How this is researched

Sources, in order of preference

1. Primary documents — constitutions, rituals (where openly published by the order), official statements, charters, and published correspondence of founders.
2. Peer-reviewed scholarship — academic work on Western esotericism and the history of religions.
3. Reputable secondary sources — long-form journalism with sourcing, encyclopedic references, and books from established publishers.
4. Self-description by the order — used for what an order says about itself, with that framing made explicit.

What is excluded

• Anonymous web posts, message-board claims, and self-published material without verifiable sourcing.
• Conspiracist literature that asserts facts about an order without evidence.
• Allegations against named living private individuals based on rumored membership.

How entries are structured

Every tradition entry uses the same outline so readers can compare across them:

• Overview — what the tradition is, in a paragraph.
• Origins & history — documented founding, evolution, and major schisms.
• Beliefs & practices — the tradition's stated cosmology and what its members do.
• Symbols — recurring iconography and what it signifies within the tradition.
• Notable figures — founders, key teachers, and historically influential members.
• Controversies — documented disputes, schisms, criminal cases, or scandals where they exist.
• Sources — the references behind the entry.

Revisions

Entries are revised as new sourcing becomes available or errors are flagged. Significant revisions are noted at the bottom of an entry.