Lon Milo Duquette the Thelemist occultist? I imagine he’d have incentives for taking maximalist interpretations, even if it involves taking leaps of faith. And doesn’t most of the “evidence” of the Illuminati existing beyond Weishaupt’s group come from hysterical anti-Masonic conspiracy theorists like Abbé Barruel (who blamed the horrors of the French Revolution on Masonry and Illuminism, which he conflated into a Satanic plot), and from other anti-Masonic conspiracy theorists who drew on his work?
Not that there weren’t groups claiming descent from the Illuminati, but along the same lines, for a long time you could join the Rosicrucians by sending a check to a PO box advertised in a magazine.
I’ve not read ( indeed haven’t heard of him until your post) Barruel and tend to dismiss satanic panic types out of hand, in general.
Yes, that Duquette, and I’m not familiar with him exaggerating, but I’m definitely interested in any material about that you care to provide. He does make a living on book sales, after all, so there’s definitely room for incentive. I stumbled across both him and Hall quite accidentally and incidentally, in my wanderings. He’s funny and entertaining.
Hall is definitely… interesting, with an interesting backstory. He also made a living selling books, so he also had incentive to exaggerate and take liberties.
Still, in looking into what the two I mentioned had to say on the subject, I couldn’t disprove it. I’m interested in anything you can point me toward, and grateful for it.
Lon Milo Duquette the Thelemist occultist? I imagine he’d have incentives for taking maximalist interpretations, even if it involves taking leaps of faith. And doesn’t most of the “evidence” of the Illuminati existing beyond Weishaupt’s group come from hysterical anti-Masonic conspiracy theorists like Abbé Barruel (who blamed the horrors of the French Revolution on Masonry and Illuminism, which he conflated into a Satanic plot), and from other anti-Masonic conspiracy theorists who drew on his work?
Not that there weren’t groups claiming descent from the Illuminati, but along the same lines, for a long time you could join the Rosicrucians by sending a check to a PO box advertised in a magazine.
I’ve not read ( indeed haven’t heard of him until your post) Barruel and tend to dismiss satanic panic types out of hand, in general.
Yes, that Duquette, and I’m not familiar with him exaggerating, but I’m definitely interested in any material about that you care to provide. He does make a living on book sales, after all, so there’s definitely room for incentive. I stumbled across both him and Hall quite accidentally and incidentally, in my wanderings. He’s funny and entertaining.
Hall is definitely… interesting, with an interesting backstory. He also made a living selling books, so he also had incentive to exaggerate and take liberties.
Still, in looking into what the two I mentioned had to say on the subject, I couldn’t disprove it. I’m interested in anything you can point me toward, and grateful for it.