Secret Societies: The most well-known organizations associated with discreet/secret societies/secret orders/lodges are the Freemasons, Martinists, Rosicrucians, Knights Templar, and Illuminati.
Secret Societies – There is a distinction between Discreet Societies and Secret Societies. In discreet societies, the public is aware of their existence. Some members are known, and superficial information can be researched from the outside. Members share a common view of certain things. However, there’s a strict rule of confidentiality regarding symbols, rituals, and inner teachings.
Secret societies are different. The public knows nothing about their existence, their meeting places, their goals, their members, or what happens at their meetings, etc. Strict secrecy is required of members regarding all aspects and existence of the organization!
Some secret societies hold ancient knowledge about the most important questions and answers of life. These include inquiries into the nature of humanity, its origins, its evolution, and the tools available for such development-questions and answers that, at their core, are beyond the comprehension of the general public.
To protect this wisdom, it’s only passed from mouth to ear. In addition, absolute silence and intensive ethical training are required of each member until a candidate proves worthy of receiving this knowledge. (Secret Societies)
When passwords, symbols, or rituals are revealed for any reason, they are changed, rendering the old ones worthless. Sometimes the tools of magic are deliberately mixed with mundane truths, disseminated to the public to distract them with false knowledge (e.g. tarot symbols, books on magic, rituals, etc.).
Secret societies select their own members. No one can voluntarily join such an organization. When a student is ready, the community approaches him.
Through initiation, they are accepted and can ascend within the organization (order) from one level of initiation to the next, depending on the maturity of their soul. This progression brings them closer to the secret knowledge of the organization.
Another reason for the secrecy of a secret society, mainly from earlier times but still relevant today, is the persecution by other societies. Political, economic, religious denominations, etc., which pursue commercial goals such as power, manipulation, domination, influence for their own purposes, criminal goals, suppression of dissenting opinions, etc.
Even when these actions are proclaimed under the guise of the common good, helping the poor, improving the world or climate, spreading faith or divine will, they are exposed by authentic secret societies that see through these lower goals.
This is why such organizations and individuals are a thorn in their side. By disappearing from public view, secret orders evade the grasp of worldly power structures.
Therefore, the outlawing of lodges, as has often occurred in world history. This can only superficially harm them, for secret societies are intangible and untraceable.