What is Ritual Abuse?
“…is methodical abuse, often using indoctrination, aimed at breaking the will of another human being. In a 1989 report, the Ritual Abuse Task Force of the L.A. County Commission for Women defined ritual abuse as: “Ritual Abuse usually involves repeated abuse over an extended period of time. The physical abuse is severe, sometimes including torture and killing. The sexual abuse is usually painful, humiliating, intended as a means of gaining dominance over the victim. The psychological abuse is devastating and involves the use of ritual indoctrination. It includes mind control techniques which convey to the victim a profound terror of the cult members …most victims are in a state of terror, mind control and dissociation” (Pg. 35-36) “Safe Passage to Healing”, by Chrystine Oksana, 1994, HarperCollins, 1-800-822-4090
What are Secret Societies?
Some secret societies allegedly practice ritual abuse. “Cults practicing ritual abuse exist as a secret society….Secret societies compete for membership with established organizations. Therefore, they have to offer something not accommodated by the establishment: wealth, power, fame, sex, drugs, security, promise of salvation or eternal life….There can be secret societies within secret societies.” (Pg. 48) “Safe Passage to Healing”
What is a Cult?
Here is a summary of 10 themes of cult membership Stephen Hassan listed in “Combatting Cult Mind Control” from Park Street Press, Rochester, VT.
1) The Doctrine is Reality – The cult’s beliefs allow no interpretation or other theories.
2) Reality is Black and White, Good Versus Evil – no outside group is valid, “no room for
interpretation”
3) Elitist Mentality – they are the chosen ones
4) Group Will Over Individual Will – “the self must submit to the group” “conformity is
good”
5) Strict Obedience: Modeling the Leader – the leader is imitated by everyone
6) Happiness through good performance – behaviors are controlled by shaming,
competition
7) Manipulation through fear and guilt – includes exit phobias, the devil, God, communism,
etc. will hurt you
8) Emotional highs and lows – from great productivity to crashing (due to individual’s
inadequacies)
9) Changes in Time Orientation – pre-cult life is bad, the present is crucial (pressure to meet
quotas, etc.)
10) No Way Out – There is never a legitimate reason for leaving
Cults also use “love bombing,” lots of flattery early on to “suck people in”. In ritual abuse, fear is used much more often, especially with children. Torture is often used to control peoples’ minds (allowing suggestions to enter the mind), causing DID, instead of fatigue and lectures, though fatigue and starvation may also be used. Ritual abuse suggestions are planted in alternate personalities. A person in the cult may have one belief system for work and day-time society and another for the cult at night.
Hassan’s book (which doesn’t discuss ritual abuse) explains how to recognize and avoid cults. They are often dishonest, having a hidden agenda.
The Connection: Secret Societies and Ritual Abuse
‘”Violent cults that ritually abuse children use a variety of belief systems to justify their acts. Some belief systems are based on the idea of needing to understand both good and evil in order to reach spiritual enlightenment….members engage in all evil acts imaginable in an attempt to understand the nature of evil. Some violent cults believe in supreme evil powers…to gain supernatural power…people practice ritual abuse …to worship the evil forces….other belief systems …of creating a superior white race….these cults believe they must torture and ritually abuse children …to create a “stronger” breed of humans…some…are based on worshipping the cycles of nature…” (Pg. 123) “Ritual Abuse” – Margaret Smith, 1993, HarperCollins
When trauma alters brain chemistry, perceptions of reality change. Ancient magicians believed a victim’s response was a mystical or magical experience. Now this is called “dissociation”. Some Gnostics believed that Satan was the God of the Old Testament. “In the Middle Ages, some secret societies and fraternal organizations were accused by the Catholic church of practicing a violent, sexualized mass.” (pg 135, Smith) The Cathars and Knights Templar were two of these groups. The Knights Templar were accused of desecrating the cross, and anointing it with parts of infants. Some confessions were obtained by torture.
The Illuminati, a dualist philosophy (associated with Satanism) developed in the 18th century. Some people believe they infiltrated secret societies including Freemasonry. 67% of survivors in M. Smith’s study said their ritual abuse perpetrators belonged to either secret societies or fraternal organizations (33% of alleged perpetrators were Masons).
The Masons
In “Cult and Ritual Abuse” by J. Noblitt and P. Perskin, 1995, Praeger Pub, 1-800-225-5800, there is a discussion in Chapter 10, Investigating Western Occultism about Gnosticism and its connection to secret societies. Alchemists might have created alter personalities, to “stay young” (child alters) or “become immortal”, pass down their traits to others in their alters.
Luciferian cults (where God is capable of good and evil) are described by some of their patients. Many of these patients have alleged ritual abuse where Masonic ceremonies, items or members were there. A symbol of The Order of the Eastern Star (female branch of the Masons) is an inverted pentagram.
Some believe Masonry has promoted Gnostic thinking. Albert Pike (33 degree Mason) ties the Masons to Jacques de Molay of the Knights Templar. Some believe the Masons may have helped create the Hell Fire Club (Black Masses) and the Illuminati. Some believe the KKK can be traced to a group made up of some Masons and derived rites and symbols from the Masons. “Many survivors of ritual abuse allege traumatic experiences associated with what they believe to be KKK activities, and many of these describe the KKK as a cult.” (Pg, 103, Noblitt and Perskin) Some people believe the following were Masons: Aleister Crowley (alleged ritual human sacrifice, O.T.O., Golden Dawn), Dr. W. W. Wescott (Golden Dawn), Karl Kellner and Theodore Reuss (O.T.O.), alleged MAFIA connection, Mazzini.
Ann-Marie Germain, 1993 thesis, (S.M.A.R.T. Issue #1), discusses alleged Masonic Ritual Abuse. “Understanding Ritual Abuse” a study of 33 R.A.’s, (from R.A. Project, 431 Auburn Blvd #215, Sacr, Ca. 95841), survivors name two groups they believe perpetrators belonged to, Masons (27%), Knights of Columbus (9%), other groups mentioned were: Rosicrucians, Eastern Star, Shriners.
In “The Egyptian Masonic Satanic Connection” by David Carrico, available from Followers of Jesus Christ, P O Box 4174, Evansville, In. 47724, Nimrod (Tower of Babel) is great according to the Masons. Masons’ mystery religion comes in part from Ancient Babylon, borrowing occult symbols, paraphernalia and candles. It is claimed that the Masonic history book has pictures of Ashtoreth, Dagon, Baal (associated by some with human sacrifices) and the Satanic Goat of Mendes. The Masons move up by degrees. 1st degree Masons are allegedly threatened with the loss of life if they divulge any secrets.
Albert Pike, “Father of Modern Masonry” Pike discusses connections of Masonry to the occult in “Morals and Dogma” (a pro-Masonic book). S.M.A.R.T. (newsletter) also has numerous letters from people alleging Masonic ritual abuse.
Eastern Star
Founded by a Mason, only women related to Master Masons may join. The degree system is connected to changed Biblical stories, where in two stories it is believed torture or human sacrifice are alluded to. The pentagram is Eastern Star’s symbol. It is claimed by some that Youth groups, Job’s Daughter, Rainbow girls, DeMolays are “feeder groups” for the Masons. Source: “The Masonic Connection: Hidden Secrets of the Eastern Star” by Cathy Burns, available from: Spring Arbor 1-800-395-2682
From another book of Cathy’s, “Hidden Secrets of Masonry”, Albert Pike allegedly states that Masonry intentionally misleads Masons (hidden agenda). J.S.M. Ward (A Mason) writes that Osiris (Egyptian God, human sacrifices, Egyptian God of the dead) saved mankind. She mentions that the gods of Masonry allegedly represent SATAN in different costumes.
Albert Pike talks about Lucifer bearing the light. The word “Illuminati” is derived from Lucifer. The Illuminati were dedicated to a “New World Order”. The back of the dollar bill has a pyramid with the all seeing eye on it, Roman numerals with the starting date of the Illuminati and the words “New World Order” in Latin. Some believe that most of the Presidents were Masons.
Other good sources on the Masons are:
(some of these books may be Christian in nature)
“The Deadly Deception” by Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney from Words of Living Ministries, P O Box 413, Marion, KY 42064.
“The Dark Side of Freemasonry” (collection of articles) Saints Alive in Jesus, P O Box 1076, Issaquah, WA 98027
“Secret and Suppressed” ed. by Jim Keith, 1993, Feral House, political connections
The article, “Deviant Scripturalism and Ritual Satanic Abuse Part Two: Possible Masonic, Mormon, Magick and Pagan Influences” by Stephen Kent, (Pub. in Religion ) U of Alberta, Dept of Soc, Faculty of Arts, 5-21 HM Tory Building, Edm, Canada, T6G 2H4.
The Mormons
The following information from Kent’s article: “deviant Mormons” may misinterpret includes Cain receiving secret empowering teachings from Satan, the Gadianton robbers using “secret combinations” (which include “secret murder”) to gain worldly power.
The Utah Lighthouse Ministry, P O Box 1884, Salt Lake City, UT 84110 has excellent information on the Mormons and alleged ritual abuse. In “Evolution of the Mormon Temple Ceremony 1842- 1990” by Jerald and Sandra Tanner it is shown that Joseph Smith was originally a Mason. Many parallels are shown between the two groups (Mormon and Mason) and many rituals were allegedly borrowed.
In “Satanic Ritual Abuse and Mormonism” (Tanners), 60 victims in the Mormon church discuss seeing or participating in alleged ritual abuse activities (this number could possibly include 800 total participants, the number of people in each survivors’ story added together).
The stories of Betty Rhoton and Merradyth McCallister describe alleged ritual abuse in the Mormon church, the Mormon church may have attempted to cover up McCallister’s story, and ex-communicated her from the church. Their stories include alleged torture, ritual abuse, and mind control. McCallister also had relatives in the Masons and Eastern Star. For more information, see S.M.A.R.T. Issue #6 or our resource list.
There is more information in S.M.A.R.T.’s back issues. Click here for SMARTNEWS’ Back Issue Info.