Freemasons, or Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem are believed to have been organized when stone masons were constructing the Temple of Solomon. It is a worldwide Order that teaches kindness to all people.
The Rosicrucians, or the Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross, were a legendary secret society beginning in the 15th to 17th century with many similarities to Freemasonry. Some believe the Order was founded in the year 46 by the Gnostic Ormus who was converted to Christianity by Mark, the follower of Christ. Others believe it was founded in 1407 by a German occultist named Christian Rosenkreuz. The publication of Fama Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis (1614), the Confessio Fraternitatis (1615) and The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1616) announced the Orders presence throughout Europe, though most theologians believe they were all the work of Johann Valentin Andrea.
Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia was founded in 1866 by Robert Wentworth Little in England, Its members are restricted to Christian Master Masons. William Wynn Westcott, once a member of the Golden Dawn was once a leader of this Order. Different sects, called the Societas Rosicruciana, are: Societas Rosicruciana in Scotia in Scotland and Rosicruciana in Civitatis Foederatibus founded in 1880 in the United States. In 1935, a college was set up in Canada, now called the Societas Rosicruciana in Canada.
Rosicrucian Fellowship was founded between 1909 - 1911 by Max Heindel. In 1908 he was given permission to print the book The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception and also published the magazine Rays from the Rose Cross.
Rosicrucian Order Crotona Fellowship was a supposed Order founded in 1924 by George Alexander Sullivan and was believed to have also been called the Order of Twelve. Their headquarters, Ashrama Hall, in Liverpool, England was a place for plays. The founded or Wicca, Gerald B. Gardner was often a visitor.
Confraternity of the Rose Crosswas founded in 1996 by Imperator Gary L. Stewart with branches in the UK, America and Brazil.
Illuminati describes a number of organizations because the name means "enlightened" in Latin. The first group to call themselves Illuminati were the Brethren of the Free Spirit who were pantheists, believing all things were God. This led Pope Clement V and the council of Vienne to condemn them and they were turned in by Master Ralph, an undercover agent of the Bishop of Paris. Members of the Group were burned at the stake. The remaining members became understandably anti-Christian.
Bavarian Illuminati was born in 1776 in what is now Germany with members calling themselves "Perfectibilists." The Order was made mostly of Masons and is even today the subject of Conspiracy theorists.
Illuminates of Thanateros was applied to the movement of two young British occultists by the names of Ray Sherwin and Peter Carroll who became dissatisfied with available information on the occult. They began publishing a magazine called the New Equinox to promote their brand of magic, called chaos magic. Carroll published the books Liber Null, Psychonaut, and later Liber Kaos.
Martinist Order. Martinism was founded in the 18th century in France by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin who was greatly influenced by Jacob Boehme. His group was then called the Society of Friends. In 1888 two young initiates, Augustin Chaboseau and Papus created the mystical school of Ordre Martiniste. Papus was later made leader by a council of peers in 1891 who gained influential friends such as the Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Papus died in the first World War.
Ordre Martiniste et Synarchy was an offshoot of French members who believed Karl Wilhelm Naundorff's claims to the French throne.
Ordre Martiniste Traditionnel was founded in 1931 when the two reminding council members of the original group, Augustin Chaboseau and Victor-Emile Michelet joined.
The original Theosophical Society was founded in New York City in 1875 by many people, but their central figure has always been Helena Petrovna Hahn, better known as Helena Blavatsky or Madame Blavatsky. The Societies agenda became clear in 1889 when Blavatsky wrote Key to Theosophy. After her deal in 1891, the order split into different sects. The one in India, known as the Theosophical Society - Adyar, was started by Henry Steel Olcott. In 1909 another sect split from the American Society led by William Quan Judge, calling themselves The United Lodge of Theosophists. This organization was started by the disgruntled Robert Crosbie.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded in London in 1888 as the Fraternity of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn by Dr. William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers. The Order was once a hangout for celebrities. After dissolution, Israel Regardie published most of their inner teachings in his books. Aleister Crowley was once a member, but after he published his fictional novel Moonchild wherein the Orders rituals were exposed, he was kicked out. Crowley later went on to form the commune Thelema Abbey, at Cefalu, Sicily and was expelled from Italy for his horrible practices. Spin offs of this Order are the Stella Matutina (Morning Star), now the Whare Ra in New Zealand and the Alpha et Omega.
Ordo Templi Orientis, or the Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars was once affiliated with Freemasonry. A wealthy paper chemist, Carl Kellner, and his friend Theodor Reuss. After Kellner died in 1905 and the Order was left with Reuss, Reuss met Aliester Crowley and allowed the man to take over the branches in Ireland and Great Britain. Crowley wrote their central ritual, the Liber XV, or the Gnostic Mass. After Reuss died in 1923, Crowley took over the Order completely. During WWII the only public branch of the Order was in California. Karl Germer took control of the Order after Crowley's death in 1947. He died in 1962 and left the Order to Grady McMurtry, who later died in 1985. Frater Hymenaeus Beta was elected new head of the Order.
Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis: Kenneth Grant had been expelled by Karl Germer in 1955 and went on to found his own similar Order, the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis. The Order has been a profound influence on many black magic societies.
Argenteum Astrum, or the Argentinum Astrum, Argentinium Astrum or Astron Argon, was founded in 1907 by Aliester Crowley, after leaving the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and George Cecil Jones.
Sacred Fraternity of the Cross was a Hermetic society founded by Alexander Guilford, or Frater Auriel, in London during the 1930s. The Order promotes Christian mysticism but was dissolved in the early 1960s with the death of it's new leader, Simone Montbarde, or Frater Carpocrates.
Priory of Sion, or the Priory of Zion, was a hoax organization created by "the would be royal Pierre Plantard, apparently for purposes of self-aggrandizement."
Servants Of the Light School of Occult Science was founded in 1965 by W. E. Butler in England. It is a mystery school teaching many different areas of the occult.
The Council of American Witches was a Wiccan organization whose main purpose was to gather to create the 'Thirteen Wiccan Principals."
The Temple of Set is a Satanic group that was founded in 1975 by Michael Aquino, once a member of the Church of Satan and is an order that exclusively teaches black magic. Members such as Stephen Flowers and Don Webb have published many of the Order's philosophies.
The Storm is an Order that broke away from the Temple of Set in 2002, and included some of the higher ranking members. The Order claims to honor the true religion of the Egyptian god, Set.
Dragon Rouge, or Ordo Draconis et Atri Adamantis, was founded in 1990 and has lodges in Sweden (Lodge Sinistra in Malmoe), Germany (Lodge Heldrasil in Thuringen), Poland (Lodge Magan in Silesia) and Italy (Lodge Sothis in Naples). There central preoccupation is with the left hand path and they have 11 grades.
Order Militia Crucifera Evangelica was first organized in 1990 to active all serving members of the Knights Templar and the Rosae Crucis (Rosicrucianism). The Order believes in spiritual enlightenment through mysticism.
