Throughout history secret societies have exerted a powerful hidden influence on our culture, politics and spirituality. Step into the shadowy world of secret societies with the latest edition to the illuminating Atlas series. Unlock the mysteries behind some of the world's most powerful covert organizations, some of which have faded into obscurity, others which still hold power today. Often underpinned by mystical or religious principles, each society had clear political aims and sought to bring about social, moral and political change. From Chinese Triads to the Knights Templar, and from the Thuggee Cult to the Freemasons, The Atlas of Secret Societies explores the motives of each society, their purpose and what we know of their mysterious practices. Lavish artwork reconstructions depict the ancient rites and practices of selected societies, and take you into a fascinating and hidden world.

This unique history of the Civil War considers the impact of nineteenth-century American secret societies on the path to as well as the course of the war. Beginning with the European secret societies that laid the groundwork for Freemasonry in the United States, Mark A. Lause analyzes how the Old World's traditions influenced various underground groups and movements in America, particularly George Lippard's Brotherhood of the Union, an American attempt to replicate the political secret societies that influenced the European revolutions of 1848. Lause traces the Brotherhood's various manifestations, the most conspicuous being the Knights of the Golden Circle (out of which developed the Ku Klux Klan), and the Confederate secret groups through which John Wilkes Booth and others attempted to undermine the Union. Lause profiles the key leaders of these organizations, with special focus on George Lippard, Hugh Forbes, and George Washington Lafayette Bickley. Antebellum secret societies ranged politically from those with progressive or even revolutionary agendas to those that pursued conservative or oppressive goals. This book shows how, in the years leading up to the Civil War, these clandestine organizations exacerbated existing sectional tensions in the United States. Lause's research indicates that the pervasive influence of secret societies may have played a part in key events such as the Freesoil movement, the beginning of the Republican party, John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, Lincoln's election, and the Southern secession process of 1860-1861. This exceptional study encompasses both white and African American secret society involvement, revealing the black fraternal experience in antebellum America as well as the clandestine operations that provided assistance to escaped slaves via the Underground Railroad. Unraveling these pervasive and extensive networks of power and influence, A Secret Society History of the Civil War demonstrates that antebellum secret societies played a greater role in affecting Civil War-era politics than has been previously acknowledged.

This fascinating book is an essential illustrated reference guide to secret societies and cults from every culture and time. From the Freemasons to the Knights Templar and from Rosicrucians to Chinese Triads, this in-depth handbook explains the history, beliefs and secret rituals of some of the most powerful covert organizations ever to have existed. In The Secret Societies Bible you will find: The truth about the Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion, made famous by The Da Vinci Code. A fully-illustrated guide to key rituals, meeting places and individuals. Includes major societies such as the Freemasons and the Knights Templar.Written by an expert author and featuring a code-breaker checklist of secret signs and symbols to help you identify different societies, this book reveals the mysteries behind the world's most elusive organizations.

The largest tool used by the bloodlines to implement the New World Order agenda is the global secret society network. Politicians, bankers, businessmen, and media personalities - the biggest names in history and world affairs form a huge secret society matrix. This hierarchical pyramid-structured network is constantly recruiting and placing members in key influential positions. In order to orchestrate global events and policy decisions from behind the scenes, many niche secret societies groom and position politicians, media personalities, and other "yes-men" so they may best aid the Great Work.

Secret Societies in America have been manipulating corporations and politicians for over one hundred years. Many of the world's problems and crimes against humanity have their roots in the secret society agenda. This book breaks down the issues with links to books, movies, documentaries, television shows, articles and reflections by many informed Americans who care about what is going on with secret societies in the United States and the world. The author tells his own story of how he became aware that these networks are real and how he came to believe in the reality of secret societies when he became friends with a family that used to live in the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Many people do not realize that secret society networks are prolific in the United States of America. From politics to business, entertainment, and education, secret societies control large parts of American culture. These groups have come together and crafted a plan for the entire world. Hundreds of artists, journalists, teachers, producers, and writers have created documentaries, books, articles, radio, and television programs that help to explain what these secret society networks are up to and what they are doing to the world in which we live. This book highlights many of these works. This book leads the reader to an incredible amount of information that every American needs to know if the republic is to survive for future generations.