Illuminating the Illuminati

, , Leave a comment

Popular culture has made the Illuminati out to be anything, from a drunken group of men to the real rulers of the world, hidden behind shadow and ritual. They may be here to protect the forces of good, or they look to evil to gain worldly goods. As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in between, lost to superstition and time.

The Illuminati wanted to eliminate superstition, prejudice, and sexism, while promoting education for all and scientific advancement. It was perhaps their desire to reduce the Roman Catholic Church’s control over governments that lead to the belief that they were Satanist or against religion. Many prominent people were members of the Illuminati, and many more have claimed to be Illuminati up until the present day.

Fact 1: Illuminati are the plural form of the Latin word illuminatus, meaning enlightened.

Fact 2: The five original members were freethinkers, a subdivision of the Age of Enlightenment. It was modeled on the Jesuits, secret and hierarchical.

Fact 3: Founded on May 1, 1776, the Order of the Illuminati was the idea of Adam Weishaupt, Law professor at University of Ingolstadt, Bavaria. He planned to call them Perfectibilists.

Fact 4: March 2, 1785, the government of Bavaria, under Karl Theodor, banned all secret societies. Weishaupt fled, a traitor to his Prince, and searches of member’s homes provided documents that were later published by the government, in 1787. To protect themselves, many members would publish their own works to show the Illuminati as a force for good.

Fact 5: In 1798 and 1798 books were published that theorized the survival of the Illuminati. Both also claimed the Illuminati were behind social upheaval, such as the French Revolution or Napoleon’s loss at Waterloo.  

Fact 6: Many modern day fraternal organizations claim to be descended from the Bavarian Illuminati, or otherwise incorporate Illuminati as part of their organization. For many, it is expected to be little more than a recruitment tool, pulling in people interested in being part of something seemingly important.

Fact 7: Bavarian Illuminati members would join the Freemasons, and slowly introduce members to the ideas of the Illuminati. After converting enough followers, the Illuminati would then take over the Freemason lodge and move on to the next. The Congress de Wilhelmsbad, July 16, 1782, was the beginning of a conspiracy between the Illuminati and the Freemasons, though the exact purpose is not know.  

Fact 8: Weishaupt had no interest in modern occult and esoteric pursuits and initially there were no theological trappings to the Illuminati. As they grew, perhaps to encourage new recruits, Illuminati began to assert a belief in ancient mysteries, beyond the understanding of most people.

Fact 9: At its peak, the Illuminati order had more than 2,000 members, with satellite lodges in France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and Italy.

Fact 10: Despite the image of the Illuminati in popular culture or conspiracy theories, there remains no proof that the Bavarian Illuminati have survived. Nor is there any proof that other Illuminati groups have undue influence on politics, though it is possible they could do a better job than some governments.

 

Tea Time Quiz

[forminator_poll id="23176"]
 

Leave a Reply