David Bowie and the
20th Century Occult Revival

The Illuminati and Counter Culture

Rob Howells 

Article for Watkins Mind, Body and Spirit Magazine, published 2017

 

Author and researcher Robert Howells explores the Counter Culture Revolution from Secret Societies to Wilkileaks and Anonymous

 

The term Illuminati belongs to three distinct groups in history.

The first is the original Bavarian Illuminati, a secret society that appeared in 1776 among European Freemasons and academics with the intention of liberating humanity from physical, mental and spiritual bondage. Many secret societies were founded to protect and promote spiritual ideals in the face of inquisition, and the Illuminati drew upon these but chose to be far more politically active in shaping the world to suit their beliefs.

As the pinnacle of counter-culture and subversion, the Illuminati stood in open revolt against all forms of oppression set upon humanity and became the archetypal secret society. They challenged the corrupt governments, monarchs and religious institutions by working in the shadows for the emancipation of humanity. Their subversive rituals were designed to liberate initiates from political and religious influence and to undermine the patriotism that kept the royal families of Europe in power.

The questioning of all forms of authority brought them into conflict with the monarchs and the Catholic Church, but during their brief incarnation they encapsulated counter-culture into a single system of organized dissent that is still relevant today. Facing inevitable persecution from the conservative ruling classes the Illuminati chose to take refuge within a myriad of other societies to continue their work from the shadows. Eventually they would be seen as a driving force in the dissent that culminated in the French Revolution.

The name Illuminati all but disappeared from history at this time, but in their absence their ideals would continue to find a voice in the many counterculture movements of Europe and America in the 18th and 19th centuries until they eventually resurfaced as a myth in the 1970s. The second incarnation of the Illuminati came in 1976 when authors Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea published The Illuminatus Trilogy; a vast work of fiction placing the Illuminati at the centre of every major conspiracy and key event in history.

The idea of a hidden group manipulating society was perfectly timed to capture the imagination of those who were living in the wake of the Kennedy assassinations and the Watergate scandal. This mythic Illuminati was incorporated into a growing cultural idea that the world is ruled by a New World Order, a secret cabal devoted to the control, enslavement and exploitation of humanity at the hands of banking cabals and wealthy aristocrats. To conspiracy theorists this was seen as the work of the Illuminati rather than the rich vying to maintain their wealth and any power it affords them.

The existence of a New World Order is still in question but any group rooted in the old money of the corrupt banking systems and aristocracy is the antithesis of the original Illuminati who valued individual freedom above all forms of control. While their name was being usurped by conspiracy theorists a new form of counter–culture mirrored their aspirations. Among the emergent communities of the internet and in a climate of pranks, memes and youthful exploration the hacktivist collective ‘Anonymous’ was born.

The disruptive technology of the internet allowed groups like Anonymous and WikiLeaks to thrive as the latest incarnation of secret societies. These online communities shared a common loathing of injustice and corruption and in their use of secrecy and social engineering to further their aims they have become the true successors to the Illuminati. Their hacktivist ideals helped them play a key role in the Arab Spring uprisings, just as the Illuminati were a driving force in the dissent that culminated in the French Revolution.

As codes and cyphers were employed by the secret societies, groups like WikiLeaks use encryption and anonymity to enable whistle-blowers to expose the illegal actions of government agencies. Their revelations bring society closer to the truth and undermine the corporate control and censorship of traditional media. They fear the transparency forced upon them by those among their ranks who are willing to speak out. In response to such an uncensored outpouring, governments are pursuing ways to silence the whistle-blowers by waging war on the connected communities of the internet age.

From the first secret societies that protected spiritual truths to WikiLeaks hiding the identities of whistle-blowers, the same battle has been fought on a continuous timeline, and the ideals of the Illuminati still ring true today. The political corruption and religious control that inspired the creation of the Illuminati have been replaced by the corporations and financial institutions that are trying to exploit society for their own ends. Through their actions, Anonymous and WikiLeaks have become the spiritual and political successors to the Illuminati. Their masks are the new face of counter-culture and their distributed power is capable of challenging abuses of power, but the war against personal liberty is escalating as government agencies try to criminalise privacy and personal freedom. It is a new inquisition that has its origins in a war that has raged for centuries between the rigid structures of existing society and the counter-culture that is struggling to emerge.

The world is at risk of being ruled by corporations via their political lobbyists and mired in restrictive laws that benefit big business over the individual, but through digital communities there is an opportunity to bring to fruition the Illuminati aim of replacing the old wealth and power structures with a meritocracy. This is the third incarnation of the Illuminati and an opportunity for every individual to become an agent for change and shape the coming counter culture revolution.

MEET THE AUTHOR ROBERT HOWELLS has spent the last twenty years investigating the mysteries of Rennes-le-Chateau, the Priory of Sion and the history of conspiracy theories. During this time he has built up an extensive knowledge and experience of secret societies, symbolism and esoteric thought. He is the author of Inside the Priory of Sion and The Last Pope and can currently be seen in a documentary series called Forbidden History on the BBC Yesterday channel.

On the web www.robhowells.co.uk

Bookshelf THE ILLUMINATI: THE COUNTER CULTURE REVOLUTION FROM SECRET SOCIETIES TO WIKILEAKS AND ANONYMOUS BY ROBERT HOWELLS, published by Watkins, paperback (256 pages).

 

Robert Howells is the author of The Illuminati: The Counterculture Revolution from Secret Societies to Anonymous and WikiLeaks.
ISBN: 9781780288727
Watkins Publishing Ltd - October 2016