- 12,503
- 925
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2009
I myself use to believe in this freemason/illuminati stuff until a few months ago I foud out I had masons in my family and my uncle was one of the highestranked masons in the US. I chopped it up with him in August about this stuff he put me on a lot of knowledge without telling me too much. Long story short Iwent and actually researched a lot of this stuff to see whats really goin on
The Real Illuminati
The Order of the Illuminati was established on May 1, 1776 at the University ofIngolstadt, then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria, in Germany, by a professor of law called Adam Weishaupt (1748-1830). The Illuminati were an interestingorganization, with both esoteric rituals and a political aim, based on the Enlightenment philosophy and ultimately aimed at overthrowing the Roman Catholic andpolitically conservative Kingdom of Bavaria and replacing it with a liberal republic. The group was made up of freethinkers. During the period when it waslegally allowed to operate, many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members, its mission was the abolition ofall monarchical governments and state religions in Europe and its colonies.
"At a time, however, when there was no end of makinggame of and abusing secret societies, I planned to make use of this human foible for a real and worthy goal, for the benefit of people. I wished to do what theheads of the ecclesiastical and secular authorities ought to have done by virtue of their offices ..." - Adam Weishaupt
"Weishaupt believes that to promote this perfection ofthe human character was the object of Jesus Christ. That his intention was simply to reinstate natural religion, & by diffusing the light of his morality,to teach us to govern ourselves. His precepts are the love of god & love of our neighbor. And by teaching innocence of conduct, he expected to place men intheir natural state of liberty & equality. He says, no one ever laid a surer foundation for liberty than our grand master, Jesus of Nazareth. He believesthe Free masons were originally possessed of the true principles & objects of Christianity, & have still preserved some of them by tradition, but muchdisfigured." - Thomas Jefferson on Adam Weishaupt
the Illuminati's political aim was not achieved. Between 1784-1787 documents wereseized by the Bavarian police proving that theirs was a political plot aimed at overthrowing the government. Some members were arrested, although none wastreated too severely by the Bavarian government, and they escaped with fines or a few months in jail, whilst Weishaupt himself fled Bavaria and lived quitepeacefully in other parts of Germany until his death in 1830. The Illuminati survived outside Bavaria, thanks to the efforts of one of their leaders, JohannJoachim Christoph Bode (1730-1793), but had ceased any activity by 1790.
Freemason/Illumianti Myth
Weishaupt was quite critical of Freemasonry and wanted to establish a different orderwith different rituals. He, however, failed to produce rituals interesting enough to attract a significant number of followers, and in February 1777 decided tobe initiated as a Freemason in a Munich Masonic lodge known as Zur Behutsamkeit ("The Prudence"). In 1780, a prominent German Freemason, Baron AdolfFranz Friedrich Ludwig von Knigge (1752-1796), joined the Illuminati and by January 1782 he had rewritten their rituals in a much more Masonic form. Althoughthis ritual was essentially Masonic, and many members were Freemasons, however, the Illuminati as such were not part of Freemasonry.
How The Conspiracy Started
From the mid-19[sup]th[/sup] century to 1975 the theory of the great Illuminaticonspiracy remained the province of fringe "conspirationist" authors, not particularly well-known by the general public. In 1975, a trilogy known asIlluminatus was published by Robert Joseph Shea (1933-1994) and Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007). The three novels were written somewhattongue-in-check, and Shea and Wilson were part of a neo-pagan group known as the Discordians, worshippers of Eris the Great Goddes of Chaos through"cosmic jokes". Actually, these are libertarian novels, where Weishaupt does not die in Germany but emigrates to the American British Colonies, wherehe assumes the name of George Washington and establishes the United States. When the U.S. evolve into an authoritarian, repressive state under the secretleadership of the Illuminati, Discordians organize the resistance in the name of liberty, Chaos, and the Great Goddess Eris. It is after Shea and Wilson'snovels that the Illuminati start popping up literally everywhere, from Umberto Eco's novel Foucault's Pendulum (198
to the movie LaraCroft: Tomb RaiderIlluminatus novels, or even claimed that Shea and Wilson revealed a real conspiracy under the guise of fiction. This theoryachieved a certain degree of success among Protestant fundamentalists. Its leading proponent, Milton William Cooper (1943-2001), died in a confrontation withlaw enforcement officers on November 5, 2001. He refused to pay taxes to the U.S. government, claiming it was controlled by the Illuminati. (2001), includingcountless comics, role-playing games, and miscellaneous pieces of fiction. Although the many conspiracy theories in the book are (presumably) imaginary,these are mixed in with enough truth to make them seem plausible.
Anti-Semitism
While the Illuminati conspiracy theory waned for a century or so after its heyday in the late 18th and19th centuries, it revived when shifting economic and cultural pressures led to the scapegoating of certain groups such as the Jews. Pat Robertson's(author of The New World Order) critics rightly focus on the connection the theory has had with aggressively anti-Semitic propaganda. Anti-Semitic versions ofthe Illuminati conspiracy were developed and promoted in the U.S. in this century a number of extremist political organizations, notably the John BirchSociety.
To point only to the, anti-Semitic aspect of this material hardly tells the whole story. GeorgeJohnson, a student of modern American conspiracy theory, associates three elements with the recurrent revival of the Illuminati thesis--populism, isolationismand anti-intellectualism. These features are prominent in Robertson's resurrection of the thesis. In the New World Order concerns over"one-worldism" joined to an increasing racialistic xenophobia speak to popular fears about America's loss of control over its own affairs,national and international.
Misconceptions
Baphomet
This infamous drawingof baphomet was created by Eliphas Levi
Many people believe this is the devil when actually it is only asymbol of peace used by the Knights Templar. Each body part symbolizes balance almost a
"The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of thepentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of hermetism, the one pointing up to the white moon ofChesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the othermale like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flameof intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst beingtied to matter, shines above it. The ugly beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely reponsible part has to bear thepunishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitalssymbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi- circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanityis represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences."
Levi believed that if one rearranged the letters in Baphomet by reversing them you would get anabbreviated Latin phrase:
[h3]TEM OHP AB[/h3]
He further believed that this would represent the Latin "Templi omnivm hominum pacis abbas"or in English "The Father Of The Temple Of Peace Of All Men". This he felt to be a reference to King Solomon's Temple, which Eliphas believed hadthe sole purpose of bringing peace to the world.
Eliphas Levi died on May 31st, 1875 and his books remain in print well over 100 years after his death.It is however, his illustrative representation of Baphomet that found its way into Waite's Tarot deck as the Devil cardand has in the process added another page to the Baphomet Mythos and perhaps added to demonizing something that may have had a more innocentinterpretation.
Eye On the Dollar Bill
The pyramid and eye symbol is never found among the Illuminati. Actually it is noteven a Masonic symbol, although there are similar symbols in Freemasonry, where a fascination with Egypt was widespread in the 18[sup]th[/sup] and19[sup]th[/sup] century. The particular pyramid used in the Great Seal was derived from Pyramidographia, a book published in 1646 in London by JohnGreaves (1602-1652), based on his trip to Egypt. The eye was introduced by Congress Secretary Charles Thomson (1729-1824) - who was not a Freemason - in his1792 speech prior to the Seal's Congressional acceptance as a very Christian "eye of the Providence", presiding over the destiny of the UnitedStates. As such, it is featured in a number of Christian churches and symbols, quite apart from, and well before, its use within the frame of Masonicrituals.
On theseal, the Eye is surrounded by the words Annuit Cœptis, meaning "He approves (or has approved) [our] undertakings", and Novus Ordo Seclorum, meaning "New Orderof the Ages". The Eye is positioned above an unfinished pyramidwith thirteen steps, representing the original thirteen states and the future growth of the country. The lowest level of thepyramid shows the year 1776 in Roman numerals. The combined implication is that the Eye, or God, favors the prosperity of the United States.
Psychology of Conspiracy Theorist
For one thing, conspiracy theories help us cope with distressing events and makesense out of them. Conspiracies assure us that bad things don't just happen randomly. Conspiracies tell us that someone out there is accountable,however unwittingly or secretly or incomprehensibly, so it's possible to stop these people and punish them and in due course let everyone else re-establishcontrol over their own lives. Conspiracies also remind us that we shouldn't blame ourselves for our predicaments; it's not our fault, it'sthem!
Just as addicts' desensitized dopamine systems make them feel that nothingmatters, high levels of the neurotransmitter make schizophrenics believe that everything is significant. Because the addict's dopamine-driven saliencesystem keeps telling her that something very important is happening, ordinary events appear intensely meaningful. That police car? That song on the radio? Thatman with a cigarette walking by? They must be part of a massive international conspiracy.
The Real Illuminati
The Order of the Illuminati was established on May 1, 1776 at the University ofIngolstadt, then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria, in Germany, by a professor of law called Adam Weishaupt (1748-1830). The Illuminati were an interestingorganization, with both esoteric rituals and a political aim, based on the Enlightenment philosophy and ultimately aimed at overthrowing the Roman Catholic andpolitically conservative Kingdom of Bavaria and replacing it with a liberal republic. The group was made up of freethinkers. During the period when it waslegally allowed to operate, many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members, its mission was the abolition ofall monarchical governments and state religions in Europe and its colonies.
"At a time, however, when there was no end of makinggame of and abusing secret societies, I planned to make use of this human foible for a real and worthy goal, for the benefit of people. I wished to do what theheads of the ecclesiastical and secular authorities ought to have done by virtue of their offices ..." - Adam Weishaupt
"Weishaupt believes that to promote this perfection ofthe human character was the object of Jesus Christ. That his intention was simply to reinstate natural religion, & by diffusing the light of his morality,to teach us to govern ourselves. His precepts are the love of god & love of our neighbor. And by teaching innocence of conduct, he expected to place men intheir natural state of liberty & equality. He says, no one ever laid a surer foundation for liberty than our grand master, Jesus of Nazareth. He believesthe Free masons were originally possessed of the true principles & objects of Christianity, & have still preserved some of them by tradition, but muchdisfigured." - Thomas Jefferson on Adam Weishaupt
the Illuminati's political aim was not achieved. Between 1784-1787 documents wereseized by the Bavarian police proving that theirs was a political plot aimed at overthrowing the government. Some members were arrested, although none wastreated too severely by the Bavarian government, and they escaped with fines or a few months in jail, whilst Weishaupt himself fled Bavaria and lived quitepeacefully in other parts of Germany until his death in 1830. The Illuminati survived outside Bavaria, thanks to the efforts of one of their leaders, JohannJoachim Christoph Bode (1730-1793), but had ceased any activity by 1790.
Freemason/Illumianti Myth
Weishaupt was quite critical of Freemasonry and wanted to establish a different orderwith different rituals. He, however, failed to produce rituals interesting enough to attract a significant number of followers, and in February 1777 decided tobe initiated as a Freemason in a Munich Masonic lodge known as Zur Behutsamkeit ("The Prudence"). In 1780, a prominent German Freemason, Baron AdolfFranz Friedrich Ludwig von Knigge (1752-1796), joined the Illuminati and by January 1782 he had rewritten their rituals in a much more Masonic form. Althoughthis ritual was essentially Masonic, and many members were Freemasons, however, the Illuminati as such were not part of Freemasonry.
How The Conspiracy Started
From the mid-19[sup]th[/sup] century to 1975 the theory of the great Illuminaticonspiracy remained the province of fringe "conspirationist" authors, not particularly well-known by the general public. In 1975, a trilogy known asIlluminatus was published by Robert Joseph Shea (1933-1994) and Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007). The three novels were written somewhattongue-in-check, and Shea and Wilson were part of a neo-pagan group known as the Discordians, worshippers of Eris the Great Goddes of Chaos through"cosmic jokes". Actually, these are libertarian novels, where Weishaupt does not die in Germany but emigrates to the American British Colonies, wherehe assumes the name of George Washington and establishes the United States. When the U.S. evolve into an authoritarian, repressive state under the secretleadership of the Illuminati, Discordians organize the resistance in the name of liberty, Chaos, and the Great Goddess Eris. It is after Shea and Wilson'snovels that the Illuminati start popping up literally everywhere, from Umberto Eco's novel Foucault's Pendulum (198
to the movie LaraCroft: Tomb RaiderIlluminatus novels, or even claimed that Shea and Wilson revealed a real conspiracy under the guise of fiction. This theoryachieved a certain degree of success among Protestant fundamentalists. Its leading proponent, Milton William Cooper (1943-2001), died in a confrontation withlaw enforcement officers on November 5, 2001. He refused to pay taxes to the U.S. government, claiming it was controlled by the Illuminati. (2001), includingcountless comics, role-playing games, and miscellaneous pieces of fiction. Although the many conspiracy theories in the book are (presumably) imaginary,these are mixed in with enough truth to make them seem plausible.Anti-Semitism
While the Illuminati conspiracy theory waned for a century or so after its heyday in the late 18th and19th centuries, it revived when shifting economic and cultural pressures led to the scapegoating of certain groups such as the Jews. Pat Robertson's(author of The New World Order) critics rightly focus on the connection the theory has had with aggressively anti-Semitic propaganda. Anti-Semitic versions ofthe Illuminati conspiracy were developed and promoted in the U.S. in this century a number of extremist political organizations, notably the John BirchSociety.
To point only to the, anti-Semitic aspect of this material hardly tells the whole story. GeorgeJohnson, a student of modern American conspiracy theory, associates three elements with the recurrent revival of the Illuminati thesis--populism, isolationismand anti-intellectualism. These features are prominent in Robertson's resurrection of the thesis. In the New World Order concerns over"one-worldism" joined to an increasing racialistic xenophobia speak to popular fears about America's loss of control over its own affairs,national and international.
Misconceptions
Baphomet
This infamous drawingof baphomet was created by Eliphas Levi
Many people believe this is the devil when actually it is only asymbol of peace used by the Knights Templar. Each body part symbolizes balance almost a
"The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of thepentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of hermetism, the one pointing up to the white moon ofChesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the othermale like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flameof intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst beingtied to matter, shines above it. The ugly beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely reponsible part has to bear thepunishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitalssymbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi- circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanityis represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences."
Levi believed that if one rearranged the letters in Baphomet by reversing them you would get anabbreviated Latin phrase:
[h3]TEM OHP AB[/h3]
He further believed that this would represent the Latin "Templi omnivm hominum pacis abbas"or in English "The Father Of The Temple Of Peace Of All Men". This he felt to be a reference to King Solomon's Temple, which Eliphas believed hadthe sole purpose of bringing peace to the world.
Eliphas Levi died on May 31st, 1875 and his books remain in print well over 100 years after his death.It is however, his illustrative representation of Baphomet that found its way into Waite's Tarot deck as the Devil cardand has in the process added another page to the Baphomet Mythos and perhaps added to demonizing something that may have had a more innocentinterpretation.
Eye On the Dollar Bill
The pyramid and eye symbol is never found among the Illuminati. Actually it is noteven a Masonic symbol, although there are similar symbols in Freemasonry, where a fascination with Egypt was widespread in the 18[sup]th[/sup] and19[sup]th[/sup] century. The particular pyramid used in the Great Seal was derived from Pyramidographia, a book published in 1646 in London by JohnGreaves (1602-1652), based on his trip to Egypt. The eye was introduced by Congress Secretary Charles Thomson (1729-1824) - who was not a Freemason - in his1792 speech prior to the Seal's Congressional acceptance as a very Christian "eye of the Providence", presiding over the destiny of the UnitedStates. As such, it is featured in a number of Christian churches and symbols, quite apart from, and well before, its use within the frame of Masonicrituals.
On theseal, the Eye is surrounded by the words Annuit Cœptis, meaning "He approves (or has approved) [our] undertakings", and Novus Ordo Seclorum, meaning "New Orderof the Ages". The Eye is positioned above an unfinished pyramidwith thirteen steps, representing the original thirteen states and the future growth of the country. The lowest level of thepyramid shows the year 1776 in Roman numerals. The combined implication is that the Eye, or God, favors the prosperity of the United States.
Psychology of Conspiracy Theorist
For one thing, conspiracy theories help us cope with distressing events and makesense out of them. Conspiracies assure us that bad things don't just happen randomly. Conspiracies tell us that someone out there is accountable,however unwittingly or secretly or incomprehensibly, so it's possible to stop these people and punish them and in due course let everyone else re-establishcontrol over their own lives. Conspiracies also remind us that we shouldn't blame ourselves for our predicaments; it's not our fault, it'sthem!
Just as addicts' desensitized dopamine systems make them feel that nothingmatters, high levels of the neurotransmitter make schizophrenics believe that everything is significant. Because the addict's dopamine-driven saliencesystem keeps telling her that something very important is happening, ordinary events appear intensely meaningful. That police car? That song on the radio? Thatman with a cigarette walking by? They must be part of a massive international conspiracy.
