Beginning with a narrow circle of disciples carefully selected from among his own students, Weishaupt gradually extended his recruitment efforts from Ingolstadt to Eichstätt, Freising, Munich, and elsewhere, with special attention being given to the enlistment of young men of wealth, rank, and social importance. From 1778 onward Weishaupt’s illuminati began to make contact with various Masonic lodges, where, under the impulse of Adolf Franz Friedrich, Freiherr von Knigge, one of their chief converts, they often managed to gain a commanding position, It was to Knigge that the society was indebted for the extremely elaborate constitution (never, however, actually realized) as well as its internal communication system. Each member of the order had given him a special name, generally classical, by which he alone was addressed in official writing (Weishaupt was referred to as Spartacus while Knigge was Philo). All internal correspondence was conducted in cipher, and to increase the mystification, towns and provinces were invested with new and altogether arbitrary designations.

At its period of greatest development, Weishaupt’s “Bavarian Illuminati” included in its operations a very wide area, extending from Italy to Denmark and from Warsaw to Paris; at no time, however, do its numbers appear to have exceeded 2,000. The order and its doctrines appealed to literary giants such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Johann Gottfried von Herder as well as the dukes Ernest II of Gotha and Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Such notables were claimed as members although it is questionable if they were actually so. Weishaupt’s illuminati were believed to have included astronomer Johann Bode, writer and bookseller Friedrich Nicolai, philosopher Friedrich Jacobi, and poet Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg.

The movement suffered from internal dissension and was ultimately banned by an edict of the Bavarian government in 1785. Some members were imprisoned, while others were driven from their homes. Weishaupt was stripped of his chair at Ingolstadt and banished from Bavaria. After 1785 the historical record contains no further activities of Weishaupt’s illuminati, but the order figured prominently underground for centuries after its disbanding. It was credited with activities like the instigation of the French Revolution.

MODERN ILLUMINATI

Several recent and present-day fraternal organisations claim to be descended from the original Bavarian Illuminati and openly use the name “Illuminati”. Some of these groups use a variation on the name “The Illuminati Order” in the name of their own organisations. Note that they are all fake while others, such as the Ordo Templi Orientis, have “Illuminati” as a grade within their organization’s hierarchy. However, most of these groups are fake and a lot of them online are run by scammers or rejected members who now use the name Illuminati falsely to extort money from innocent people seeking the Light of the Illuminati. During this underground period, we have amassed significant political power and influence while trying to remain secret and establish criteria means of attracting membership. Our founding Fathers came up with these criteria means to expanding the Order and to attain our dream of the New World Order which is still used till date include;

Be From an Old Money Family, Get Rich in Business, join a Secret Society (an Ancient Mystical Order), Become a Famous Pop Star or a Famous Rapper, or Be in a Classic Rock Band or a Famous Actor or a Famous Sport person , Be Elected President of the United States or any other country or Even Just Run for President or Just Work For the Federal Government, Work in the Medical Establishment, Or in the Financial Industry or Work in Any High Tech Industry, and Above All, Be Good at Keeping Secrets.