From: inteligencialtda
The concepts of secret societies and mysticism are deeply intertwined with human history, influencing philosophy, religion, science, and popular culture. Mysticism, often misunderstood as inherently dark, refers to knowledge that is “occult” or hidden, not necessarily evil [07:20:03]. This hidden knowledge contrasts with “exoteric” knowledge, which is publicly accessible [07:30:30].
Occultism and Hidden Knowledge
Occultism encompasses a more esoteric history, accessible only to those “within” or initiated [07:37:30]. Many works of art, great films, stories, comics, and songs contain an esoteric aspect, conveying a hidden message or “code” recognizable by the initiated [08:03:04].
Historically, science and spirituality were not separate [11:46:00]. Figures like Paracelsus, a father of modern medicine, was an alchemist [12:19:00]. The symbol of medicine, the Caduceus of Hermes Trismegistus, is rooted in Hermeticism, an occult tradition [12:27:00]. Many prominent scientists and politicians, such as Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton, and Thomas Edison, were initiates in various esoteric orders like the Rosicrucians and Freemasonry [13:00:00]. They sought knowledge and inventions from Kabbalistic and Hermetic references, believing in a spiritual world connected to ours, which Plato called the “plane of ideas” or “astral plane” [13:25:00]. Creative individuals, sensitive to this archetypal plane, can materialize ideas from the astral plane into physical reality [13:51:00].
Shifting Religious Narratives
The division between science and spirituality emerged later, largely due to the Catholic Church’s repression of older traditions [12:40:00]. What was once open and normal became “occult” because it had to be hidden [12:54:00].
The Catholic Church and its Influence
The Catholic Church, originating from the Roman tradition under the Vespasian family and Flávia Domitila, is said to have forged many things, using archetypes and mythology [14:36:00] [14:59:00]. For instance, the papal mitre resembles the hat worn by Philistines in the temple of Dagon, a god of agriculture and fishing [15:01:00].
The concept of a singular, unique God (monotheism) also evolved. The Hebrew Bible, in Genesis, uses “Elohim,” a plural term meaning “God of Gods” [15:25:00] [15:56:00]. Ancient Hebrews, like those during Solomon’s time, recognized a greater force in the universe while also personifying forces of nature as divinities, such as the god of wind or fire [18:30:00]. This contrasts with the later monotheistic insistence that one God is supreme and exclusive [19:08:08]. This ancient paganism is natural to human nature, as people historically admired nature as divinity [33:38:00]. Many polytheistic religions, like Umbanda, acknowledge a supreme God (e.g., Olorum) alongside forces of nature personified as orixás (gods) [19:15:00]. Religion, in this view, offers archetypal explanations for what science explains or has yet to explain [19:43:00].
The Roman Empire, facing rebellions from the Jews, created a new archetypal side of religion, giving rise to the Orthodox Catholic Church [16:35:00] [16:40:00]. This version of Christianity, established in the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) under Emperor Constantine, manipulated narratives to control the masses [17:17:00] [17:28:00]. Books were included or excluded from the Bible, and Christian rituals were codified [17:05:00] [17:19:00]. The resulting “docile Christ” and fixed doctrines were intended to subdue and manage the population [17:02:00] [17:07:00]. The New Testament, in particular, is considered by some to be poorly translated and organized, lacking historicity compared to older Hebrew texts [17:46:00].
Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter are examples of pagan customs that were later “Christianized” [21:45:00]. The word Easter (from “Esther” or “Ostara”) relates to German and pagan spring fertility cults, explaining symbols like the Easter egg and hare, which have no inherent connection to Jesus [21:55:00] [22:54:00]. The Jewish Passover, commemorating the Exodus, is celebrated on a different date due to a deliberate decision by the Catholic Church during the Council of Nicaea [22:24:00].
The Origin of Satan and Lucifer
The concept of “Satan” as an evil entity or adversary to God is not present in the earliest biblical texts. In the Book of Numbers (Chapter 22, Verse 22) and First Samuel (Chapter 29), “Satan” (Hebrew: “lessatã”) means “opponent” or “adversary” [23:27:00] [23:51:00]. For example, God himself places an “opposing angel” in Balaam’s path [25:08:00], and David is referred to as an “adversary” by the Philistines [26:45:00]. This period, related to the early Israeli monarchy, did not have a “devil” entity [28:08:00].
The dualistic concept of good and evil, with a distinct evil entity, emerged after the Babylonian exile (586 BCE) [35:00:00]. During their captivity, Jews encountered Zoroastrianism, a Persian doctrine with a good god (Ahura Mazda) and an evil god (Ahriman) [35:18:00] [38:28:00]. Upon their return, this dualistic worldview influenced later biblical writings like the Book of Job and Zechariah, where “Satan” begins to appear as a subordinate entity to God, testing human fidelity [39:35:00] [42:02:00].
The notion of Satan as an independent enemy of God appears even later, in books like First Chronicles (Chapter 21) [43:50:00]. However, the same event is described in Second Samuel (Chapter 24) as “the wrath of the Eternal” (God) [44:50:00]. This suggests that the concept of an arch-enemy of creation was a later migration of ideas, not present in the earlier texts [45:32:00]. There is no “devil” in the Bible; it is a Zoraostrian invention [46:04:00].
Similarly, “Lucifer” is not a devil figure in the Bible. The name appears only once in the Old Testament, in the Book of Isaiah (Chapter 14) [54:13:00]. Here, “Lucifer” refers to the “Morning Star” (Venus) and is an epithet used by the prophet Isaiah to describe the fall of the arrogant King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, by comparing him to Venus, which “falls from the sky” at dawn [59:34:00] [01:00:09] [01:02:10]. The confusion arose from Saint Jerome’s translation of the Hebrew phrase “Helel ben Shahar” (bright and morning star, son of Aurora) into Latin as “Lucifer” [01:01:31].
In Greco-Roman mythology, Lucifer (Luxiferos) was the “light-bearer,” the son of the god Apollo and the goddess Aurora, representing the planet Venus [01:04:26]. Ancient Greek wedding songs (epithalamia) even evoked Lucifer’s forces to bless couples, linking the planet Venus to love, passion, and seduction [01:05:11]. This pagan custom was later Christianized by the Catholic Church [01:05:57].
The concept of a “war in heaven” and “fallen angels” like Azazel comes from Enochian literature, not the Bible itself [01:02:34]. These “fallen angels” are portrayed as intelligences who brought forbidden knowledge (e.g., gunpowder, cosmetics) to humanity, promoting evolution, akin to the Greek myth of Prometheus stealing fire [01:03:51] [01:04:05].
Secret Societies and Mystical Practices
Temple of Solomon and its Mysteries
Solomon’s Temple is a crucial site in mystical traditions. King David, who could not build the temple due to his involvement in wars, passed the plans to his son Solomon [32:34:00]. The temple was built around the “Stone of Creation” (Even Shetiyah), believed to be the Axis Mundi, the first stone from which the world was created [29:52:00] [30:16:00]. This stone, located in Jerusalem, is said to be a “portal” or “Well of Souls,” an intersection between higher and lower worlds, and the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept [31:39:00] [32:04:00].
Solomon, known for his wisdom, also collected various books of magic and mysteries from Babylonian and Egyptian magicians, which were stored in the First Temple [34:40:00]. The destruction of the First Temple by Babylonians and the subsequent Babylonian exile led to the rediscovery and reconstruction of the Second Temple [34:56:00] [41:52:00]. The site continued to be a place of conflict, later seized by Romans, Muslims, and the Catholic Church during the Crusades [44:18:00]. The number 666, often associated with evil, is in Kabbalah a solar number related to Solomon and the amount of gold he received, symbolizing the sephirah Tiphareth (beauty/balance) on the Tree of Life [45:32:00] [01:52:51] [01:53:31]. The hexagram (Star of David) symbolizes balance between masculine and feminine, conscious and unconscious, light and darkness, and the four elements, aiming for perfect harmony [01:46:00].
Knights Templar and Freemasonry
The Knights Templar, originally called the “Poor Order of the Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon,” were formed in 1118 CE by nine knights led by Hugh de Payens [01:55:52]. They were allowed by King Baldwin II and the Patriarch of Jerusalem to establish their headquarters on the site of Solomon’s Temple [01:56:55]. After years of occupying the temple site, the Templars emerged with immense wealth and power, even creating the first banking system, leading to speculation that they discovered hidden treasures, ancient books, or profound wisdom beneath the temple [01:58:02] [01:59:52].
The Templars were later accused of heresy and practicing “strange cults,” including the worship of Baphomet (a symbolic alchemical figure, not the devil) [02:01:04] [02:01:12]. In 1307 CE, King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V betrayed and annihilated the Templar order [02:01:34]. The story of their betrayal, symbolized by Jacques DeMolay’s martyrdom, is believed to have inspired narratives like George Lucas’s Star Wars [02:01:47]. The last Templar ship is believed to have sailed to Scotland, carrying with it a “legacy” possibly including the Grail, the Ark, or hidden knowledge about Jesus or other profound secrets [02:04:30]. This is linked to the origins of Freemasonry in Scotland [02:05:01].
Freemasonry, much like the Knights Templar, is largely based on the Temple of Solomon and biblical traditions [02:16:00]. It is a “mystical side of Christianity” where rituals do not involve blood drinking or sacrifices of people [02:16:00] [03:13:13]. Secret societies are so-called not because they are evil, but because their knowledge is not for the majority, requiring ethical preparation [03:09:06] [03:12:54].
Thelema and Chaos Magic
Thelema is a philosophy and religion founded by Aleister Crowley in the early 20th century, summarized by the maxim “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” [02:10:57]. Crowley was a key figure in the Golden Dawn, a hermetic order that heavily influenced many artists. He later formed his own orders, such as the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) and the A∴A∴ (Argenteum Astrum) [02:58:01].
Chaos Magic, heavily influenced by Austin Osman Spare and later developed by Grant Morrison, is a system where practitioners create their own magical systems, mixing elements from various esoteric traditions [08:43:00]. It emphasizes direct experience and results over rigid dogma [08:54:00]. This includes creating “sigils” – symbols infused with personal energy from the unconscious to manifest desires [09:48:00]. The unconscious mind, populated by archetypes (as per Carl Jung, also an occultist), is key to influencing reality through symbols [09:56:00] [02:13:01].
The “Abramelin ritual” or “Operation Abramelin,” a six-month-long magical retreat, is designed to achieve communion with one’s Holy Guardian Angel and confront inner “demons” or shadows [02:27:05] [02:28:31]. This process forces individuals to deal with their subconscious traumas, leading to spiritual transformation, which is compared to the collective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic [02:31:53].
Influence of Occultism in Arts and Pop Culture
The Influence of Occultism in Music and Pop Culture is extensive. Artists like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones were heavily influenced by occult figures like Aleister Crowley and esoteric orders like the Golden Dawn [02:18:32] [02:43:00]. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, for instance, bought Crowley’s Boleskine House, a site of occult rituals [02:26:18]. The band’s iconic symbols are rooted in astrological and alchemical meanings [02:37:02].
Contemporary artists like Madonna, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Glória Groove, and Pabllo Vittar also incorporate occult symbolism and themes from Thelema and Hermetic traditions into their music videos and public personas [02:10:50] [02:11:03] [02:21:03]. These symbols often represent degrees of initiation in hermetic societies, signifying concepts like creativity, intuition, and beauty [02:29:56]. The frequent use of the pyramid with an eye or a triangle hand gesture is a reference to the “eye of Horus” and philosophical degrees within these orders [02:21:32].
Beyond music, other forms of media also contain mystical allusions:
- Comics: Alan Moore’s works like V for Vendetta and Watchmen are deeply influenced by Thelema and occultism, aiming to transform consciousness through “controlled chaos” [05:57:00].
- Cartoons/Anime: Naruto depicts the protagonist’s journey to master his “inner beast” (the Kyubi demon), symbolizing the wizard’s work of integrating and utilizing one’s inner demons [03:03:52]. Snow White features seven dwarfs representing vices and virtues, as well as the seven chakras, a metaphor for human development and balancing one’s subconscious [03:05:31].
- Film: Avatar is cited as an example of the concept of Gaia, where the planet is a single, living energy [04:52:00].
Conclusion
Secret societies and mystical traditions, rather than being inherently evil, are described as systems for accessing and understanding hidden knowledge, personal transformation, and the underlying energies of the universe. They have profoundly influenced historical events, religious doctrines, scientific advancements, and artistic expressions, often operating through symbolic languages and initiatory practices to preserve and transmit their insights.