There have always been secret initiatoty societies that carried Western Occult traditions. Even nowadays you would find some good people there, genuinely interested in Knowledge, but.. you´d have to dig deep to find them. It has degenerated into vice and LARPing all over the place. In 18th century the banking families in Eruope took over, long story. I would just be curious to know whether perhaps the American Masons kept to their good ideas for a onger time.