On the Order of the Illuminati

that he from then on thought of connecting the Order of the Illuminati with Freemasonry. He agreed with Zwackh (Cato) that they would communicate the first three degrees of Masonry, which Zwackh had received from Marotti, to the most prominent members of Illuminatism—who were called Areopagites Areopagites; the supreme council of the Illuminati, named after the high court of ancient Athens—and that they would establish Freemason lodges in Munich (Athen) and Eichstädt (Erzerum) The Illuminati used a "Geographic Cipher" where Munich was called Athens and Eichstädt was called Erzerum, a city in Armenia. For the latter, they would seek to obtain a constitution from Berlin; however, the former was to be considered the actual Head Lodge, where the secrets of Illuminatism would be deposited. In this manner, Freemasonry—which was partly tolerated and partly permitted in Germany—would serve as a cover and, at the same time, a nursery for Illuminatism. They would select those from among the Masons who were suitable and promote them to Illuminatism, while allowing the others to remain mere Freemasons. Consequently, several Illuminati had themselves admitted into the Munich lodge Theodore The "Loge Theodor zum guten Rath" (Lodge Theodore of Good Counsel), a prominent Masonic lodge in Munich that the Illuminati successfully subverted, which already for several

This note continues from the previous page, explaining Weishaupt's early Masonic status.

...he had really been initiated at that time; thus, the fact that he later found Zwackh's discovery so important can only be explained by the idea that he had merely been initiated as an Apprentice Apprentice; the first and most basic level of Freemasonry, where very few "secrets" are revealed, whereas Zwackh's discovery told him more.