Over the centuries-old history of the world, there have been many different mysterious organizations: from ridiculous to militant. Each such community in its own way represents a story of human stupidity and error.
Mikhail Vinogradov about the world behind the scenes
In 2012, world news agencies reported the decryption of a mysterious document originally designated as the Codex Copiale. There is no provenance, as well as information about the current owner of the manuscript. According to some reports, the 105-page manuscript, bound in green and gold glazet, was discovered in the archives of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR back in the 1970s.
A group of scientists from different countries managed to solve the code and read the mysterious book. It turned out that written in German XVIII century the code contains the ritual of initiation of the German secret (similar to the Masonic) society, which was called Oculisten("Eye Opener").
Members of the secret society were ophthalmological surgeons from the Lower Saxon city of Wolfenbüttel, who imagined themselves as healers and guardians of all medical knowledge about the structure of the eye and vision. It is known that they were engaged in the treatment of cataracts. But no one except the initiates had any idea what was happening behind the scenes of this secret society, where the newcomer was taught to “see” by plucking hair from his eyebrows. After it was possible to decipher other pages of the manuscript, it turned out that Oculisten had another mission - to monitor the Freemasons.
The documents of this secret society included the completely secret rituals of free masons, up to the highest degrees of Freemasonry. Now they are quite well known, but at that time such information could only be obtained through espionage. It is possible that the Oculisten were either spies or a splinter group of Freemasonry created to protect their core rituals if the Roman Catholic Church decided to deal with them the same way they did with .
It is not clear why the secret society of Irish-born miners in the coal mines of Pennsylvania in Liverpool, England and Canada was called "Molly Maguires"(Molly Maguires). According to employees at Lehigh University, this was the name of an Irish Catholic woman who refused to leave her home when the Protestant English kicked her out. The first mention of this organization is found on the pages of The Liverpool Mercury newspaper dated May 10, 1853.
In the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania, members of the secret organization Molly Maguires replaced absent unions, campaigning against meager wages and shorter hours. working day from the time of the stock market crash of 1873 until 1878, when, after arrests and executions, the society was dissolved. Working conditions in mines, with complete absence security measures were appalling. Deaths and serious injuries occurred hundreds of times a year.
The Irish miners of this underground organization used against the American coal trusts the proven tactics of intimidation and violence that they followed in their struggle against Irish landowners during the so-called “Land War” (or in Irish Cogadh na Talún) between 1870- x to the 1890s. However, modern historians do not have a unanimous opinion about the Molly Maguires’ commitment to bloody acts.
Members of the Molly Maguires organization were accused of murder, arson, kidnapping and other criminal offenses. Members of the society were brought to trial on the basis of the testimony of a private detective from the Pinkerton agency, Irishman James McParlan, also known as James McKenna.
But "the Molly Maguires themselves left virtually no evidence of their existence, let alone their goals and motivations." Even before the investigation began, based on his personal observations, McParlan believed that the Molly Maguires, under the pressure of their activity, adopted the new name “The Ancient Order of Hibernians.” After the investigation began, he estimated that there were about 450 members of this organization in one of the districts.
It is difficult to accurately answer the question of why there are so many perverts among the British establishment. Perhaps the closed nature of establishments for boys played a role here. Although there were plenty of similar institutions among French and Spanish Catholics, as well as among the Orthodox brethren in Greek monasteries.
On May 25, 1895, the English celebrity was escorted to a London prison after his conviction for sodomy. In the Victorian era, articles that sent people to jail for homosexuality were especially popular.
Unfortunately, the talented Wilde met with the illegitimate son of an English officer and a Spanish baroness, who later became the writer and poet George Cecil Ives. In 1892, Ives tried to attract the attention of a celebrity to the problems of homosexuals, but he, to his great disappointment, did not express the slightest interest in the fate of persecuted gays.
In 1897, Ives created the secret Order of Chaeronea - OrderHehronei. In order to stop the oppression of the gay community, this alleged admirer of antiquity named his brainchild in honor of the Battle of Chaeronea that took place in August 338 BC, when the Sacred Band of Thebes, allegedly consisting of friends-lovers. The mistake was a misinterpretation of a Greek word meaning “close or intimate friend,” although it is possible that some warriors used their comrades as sexual partners.
Examining the corpses of the dead, Philip began to cry and said: “Let those who suspect them of being the perpetrators or accomplices of anything shameful die an evil death.”
Centuries later, a tiny group of Oxford scribes translating ancient Greek texts found nothing more valuable in them than the popularization - alas, sometimes literally - of same-sex relationships. Based on their own perversions, the degenerates of the century before last raised the defense of homosexuality and other sexual perversions to their crap standards.
The brains of these figures were as bad as their morals. You had to be a genius to entrust the task of public (!) defense of the “honor and dignity” of fagots to the corrupt members of the underground society!
In 1912, first the English-speaking and then the world community learned partial details of the activities of the secret Leopard People Society operating in West Africa. The existence of such a cult is so secret in the countries of the Dark Continent, where hundreds of people die every year from the claws and teeth of predators, it is difficult to determine whether an onlooker-tourist or an aborigine was torn to pieces by a beast, or whether he died at the hands of killers imitating a leopard attack.
In the 1950s, a significant portion of the Yoruba people practiced Islam or Christianity, but they still have strong ancient beliefs. Among the most authoritative secret societies in Africa, the ones most often named are Egungun, Oro and Ogboni. In addition to the secret societies of leopards and crocodiles, there is also a secret baboon society.
Little is known about the motives of the members of these societies. For example, whether they are engaged or not. Often, white colonialists invented stories about supposedly savage and barbaric tribes to justify their illegal and blasphemous acts in Western-conquered countries.
What can you do so that life doesn’t seem boring and empty, like on a desert island that relatives occasionally visit? Just don't sit at home! Every city has many different clubs for seniors. And if you have a lot creative ideas, you can open your own club!
Go to university
In the Novoilinsky district of Novokuznetsk at the library named after. D. Likhachev has a unique club for older people. People come here to study! This is a university for the older generation “New Start!” Everything here is like in a real educational institution: lessons, teachers, breaks, graduations, holidays. “Our university has been operating for the second year,” says its head Natalya Suvorova, “more and more people come to us more people. To be honest, such popularity surprises us, because everything we do now in the club, we did before in the library. Obviously, the chosen form of association turned out to be very successful - there is both knowledge and communication!”
The idea of creating such a club came from the “students” themselves. Someone has already seen similar ones in other cities of Russia, and they were all very popular, because it’s never too late to learn! And if it’s also with like-minded people, then it’s interesting and useful. “The council of veterans of the district approached me with a request to open a university for older people,” continues Natalya Sergeevna. - The idea seemed very interesting to me, especially since we already had some kind of base at the library. We compiled a passport and regulations of the club, in which we outlined its main goals, objectives, direction of work, and the category of “students”. We keep a log of visits and a curator from the library staff is assigned to the university, and we select a leader from among the club participants.”
The university opened its doors, as it should be for all educational institutions, on September 1. “Students” attend classes in literature, local history, computer science, art history, English, Orthodox culture, physical education, and even Esperanto! Lecturers from the Pension Fund, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, health centers come to them, and they not only tell them, but can, for example, even check their blood for sugar or do some other express tests. “Students” go to the fire station, various museums, exhibitions, and meet interesting people in the city.
But not all lessons are serious. There are many creative activities that over time began to be carried out not only by volunteers, but also by the “students” themselves. They share their experience with great pleasure: some show embroidery, others do floristry, decoupage, knitting. The teachers at the university are different: they are library staff and volunteers (current and retired teachers educational institutions cities, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, government agencies), and now the students themselves, who prepare for lessons with great pleasure and responsibility. Classes are held once a week, on Fridays. As a rule, there are two or three lessons a day, one of them is necessarily creative.
“Our “students” are getting younger before our eyes! - continues the head of the university. - Indeed, they turn into mischievous, cheerful students. And how elegant they come! We also have the first bell, we celebrate Knowledge Day, Student Day and, as expected, graduation with the presentation of certificates. Our grandparents get what they began to miss when they retired - new information and communication. They get acquainted with us, find new friends, then go to the dacha together, visit each other and even go on vacation together, for example, to a sanatorium.” And this year, “students” of “New Start” began to take part in the new project “Granny for an Hour”. These are free creative activities for children, who are taught by the “grandmother” on duty from among the university students. They conduct various creative workshops, read books together, help with homework, learn to play musical instruments, chess and checkers. Like this simple idea combining knowledge and communication has grown into a big interesting concept, the implementation of which brings so many benefits to both its organizers and students.
In 2005, Iraida Borisovna decided to engage in social activities, created a club for veterans of her native Zavodsky district of Novokuznetsk and called it “My Family”. The social service met halfway and allocated premises - in the Komsomolets cultural center. “In order to open a club, you just need a great desire and necessarily creative potential,” says Iraida Zinovieva. “I didn’t even have to come up with activities: everything that I knew myself, I decided to pass on to my grandparents. She knew how to sew - she opened a sewing club, she knew how to draw - in drawing, she knew how to sing - she organized an ensemble, she knew how to write poetry - a poetry club, she was involved in landscaping - she began teaching landscape design, she sculpted from clay - now I teach others how to make clay plastic. And in the end there were seven circles.” Average age“club youth” is respectable - 80 years old. “Despite their age, they are young at heart, because they are busy with creativity,” continues the head of the club. - We write songs, poems, music, and sing ourselves. We constantly participate in various competitions, art meetings and festivals. Our grandmothers beat out young ones at competitions and take prizes! They are full of creative ideas and optimism in life, because they feel that they are benefiting people and giving them joy, setting an example of how to live actively and not be discouraged!”
“Infected” with irrepressible energy from their leader, the “club youth” also actively became involved in social activities. Now they go with charity exhibitions and concerts to specialized institutions for children and the elderly. They believe that only in this way, by feeling needed and realizing your creative potential, can you live in joy and harmony with yourself.
Cinema is not for entertainment
The intellectual film club “Dialogue” turns 38 this year! Perhaps this is one of the oldest clubs in Novokuznetsk. The participants here are different, of course, and there are many retirees. It arose from the desire of townspeople to discuss problematic cinema. “In the pre-perestroika years, we were simply excited by films such as Andrei Rublev, Solaris, Ivan’s Childhood, Five Evenings, The Ascension, The Flight of Mr. McKinley, Father Sergius,” says club member Andrey Ivanov. - No one talked about this on television, like now, no one discussed them. You won't hear the truth! And we really wanted to understand the film and discuss it with like-minded people. And until then, at times the discussions were so heated that fists were used! Can you imagine?
The founder of the club was infectious disease doctor Boris Gilev. And in 1979, “Dialogue” began organizing meetings in the library. N.V. Gogol. “There was a time when people were allowed into the club only based on exam results,” continues Andrey. - You had to know the basic film terms. I remember we even wrote cheat sheets for beginners so that they wouldn’t fail the exam.” The club was very popular: it was a member of the Society of Cinema Friends at the Union of Cinematographers, went to various film festivals, and collaborated with the Cinema Museum in Moscow. At one time, film experts from Moscow and famous cameramen came to visit the club. A unique collection of films by the best directors has been formed here!
“Of course, now people have more opportunities to watch and discuss interesting films: there is the Internet, various forums,” says Andrei Ivanov. - But we come here precisely for live communication. We older people miss him. We learn to listen to each other, express our point of view, meet new people. Many of us then just become friends, go to visit each other. We get interesting knowledge and communication here, which is exactly what we miss in life.”
Retelling, chapter fifteen. My comments are in italics.
The translation is presented for informational purposes, all rights belong to the copyright holders.
How to create a guild, college or secret society
Author: Wolfgang Baur
About community goals, initiation, structure, secrets and enemies
Worldbuilding is most often about people, places, magical changes on a global scale. But the smallest aspects that focus all the features of the setting are the totality of its social structures: tribes of orcs, colleges of bards, guilds of thieves, vampire clans, even the church hierarchy and knightly orders. How can these elements be designed to make the world more attractive and playable? According to the author, the social design of these communities is critical in engaging players in the world and the game.
Here key elements, which should be considered when designing a (community) or guild. They can be applied to most RPGs.
Distinctive general purposes and exceptions
Unlike tribes and peoples, a (community) is usually a voluntary association that is not necessarily tied to any specific location. Brotherhoods of priests, conclaves of wizards, craft guilds and orders of paladins decide who will become their members, for which the candidate must first complete training or prove his qualifications. In other words, such (community) societies are essentially clubs and, like all clubs, they may admit newcomers often, rarely or never at all.
Founding members are usually some of the most influential members of the (com)society for obvious reasons (due to the "seniority" of the member, due to knowledge of internal procedures, sometimes as a reward for patronage), so that in some cases the goals of the (com)society coincide with personal goals of this group. Imagine, for example, an archmage who wants to capture the queen of the genies; the head of the jewelers' guild, eager to create greatest work art ever seen; a legless, secretive alchemist who hopes to climb the mountain and build a temple for his holy wife. They each have a purpose, and as founders, they must be persuasive, powerful, or wealthy enough to make others share their goals.
However, in most cases, the goals of a (community) are much larger and more ambitious and far exceed any personal goals - otherwise it will not survive the founding generation. These goals must exceed the capabilities of any one person, require joint efforts and change the entire world in some way. These must be big goals because people are not inclined to join and fight for something small. And perhaps we should recognize that (the) monsters require a similar level of motivation (from those who decide to fight them).
So what could be such a big goal? The details depend on your world, but perhaps they involve awakening an imprisoned deity, creating a library of all knowledge, exploring the far reaches of the world, collecting all forms of magical ores and gems, caring for the poor and sick, protecting the elven forests from being cut down, destroying all traces of blasphemous heresy. Or goals more related to power: restoration royal family on the throne, the enslavement of all humanity by the lich-queen, or the creation of a theocracy of the One True Goddemon.
Initiation and initiation rituals
Who makes these goals a reality? Those who volunteer their efforts as apprentices and apprentices, who are born into a cult or (community), who support it with money or services, or those who undergo initiation through an ordeal.
The key moment for the game is when the character tries to join such a group. Such a moment simply must include at least a little drama and suspense (tension). Ultimately, he may be voted out, at the behest of the cult's deity, due to a poor fortune-telling result or a bad omen. A longtime adversary may thwart a character's attempt to join (community) by delaying it temporarily or permanently. To begin with, you will have to work a little. Here are 10 possible ways to perform a dedication or initiation:
1) Washed in Blood: initiation as a trial by combat. The initiate must engage in real or symbolic battle with an illusory opponent, a terrible monster or an apprentice of (com)society. The victory can be formal - unless the opponent replaces the fake monster with a real one. And in the case of a duel with an armed enemy, the goal may be more to demonstrate steadfastness, iron endurance, or good manners than, in fact, the victory itself.
2) Strong in Mind: the subject can be tested for memory, courage and knowledge of the secret sciences, conduct a long-hour interview, be asked to sing or recite something, answer in a dead language or retell ancient history, theorize about the creation of spells and artifacts lost to centuries. The purpose may be a torturous vocal defense of the world (?) or a test of the subject's endurance before he fails. Indeed, IQ is a great way to evaluate candidates for the scientific (community) community, and an ever-increasing number of tasks to test these skills can create a sense of increasing tension and difficulty in a gaming session.
3) Generous Giver: The subject may be required to show generosity of spirit and open his wallet. Initiation may include bribes and gifts to the guild leader, endless libations (banquet) for newly acquired brothers and sisters, offerings in the form of small spells, symbolic animals, jewelry, rings, knives or other objects significant to the (community). The richer the initiate, the more expensive the gifts should be, the exact number can be indicated as "lots and lots" of horses, gold bars, necklaces or what have you. Failure to Provide required quantity gifts will certainly embitter those who were left out, which will affect the voting result.
4) Bound by Magic: The candidate must take a magical oath or undergo a ritual of binding and submission to ensure the safety of the secrets of the (community) or to ensure obedience to the will of the guildmaster, or to ensure the honesty of members within the thieves' guild ("By taking this oath, you cannot lie to your brothers or the head of the order") . These obligations don't have to be entirely negative or forceful: members of the wizards guild can gain the ability to sense or read magic upon entering the guild, and members of the thieves guild gain night vision like a cat (in general, there should be some benefit).
5) Ceremonial Sacrifice: The applicant may be required to sacrifice something very valuable - a magical item, a relic, blood and hair. He may be subjected to ritual castration, a vow of chastity, or poverty. The subject is warned about such things in advance, but knowing and acting out are two different things. Clearly write down this point during development so that no questions arise during the game.
6) God's Anointed: The subject must visit several shrines, undergo a sacred ritual, or overcome several difficult trials that are significant to members of the (community), such as a knight's vigil or the anointing of priests. The candidate may be accepted or rejected by higher powers, he may experience a vision, a prophecy, or receive a sign of blessing. A candidate may be rejected forever or until the (community) reopens its doors to newcomers if he fails to receive such a sign or vision.
7) Returned from Darkness: The candidate may have to endure narcotic visions, prolonged fasting, deliberate poisoning, spend some time in isolation or complete darkness, or undergo other torturous ritual dangerous to the physical or mental health. He or she may be subjected to various temptations, spiritual and secular temptations, offered comfort, water, food or other help, which he or she must reject.
8) Recognized by the Elite: The candidate must charm, deceive, or work hard to persuade the founders, leaders, or elite of (community) to vote for his promotion in the organization's hierarchy. If he fails to convince them, he cannot advance, despite all his merits.
9) Lock without Key: The candidate receives secret knowledge, items, a familiar or new magic and must master them or subjugate them in some way. Until he solves the riddle of this test, the initiation will not be completed and he will not be able to become a full member of the group.
10) Tested and Marked by the Finger of Fate: The candidate comes into the sight of some powerful entity - a demon, angel, dragon, archmage or some kind of arbiter - who peers into his soul and decides whether he is worthy to join the order. If the candidate fails, he is returned to the world, rejected, and advised to complete a few tasks or gain deeper understanding before returning. “You have not satisfied the Secret Master - move on and develop skills and wisdom until next time.” If the candidate succeeds, some sign will appear on his body: a tattoo, a halo, horns, a change in eye color or another sign that clearly shows that this person is one of the followers of the Secret Master.
Open, closed and secret (community) societies
Crafts and thieves guilds, knights and monastic orders, colleges of magicians, cults, aristocratic clubs and secret societies are all organizations dedicated to some group activities and goals. But they are structured differently when speaking publicly. Craft guilds keep their technology secret and mages hide their secret knowledge. Knights may be open to the world, but hide their fighting techniques and battle commands, the meaning of flags, special maneuvers or training methods. Monastic brotherhoods have both public duties and internal regulations (see Zeb Cook's essay on secret cults (chapter 14)). Both cults and secret societies hide their activities from others, especially if their goals are malicious.
Therefore, you should carefully consider what the public image of the (community) will be, its internal procedures and trade secrets. Even societies known for charity, honesty and good-heartedness may hide secrets known only to the top, related to questionable sources of funding, politics, the treatment of wealthy donors, or harsh rules aimed at men and their position in the order. Thus, the cult of animals and human sacrifice will take very specific measures to prevent rumors about their real activities.
The developer must decide what secrets the (community) keeps and how to protect them from outsiders. Pressure from authorities, economic dependence, shame and guilt, powerful oaths, threats to family or friends, magical coercion, invisible demonic surveillance - something helps (community) protect its inner secrets.
In general, a (society) can be open to everyone, with all its secrets except for some minor part relating to finance, theology or magical knowledge. Or it may be that access is open to all, with only the most devout few being initiated. Anyone can join, but not everyone can move up in the hierarchy, since the (community) has an outer and an inner circle of members. The inner circle knows the real goals of the organization, while the outer circle works on public issues that may be related to those goals or serve as a cover. In other words, a (community) community can have multiple levels of participation and commitment. At each subsequent level, the character learns more and more secrets and experiences an “aha!” moment of enlightenment, having received an explanation for some actions of (community) that were previously incomprehensible. The developer’s task is to clearly show what information is available at what level.
Finally, an extreme form of "us-them" thinking, where any internal information is kept secret, and everyone who is not a member of the group is seen as dangerous, unbelieving, and a threat to the greater goals of (community). Typically groups organized in this way are called cults, although "Wall Street banking firm" would also work. If you're designing a vampire clan, Cthulhu cult, or similar (society), be careful about how you shape its secret history and how you punish anyone who breaks the secret. These will likely become plot points for GMs or part of the setting's story. Sometimes it is worth specifying the specific forms of punishment or retribution that are applied to those who betray the secrets of the cult: death by drowning for former servants of Dagon, murder by sunlight or bleeding for traitors to the ancient clan. If it's part of the world's history (lore), it can be used in the adventure and plot.
Status and power
Having decided who can join the (community) and how, let’s consider its internal hierarchy. Guildmaster, archmage, vampire prince, baron leading the knightly brotherhood - there are no main problems with the appointment. But who are their main supporters? How does one advance in rank from novice to page, squire, knight, master sergeant, commander and finally marshal? How many levels are there in the cult hierarchy?
Come up with several titles, make it clear that the organization recognizes them, give examples in the world's bible of who most often ends up in what position (candidate requirements). It's not necessary to list all the ranks of a weaver's guild if it plays a minor role in the setting, but if you're creating a world of secret monster-hunting organizations, you'll need to decide who signs the invoices when fighters go over budget on gear in pursuit of Bigfoot.
Finally, make it clear how big the organization is and how much influence it has. This could be as simple as listing the members of a gang of thieves or as complex as listing the network of sires and ghouls in a vampire city. Note that a small organization is not necessarily weaker than a large order with thousands of members. The Circle of Eight in the world of Greyhawk dominates its history and mythology, all its members are important. You can come up with a similar group of representatives of various forces in your world.
Need for competitors
One of the underappreciated aspects when designing a guild or society is rivals, competitors and bitter enemies. After all, if achieving what you wanted was so easy, everything would have ended long ago. The enemy may be another (community) striving for the same values, or pursuing goals so disgusting that all sane people want to prevent them. Perhaps the goals of society run counter to the plans of the state. The enemy can be an archmage monitoring the actions of the (community) or a free alliance of street urchins and smart adventurers.
It is not so important who will play the role of opponent, as the fact that there are those who know their true goals. When the characters join the (community), they accept these enemies as their own. This gives the GM an excellent reason for conflict - if the enemy is clearly defined and understandable to use, with their own goals, hierarchy, tools, spies and magical artifacts. Ideally, have an initiation ritual that the characters can pass or fail in order to infiltrate their opponents for spying.
Identification marks
An essential part of designing any college, guild or society is what it will look like for the players. The author believes that the simplest solution is to use one symbol, item of clothing, secret word or other identifier to the maximum. The Cult of the Red Star uses red stars, the Loyal Alchemist Guild uses the pelican (symbol of loyalty), the Order of the Immortal Light uses solar symbols.
This is, of course, trivial, but the point is so that players can recognize the nature of the cult at first glance. And for a school of magicians with their lions, snakes, ravens and badgers, it will be easy to use these symbols to indicate the characters of the characters. There's nothing wrong with repeated descriptions like "you see a man with ashen hair and a snake tattoo," as that's the easiest way to tell characters that they're dealing with a Slytherin alumnus. This works great for all open, public organizations and helps them identify each other, and of course it makes it easier for villains to recognize and target the heroes of the game.
13 Unusual World-Building Communities
1. The Alchemists Guild, which discovered the fountain of youth.
2. An order of inquisitors who can sniff out any lie.
3. A brotherhood of minotaurs and rangers specializing in dungeon exploration and plunder.
4. Order of paladins that robs the rich.
5. The cult of slave traders who believe that people are better off living in slavery.
6. A secret society of werewolves who want to gain power over unsuspecting residents.
7. Guild of magicians seeking to become liches and immortal spirits.
8. The Thieves Guild, which does charity work for orphans.
9. Trade guild of gnomes, specializing in transportation using griffins and aircraft.
10. A community of singers who support an invisible wall that protects the world from demonic hordes.
11. An order of priests dedicated to collecting knowledge and mapping the world.
12. A society of women, among whom there are oracles and prophets, wishing the world stability and security.
13. The order of assassins guarding the fortress where the roots of Yggdrasil and the Fruit of Knowledge lie.
Conclusion
Why bother? Because secret (s)ocieties are the greatest villains and greatest heroes your world. They will survive any attempt to destroy them. The mega-villain can be killed, but his followers will live to strike and take revenge. A hero who falls in the service of the Order of Saint Aric knows that even though he sacrifices his life, others will take up his banner and continue his work.
Well-designed (com)societies can echo throughout the process of worldbuilding. Make them mythical, epic, mysterious, secretive or nasty, but make them understandable, organized, active and passionate about their goals. And your reward will be conflict, drama and great acting.
Photo: Wikimedia.org/ Initiation into the Freemasons
On August 13, 1822, Alexander I banned the activities of secret societies in the Russian Empire. Now, two hundred years later, there are plenty of secret societies in Russia: you can join either the Masonic lodge or the Rosicrucian Order. But how many secrets remain in the activities of these once secret organizations?
Unwitting masons
The prohibitory rescript of Emperor Alexander is explained by the activities of the Decembrist movement, which by that time had already acquired enormous scope. But organizations that seem to have nothing to do with politics also came under attack: Masonic lodges. Why were the “Freemasons” deprived of their former will?
The question of the connection between the Masons and the Decembrists is a topic popular among modern historians and writers, but never fully explored. It is difficult to doubt that the Decembrists were Freemasons: early XIX centuries, they were, perhaps, the entire active part of the male nobility. But no one has yet been able to prove that the uprising on Senate Square is part of a global Masonic conspiracy. Although many still believe in the Masonic conspiracy itself. No matter how much the websites of Masonic organizations claim that the goals of the movement are spiritual growth, public education and charity, to the mass consciousness these aspirations seem too petty and uninteresting. It's a different matter - a group of initiates who keep the secrets of the Templars, hatch plans for world domination and seek to take control of the governments of different countries! There are so many myths about Freemasons that the reality looks somehow faded. However, the good thing about secret societies is that it is completely impossible to debunk the legends about them: you can always say, “You just don’t know everything!”
What do we know about the Freemasons not from adventure novels, but from authentic evidence? Free masons were called masons for a reason: although compasses and squares in Freemasonry are interpreted as symbols of the ability to judge, these objects also have a historical meaning - they remind of the origins of the organization. After all, Masonic associations did not arise from the ruins of the Templar Order. They grew out of guilds involved in the construction of Gothic cathedrals in the Middle Ages. The cathedrals were huge, the life of the builders seemed small and insignificant against their background, and entire generations of stonemasons, designers, and artists lived next to grandiose construction projects, getting used to the idea of subordinating their own interests to great goals.
It is difficult to say at what point the guild associations turned into secret brotherhoods: the process was gradual: people worked, helped each other, created their own signs, rituals and ceremonies. In the 17th century, when craft associations lost their importance, the Masonic organization was enriched with utopian ideas: after all, it is possible to build not only temples, but also a fair, humane and enlightened society!
What does it cost them to build a temple?
Proponents of the “conspiracy theory” attributed many secret goals to the Freemasons, but the information available to the “uninitiated” sounds quite peaceful. Members of the Masonic fraternity had to believe in God, although it was allowed to interpret it differently, depending on religion (some Masonic movements, having agreed to believe in the Absolute, began to accept atheists into their ranks). Discussions about politics and religion were prohibited so that the Brothers would not quarrel on the way to a common goal. It was required to be loyal to the authorities of the country in whose territory the lodge was located, to do something socially useful and engage in charity. In general, nothing interesting.
However, such tasks did not sound very intriguing, so the new members of the brotherhood needed to be somehow captivated. When the hero of the novel “War and Peace” Pierre Bezukhov is accepted into the Freemasons, he is promised more tempting prospects: “The rhetorician cleared his throat, folded his gloved hands on his chest and began to speak.
“Now I must reveal to you the main goal of our order,” he said, “and if this goal coincides with yours, then you will benefit from joining our brotherhood.” First main goal and the entire foundation of our order, on which it is established and which no human power can overthrow, is the preservation and transmission to posterity of a certain important sacrament... from the very ancient centuries and even from the first person who has come down to us, on whom the sacraments, perhaps, the fate of the human race depends. But since this sacrament is of such a nature that no one can know it or use it, unless one has prepared oneself through long-term and diligent purification, then not everyone can hope to find it soon. Therefore, we have a second goal, which is to prepare our members as much as possible, correct their hearts, purify and enlighten their minds with those means that have been revealed to us by tradition from men who have labored in seeking this sacrament, and thereby make them capable of perception of it." An important sacrament served as at least some incentive for self-improvement!
After the ban of 1822, Masonic lodges, of course, did not disappear completely, but they lost popularity. Times changed, gradually other teachings came into fashion, and active youth no longer wanted to peacefully improve society all their lives: the idea of destroying everything that was wrong and then building the world anew seemed much more promising. The short renaissance of the Masonic movement in Russia after 1905 ended along with the existence of Russian Empire: in Soviet Russia, freemasons, of course, were banned again.
A new round of development of the Masonic movement occurred already in the 1990s, when everything that was not there before became popular in the country: from neo-paganism to esotericism. The Masons never regained their former influence, however, they are now also not what they were before.
According to the Masonic calendar
Freemasons have their own way of time: they count from the creation of the world, adding 4000 years to the current year, with the year beginning on March 1st. That is, now it is 6014 year of the Light of Truth.
The phrase “Masonic year” also has a more practical meaning: the period from September to June when the lodge is active. Masonic holidays begin in July-August, and the new Masonic year begins in September. It is usually designated as the year 2013-2014 e.v. – Era Vulgaris – Ordinary Era.
As Alexander, who introduced himself as the Worshipful Master of the New World lodge, told the site, modern Masons are not a secret society, but rather a society with its own secrets. All the “secret” rituals, history, lists of famous participants in the movement have long been described. " Main secret which no one can ever reveal is personal experience“, which every Mason experiences during the work of the Lodge, rituals of initiation and elevation in degree, communication with his Sisters and Brothers,” Alexander explained. “Otherwise, Freemasonry is open to the world and maintains an active dialogue with it, avoiding only communication on political and religious topics.”
It seems to the Worshipful Master of the Lodge that modern society also treats the Freemasons quite democratically. Although there is a lot of conspiracy theories on the Internet, more and more people are beginning to look at Freemasonry positively. And Alexander is not afraid of a new government ban: “I think that with the current level of openness of information about Freemasonry, most modern government officials also have the idea that in fact we are more of a club for intellectual conversations and self-improvement than revolutionaries-conspirators "At least I'd like to hope so."
More lodges, good and different!
The New Light Lodge, bearing the number 1989, belongs to the Masonic Mixed International Order of the Right of Man (Le Droit Humain). And this is just one of several Masonic lodges in our country. More precisely, it was founded by people from the United Grand Lodge of Russia, and that, in turn, arose after the separation of some Masons from the Grand Lodge of Russia created in 1995. In addition to simply the Grand and United Grand, there are also the Moscow and Astrea lodges, subordinate directly to the oldest association in Europe, the Grand Orient of France.
Women in the Masonic movement used to have a difficult time: their right to build a fair society was infringed upon, like all other rights, by refusing to be accepted into the Masons. As Alexander explained, “the ban on women joining the so-called regular Freemasonry represents one of the ancient landmarks, that is, the basic principles of Freemasonry. In fact, it reminds us of the times when a woman was not considered free because she did not have enough civil rights.” .
However, emancipation in general affected secret societies in particular: today many Masonic obediences have opened the doors of their temples to women. Recognized Freemasonry is now divided into Regular and Liberal. Regular - male Freemasonry, originating in Scotland and then England. Liberal Freemasonry includes primarily French lodges, male, mixed and female, for example the Grand Women's Lodge of France. All liberal lodges exist in one form or another in Russia. The New World Lodge is one of those that accepts members of both sexes.
Lodges and clubs
There are several organizations in the world that are similar to Masonic lodges, but still have nothing in common with them. For example, a network of Rotary clubs created by business representatives for charitable activities and the implementation of humanitarian projects. Rotarians also have their own ethical principles, dedication ceremonies and even a special calendar. There is also the Lions Club: an organization that brings together volunteers and philanthropists. But, according to Alexander, these organizations were originally created for business contacts and solving business issues that do not require symbolic rituals. In Masonic lodges they often talk about higher matters.
How to become an initiate
How do modern Masons recruit their members? First of all, they don’t recruit anyone. On the websites of all existing lodges it is stipulated that they do not engage in missionary activities: they say, if you want to join the Masons, ask the Masons yourself, and do not wait until they call you. So, anyone who wants to become a free mason needs to find the website of a lodge on the Internet and send a request.
All Masonic organizations describe suitable candidates in the same way: “a person of free and good morals, over 18 years of age, striving for self-improvement.” The person must also be solvent, since Masons pay monthly membership dues. The size of the contribution usually depends on the candidate’s income, although the Grand Lodge of Russia, for example, pragmatically stipulates the average prices for its “services”: “4,000 rubles/year, 10,000 rubles/initiation.”
Paying your dues is not everything. A New World candidate, for example, undergoes at least four interviews on various topics, after which the newcomer is invited to an interview ceremony under the blindfold. Alexander described it this way: “Blindfolded, the candidate is led into the temple and answers the questions of the Brothers and Sisters, after which a secret vote is taken for the candidacy, according to the results of which the candidate is invited to initiation (or denied it).”
Photo: Wikimedia.org/Initiation into the Masons
But joining the lodge is half the battle, but what to do afterwards? How exactly do they “make people better”? “The main achievement is, perhaps, the atmosphere of brotherhood that reigns in the Lodge, the readiness to come to each other’s aid, as well as the opportunity to engage in one’s own intellectual and spiritual development, equaling worthy Brothers and Sisters,” explains Worshipful Master Alexander. “For example, last year our Lodge worked on two main topics: we looked at utopianism and its relevance in modern world, and also explored the symbolism and lessons of Masonic initiation rituals."
Lodge members engage in self-development and education of others by creating “architectural works” - small reports or essays on topics like “Symbolism of the number 3” or “Symbolism architectural styles"The works are read aloud at lodge meetings. Particularly gifted people can write music, poetry, paintings, or make ritual paraphernalia as architectural works. Free masons also translate foreign materials about their movement and publish magazines (most often only in electronic form).
Charity programs embody lofty words about improving the world. “This is mainly private charity,” explained Alexander. “We provided assistance to veterans and the elderly in hospices, large families, helped organize charity events and festivals. Some members of the lodge regularly participate in charity sports marathons. We also help Sisters and Brothers who found themselves in a complex life situation, even if they do not belong to our Lodge and our Order."
Other secret
Those who are eager to gain access to secret knowledge have a large choice in our time. If the Masonic movement for some reason does not suit you, you can join the Illuminati. This mysterious Order exists not only on the pages of Dan Brown's books. The first Illuminati Society appeared in 1776 in Bavarian Ingolstadt, founded by philosopher, theologian and lawyer Adam Weishaupt, inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment. Naturally, he proclaimed the goal of his activity to be the happiness and improvement of humanity.
Pyramid with All-seeing eye- a symbol of the Masons and the Illuminati, found on the dollar bill
Modern Russian Illuminati are easy to find on the Internet. They describe their principles in blissfully vague formulations: “a community of free people seeking the meaning of existence,” “maintaining the Light and faith in the victory of Good.” Unlike the Freemasons, representatives of this doctrine do not like religion: they say that it sets false goals and distracts from building a New Order of universal prosperity and well-being. The “enlightened” (from the Latin illuminatus) also have specific goals: to destroy the World Monetary System, create a unified library of the Illuminati, and even revive a certain “Secret Knowledge”. However, exactly how they plan to implement these guidelines is unknown.
Like any self-respecting secret society, the Illuminati writes that they do not seek to attract new members, but still invite those interested to fill out a form on the website. The requirements for candidates are simple: they must be people over 18, without a criminal record and with the desire to change the world for the better. Applicants are asked to describe what the words “Morality”, “Freedom”, “Culture” mean to them, they are asked tricky questions from the series “Does the end justify the means?”, and in the end they honestly warn that when joining the fraternity, a new member will have to “ bear the financial burden." The magnitude of the burden is not reported.
More frank in financial issue Rosicrucians of all kinds. Theoretically, all these orders, schools and societies descended from the Rosicrucian Order that arose in the Middle Ages. Its founder is considered to be Christian Rosenkreutz, the hero of the novel “The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz” published in 1616. Whether Rosenkreutz existed in reality and what his real name was is unknown, but the beautiful pseudonym Rosenkreutz provided the society with an emblem: a rose blooming on a cross. The Rosicrucians were fond of alchemy, esotericism and astrology, and did not disdain magical practices.
Cross and roses - symbol of the Rosicrucians
At the beginning of the 20th century, many organizations arose that imitated the medieval Rosicrucians, and it is not so easy to understand them. For example, in Russia there is now a certain Order of the Rosicrucians - a branch of an organization whose headquarters is located in the Canary Islands. Joining this secret Order is very simple: you register on the website and choose the appropriate tariff: individual (40 euros immediately, 13 every month) or family (45 euros for two at once, 15 monthly). It's cheaper to join wholesale! Having sent the fee and application for membership by postal order, all you have to do is wait for your membership card, the Emperor's greeting card and instructions to be sent to you. In the future, communication takes place by mail: new members of the order are sent material to study, almost like in a university correspondence course.
At the Theological School of the Golden Rosicrucian, tariffs are lower: from 300-500 rubles per month. This organization, which arose in Holland in 1924, is present in Russia not only “virtually”: it has centers in several cities, including Moscow. In addition, this is almost the only Rosicrucian organization whose website lists not only email address, but also a telephone. The woman who answered it matter-of-factly introduced herself as Lidia Vasilyevna and said that the Russian representative office of the school opened in 1993. The Theological School does not contact other Rosicrucian communities, because their principles are different: the school is based on the principles of the New Testament, transferred to our time, and does not deal with occult and mystical teachings. You can start joining with free open events; those who wish can become members of the school, and then students. In addition to membership fees, two-day conferences are paid for, but, according to Lidia Vasilyevna, the money collected goes primarily to renting premises, since the school does not have its own building.
However, the Theological School of the Golden Rosicrucian has very little in common with secret orders - it is rather something like collective training with a religious bias, and those entering it should not expect mystical revelations. As the hero of Umberto Eco’s novel “Foucault’s Pendulum” aptly noted: “If a person came out to meet you and said: good evening, I am a Rosicrucian, this meant that he was not a Rosicrucian. A self-respecting Rosicrucian never says that. On the contrary, he denies it as best he can.” . And in order to find a truly secret society that stores ancient knowledge, you need to work hard!
Although, maybe it’s better not to look? And then suddenly you will find it. Or they will find you...
Anna Makarova
Always dreamed of becoming a member private club, but don't know about any of them? Do you want to come across as a mysterious person who is part of an elite organization and knows more than the rest? Create a secret society just for your friends!
Create your own secret society
Read a few topical books, such as the Clique series by Lisey Harrison, to learn the basic information. Just don't be as cruel as the characters in the book. Ask a few friends to also read these books, and talk privately with one of your close friends who is also inspired by the idea of creating a community.
Come up with a name for the club. Together with a friend, discuss what your society will be called and who else you will accept into it. Remember that even if you have a lot of friends, not all of them are suitable for membership in a secret organization. After all, they still won’t know that they were not accepted, which means that they won’t be offended.
Create a rite of passage for you and your partner. You must go through it yourself before accepting other people into the club in order to feel and sensibly evaluate your plan. The rite of passage is one of the most important aspects of a secret society. It should be something you wouldn't do just for the sake of it. Everyday life. Light candles - this will give any action a serious and mysterious atmosphere. You can give participants special names, which from now on other club members will call them.
Determine what your society will do. A community must have rules. Create a schedule of specific “club” activities—for example, dressing the same on specific days or having monthly rituals. Have fun! It all depends on your creativity. You can also organize distribution of intra-club news.
Find potential members for the club. Casually drop something about society in a conversation to gauge the degree of interest of the interlocutor. Make sure he doesn't betray you or go against the rules. Don't mention the club to people you don't trust 100%.
An important aspect of secret organizations is secret meetings. Gather in a new place each time or find a “secret room” where you are sure no one will find or recognize you.
Come up with a dress code. In most small societies, the form of clothing is robes, and in large ones, elaborate aprons.
Keep everything under wraps and have fun. You and your friends will become closer than ever.
Select new club members carefully. Dedicate the most outstanding and active people from school, those who can inspire and motivate others.
Be friendly, but don't give away all the company's secrets right away. New members must first earn your trust. You don't want them to spill the beans right away, do you?
Come up with a way to exclude from the society if suddenly some members become objectionable to you, or start chatting about the secrets of the club. If this suddenly happens, pretend it was never a secret and immediately come up with something new. Add this point to the club rules.
Come up with a secret or secret task. A secret society must have a purpose to protect something.
- Create a secret handshake.
- Don't talk about the company to people you don't trust.
- A good place for secret society members to meet is the school library. Choose a remote location and hold meetings there. Just be quiet so as not to attract attention!
Warnings
- Delete your browsing history in your browser so that no one knows that you read this article.
- If you suddenly choose the wrong members for society - partygoers, sports fans, those who strive to control everything, or those who are busy with their own things, like competition and self-affirmation - be prepared to communicate with people you do not trust. They may perceive the secret society as an opportunity for competition, and then it will be difficult to keep them silent.
- Make sure you are not doing anything illegal.