Are there real secret societies I can join?

The romance of secrecy hides a plain fact: nearly every private order in Australia is actively looking for good members. Declining membership has been the dominant trend in fraternal life for fifty years.

The obstacle is not getting in. It is deciding what you actually want from membership.

Contact a state Grand Lodge directly. Craft lodges require adult men who profess belief in a supreme being; women's and mixed orders exist separately. Expect a sponsor, an interview, joining fees and annual dues, plus regular attendance.

Suits people who want ritual, structure, local charity work and in-person community.

Rotary, Lions and similar clubs accept applications through local branches. Industry roundtables and invitation-only professional circles usually require an existing member's introduction.

Suits people who want visible community contribution and local business relationships.

Open application, no sponsor required, men and women equally, any faith or none. Assessment is on honesty, character and intent. Members are expected to keep eight obligations covering honesty, discretion, lawfulness, free will, respect, stewardship, contribution and non-exploitation.

Suits people who want an international rather than local network and who are comfortable with a private, non-ceremonial form of membership.

No legitimate order demands payment before assessment, contacts you first through social media promising wealth, or asks you to hide the process from your family. Apply only through an organisation's official channel.

For Illuminati membership in Australia, that means the official application portal and nowhere else.