It's nothing new to see a well placed publicity stunt coincide with the release of a new book or film, and this latest piece of Masonic news seems to be no different. The Irvine Herald has revealed that an archaeological dig is being organised at Kilwinning Abbey to search for the 'Holy Grail'.

14 Freemasons who were attending a meeting of Lodge of Lautoka on the island of Denerau, Fiji, were arrested on suspicion of practicing sorcery on Tuesday. The group of brethren, which included a number of New Zealand and Australian nationals, were interrupted during their regular lodge meeting and taken away in police vans to spend a night in a local jail.

Freemasonry holds its itself as a universal brotherhood of tolerance and enlightened ideology. Unfortunately, there are times when we must question the actions of brethren whom we feel are not living up to these high ideals. The recent allegations of racial bigotry under the hands of the Grand Lodge of Georgia is one such example of when we must come together to show that although Freemasonry does not have a central authority, we can collectively fight against such transgressions of morality and ethics.

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.

Adding a new type of article to 21st Century Freemason, this is our first of hopefully many reviews and will be looking at Christopher McIntosh's book The Rosicrucians: The History, Mythology, and Rituals of an Esoteric Order. There are many obvious connections between Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry that are worth exploring, and by doing so we can learn more about our fraternity as well as our inner nature.