Secret Societies

By Parcast Network

Society & Culture History

What's Secret Societies about?

They’ve been around for thousands of years…orchestrating some of history’s most controversial events. And if not for their radical actions, you may never have even known they existed. Every Thursday, take a journey through hidden passageways and become a member of Parcast’s diabolical series, SECRET SOCIETIES. Each society is explored in 2 episodes—exposing the people and context responsible for its founding, and analyzing the psychology behind their beliefs.

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LA County Sheriff’s Gangs P...

12.03.2020

The community of Lennox in Los Angeles is just one square mile, but it has an enormous problem. Alongside violent gang activity, there’s a secret organization adding terror to the neighborhood. Their symbol? The Grim Reaper. Their ranks? Los Angeles ...

Secret Societies episodes:

12.03.2020 LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 2: The Lennox Grim Reapers The community of Lennox in Los Angeles is just one square mile, but it has an enormous problem. Alongside violent gang activity, there’s a secret organization adding terror to the neighborhood. Their symbol? The Grim Reaper. Their ranks? Los Angeles ...
11.26.2020 LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 1: Little Devils & Lynwood Vikings Deputy gangs have been embedded in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department since 1971. In the first of our five-part collaboration with Parcast series Secret Societies, we delve into the earliest of these violent gangs that shaped the current culture within ...
11.19.2020 Supernatural Crossover: Netta Fornario Today we’re bringing you a special episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy it, check out Supernatural with Ashley Flowers on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! In November 1929, a woman named Netta Fornario was ...
11.16.2020 Dictators: The Rise & Fall of a Roman Emperor They’re natural-born leaders, hungry for absolute power. Every week on Dictators, delve into the minds and motives of history’s most infamous rulers — people who rose through the ranks toward radicalism, eliminating anyone who stood in their way. This week, ...
11.12.2020 The Righteous and Harmonious Fists Pt. 2 The group staged a violent uprising in 1900, determined to rid Imperial China of foreign influence. It later became known as the Boxer Rebellion. Western diplomats and Chinese Christians were forced to defend themselves against the militants, while an international ...
11.05.2020 The Righteous and Harmonious Fists Pt. 1 In the late 1800s, groups of working-class Chinese citizens became frustrated by their dire economic straits and the rampant Western influence over their country. They formed a revolutionary secret society, and resolved to reclaim China for themselves.
11.02.2020 Welcome to Our Love Story How do complete strangers turn into perfect pairs? On the new Spotify Original from Parcast, Our Love Story, hear from real-life couples themselves as they share the intimate, funny, joy-filled moments of their relationship — without skipping over what’s been ...
10.29.2020 Thule Society Pt. 2 In 1919, the Thule Society led a revolt against the communist government that had taken control of Munich. In the shaky political aftermath, Thulists joined a new fascist political party, and influenced a burgeoning dictator: Adolph Hitler.
10.22.2020 Thule Society Pt. 1 Before there were the Nazis, the Thule Society sprang up as a secret order dedicated to Aryan superiority. Followers of Thule believed the future of Germany lay in returning to the past and practicing the magic of the old Norse ...
10.21.2020 True Horror: Top 10 Haunted Crime Scenes Parcast Network is spinning a web of new shows and special programming to celebrate our favorite season. Follow us into the darkest depths of history, mystery, and the human mind — starting with this episode of Crime Countdown! Hosts Ash ...
10.15.2020 Order of the Nine Angles Pt. 2 Since the dawn of the internet, the ONA and it's non-religious counterpart, the Dreccian Way, have exploded across the world. Dozens of white-supremacist groups have adopted the ONA's messages, with deadly results.
10.08.2020 Order of the Nine Angles Pt. 1 First founded by a mysterious figure in the 1960s, the O.N.A. has made it their mission to use black magic to create their white supremacist dreamworld.
10.05.2020 New! Haunted Places: Ghost Stories Flickering lights… Clanging metal… A sudden, cold rush of air… Parcast Network’s all-new original series is here—and with it, the scariest, most hair-raising ghost stories ever imagined. Join host Alastair Murden as he reaches into the cob-webbed collection of ghost ...
10.01.2020 Camorra Pt. 2 In the mid-1800s, the Camorra utilized a time of great political turmoil to raise their stature. But when an Italian minister realizes how much they've infiltrated into Neapolitan society, he begins a war against them.
09.25.2020 Solved Murders: The Story of Helen Potts Listeners, we’re excited to bring you an episode from one of our favorite podcasts, Solved Murders: True Crime Mysteries. Every Wednesday on Solved Murders, we explore the days, months, and even years leading up to the closure of a seemingly ...
09.24.2020 Camorra Pt. 1 In the early 1800s, a secret society of criminals known as the Camorra formed in the jails of Naples. Once released, they became pivotal players in the Italian struggle for independence from the Bourbon Regime.
09.17.2020 Freemasons Pt. 2 Since they were first founded, the Freemasons' secretive nature gave rise to rumors and conspiracy theories: According to some, Freemasons worship the devil, have a headquarters under the Denver airport, and are planning to rise up and establish a dystopian ...
09.14.2020 New! Incredible Feats with Dan Cummins Humanity’s most daring achievements are coming together in the new Spotify Original from Parcast! Every weekday, Incredible Feats introduces you to a new story of jaw-dropping physical strength, mental focus, and bizarre behavior. Join comedian Dan Cummins as he profiles ...
09.10.2020 Freemasons Pt. 1 With ties back to the stonemason lodges of the Middle Ages, Freemasons just might be the world's oldest secret society—or as they say, society with secrets. Their arcane rituals, esoteric symbols, and celebrity membership have attracted members—and critics—for hundreds of ...
09.03.2020 Odd Fellows Pt. 2 Membership in the Order of the Odd Fellows dwindled after the Great Depression, making it hard for the society to keep their sordid past a secret—like how the Order may have been involved with one of the most notorious murder ...
08.27.2020 Odd Fellows Pt. 1 Dating back as far as 79 C.E., the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows is a society built on charitable efforts. Yet behind closed doors, the Order has dark secrets and rituals that are closely guarded by members to this ...
08.26.2020 New Parcast Original: Medical Murders We all know that medical professionals are trained to give exceptional care. But in the new Parcast Original, Medical Murders, you’ll discover a disturbing diagnosis… that not every doctor wants to extend your life. Every Wednesday, meet the men and ...
08.20.2020 The Black Hand Pt. 2 NYPD Detective Joe Petrosino, an Italian immigrant and master of disguise, led the charge against the Black Hand. When a backlash arose against ALL Italian-Americans, his fight to protect his community transformed into a battle against bigotry.
08.13.2020 The Black Hand Pt. 1 At the turn of the 20th century, a criminal group began terrorizing New York’s Italian immigrant population. The Black Hand was insidious, but Detective Joe Petrosino—aka “the Italian Sherlock Holmes”—fought for justice, with a task force known as “the Mysterious ...
08.11.2020 Introducing Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers! Uncover the dirty dealings of history’s most badly behaved presidents in the NEW Spotify Original from Parcast, Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers. Every Tuesday through the 2020 election, Ashley shines a light on the darker side of the American presidency… ...
08.06.2020 Cosa Nostra Pt. 2 In Sicily, the Cosa Nostra acted like a shadow government, controlling local lawmakers, priests, and law enforcement. They ruled the island until the 1980s, when a brave group of magistrates finally put the mafia on trial.
07.30.2020 Cosa Nostra Pt. 1 In the mid-1800s, criminal gangs sprang up in Sicily, using violence to extort farmers in the island's lucrative citrus trade. By the end of the century, the gangs organized into the Cosa Nostra: the all-powerful Sicilian mafia.
07.23.2020 Order of the Golden Dawn Pt. 2 At the turn of the century, the Order of the Golden Dawn was born… and then died. In the decades since, several mystics have resurrected the order, founding numerous competing chapters, influencing political elections, and maybe even causing the 1994 ...
07.16.2020 Order of the Golden Dawn Pt. 1 In 1888, three Rosicrucians and Freemasons—William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Wescott, and S.L. Mathers—allegedly found an ancient manuscript detailing rituals of a long lost Golden Dawn. They resurrected the order and perpetuated its magical secrets… but were they really mystics? ...
07.09.2020 The Sons of Liberty Pt. 2 Some of America’s most historical figures, from Samuel Adams to John Hancock to Paul Revere, were members of the Sons of Liberty. But their methods for securing independence weren’t always pure. Alternate histories suggest they may have incited the Boston ...
07.02.2020 The Sons of Liberty Pt. 1 In 1765, nine middle-class businessmen began meeting under Boston’s Liberty Tree. Over time, merchants, artisans, shopkeepers, even politicians joined the secret society known as the Sons of Liberty. Not only did they orchestrate the Boston Tea Party, they inspired the ...
06.25.2020 O.T.O. Pt. 2 He inspired the Beatles, sacrificed goats, and faked his own death. Aleister Crowley is one of the most controversial figures in modern history, and his name has become synonymous with the O.T.O.
06.18.2020 O.T.O. Pt. 1 The occult society of magicians, Ordo Templi Orientis, has divided public opinion since its founding in Germany around 1890. Are they innovative philosophers, or do they worship Satan? Take a walk into the O.T.O.'s world of blood, rituals, and sex ...
06.11.2020 The Bilderberg Group Pt. 2 Knowledge about the Bilderberg Group hit the mainstream in the 2000s. Since then, conspiracy theorists have accused the group of handpicking world leaders, deposing uncooperative governments and even creating implements for mind-control. However, the true danger posed by the group ...
06.10.2020 Introducing SOLVED MURDERS: TRUE CRIME MYSTERIES, A Parcast Original Series! To commemorate its fourth anniversary, Parcast and the team behind Unsolved Murders are taking a closer look at what it takes to catch a killer. In the new series Solved Murders: True Crime Mysteries, you'll follow the clues and uncover ...
06.04.2020 The Bilderberg Group Pt. 1 Since its founding in 1954, the Bilderberg Group, an association made up of the world's richest and most powerful people, have met in secret in luxury hotels around the world. Nobody knows what these heads of state and CEOs discuss ...
05.28.2020 The Hashashins Pt. 2 With Hasan-i-Sabbah now dead, the Assassins looked to someone to carry on his legacy. They found it in Rashid al-Din Sinan. With Sinan as Grand Master, the Assassins would become legendary, and their deeds would capture the imagination, and horror, ...
05.21.2020 The Hashashins Pt. 1 Throughout the history of Islam, schisms led to the formation of different branches or sects. In 1090, after the death of an Imam, a missionary would set out to form his own branch of Islam. In the process, he would ...
05.14.2020 The Cathars Pt. 2 Many historians believe that the last Cathar died in 1321. They had been slaughtered in a decades-long inquisition led by the Catholic Church. But has the religious society managed to keep alive in the shadows?
05.07.2020 The Cathars Pt. 1 They first appeared in Europe sometime during the 12th century. But unlike other secret societies, the Cathars didn’t choose to hide—they were forced to. They believed the pain we experience in this world is because we've been trapped here, in ...
04.30.2020 Molly Maguires Pt. 2 They were famous in the coal mining region of Pennsylvania. Before the end of the 19th century, twenty of the Molly Maguires’ alleged leaders would be hanged for their heinous crimes. But the question remains, did this menacing Irish society ...
04.26.2020 Sneak Peek: DAILY QUOTE, A Parcast Original Series! Whether you’re jumpstarting the morning, searching for that midday pick-me-up, or trying to finish the evening off strong… Daily Quote offers some of history’s most inspirational quotes whenever you need them—365 days a year. In this 2-3 minute podcast, you’ll ...
04.23.2020 Molly Maguires Pt. 1 In the 1800s, Irish farmers began protesting against greedy landlords and excessive tithes. But before long, these protests turned violent—even murderous. As the Mollies began popping up in coal-mining Pennsylvania, the death toll would only continue to grow.
04.16.2020 Crossover Week: Dictators (Joseph Stalin Pt. 2) If you enjoy the stories told in Secret Societies, check out this episode from our series Dictators: Now in total power, Joseph Stalin went on to transform the Soviet Union into a modernized country—but at the cost of millions of ...
04.16.2020 Crossover Week: Dictators (Joseph Stalin Pt. 1) If you enjoy the stories told in Secret Societies, check out this episode from our series Dictators: Before he became the leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world, Joseph Stalin was an idealistic, but ruthless revolutionary. ...
04.09.2020 The Rosicrucians Pt. 2 Recent allegations and revelations about the Rosicrucians have accused them of mind control, ritual suicide, and white supremacy. Some even believe they're part of a global conspiracy to hide the truth about Jesus Christ.
04.02.2020 The Rosicrucians Pt. 1 Between 1610 and 1614, a series of anonymous letters claimed to reveal hidden knowledge about a mystical secret society. Were the missives divine revelations—or hoaxes? And did a fourteenth-century Christian monk unlock the key to immortality?
03.26.2020 The Council on Foreign Relations Pt. 2 Their power allowed them to attain a nearly impossible reach in politics, big business, and the media after the end of World War II. Some have even accused the Council on Foreign Relations of using the U.S. government...to create a ...
03.19.2020 The Council on Foreign Relations Pt. 1 Since its founding in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations has claimed to be an independent political think-tank. But they have had a direct hand in crafting some of the most divisive policies in United States History.
03.16.2020 Introducing SUPERNATURAL WITH ASHLEY FLOWERS, A Parcast Original Series! Most mysteries can be solved by looking at the facts. But sometimes, the facts don’t lead to a logical explanation, and the truth lies somewhere in the unknown…Join Parcast and Crime Junkie’s Ashley Flowers as they dive deep into the ...

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