What is Illuminati ?

The Illuminati did plenty of unusual things. They used symbols (like the owl), adopted pseudonyms to avoid identification, and had complicated hierarchies like Novice, Minerval, and Illuminated Minerval that divided the ranks.

Class II— “The Masonic Grades”; includes the sub-grades of Apprentice, Companion, and Master. You can move from Apprentice up to Master by following the rules and complying with ritual. (But also, if you don’t follow the rules or comply with ritual anyway, the group can punish you.)

In the beginning, Hodapp says, Illuminati members didn't trust anyone over 30, because they were too set in their ways

Weishaupt’s world-views were more cosmopolitan and liberal than the bucolic, dogmatic views of the priesthood.

The Illuminati have many different source texts but one that stands out is called Illuminati Bible: Hidden Wisdom of Alpha & Omega.

Class III— “The Mysteries”; Priest and Prince, Mage and King. This is the final stage and includes the inner most circle of Illuminati members. You get some sweet robes and learn a cool lil handshake.

In response, he created the Illuminati, a secret society eponymously promoting enlightenment as well as moral progress.

Other reports of rituals are harder to confirm, but we know that members were very paranoid and used spy-like protocol to keep one another's identities secret.

The Illuminati funds its sketchy activities because they presumably control most of the world’s money too. The biggest, oldest banks in the world apparently have some connections leading back to the original formation of the Illuminati in the 18th century.

The Illuminati was founded by Weishuapt in the year 1776, an obviously significant year in American history.

The priesthood, waging significant political power in those days, revoked his academic credentials and had him banished from the country.

The Illumanti is secret organization today because it was actually outlawed in 1785. It originated in Germany, and during the Enlightenment period, conservative politicians feared the concept of organizations uprising against the government

Some say Illuminati members have infiltrated every level of society worldwide. The US government, Vatican City, NATO, the UN, Hollywood, global media outlets, etc. Because they allegedly control all of these various governments and forms of media, it’s easier to keep the organization a secret.

The basic explanation is that they were simply freemasons who kept their philosophies secret because it clashed with church doctrine, but some believe it to be deeper and linked to the Illuminati.

He moved on to Germany where he was better received and free to form the foundation of the Illuminati and its philosophy.

The Illuminati are frequently blamed for major historical events, such as the JFK Assassination, Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, and the French Revolution. The secret society has been incredibly busy

Historians tend to think the Illuminati were only mildly successful — at best — in becoming influential.

The Illuminati was founded on May 1, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776—just two months later. Coincidence???!!!

The mission statement of Weishaupt’s Illuminati was, “by the mutual assistance of its members, to attain the highest possible degree of morality and virtue, and to lay the foundation for the reformation of the world by the association of good men to oppose the progress of moral evil.”

The literal definition of “Illuminati” suggests that members of the group know more than the rest of society. “Illuminati” translates to “enlightened” in Latin, and supposedly this implies that members of the highly selective and secretive group are better informed and more knowledgable than those on the outside. Not chill.

The “All-Seeing Eye” is another reason to believe that they secretly run the US government. Recently in popular culture, the “All-Seeing Eye” has been linked to the Illuminati, which has convinced enough people that the organization runs the US government—due to the Eye being featured on the back of the $1 bill.

While his ambitions were ostensibly noble, Weishaupt intended to change the way European nations were run, by subversive means.

In 1785, Duke of Bavaria Karl Theodor banned secret societies, including the Illuminati, and instituted serious punishments for anyone who joined them. Most of the group's secrets were disclosed or published, and, if you believe most historians, the Illuminati disappeared.

The literal definition of “Illuminati” suggests that members of the group know more than the rest of society. “Illuminati” translates to “enlightened” in Latin, and supposedly this implies that members of the highly selective and secretive group are better informed and more knowledgable than those on the outside. Not chill.

Many high-profile celebrities are suspected of being members of Illuminati: Jay-Z, Beyonce, Snoop Dog, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Emma Watson, Celine Dion, Bradley Cooper (seriously?), the entire cast of Boy Meets World (even Mr. Feeney?), and President Barack Obama.