Today is the first anniversary of my initiation into Freemasonry, and I was exalted into the Holy Royal Arch of Jerusalem just a week ago sufficed to say, it’s been a wild ride. I’ve decided to mark this occasion by presenting my first Masonic Paper in my Mother Lodge.

What I propose to do in this talk is to describe a few observations I have made when looking at the meaning of the first degree which may hopefully inspire some of you to take your first step in Freemasonry.

A paper exploring Nicholas Hawksmoor's connection to Freemasonry and examining the symbolism of one of his churches - St George's Church Bloomsbury - through an esoteric lens.

This talk was presented by myself at Tetragon lodge 6302, UGLE on the 13th of June 2009. It is an exploration of the dynamics of Masonic obligation and a personal opinion on the way we should view our duty as Freemasons and the intent of our initiatory tradition.

Today's review will be taking a look at a book specifically aimed at Freemasons, or at least those researchers who are so enveloped within Masonic study that the only thing that separates them from brethren is that they have not been initiated. There are many texts out there that are of equal interest to both Masons and non-Masons alike, but this falls into the category of works that are really for those already well versed in the system of Freemasonry and how it operates.

[Editor's Note: This article is an excellent answer to the age-old question 'What is Freemasonry?' and was provided by one of our forum members as part of a discussion about how one should approach the different aspects of Freemasonry. It was originally given as an Installation address after the author was installed as WM of his Lodge in 2006.]