A good introduction

A review of "The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies" 

If you want to know more about Freemasons and other secret societies, this book may be a good place to start. It’s an encyclopedic overview of both fraternal, political and occult secret societies, mostly American and Western European.

The author, John Michael Greer, is an initiated “brother” of several secret societies himself, including the Scottish Rite Masons. Naturally, he rejects conspiracy theories about Masons, Bilderbergers or Illuminati ruling the world. The encyclopedia also contains entries on various forms of occultism and “rejected knowledge” claims, since these play an important role for many secret societies. Although Greer is an occultist himself (he actually heads two “Druid” orders), he is surprisingly skeptical to most claims about Atlantis, UFOs or Egyptian mysteries. He even admits that modern Druid groups, of course, have nothing in common with the ancient Celtic priests.

The author has been criticized for casting his net too broadly when writing the book – it contains entries on both respectable orders such as the Elks or the Odd Fellows, and less respectable ones resembling sects or cults – but personally, I think this makes the book more interesting to read.

Readers specifically into occultism might want to combine it with another encyclopedia by the same writer, “The New Encyclopedia of the Occult”. Greer has also written a book titled “Inside a Magical Lodge”, which contains practical tips on how to start your very own secret society…