In the 19th century, anarchists were accused of conspiracy by governments that feared revolution, but in the 20th century, various "conspiracy theories" talk about control of anarchists by the state itself. The Illuminati were a network of intellectuals who supported self-government and opposed individual ownership, but today the public learns that they were (and are) the very same group that controls governments and defends private property worldwide. With her intervention in so much misinformation, Lagalisse uses primary and secondary sources from many languages to clarify the history of the left and explain the real relationship between revolution, pantheistic occult philosophy, and secret brotherhoods.

Exploring the hidden correspondences between anarchism, Renaissance magic, and New Age movements, Erica Lagalisse also promotes critical scientific thinking regarding left-wing connections to secular politics. By studying anarchism as a historical object, this innovative work highlights how the development of left theory and practice within secret, male public spheres continues to fuel contemporary anarchist understandings of "the political," where male oppression by the state becomes the model of power in general.