The World's Most Dangerous Secret Societies: The Illuminati, Freemasons, Bilderberg Group, Knights Templar, The Jesuits, Skull And Bones And Others Read online

  The World’s Most Dangerous Secret Societies

  The Illuminati, Freemasons, Bilderberg Group, Knights Templar, The Jesuits, Skull And Bones And Others

  James Jackson

  Copyright 2015 by Make Profits Easy LLC

  [email protected]

  Table of Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter One: THE HASHSHASHINS

  Chapter Two: THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

  Chapter Three: THE ILLUMINATI

  Chapter Four: FREEMASONRY

  Chapter Five: THE TRILATERAL COMMISSION AND THE BILDERBERG GROUP

  Chapter Six: COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

  Chapter Seven: SKULL & BONES

  Chapter Eight: THE COMMITTEE OF 300

  Chapter Nine: BOHEMIAN GROVE

  Chapter Ten: THE SOCIETY OF JESUITS

  Afterword

  Introduction

  Secret societies. To some, the name conjures up an image of a shadowy and elite cabal meeting behind smoke-filled rooms, discussing tactics of world domination and manipulation straight out of the most far-fetched espionage thriller. To others, the image of secluded men (and occasionally women!) banding together in exotic garb to perform colorful ceremonies and impart hidden knowledge and fancy but incomprehensible titles upon one another springs to mind. And to others, a fanciful and convoluted figment of the imagination sprung from only the most paranoid and incredulous minds is evoked by the title.

  But just how far-fetched and fanciful is the prospect of a secret society? Could it be that there walks among us, in any given echelon of the population, groups given to exercise inordinate amounts of power and influence over the rest of us? Could these exotic members-only clubs really pose such an immediate threat to our well-being that our very way of life is endangered? At what point does the merely colorful, mysterious or deluded result in murder, mysterious deaths, unanswered disappearances, crime, extortion, control and in some cases, complete and unmitigated power?

  The rationale and history behind secret societies have been amply covered in general works on the subject—some purely speculative, others works of wild conjecture, and even some which have been meticulously researched and documented. Yet few adequately demonstrate the effects of these groups on society at large. And with very good reason. A secret society, by its very definition, is a group that possesses secrets; either conducive to its internal doctrine or structure, wielded as a threat or even a reward to maintain control over its members, or resulting from clandestine activities that would present a clear and present harm to the world as a whole were they ever to be revealed. Yet this definition covers a whole range of groups and practices, from the relatively mild and harmless hazing practiced by thousands of college fraternities worldwide to organized crime cartels and even low-level street gangs. What is it about the secret society of popular legend and lore that continues to hold such appeal—and such danger—to countless individuals in their daily lives that differentiates these shadowy entities from their more visible counterparts?

  More information—and subsequently, more deliberate misinformation—has been published in recent years than any time else. With the advent of the internet as a dominant means of communication, the costs and risks of revealing the tactics and methodology of formerly “arcane” organizations has diminished greatly. At any given time, the dedicated investigator can click on an infinite number of sites revealing a mind-bogglingly complex chain of associations that, more often than not, serve to confuse and bewilder all but the most steadfast of investigators.

  Some have been adequately revealed as hoaxes—the 19th Century fraud instigated by Leo Taxil regarding the elusive “Order of the Palladium” springs to mind. Others are altogether figments of urban legend that have resulted in a series of bizarre coincidences and tortuous links—the supposed “Four Pi Movement” alluded to by Maury Terry in his bestselling book The Ultimate Evil is one such prominent example. Yet still others have been so adequately researched, so ably presented, and whose coincidences are so improbable that one cannot help but put full faith in the veracity of at least some of these claims. Perhaps separating the fact from the fancy is one of the biggest dilemmas in adequately chronicling the danger of a secret society. And perhaps, that is but one of the goals of their effective operation.

  Fear of repercussion is at the core of the concealment and mysteries of a secret society. And with good cause. Many of these groups hold basis in ideological tenets that are not only firmly accepted by popular convention, but in some cases, diametrically opposed to it—tenets that in not so distant times, were punishable by persecution and even death. In our more skeptical, materially driven times, we are given to take the world of appearances solely at face value, as ipso facto. We neglect to remember that for many of our ancestors, the world of appearances—the phenomenological world as we know it—was an allegory that alluded to much deeper, almost incomprehensibly profound truths that shaped our thinking in radical ways. This link is at the heart of the often-quoted Hermetic aphorism: “As above, so below.” Flying as it did in the face of official Church and State-ruled forms of discourse, adherents could risk the most dire forms of persecution merely for venturing these views, and subsequently had to work under the mantle of strict secrecy, being driven underground in the face of reformations and inquisitions where they fermented, often forging links with one another and developing a highly dubious and complex lore.

  Yet scoff as we may at such unsophisticated, “mystical” forms of magical thinking, we neglect to remember that many of its adherents went on to influence the world in dramatic ways. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who is credited with introducing geometric theorems into the world, was one such member of a “mystery school”—indeed, a secret society where revelation of secrets was punishable by death. The Elizabethan scholar, magician, and court astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, John Dee was one such proponent of Hermetic thought, and his advice to Queen Elizabeth regarding the invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588 is largely why English is the dominant language in North America. Many of the leading ideologues and artists of the Italian Renaissance were profoundly influenced by Hermetic themes; and even the noted father of scientific rationalism and “father of Enlightenment” Sir Isaac Newton had a long-standing interest in Hermetic and Alchemical treatises. And the Masonic involvement of such U.S. founding fathers as Paul Revere, George Washington and Ben Franklin has been sufficiently documented elsewhere. Are we to hold these tenets, as far-fetched and superstitious as they may seem, to be bygone relics of a distant and unenlightened era? Or has their influence on world history been actually more prevalent than appearances lead one to believe?

  Yet, fears of repercussion can lead to more legitimate, even sinister concerns than merely unpopular or superstitious belief. Is the very clandestine nature of such organizations masking intents that are detrimental to the well-being of society as a whole? Has their infiltration into every spectre of political thought and action become so widespread that they are an entrenched, if subterranean, part of our current world structure? Are their agendas borne out of domination and the need for revenge? Do their actions compromise the integrity of any free-thinking and upstanding social mechanism? In a time in which public discourse allows for the open (if critical) exchange of ideas and thoughts, what is so dangerous that members conceal their identity in dire oaths of secrecy? In shor
t, what are these societies trying to hide?

  The fact is, the trails of these societies can lead to some disturbing associations and occurrences and paint a much more damning picture than mere unconvention. Trails of murder, crime, political intrigue and conspiracy are so prevalent that merely painting them as purveyors of an unsophisticated belief system is to betray the very dangers that they pose. Some of the most seemingly innocuous and benign organizations—such as the Society of Jesuits—spin a much more dire and noxious web of deceit than you would ever think to imagine upon critical examination, as you will soon find out.

  One reason for the continued allure of secret societies lays in the very exclusivity their secrecy engenders. No longer misguided believers in illogical mumbo-jumbo, members are holders of “forbidden” knowledge sternly safeguarded from the prying eyes of profane and critical non-believers. No longer mere citizens, by dint of their immersion in a subterranean world of exotic and ritualized customs, members become possessed of power and influence unimaginable to their merely mortal neighbors. Even at a time in which the rapid and unconstrained transmission of information threatens the very security of such formerly hidden membership and “knowledge,” the true believer takes it upon his or her self for granted that the traditions of deceit and concealment they choose to partake in is inviolable and beyond reproach. The question is for how long?

  While preparing for the research in this book, it struck me that two distinct classifications could be made for distinguishing a secret society. The first would be the more visible, or overt secret society. Generally speaking, these are organizations which maintain a highly visible public profile, accessible by means of phone book, internet or even highly publicized physical appearances. These organizations frequently solicit or court membership, assuring the would-be candidate that their very openness, visibility and culpability should be sufficient insurance against nefarious and fraudulent intentions, instead insisting either that there are “no secrets” or sometimes even half-mockingly referring to such “supposed” secrets as largely irrelevant traditions—bygone remnants of a much earlier time holding no greater power than a deferral to routine. The would-be candidate is then lulled into a sense of security and relaxation—”Surely, these guys must not be hiding anything since they’re willing to take the time to talk to little old me.”

  One such glaring example of an overt secret society is Freemasonry. Masquerading under the guise of benevolent philanthropy and civic duty, members are now widely viewed as little more than a charitable social club cloaked in colorful costume and ritual, one whose membership numbers are slowly dwindling due to decreased interest among younger generations. And for all ostensible purposes, at your local Masonic Lodge level, that’s likely to be the case; so much so, that in many regions of the U.S., Freemasonry has had to launch a highly visible public relations campaign to ensure its continued interest and survival.

  Yet throughout history, upper echelon members have been implicated in every sort of conspiratorial undertaking imaginable—from spying to assassination, from bribery to infiltration sowing the seeds of political unrest and rebellion. This isn’t to imply that your friendly uncle—whose father’s father was in the Masons and his father’s father before that—is guilty of undertaking political subterfuge and extortion. But if these facts were made available to the general public, would there be such a strident need to attach the historically important faces of Benjamin Franklin and Harry Truman to their much maligned name?

  Oftentimes, the overt secret society will make claims of an unfounded historical lineage or go through dire efforts to conceal questionable past histories. Members are made to swear great and unyielding oaths to hold the secrets of that organization in strictest confidence, ensuring that their revelation will be met with a suitable and dramatic fate merely hinted at by the outlines of that somber oath. An unspoken climate of fear emerges in the secret society, imbuing it with all the hallowed ethos of sanctity and vigilance to be found in the most unbridled religious zealotry (it is worth noting that in the overt secret society, implied religious and philosophical devotion is nominally considered a priori fact, as opposed to the covert secret society which is considerably more political and influential in scope. Occasionally, overlappings can occur, such as the relationship between the Skull & Bones society—a perfectly prominent example of a covert secret society—and the aforementioned example of Freemasonry.) Even when not outwardly religious in scope—such as in the cases of the Jesuits or Opus Dei—this aura of divine safeguarding and sanctimony has led to the cultish appeal of the society, in particular for those true believers who are disaffected from, or otherwise non-adherents of, conventional religion. The substitution of the secret for the sect thereby takes the place of a sort of divine revelation for the true believer what may be a curious method of transubstantiation, indeed.

  The other classification is that of the clandestine, or covert secret society. Unlike the overt society, no attempts at public outreach are made on behalf of the covert one. Public admission is not possible, except by invitation only—and, to quote a now clichéd precept, “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.” Reasons for this hermetically guarded level of secrecy may vary from organization to organization, but generally one thing in common is that their interests generally extend to widespread global geopolitical infiltration and influence, and at times, highly organized and systemic criminal and terrorist organizations. The secrecy of the covert society is not motivated by tradition or even influence over lower-level members, but necessity. Both the much dreaded spectre of the Illuminati and the vow of silence practiced by the La Cosa Nostra syndicate are glaring examples of the occult operations of a covert secret society.

  Other times, the revelation of the covert society’s existence could cause so much damage to well-established institutions—such as the Priory of Sion or the Bilderberg Group—that their very foundations could crumble, a moment such groups may indeed be hoping to seize upon. Instead, they bide their time, weaving their way into a highly complex web of intrigue and legend, fact and fiction, both insisting upon their non-existence and alternately placing public reminders of their “alleged existence” in such a way that the idle observer is caught up in a wave of subterfuge and confusion.

  One such glaring example of this misinformation campaign was the COINTELPRO operation directed by the FBI under Director J. Edgar Hoover between the mid 1950s and early 1970s which aimed at surveying, infiltrating, discrediting and disrupting domestic political organizations that allegedly posed a threat to “national security, and existing social and political order” and was explicitly denied by the organization and its director until official documentation of the program was exposed and made public in 1971, prompting an official investigation into its tactics.

  Leadership in covert societies are sometimes hereditary, being passed down in generational lines akin to monarchism—the reinstitution of which is, in fact, an alleged goal of some of these cliques. Other times, a feigned leadership has been attributed to noted historical and cultural figures through an elaborate campaign of misinformation and well-constructed lore, granting a lineal if seemingly improbable succession of historical validity to the machinations of a society.

  When attempting to endeavor a work of this scope, it’s important to take into consideration all sources, no matter how outlandish they may seem. Inevitably, one comes to classify these sources under one of three potential categories I will dub the three “S”s: the speculative, the spurious and the skeptical. As the adage says, where there’s smoke, there’s often fire. The speculative helps enable a critical and subjective eye towards the potential veracity of claims, ensuring both detachment and an open eye towards viewing possible connections. The spurious—often the result of tenuous connections and credulity towards unsubstantiated accounts—can often reveal hidden aspects that you had never in your wildest dreams thought possible, and aspects that upon closer examination reveal a definite claim towards hist
orical validity. It is in the realm of the skeptical that we are confronted with a whole new dilemma, however. Unwilling to entertain the possibility that the vast web of intrigue and deceit is much vaster than his understanding allows it to be, the skeptic casts doubt upon anything that does not conform into his or her preset conclusions. His bias becomes all too apparent and unbending in its stubborn refusal of anything that doesn’t remotely connect to its predisposed parameters—and sometimes, his or her own vested interests. In this book, I have strived to separate legend from reality, fact from fiction, and examine how both seemingly opposite sides can be weaved into a highly complex series of associations, and ones that can often influence one another in the most unexpected ways. It is likely that some readers will see aspects of all three “S”s throughout the book. The most I can ask for is an open mind.

  It is also likely that some readers, particularly younger ones, will find material that has been well recounted elsewhere. I mentioned younger ones specifically because, having been brought up under the auspices of the information age, they’ve had a wider berth of both information as well as misinformation to absorb, reflect and mull over. Younger ones also seem more conducive to the act of critical thinking and incredulity to firmly established disavowals of the existence of these groups from conventional quarters, something which as time passes grows more and more assailable. I’m grateful for the open minds and quick wits I see from younger generations, and encourage them solely to draw their own conclusions—as much as I would any other generation. I can only hope this work will help encourage you to do so, regardless of your age.