Fraternal movements like Freemasonry have impacted society for hundreds of years. Yet, over time research into their undoubted influence has been handicapped by their codes of secrecy, arcane rituals, and the paucity of continuing tertiary research projects. As a step towards "more light" Westphalia Press has produced a number of scarce titles that will be helpful in understanding the "secret empire" of lodges, initiations, and (candidly) the deliberately inscrutable.
Although the Order of the Eastern Star at one time claimed ties to orders in the seventeenth and eighteenth century Swedish royal court, the consensus is that it was largely created as a companion secret society to Freemasonry in thenineteenth century. Both men who are Masons and women with a family connection to Masons are members, and chapters are found as far afield as Scotland and Australia.