A surprisingly large number of English poets have either belonged to a secret society, or been strongly influenced by its tenets. One of the best known examples is Christopher Smart's membership of the Freemasons, and the resulting influence of Masonic doctrines on A Song to David. However, many other poets have belonged to, or been influenced by not only the Freemasons, but the Rosicrucians, Gormogons and Hell-Fire Clubs. First published in 1986, this study concentrates on five major examples: Smart, Burns, William Blake, William Butler Yeats and Rudyard Kipling, as well as a number of other poets. Marie Roberts questions why so many poets have been powerfully attracted to the secret societies, and considers the effectiveness of poetry as a medium for conveying secret emblems and ritual. She shows how some poets believed that poetry would prove a hidden symbolic language in which to reveal great truths. The beliefs of these poets are as diverse as their practice, and this book sheds fascinating light on several major writers.

From Mythos to Logos: Andrea Palladio, Freemasonry and the Triumph of Minerva explores how myth was used to encode architecture and frescoed interiors with insights that promote peace, freedom and kindness as ways of being in the world. The author, Michael Trevor Coughlin argues that Freemasonry took root in the Italian city of Vicenza as early as 1546, and that its precepts, conveyed through the intersection of myth and philosophy, were disseminated widely in buildings and images, as well as texts, prescribing tolerance and an understanding of the divine that exists in each and everyone.

It is difficult for some to imagine that a group of men meeting behind closed doors could be encouraging each other to live lives of greater religious, family, and civic service. Yet, this is what Freemasons have been doing since 1717, when the premier grand lodge was formed in London. Recent critics have fabricated lies to defame the fraternity. This book is the Mason's response to misinformation that exists.

Although several useful sources provide descriptive material on certain kinds of American Indian associations, until now none has offered a comprehensive survey of both extinct and current groups. This latest addition to Greenwood Press' Ethnic American Voluntary Organizations series addresses this void. The entry for each organization, presented alphabetically in the main body of the text, generally provides the reader with at least a brief history of the organization, noting, where possible, individuals involved in its creation. An effort has been made to tie the organization's development to major events in the history of Indian-white relations or in the Indian community itself. Where possible, references are made to other associations. Each entry concludes with a section of bibliographical material designed to assist the reader in undertaking a more in-depth investigation of the organization. Primary source material is listed where known to be available. The appendices classify the organizations under several general catagories and provide a chronological time chart that includes events that were either influenced by the creation of the organizations or were primary factors in their development.

Starting from what was, at its time, the most important vision of the Virgin Mary ever to take place in Western Europe, The Virgin and the Pentacle gradually uncovers a virtually unknown war that has been taking place across 1,700 years. This is the story of the battle between the orthodox Catholic Church and Freemasonry, itself the most modern manifestation of a much older religious conflict between patriarchal and matriarchal views of the godhead. Erupting occasionally in violence it is strikingly seen in the opposing visions of the Virgin Mary in the 19th century, which defined the conflicting theological parameters and led to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in the 1850s. Underpinning Freemasonic practice is a fraternity that has been active in Europe and beyond since the 4th century. At the heart of the Craft is a very specific social, economic and religious imperative, known only to the highest aspirants. The Virgin and the Pentacle cuts through the accusations that have been showered upon Freemasonry and shows what it's true objectives have been from the start. Reading like a whodunit, it is a story of dirty tricks that have included false visions, subterfuge and even murder. The conclusions are stunning and far reaching.

When Richard Ryder coined the term 'speciesism' over two decades ago, the issue of animal rights was very much a minority concern that had associations with crankiness. Today, the animal rights movement is well-established across the globe and continues to gain momentum, with animal experimentation for medical research high on the agenda and very much in the news. This pioneering book - an historical survey of the relationship between humans and non-humans - paved the way for these developments. Revised, updated to include the movement's recent history and available in paperback for the first time, and now introducing Ryder's concept of 'painism', Animal Revolution is essential reading for anyone who cares about animals or humanity. Dr Richard D. Ryder is a psychologist, ethicist, historian and political campaigner. He is also a past chairman of the RSPCA. His other books include Victims of Science: The Use of Animals in Research, The Political Animal: The Conquest of Speciesism and Animal Welfare and the Environment (editor). As Mellon Professor, he taught Animal Welfare at Tulane University.