Freemasonry and Satanism:
amidst accusations, esoteric symbols, and disturbing testimonies
Is there truly a connection between Freemasonry and Satanism?
Few topics generate as much heated debate as the relationship between Freemasonry and Satanism.
For over two centuries, scholars, religious figures, former affiliates, and independent researchers have been divided between those who consider Freemasonry to be a simple initiatory association, and those who, on the other hand, see a darker esoteric matrix behind its rituals.
The topic is delicate.
On the one hand, there is official Freemasonry, which strongly rejects any association with Satanism;
on the other hand, books, Masonic texts, testimonies, confessions, and symbolic references continue to fuel suspicion and questions.
Among the most controversial texts cited in this context is Anton Szandor LaVey's book The Satanic Rituals: Companion to The Satanic Bible (discussed in Volume 11, currently in preparation), while among the most discussed testimonies is that of Clotilde Bersone (discussed in Volume 6), which describes a reality made up of rituals, psychological manipulation, evocations, and demonic manifestations, esoteric environments intertwined with initiatory, control, and power structures.
The origins of the association between Freemasonry and Satanism
The association between Freemasonry and Satanism did not originate in the contemporary world. Already in the 18th and 19th centuries, some religious circles accused the lodges of promoting a philosophical system alternative to Christianity.
The reasons were mainly three:
- the secret nature of the rituals;
- the use of esoteric symbols;
- the presence of Gnostic and Hermetic elements.
The role of Gnosticism and Esotericism
To understand the debate, a central point must be addressed: modern Freemasonry incorporates numerous elements of Gnosticism.
According to Albert Pike, a famous Freemason of the 33rd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite:
"Gnosis is the essence and marrow of Freemasonry."
Gnosticism maintains that:
- the material world is imperfect;
- true salvation comes from secret knowledge;
- man can become "enlightened" through an initiatory path.
Anton Szandor LaVey and references to Freemasonry
Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan in 1966 and published The Satanic Bible in 1969.
In the Companion to The Satanic Bible and other related writings, LaVey shows interest in:
- ritualism;
- initiatory symbolism;
- hierarchical structure;
- psychological power of the rite.
LaVey (Volume 11 in preparation) writes in his The Satanic Rituals: Companion to The Satanic Bible:
"Masonic Orders have included the most influential men in many governments, and virtually every occult Order has many Masonic roots."
Now ask yourself, why does the founder of the Church of Satan speak of Freemasonry, the most revered and charitable brotherhood in the world?
He himself provides the answer:
"Because Satanic ritual is a mix of Gnostic, Cabalistic, Hermetic, and Masonic elements."
Upon closer inspection, Freemasonry is also a mix of Gnostic, Cabalistic, and Hermetic elements.
Elsewhere he states that
"every ritual of the Black Order uses Masonic principles"
and that
"there are many manifestations of Satanism in Masonic rituals."
Continuing, we read:
"A philosophical commitment is a prerequisite for acceptance into ritual activities, and this serves as a rudimentary selection process for organized Satanism. Consequently, a degree of compatibility, necessary for successful work, exists within the chamber. Of course, anyone can say 'I believe,' simply to gain access. It will be up to the discerning magician to determine the actual sincerity."
In essence, LaVey describes a filtering process, where men and women are selected and given the approval that allows them to become protagonists on the world stage.
LaVey does not neglect to clarify an aspect mostly ignored by many:
"To dismiss the Bavarian Illuminati as a purely political society is an error often made by those who naively think that politics and magical rituals cannot go hand in hand."
Everything appears increasingly clear.
High-degree Freemasonry is the cover for Satanism.
Rituals serve to desensitize the follower before revealing Satanism to a select few deserving individuals.
Politics is strictly linked to magical rituals.
Albert Pike and Masonic Luciferianism
One of the most cited names in the controversies is that of Albert Pike, author of Morals and Dogma.
Over time, phrases concerning Lucifer have been attributed to him, often used as "proof" of Masonic Satanism.
Are they true?
Albert Pike's Luciferian positions are well known.
Pike, a world-renowned American Freemason often called "the Pope of Freemasonry," never made a secret of the fact that the god of Freemasons is Lucifer.
On July 14, 1889, he published instructions for the twenty-three Supreme Councils of the world. In a speech to high-ranking members, reported in Volume 6, Albert Pike reveals who the true object of Masonic adoration is:
"To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees: We worship a god, but it is the god that one adores without superstition. [...] The Masonic religion should be maintained by us initiates of the high degrees, in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine. [...] Yes, Lucifer is god [...] the true and pure philosophical religion is faith in Lucifer [...] but Lucifer – god of light and god of good – is struggling for humanity against Adonai [the God of Christians, Ed.] the god of darkness and evil."
Such a speech is mentioned in the magazine The Freemason of January 19, 1935.
It is also reported by Jean-Claude Lozac’hmeur in his Fils de la Veuve – Recherches sur l'ésotérisme maçonnique, Editions De Chire (The Sons of the Widow – Research on Masonic Esotericism).
Even A. C. De La Rive reports this statement by Pike in the book La femme et l'enfant dans la franc-maçonnerie universelle (Woman and child in universal Freemasonry).
"The serpent, initiator of disobedience [Lucifer and the temptation he exercised in the Garden of Eden, Ed.], insubordination, and revolt, was cursed by the ancient theocrats, while it was honored among the initiates,"
explains Freemason Oswald Wirth in his work La massoneria resa comprensibile ai suoi adept, Vol. 2: Il compagno, page 93.
The Mazzini-Pike correspondence
In 1869, Albert Pike undertook the centralization of international Masonic action with Giuseppe Mazzini through a secret society: the New Palladism.
By his own statements, Pike claimed to be able to evoke Lucifer's will precisely as Grand Master of the Palladic Order.
Mazzini maintained extensive correspondence with Albert Pike.
For the purposes of our study, two letters are particularly significant:
the one Mazzini sent to Pike on January 22, 1870, and
the one from Pike to Giuseppe Mazzini dated August 15, 1871 (which came to light in 1925) in which he clearly outlined the scenarios that were to occur with the three World Wars.
The French historian Jean Lombard Coeurderoy, in his monumental work The Hidden Face of Modern History structured in four volumes (in Spanish La cara oculta de la historia moderna, in French La face cachée de l'histoire moderne), published in Spain in the late sixties, claims that the epistolary exchange is deposited in the archives of The House of the Temple, located in Washington DC and headquarters of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, of which Pike was Sovereign Grand Commander.
The House of the Temple is a very important place where one of the largest collections of Masonic books is housed, comprising more than two hundred and fifty thousand titles in its library.
Consultation would be forbidden, given the burning secrets that the documents would conceal.
However, Albert Pike's letter, written on August 15, 1871, was once displayed at the British Museum Library in London. According to the author
«in that place a Canadian naval officer, Commodore William Guy Carr [present as a consultant for the United States at the San Francisco Conference on June 26, 1945] was able to learn about it and publish a summary in the book Pawns in the Game».
If you are interested in delving deeper into the topic, the plan for a potential Third World War and the Pike-Mazzini correspondence are included in Volume 7.
Clotilde Bersone and The Dragon's Elect
Among the most significant testimonies is that of Clotilde Bersone.
Clotilde Bersone, author of the work L'eletta del Dragone, currently available from Edizioni Segno, printed in 1993, entered the Grand Lodge of the Illuminati of Paris in July 1975.
She was welcomed by the Grand Orient of the lodge, the famous James Abram Garfield (1831-1881) who, six years later in 1881, became president of the United States.
In the book L'Eletta del Dragone, the author narrates a journey that intertwines:
- esotericism;
- initiatic rituals;
- elite circles;
- bloody murders;
- dark spiritual practices;
- demonic manifestations.
This topic was discussed in Volume 6.
Testimonies of former affiliates
Over the years, several people have claimed to have participated in:
- deviant or clandestine lodges;
- esoteric groups;
- parallel occult organizations.
We will examine some of these in the next article.
Despite extensive literature, the relationship between Freemasonry and Satanism remains one of the most controversial topics in modern esotericism.
Historical evidence of a direct and systematic link between official Freemasonry and organized Satanism is plentiful, but often presented as non-existent, weak, or controversial. The presence of esoteric symbolism, Gnostic influences, and personal testimonies continues to fuel questions and debates.
If you truly want to delve into this fundamental topic, it is extensively discussed and contextualized throughout the work.
Why a structured path is needed
The main difficulty is that:
the information is abundant, tangled, and fragmented.
Therefore, what is needed is:
- order;
- progression;
- method.
A path to understanding
The series In the Footsteps of the Freemason is designed precisely to address these elements in a precise and progressive manner.
- each volume adds one or more levels;
- concepts are developed;
- the vision expands.
Conclusion
High-degree Freemasonry and Satanism, for those who prefer you credulous and uninformed, is a fanciful topic.
Freemasonry is a complex system;
it requires study;
it requires interpretation;
it requires criticism.
Those who observe Freemasonry superficially only see the part they are allowed to see.
Those who observe Freemasonry in depth see a system that is only in some cases consistent with its public image.
The difference lies in the method.
But also in the way and from the angle from which you scrutinize reality.