CHAPTER 1 Seeking a definition 13 What is Freemasonry? 15 CHAPTER 2 The Origins 27 Where did Freemasonry come from? 29 The Operatives 30 The Ancient Charges 32 The transition from Operative Freemasonry to Speculative Freemasonry 36 The United Grand Lodge of England 40 CHAPTER 3 French Freemasonry 47 Some early Fringe orders 49 French or continental Freemasonry 53 Philosophical and literary influences 57 Mystical and Chivalric influences 64 The French Revolution 66 CHAPTER 4 The birth of Liberal Freemasonry 73 The Grand Orient of France 75 The Grand Lodge of France 88 Le Droit Humain 89 Le Droit Humain in Great Britain 93 CHAPTER 5 The uses of Freemasonry 101 Political Freemasonry 103 Esoteric Freemasonry 107 Philosophical Freemasonry 110 CHAPTER 6 Universalism 113 The Appeal of Strasburg 115 CHAPTER 7 Conclusion 125 APPENDIX I RITUALS 135 A note on Ritual 137 The Emulation Ritual 139 The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite 142 The French Rite 146 Lauderdale Ritual 147 APPENDIX II INTERVIEWS 151 Javier Otaola, former President of CLIPSAS 153 Julian Rees: Between Masonic Worlds 162 Philippe Bo