I’m pretty much 100% sure this is a hoax, so I feel completely free to post it publicly. A couple weeks back, I received the following email.

MR.BOUCHER, YOU SEEM TO KNOW YOUR SHIT. YOU`RE THE KIND OF PERSON WE WOULD WANT IN THE HERMETIC ORDER OF THE SILVER TWILIGHT. THE STONE OWL STATUE WORSHIPING IS REQUIRED. HEAD MASTER JACK

First of all, I don’t take ANYBODY seriously who uses all caps throughout their entire email. It’s almost always the sign of somebody who is trying to get a rise out of me one way or another.

Secondly, the only mention of the Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight anywhere online seems to be in reference to role-playing games. Third, this name is an obvious spoof of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

While it’s possible the Silver Twilight chapter may exist, and perhaps in secret, it’s highly highly unlikely that such a secret organization would perform recruitments via email, let alone with language like “you seem to know your shit,” nor with vague pronouncements about how you’d have to worship a stone owl.

Actually, yesterday I came across reference to a group that supposedly worships a stone owl: Bohemian Grove. Again, it’s so far beyond unlikely that the Illuminati would recruit via email that it’s not even laughable. Let alone from an AOL email address. If the Illuminati were going to get you to join them, I’m almost certain they would send a black helicopter or something to your house. Or more likely, they would send phony FBI agents to arrest you and take you to a secret location, where they would initiate you into their dark secrets. At least, if I were them, that’s more likely what I would do.

Anyway, I wrote back to the fellow expressing my surprise that they recruited via email. I also suggested that it’s unlikely I’d be interested in joining their “group” but that if he wanted to tell me more about it, he’d be welcome to. Here is his reply:

Mr. Boucher,

Sorry to hear that you have passed on this wonderful opportunity to join us. Your talents would have helped us in are new project. As far as who we are and what we do that is a secret that the world will soon find out about. I know we will cross paths again investigator Tim Boucher. Always look behind your back and trust no one. The silver twilight will be waiting.

Jack “Freebird” Daniels

Why people feel the need to try and draw me into little hoaxes like this is beyond me. But I am of the opinion (more or less) that people who are trying to pull off a trick have just as real a psychological need as people who really are experiencing some type of phenomenon. I generally try to give the benefit of the doubt to everybody who approaches me, for that reason. Unless they are just being a dick, or ridiculous. This starts to border on that, though there’s no harm done at the end of the day. I also don’t see any use in trying to penetrate to the heart of whatever it is this person is really after from me.