13. The Illuminati Has Not Officially Existed Since 1785… But Many Groups Claim To Be Off-Shoots
First established in Bavaria in May 1776, the Illuminati in its original form lasted just nine years before it was outlawed in 1785.
With the Roman Catholic Church and the Bavarian government worried about the impact the Illuminati could have, an Edict was released by German ruler Karl Theodor in 1785 that outlawed the organisation.
Due to the fact the Illuminati had arisen out of the Enlightenment, any conservative politicians at the time feared the organisation – so Theodor banned all secret societies. Theodor then demanded that all of the Illuminati’s secret documents were confiscated and published, so this forced the movement even further underground – with groups such as the Ordo Templi Orientis claiming to be an organisation directly descended from the original Illuminati.
If the Illuminati does still exist, then it really is an underground movement.
12. There Are Three Classes In The Order Of The Illuminati
In January 1782, the Illuminati in its original form published a three-tiered system of grades for the order.
This three-tiered system established a hierarchy within the organisation, and the classes were:
Class I – “The Nursery” (containing the Noviciate, the Minerval and Illuminatus minor). Class II – “The Masonic Grades” (this involved three “blue-lodge” sub-grades of Apprentice, Companion and Master). Class III – “The Mysteries” (lesser mysteries included Priest and Prince, while the greater mysteries included Mage and King).
Due to the fact there were sub-categories even within the individual classes of the organisation this meant that there was a clear hierarchy for the Illuminati. It begs the question, does such a hierarchy still remain in place to this day?
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