Bio:
Billy Hamilton is an author and Masonic researcher based in the United States. He is a Past Master of both the Texas Lodge of Research and Fort Worth Lodge No. 148. As one of the organizers of Texas MasoniCon, an annual Masonic educational conference in Fort Worth, Texas, and a co-host of the Fort Worth Masonic Podcast, Billy has worked to bring Masonic education to members of the fraternity and generate awareness accessible to Masons and non-Masons alike. From 2020 to 2022, he served as the General Manager of the Grand Lodge of Texas Library & Museum in Waco, where he helped preserve and share Masonic history.
Bro. Hamilton has been published in the Journal of the Masonic Society, Knight Templar Magazine, Fraternal Review, Transactions of Texas Lodge of Research, Ad Lucem, and Heredom. His first book, “Ancient Mysteries and Modern Masonry,” was published in 2023 and is a collection of previously unpublished essays and private papers written by Jewel P. Lightfoot, Attorney General of Texas (1910–1912) and Grand Master of Texas in 1915. His second book, “A Stranger in the Elemental Temple: The Rituals of the Ancient Oriental Order of Ishmael,” was published in 2025 and contains all 36 degrees of this enigmatic lost order, which included such luminaries as Kenneth Mackenzie, Francis George Irwin, John Yarker, and William Wynn Westcott.
Billy has delivered presentations across the United States, covering various Masonic history and education topics. Notable among these was his presentation on Eliphas Levi before the SRICF High Council in 2023, Masonic Week in Washington, D.C., where he was the featured speaker at the 2024 Masonic Society dinner, keynote speaker for the 2025 Philalethes Society dinner, and the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s Academy of Masonic Knowledge in 2025.
Prepared Topics
The Ancient Oriental Order of Ishmael – 60 Minutes
About the discovery of the rituals, the members, and excerpts from the degrees.
Jewel P. Lightfoot – 30 Minutes
The life and Masonic career of Past Grand Master and former Texas Attorney General Lightfoot.
The Astrological Master’s Degree – 30 Minutes
A lost ritual which contains a retelling of the Master Mason’s degree from an astrological perspective.
Eliphas Levi: Cleric, Socialist, and Magus – 45 Minutes
An in-depth exploration of the life and personal connections of a man who has influenced Rosicrucians and western esoteric practitioners the world over.
The Kabbalistic Invocation of Solomon – 45 Minutes
We examine possible sources for the symbolism and meanings of the prayer Eliphas Levi considered the cornerstone of his magical practice.
The Victorian Innovators – 45 Minutes
A look at the correspondence circle responsible for many of the fringe Masonic orders of Victorian England, and whose members included Kenneth Mackenzie, Francis George Irwin, John Yarker, William Wynn Westcott, Frederick Hockley, Benjamin Cox, and others.
Williams, Allen, and the Galveston Charter War – 45 Minutes
The story of the conflict between Samuel May Williams and John Melville Allen, which ended in a standoff involving a man with a canon and an armed posse. Williams was the third Grand Master of Masons in Texas, Stephen F. Austin’s personal secretary, and the father of the Texas Navy. Allen was a hero of both the Greek and Texas wars of independence, as well as the first mayor of Galveston and a U.S. Marshall.
Travel: I have presented around the United States and England. I am willing to travel just about anywhere if flights and hotel are covered, and will be as reasonable as possible with expenses.
Additionally, Billy is open to appearing on podcasts and at Masonic conferences. As a conference organizer, he knows how budgets can be a concern, and he is open to working with you to meet any budget requirements for your group. Please feel free to email him about any events.
Websites:
www.mercurycrafts.com
https://www.lewismasonic.co.uk/billy-hamilton
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Mysteries-Modern-Masonry-Collected/dp/1637237227