ok, I'm spilling the beans.
Freemasonry is based on the goal of ruling the world. There are many different kinds of secret societies (such as skull and bones) and they are all kind of like parts to the engine that is freemasonry. The Illumaniti are to be viewed as the controler of the engine, but I'm pretty sure they aren't fully. I'm thinkin that that is not the highest level. Their main objective was really only concerned with controling the USA, but I'm sure there is much more to it than that now. It was started in 1776 in Engelstatd Germany (pardon my spelling throughout this) with this main goal. I think the Illumaniti was a more full specialized society than it's predecessor which had the very general goal of running the world, and a different name (I can't remember what it was). When this change occurred in 1776, the other part of the "command" must've gone into some other wherabouts which have remained more secret than the illumaniti. Maybe the illuminati is kind of like a patsy and also used as a way to recruit and spread interest in their grand schemes, but I digress.
Once the masons started letting in scholars into their society (around the 1600's or something like that), their goals started to grow more and more grand. Basically this whole thing (freemasonry) started in the dark ages or even before (around the 1400's). The Davincci code speaks about some of the early societies like the knights templar who aparently have the holy grail (bull ****). But the knights templar were a real group, and they were the first to start the idea of international banking. During their fade out, the masons were fading in. This idea of secret societies caught on quite well over scores of years and became more and more refined, but was still really only there for men (no women allowed) of the mason trade, thus easy to keep secret. For example, suppose only carpenters started their own secret society (it's sort of like unionizing, but it's secret, so it's got that "extra special meaning" type vibe to it) and they called it "the carpenters", well then they just recognize each other by asking "are you a carpenter?" but also making some pre-arranged body movement or something, and others in your company who aren't "carpenters" would never know the wiser, even if their trade is pounding nails for a living. Things got a little shaky for the masons when the french caught on, and started a campaign to erradocate freemasonry, many of their head honchos were exposed and they lost a lot of their structure. It was then when they were down on their numbers and started letting other people in as long as they had money and high intelligence. This was during the 1500-1600's or something.
So they started getting more heads working together to make their organization more redundant. With all these different types of people, they started arranging more complex protocols for each other to follow if certain things happen (and of course ways to recognize each other). They started compartmentalizing and creating more ranks and more specialized positions. This way, they can't be cracked as easily, much like how a ship has many doors that seal rooms that fill with water to keep the ship from sinking. If one cell is exposed, then no big deal, it's just cut away. This also allows more security due to the fact that each mason knows and is responsable for less than before.
After their big changes, cells started gaining more and more footing in almost all european countries. Many masons held positions in politics and big business. All types of systems started originating, but they all were organized somehow. Think of the movie fight club... In theory, there is a highest rank, and a leader that is running this whole system, but is completely unknown and more powerful than Bush. There are some main organizations such as the French-Scottish system with 33 "degrees" or levels. And the blankity-blank system (I forgot the name of it) which has 9 degrees. Some high degree defecters (I don't know how they are able to defect without being murdered to protect secrecy... which somewhat makes me think this is just a big myth) are certain that the 33 degree one controls the EU. Some famous high degree masons (32 and 33) include: FDR, Harry S Truman, Benjamin Franklin... I can't remember any more right now, but I know Thomas jefferson was a mason (of what degree I don't know) and so was Washington, but Washington left masonry for the last 30 or so years of his life. Oh yeah, Lenin was a level 32, and Marx I dont' know what level. Although I'm not too sure about Hitler, haven't read it from any credible sources. BTW, I regard credible sources as mainy videotaped footage of ex-masons spilling the beans, and all the architecture built around the world. seeing is believing. I have read a little, but I don't fully trust the internet with this stuff too much unless I see a picture (from many different sources) of these figures dressed up in masonry gear (yes they have plenty of traditional jewlery, necklaces, you name it... loincloths). There are all sorts of illustrations, paintings, emblems, statues, buildings... you name it, with masonic symbols on them too.
One guy, who's grave is in Washington DC, named Albert Pike, was a very highly respected 33 degree mason. He came up with a plan to take over the world with three world wars... hmm. He was a luciferian, and is a good representative of what the top levels of masonry are all about. They believe that they will rule the world with symbology rather than language (sort of like propoganda), so they leave their mark everywhere they are established. One of the big things they like to do is put up obilisks everywhere (transplanted from egypt), there is even one in central park. They like the scorpion, and spiders, and they put those everywhere. Thier biggest symbol is this:
http://religion-cults.com/Secret/Freemasonry/mason-emblem12.gif
the big G in the middle represents humanity's ability to reproduce (I don't know what word it stands for). That symbol is designed into the layout of washington DC. They like the pentogram, and they like eagles.
here's some handy dandy masonic clip art, for all those newly inniciated masons:
http://www.daylightmasons.org/seattle_masonic_lodge_clipart.html (a lot of varaitions of the main symbol of the square and compass)
they like the equilateral triangle too, it symbolizes brotherhood, equality, and... I forgot. hehe.:
http://www.kena.org/hirams/Images3/33RD.gif (notice the 33 on the top)
this has more of their stuff :
http://www.kena.org/hirams/Pictures/Masonic
There is a lot more to it...
Each major religion has a specific type of masonry (BTW, beleiving in God is a requisite), and all of them (the specific types of masonry tailored to each religion) are tailored to make the believer swear oaths to God that completely cross the line. All the oaths they take are designed to directly contradict their beliefs, albeit unknowingly when they are performing the inniciation ceremony into the next level up. The things they are asked to swear to include their own murder if they choose to defect, and denial of their own beliefs wether or not they defect (in a way that doesn't really seem against their beliefs on the surface of things, and without thought about what they are asked to swear). I don't know the exact words they must say, this is just what I understand. I also know that a whole lot of memorzation work must be done in order to pass up into a higher level, so a lot of it is just listen and recite.
Ok, so they make oaths to their god and their brothers (fellow masons), oh yeah, and they always burn three candles during this ceremony. One represents the sun (which lights the daytime), one the moon (which lights the night time), and one that represents the "enlightenment" of the grand master of their particular lodge. So In many masonic buildings all over the world, you will see a room with stained glass containing lots and more of the symbols above, with intricate detail everywhere, and there will probably be a small knee high platform and three candles on three of it's corners. The three candles, or three lights of any kind is another symbol of freemasonry.
Ok, now on to more fun stuff.
There are 33 sections in the emblem of the UN. count them:
http://www.un.org/english/
there are 33 feathers on one side of the eagle on the back of the dollar bill, and 32 on the other side (one side representing the French-Scottish system, and the other... I don't know, prolly some other system). There are 9 tail feathers which represent that other system that I forgot but mentioned earlier.
oh yeah, they also like the number 13, and I forgot what it means, but there are 13 levels in the pyramid on the dollar bill, and the eye on the top represents the illimaniti as it spreads it's "light" downward (aka shroud of confusion).
But anyway, there is a lot more to say, but I'm tired and I don't want to spend the time to find out what I'm forgetting...
one more thing... the illuminati loves that number 1776, and they put it everywhere, like on the bottom of the pyramid on the dollar bill (roman numerals) And in latin it's stated Anniut Coeptis (the year biggining) novus ordo seclorum (the order of the new world) which is confused by americans to be be inferred as the year marking the start of the USA... Well how could that mark the first year of the USA when the revolutionary war was still to be won, and the constitution or bill of rights wasn't even written yet? 1776 was the year the illumaniti was firmly established, it was the year that marked the beginning of their plan to control the USA. 1776 is also in roman numerals on book on the statue of liberty (which was a gift from masons in france to masons in the US), and even the new WTC is going to be 1776 feet tall...
So, it kinda makes a person wonder... When the stock market was booming in 1928, why did, all of the sudden, all of the major stock holders start massivly selling their stock one day, almost like they had agreed to do it that day, and in that way? Why did all those rich people (in a booming market) feel the need to start panic selling in the first place? Unless! they were masons, simply obeying their orders. Once they started selling, the stock prices started falling, and then many saw their stocks start to lose value, so they started selling, which further lowered the prices, and so on and so forth until the whole nation was panic selling and voiwalla! the great depression... then FDR (a 33 degree) switched us from the gold standard to a fiat system, and the rest is history... our money really doesn't have any value other than what the people give it because it truly doesn't represent anything, it's not a "share" of the US, it's just a promisary note. Economists define it as a promise, backed by a promise to repay a larger promise. Why didn't anybody listen to the message in the Wizzard of OZ? follow the yellow brick road, stay with gold!
eh, I'm going to go to bed now.