At Least 5 Presidents Were Part Of A Secretive Society Said To Be Controlled By The Illuminati
Should the rest of the world be worried?
Wikophile1, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, mark reinstein / Shutterstock For those of us on the outside looking in, any secretive place that only allows rich, high-powered men to be members seems suspicious.
Curiosity about the unknown usually leads to strange hypotheses and wild conspiracy theories based on minimal information.
One such place is the Bohemian Club, a private members-only organization with two locations. The first location is in the Nob Hill area of San Francisco, and the other, called the Bohemian Grove, a retreat in Sonoma County.
What is the Bohemian Club?
The Bohemian Club was founded in 1872 and was originally intended to be a meeting place for artists, musicians, and journalists.
Michael Henry de Young of the San Francisco Chronicle described it as "a place where the boys could get together after work."
Not long after opening, the criteria to become a permanent Bohemian Club member was expanded to include entrepreneurs and businessmen.
There was also a temporary membership offered to presidents at Stanford and Berkley Universities and high-ranking military commanders stationed nearby.
In the present day, local and global leaders are also permitted to join, but women are restricted from becoming club members with the exception of four honorary female members, accepted in its early years.
The Bohemian Club is labeled as a "secret society" because it is shrouded in mystery and has strict guidelines about who is accepted in the fold.
The club’s motto, "Weaving Spiders Come Not Here," is an ode to William Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream." And, loosely translated, it means that once you step through the doors of the Bohemian Club, you leave business and the worries of the world behind.
Who are the members of the Bohemian Club?
While current members are said to have to wait 15 years for an opening into the club, as membership is limited to about 2,700 men, over the years, there have been many well-known men who belonged to the club.
Ambrose Bierce, an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and Civil War Veteran was one of the club’s founding members.
The Bohemian Club has a long list of prominent men who have opted to join its ranks over the years, including several United States presidents.
Presidents Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and George H.W. Bush were members of the private club.
George Sterling, an esteemed poet and playwright was a big supporter of Bohemianism in the 20th century and was one of the club’s most prominent members.
Mark Twain, a famed writer, was made an honorary member, but there is no record of him ever stepping foot into the club.
Jack London, novelist, journalist, and activist, gained international notoriety for his work and was also an honorary member of the Bohemian Club.
Bret Harte, who wrote as “The Bohemian,” was best known for his short stories featuring miners, gamblers, and figures from the California Gold Rush.
He, too, was inducted as an honorary member, and is memorialized by a bronze relief (sculpture) that can be described as a 3D painting, created by artist, Jo Mora. It contains 15 characters from Harte’s books and is exhibited on the exterior of Bohemian Club.
What is the Cremation of Care?
One of the Bohemian Club’s practices that tends to raise eyebrows is a ceremony called the Cremation of Care.
Each year, the Bohemian Club hosts an annual summer retreat at Bohemian Grove. The camp is two weeks long and takes place over three weekends.
During that time, the members burn an effigy that is meant to symbolize "care" or worry. This ritual represents them essentially ridding themselves of care.
A TikToker shared this video that allegedly shows the ritual:
The retreat also features short presentations called "Lakeside Talks," hikes, performances, and plays.
Why do some people believe the Bohemian Club is a secret society?
The first conspiracy theory about the Bohemian Club centers around the retreat and Cremation of Care ceremony.
The language of the ceremony was written by the club’s founders, and many believe it is a Satanic sacrifice of a child to the biblical an owl-like child-eating pagan god, “Moloch.”
Part of that particular conspiracy theory is that, after the sacrifice, the club members engage in homosexual orgies, human sacrifices and sex trafficking.
Another theory is that the Bohemian Club is home to a secret commission like the Illuminati that controls the world and the global economy.
This theory has been pushed by conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, who did a documentary called "Dark Secrets: Inside Bohemian Grove."
Many believe that rich, powerful white men gather there to make political decisions and influence public policy without scrutiny. This theory is not that far out, considering that Nixon gave a presentation on foreign policy at Bohemian Grove in 1967.
Another TikTok account shared a video with more on this theory:
Over time, the conspiracy theories about the Bohemian club have started to die down. But that doesn’t stop new ones from arising from time to time.
Any time the richest, most influential, and most powerful men in the world gather behind closed doors and maintain total secrecy, it could be cause for concern.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.