2019 Reprint of 1921 Edition. Two Volumes bound into One. Profusely Illustrated. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. Secret societies like the Masons 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. Complete with all the original illustrations, this two-volume work is an essential reference for anyone enthralled by secret societies and the arcane. Waite provides a complete view of the history, literature and myths surrounding Freemasonry, along with explanations of the society's secret rituals and symbolism. Waite also treats the subjects of alchemy, astrology, Kabbalism, ceremonial magic, animal magnetism and more. Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942), commonly known as A. E. Waite, was an American-born British poet and scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. As his biographer R. A. Gilbert described him, "Waite's name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of western occultism--viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than as aspects of proto-science or as the pathology of religion."