief still has its icy grip on the Thorne family. Mrs. Thorne has retreated from her life and is desperate to find someone to blame for her daughter’s death. Mr. Thorne is doing his best to care for his family but the pressure of holding his marriage together is pushing him to breaking point. Lizzie just wants to leave her sister’s ghost in the past and find happiness again. But then a shattering revelation begins to raise questions about what really happened the night Anna died. Lizzie finds herself speeding headfirst into a passionate but forbidden love affair, while at the same time trying to grapple with her dead sister’s emerging secrets.

Templars being burned at the stake inspired Dante to write his Inferno in the 1300s, and led to Dan Brown's new novel. Other recent discoveries reveal a deeper and richer story of the Templars, as told here through the lives of extraordinary people who lived during those times. The intriguing mysteries of the Templars are explored and some are resolved, including the source of Templar wealth and power overseen by green-robed clerics. The possible links to other groups such as Hospitallers and Masons are also explored. Attacked by kings and the Vatican in 1307, many of the surviving Templars refused to surrender and chose to live in secrecy. This act of disobedience began rebellious activities that hurried the fall of kings and the splitting of the Catholic Church. Recovered manuscripts and records now bring these people to life-their difficult choices, relationships, defeats and triumphs. These are real people, real events, and fascinating adventures among knights and ladies, combats and courts, younger sons and noble families.