On the Order of the Illuminati

years, to admit them as Freemasons. In fact, Weishaupt intended to do the same with Freemasonry that the Rosicrucians Rosicrucians; a mystical secret society that claimed ancient esoteric knowledge, often viewed as rivals or "fanatics" by the Enlightenment-era Illuminati and other fanatics had already attempted; just as they had grafted their mystical delusions onto it, he now wanted to graft his anti-Christian and revolutionary conspiracy onto it. That he already had plans for Freemasonry in mind for the advantage of Illuminatism before he had even become a Freemason himself is clear from the passage cited previously in the note. However, the execution of this project proceeded very slowly, and until the year 1780, one finds no traces of an actual connection between the Masonic Order and the Order of the Illuminati, or that the former had been utilized for the benefit of the latter.

Nevertheless, the Illuminati exerted themselves to do everything possible for their expansion, gradually raising their order from the lowly status of a student society. By gaining more members and establishing lodges in other locations—which they called Churches Churches; the code name used by the Illuminati for their local branches to mimic or mock ecclesiastical structures—they aimed to make it into a secret society just like the Masonic Order. They already had various members in Munich, Eichstädt, Ravensburg, Freising, Bamberg, Salzburg, and Augsburg. As early as 1778, they sought to get Illuminatism underway in Vienna, which was successful enough. This expansion gave rise to...

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

original: "...er wirklich sey initiirt worden zu..." ...he had really been initiated at The author is likely referring to Weishaupt's initiation into the "Strict Observance" or a specific Munich lodge, which provided him the "cover" he needed.