PALLADISM

Palladian

Origin: From Latin Palladius, from Greek Palladios, from Pallas, Pallad-, Pallas Athena.

1. Greek Mythology Of, relating to, or characteristic of Athena.

2. Of, relating to, or characterized by Wisdom or Study.

The New Super-Rite

By the late 1800s, Freemasonry had grown so large that it had become inefficient and difficult to manage. Its many divisions, rites, and sects lacked a sense of unity and direction. Thus, in an effort to centralize the authority of Universal Freemasonry a new ultra-secret governing body was established on 20 September 1870 (Miller, Occult Theocracy, p.207-208). This represented the first major restructuring of Illuminized Freemasonry. At the center of this creation was Albert Pike, who stated: "The blind Force of the people is a Force that must be economized, and also managed . . . It must be regulated by Intellect (Intellect here is a reference to the Illuminati or the highest adepts of Freemasonry), . . . When all these Forces are combined, and guided by the Intellect, and regulated by the RULE of Right, and Justice... the great revolution prepared for by the ages will begin to march. It is because Force is ill regulated that revolutions prove failures." (Morals and Dogma, p.1-2).

Pike would end up doing more than any other figure of the 19th century to prepare the way for this "great" revolution of which he spoke. He was "a great student of the Cabala and the Occult" (Miller, Occult Theocracy, 208). His literary achievements in this area were numerous, including Ariel; The Sephar H. Debarim; Book of the Word; Legenda Magistralia; Ritual of the New and Reformed Palladium (4 grades out of 5), The Ritual of Elect Magus, and The Book of Apadno" (Ibid., p.220).

Pike was placed in power in 1859 when, he was elected to the position of Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Supreme Council. In the 1860s, Giuseppe Mazzini, the Italian revolutionary leader and the worldwide director of Illuminized Freemasonry from 1834 to 1872, established relations with Pike making him the head of the Illuminati's activities in the United States. Finally, on 20 September 1870 the constitution creating the new super-rite was signed into effect by Pike and Mazzini (Miller, Occult Theocracy, p.215). The two founders divided their powers according to the following plan. To Pike (Scotch Rite) was given dogmatic authority and the title of Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry, while Mazzini (Memphis Misraim Rite) held the executive authority with the title of Sovereign Chief of Political Action.

Pike named the Order the New and Reformed Palladian Rite. Historians describes it as neo-Gnosticism, teaching that the divinity is dual and that Lucifer is the equal of Adonay (Ibid., 216-217). It is in fact Lucifer who is worshiped within this Rite of Freemasonry. The Holy See of the Dogma for the whole Masonic world was set up at Charleston, the sacred city of the Palladium. Pike, the Sovereign Pontiff of Lucifer, was the president of the Supreme Dogmatic Directory, composed of 10 brothers of the highest grades who formed his Supreme Grand College of Emeritus Masons. The Sovereign Executive Directory of High Masonry was established at Rome under Mazzini himself.

In a letter to Albert Pike, dated 22 January 1870 (leading up to the founding of the new Rite) Mazzini wrote: "We must allow all the federations to continue just as they are, with their systems, their central authorities and their divers modes of correspondence between high grades of the same rite, organized as they are at present, but we must create a supreme rite, which will remain unknown, to which we will call those Masons of high degree whom we shall select. With regard to their brothers in Masonry, these men must be pledged to the strictest secrecy. Through this supreme rite, we will govern all Freemasonry which will become the one international centre, the more powerful because its direction will be unknown." (Ibid., p.208-209).

The main centers of operation for the Supreme or Palladian Rite were located in Charleston, Rome, and Berlin. In addition to these headquarters, Pike and Mazzini established four Grand Central Directories for the purpose of gathering information vital to political and propaganda efforts. These were, The Grand Central Directories for North America at Washington, for South America at Montevideo, for Europe at Naples, and for Asia and Oceania at Calcutta. Later on, a Sub-Directory for Africa was rounded at Port Louis on the Island of Mauritius. Palladism is necessarily a luciferian Rite. Its religion is Neo-Gnostism (Bogomilism), teaching that the divinity is dual and that Satanail (Lucifer) is equal of Yehova (Adonay), with the God of Light and Goodness struggling for humanity against the God of Darkness and Evil..

To recruit adepts, they planned to use some members of the other rites, but in the beginning they meant to rely principally on those among the initiates of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and Memphis and Misraim Rite, who were already addicted to occultism. A high degree Mason, particularly, would be well received everywhere in any country, in any rite the existence of which is acknowledged. Thus it was particularly the initiates of the high degree degrees Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis Misraim and Scottish Rites, who, owing to their extensive International ramifications, were privileged to recruit adepts for Palladism. That is why the supreme rite created its Triangles (the name given to Palladian Lodges) by degrees, but these were established on a firm base, the lowliest of its initiates being brothers long tested in ordinary Freemasonry.

History of Paladism

Palladism had been brought to Greece from Egypt by Pythagoras in the5th century, and it was this cult that was introduced to the inner circle of the Masonic lodges. The name, Palladium, was taken from a Masonic order founded in 1720 which died out, only to re-emerge in Charleston under Pike. The Order of the Palladium, or Sovereign Council of Wisdom, had been constituted in France in 1737, and was one and the same as the legendary Palladium of the Templars, better known by the name of Baphomet. In 1801 Isaac Long, a Jew, was said to have carried the "original image" of Baphomet to Charleston, in the United States, and it was alleged that the lodge he founded then became the chief in the Ancient and Accepted Scotch Rite. He was succeeded in due course by Albert Pike, who, it was alleged, extended the Scotch Rite and shared the anti-Catholic Masonic chieftainship with the Italian patriot Giuseppe Mazzini. This new directory was established, it was asserted, as the new Reformed Palladium Rite, or Reformed Palladium. Assisted by Gallatin Mackey and others, Pike built the new rite into an occult fraternity with worldwide powers.

In 1870 Pike and Mazzini completed an agreement to create a supreme, Universal Rite of Masonry that would over-arch all the other rites, even the different national rites. It centralized all high Masonic bodies in the world under one head. To this end the Palladium Rite was created as the pinnacle of the pyramid of power. Albert Pike re-wrote the degrees of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and instituted the Rite of the Palladium to dominate Freemasonry. Pike was said to indulged in the occult. He was the Grand Master of a group known as the Order of the Palladium (or Sovereign Council of Wisdom), which had been founded in Paris in 1737. The highest of the high was the Palladium: an international alliance to bring in the Grand Lodges, the Grand Orient, 33 degrees of the The Ancient and Accepted Rite (Scottish Rite) and the 99 degrees of The Ancient and Primitive Rite (Memphis and Mizraim).

Palladism took the fuel from Adam Weishaupt’s vision for humanity and connected the energy to the pistons of Freemasonry. Those pistons were then driven in rhythm by the Palladium. Candidates are exposed to a five-step programme:

Adoption
Illumination
Conversation
Congress
Union

Modern Illuminati incorporated Memphis-Misraim Freemasonry into their most important, highly secret rite called "The Palladium Rite". Pike created a Palladium Rite which was a secret rite that practiced occultism. This rite was to be kept secret at all costs and only a chose few were selected. The Palladium would be an international alliance of key Masons. Albert Pike created a super-secret, very powerful group within a group called The Palladium Rite. This rite combined the Grand Lodges, Grand Orient, all 99 degrees of Memphiz-Mitzraim, and 33 degrees of the Scottish Rite. Therefore, high-level Freemasonry contains the entire practice of Memphis-Mizraim, and totally controls the separate modern-day Masonic Lodges.

Members of the Illuminist Palladium Rite, who incorporated all of the degrees of the Memphis-Mitzraim are obsessed with esoteric and occult. Foster Bailey calls the spirits that Masons communicate with the "Illuminati" These spirits initiate these higher Masons into becoming light-bearers themselves. The Illuminati..."assist at the unfolding of the consciousness of the candidate until the time comes when he can 'enter into Light' and, in his turn become a Light-bearer, one of the Illuminati who can assist the Lodge on High in bringing humanity to Light." These spirits have various Masons. Higher Masons become Illuminati - which go by several names one of which is "Masters of the Temple." A single illumined person is called an Illuminatus.

The Palladium Rite calls its groups Triangles of Adepts. Members are selected mainly from higher levels of the Scottish Rite and Memphis and Misraim Rites, although the members can come from other Rites too. The Palladium Rite has its own budget. Its power over the Masonic Lodge does not derive from being a part of the power structure, but from the careful selection of Masons that participate in the Palladium Rite and their distribution throughout the various Rites of Masonry and their controlling bodies. The Grand Central Directories (and from there to the Supreme Councils, Grand Encampments, Grand Orients, and Grand Lodges) are the nerve centers of Masonry from which orders emanate. The Palladium Rite is popular among those in positions of power. It is said that the leaders of the Palladium Rite are allowed to visit or join the B'nai B'rith lodges.