The Occult Conspiracy: Secret Societies--Their Influence and Power in World History (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

A well-informed account.

Review

The Occult Conspiracy's overriding virtue is its sheer comprehensiveness and sense of continuity from age to age. It offers those wonderful 'Aha!' experiences. -- Gnosis

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books (August 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892812516
• ISBN-13: 978-0892812516
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #284,953 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative...a worthwhile read, June 13, 1999

By	BDH (Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews

If you're interested in gaining knowledge of secret societies and their power and political influence throughout the ages then this book is for you. Michael Howard appears to possess a vast knowledge of these occult groups, from early paganism and Rosicrucians to todays Masons. His writings on the Vatican and also of the Third Reich will astonish. Everyone of power is involved in one way or another! Men of distinction beware of Lilith and Isis! Read on!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strange Trip Through Religion and Politics., June 4, 2003

By	zonaras (Jimbo's House of Pie) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

THE OCCULT CONSPIRACY by Michael Howard starts off with the misunderstood revelation that occultism is not always practiced by fringe individuals but is well established in the echelons of the world's ruling elite. The sources that Howard used in compiling this book are a who's who of popular arcane researchers and conspiracy theorists among which are Nesta Webster's "Secret Societies", Clark's "Occult Roots of Nazism", the theory of Christ's bloodline--"Holy Blood, Holy Grail", and books by New Age philosopher Manly P. Hall.

The viewpoint of this book is rather vague, and is not easy to pick up right away. There is an apparent conflict between traditional religion, especially Christianity and its largest sect, Catholicism, and secret, esoteric teachings as propounded by different groups linked together through the millenia with similar beliefs and objectives: Gnosticism, Manicheanism, Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, Freemasons, the Illuminati and radical leftism in the 1800s and 1900s. These secret societies have different doctrines, but they are all opposed to traditional Christianity, especially in their endorsement of a universal religion, one world government, the "feminine principle" of God, and the abolition of traditional religious, cultural and ethnic ties. "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" is their catchphrase. The great events of the past 250 years have their roots in secret society intrigue and have adopted occult symbolism: the American Revoloution, French Revoloution, rise of the British Empire, German Nationalism, Marxism, Russian Revoloution, Nazism, formation of the UN, New Age movement, 1960's radicalism, and the rise of today's "post-Christian" society. All the tumult, it is supposed, is caused by the advent of the Age of Aquarius (supposedly to take place in 2025) which will, in the mind of occultists, usher in a humanist utopia on earth.

There are a lot of flaws with this book. The author fails to give the book any real sort of context, except for its mystical pinko-liberalism. It rather posists a "conspiracy against the vast right-wing conspiracy" and claims that the secret society members are crusaders for human freedom against the oppression of Christianity and the old world order.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good information, November 20, 1998

By A Customer

Unfortunately, this book has a huge number of typos. One is very ridiculous: Bostonia, instead of Bosnia. Otherwise this book has a lot of behind-the-closed -doors information. The author made a great effort to put together such information. The chapter about the occult and anti-Christian origins of Hitler's ideology is truly great. This book is written from a white magic point of view, and presents the anti-Christian New Age movement (with all its aspects: feminism, permissive sexuality, ecology etc) as the future religion. Strange, but the author of this book that reveals so well conspiracies, is pro-conspiracy!