Magical Societies & Organisations

Astrum Argentum A A George Cecil Jones was the man responsible for introducing Aleister Crowley to the Golden Dawn (G.D.) in 1898. Crowley soon became an ardent supporter of the then leader of the G.D., Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers , but for a number of reasons, he lost faith in the order and eventually left. Crowley later decided to form his own replacement order with the intention that it would supersede the G.D., so in 1907, with the help of Jones, he founded the Astrum Argentum ( A A ). When Crowley became the leader of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) it became the outer order of the A A . The emblem incorporates the symbols of the A A . and the O.T.O. The outer portion, known as the septagram , is the symbol of the outer order, representing the ceiling of the Vault of the Adepti (5=6 grade, G.D.), and the symbol of Babalon . Using the Hebrew system of gematria , Babalon enumerates to 156. Crowley devised a mathematical formula containing seven sevens to represent this number. Babalon is a known holy name of Binah , corresponding with the High Priestess of the Tarot, whose title in Thelemic Tarot decks is 'Priestess of the Silver Star'. The structure of this new order was remarkable for its originality, for unlike previous orders which normally followed a lodge system, members were only supposed to know their immediate superior, plus, of course, any people they introduced to the organisation. While the O.T.O. has received the majority of the publicity as the group that follows the teachings of Thelema , it was primarily designed to be a fraternal organisation (until a member reached the higher degrees), the A A being the primary mode of transmitting Crowley's magical and mystical techniques and beliefs. Unlike the A A , the G.D. was primarily a teaching order, preparing people to do magick in its 'Inner Order'. The A A , on the other hand, assumed that its members were either already trained or were receiving training from their immediate superior. After Crowley's death in 1947, several individuals claimed to continue the order, with some lineages being very clear while others are very much open to debate. To read a more detailed description of the Astrum Argentum A A why not visit our sister site To Mega Therion ? Return to top of page.



Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) After being expelled from the Golden Dawn in 1921, Paul Foster Case created the 'School of Ageless Wisdom', a venture which failed within a few years. He then moved to Los Angeles, giving up a successful career as a musician, where he established the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA). BOTA is a non-profit, religious organisation dedicated to spiritual attunement through worship in the Tradition of the Western Mysteries. Its congregation comprises spiritual aspirants who participate through lesson instructions. "Irrespective of where they may be geographically, they are participating in mystical-esoteric meditational practices which unify them into a powerful metaphysical body of enlightened worship" . There is no charge for any instructions or other benefits BOTA offers its fee-paying members. The Order's overheads are supported solely by membership fees, contributions and other donations. The name 'Builders of the Adytum' derives from antiquity, Adytum being Greek for Inner Shrine or Holy of Holies, and Builders relates to Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, whom many people are convinced was versed in Kabbalistic Tradition. However, BOTA is neither a Christian nor a Jewish organisation. Although it accepts Kabbalah as the mystical root of both ancient Judaism and original Christianity, people of all faiths should have no difficulty accepting their teachings if they are mystically inclined. The evolution of mankind upon our planet corresponds with the evolution of consciousness, thus, in the natural course of events, all men and women will ultimately be possessed of higher consciousness. However, before such changes occur in the slow processes of nature, almost inconceivable periods of time will have elapsed. Speeding up these processes is possible though. Mankind has been endowed with mental and physical faculties which, with the proper training, enable him to accelerate the evolutionary process. Mystery Schools, both ancient and modern, are designed to teach initiates how to achieve this. The means whereby higher consciousness, or illumination, may be gained includes both theory and practice. Teachings and practical secrets constitute what is known as Ageless Wisdom, so called because it is not susceptible to the mutations of time. Ageless Wisdom is "written by God upon the face of nature," and is always there for men and women throughout time to interpret, if they can. BOTA claims to be an authentic Mystery School, its system being that of the Western Tradition. Its teachings, which are based on the Holy Kabbalah and the Sacred Tarot, have been handed down from one group of initiates to another since ancient times, and have met the tests of centuries of practical application. As such, its Inner Order has had all reference to Enochian Magick removed due to the fact that Case did not fully understand it, and considered it to be demonic rather than angelic. BOTA has Study Groups in several cities throughout the world, these groups providing an opportunity to interact with others who share the same spiritual teachings and practices. In this way they gain mutual benefit from the group work. Their primary purpose is: to encourage the development of fraternal Love and Harmony to foster the development of consciousness as set forth in the BOTA curriculum to help incorporate the principles of Ageless Wisdom in everyday life to enjoy together the operation of the One Will in all the circumstances of our lives to provide an open door to the Mysteries to all who genuinely seek them Much of their work is on the Path of Return , aimed at extending intellectual awareness and understanding into an emotional awareness that can affect all levels of our being. Group Ritual Work has long been known in the Mystery Schools as a dynamic means of invoking such responses. Ritualistic work uses this dramatic image-in-motion method to aid aspirants to create the most effective type of symbology. The headquarters of BOTA has been in Los Angeles since Case founded it in the 1930’s. Sunday Services are open to the public, and held at 11 a.m. (at the time of writing). Return to top of page.



Dragon Rouge A magical order, also known as Ordo Draconis et Atri Adamantis, Dragon Rouge was founded on New Year's Eve 1989 - 1990 in Sweden. It claims in excess of 500 members throughout the world, making it one of the numerically strongest magical organisations in Northern Europe. It has two lodges in Sweden, one in Italy, one in Germany and yet another in Poland. There are also ritual groups in other countries such as Argentina and the Czech Republic. The order is financed by an annual membership fee, and specifically asks for donations. It is unusual among magical orders because it focuses specifically on the Left-Hand Path, its most notable competitor being the Temple of Set . The order conducts ceremonies, works magick together and arranges study evenings inviting guest lecturers. Members travel to cult sites and power places such as the many Ship Tumuli sites in Sweden or the Externsteine in Detmold, Germany. For its initiated members, philosophical discussion evenings, dinners and festivities are arranged. Note: Burial grounds . Traces of aboriginal inhabitants' burial grounds can be found at many locations. These might be mounds, stone circles, standing stones or insignificant raised pieces of ground. Sometimes, the graves are in the form of a ship, such as that at Runsa, one of Sweden's best known ship tumuli. It is 56 metres between prow and stern and dates from 400 - 500 CE. There are huge burial mounds near Löwenströmska in Runby called 'Zamoras Hill' after the timpanist Zamora, who came to Sweden from North Africa towards the end of the 18th century, and who lived at Runby Nedre farm, now the local heritage centre. The largest burial ground is to be found at the Stora Wäsby castle dynastic burial ground, featuring approximately 200 beautifully formed grave mounds. Return to top of page.



Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn What is Hermeticism? Hermes Trismegistus could be considered the father of Hermeticism, a set of philosophical and religious beliefs. These beliefs have also had an impact on magick traditions, but whatever their impact, they nevertheless arose from teachings and books accredited to Hermes Trismegistus, who is seen as a wise sage and Egyptian priest, and commonly regarded as synonymous with the Egyptian god Thoth . Thoth became credited by the ancient Egyptians as the inventor of writing. Hermeticism is closely related to occultism, focusing on the concept of God, astrology , alchemy , and theurgy . The traditional secrecy surrounding Hermetic philosophy gave rise to the term 'hermetically sealed', and many Hermeticists still feel uncomfortable 'throwing their pearls to swine' - Matthew chapter 7: "Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." The roots of Hermeticism can be found in Hermetism, but Hermetism's roots are debatable even today. Some scholars feel that Hermetism is a Greek movement which developed around the time of Christianity, while others, primarily from occult circles, trace Hermetism's roots to Egypt and its mystery schools. A few others go further and trace it to Atlantis, some of this lost continent's survivors supposedly having handed their wisdom down to the people of Egypt. The original 'Order of the Golden Dawn' (G.D.) was founded in London in 1887 as a magical fraternity by Dr William Wynn Westcott , a London physician and coroner. His partners were another physician, Dr William Robert Woodman , and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers . All three were Freemasons , although sometime after becoming a member, Mathers became inactive in that field. Woodman headed a reputable Rosicrucian fellowship, its members being well respected, high ranking Masons in London. These three founder members were also members of an exclusive lodge, the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA) , founded in 1866 by the noted Grand Lodge Freemason Kenneth MacKenzie, author of The Royal Masonic Encyclopaedia. Members of the SRIA were required to be Christian. Westcott, a member of the Theosophical Society , appears to have been the initial driving force behind establishing the Golden Dawn, while Woodman, as Supreme Magus of the SRIA, was probably recruited to lend credibility to the new organisation. Mathers was an antiquarian, translator and researcher with a talent for composing ritual works and integrating occult symbolism. He also insisted women be allowed to participate in the Order in 'equality' with men, a distinctive marked change from the men-only tradition of Masonry. Unlike the SRIA, the Golden Dawn was open to any man or woman who professed a 'belief in a Supreme Being or Beings'. According to its founders, the G.D. was based on a charter from a 'supposedly ancient German Rosicrucian Lodge', which had written a document known as the Cipher Manuscripts , containing a coded record of its secret occult rituals. Westcott claimed he had acquired these mysterious manuscripts in 1886, from the effects of Reverend A.F.A. Woodford, an elderly Masonic scholar. They were discovered amongst assorted papers of the Swedenborgian Rite that MacKenzie had bequeathed to Woodford after his death in 1886, which were passed to Westcott, in his capacity as an Officer of the SRIA, by Woodford's widow. The Cipher Manuscripts also contained the address of an aged adept, 'Fräulein Sprengel', in Germany, to whom Westcott wrote inquiring about the contents of the papers. She responded, and after accepting the requests of Westcott and Mathers, issued them with a charter to operate a Lodge of the Order in England. Westcott's first G.D. Temple was the Isis-Urania Lodge, styled 'No.3'. Temple No 1 would have been Fraulein Sprengel's lodge, and No 2 was reputedly an abortive attempt at a lodge by some unnamed persons in London. Many celebrities belonged to the G.D., including the actress Florence Farr and the Irish revolutionary Maude Gonne. Some other well known members included Arthur Machen, William Butler Yeats , and Aleister Crowley . The original Lodge founded in 1888, being more of a philosophical and metaphysical teaching Order, did not teach any magical practices as such, except for basic 'banishing rituals' and meditation. This was called the 'Outer Order', in which the G.D. existed for four years. The 'Inner Order', which only became active in 1892, comprised the circle of Adepts who had completed the entire course of study and initiations of the 'Outer Order' contained in the Cipher Manuscripts. This group became known as the 'Second Order', while the 'Outer Order' became the 'First Order'. The three primary Lodges were the original Isis-Urania Temple in London, the Amen-Ra Temple in Edinburgh, and the Ahathoor Temple in Paris, although it is not certain just how many members the Order had in its heyday as some lodges' records were lost or destroyed; estimates range from three to five hundred. Only a small group, probably between 50 and 70, ever became part of the Second Order. A few other Temples consisting of small groups were scattered in Europe and America, generally meeting in private homes as opposed to temples. After Mathers left London in 1894 to live in Paris, his temple there became the nominal centre of the organisation. Westcott remained in London as Chief Adept in Anglica. By the end of the 19th century Dr Woodman had died and Dr Westcott had dramatically reduced his participation in official activities after several occult manuscripts of the Order had been left in a London cab in a case showing his address. These came to the attention of his superiors in the city government, so not wishing any hint of scandal over 'secret occult societies' that had officials of the Crown in their ranks (especially a coroner, who could conceivably cover up a suspicious cause of death), Westcott's employers insisted he disassociate himself with the Order. Aleister Crowley alleged in his auto-hagiography, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley , that Mathers had deliberately planted the documents to force Westcott’s resignation so as to gain complete control of the Order. There is no actual proof of Mathers' complicity, but the relationship between the two all but ended after this point. After Westcott left the Order, Florence Farr was appointed Chief Adept in Anglica. Mathers was now the only active founding member and, more significantly, in total charge of the Order. A notable point of interest is that despite Westcott's public resignation, he must have continued in some capacity as several Lodge documents bearing his signature dated years after his 'resignation' still exist. To read a more detailed description of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn why not visit our partner site To Mega Therion ? Return to top of page.



Illuminates of Thanateros In the late 1970s, Ray Sherwin and Peter Carroll, two young British occultists with a particular interest in Ritual Magick, began to publish a magazine titled The New Equinox . They were both connected with a rapidly growing occult scene developing around 'The Phoenix', a bookstore in London's East End. By their own accounts, both men became dissatisfied with the state of the magical arts and the deficiencies they saw in occult groups at the time, so in 1978 they published a small announcement in The New Equinox proclaiming the creation of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT), a new kind of magical order. It was to be based on a hierarchy of magical ability as opposed to invitation, basically a magical 'meritocracy'. The new order was to pursue Chaos Magick , focusing on practical skills, and incorporating elements of Thelema , Zos Kia Cultus, shamanism, tantra and Taoism. IOT refers to the dualism of the gods of Death (Thanatos) and Love (Eros). Sherwin and Carroll soon began to publish private monographs detailing their new system of magical practice, some of which had been articles in their magazine, others being intended as instructions to members of the order. In the 1980s they began to attract a strong following in England, Germany and Austria, including some influential occult writers and practitioners, but before the end of the decade, Sherwin resigned protesting that the IOT was beginning to resemble the hierarchical orders that were once abhorrent to the concept of the order. Carroll, however, continued and made the IOT known to occultists around the world largely through his books Liber Null and Psychonaut . Later, Carroll refined the direction of the IOT as a 'real' magical order and manifested it as 'The magical Pact of the IOT', or simply 'The Pact'. In the early 1990s this Chaos Magick order suffered badly as a result of the 'Ice Magick Wars' (detailed on many Chaos Magick sites), and several factions broke from the group to form new orders such as the Reformed IOT (RIOT) in Germany, and The AutonomatriX in California. The IOT had some very powerful initiates within their ranks at many points, one such being the Austrian former lodge, Temple Pleasuredome which operated from 1988 until 1990 when Temple founder Michael DeWitt was excommunicated due to his support for Peter Carroll in these infamous Wars. Michael DeWitt has long been an innovator in the Austrian magical scene, and even beyond it, his work with the publishing house Edition Ananael and his art work prove this particular point. He also had several extremely powerful and dangerous rituals. Shortly after the Ice Wars, Carroll published Liber Kaos and retired from active participation, stating this was not a consequence of disagreement with the state of 'The Pact' but a matter of his personal development. Click HERE to download a copy of The Pact, The Book, The Truth (The Secrets of the Illuminates of Thanateros) . Return to top of page.



Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) translates into Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars. It is an international fraternal and religious organisation, and was the first organisation to accept the Law of Thelema, expressed as 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law'. Thelemites believe this Law was established when Aleister Crowley was given the Book of the Law in Cairo in 1904. The organisation's structure is similar to that of Freemasonry, with a series of graded initiations. Its central rite, which is public, is called Liber XV, or the Gnostic Mass. The O.T.O. also includes the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica or Gnostic Catholic Church, which is the ecclesiastical arm of the Order. The O.T.O. claims to have in excess of 3000 members scattered throughout 58 countries, approximately 50% of these being in the USA. O.T.O. was described by Crowley as the first of the great Old Æon orders to accept The Book of the Law. The O.T.O. originally begged, stole and borrowed its material from European and irregular U.S. Masonic organisations. However, while some Masonic symbolism and language is still in use, their context is no longer that of Freemasonry, but of Thelema and its tenets. The Order offers esoteric instruction by means of dramatic ritual, guidance in a system of illuminated ethics, and fellowship amongst its aspirants to the Great Work -- realising the divine in the human. The O.T.O. has two distinct areas of ritual activity, firstly initiation into the Mysteries, and secondly, the celebration of Liber XV, the Gnostic Mass. The Order also organises lectures, classes, social events, theatrical productions and artistic exhibitions. It publishes books and journals as well as providing instruction in Hermetic science, Yoga, and magick. In The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Crowley tells us "The O.T.O. is in possession of one supreme secret. The whole of its system is directed towards communicating to its members, by progressively plain hints, this all-important instruction. Of the first set of initiations, the main objects of the instruction are two. It is firstly necessary to explain the universe and the relations of human life therewith. Secondly, to instruct every man and woman how best to adapt his or her life to the cosmos and to develop his faculties to the utmost advantage. I accordingly constructed a series of rituals, Minerval, Man, Magician, Master-Magician, Perfect Magician and Perfect Initiate, which should illustrate the course of human life in its largest philosophical aspect. The initiation rituals after the V° are such that the candidate is instructed in the value of discretion, loyalty, independence, truthfulness, courage, self-control, indifference to circumstance, impartiality, scepticism, and other virtues, at the same time assisting him to discover for himself the nature of the supreme secret, the proper object of its employment and the best means for insuring success for its use." My opinion: a more apt word in this final sentence as opposed to discover might be uncover. Of the entire system of O.T.O., Crowley wrote "It offers a rational basis for universal brotherhood and for universal religion. It puts forward a scientific statement which is a summary of all that is at present known about the universe by means of a simple, yet sublime symbolism, artistically arranged. It also enables each man to discover for himself his personal destiny, indicates the moral and intellectual qualities which he requires in order to fulfil it freely, and finally puts in his hands an unimaginably powerful weapon which he may use to develop in himself every faculty which he may need in his work". Initiates graduate through a degree system, similar to that of Freemasonry. There are 13 numbered degrees and 12 un-numbered. They are further divided into three grades or 'triads': the Hermit, the Lover, and the Man of Earth. Admittance to each degree involves an initiation and the swearing of an oath similar to those used in Freemasonry. The ultimate goal of initiation is 'to instruct the individual by allegory and symbol in the profound mysteries of Nature, and thereby to assist each to discover his or her own true Identity." A list of names and addresses of lodges in the UK, along with contact email addresses can be found at OTO Lodges in the UK. For Lodges elsewhere in the world, go to OTO Lodges Worldwide. To read a more detailed description of the Ordo Templi Orientis why not visit our partner site To Mega Therion? Return to top of page.