An initiation at a Viennese Masonic Lodge in 1784

These 5 secret societies changed the world—from behind closed doors

From the Oracle at Delphi to the Freemasons, covert cults and clandestine clubs have existed in different cultures for millennia.

An initiation at a Viennese Masonic Lodge in 1784
Image courtesy of Unterberger, Ignaz (1748-1797)/Wien Museum Karlsplatz, Vienna, Austria/Bridgeman Images
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