Conspiracy theorists are right about 1 thing: secret societies do exist and they are pretty
scary! Watch your back, your neighbor just might be one of them!
We start off our top five list with the Freemasons.
They are the secret society that discovered
a huge treasure and hid it in historical monuments around the United States.
That's also the plot to National Treasure. Keep watching if you want to know what they really do…
Number 5 The Freemasons
Did you know that the Masons actually faked the moonlanding? And they were also responsible
for murdering Abraham Lincoln? Well of course this has never been proven but these
are just some of the theories surrounding this powerful and secret society.
But who are they? I of course have some real and factual things to tell you although i know the
theories are way more exciting… Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest
fraternity. It’s not really ‘secret’ obviously, since we’re here talking about
it, but the group is very exclusive and uses secret handshakes to recognize each other.
I read in an article the other day by a journalist who was allowed into a Mason meeting, but
not the whole thing. The members told him it’s nothing like in the movies, they get
together to talk about community service and promote intellectual and cultural activities.
They told the journalist that they can’t actually talk about politics or religion in
the meetings. BUT- then they kicked him out so we’ll never really know what happens.
The Freemasons started in medieval Europe as a guild for stonemasons, the people who
designed buildings and cut stone. They started becoming more and more powerful and copied
some of the symbols and traditions from the Knights Templar from the crusades. The meetings
are full of symbols, signs, and ancient rituals. The All- Seeing- Eye on the dollar bill is
said to be a masonic symbol but did you know that it actually comes from the ancient Egyptians
and Hebrews? However, there are a couple of odd things about the dollar that I’ll tell
you about in a little bit. Just wait until we get to the Illuminati…
So the question is, how did a group that was created by stonemasons become a secret society
that is now blamed for masterminding global events?
Well the symbolism and lessons that they supposedly teach and the fact that they don’t share
what they actually do of course is going to make them seem suspicious. In the past they
were trying to bring education to the general public and were probably forced to meet in
secret because they were going against the teachings of the Catholic Church. In fact,
the Roman Catholic Church actually forbids Catholics from joining the society under pain
of excommunication. Ooooooo. A long time ago Pope Clement found out about the Masons and
how they were trying to spread knowledge and freedom among the people-probably because
somebody blabbed. I’m sure it wasn’t all as innocent as it seems and the Pope didn’t
like that at all. He said it was some sort of Satanic cult that went against God. I could
probably also go on and on about the Conspiracy theories surrounding the Catholic Church so
I’ll save that for another video… The main symbol for the Freemasons are the
square and compasses which are tools used by masons and architects. The letter G stands
for God or Geometry, possibly both. Each tool and shape is used to teach a lesson but don’t
ask me what they are because I have no idea. Let me know if you do!
That my friends, is probably how conspiracy theories arise with all the symbols, secret
handshaking, and what not. The Masons have been a powerful force in American history
and people say that the Masons were responsible for causing the American Revolution, especially
since most of the founding fathers were members. Over the years the Mason’s power started
becoming more noticeable since many famous and wealthy people were members and proud
of it. Fun fact- The first third party in the United States was actually the anti-masonic
party who was getting worried that the Masons were taking over. The actually lost the 1828
presidential election to Andrew Jackson, who was a proud Mason. It actually started when
a man from New York broke his vow of secrecy to the Masons and then disappeared… Andrew
Jackson is the president they are taking off the $20 bill and replacing with Harriet Tubman.
What’s interesting to me is that for a secret society, the Masons were pretty famous. Everyone
knew about them and a lot of politicians and famous people were members and proudly talked
about it. It’s like they have to let everyone know they are in a secret society but you’re
not allowed to join. They have to talk about it a little bit, otherwise no one would care…
Here are some famous members: Mozart, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill,
Henry Ford, John Wayne, Houdini Number 4
Skull and Bones Now this one is pretty cool I have to say.
The Order of Skull and Bones holds the title of the oldest student secret society in the
United States. People say that it is a branch of the Illuminati and also controls the CIA.
Pretty powerful accusations which the CIA denies of course. The CIA always denies everything
whether it’s true or not so that doesn’t really mean anything.
In the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, both the Democratic and Republican nominees, George
Bush and John Kerry, were alumni of Skull and Bones. George W. Bush wrote in his autobiography,
"[In my] senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a secret society; so secret, I can't say anything
more”. When someone asked John Kerry what it meant that he and Bush were both Bonesmen,
he said, "Not much, because it's a secret." Wonderful!
It’s been around since 1832 which is pretty old for the US- not if you’re from anywhere
else in the world where old is over 1000 years or something…
Skull and Bones does a good job of keeping quiet, about what they do. In
any secret society it always depends on how well they can keep a secret. They select new
members every spring as part of Yale University’s Tap Day. This is when Skull and Bones members
(and other secret societies) go around literally tapping people on the shoulder as an invitation
to join the society. I think this could get confusing really fast. How do you know which
secret society is tapping you? Anyway, Skull and Bones also uses Masonic
rituals during the meetings they hold in the building that they call the ‘Tomb’.
Just what I picture- very cloak and dagger. They started keeping the names of the members
a secret in the 1970’s. In their spare time apparently they like to steal the skulls of
famous people, like the Apache Warrior Geronimo, and hiding them somewhere inside the tomb-
nice guys, super classy. Yale is quick to reply that The Tomb is not on University Property
so they don’t know anything about it…. Famous Members: John Kerry, George H W Bush,
George W Bush, and William Howard Taft. Fun fact, Taft was the 27th and fattest president
of the United States- whose father co-founded Skull and Bones. Hmmm
notice a pattern of fathers and sons here? And presidents…? I’ll just leave it at
that. Number 3
The Rosicrucian Order Who?? Exactly.
You probably haven’t heard much about this group but they are the sworn enemy of the
Illuminati. Shyeah! They are believed to have emerged in the 1600’s (or earlier, it’s
hard to say.) They love the powers of the occult and bring together elements of Egyptian
and Hebrew wisdom and symbolism, like the Masons.
This group is super-secret and the stories and theories can get kind of confusing so
bear with me. Ok, originally the group was so secret that only 8 people knew about it
so in the 1600s somebody published some anonymous manifestos to let people know about this group.
Supposedly there was a German Doctor and mystic named Christian Rosenkreuz (get it Rosenkreuz,
Rose- cross) who travelled and studied in the Middle East learning medicine and alchemy,
things like that. He tried to bring his knowledge back to Europe but the years went by and travelling
wasn’t what it is now. It took years to get around back then.
Since he couldn’t get back to Germany he created the Rosicrucians with the 8 members
that I was telling you about. Each member was a doctor and a sworn bachelor, and they
undertook an oath to heal the sick for free, maintain a secret fellowship, and to find
a replacement for himself before he died. That way they could keep the knowledge safe
from the Catholic Church and the rest of society who probably wouldn’t be able to handle
it. Since it is likely that much of the knowledge about hospitals and bathing came from the
Moors, medieval European society would probably have killed them first, asked questions later.
Their symbol is a rosy cross, used by the Templars before them, and it is said to even
predate Christianity. The symbol, I mean. Not the secret society.
So you know all the rumors surrounding the Illuminati of murders and plots to destroy
the government and religion, it was actually the Rosicrucians who were the first ones to
start spying on the members of the Illuminati and accused them of all of their crimes. Which
is when all the conspiracy theories of the illuminati started, coincidence? I think not.
When the manifestos came out, people tried to contact the secret society from the pamphlets,
including Rene Descartes, William Shakespeare, and the philosopher and scientist Sir Francis
Bacon. In fact, by some accounts, Sir Francis Bacon
was not only actually one of the secret society members, but he may have written the manifestos
himself. Confused yet??? Some Rosicrucians claim he wrote Shakespeare's works as well-
whaaaa? Famous Members (we think): Isaac Newton, George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Disney, Napoleon Bonaparte
Number 2 The Bilderberg Group
This secret organization is different from the others since it isn’t really a club
or official secret society. The Bilderberg Group is a name given to a circle of around
120 highly influential people who meet each year in private, with strong government sponsorship
and military security, to discuss global issues. According to the Bilderberg Conference website
it is the annual forum for informal, off-the-record discussions about global trends and the major
issues facing the world. Wow that really clears it up… doesn’t it?
Attendance at these world-class conferences
is strictly by invitation only. Invitation by whom??
The first meeting was held in 1954 at the Hotel Bilderberg in the Netherlands to help
improve relations between Western Europe and the US. See, here is the hotel.
Now the Hotel changes and as you can see they would rather be a little bit more isolated:
Right there. European politicians, princes, and prime ministers
organized the event along with the CIA and the US presidential advisers. There were 2
guests from each nation, each representing a liberal and conservative point of view and
11 Americans. Everyone had a great time and they decided to make it an annual event. Yay!
I think it’s a good thing right? Well everyone that’s invited thinks it’s
great since they all say they can finally speak honestly to one another- which is kind
of a scary thought. But since it’s so secret, how do we know what they’re doing? They
might be planning future assassinations or playing croquet for all we know…
Who knows what exactly happens? Especially since the press is prohibited from entering.
The attendees are forbidden, under oath, to share any details.
Soooooo, conspiracy theorists can have a field day with this one. Some accuse the Bilderberg
group of conspiring to impose capitalist domination, others of using the opportunity to establish
a world government. Here are some famous attendees: Bill Clinton,
Bill Gates (what is Bill Gates doing there?), and officials from the World Bank. Hmm maybe
they all planned the sex scandal with Strauss-Kahn and the hotel maid….If you don’t know
what I’m talking about you should Google it.
Now for the most dangerous and powerful secret society, but first, which secret society would
you rather belong to?
Number 1: The Order of the Illuminati I saved the best for last! If anyone is to
blame for the murder of JFK and John Lennon, it’s the Illuminati. Ok, not really but, the Illuminati has
been blamed for almost every unexplained event in history as well as wars and revolutions.
Many US presidents, Warren Buffet, Madonna and even Katy Perry, are alleged to be part
of the modern day Illuminati. Recently they have also been accused of murdering Prince.
Why? I’m not sure to tell you the truth. There are many groups called Illuminati throughout
history, but what most people refer to is the Order of the Illuminati that was an elite
organization founded in Bavaria focused on enlightenment. It was originally founded as
a secret society in 1776, keep this date in mind, with the goal of bringing about spiritual and political change.
The organization’s members included forward thinking influential leaders from the top
tiers of society who opposed general superstition, religious oppression, and political abuse.
So far sounds good to me! The group grew quickly as progressive politicians
and influential intellectuals joined and it became a powerful political force throughout
the world. That is of course until the Pope ordered they disband (yes, the same Pope that
hated the Masons too) and the Bavarian government made it a criminal offense to join or support
the Order of the Illuminati. Many conspiracy theorists claim that there
are many symbols on the dollar bill that represent the Illuminati. Let’s look first at the
great seal with the eagle. The coat of arms above the eagle’s head
has 13 stars. The number 13 is supposed to represent the original 13 colonies of the
United States. From a darker point of view the number 13
is evil and the 13 stars are formed in the shape of a hexagram, a demonic symbol. Remember
that most of these societies are accused of trying to destroy religion and control all
things from the shadows. The number 13 is repeated all over the dollar
bill: 13 stars in the constellation over the eagle's head, 13 stripes in the shield, 13
arrows held in the eagle's left talon, 13 letters in e pluribus unum on the scroll carried
by the eagle, and 13 layers to the unfinished pyramid.
Theorists believe this repetition of the number 13 also demonstrates the power of 13 American
families that dominated politics – among them Washington, Solomon, and Jefferson – during
the time of the Seal's creation. Each of these families allegedly contained members of the
Illuminati. Back to the unfinished pyramid, at the bottom
is the year 1776 in Roman Numerals. Again this refers to the year the Declaration of
Independence was signed. Theorists believe this is a reference to the year the Bavarian
Illuminati was founded. Crazy coincidence? Floating just above the unfinished pyramid
sits the most notorious of all symbols associated with the Illuminati… The Eye of Providence
watching over everything. You can also see in Latin NUVUS ORDO SECLORUM —New order
of the ages. What do you guys think? Some of the conspiracy theories swirling around
the Illuminati include that they were responsible for the French Revolution, multiple disease
outbreaks, and in general mastermind events to control the world and gain political power
to establish a New World Order. Since they are so secretive and no one really
knows for sure what happened to them, conspiracy theorists maintain that the Illuminati survived
and the organization still exists today.