Secret Societies: your unconventional, unofficial VIP right of passage into ‘coolville’. As outdated as they may seem, secret societies still very much exist in our present day. Yet with all the mediums of communication and social media we have these days, these “secret societies” are harder to be kept secret from the world.

It is intriguing that something so passe is still floating around out there.  There are 7 societies said to still have, if only a fragment, of influence:

Freemasons – said to be the longest standing secret society:

They’ve become synonymous with secret handshakes, bizarre rituals and a hierarchy in which members move up through various levels as they gain experience and respect within the society.

Most modern secret societies take their cue from the Freemasons by incorporating handshakes, code words, private rituals and complex chains of command.

Illuminati – we’ve all heard of this one: celebrities, politicians, small little triangles in every corner of every photo equaling “conspiracy” and “government manipulation”… 

Although the Illuminati originally branched off from, and broke away from, the Freemasons, they have since become a prime focus for conspiracy theorists, many of whom credit Illuminati agendas for every conceivable disaster, mystery, and economic downturn.

The Skull and Bones – said to be the least secret of all societies, the Skull and Bones Society at Yale University was founded in 1832.

[…] the Skull and Bones boasts many prominent heads of state (including at least three presidents), captains of industry, and heads of covert agencies among its membership. The society meets twice a week for rituals that are purported to closely follow Masonic rites, but many claim the organization is really nothing more than a glorified college fraternity.

To see the rest of the 7 secret societies, click here.

[source: Huffington post]