This exercise in concentration and stilling the mind contains two general components - breathing and visualization - but some helpful hints about relaxation and concentration might be in order first. Make yourself comfortable (sit or lay down) and try to relax the body. Starting at the feet, clench and release various muscles, and work up the body to the head and face. Think of your warm blood coursing through your body, enriching each part as it relaxes. If you fall asleep, that's fine, but you may want to find a better time of day to do this. Breathe from the abdomen, not the chest.

A comparison can also be made to various modern scientific theories of the “Big Bang,” which is thought to have occurred within an infinitesimally small point which encompassed all of the present-day universe.

The flow broke through and did not break through its aura.

This “primitive point” (in Hebrew, NQVDH RAShVNH) can be fruitfully compared to the initial point of the creation of the universe, as is described in the Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment (translated below by Daniel Chanan Matt, NY: Paulist Press, 1983):

“Let the Neophyte consider a point as defined in mathematics - having position, but no magnitude - and let him note the ideas to which this gives rise. Concentrating his faculties on this, as a focus, let him endeavor to realise the Immanance of the Divine throughout Nature, in all her aspects.”

(B) The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP)

The ritual act of “banishing” stems from an old notion that magic must be performed in a purified environment, and that “evil spirits” (or undesired “unconscious thought forms”) must first be told to vacate the premises. A more recent interpretation is that of delineating a “sacred space” at the beginning of a ritual, apart from the mundane world. The focus is often on a military-like attention to detail, which helps to construct this impregnable “circle” around the magician.

The following banishing ritual was given to Neophytes of the Golden Dawn to get them prepared and accustomed to dealing with the spiritual realm. It is also a frequently used component at the beginning and end of many rituals.

First, perform the Qabalistic Cross:

Face East, and take a steel dagger in your right hand.

Touch your forehead , and say . . . ATEH (Thou art)

Touch your breast , and say . . . MALKUTH (the kingdom)

Touch your right shoulder, and say . . . Ve-GEBURAH (and the power)

Touch your left shoulder, and say . . . Ve-GEDULAH (and the glory)

Clasp your left hand over your right hand hand before you, and say . . . Le-OLAM (for ever)

Turn the dagger upwards, and say . . . AMEN

Next, while facing the East, trace a “banishing pentagram of Earth,” in the order 1-2-3-4-5-1, in the air in front of you:

Simultaneously with tracing the pentagram, “vibrate” the Hebrew God-name IHVH.

Rotate clockwise, tracing out one quarter of a circle in the air with your dagger, and face South. Trace the pentagram again, and vibrate ADNI.

Rotate clockwise, and face West. Trace the pentagram again, and vibrate AHIH.

Rotate clockwise, and face North. Trace the pentagram again, and vibrate AGLA.

Rotate clockwise, and come back around to the East, closing the circle.

Upon completing the Circle, form a Great Cross (feet together, arms extended horizontally with with palms forward), close your eyes, and recite the archangelic powers stationed about the Circle:



Behind me, Gabriel

At my right hand, Michael

At my left hand, Auriel. ”Before me, RaphaelBehind me, GabrielAt my right hand, MichaelAt my left hand, Auriel. Before me flames the Pentagram -

Behind me shines the Six-Rayed Star.”

Follow with the Qabalistic Cross again, and you're finished.

An interesting analysis and interpretation of this ritual, along with some personal commentary as to its potential, is given below:

From: markk@cypress.West.Sun.COM (Mark Kampe)

Subject: a lesser banishing

Newsgroups: alt.magick

Date: 31 Oct 1994 16:45:34 GMT The words are widely known, but it occurred to me that I've never seen a discussion of the melody and harmonies that give them meaning. Surely, like the Tao, “the tune that can be told is not the true tune.” None, the less, I thought I would try to describe some of the experiences that have accompanied some of my attempts at a LBRP. P.S. … For those who know the words,

please sing along, and tell me how the tune works for you.

For those who have your own tunes,

would you consider trying to share one?

For those who don't haven't tried the song,

this may not make much sense at all. 0. I begin with receptive silence, first bringing the room into order, then bringing my body into repose, then my breathing into measured rhythm, and finally my thoughts. I cannot begin this work until I have ceased doing other things. 1. Using my father's dagger I trace the circle, and the cross, addressing myself to the ritual. It seems a bit like an introduction (to the One “who needs no introduction” . The real purpose, however, is to remind me where I am, and why I have come here … and it does that pretty effectively. Establishing my relationship to the power is indeed an important preliminary to the remainder of the ritual. 2. Facing the rising sun, I inhale and look for the word that brought about the creation. I gaze through the letters that symbolize the ne-plus-ultra and try to find the sound that they represent. This is the word I need to trigger my own creation today. When the Yod becomes clear, I am the Heh that receives it, and the Vau they become wells within me, giving rise to the Heh that I return to the cosmos, and in so doing, animate the first sigil. I pause, as the light kindles, to experience the resonance between the ultimate power of creation, and the power of creation within myself. 3. Turning from sunrise to the sun at full Zenith, I reflect on the awesome majesty of creation, and the power that permeates it. As I contemplate the inconceivable wonder of the universe (with all of its myriad worlds and souls), I search for the name of its Lord … so that I may trace my next sigil in celebration of Hir glory. Once again, I pause to wait for the channel to come to life and savor my small glimpse of the almighty. 4. Turning towards the setting sun, I reflect on the glory I have been privileged to behold. I note my breathing, and the implicit continuous prayer it offers in praise to the spirit of life. “Ruach” means both “breath” and “spirit,” and in our breathing we speak the holy name more perfectly than words ever could. I seek to make each breath a more ardent and perfect prayer, and an act of communion. When my breath has become the name of life, I carve a sigil into which that principle can be enshrined, and welcome the spirit of life into my circle. 5. Turning to the north, I see nothing, and so confront myself - body and spirit, ego and instrument of divine will, animal and god. What am I and what am I to become? How am I to resolve a myriad of aspirations and urges? The answer is not in allowing myself to become a battleground for a thousand balkanized aspects of my own nature. The answer lies in finding purpose and becoming an instrument of that purpose. And so I acknowledge my need, and my inescapable obligation to understand and serve the divine will. As I speak the oath that binds me to that will, I carve the sigil that must be simultaneously the instrument of my destruction and the key to my salvation. 6. Turning again to the rising sun, and standing in the center of these channels, I look forward to find the spirit of guidance. My needs and aspirations have been anticipated, and provided for. I need not want for guide or teacher. I have but to open my eyes and see them. 7. The power of life swells behind me and within me, compelling me to action and empowering me to achieve. Life is that which does, and that which becomes. I am life, and the power is within me … or perhaps more properly, I am a manifestation of that power. 8. On my right, I reach out to the light that vanquishes all darkness. I find therein perfection, protection and a power beyond that of life. I recognize it for what it is. I recognize that it is always there, and that I can always draw upon it (if I have but eyes to see it). I open myself to the light. 9. On my left, I reach out to a world bathed in divine light and see its richness, beauty, and perfection. It shames me to recognize how seldom I see the world so illuminated, and I am grateful to be reminded again of its true nature. 10. I stand surrounded by, and attuned to, four open channels for divine energy. Standing naked in the focal point, I reach out, simultaneously, to each. As the four streams of light converge in me, each carrying its own energy into me, I feel the parts of myself that are being brought into resonance. Finally, like a laser, pumped at the right frequency, I burst forth with a nova-like brilliance, now a source of light myself … and unlike the sigils through which this energy was channeled, I am wholely of this world. I am the connection point between heaven and earth. I am the vehicle through which the divine Will achieves worldly manifestation. … Having obtained what I came for, I again affirm/acknowledge my relationship to the source. (I occasionally feel like offering thanks … but that would be missing the point

II. A Brief History of the Golden Dawn

The history of the Golden Dawn seemingly begins in 1881, when Samuel Liddell Mathers met Dr.'s William Wynn Westcott and William Robert Woodman, and entered the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, a scholarly group devoted to studying Rosicrucian and Hermetic topics, open to Master Masons only. Westcott took young Mathers under his wing, and Mathers quickly advanced to the top of that organization.

The “magical mottoes” of these three men may provide insight into their characters. Mathers took the mottoes 'S Rioghail Mo Dhream, or “Royal is my tribe” in Gaelic, and Deo Duce Comite Ferro, or “With God as my leader and the sword as my companion.” Westcott was known as Sapere Aude, or “Dare to be wise,” and Woodman was known as Magna Est Veritas Et Praevalehit, or “Great is the truth and it shall prevail.”

The next key development was in 1887 with the “discovery” of the famous Cipher Manuscripts. Modern scholarship seems to point to prolific Masonic author Kenneth Mackenzie as their author, but whether the Cipher Manuscripts were found in a Masonic library, bought from a used bookshop, or fabricated whole-cloth, these documents contained summaries of the first five Golden Dawn initiation rituals (0=0 to 4=7). They were written in a simple, well-known alphabetic code based on the Polygraphiae of Johann Trithemius, and complete facsimiles and transcriptions have been published in, e.g., Kuntz's The Complete Golden Dawn Cipher Manuscipt (see Part V, below). Mathers took to them with a passion, and fleshed them out into full-blown rituals of ceremonial magic. Written on the manuscripts was the address of a certain Fraulein Sprengel (Sapiens Dominabitur Astris, or “The wise one will be ruled by the stars”) in Germany, but many believe that Fraulein Sprengel was invented by Westcott to provide a sense of continental authority and legitimacy to this material.

Even if not directly German in origin, many of the magical concepts inherent in the Golden Dawn system were strongly influenced by continental European sources. Without a doubt, the works of the esteemed French occultist Eliphas Levi (1810-1875) were known to the originators of the Golden Dawn system. Levi's students, such as Stanislas de Guaita, Josephin Peledan, and Gerard Encausse (“Papus”) gathered in societies such as the “Kabalistic Rose+Croix” and the “Catholic Rose+Croix of the Temple and the Grail.” From the 1880s to the 1910s, these groups, or Salons, gathered to study ancient texts, practice magic and meditative techniques, and spread their occult knowledge to the public.

It was a year later, in 1888, that Mathers, Westcott, and Woodman inaugurated the first British Temple, Isis-Urania, and began to admit men and women as Neophytes. In 1890, Mathers married Mina (“Moina”) Bergson, sister of philosopher and writer Henri Bergson, and in 1892 they moved to Paris. The Ahathoor Temple was established, and it was not too long after that they clairvoyantly “brought forth” the Second Order (5=6 to 7=4) rituals and teachings. Some of the 5=6 ritual material, however, came from the Cipher Manuscripts. The first Vault of the Adepti, a required piece of “scenery” for Second Order rituals, was built in London, in Thavies Inn off Holborn Circus.

The following list of original G.D. Temples came originally from Ithell Colquhoun's biography of Mathers, Sword of Wisdom, but has been updated extensively with the help of several independent scholars. Any additional information, of course, would be greatly appreciated. (It goes without saying that the actual existence of Temples 1 and 2 is highly doubtful, but I include representative information about them from written histories and conjectures for completeness.)

ORIGINAL GOLDEN DAWN TEMPLES

Temple Name Date Founded Location and Chiefs 1. Licht, Liebe, und Leben 1808 ? Frankfurt: “Fraulein Sprengel” 2. Hermanoubis 1883 ? London: Hockley, Mackenzie, Woodford 3. Isis-Urania 1 Mar. 1888 London: Westcott, Woodman, Mathers 4. Osiris 8 Oct. 1888 Weston-super-Mare: B. Cox 5. Horus 10 Oct. 1888 Bradford: T. H. Pattinson 6. Amen-Ra 8 Jun. 1893 Edinburgh: J. W. Brodie-Innes 7. Ahathoor 3 Dec. 1893 Paris: S. L. M. Mathers 8. Thme (Ihme?) 1897 Chicago: G. W. Wiggs 9. Thoth-Hermes 1897 New York: C. and E. D. Lockwood, M. J. Whitty 10. Isis [Alpha et Omega 1] May 1900 West London: E. W. Berridge

In 1900, a schism rocked the Order. Ms. Annie Hornimann, a member of the Isis-Urania Second Order, led a “revolt” against Mathers over several magical, political, and monetary issues. Anger led to posturing, which eventually led to litigation concerning the ownership of the temple furniture and other magical trappings. Also at about this time, many remaining G.D. members (including the Matherses) were duped by a Mr. and Mrs. “Theo Horos,” a.k.a. American confidence tricksters Frank Jackson and Editha Salomon, who claimed to be high-grade members. Many lost a good deal of money and property, but the Horos couple were convicted of fraud and the rape of a 16 year old girl in 1901. However, the G.D. was dragged through the mud of ignorant publicity and was never again the same. Because of this publicity, Mathers changed the name of his Order to Alpha et Omega, and the dissenting London members in the Isis-Urania Temple changed the name of their Order to the Hermetic Order of the Morgenrothe.

The problems were not over, however. In 1903, Aleister Crowley, who previously seemed the “magical heir apparent” to Mathers, defected to form his own organizations (see Question 8 above). Six years later, Crowley published G.D. rituals and doctrine in his journal, The Equinox, but its limited readership precluded the kind of impact that Regardie's subsequent publishing efforts produced. Also in 1903, the Isis-Urania Temple in London split into two further dissenting groups: (1) the Stella Matutina, under Robert W. Felkin, William Butler Yeats, and many others, and (2) the Holy Order of the G.D. (and later, the Independent and Rectified Rite), under A. E. Waite. These two groups differed primarily on the importance of magic (1) versus mysticism (2), but internal politics also had a say in this split.

With the “golden age” of the G.D. over, its members went their myriad ways. The Golden Dawn work, however, has been continued by many groups. Most noticeably, the Stella Matutina and its varied offshoots have continued in an unbroken line until as late as the 1970s. Also noteworthy is the contribution of Violet Mary Firth (Dion Fortune; from Deo Non Fortuna, or “God, not chance”), who formed the Fraternity (later, Society) of the Inner Light, which functioned for many decades as an alternative, but closely related, group.

What follows is a far-from-complete listing of these succeeding organizations, originally culled from Colquhoun's Sword of Wisdom. Note that the list ends near the beginning of the 1970s. Most likely, any more recent groups are listed in Part IV, the list of active Golden Dawn groups, below.

SELECTED OFFSHOOTS, VARIANTS, AND CO-INFLUENCED GROUPS

Name of Group Date Founded Location and Founders The Sphere c. 1897 London: F. Farr Hermetic Society of the Morgenrothe 1902 London: Felkin, Brodie-Innes, Bullock Order of Light 1902 Bradford: T. H. Pattinson Stella Matutina (S.M.) [Amoun Temple] 1903 London: R. W. Felkin Holy Order of the G.D. 1903 London: Waite, Blackden, Ayton A ∴ A ∴ (Astron Argon) c. 1907 London: A. Crowley, G. C. Jones Zos Kia Cultus c. 1910 London: A. O. Spare Cromlech Temple [Solar Order] 1910 Edinburgh, London: J. W. Brodie-Innes Smaragdum Thalasses/Whare Ra (S.M.) 1912 New Zealand: R. W. Felkin Ordo Templi Orientis [orig. c. 1895] 1912 London: A. Crowley Alpha et Omega 2 (Northern) 1913 Edinburgh, London: J. W. Brodie-Innes Hermes Temple (S.M.) 1916 Bristol: R. W. Felkin Merlin Temple (S.M.?) 1916 London: R. W. Felkin Secret College in London (S.M.?) 1916 London: R. W. Felkin Guild of St. Raphael 1916 London: Felkin and Roseveare Fellowship of the True Rosy Cross [Salvator Mundi] 1916 London: A. E. Waite Shrine of Wisdom c. 1916 Hermon Hill, N. London: A. E. Waite? Nuada (Druid Order) c. 1916 Clapham, London: G. W. M. Reid Alpha et Omega 3 (Southern) 1919 London: M. M. Mathers Ptah Temple (Alpha et Omega “No. 10”) 1919 Philadelphia: L. Geise, E. Dame Atoum Temple (Alpha et Omega “No. 20”) 1920 Los Angeles School of Ageless Widsom c. 1920 Chicago: P. F. Case Themis Temple (Alpha et Omega “No. 30”) 1921 San Francisco? Fraternity/Society of Inner Light 1922 London: Dion Fortune Guild of the Master Jesus c. 1925 London: Dion Fortune Hermanoubis Temple c. 1930 Bristol Universal Order c. 1935 London and Brook, Surrey Builders of the Adytum [orig. c. 1920] c. 1937 Los Angeles: P. F. Case Order of the Morning Star c. 1945 London: M. Montalban Garderian Wicca c. 1952 London: G. B. Gardner Order of the Cubic Stone 1965 Wolverhampton: H. T. Howard Order of the Sacred Word c. 1967 London: R. Hunt

III. Golden Dawn Minutiae

There are several bits of miscellaneous trivia that seem appropriate to include in this FAQ , mainly because they do not appear in any of the published Golden Dawn books and might be considered helpful or useful. However, they are not actually “answers” to questions that have been “frequently asked!”

I will attempt to expand this section as possible, but will limit this information to material not easily found elsewhere.

Mythical Members:

Several books, such as Gilbert's Golden Dawn Companion and Kuntz's Golden Dawn Source Book, contain detailed lists of the members of the various historical Golden Dawn Temples. These have been taken from actual membership rolls and other primary source material. What might be interesting, though, is a list of famous people who have been claimed to be members of the Golden Dawn, but actually were not. This may help “set the record straight” and avoid the propagation of inaccuracies in new overviews and histories of the Golden Dawn.

It seems quite clear from the available reference material (but there is probably never 100 percent certainty) that the following people were NOT registered members of any Golden Dawn organization:

E. A. Wallis Budge, author and Egyptologist Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton, author Arthur Conan Doyle, author H. Rider Haggard, author Fredrick Hockley, famous Freemason Eliphas Levi (a.k.a. Alphonse Louis Constant), author and occultist Kenneth MacKenzie, author Edward Munch, artist Jean Marie Ragon, author Sax Rohmer (a.k.a. A. S. Ward), author Bram Stoker, author August Strindberg, author, poet, and artist Revd. A. F. A. Woodward, famous Freemason

The Neophyte Chemicals

In published versions of the Neophyte (0=0) initiation ceremony, an impressive chemical reaction is presented to the new initiate. Because of the desire for secrecy (self-imposed or not) about these ceremonies, this FAQ is not really the place to discuss the meaning or appearance of this reaction.

However, the names of the actual chemicals used are not usually included in the published descriptions of this ceremony. Thus, I would like to present them here, and acknowledge the posting of Tim S. Walker (on 13 May 1998) to the Usenet news group alt.magick, as the source of this information. The two chemicals to be combined are:

Ferric Ammonium Sulfate

and

Sodium Salicylate

When working with chemicals, please take all necessary safety precautions!

IV. List of Active Golden Dawn Temples and Related Organizations

Notes:

I am not in any way affiliated with any of these organizations. This information comes from advertisements in various esoteric publications, the Internet, and personal correspondence. Many of these organizations charge a great deal of money for their teachings, and I am in no way condoning that practice nor condemning it. I'm just providing the information.



I am greatly indebted to the following individuals for providing a great deal of useful information about many of the Orders listed below. Much of the detail in the listings (and elsewhere in this FAQ ) is attributable to their diligent detective work.

Christopher Ward, Baird Stafford, Harvey Newstrom, Richard Leo Stokes, Luke Roberts, Naia Kirkpatrick, Vere C. Chappell, Gregory Peters, Bill Heidrick, Alexander Walker, Christeos Pir, Lainie Petersen, Vivienne O'Regan, Dora Gyn/QBL, James A. Eshelman, Darcy Kuntz, Laura Jennings-Yorke, Pat Zalewski, “Wizard,” Art de Hoyos, Mitch Henson.

Almost by definition, a directory of “secret” societies and groups is going to be woefully incomplete, and perpetually out of date. If anyone has any additional information, or spots any errors in the following, please let me know, so we can make this list as complete as possible.

I will start this list with a classified advertisement from the Winter 1991 issue of Gnosis magazine, which parallels my own opinions:

“The Golden Dawn is not a commercial enterprise. Initiation is not for sale. There are Temples that hold valid initiatory succession from the original Mother Temple in London which are quietly doing the Great Work. The Order exists. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Successor Golden Dawn Organizations

These groups practice within a strict Golden Dawn form and see themselves as direct successors to the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and its tradition.

August Order of Light

London, York, and Bradford, U.K.

Descended from the original Horus Temple of the G.D. in Bradford, this group was originally comprised only of members of the Masonic Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, but as of 1994, there were about 87 men and women. One of the Temples has a correspondence course, but they seem very selective in who participates. Unlike some other G.D. Orders, their “Inner Order” seems to encompass the grades of 8=3 and above.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

P.O. Box 1757, Elfers, FL 34680-1757

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is a non-profit Florida corporation whose goal is the continued preservation of that body of knowledge known as Hermeticism or the Western Esoteric Tradition. This organization promotes the teachings of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical fraternity founded in London in 1888 by Dr. William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, which ceased to exist under that name in 1903 but which continued for a number of years under the names of two spin-off organizations, the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega. Re-inaugurated by Israel Regardie on 26 June 1982 in Columbus, GA. Regardie had called together three unacquainted fraters and one soror who were reviving the G.D. in the United States in the 1970s. The Temple associated with Chic Cicero, “Isis-Urania, No. 18,” originated in Columbus, Georgia in the late 1970s, and is now in a nearby state. Israel Regardie visited, consecrated, and autographed this Temple's Vault of the Adepti. On 10 April 1995, Chic Cicero filed for a U.S. Federal Trademark for the name “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn,” with the expressed purpose of preserving the tradition for all members of valid Golden Dawn groups. For more information, one can send email or see their WWW site.

Hermetic Order of the Morning Star International

(formerly: Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn International)

(formerly: Hermetic Order of the Eternal Golden Dawn)

14050 Cherry Avenue, Suite R-159 - Dept. G, Fontana, CA 92337, USA

Imperator Temple of Isis, Mighty Mother, no. 12 . . . . (909)-341-5628

Tehuti Temple, no. 13, Vancouver, BC . . . . . . . . . (604)-687-6979

Sanctuary of Michael, San Diego, CA . . . . . . . . . . contact via Isis

Sanctuary of Amon-Ra, Houston, TX . . . . . . . . . . . (713)-267-4822

Sanctuary of Hermanubis, Los Angeles, CA. . . . . . . . (310)-289-7214

Sanctuary of Auriel, Athens, GA . . . . . . . . . . . . (706)-208-0105

Complete correspondence course available. Individual guidance, full membership if accepted. Send them email for a free information packet with an entrance application. This Order claims an initiatory lineage via the Mathers' Alpha et Omega Temples in America. Initial dues for the Outer Order are $150 (1 year's mailings: $30, dues $65, Neophyte initiation fee $55), and adepts are available by phone to answer questions. Initiations can be done in person or astrally, and the study material is said to be very comprehensive. There is no Thelema or sex magic. As of early 1998, the H.O.M.S.I. published the magazine “The Golden Dawn Quarterly,” $22/year, as well as the members-only newsletter “Tablets of Thoth.” More information can be obtained on their web site, or via email.

Invisible Temple No. 0, Ordo Roseae Rubeae et Aurea Crucis

Various Locations, Europe and America

An independent branch of Israel Regardie's Hermetic Temple and Order of the Golden Dawn, via Christopher Hyatt (Alan Miller). The 6=5 and 7=4 grades are conferred on qualified adepts who have performed the prerequisite work in the Outer Order, and are able to manage a Golden Dawn Temple. Members known to be in California, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Most male members are also high-grade Masons.

Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (and Hermetic Order of the G.D.)

270 North Canon Drive, Suite 1302, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Affiliated with Cris Monnastre, and related to Regardie's re-inauguration of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1982, this group published a full-page “Manifesto Fraternitatis” in the Fall 1995 issue of Gnosis magazine, under the direction of the Secret Chiefs of the Ordo Argenti Astri (the Third Order). They proclaimed the abrogation of previously published passwords, and mentioned their possession of initiation rituals for all grades of the Second and Third Orders. More information is available about these Orders, as well as the “United Confederation of Independent and Autonomous Temples,” at their WWW site (or this alternate site), or via email.

Templo L.V.X. Thot

Buenos Aires, Argentina

A Spanish-speaking Golden Dawn organization which offers physical instruction, initiations, and correspondence courses in Qabalah, astrology, tarot, alchemy, Enochian magic, tattvas, geomancy, meditation, path travels, gematria, Egyptian mysteries, and ritual magic. They are associated with the “United Confederation of Independent and Autonomous Temples.” For more information contact them via email or see their WWW site.

Golden Dawn Derived Orders

These groups practice traditions derived from the work of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn but have moved their work into a number of directions. They do not claim to be direct successors to the original order.

August Order of the Mystic Rose

P.O. Box 71, Mt. View, CA 94042

Described briefly by Mary K. Greer in Women of the Golden Dawn, this group is affiliated with Robert Word, a scholar of Golden Dawn history. When requesting information, Greer suggests a donation of $2 to help cover mailing costs.

Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.)

5101-05 North Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042, TEL (323)-255-7141, FAX (323)-255-4166

Established by Paul Foster Case and/or Ann Davies as an “outer vehicle of the inner school,” this group is descended from the original New York Thoth-Hermes Temple (in that the founders were Chiefs of Thoth-Hermes). Its Second Order was originally called “The School of Ageless Wisdom.” See Case's True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order, and his other books, for more information. Free brochure available. Correspondence course. For the first year or so, one pays $10/month, and obtains a self-initiation ritual, seven weeks of instruction on “Practical Occultism,” then about a year of Tarot instruction. The Tarot material is highly recommended by many. If one is near a BOTA Temple or Proanos, members can participate in rituals, Temple services, and initiations. Local study groups are also in many cities. See also their Web page. There is also a listserv study-group mailing list.

Fraternity of the Hidden Light / Fraternitas LVX Occulta (F.L.O.)

P.O. Box 5094, Dept. S, Covina, CA 91723, USA

P.O. Box 70524, 2938 Dundas St. West, Toronto, Ontario M6P 4E7

Founded in the mid-1980s by Paul A. Clark and others, this “modern day repository of the Hermetic Arts” offers a quality correspondence course, as well as teaching and ceremonial work in Lodges and Temples in the USA and Canada. A “direct lineal descendant” of the Golden Dawn via a reconstituted “Rosicrucian Order of the Alpha et Omega in America,” F.L.O. also assimilates traditions from B.O.T.A., as well as “new revelations from continual research.” Color and sound based healing techniques are an important part of the curriculum. Fees and suggested donations are said said to be very reasonable. Lodges in Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, Denver, and Toronto. A study group is also forming in the Chicago area (phone contact: 773-381-5701). Christopher Ward lists himself as an email contact for anyone who wants more information, and he maintains the Home Page for the F.L.O.

New Zealand Guild of Alchemists

P.O. Box 5115, Greenmeadows, Napier, New Zealand

A quasi-G.D. organization, originally given a warrant in 1990 by an ex-Whare-Ra Adept (Percy Williams, 6=5) to found a Temple called 'Horus.' The Horus Temple was founded in Hawkes Bay by Greg Boag, according to the material on the Te-Neteru Sanctuary Web page (see below). Currently they are oriented mainly toward PRS alchemy (both psychological and practical), but it is not known if this group continues to initiate into the Golden Dawn proper.

O.H.A.D.

26 Rue Francois Bonvin, 75015, Paris, France

Mentioned briefly by Mary K. Greer in Women of the Golden Dawn. When requesting information, Greer suggests a donation of $2 to help cover mailing costs.

Society of the Inner Light



38 Steele's Road, London NW3 4RG, U.K.

Continuation of Dion Fortune's (and William Gray's) Society of the Inner Light. Still active and continuing to provide a correspondence course.

Servants of the Light

P.O. Box 215, St. Helier, Jersey (Channel Islands), U.K. JE4 1AB

P.O. Box 6563, Syracuse, NY 13217-6563, USA

Descendant of Dion Fortune's Society of the Inner Light. Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, Director of Studies (she succeeded W. E. Butler). The fifty-six lesson course (US $10/lesson) is based on Qabalah, the Grail Legend, and the Arthurian mythos, and lasts several years. Students and graduates of the course may join Lodges in England and Scotland, Stockholm, Vancouver BC, and the U.S. (Atlanta, Denver, and soon one in the Northeast). The SOL is non-profit, and publishes its own Tarot deck and a House magazine. They also hold several large-scale seminars/retreats (see large advertisements in Gnosis magazine). Email contacts are Peter Cawley and Fran Keegan, and there is also a WWW page.

Star and Cross

P.O. Box 25541, Dallas, TX 75225, USA

Home study course: Dion Fortune's inner teachings, “Western Tradition of the Mysteries.” Rumored to have a strong emphasis on Jungian psychology.

Temple of Thelema

222 North Manhattan Place, Los Angeles, CA 90004 (Harpocrates Temple 1)

P.O. Box 415, Oroville, CA 95965 (Nuit Mother Temple)

P.O. Box 58, Carmichael, CA 95609 (Silver Star Pronaos 2)

PMB 774, 236 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 (Agape Temple 4)

P.O. Box 70695, 2938 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ONT M6P 1Y8 (Avalon Pronaos 7)



This group, also an outer vehicle “in the service” of Crowley's A.A., was founded in 1989 by Jim Eshelman, Phyllis Seckler, and Anna-Kria King. Updated to conform to the Law of Thelema, the Temple of Thelema is the ceremonial and initiatory vehicle of the College of Thelema, founded in 1973 by Phyllis Seckler (Soror Meral). COT shares the contact addresses given above, and also publishes a bi-annual journal called Black Pearl. (Their journal In the Continuum, published between 1973 and 1996, is still available in back issues.) T.O.T.'s innovations to the Golden Dawn system are substantial, as they can be utilized as “lower octave” introductions to the A.A., but they do conform to the original formulae of the Cipher Manuscripts. For more info, see their WWW site.

Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn (T.G.D.)

Grand Temple address: Thelemic Golden Dawn, 1626 No. Wilcox Ave. #418, Los

Angeles, CA USA 90028. Chief Officer: David Cherubim (Frater Aurora Aureae).



Temple of Baphomet [Grand Temple] OrderoftheTGD@aol.com

Temple of Hadit, MA wlpssp@tiac.net

Temple of Ra-Hoor-Khuit, CO rahoorkhuit@coloradomartialarts.com

Sanctuary of Babalon, NY babalon@tgd.org

Sanctuary of the Phoenix, FL qshth@aol.com

Sanctuary of Nuit, AUSTRALIA vlad@picknowl.com.au



A reconstructed version of the Golden Dawn based mainly on Aleister Crowley's Religion of Thelema. No longer affiliated with New Falcon Publications or the Israel Regardie Foundation. There is no charge for initiations or other services, but a modest annual donation is requested. The Thelemic Golden Dawn is affiliated with the Aleister Crowley Foundation (ACF). Services offered include Temple and/or Self-Initiation ceremonies, lessons, newsletters and classes at no charge. Many of their online rituals and instructions are archived on their main WWW site [http://www.tgd.org/%5D or are available via email [OrderoftheTGD@aol.com].

Related Occult Organizations

These are other modern groups related to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in some way or deriving some, but not the main body, of their work from that order.

Church/Brotherhood of Light

Dept. G - 2341 Coral St., Los Angeles, CA 90031-2916, TEL (213)-226-0453

Correspondence study available since 1932. Not really part of the G.D. tradition, but related in spirit. Originated as The Hermetic Brotherhood of Light in Scotland in the late 1870s, members such as Peter Davidson circulated lessons on magic (sexual magic in the higher degrees, influenced by the Tantric approach of “Max Theon,” or Louis Maximillian Bimstein) mainly through the mail. In the 1890s, a lodge formed in France which contained many prominent French occultists. Also, Davidson moved to Georgia and founded a Christian mystical community. In 1915, Elbert Benjamine (“C. C. Zain”) came from Georgia to California, and assimilated Davidson's material into 210 lessons in 22 books, and began the Church of Light in 1932. Its focus is mainly on astrology (the “Religion of the Stars”), but there are fifty initiatory degrees as well. For more details, see their Web page. See also an article by Joscelyn Godwin in the quarterly journal Theosophical History, and his new book The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser), 1995.

Hermetic Fellowship

P.O. Box 20424, Portland, OR 97294-0424

A non-profit religious organization, not formally connected to the Golden Dawn, but was established in 1995 for seekers interested in the Western Esoteric Tradition, Rosicrucianism, Qabalah, alchemy, Gnosticism, Neo-Paganism, and the Grail Quest. Their Priestesses and Priests can perform, e.g., legal marriages in the state of Oregon. Much more information can be found on their WWW site., or one can email Adam Forrest.

Order of the Aurum Solis (Order of the Sacred Word)

BCM Tessera, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K.

Initiatory organization described in Denning and Phillips' Magical Philosophy series. While seemingly related to the Golden Dawn, its symbolism is more “Byzantine” (or “Ogdoadic”) than Rosicrucian, although many similar traditions (Kabbalah, alchemy, neo-Platonism) are drawn from. Working groups exist in England, America, continental Europe, and West Africa, and entry is currently via invitation only. A Lodge Master in San Diego, CA maintains a Web page with a bit of extra information.

Oxford Golden Dawn Occult Society

P.O. Box 250, Oxford, OX1 1AP, UK

A group which aims to “disseminate authentic information about the occult,” and which organizes speakers, workshops, and conferences. They offer training in Oxford for students, have monthly meetings and a public annual conference in October, and publish a journal “Nuit-Isis.” This group is more of a Thelemic organization than a Golden Dawn one. Their London Lodge has a membership of about 40, and meets regularly at sites around London. Associate membership is 5 UK pounds, and details can be found by telephoning Mogg Morgan at +44 (0)1865 243671, by email, or on their WWW site.

Societas Rosicruciana (Masonic)

Soc. Ros. in Anglia (50 Colleges in England and abroad)

Soc. Ros. in Scotia (5 Colleges in Scotland)

Soc. Ros. in Civitatibus Foederatis (32 Colleges in the U.S. and abroad)

Originally founded in 1866 by Robert Wentworth Little as an esoteric study organization for Master Masons. The three founding members of the Golden Dawn were high-grade members, and many features of the Soc. Ros. (such as the names of the Rosicrucian grades) made their way into the Golden Dawn. Harold Voorhis' comprehensive history of the Soc. Ros. (see the References below) contains much more information. The Masonic qualification still exists today, and membership is only by invitation. The California College of the S.R.I.C.F. maintains a WWW page.

Te-Neteru Sanctuary (B.W Et Custosi Tutelae)

Southland, New Zealand

Although primarily descended from a group known as the “Guardians of Grace and Blessing,” this group also traces a descent from the Whare-Ra Temple of the Stella Matutina, via a Frater Fiat Lux, who joined Whare-Ra in 1936 and died in 1994. This Order holds a charter to initiate to the level of Adeptus Major, but operates mainly independently of the G.D. tradition. Their emphasis is “Craft-oriented and based upon practical magic.” They do not charge fees for membership, initiation, or training. For more information, see their WWW site.

V. Useful References

This listing of books and journal articles related to the Golden Dawn is nowhere near being a complete or comprehensive bibliography. This is simply a beginning-point for interested readers to learn more from independent sources other than this FAQ . Many of these books themselves contain bibliographies and reference lists which can be used to further explore the wealth of published Golden Dawn material.

Case, Paul Foster. The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser), 1985.

Cicero, Chic, and Cicero, Sandra Tabatha, eds. The Golden Dawn Journal (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications): Book I: Divination, 1994, Book II: Qabalah - Theory and Magic, 1994, Book III: The Art of Hermes, 1995, [Book IV:] The Magical Pantheons, 1998.

Cicero, Chic, and Cicero, Sandra Tabatha. Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition: a Complete Curriculum of Study for both the Solitary Magician and the Working Magical Group (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications), 1995.

Colquhoun, Ithell. Sword of Wisdom: MacGregor Mathers and the “Golden Dawn” (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons), 1975.

Crowley, Aleister. Magick: Liber ABA, Book Four (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser), 1997. Consists of Part I: Mysticism, Part II: Magick (Elementary Theory), Part III: Magick in Theory and Practice, Part IV: Thelema: The Law. Published in various editions and combinations since the 1920s.

Crowley, Aleister. The Holy Books of Thelema (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser), 1983.

Denning, Melita, and Phillips, Osborne. The Magical Philosophy (in 3 volumes: I: The Foundations of High Magick, II: The Sword and the Serpent, III: Mysteria Magica), (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications), 1981.

Eshelman, James A. The Mystical and Magical System of the A∴A∴ (Oroville, CA: College of Thelema), 1993.

Fortune, Dion. The Mystical Qabalah (London: Ernest Benn), 1935.

Gilbert, R. A. The Golden Dawn Companion: a Guide to the History, Structure, and Workings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (Wellingborough, Aquarian Press), 1986.

Gilbert, R. A. The Golden Dawn Scrapbook: the Rise and Fall of a Magical Order (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser), 1997.

Gilbert, R. A. The Golden Dawn: Twilight of the Magicians (Wellingborough, Aquarian Press), 1983.

Gilbert, R. A. “Magical Manuscripts: an Introduction to the Archives of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn,” in Yeats Annual, No. 5, ed. by Warwick Gould, 1987, pp. 163-177.

Gilbert, R. A. “MSS in a Black Box: the Golden Dawn Papers of Dr. William Wynn Westcott,” in Yeats Annual, No. 6, ed. by Warwick Gould, 1988, pp. 227-233.

Greer, Mary K. Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and Priestesses (Rochester, Vermont: Park Street Press), 1995.

Harper, George Mills. Yeats's Golden Dawn: the Influence of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn on the Life and Art of W. B. Yeats (London: Macmillan), 1974.

Howe, Ellic. “Fringe Masonry in England 1870-85,” in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, vol. 85 (1972), pp. 242-295.

Howe, Ellic. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn: a Documentary History of a Magical Order, 1887-1923 (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul), 1972.

King, Francis X. Magic: The Western Tradition (London: Thames and Hudson), 1975.

King, Francis X. Modern Ritual Magic: The Rise of Western Occultism (Dorset, UK: Prism Press), 1989. Originally published as: Ritual Magic in England: 1887 to the Present Day (London: Neville Spearman), 1970.

Kuntz, Darcy. The Complete Golden Dawn Cipher Manuscipt (Edmonds, Washington: Holmes Publishing Group), 1996. Number 1 in the “Golden Dawn Studies Series.”

Kuntz, Darcy. The Golden Dawn Source Book (Edmonds, Washington: Holmes Publishing Group), 1996. Number 2 in the “Golden Dawn Studies Series.”

Levi, Eliphas. Transcendental Magic (New York: Samuel Weiser), 1970.

Mathers, S. L. MacGregor, Ritual Magic of the Golden Dawn, edited and introduced by Francis King, additional material by R. A. Gilbert. (Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books), 1997. Originally published as Astral Projection, Ritual Magic, and Alchemy.

McIntosh, Christopher. The Rose Cross and the Age of Reason: Eighteenth Century Rosicrucianism in Central Europe and its Relationship to the Enlightenment (Leiden: E. J. Brill), 1992.

Raine, Kathleen. Yeats, the Tarot, and the Golden Dawn, Number 2 in the Series “New Yeats Papers.” (Dublin: Dolmen Press), 1972.

Regardie, Israel. The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic (Phoenix, Arizona: Falcon Press), 1984.

Regardie, Israel. The Golden Dawn (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications), 1st ed. (Chicago: Aries Press) 1937-1940; 2nd ed. 1969; 3rd ed. 1970; 4th ed. 1971; 5th ed. 1986; 6th ed. 1989.

Regardie, Israel. What You Should Know About the Golden Dawn (Phoenix, Arizona: Falcon Press), 1985. Previously published as My Rosicrucian Adventure, 1936.

Schuchard, Marsha Keith Manatt. Freemasonry, Secret Societies, and the Continuity of the Occult Traditions in English Literature, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Texas at Austin (UMI No. 7524957), 1975.

Torrens, Robert G. The Secret Rituals of the Golden Dawn (Northamptonshire: Aquarian Press), 1973.

Voorhis, Harold van Buren. A History of Organized Masonic Rosicrucianism: Societas Rosicruciana (privately published: S.R.I.A., Robert C. Patey, Secretary General), 1983.

Waite, Arthur Edward. The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross (London: William Rider and Son), 1924.

Yates, Frances A. The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul), 1972.

Zalewski, Patrick J. Golden Dawn Enochian Magic (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications), 1990.

Zalewski, Patrick J. Kaballah of the Golden Dawn (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications), 1993.

Zalewski, Patrick J. The Secret Inner Order Rituals of the Golden Dawn (Phoenix, Arizona: Falcon Press), 1988.