A Brief History of the Illuminati
Origin of the Illuminati
When the word Illuminati is mentioned, there are several things that immediately come to mind; Bilderberg, New World Order, the Cabal, celebrities and politicians to name a few. But, whether or not the Illuminati is a covert organization of reptilians with an esoteric agenda for global domination via subliminal enslavement, or a secret club of elites who throw strange occult parties, it does have a traceable origin similar in nature to the Freemasons.
The Illuminati date back to the mid-1700s, founded by a Bavarian professor at the University of Ingoldstadt named Adam Weishaupt. Weishuapt was a law professor, followed by an even higher honor of Professor of Natural and Canon Law. Unfortunately, he butted heads with the Jesuit priests of the University. Weishaupt’s world-views were more cosmopolitan and liberal than the bucolic, dogmatic views of the priesthood. In response, he created the Illuminati, a secret society eponymously promoting enlightenment as well as moral progress.
The priesthood, waging significant political power in those days, revoked his academic credentials and had him banished from the country. He moved on to Germany where he was better received and free to form the foundation of the Illuminati and its philosophy.
The mission statement of Weishaupt’s Illuminati was, “by the mutual assistance of its members, to attain the highest possible degree of morality and virtue, and to lay the foundation for the reformation of the world by the association of good men to oppose the progress of moral evil.”
While his ambitions were ostensibly noble, Weishaupt intended to change the way European nations were run, by subversive means. Acceptance requirements to become a member of the Illuminati consisted primarily of wealth, societal influence and political pull. Members of the society consisted of bankers, politicians, doctors and those of general upper-class importance. Thus, planting the seeds for the modern conception or iteration of the Illuminati. One of the original member’s name that is still highly recognized and associated today with the Illuminati was Mayer Amschel Rothschild.
The Founding Father
The Illuminati was founded by Weishuapt in the year 1776, an obviously significant year in American history. It is pretty commonly known that many of the founding fathers were members of the freemasons.
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock were notable masons, and the influence of their membership can be seen in the philosophies they imbued in the Constitution as well as symbolism in our currency.
The basic explanation is that they were simply freemasons who kept their philosophies secret because it clashed with church doctrine, but some believe it to be deeper and linked to the Illuminati. The use of the symbolism of the all-seeing eye above a pyramid on the dollar bill is said to have come from Weishaupt. The Latin words encircling the pyramid translate to “it has favored our undertakings, new order of the ages” or some take it to mean “the Announcement of a New World Order.”
Conspiracy Theories
The Illuminati has become a household term now with its popularization in media and pop culture. Conspiracies range as to the extent of the power of the Illuminati, but most maintain that the group is made up of high-brow politicians, bankers, business moguls and celebrities. On the extreme end of the spectrum, these members are thought to be an alien reptilian species controlling humanity.
The most notorious of the clandestine groups associated with the Illuminati is the Bilderberg Group. The Bilderbergers hold an annual meeting, which is no secret and is ostensibly held to discuss issues pertaining to European and North American relations.
The Bilderberg website states that the meeting is an amalgam of leaders and experts from politics, media and business who are invited to discuss megatrends and major issues facing the world. What makes the meetings mysterious and has led to conspiracies surrounding it, is that they are held under the “Chatham Rule,” meaning the identities of all attendees are kept secret.
Conspiracies surrounding the plans hashed out at Bilderberg meetings concern the plotting of a New World Order through methods ranging from population control, to the spread of pandemics, to Chemtrails, geo-engineering, and a secret space program.
Other tactics thought to be discussed at these meetings include bribery and compromising of politicians through various means. A major point of contention, for American citizens that are potentially involved in these meetings, is that they are breaking the law through the Logan Act, which prohibits unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments that have disputes with the U.S.
Whether the Illuminati is real or still active is up for debate, but the clandestine Bilderberg meetings will undoubtedly continue to fuel conspiracies. Are they plotting diabolical schemes? And if there’s nothing to hide why is their membership kept so secret?
Freemason Secrets: Ancient Masonic Rites, Rituals, and Myths
My father, uncle, and grandfather were Freemasons. My grandfather held the title of Worshipful Master (akin to a president) at a New York City lodge near the turn of the century and had some fascinating clothing and accessories — his ring was beyond cool.
I remember asking Pop about his lodge when I was in kindergarten. Replying in his thick German accent, he said, “There is nothing for you to know at this time, boy.” I love that answer.
“George Washington was a Mason, along with 13 other presidents and numerous Supreme Court Justices. Benjamin Franklin published a book about Freemasonry on his own printing press. Nine signers of the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons, including the man with the biggest signature: John Hancock.”
— “Secrets of ‘The Lost Symbol,” MSNBC 10/27/09
The History of Masonry
The Masons most likely grew as extensions of the membership rules of Scotsman William Schaw’s stonemasonry tribe and The Knights Templar — a secretive group of Christian warrior-monks that protected the aspirants who traveled along the pathways to the Holy Land.
At the turn of the 16th Century, William Schaw developed his own club-like culture, housed within a lodge, and infused with a set of rules for sworn members, including, “They shall be true to one another and live charitably together as becometh sworn brethren and companions of the Craft.”
When diplomats and politicians joined the organization in the mid-1600s, the stonemason lodge movement began its climb as a stealthy phenomenon. If you were politically active and wanted to connect with the power structures of the times, you would do just about anything to become a member of The Masons.
In 1717, Masonry created a formal organization in London, when four lodges united to form the first Grand Lodge. This gave the organization credibility and added to its membership’s mystical allure. Men flocked, begged, coerced, and maneuvered to become members. Everybody wanted in.
The Freemasons of The United States
The United States Masons, otherwise known as The Freemasons, were a highly political society in the 1700s. The first US lodge was opened in 1730 in New Jersey, where they initiated early plans and strategies used to fight the British. With its growing vault of secrets, expanding political influence, and stealth missions, it was an exciting time to be a Freemason.
Initially, the Freemason creed declared anti-Catholic, anti-Royalty, and Republican virtues, including self-government, personal freedom, and free enterprise. The basic tenet was that no person or organization should be controlled or oppressed by a government or religion, or their respective laws and doctrines. At their start, and for centuries, The Freemasons were a feisty, calculating, and powerful coalition.
Much to the chagrin of the Catholic Church, the early Masonic organization’s philosophy evolved from Deist ideology, which believes God does not interfere with creation, as it runs itself according to the laws of nature.
If you were a Mason in Europe in the 1700s, you stood against the notion of natural selection as it pertained to royalty. As Masonry developed and grew, you rooted for the wild, unruly kids across the pond – the Americans.
In 1870, The Shriners, a group of elite Freemasons, created their first rituals, emblems, and costumes based on Middle Eastern themes, when 11 Master Masons were initiated into the organization.
And while it seems they were rigorously involved in politics, Freemasonry describes itself as a “beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”