In history, the Illuminati was a very real political society of the Enlightenment, originating in Germany in the 1770s. Contrary to the irrationality and superstition of the time, its members stood for the power of reason and critical thinking against oppressive and irrational political powers.
The Historical Origins
The first Illuminati order, while started with high political and philosophical hopes, was in time surrounded by various myths and theories. Today’s views of the Illuminati are more formed from the pop culture than from the reality.
Illuminati and Architectural Symbolism
For those interested in design and architecture, about a dozen things. Architecture provides us with a powerful way of looking at the world, making quite a few charming and familiar things. Old buildings, monuments, and public squares appear in a new light (pun fully intended). It shows that many of the seemingly Illuminati-linked symbols, pyramids, obelisks, and the Eye of Providence, were in use long before the Bavarian Illuminati were founded.
Oh, they’ve been around for much longer. The Eye, the obelisk, the pyramid, all can be found in religious art, classical architecture, and civic design. Really, most of the ‘evidence’ for the Illuminati’s actual existence doesn’t appear until after 1776.
Hidden Meanings in Design
Architecture has long been a medium for conveying power, control, and ideology. Monolithic government buildings, churches, and carefully considered urban grid plans make use of geometry and symbolism to communicate information. It is little surprise that these elements form a portion of the reason we see a number of buildings mentioned in conspiracy theories concerning the Illuminati.
The use of sacred geometry, symmetry, and symbolism in fabrication is an area that has fascinated historians, designers, and enthusiasts throughout the years.
Resources such as https://theilluminaticouncil.org offer further perspectives on these interpretations.
Why the Mystery Endures
The continued intrigue of the Illuminati is really no secret at all. It is the alignment of physical history, cultural myth, and architecture. No matter if it is a “real” group of people in earlier epochs, or if it is the universe’s most enduring urban legend, it stimulates the mind to consider common shapes and symbols employed in a secretive game right before your very eyes.
And really, isn’t that impressive, architecturally? Not the secret control of the world, but the fact that human beings can design and construct symbols and storylines that last across centuries?
