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Secret Societies

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Today in the US secret societies are becoming a fascinating topic, and the US seems to be threatened by them. Major Political figures and now even Musical entertainers are being rumored to be in some of these secret societies. But what are they all really about? What is their history? What are their purposes and goals, and achievements? Do they have any deeper meaning to what is revealed? Many would like to know just how these are run, and soon bring it all to light.

Strange allegories about death and resurrection, mysterious astrological symbols and bizarre rituals are just some of the trimmings of secret societies. These sects, cults, brotherhoods & sisterhoods, and orders have thrilled powerful curiosity for as long at they have existed. Taking a look inside these fascinating, closed worlds is something everyone wants to do, what exactly is it? That is the question. “They are seen as the bogeymen of our time. Are these groups really something to be feared?” This quote from Mysteries of History: Secret Societies is the basis for the ideas in this essay. The groups being spoken about in the quote are ones that hold many covert ideas and powerful purposes to which most of the public have no clue. What really is a secret society? There is no actual definition to what a secret society really is, each individual groups defines itself. Each group has its own set of morals and values that deeply identify what it is. Throughout history, there have been a large amount of people who join these groups, but why they join is something they will forever keep to themselves. It mostly started with your average rebel forming a group against views they do not agree with, or against their current governmental situation.

Evan today there are major politicians, like, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and even George Washington; have been said to be part of these groups. And it seems that entertainers are following the trend. Rappers Jay-Z and Kanye west, and Singer Rihanna are rumored to be part of the list of members. So many men dating back to the before French Revolution have been accused to starting wars, engaging in assassinations, kidnapping, drug dealing, group sex, cannibalism, polygamy, and countless bizarre rituals. As uncanny as it sounds some have been inspired by a man who probably never existed. The most popular secret society that is many years old are the Free Masons. This society, over the years has grown and many different groups have branched from it with the same morals and ethical preferences. According to Top Tenz, The number of members a part of this fraternal group is well into the millions. Over 5 million people in the world associate themselves with Freemasons and fourteen of our nations Presidents are known to be Freemasons. There are documents that date back to 1300 in relations to the existence of the organization, but the group was officially founded in 1717.

People often wonder what it takes to be a part of these societies. For each organization initiates must go through a process in order to become an official member of the union. For Freemasons, with their huge membership and different lodges across the world, present-day Freemasonry no longer has the same general principles as it did in the old days. One tradition that has remained regular is the process for induction. New comers must be recommended to the group by someone who is already a Mason, and once a member they must pass through three different degrees of standing before reaching the level of “Master Masonry.” Members also have certain given modes of greeting one another, including handshakes, gestures, and passwords, and non-masons are always banned from attending meetings. There are two major parts of joining or being a part of a secret society. The first thing you need to do is pick which organization is right for you. Determining this will require a bit of research.

Most established secret societies have at least some information about them available on the Internet, and you will likely find enough history to decide which society best suits you. The next and most important step is to make contact with the organization of your choice. Making contact with a secret society may be the most difficult part of the process. The Internet is a great place to start. If you can find a member who has identified himself, gently inquire about joining. You will most likely need to develop a relationship with any member you meet before they will enlighten you about any details about their group. In addition, look for any information on places or meeting spots in your area. Masonic temples are often well-established, and you may be able to find locations where other secret societies meet. If you show up and speak with the member at the door, you may be able to find out what you need to do to join. There is a list of people who are associated with these secret societies. I could name almost over one thousand prominent people in government, politics, and entertainment that are affiliated with these societies. Previous Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush Senior, and George Bush Junior, and Senator John Kerry were all members of the Collegiate Organization Skull and Bones founded at Yale University.

There also have been rumors that some entertainers in the industry of music and acting are incorporated with these societies. These rumors have stated that rapper Jay-Z is affiliated with the Masons and also the Illuminati. Commentators have analyzed his videos and a number of his songs that have subliminal messages embedded in them. One of his songs really has people thinking now; the song titled Lucifer has people wondering if this successful entrepreneur and rapper is suspect. In Lucifer, he makes a lot of religious references but then claims later on in an Interview with radio personality Angie Martinez that he does not believe in religion. His associates, singer Rihanna and Rapper Kanye West, are also said to be connected with the Illuminati. Since about two years ago people have become fascinated with the idea of the Illuminati. First, let us see what the word actually means. “Illuminati,” to the dictionary reference site, it originates from the Latin language, and it means- persons possessing, or claiming to possess superior enlightenment. Some may take “superior enlightenment” as a form of God, or higher God than what they might already worship.

This is where religion comes into play. Are there other Gods that these Illuminists are worshipping? According to U.S. New & World Report Magazine – “Mysteries of History: Secret Societies” The Illuminati was founded during the “Age of Enlightenment,” on May 1st 1776 by Adam Weishaupt. The intentional morals of the group were: free thought, secularism, liberalism, gender quality, and republicanism. Members of this society were strong advocates for all of these principles. Years after it was created, the Illuminati was infiltrated, broken up, and suppressed by government agents trying to cease any threat of this successful secret society trying to overthrow the government. And to get rid of the idea of secret societies in general. Some think that people associated with the Illuminati worship the devil. There are certain symbols and ideas behind the Illuminati that you would never notice. A very popular symbol is the “All Seeing Eye” this is a pyramid with a detached top with a single eye in the middle.

This represents a great architect, an omniscient deity known to all members. But the most popular image associated with the Illuminati is the Baphomet, which is said to be what participants of the Illuminati worship. “Forever, I, Baphomet will be your unique God, the only legitimate God.” This image is a replica of a statue of Former President and Freemason George Washington. It show his body and arms in the same position but instead of his head there is a goats head, with very large handlebar-like horns, and angel wings upon his back. Although the thought of this is eerie, this is what they seemed to have looked up to. People, too, often wonder if there is a deeper meaning to this Illuminati conspiracy. You would never know who is a part of this unless they actually told you, and no one will ever know what goes on inside these secret estates. The secrets of these brotherhoods will never be revealed, only to members. Some of these secret societies have also been called “New World Order” or NWO. New World Order is a conspiracy theory that refers to the emergence of the bureaucratic collectivist, or one world government.

What I don’t understand is why someone would want to combine different national governments, into one. Although the reasoning is suspect, some feel it makes perfect sense. The common theme in this conspiracy theory about the New World Order is that mysterious power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the entire world through an totalitarian world government – which replaces self-governing nation states – and a sweeping party line who sees its association as the finale of history’s progress. Although they are the most popular two secret societies, the Freemasons and the Illuminati are not the only ones out there. Many groups over the years are considered secret societies that you have never thought to be true. According to U.S. New & World Report Magazine – “Mysteries of History: Secret Societies” the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Al Qaeda, the Mafia, Religious Cults, and Chinese Triads. Also The Black Panther Party, even though they were very much so public about what they stood for, it is still a small mystery what the leaders of those groups’ intentions were. It was surprising to see that the KKK, Al Qaeda, and the Mafia were considered “secret societies.” The magazine says that interested persons go through a selection process before their actual initiation takes place. They call it becoming a “made member.”

Because the Mafia is such a violent organization, ne members must follow a strict set of rules in order to stay alive. Another two popular organizations are Ordo Tepmli Orientis and Skull & Bones. Ordo Templi Orientis is (According to Top Tenz) a mystic organization that was started in the early twentieth century. The group was established along the same lines as the less secretive, Freemasons, and supposedly relied on ritual and occult practices as a means for members to move from one level of status to another within the union. The general idea of the group was a belief in new age mysterious values and practices as a method of realizing one’s true identity. Famed occultist and all-around eccentric Aleister Crowley composed much of the group’s teachings, including a manifesto called the Mysteria Mystica Maxima, and he later became the head of the organization. Now on the collegiate side of things, Skull and Bones, founded at Yale University is known to be the most secret and the most powerful society there is.

Every spring at this Ivy League University current members seek new students. For most student organizations there are pre-requisites or very specific requirements. The only requirement to be a bonesman, is that the student be a prominent leader on campus meaning an athlete, Student Council member, and Fraternity Presidents are very often considered. “Skull and Bones counts among its membership U.S. Presidents, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices, which has lead many to argue that the group works as some kind of underground organization for the high-powered political elite.” People join these organizations based on their beliefs and feelings to the outside world and also based on their knowledge of what government they live under and also an important factor: their religion. Other just join for popularity or to get themselves somewhere in life, which is not a problem at all. Skull and Bones is the only collegiate society that people tend to join. There a number of colleges that is home to very prestigious groups.

The College of William & Mary has The Fraternitas, Humanitas, et Cognito, founded in 1750, University of Virginia has a group similar to Skull and Bones call The Seven Society – their members names were not released until after the persons death, Dickinson College has an all woman society called Wheel & Chains, and Cornell University’s Quill & Dagger, they were the first Ivy League school to offer membership to women. Also at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Greek organizations are very popular. On just about every HBCU campus there are nine African American founded Greek organizations, collectively they are all a part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). In the NPHC there are five fraternities and four sororities. The words fraternity and sorority are from the Latin decent and translate to brotherhood and sisterhood. The five fraternities include: Omega Psi Phi (1911), Alpha Phi Alpha (1906), Kappa Alpha Psi (1911), Iota Phi Theta (1963), and Phi Beta Sigma (1914).

The Sororities include: Delta Sigma Theta (1913), Alpha Kappa Alpha (1908), Zeta Phi Beta (1920), and Sigma Gamma Rho (1922). These Greek organizations can sometimes been seen as secret societies because of the processes they go through to become what they strive for the entire time. In conclusion, these societies, secret or not, black or white all have something they feel the need to hide. Should we be threatened by them that is up to each individual person. No matter what their supposed purpose, there is something naturally menacing about a secret society. Though most are formed with relatively realistic political and religious goals in mind, their focus on mystery and secrecy has made them the target of countless criticisms and conspiracy theories involving everything from aliens and the occult to world domination. Of course, the reality is usually much more mild, but that does not mean that the groups do not have some intriguingly weird practices, or that they haven’t had an impact on world events.

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