Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 22:46, 11 June 2006 editFrater FiatLux (talk \| contribs)566 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 04:26, 30 November 2024 edit undoSmasongarrison (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers722,235 edits Copying from Category:Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to Category:Organizations established in 1888 Diffusing per WP:DIFFUSE and/or WP:ALLINCLUDED using Cat-a-lot
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{Short description\|British magical order (1887–1903)}}
	], in ]ian costume, performs a ritual of ] (not a Rite of the Golden Dawn).]]
			{{about\|the historical organization of the late 19th century\|\|Golden Dawn (disambiguation)}}
			{{Use mdy dates\|date=November 2022}}
			{{Use shortened footnotes\|date=November 2022}}
			{{Infobox organization
			\| name = Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
			\| image = Rose Cross Lamen.svg
			\| size =
			\| caption = ] of the Golden Dawn
			\| motto =
			\| formation = {{Start date and age\|1887}}
			\| dissolved = {{End date and age\|1903}}
			\| headquarters = ]
			\| location = ]
			\| type = ]
			\| main_organ =
			\| successor = {{indented plainlist\|
			* ]
			* ]
			* ]
			* ]
			* ]
			}}
			\| leader_title = Chiefs of the Second Order
			\| leader_name = {{indented plainlist\|
			* ]<br/>(1888–1897)
			* ]<br/>(1897–1903)
			* ]<br/>(1828–1891)
			}}
			\| website =
			}}
			The '''Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn''' ({{langx\|la\|Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae}}), more commonly the '''Golden Dawn''' ({{lang\|la\|Aurora Aurea}}), was a ] devoted to the study and practice of ] ] and ] during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as a ], the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was active in ] and focused its practices on ] and spiritual development. Many present-day concepts of ritual and ] that are at the centre of contemporary traditions, such as ]{{sfn\|Colquhoun\|1975\|p={{pn\|date=March 2022}}}} and ], were inspired by the Golden Dawn, which became one of the largest single influences on 20th-century Western ].{{efn\|{{harvnb\|Jenkins\|2000\|p=74}}: "Also in the 1880s, the tradition of ritual magic was revived in London by a group of Masonic adepts, who formed the Order of the Golden Dawn, which would prove an incalculable influence on the whole subsequent history of occultism."}}{{efn\|{{harvnb\|Smoley\|1999\|pp=102–103}}: "Founded in 1888, the Golden Dawn lasted a mere twelve years before it was shattered by personal conflicts. At its height, it probably had no more than a hundred members. Yet its influence on magic and esoteric thought in the English-speaking world would be hard to overestimate."}}

			The three founders, ], ], and ], were ] and members of the ]. Westcott appears to have been the initial driving force behind the establishment of the Golden Dawn.
	The '''Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn''' (or "'''Golden Dawn'''", as it and its early successor organizations, '''Stella Matutina''' and '''Alpha et Omega''', are commonly referred to) is a tradition of magical ] and spiritual development. It is probably the single greatest influence on twentieth century ] ]. Concepts of magic and ritual that became core elements of many other traditions, including ], ] and other forms of magical ] popular today, are drawn from the Golden Dawn traditions.

			The Golden Dawn system was based on hierarchy and initiation (similar to ]) and the grade structure was based on the ],<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/aqc/waite/waite.html \|title=The Masonic Career of A. E. Waite \|first=R. A. \|last=Gilbert}}</ref> however, women were admitted on an equal basis with men.
	Influences on Golden Dawn concepts and work include: ], ], ], ] of ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and medieval ]s.

			The "Golden Dawn" was the first of three Orders, although all three are often collectively referred to as the "Golden Dawn". The First Order taught esoteric philosophy based on the ] and personal development through study and awareness of the four ]s, as well as the basics of ], ], and ]. The Second or Inner Order, the {{lang\|la\|Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis}}, taught magic, including ], ], and ]. The Third Order was that of the ], who were said to be highly skilled; they supposedly directed the activities of the lower two orders by spirit communication with the Chiefs of the Second Order.
	===Origins===
	The original "Order of the Golden Dawn" was a ] founded in ] in ] by Dr. ], a London physician and municipal coroner. His partners were another physician, Dr. William R. Woodman, and ]. All three men were Freemasons. (However, sometime after becoming a member of the Golden Dawn, S.L. Macgregor Mathers became inactive in Freemasonry.) Dr. Woodman was the head of a reputable Rosicrucian fellowship made up of well respected, high ranking Masons in London. The three founders were also members of the ] (S.R.I.A.), an exclusive lodge founded by the noted Grand Lodge Freemason Kenneth MacKenzie, author of The Royal Masonic Encyclopedia. The S.R.I.A. was established in 1866 with
	] as honorary patron. SRIA rolls were later forged to give the appearance that it had been founded by the noted Grand Lodge Freemason Kenneth MacKenzie, author of The Royal Masonic Encyclopedia. The choosing of Lytton as honorary patron and the attempt to posthumously show MacKenzie as a founding member were not accidental, but rather were designed to give the SRIA an air of Rosicrucian legitimacy, since Lytton had been legitimately initiated in Italy as had MacKenzie in Austria.

			==History==
	Important members included Frederick Hockley, who collected esoteric writing and engaged in practical experimentation; he is reliably known to have been taught by a pupil of Francis Barrett, and was a teacher of Kenneth MacKenzie. The Christian spiritualist leader Rev. William Stainton Moses was also a member of the S.R.I.A.

			===Cipher Manuscripts===
	Westcott, also a member of the ] Society, seems to have been the initial driving force behind the establishment of the Golden Dawn. Woodman, as Supreme Magus of the S.R.I.A., was undoubtedly recruited to lend credibility to the new organization. Mathers was an antiquarian, translator, researcher and had a great talent for composing ritual works and integrating occult symbolism. In addition, Mathers insisted on women being allowed to participate in the Order in "perfect equality" with men. This was a marked change from the men-only tradition of Masonry. And unlike the S.R.I.A., which required its members to be Christian, the Golden Dawn was open to any man or woman who professed "belief in a Supreme Being or Beings".
			{{Main\|Cipher Manuscripts}}
			]]]

			The foundational documents of the original Order of the Golden Dawn, known as the ], are written in English using the ]. The manuscripts give the specific outlines of the Grade Rituals of the Order and prescribe a curriculum of graduated teachings that encompass the ], ], ], ], and ].
	===The Cipher Manuscripts===
	The fundamental basis of the Golden Dawn tradition is a collection of documents known as the Cipher Manuscripts, written in English using a classic occult cipher alphabet, which were discovered by Westcott around 1888 among the papers of the late Masonic scholar Kenneth Mackenzie. The Manuscripts give the specific outlines of the Grade Rituals of the Order, and prescribe a curriculum of specifically graduated teachings that encompass the Hermetic Qabalah, Astrology, Tarot, Geomancy and Alchemy.

			According to the records of the Order, the manuscripts passed from ], a Masonic scholar, to the Rev. ], whom British occult writer ] describes as the fourth founder{{sfn\|King\|1989\|pp=42–43}} (although Woodford died shortly after the Order was founded).{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=47}} The documents did not excite Woodford, and in February 1886 he passed them on to Freemason ], who managed to decode them in 1887.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|pp=42–43}} Westcott, pleased with his discovery, called on fellow Freemason ] for a second opinion. Westcott asked for Mathers's help to turn the manuscripts into a coherent system for lodge work. Mathers, in turn, asked fellow Freemason ] to assist the two, and he accepted.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|pp=42–43}} Mathers and Westcott have been credited with developing the ritual outlines in the Cipher Manuscripts into a workable format.{{efn\|Golden Dawn researcher R. A. Gilbert has found evidence which suggests that Westcott was instrumental in developing the Order's rituals from the Cipher Manuscripts. See Gilbert's article, "From Cipher to Enigma: The Role of William Wynn Westcott in the Creation of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn" in {{harvnb\|Runyon\|1997}}.}} Mathers, however, is generally credited with the design of the curriculum and rituals of the Second Order, which he called the ''Rosae Rubae et Aureae Crucis'' ("Ruby Rose and Golden Cross" or the ''RR et AC'').{{sfn\|Regardie\|1993\|p=92}}
	Considerable controversy surrounds the origins of the Cipher Manuscripts. Westcott claimed they were obtained from a German Adept of the Order named Fraulein Sprengel, who wrote letters to Westcott and Mathers granting them permission to establish the Order in England. Mathers later claimed that only the letters were forgeries, but it seems unlikely that Westcott or Mathers wrote the Manuscripts themselves, as some believe.

			]
	Prominent Golden Dawn researchers (R.A. Gilbert, Darcy Kuntz, Carroll Runyon) theorize they were the result of the work of a group of Masonic scholars belonging to the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, a Rosicrucian society limited to Master Masons. Both Westcott and Mathers, and their original partner Dr. W.R. Woodman, were all members of the SRIA, which uses a Grade system almost identical to the one described in the Manuscripts.

			===Founding of the First Temple===
	According to another important theory, however, the Cypher Manuscripts had been received by noted Masonic scholar Kenneth Mackenzie from the Secret Chiefs of the "Third Order," a contenental Rosicrucian mystery school into which MacKenzie had been initiated by Count Apponyi of Hungary. Using the Cypher Manuscripts, MacKenzie founded "The Society of Eight" as the first phase of what was to later become the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It should be noted in this context that MacKenzie's group was Temple No. 1, and Frederick Hockley's group was Temple No. 2. Thus when the Golden Dawn was founded, its first temple, Isis Urania, was numbered as No. 3.
			In October 1887, Westcott claimed to have written to a German countess and prominent Rosicrucian named ], whose address was said to have been found in the decoded Cipher Manuscripts. According to Westcott, Sprengel claimed the ability to contact certain supernatural entities, known as the ], that were considered the authorities over any magical order or esoteric organization. Westcott purportedly received a reply from Sprengel granting permission to establish a Golden Dawn temple and conferring honorary grades of ] on Westcott, Mathers, and Woodman. The temple was to consist of the five grades outlined in the manuscripts.{{sfnm\|1a1=King\|1y=1989\|1p=43\|2a1=Regardie\|2y=1993\|2p=11}}

			In 1888, the ] was founded in ].{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=43}} In contrast to the S.R.I.A. and Masonry,{{sfn\|Regardie\|1993\|p=11}} women were allowed and welcome to participate in the Order in "perfect equality" with men. The Order was more of a philosophical and metaphysical teaching order in its early years. Other than certain rituals and meditations found in the Cipher manuscripts and developed further,{{sfn\|King\|1997\|p=35}} "magical practices" were generally not taught at the first temple.
	It is highly interesting that following Kenneth MacKenzie's death, the rolls of the SRIA were forged so as to cause it to appear that MacKenzie had been a founding member, when in truth he had nothing but disdain for what he called 'Woodman's little society.' Thus it appears that Wynn Wescott felt a conflict of interest between the Golden Dawn and the SRIA and therefore invented 'Ana Sprengel' in an attempt to divert attention from Kenneth MacKenzie as the origin of the Cypher Manuscripts. This, together with the alteration of the SRIA rolls to cause MacKenzie to appear to be a founding member of SRIA, indicates an attempt by Wescott to misappropriate Kenneth MacKenzie's legitimate Rosicrucian affilliation for the SRIA instead of for the Golden Dawn had clearly been MacKenzie's intention in creating the "Society of Eight."

			For the first four years, the Golden Dawn was one cohesive group later known as the "First Order" or "Outer Order". A "Second Order" or "Inner Order" was established and became active in 1892. The Second Order consisted of members known as "adepts", who had completed the entire course of study for the First Order. The Second Order was formally established under the name ''Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis'' (the Order of the Red Rose and the Golden Cross).{{sfn\|Decker\|Dummett\|2019\|pp=93–96}}
	===The Golden Age of the Golden Dawn===
	In its heyday, many ] ] belonged to the Golden Dawn, such as actress ] and ] revolutionary ]. Some well known members included ], ], and ]. (] is rumored to have once been a member, but it has never been proven.) But many men and women of the 19th century ] social culture were members of the Golden Dawn.

			Eventually, the Osiris temple in ], the Horus temple in ] (both in 1888), and the Amen-Ra temple in ] (1893) were founded. In 1893 Mathers founded the Ahathoor temple in ].{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=43}}
	The original Lodge founded in 1888 did not teach any magical practices per se (except for basic "banishing" rituals and meditation), but was rather a philosophical and metaphysical teaching Order. This was called "the Outer Order", and for four years the Golden Dawn existed only in "the Outer". The "Inner Order", which became active in 1892, was 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 eventually became known as the Second Order (the Outer Order being the "First" Order).

	Mathers and Dr. Westcott have been credited for developing the ritual outlines in the Cipher Manuscript into a workable format.<ref>Golden Dawn researcher R.A. Gilbert has found evidence which suggests that Westcott was instrumental in developing the Order's rituals from the Cipher Manuscript. See Gilbert's article, ''From Cipher to Enigma: The Role of William Wynn Westcott in the Creation of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn'', from Carroll Runyon's book ''Secrets of the Golden Dawn Cypher Manuscripts.''</ref> Mathers, however, is generally credited with the design of the curriculum and rituals of the Second Order, which he called the ''Rosae Rubae et Aureae Crucis'' ("Ruby Rose and Golden Cross", or the ''RR et AC''.) Some Golden Dawn practitioners believe that Mathers received his materials from the ''"Secret Chiefs"'' connected to his German Rosicrucian predecessors, which is what he stated to his followers. Some believe that S.L. Macgregor Mathers and his wife Moina ] the materials, and later refined and developed them, as was done with the Cipher Manuscripts. Mathers' exegesis of the Cipher materials as practiced by the original Temples is known as the "Z-2". The Order tradition is to designate it's important "secret" instructional papers as "Z Documents".

	The primary Lodges were the original ''Isis-Urania Temple'' in London, the ''Amen-Ra Temple'' in Edinburgh, and the ''Ahathoor Temple'' in Paris. It is unknown how many members the Order had in its heyday, as some lodges' records were lost or destroyed, but estimates range from three to five hundred. Only a small group, probably well under one hundred, ever became part of the Second Order. There were a few other Temples, consisting of small groups scattered in Europe and America, generally meeting in private homes. Mathers left London in 1894 to live in Paris, and his temple there became the nominal center of the organization, though it was notable chiefly for his presence. Westcott remained in London as Chief Adept in Anglica (England.)

	By the end of the nineteenth century, Dr. Woodman had died, and Dr. Westcott had curtailed his participation in official activities after several occult manuscripts of the Order, in a case bearing his address, had been left in a London taxicab and came to the attention of his superiors in the city government. 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. There are accounts of a similar incident in 1889 which caused him to stop lecturing for the ''Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society''. Aleister Crowley later alleged in his autobiography that Mathers deliberately planted the documents to consolidate his control of the Order by forcing Westcott's resignation, as this was rumored at the time. While there is no proof of Mathers's complicity, it appears that the relationship between Mathers and Westcott all but ended after this point. After Westcott's departure, Mathers appointed Florence Farr to be Chief Adept in Anglica. (Although Westcott publicly resigned, he must have continued in some capacity since there are Lodge documents bearing his signature dated years after his "resignation.")

	This left Mathers as the only active founding member and in charge of the Order. Due to personality clashes with other members, and being absent from the center of Lodge activity in Great Britain, challenges to Mathers' authority as leader began to develop amongst the members of the Second Order.

	===The Breakup of the Original Order===
	After 13 years of operation, a majority of the high-ranking members in London fostered a schism of the British lodges from Mathers in 1900, which led to further schisms and more splinter groups. The original Golden Dawn ceased to exist under that name in ] but which continued under at least two spin-off organizations, the Stella Matutina (Morning Star) and the Alpha et Omega, as well as a renamed faction headed by ].

	In 1900, Mathers had entered into a disastrous relationship with a husband and wife known as Mr. and Mrs. Theo Horos. This couple had carved out a living for a number of years as "confidence frauds with an occult slant." The Horos' had apparently developed some kind of relationship with one of the American temples and had either acquired or forged some Order papers and credentials. Based on these credentials and their mesmeric personalities, the Horoses were able to con Mathers out of Order documents, which they used to set up spurious "temples" and operate confidence schemes. Word of their illicit operations eventually reached Mathers, who subsequently denounced them as frauds, and they were tried and convicted of fraud and sexual misconduct in 1902.

	By 1903 the name "Golden Dawn" was dropped by both Mathers and by the various splinter groups to avoid the growing public scandal. The Stella Matutina closed its doors in the ] before ], but continued to function under the popular name ] in ] until the late ]. Mathers' Alpha et Omega had a few members in America in the early 20th century, but no groups are known to have continued after the death of his wife Moina in 1928. The Ahathoor Temple No. 7 of Mathers' A+O is known to have been revived in Paris in the early 1980's, however.

	===The Modern Revival===
	In ], ] published the texts of the Initiation rituals of the Outer Order in his serial publication, "]". Real circulation of the materials didn't happen until after ], when they created quite a stir in the occult community. The secrets of the Golden Dawn became available to the general public, and were a major part of the occult "revival" of the ]. ], who was once Crowley's secretary, published the complete initiation rites, along with a selection of the workings and instructional documents that were in his possession, of the Stella Matutina (essentially identical to the original Golden Dawn rituals and teachings) in the early ]. While this action supposedly violated the Order's oaths of secrecy, Regardie claims he believed at the time no functioning lodges remained, and feared the work of the Order would otherwise be lost forever.

	In the 1920s and 30s more schisms occurred, and by the onset of ] most of the original Lodges were gone, except for a few small groups (notably in ] and ]) that could claim direct descent from the original Lodges, finally dying out in the ]. But even as the original lodges died away, new adherents and Initiates of the old ]s began to revive the Order, reclaiming the name of the Golden Dawn. Lodges currently exist in ], the ], ] and ]. Numbers are hard to estimate, but there are likely hundreds if not thousands of people currently involved in organized Golden Dawn groups, and many solo practitioners. Some can claim lineage of one kind or another to the original lodges by succession (i.e. Adepts having gone on to establish their own Lodges without any official charters), others simply follow the legacy of the original Order according to the wealth of published material available to the public, either in organized lodges or as solo practitioners. This being the case, there is no universally recognized central authority, though there are lodges and individuals that lay claim to it.

	There are a few organized Golden Dawn groups today that lay claim to the "undiluted" lineage of the original Temples. Generally, this takes the form of issuing claims (especially on the Internet) of being chartered by an offshoot Temple of Isis-Urania Lodge No.3. ], having assumed the role of Imperatrix after her husband's death in ], chartered a few Lodges in Europe and America after her husband died. Claims of lineage are usually by connection to one of these temples.

	The publication of the Golden Dawn corpus figured prominently in the occult "revival" of the ]. Before his death in ], Regardie was involved in initiatives to reestablish the Golden Dawn tradition. Other groups founded by former Golden Dawn associates, such as the ] (B.O.T.A.) of ] and the ] of ], continue to exist today. The historical and cultural legacy of the Golden Dawn has been more influential on modern occultism than any other esoteric organization or body of knowledge. Although the original Golden Dawn teachings showed a strong influence of ], almost every expression of Western ] ] and ] today owes a debt to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

	====Contemporary Golden Dawn Orders====
	Today, several organizations carry on the Golden Dawn tradition. Among these, the following are particularly significant:
	*]
	*]Æ
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

	For additional Orders which do not yet have individual articles, please see the ] section below.

	===Philosophy===
	The primary basis of the Golden Dawn philosophy is an integrated Western Hermeticism, organized into a more or less coherent structure. The Golden Dawn's Hermetic roots came together from the philosophies of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, with Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism merging in the second and third century; with influence from the Moslem ]s brought to Europe by Crusader orders; the ] — itself influenced by Neo-Platonism - and alchemy, merging in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The philosophy of the Inner Order, more so than that of the Outer, was also heavily influenced by mystic Christianity and Rosicrucian ideals. By the mid-1800s, the final additions to what we recognize as Western Magic Tradition are complete—the Tarot, Astrology, and ]ic Magic. To this mix the Golden Dawn added ]ian Magic, a system developed in the late 16th century by Dr. ], astrologer and cartographer to Queen Elizabeth I, and the Hindu meditation system of ]s, along with the Tantric principles of the ]s.

	Before the Golden Dawn, attempts to draw the mass of Western tradition together into a coherent system had been flawed, or incomplete. Barrett and Constant (Levi) had both attempted a system that unified Western tradition. But it would be the Golden Dawn which produced a balanced and harmonious system which included all the disparate elements of Western Esotericism.

	At its core, the philosophy of the Golden Dawn is one of perfectible ]; that by use of the ] tools and techniques passed down from antiquity, a human being can advance in spiritual knowledge and magical power, and with hard work and discipline, come to control his or her own destiny.

	===The Secret Chiefs===		===The Secret Chiefs===
			{{Main\|Secret Chiefs}}
	The Order is meant to be the repository of great spiritual knowledge passed down from ancient sources. Though some sources such as ], ], ] and ] are part of the ]ary history of the Order; the original founders (in particular Mathers) expounded a doctrine of "The Secret Chiefs", who collectively represented the "Third" or highest Order of the Western Magical tradition. Mathers declared these Chiefs of the Order were living human beings, or perhaps "evolved" human beings, that possessed the secrets of immortality, omniscience, and superhuman magical powers. He claimed to be in personal contact with certain of these Chiefs, and based his authority as the indisputable leader of the Order on instructions supposedly handed down from them.
			In 1890, Westcott's alleged correspondence with Anna Sprengel suddenly ceased. He claimed to have received word from Germany that she was dead and that her companions did not approve of the founding of the Order and no further contact was to be made.{{sfn\|Decker\|Dummett\|2019\|p=90}} If the founders were to contact the ], apparently, it had to be done on their own.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=43}} In 1892, Mathers professed that a link to the Secret Chiefs had been established. Subsequently, he supplied rituals for the Second Order.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=43}} The rituals were based on the tradition of the tomb of ], and a ''Vault of Adepts'' became the controlling force behind the Outer Order.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=44}} Later in 1916, Westcott claimed that Mathers also constructed these rituals from materials he received from Frater Lux ex Tenebris, a purported ''Continental Adept''.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=46}}

			Some followers of the Golden Dawn tradition believe that the Secret Chiefs were not human or supernatural beings, but rather symbolic representations of actual or legendary sources of spiritual ]. The term came to stand for a great leader or teacher of a ] or practice that found its way into the teachings of the Order.{{sfn\|Penczak\|2002\|p=27}}
	Other Golden Dawn Lodges and Adepts also claimed to be "in contact" with Secret Chiefs, and the original schisms of the Golden Dawn can almost be seen as various "Chiefs" issuing conflicting orders to their contacts. Mathers claimed that he actually met Chiefs in person and that they had physical bodies. Florence Farr believed herself to have psychically contacted a Chief, in a manner similar to what is now called "channeling", and was even authorized by Mathers in 1897 to form a working group, "The Sphere Group", to make further contact with this Chief. Aleister Crowley claimed that a spiritual entity named "Aiwass", who was a Secret Chief, dictated to him in 1904 the '']'' which was to be the basis of a new Hermetic philosophy. Another faction led by F.W. Felkin, moved their Temple to New Zealand to await the physical arrival of their Chief, who unfortunately never showed up. Generally, each faction refused to acknowledge the authority of another faction's contact with a "Secret Chief."

			===Golden Age===
	Many Golden Dawn practitioners today believe that the Secret Chiefs are not necessarily living humans or supernatural beings, but are the symbolic "current" of all the actual and legendary sources of spiritual ]. Any great leader or teacher of a spiritual path or practice that found its way into the teachings of the Order -- and that definition covers a wide range, from paganism to ] to ] -- can be considered as a Secret Chief of the Golden Dawn. They are "secret" not by virtue of being unknown to the outside world, but rather that their knowledge has found its way into the "secrets" of the Order. Their teachings are "secret" because they can only be fully understood by someone who embarks on the path of spiritual advancement and attains Adepthood.
			{{Golden Dawn}}
			By the mid-1890s, the Golden Dawn was well established in Great Britain, with over one hundred members from every class of ] society.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=47}} Many celebrities belonged to the Golden Dawn, such as the actress ], the Irish revolutionary ], the Irish poet ], the Welsh author ], and the English authors ] and ].

			In 1896 or 1897, Westcott broke all ties to the Golden Dawn, leaving Mathers in control. It has been speculated that his departure was due to his having lost a number of occult-related papers in a ]. Apparently, when the papers were found, Westcott's connection to the Golden Dawn was discovered and brought to the attention of his employers. He may have been told to either resign from the Order or to give up his occupation as ].{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=48}} After Westcott's departure, Mathers appointed Florence Farr to be Chief Adept in Anglia. Dr. ] succeeded Westcott as Cancellarius—one of the three Chiefs of the Order.
	Like S.L. MacGregor Mathers himself, his Rosicrucian Order of A+O today claims that the Secret Chiefs are actually physical persons rather than disincarnate entities or some vague 'current'. MacGregor Mathers claimed to have physically met with the Secret Chiefs in Paris in 1891. Today the Rosicrucian Order of A+O claims to have reestablished contact with physical representatives of the Secret Chiefs in Paris in 2002. According to the A+O, the Secret Chiefs are physical members of an extremely secretive and ancient western mystery school. This most occult of all orders originated in Sumer, continued in Chaldea and Egypt, and was brought to Europe by the Greek and Roman empires and have provided materials for the creation of many of the known esoteric orders.

			Mathers was the only active founding member after Westcott's departure. Due to personality clashes with other members and frequent absences from the center of Lodge activity in Great Britain, however, challenges to Mathers's authority as leader developed among the members of the Second Order.{{sfn\|Raine\|1976\|p=6}}
	Historical evidence indicates that Count Apponyi, who initiated Kenneth MacKenzie in Austria, was actually a member of this secretive order and that it was from these Secret Chiefs that MacKenzie obtained the Golden Dawn's original Cypher Manuscripts for the Golden Dawn's first or 'outer' order. S.L. MacGregor Mathers later claimed that the Secret Chiefs provided him with the materials for his creation of the Golden Dawn's second or 'inner' order. The Rosicrucian Order of A+O today claims that the Secret Chiefs in 2002 provided them with new Cypher Manuscripts for the creation of the Golden Dawn's third and final order, thus completing the entire three order system originally envisioned for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

			===Revolt===
			Towards the end of 1899, the Adepts of the Isis-Urania and Amen-Ra temples had become dissatisfied with Mathers's leadership, as well as his growing friendship with Aleister Crowley. They had also become anxious to make contact with the Secret Chiefs themselves, instead of relying on Mathers as an intermediary.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=66}} Within the Isis-Urania temple, disputes were arising between Farr's ''The Sphere'', a secret society within the Isis-Urania, and the rest of the Adepti Minores.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=66}}

			Crowley was refused initiation into the Adeptus Minor grade by the London officials. Mathers overrode their decision and quickly initiated him at the Ahathoor temple in Paris on 16 January 1900.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=67}} Upon his return to the London temple, Crowley requested from Miss Cracknell, the acting secretary, the papers acknowledging his grade, to which he was now entitled. To the London Adepts, this was the final straw. Farr, already of the opinion that the London temple should be closed, wrote to Mathers expressing her wish to resign as his representative, although she was willing to carry on until a successor was found.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=67}} Mathers believed Westcott was behind this turn of events and replied on 16 February. On 3 March a committee of seven Adepts was elected in London and requested a full investigation of the matter. Mathers sent an immediate reply, declining to provide proof, refusing to acknowledge the London temple, and dismissing Farr as his representative on 23 March.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|pp=68–69}} In response, a general meeting was called on 29 March in London to remove Mathers as chief and expel him from the Order.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=69}}
	===The Structure of the Order===
	The Golden Dawn follows a "fraternal lodge" model similar to ], with titles, degrees and initiations. The Order purports to be a ], with advancement based on tests of knowledge and demonstration of skills.

			====Splinters====
	In the Outer Order, both the layout of the Temple and the functions of Officers seem to closely mirror those of the ]. The names of the Grades, or degrees of initiation, as well as the titles bestowed upon initiates, were taken from old sources such as the German Masonic "Gold und Rosen-kreutzers", and Pianco's 1781 book, ''Der Rosenkreutzer in seiner Blosse''. In the Inner Order, the Rosicrucian drama enacted in the initiation rituals is reminiscent of that in the "Rose Croix" degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and is certainly related to the ceremonies of the S.R.I.A. The Grades in the Golden Dawn are based on the symbolism of the Qabalistic Tree of Life.
			In 1901, W. B. Yeats privately published a pamphlet titled ''Is the Order of R. R. & A. C. to Remain a Magical Order?''{{sfn\|Melton\|2001\|p=1327}} After the Isis-Urania temple claimed its independence, there were even more disputes, leading to Yeats resigning.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=78}} A committee of three was to temporarily govern, which included P. W. Bullock, M. W. Blackden and ]. After a short time, Bullock resigned, and Dr. ] took his place.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=94}}

			In 1903, ] and Blackden joined forces to retain the name Isis-Urania, while Felkin and other London members formed the ]. Yeats remained in the Stella Matutina until 1921, while Brodie-Innes continued his Amen-Ra membership in Edinburgh.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|pp=95–96}}
	The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was originally conceived as a three order system. The outer order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, was a symbolical order. The Second Order, the RR+AC was operative, practicing a Qabalistic and Enochian magical system, yet working at the level of the lunar, analogical mysteries. The Third Order was supposed to place the capstone upon the pyramid, with the operative tradition of the solar mysteries. History was to prevent this from happening, however. While S.L. MacGregor Mathers was still manifesting his brilliant synthesis of Qabalistic and Enochian magic for the Second Order, the Adepts of the RR+AC rebelled in London, provoking the order's first schism. This was quickly followed by the Horos scandal and by the betrayal of the order by Aleister Crowley, who despite his oaths published the secret teachings of the RR+AC, thus preventing the completion of the entire Three Order system for over a century.

			===Reconstruction===
	In modern esotericism, there exist three types of esoteric orders. These fall into two general categories; symbolical and operative. Among the operative orders, there are those which are analogical (lunar) or direct (solar). At the simplest level we find the symbolical orders like Freemasonry and the outer order of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In these orders, spiritual wisdom is presented in symbolical form; either exclusively during the initiation rituals in the case of Freemasonry, or together with supplemental study materials as in the case of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the outer.
			Once Mathers realised that reconciliation was impossible, he made efforts to reestablish himself in London. The Bradford and Weston-super-Mare temples remained loyal to him, but their numbers were few.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=109}} He then appointed ] as his representative.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=110}} According to Francis King, historical evidence shows that there were "twenty three members of a flourishing Second Order under Berridge-Mathers in 1913."{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=110}}

			J.W. Brodie-Innes continued leading the Amen-Ra temple, deciding that the revolt was unjustified. By 1908, Mathers and Brodie-Innes were in complete accord.{{sfn\|Regardie\|1993\|p=33}} According to sources that differ regarding the actual date, sometime between 1901 and 1913 Mathers renamed the branch of the Golden Dawn remaining loyal to his leadership to ].{{sfnm\|1a1=King\|1y=1971\|1pp=110–111\|2a1=King\|2y=1989\|2p=111\|3a1=Cicero\|3a2=Cicero\|3y=2002}}{{efn\|{{harvnb\|Anon\|2001}}: "The Golden Dawn ceased to exist by that name after October 1901, replaced by Mathers's Alpha et Omega and the London group’s Order of the Morgan Rothe. No longer associated with the SRIA after 1902, Mathers continued to oversee a few temples until his death, when his wife, Moina, assumed supervision."}} Brodie-Innes assumed command of the English and Scottish temples, while Mathers concentrated on building up his Ahathoor temple and extending his American connections.{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=111}} According to occultist ], the Golden Dawn had spread to the ] before 1900 and a Thoth-Hermes temple had been founded in ].{{sfnm\|1a1=King\|1y=1989\|1p=111\|2a1=Regardie\|2y=1993\|2p=33}} By the beginning of the ] in 1914, Mathers had established two to three American temples.
	At the more advanced level come the so-called, operative orders. Operative orders employ special magical or alchemical operations for spiritual development. In a further distinction, there exist two kinds of operative systems and orders. Firstly, in the analogical, operative systems, practitioners operate with systems referring by analogy to yet higher, more direct, and more advanced operations and systems. Analogical operative systems are thus called lunar mysteries as, much as the moon reflects the light of the Sun, their light is reflected by analogical reference to higher operative processes. Nonetheless, despite her reflective nature, the moon indeed remains a luminary. So also the analogical operative systems remain powerful tools for spiritual development in and of themselves, despite their analogical nature.

			Most temples of the Alpha et Omega and Stella Matutina closed or went into abeyance by the end of the 1930s, with the exceptions of two Stella Matutina temples: Hermes Temple in ], which operated sporadically until 1970, and the Smaragdum Thallasses Temple (commonly referred to as ]) in ], ], which operated regularly until its closure in 1978.{{sfnm\|1a1=Gilbert\|1y=1986\|2a1=Cicero\|2a2=Cicero\|2y=2002}}
	The Solar mysteries comprise an operative tradition that lies at the apex of the Rosicrucian as well as the entire Western Esoteric tradition. The Solar operative tradition represents the capstone of the entire Western Esoteric Tradition, lying as it does upon the Hermetic pillars Alchemy and Theurgy. Here, we find not some mere mystical meditation upon alchemical images or psychological nonsense, but rather the supreme esoteric corpus of operative practices that all other genuine magical and alchemical operations only refer to by analogy. It is the summun bonum, the apex of the pyramid. Very little is known about the solar mysteries, except that that they comprise the most jealously guarded and secret part of the Western Esoteric Tradition and involve the true and most secret preparation, rectification, and multiplication of the philosopher's stone. Mathers'Rosicrucian Order or A+O today claims to have received the Solar Mysteries of the Third Order, together with the Cypher Manuscripts for the Third Order initiation rituals from the Secret Chiefs in 2002.

			==Structure and grades==
			{{Hermeticism\|expand=Modern offshoots}}
			Much of the hierarchical structure for the Golden Dawn came from the ], which was itself derived from the ].{{sfn\|Gilbert\|1986b}}

			;First Order:
			* Neophyte 0=0
			* Zelator 1=10
			* Theoricus 2=9
			* Practicus 3=8
			* Philosophus 4=7

			;Second Order:
	====The Grades of the Golden Dawn====
			* Adeptus Minor 5=6
	''First Order:''
			* Adeptus Major 6=5
	*Introduction—Neophyte 0=0
			* Adeptus Exemptus 7=4

			;Third Order:
	*Zelator 1=10
			* Magister Templi 8=3
	*Theoricus 2=9
			* Magus 9=2
	*Pracitcus 3=8
			* Ipsissimus 10=1
	*Philosophus 4=7

			The paired numbers attached to the Grades relate to positions on the Tree of Life. The Neophyte Grade of "0=0" indicates no position on the Tree. In the other pairs, the first numeral is the number of steps up from the bottom (Malkuth), and the second numeral is the number of steps down from the top (Kether).
	''Second Order:''
	*Intermediate—Portal Grade

			The First Order Grades were related to the ] of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, respectively. The Aspirant to a Grade received instruction on the metaphysical meaning of each of these Elements and had to pass a written examination and demonstrate certain skills to receive admission to that Grade.
	*Adeptus Minorus 5=6
	*Adeptus Majorus 6=5
	*Adeptus Exemptus 7=4

			==Membership==
	''Third Order:''
			===Selected known members===
			<!-- all additions without citations will be reverted. -->
			* ] (1846–1922), British spiritualist author, travel writer, and novelist{{sfn\|Gilbert\|1986\|p={{pn\|date=May 2024}}}}
			* ] (1872–1923), best known for introducing ] to the West{{sfn\|Harris\|1998\|p=13}}
			* ] (1867–1931), British novelist{{sfn\|Regardie\|1982\|p=16}}
			* ] (ca. 1843–1923), British homeopathic physician{{sfn\|Colquhoun\|1975\|pp=148–149}}
			* ] (1869–1951), British writer and radio broadcaster of supernatural stories{{sfn\|Regardie\|1982\|p=ix}}
			* ] (1866–1952), British pioneering motorist, mechanic, garage owner, and driving teacher{{sfn\|Cockin\|2017}}
			* ] (1849–1922), American singer and writer{{sfn\|Moyle\|2011\|p=}}
			* ] (1875–1947), occultist, writer and mountaineer, founder of his own magical society{{sfnm \|1a1=Booth \|1y=2000 \|1pp=85, 93–94 \|2a1=Sutin \|2y=2000 \|2pp=54–55 \|3a1=Kaczynski \|3y=2010 \|3pp=60–61 \|4a1=Churton \|4y=2011 \|4p=35}}
			* ] (1860–1917), London stage actress and musician{{sfn\|Regardie\|1982\|p=ix}}
			* ] (1853–1925), medical missionary, explorer and anthropologist in Central Africa, author, founder of the New Zealand branch of the Golden Dawn and the ] / ]{{sfn\|Ellwood\|1993\|p={{pn\|date=November 2022}}}}
			* ] (1857–1930), British stockbroker and occultist; published three-volume bibliography ''Catalogue Raisonné of Works on the Occult Sciences'' (1912){{sfn\|Anon\|1987}}
			* ] (1860–1937), British repertory theatre producer and pioneer; member of the wealthy Horniman family of tea-traders{{sfn\|Regardie\|1982\|p=ix}}
			* ] (1863–1947), leading London writer of the 1890s, author of acclaimed works of imaginative and occult fiction, such as "The Great God Pan", "The White People" and "The Hill of Dreams". Welsh by birth and upbringing{{sfn\|Blackmore\|1985}}
			* ] (1865–1928), London trained artist, wife of S. L. MacGregor-Mathers and sister of philosopher ]{{sfn\|Yeats\|1927\|p=}}
			* ] (1854–1918), British Freemason, one of the three founders of the Golden Dawn, prolific writer, occultist, and researcher{{sfn\|Anon\|2001}}
			* Alfred John Pearce (1840–1923), medic, writer, pioneering weather forecaster and celebrated astrologer known as "Zadkiel"{{sfnm\|1a1=Davis\|1y=2022\|1p=16\|2a1=Gilbert\|2y=1986\|2p=145}}
			* ] (1883–1959), novelist, creator of the Fu Manchu character{{sfn\|Blackmore\|1985}}
			* ] (1855–1905), poet and author; alias Fiona MacLeod{{sfn\|Denisoff\|2013}}
			* ] (1862–1936), Scottish writer and spiritualist{{sfn\|Davis\|2022\|p=17}}
			* ] (1857–1942), British writer, ] and co-creator of the ]{{sfn\|Regardie\|1982\|p=ix}}
			* ] (1848–1925), founder of the Golden Dawn, doctor, London coroner, prolific writer, British Freemason, former Supreme Magus of the ]{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=43}}
			* ] (1828–1891), doctor, British Freemason, former Supreme Magus of the ], one of the three founders of the Golden Dawn{{sfn\|King\|1989\|p=43}}
			* ] (1865–1939), Irish poet, dramatist and writer.{{sfnm\|1a1=Foster\|1y=1997\|1p=103\|2a1=Cullingford\|2y=1983}}

			===Alleged members===
	*Magister Templi 8=3
			* ] (1858–1924), English author and political activist. According to biographer Eleanor Fitzsimons: "Edith's reputed membership in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the foremost occult organization of the day, is intriguing. … Most biographical accounts suggest that Edith was a member of the Golden Dawn, but evidence to support this is rarely cited. The organization was of course secretive by nature, but eyewitness accounts never mentioned her as they did others, and her name does not appear on the rolls."<ref>{{harvnb\|Fitzsimons\|2019}} as quoted in {{harvnb\|Hine\|2021}}.</ref>
	*Magus 9=2
			<!-- Do not add Bram Stoker, he was not a member and the source usually cited is complete speculation without evidence. -->
	*Ipsissimus 10=1

			==Contemporary Golden Dawn orders==
	The paired numbers attached to the Grades relate to positions on the Tree of Life. The Neophyte Grade of "0=0" indicates no position on the Tree. For the others, the first numeral is the number of steps up from the bottom (Malkuth), and the second numeral is the number of steps down from the top (Kether).
			While no temples in the original chartered lineage of the Golden Dawn survived past the 1970s,{{sfnm\|1a1=Gilbert\|1y=1986\|2a1=Cicero\|2a2=Cicero\|2y=2002}} several organizations have since carried on, revived or expanded upon the Order's teachings and rituals, including:

			* ] (founded 1977)
	The First Order Grades are related to the four Classical Elements of Earth, Air, Water and Fire, respectively. The Aspirant to a Grade receives instruction on the metaphysical meaning of each of these Elements, and must pass a written examination and demonstrate certain skills to receive Admission to that Grade.
			* ] (founded 1990)
			* ] (2002 – 2019)

			==''The Golden Dawn'' book==
	The Portal Grade is the initiation for admittance to the Second Order. In most Lodges, the Circle of existing Adepts must consent to allow an Aspirant to join the Second Order.
			''The Golden Dawn'', by Israel Regardie; was published in 1937. The book is divided into several basic sections. First are the knowledge lectures, which describe the basic teaching of the Qabalah, symbolism, meditation, geomancy, etc. This is followed by the rituals of the Outer Order, consisting of five initiation rituals into the degrees of the Golden Dawn. The next section covers the rituals of the Inner Order including two initiation rituals and equinox ceremonies.

			==See also==
	The Second Order is not, properly, part of the "Golden Dawn", but a separate Order in its own right, known as the R.R. et A.C. The Second Order directed the teachings of the First Order, and was the governing force behind the First Order.
			* {{section link\|A∴A∴#The_Order of the G∴D∴ (Golden Dawn)}}
			* {{annotated link\|Magical organization}}
			* {{annotated link\|Tattva vision}}

			==Notes==
	After passing the Portal, the Aspirant begins to be instructed in the techniques of practical Magic. When another examination is passed, and the other Adepts consent, the Aspirant attains the Grade of Adeptus Minor 5=6. (In the original Order, there were four sub-Grades of instruction for the Adeptus Minor, again relating to the four Outer Order grades.)
			{{notelist}}

			==References==
	A member of the Second Order has the power and authority to initiate aspirants to the First Order, though usually not without the permission of the Chiefs of his or her Lodge.
			===Citations===
			{{Reflist\|2}}

			===Works cited===
	The Third Order apparently contains the Solar Mysteries. The only Golden Dawn order existing today which claims the teachings and initiation rituals of the Third Order is Mathers' Rosicrucian Order of A+O.
			{{refbegin\|2\|indent=yes}}
			*{{cite journal \|author=Anon \|url=http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/esoterica/gardner_f/gardner_f.html \|title=Frederick Leigh Gardner \|journal=Ars Quatour Coronatorum \|volume=100 \|year=1987 \|page= 19 \|publisher=Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon \|access-date=2022-11-13}}
			*{{cite web \|author=Anon \|date=February 26, 2001 \|title=Samuel Liddel MacGregor Mathers \|website=freemasonry.bcy.ca \|publisher=Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon A.F. & A. M. \|url=http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/esoterica/mathers_m/mathers_m.html \|access-date=2022-03-19}}
			*{{cite web \|url=http://www.shadowplayzine.com/Articles/hermetic_horrors.htm \|title=Hermetic Horrors: Weird Fiction Writers and the Golden Dawn \|first=Leigh \|last=Blackmore \|year=1985 \|work=Shadowplay \|access-date=25 March 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091109074626/http://shadowplayzine.com/Articles/hermetic_horrors.htm \|archive-date=9 November 2009 }}
			* {{Cite book \|last=Booth \|first=Martin \|title=A Magick Life: The Biography of Aleister Crowley \|publisher=Coronet Books \|year=2000 \|isbn=978-0-340-71806-3 \|location=London \|oclc=59483726 \|author-link=Martin Booth}}
			* {{Cite book \|last=Churton \|first=Tobias \|title=Aleister Crowley: The Biography \|publisher=Watkins Books \|year=2011 \|isbn=978-1-78028-012-7 \|location=London \|oclc=701810228 \|author-link=Tobias Churton}}
			*{{cite web \|title=Golden Dawn Time Line \|first1=Chic \|last1=Cicero \|author1-link=Chic Cicero \|first2=Sandra Tabatha \|last2=Cicero \|author2-link=Sandra Tabatha Cicero \|date=May 10, 2002 \|url=http://www.llewellynencyclopedia.com/article/35 \|website=Llewellyn Encyclopedia\| access-date=2022-11-13}}
			*{{cite book \|last=Cockin \|first=Katharine \|year=2017 \|title=Edith Craig and the Theatres of Art \|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing \|isbn=978-1472570611}}
			*{{cite book \|author-link=Ithell Colquhoun \|last=Colquhoun \|first=Ithell \|year=1975 \|title=Sword of Wisdom: Macgregor Mathers and the Golden Dawn \|publisher=Neville Spearman \|isbn=0-85435-092-6}}
			*{{cite journal \|last=Cullingford \|first=Elizabeth \|title=How Jacques Molay Got Up the Tower: Yeats and the Irish Civil War \|journal=English Literary History \|volume=50 \|number=4 \|year=1983 \|pages=763–789\|doi=10.2307/2872926 \|jstor=2872926 }}
			* {{cite journal \|last=Davis \|first=Sally \|date=August 6, 2022 \|title=Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Biographies of Members \|website=Zenodo.org \|doi=10.5281/zenodo.6971255 \|url=https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6971255 \|access-date=2022-11-13}}
			*{{cite book \|last1=Decker \|first1=Ronald \|last2=Dummett \|first2=Michael \|title=A History of the Occult Tarot \|date=2019 \|publisher=Duckworth \|location=London \|isbn=9780715645727}}
			*{{Cite web \|url=http://www.branchcollective.org/?ps_articles=dennis-denisoff-the-hermetic-order-of-the-golden-dawn-1888-1901 \|first=Dennis \|last=Denisoff \|title=The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, 1888-1901 \|website=Branch: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History \|year=2013 \|access-date=2022-11-13}}
			*{{cite book \|last=Ellwood \|first=Robert S. \|year=1993 \|title=Islands of the Dawn: The Story of Alternative Spirituality in New Zealand \|location=Honolulu \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|isbn=0-8248-1487-8}}
			* {{cite book \|first=Eleanor \|last=Fitzsimons \|year=2019 \|title=The Life and Loves of E. Nesbit: Victorian Iconoclast, Children's Author, and Creator of The Railway Children \|publisher=Overlook Press \|isbn=978-1468316759}}
			* {{Cite book \|last=Foster \|first=R. F. \|title=W. B. Yeats: A Life \|volume=I: The Apprentice Mage \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|year=1997 \|isbn=978-0-19-288085-7 \|author-link=R. F. Foster (historian)}}
			* {{cite book \|last=Gilbert \|first=Robert A. \|year=1986 \|title=The Golden Dawn Companion \|location=Wellingborough \|publisher=Aquarian \|isbn=0-85030-436-9 \|oclc=60016501}}
			* {{cite journal \|url=http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/aqc/waite/waite.html \|title=The masonic career of A.E. Waite \|first=R. A. \|last=Gilbert \|journal=Ars Quatour Coronatorum \|year=1986b}}
			* {{cite journal \|last1=Harris \|first1=Elizabeth J. \|title=Ananda Metteya, the First British Emissary of Buddhism \|journal=The Wheel Publication \|isbn=9552401798 \|date=1998 \|number=420–422 \|url=https://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh420_Harris_Ananda-Metteyya--First-British-Emissary-of-Buddhism.pdf \|access-date=2022-11-13}}
			*{{cite web \|title=Jottings: Edith Nesbit and the Golden Dawn \|first=Phil \|last=Hine \|author-link=Phil Hine \|date=February 19, 2021 \|url=https://enfolding.org/jottings-edith-nesbit-and-the-golden-dawn/ \|website=Enfolding.org \|access-date=2022-11-15}}
			*{{cite book \|last=Jenkins \|first=Phillip \|year=2000 \|title=Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History \|publisher=] \|isbn=978-0-19-512744-7}}
			* {{Cite book \|last=Kaczynski \|first=Richard \|title=Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley \|publisher=North Atlantic Books \|year=2010 \|edition=1st \|location=Berkeley, California \|author-link=Richard Kaczynski }}
			*{{cite book \|last=King \|first=Francis X. \|author-link=Francis X. King \|title=The Rites of Modern Occult Magic \|url=https://archive.org/details/ritesofmodernocc00king \|url-access=registration \|edition=1st \|publisher=Macmillan Co. \|year=1971 \|isbn=1-85327-032-6}}
			*{{cite book \|last=King \|first=Francis \|year=1989 \|title=Modern Ritual Magic: The Rise of Western Occultism \|publisher=Prism \|isbn=1-85327-032-6}}
			*{{cite book \|editor-last=King \|editor-first=Francis \|year=1997 \|title=Ritual Magic of the Golden Dawn: Works by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Others \|publisher=] \|isbn=0-89281-617-1}}
			*{{cite book \|editor-last=Melton \|editor-first=J. Gordon \|editor-link=J. Gordon Melton \|title=Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology \|volume=2 \|publisher=Gale Group \|year=2001 \|isbn=0-8103-9489-8}}
			* {{cite book \|title=Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde \|first=Franny \|last= Moyle \|publisher=Hachette UK \|year=2011 \|isbn=9781848544611}}
			*{{cite book \|last=Penczak \|first=Christopher \|year=2002 \|title=Spirit Allies \|publisher=Red Wheel/Weiser Books \|isbn=1-57863-214-5}}
			*{{cite book \|last = Raine \|first=Kathleen \|author-link=Kathleen Raine \|editor-first=Liam \|editor-last=Miller \|title=Yeats, the Tarot and the Golden Dawn \|edition=2nd \|series=New Yeats Papers \|volume=II \|orig-year=1972 \|year=1976 \|publisher=Dolmen Press \|location=Dublin}}
			*{{cite book \|author-link=Israel Regardie \|last=Regardie \|first=Israel \|display-authors=etal \|year=1982 \|title=The Golden Dawn: An Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Order of the Golden Dawn \|volume=3-4 \|publisher=Llewellyn Publications \|isbn=0-87542-664-6}}
			*{{cite book \|last=Regardie \|first=Israel \|year=1993 \|title=What You Should Know About the Golden Dawn \|publisher=New Falcon Publications \|edition=6th \|isbn=1-56184-064-5}}
			*{{cite book \|last=Runyon \|first=Carroll \|year=1997 \|title=Secrets of the Golden Dawn Cipher Manuscripts \|publisher=C.H.S. \|isbn=0-9654881-2-8}}
			*{{cite book \|author-link=Richard Smoley \|last=Smoley \|first=Richard \|year=1999 \|title=Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions \|publisher=] \|isbn=978-0-8356-0844-2}}
			*{{Cite book \|last=Sutin \|first=Lawrence \|url=https://archive.org/details/dowhatthouwiltli0000suti \|title=Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley \|publisher=St Martin's Press \|year=2000 \|isbn=978-0-312-25243-4 \|location=New York \|oclc=43581537 \|author-link=Lawrence Sutin \|url-access=registration }}
			*{{cite book \|last1=Yeats \|first1=William Butler \|author-link=W. B. Yeats \|title=Autobiographies: Reveries over Childhood and Youth and the Trembling of the Veil \|date=1927 \|url=https://archive.org/details/autobiographiesr0000wbye \|url-access=registration}}
			{{refend}}

			==Further reading==

			{{further\|Aleister Crowley bibliography}}
	===Light in Extension===
			{{refbegin\|2\|indent=yes}}
	The original Golden Dawn left behind a legacy that continues to inspire students of the esoteric arts to this day. Modern neo-pagan practices such as "circle casting", use of the pentagram, hexagram and other geometric forms as sacred symbols, "out-of-body" experiences, the Tarot cards, talismans, astrology and many others, can find their roots in the Golden Dawn. While the Order may not have originated all these forms, they synthesized them into a coherent body of work that continues to appeal to occultists and esoteric scholars more than 100 years later. The Light of the Golden Dawn continues to be extended to this day.
			* {{cite web \|first=Fra. \|last=A.o.C. \|year=2002 \|url=http://www.osogd.org/library/biscuits/history.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928121719/http://www.osogd.org/library/biscuits/history.html \|archive-date=2007-09-28 \|url-status=dead \|title=A Short Treatise on the History, Culture and Practices of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn \|website=Osogd.org \|publisher=Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn \|access-date=August 3, 2007}}

			* {{cite book \|editor1-last=Armstrong \|editor1-first=Allan \|editor2-first=R. A. \|editor2-last=Gilbert \|year=1997 \|title=Golden Dawn: The Proceedings of the Golden Dawn Conference, London – 1997 \|publisher=Hermetic Research Trust}}
	''"Let us work, therefore, my brethren, and effect righteousness, because the Night cometh when no man shall labour... May the Light which is behind the Veil shine through you from your Throne in the East on the Fratres and Sorores of the Order and lead them to the perfect day, when the glory of this world passes and a great Light shines over the splendid sea."'' -- S.L. MacGregor Mathers
			* {{cite book \|author1-link=Chic Cicero \|last1=Cicero \|first1=Chic \|first2=Tabatha \|last2=Cicero \|author2-link=Sandra Tabatha Cicero \|year=1991 \|title=The New Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot \|place=St. Paul, MN \|publisher=] \|isbn=0-87542-139-3}}

			* {{cite book \|last=Gilbert \|first=Robert A. \|year=1983 \|title=The Golden Dawn: Twilight of the Magicians \|publisher=The Aquarian Press \|isbn=0-85030-278-1}}
	==Known members==
			* {{cite book \|last=Gilbert \|first=Robert A. \|title=Golden Dawn Scrapbook: The Rise and Fall of a Magical Order \|publisher=] \|year=1998 \|isbn=1-57863-037-1}}
	*] (]-]), occult writer and mountaineer
			* {{cite book \|last=Greer \|first=Mary K. \|year=1994 \|title=Women of the Golden Dawn \|publisher=Park Street \|isbn=0-89281-516-7}}.
	*] (]-]), London stage actress and musician
			* {{cite book \|last1=Greer \|first1=Mary K. \|first2=Darcy \|last2=Kuntz \|year=1999 \|title=The Chronology of the Golden Dawn \|publisher=Holmes Publishing Group \|isbn=1-55818-354-X}}
	*] (]-]), ] Revolutionary, author, feminist
			* {{cite book \|author-link=Ellic Howe \|last=Howe \|first=Ellic \|year=1978 \|title=The Magicians of the Golden Dawn: A Documentary History of a Magical Order 1887–1923 \|publisher=] \|isbn=0-87728-369-9}}.
	*] (]-]), repertory theatre producer and pioneer
			* {{cite book \|editor-last=Kuntz \|editor-first=Darcy \|year=1996 \|title=The Complete Golden Dawn Manuscript \|translator=Darcy Kuntz \|series=Golden Dawn Studies \|number=1 \|publisher=Holmes Publishing Group \|isbn=978-1558183254}}
	*] (]-]), a leading Welsh author of the 1890s
			* {{cite book \|editor-last=Regardie \|editor-first=Israel \|editor-link=Israel Regardie \|display-editors=etal \|year=1989 \|title=The Golden Dawn: A Complete Course in Practical Ceremonial Magic \|publisher=Llewellyn \|isbn=0-87542-663-8}}
	*] (]-]), Austrian author, storyteller, dramatist, translator, banker and Buddhist
			* {{cite book \|author-link=Gerald Suster \|last=Suster \|first=Gerald \|year=1990 \|title=Crowley's Apprentice: The Life and Ideas of Israel Regardie \|publisher=Weiser Books \|isbn=0-87728-700-7}}
	*] (] - ]), ] artist and co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck
			* {{cite web \|title=The History of the Golden Dawn \|first=W. Wynn \|last=Westcott \|author-link=W. Wynn Westcott \|date=n.d. \|url=http://altreligion.about.com/library/texts/bl_historygoldendawn.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208140522/http://altreligion.about.com/library/texts/bl_historygoldendawn.htm \|archive-date=2006-02-08}}
	*] (]-]), author, ] and co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck
			{{refend}}
	*] (]-]), Irish poet, dramatist and writer, ] (1923)

	==Notes==
	<references />

	==See also==
	*] (A.A.)
	*]
	*]
	*]

	==References==
	* Colquhoun, Ithell. ''Sword of Wisdom: Macgregor Mathers and the Golden Dawn''. (Neville Spearman, ]) ISBN 0854350926.
	* Greer, Mary K. ''Women of the Golden Dawn''. (Park Street, ]) ISBN 0892815167.
	* Gilbert, Robert A. ''The Golden Dawn: Twilight of the Magicians''. The Aquarian Press, ]. ISBN 0850302781.
	* Gilbert, Robert A. ''The Golden Dawn Companion''. Weiser Books, (1986) ISBN 0850304369
	* Gilbert, Robert A. ''Golden Dawn Scrapbook - The Rise and Fall of a Magical Order'' Weiser Books (1998) ISBN 1578630371
	* Howe, Ellic. ''The Magicians of the Golden Dawn: A Documentary History of a Magical Order 1887-1923''. Samuel Weiser (1978). ISBN 0877283699.
	* Regardie, Israel, et. al., eds., ''The Golden Dawn: A Complete Course in Practical Ceremonial Magic'' (Llewellyn, ]) ISBN 0875426638
	* Runyon, Carroll ''Secrets of the Golden Dawn Cipher Manuscripts'', (C.H.S., 1997) ISBN 0965488128

	==External links==		==External links==
			{{commons category\|Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn}}
	*
			{{wikiquote}}
	*
	*		* in ''Llewellyn Encyclopedia''
			* . Material on display in exhibition includes Yeat's ritual notebooks.
	*
	*
	*
	*

	===Contemporary Golden Dawn Order websites===
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*

			{{Magic and Witchcraft in the British Isles\|state=collapsed}}
	]
			{{Authority control}}
	]
	]

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn}}
	]
	]		]
			]
	]
			]
	]
			]
	]
			]
	]
			]
	]
	]
	]

Latest revision as of 04:26, 30 November 2024

British magical order (1887–1903) This article is about the historical organization of the late 19th century. For other uses, see Golden Dawn (disambiguation).

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Rose Cross of the Golden Dawn
Successor	Alpha et Omega Stella Matutina Isis-Urania Temple Builders of the Adytum A∴A∴
Formation	1887; 137 years ago (1887)
Dissolved	1903; 121 years ago (1903)
Type	Magical organization
Headquarters	London
Location	United Kingdom
Chiefs of the Second Order	William Wynn Westcott (1888–1897) Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1897–1903) William Robert Woodman (1828–1891)

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (Latin: Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae), more commonly the Golden Dawn (Aurora Aurea), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as a magical order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was active in Great Britain and focused its practices on theurgy and spiritual development. Many present-day concepts of ritual and magic that are at the centre of contemporary traditions, such as Wicca and Thelema, were inspired by the Golden Dawn, which became one of the largest single influences on 20th-century Western occultism.

The three founders, William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and Samuel Liddell Mathers, were Freemasons and members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. Westcott appears to have been the initial driving force behind the establishment of the Golden Dawn.

The Golden Dawn system was based on hierarchy and initiation (similar to Masonic lodges) and the grade structure was based on the S.R.I.A, however, women were admitted on an equal basis with men.

The "Golden Dawn" was the first of three Orders, although all three are often collectively referred to as the "Golden Dawn". The First Order taught esoteric philosophy based on the Hermetic Qabalah and personal development through study and awareness of the four classical elements, as well as the basics of astrology, tarot divination, and geomancy. The Second or Inner Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, taught magic, including scrying, astral travel, and alchemy. The Third Order was that of the Secret Chiefs, who were said to be highly skilled; they supposedly directed the activities of the lower two orders by spirit communication with the Chiefs of the Second Order.

History

Cipher Manuscripts

Main article: Cipher Manuscripts

The foundational documents of the original Order of the Golden Dawn, known as the Cipher Manuscripts, are written in English using the Trithemius cipher. The manuscripts give the specific outlines of the Grade Rituals of the Order and prescribe a curriculum of graduated teachings that encompass the Hermetic Qabalah, astrology, occult tarot, geomancy, and alchemy.

According to the records of the Order, the manuscripts passed from Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie, a Masonic scholar, to the Rev. A. F. A. Woodford, whom British occult writer Francis King describes as the fourth founder (although Woodford died shortly after the Order was founded). The documents did not excite Woodford, and in February 1886 he passed them on to Freemason William Wynn Westcott, who managed to decode them in 1887. Westcott, pleased with his discovery, called on fellow Freemason Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers for a second opinion. Westcott asked for Mathers's help to turn the manuscripts into a coherent system for lodge work. Mathers, in turn, asked fellow Freemason William Robert Woodman to assist the two, and he accepted. Mathers and Westcott have been credited with developing the ritual outlines in the Cipher Manuscripts into a workable format. Mathers, however, is generally credited with the design of the curriculum and rituals of the Second Order, which he called the Rosae Rubae et Aureae Crucis ("Ruby Rose and Golden Cross" or the RR et AC).

Founding of the First Temple

In October 1887, Westcott claimed to have written to a German countess and prominent Rosicrucian named Anna Sprengel, whose address was said to have been found in the decoded Cipher Manuscripts. According to Westcott, Sprengel claimed the ability to contact certain supernatural entities, known as the Secret Chiefs, that were considered the authorities over any magical order or esoteric organization. Westcott purportedly received a reply from Sprengel granting permission to establish a Golden Dawn temple and conferring honorary grades of Adeptus Exemptus on Westcott, Mathers, and Woodman. The temple was to consist of the five grades outlined in the manuscripts.

In 1888, the Isis-Urania Temple was founded in London. In contrast to the S.R.I.A. and Masonry, women were allowed and welcome to participate in the Order in "perfect equality" with men. The Order was more of a philosophical and metaphysical teaching order in its early years. Other than certain rituals and meditations found in the Cipher manuscripts and developed further, "magical practices" were generally not taught at the first temple.

For the first four years, the Golden Dawn was one cohesive group later known as the "First Order" or "Outer Order". A "Second Order" or "Inner Order" was established and became active in 1892. The Second Order consisted of members known as "adepts", who had completed the entire course of study for the First Order. The Second Order was formally established under the name Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (the Order of the Red Rose and the Golden Cross).

Eventually, the Osiris temple in Weston-super-Mare, the Horus temple in Bradford (both in 1888), and the Amen-Ra temple in Edinburgh (1893) were founded. In 1893 Mathers founded the Ahathoor temple in Paris.

The Secret Chiefs

Main article: Secret Chiefs

In 1890, Westcott's alleged correspondence with Anna Sprengel suddenly ceased. He claimed to have received word from Germany that she was dead and that her companions did not approve of the founding of the Order and no further contact was to be made. If the founders were to contact the Secret Chiefs, apparently, it had to be done on their own. In 1892, Mathers professed that a link to the Secret Chiefs had been established. Subsequently, he supplied rituals for the Second Order. The rituals were based on the tradition of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreuz, and a Vault of Adepts became the controlling force behind the Outer Order. Later in 1916, Westcott claimed that Mathers also constructed these rituals from materials he received from Frater Lux ex Tenebris, a purported Continental Adept.

Some followers of the Golden Dawn tradition believe that the Secret Chiefs were not human or supernatural beings, but rather symbolic representations of actual or legendary sources of spiritual esotericism. The term came to stand for a great leader or teacher of a spiritual path or practice that found its way into the teachings of the Order.

Golden Age

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Part of a series on the

Leading figures Allan Bennett Florence Farr Samuel MacGregor-Mathers Henry B. Pullen Burry A. E. Waite William Wynn Westcott William Robert Woodman
Teachings Astrology Body of light Esoteric Christianity Ceremonial magic incl. Enochian magic Clairvoyance Egyptian mythology Geomancy Hermetic alchemy Hermetic Qabalah Neoplatonism Rosicrucianism Tarot Theurgy
Texts Cipher Manuscripts
Organizations Alpha et Omega Isis-Urania Temple The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Inc. Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn
Related topics Enochian chess Great Work Holy Guardian Angel Initiation Magic circle Opening by Watchtower Pentagram ritual Secret Chiefs Table of magical correspondences Tattva vision Thelema
v t e

By the mid-1890s, the Golden Dawn was well established in Great Britain, with over one hundred members from every class of Victorian society. Many celebrities belonged to the Golden Dawn, such as the actress Florence Farr, the Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne, the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, the Welsh author Arthur Machen, and the English authors Evelyn Underhill and Aleister Crowley.

In 1896 or 1897, Westcott broke all ties to the Golden Dawn, leaving Mathers in control. It has been speculated that his departure was due to his having lost a number of occult-related papers in a hansom cab. Apparently, when the papers were found, Westcott's connection to the Golden Dawn was discovered and brought to the attention of his employers. He may have been told to either resign from the Order or to give up his occupation as coroner. After Westcott's departure, Mathers appointed Florence Farr to be Chief Adept in Anglia. Dr. Henry B. Pullen Burry succeeded Westcott as Cancellarius—one of the three Chiefs of the Order.

Mathers was the only active founding member after Westcott's departure. Due to personality clashes with other members and frequent absences from the center of Lodge activity in Great Britain, however, challenges to Mathers's authority as leader developed among the members of the Second Order.

Revolt

Towards the end of 1899, the Adepts of the Isis-Urania and Amen-Ra temples had become dissatisfied with Mathers's leadership, as well as his growing friendship with Aleister Crowley. They had also become anxious to make contact with the Secret Chiefs themselves, instead of relying on Mathers as an intermediary. Within the Isis-Urania temple, disputes were arising between Farr's The Sphere, a secret society within the Isis-Urania, and the rest of the Adepti Minores.

Crowley was refused initiation into the Adeptus Minor grade by the London officials. Mathers overrode their decision and quickly initiated him at the Ahathoor temple in Paris on 16 January 1900. Upon his return to the London temple, Crowley requested from Miss Cracknell, the acting secretary, the papers acknowledging his grade, to which he was now entitled. To the London Adepts, this was the final straw. Farr, already of the opinion that the London temple should be closed, wrote to Mathers expressing her wish to resign as his representative, although she was willing to carry on until a successor was found. Mathers believed Westcott was behind this turn of events and replied on 16 February. On 3 March a committee of seven Adepts was elected in London and requested a full investigation of the matter. Mathers sent an immediate reply, declining to provide proof, refusing to acknowledge the London temple, and dismissing Farr as his representative on 23 March. In response, a general meeting was called on 29 March in London to remove Mathers as chief and expel him from the Order.

Splinters

In 1901, W. B. Yeats privately published a pamphlet titled Is the Order of R. R. & A. C. to Remain a Magical Order? After the Isis-Urania temple claimed its independence, there were even more disputes, leading to Yeats resigning. A committee of three was to temporarily govern, which included P. W. Bullock, M. W. Blackden and J. W. Brodie-Innes. After a short time, Bullock resigned, and Dr. Robert Felkin took his place.

In 1903, A. E. Waite and Blackden joined forces to retain the name Isis-Urania, while Felkin and other London members formed the Stella Matutina. Yeats remained in the Stella Matutina until 1921, while Brodie-Innes continued his Amen-Ra membership in Edinburgh.

Reconstruction

Once Mathers realised that reconciliation was impossible, he made efforts to reestablish himself in London. The Bradford and Weston-super-Mare temples remained loyal to him, but their numbers were few. He then appointed Edward Berridge as his representative. According to Francis King, historical evidence shows that there were "twenty three members of a flourishing Second Order under Berridge-Mathers in 1913."

J.W. Brodie-Innes continued leading the Amen-Ra temple, deciding that the revolt was unjustified. By 1908, Mathers and Brodie-Innes were in complete accord. According to sources that differ regarding the actual date, sometime between 1901 and 1913 Mathers renamed the branch of the Golden Dawn remaining loyal to his leadership to Alpha et Omega. Brodie-Innes assumed command of the English and Scottish temples, while Mathers concentrated on building up his Ahathoor temple and extending his American connections. According to occultist Israel Regardie, the Golden Dawn had spread to the United States of America before 1900 and a Thoth-Hermes temple had been founded in Chicago. By the beginning of the First World War in 1914, Mathers had established two to three American temples.

Most temples of the Alpha et Omega and Stella Matutina closed or went into abeyance by the end of the 1930s, with the exceptions of two Stella Matutina temples: Hermes Temple in Bristol, which operated sporadically until 1970, and the Smaragdum Thallasses Temple (commonly referred to as Whare Ra) in Havelock North, New Zealand, which operated regularly until its closure in 1978.

Structure and grades

Hermeticism
Part of a series on
Hermes Trismegistus
Hermetic writings Liber Hermetis (astrological) Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus Corpus Hermeticum Poimandres Asclepius Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth Prayer of Thanksgiving Korē kosmou Cyranides The Book of the Secrets of the Stars The Secret of Creation Emerald Tablet Kitāb al-Isṭamākhīs Liber Hermetis de alchemia
Historical figures Ancient and medieval Zosimos of Panopolis Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (may be legendary) Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi Ibn Umayl Maslama al-Qurṭubī Aḥmad al-Būnī Early modern Marsilio Ficino Lodovico Lazzarelli Giovanni da Correggio Pico della Mirandola Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa Paracelsus John Dee Giordano Bruno Jakob Böhme Robert Fludd Christian Rosenkreuz (legendary, see Rosicrucianism)
Modern offshoots As above, so below Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Hermetic Qabalah Rosicrucianism The Kybalion Hermetism and other religions
v t e

Much of the hierarchical structure for the Golden Dawn came from the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, which was itself derived from the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross.

First Order

Neophyte 0=0
Zelator 1=10
Theoricus 2=9
Practicus 3=8
Philosophus 4=7

Second Order

Adeptus Minor 5=6
Adeptus Major 6=5
Adeptus Exemptus 7=4

Third Order

Magister Templi 8=3
Magus 9=2
Ipsissimus 10=1

The paired numbers attached to the Grades relate to positions on the Tree of Life. The Neophyte Grade of "0=0" indicates no position on the Tree. In the other pairs, the first numeral is the number of steps up from the bottom (Malkuth), and the second numeral is the number of steps down from the top (Kether).

The First Order Grades were related to the four elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, respectively. The Aspirant to a Grade received instruction on the metaphysical meaning of each of these Elements and had to pass a written examination and demonstrate certain skills to receive admission to that Grade.

Membership

Selected known members

Emily Katharine Bates (1846–1922), British spiritualist author, travel writer, and novelist
Charles Henry Allan Bennett (1872–1923), best known for introducing Buddhism to the West
Arnold Bennett (1867–1931), British novelist
Edward W. Berridge (ca. 1843–1923), British homeopathic physician
Algernon Blackwood (1869–1951), British writer and radio broadcaster of supernatural stories
Gabrielle Borthwick (1866–1952), British pioneering motorist, mechanic, garage owner, and driving teacher
Anna de Brémont (1849–1922), American singer and writer
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), occultist, writer and mountaineer, founder of his own magical society
Florence Farr (1860–1917), London stage actress and musician
Robert Felkin (1853–1925), medical missionary, explorer and anthropologist in Central Africa, author, founder of the New Zealand branch of the Golden Dawn and the Smaragdum Thalasses / Whare Ra temple
Frederick Leigh Gardner (1857–1930), British stockbroker and occultist; published three-volume bibliography Catalogue Raisonné of Works on the Occult Sciences (1912)
Annie Horniman (1860–1937), British repertory theatre producer and pioneer; member of the wealthy Horniman family of tea-traders
Arthur Machen (1863–1947), leading London writer of the 1890s, author of acclaimed works of imaginative and occult fiction, such as "The Great God Pan", "The White People" and "The Hill of Dreams". Welsh by birth and upbringing
Moina Mathers (1865–1928), London trained artist, wife of S. L. MacGregor-Mathers and sister of philosopher Henri Bergson
Samuel Liddell MacGregor-Mathers (1854–1918), British Freemason, one of the three founders of the Golden Dawn, prolific writer, occultist, and researcher
Alfred John Pearce (1840–1923), medic, writer, pioneering weather forecaster and celebrated astrologer known as "Zadkiel"
Sax Rohmer (1883–1959), novelist, creator of the Fu Manchu character
William Sharp (1855–1905), poet and author; alias Fiona MacLeod
Violet Tweedale (1862–1936), Scottish writer and spiritualist
A. E. Waite (1857–1942), British writer, Freemason and co-creator of the Rider–Waite tarot deck
William Wynn Westcott (1848–1925), founder of the Golden Dawn, doctor, London coroner, prolific writer, British Freemason, former Supreme Magus of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA)
William Robert Woodman (1828–1891), doctor, British Freemason, former Supreme Magus of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, one of the three founders of the Golden Dawn
W. B. Yeats (1865–1939), Irish poet, dramatist and writer.

Alleged members

E. Nesbit (1858–1924), English author and political activist. According to biographer Eleanor Fitzsimons: "Edith's reputed membership in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the foremost occult organization of the day, is intriguing. … Most biographical accounts suggest that Edith was a member of the Golden Dawn, but evidence to support this is rarely cited. The organization was of course secretive by nature, but eyewitness accounts never mentioned her as they did others, and her name does not appear on the rolls."

Contemporary Golden Dawn orders

While no temples in the original chartered lineage of the Golden Dawn survived past the 1970s, several organizations have since carried on, revived or expanded upon the Order's teachings and rituals, including:

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Inc. (founded 1977)
Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1990)
Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn (2002 – 2019)

The Golden Dawn book

The Golden Dawn, by Israel Regardie; was published in 1937. The book is divided into several basic sections. First are the knowledge lectures, which describe the basic teaching of the Qabalah, symbolism, meditation, geomancy, etc. This is followed by the rituals of the Outer Order, consisting of five initiation rituals into the degrees of the Golden Dawn. The next section covers the rituals of the Inner Order including two initiation rituals and equinox ceremonies.

Notes

Jenkins 2000, p. 74: "Also in the 1880s, the tradition of ritual magic was revived in London by a group of Masonic adepts, who formed the Order of the Golden Dawn, which would prove an incalculable influence on the whole subsequent history of occultism."
Smoley 1999, pp. 102–103: "Founded in 1888, the Golden Dawn lasted a mere twelve years before it was shattered by personal conflicts. At its height, it probably had no more than a hundred members. Yet its influence on magic and esoteric thought in the English-speaking world would be hard to overestimate."
Golden Dawn researcher R. A. Gilbert has found evidence which suggests that Westcott was instrumental in developing the Order's rituals from the Cipher Manuscripts. See Gilbert's article, "From Cipher to Enigma: The Role of William Wynn Westcott in the Creation of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn" in Runyon 1997.
Anon 2001: "The Golden Dawn ceased to exist by that name after October 1901, replaced by Mathers's Alpha et Omega and the London group’s Order of the Morgan Rothe. No longer associated with the SRIA after 1902, Mathers continued to oversee a few temples until his death, when his wife, Moina, assumed supervision."

References

Citations

Colquhoun 1975, p. .
Gilbert, R. A. "The Masonic Career of A. E. Waite".
^ King 1989, pp. 42–43.
^ King 1989, p. 47.
Regardie 1993, p. 92.
King 1989, p. 43; Regardie 1993, p. 11.
^ King 1989, p. 43.
Regardie 1993, p. 11.
King 1997, p. 35.
Decker & Dummett 2019, pp. 93–96.
Decker & Dummett 2019, p. 90.
King 1989, p. 44.
King 1989, p. 46.
Penczak 2002, p. 27.
King 1989, p. 48.
Raine 1976, p. 6.
^ King 1989, p. 66.
^ King 1989, p. 67.
King 1989, pp. 68–69.
King 1989, p. 69.
Melton 2001, p. 1327.
King 1989, p. 78.
King 1989, p. 94.
King 1989, pp. 95–96.
King 1989, p. 109.
^ King 1989, p. 110.
Regardie 1993, p. 33.
King 1971, pp. 110–111; King 1989, p. 111; Cicero & Cicero 2002.
King 1989, p. 111.
King 1989, p. 111; Regardie 1993, p. 33.
^ Gilbert 1986; Cicero & Cicero 2002.
Gilbert 1986b.
Gilbert 1986, p. .
Harris 1998, p. 13.
Regardie 1982, p. 16.
Colquhoun 1975, pp. 148–149.
^ Regardie 1982, p. ix.
Cockin 2017.
Moyle 2011, p. 118.
Booth 2000, pp. 85, 93–94; Sutin 2000, pp. 54–55; Kaczynski 2010, pp. 60–61; Churton 2011, p. 35.
Ellwood 1993, p. .
Anon 1987.
^ Blackmore 1985.
Yeats 1927, p. 228.
Anon 2001.
Davis 2022, p. 16; Gilbert 1986, p. 145.
Denisoff 2013.
Davis 2022, p. 17.
Foster 1997, p. 103; Cullingford 1983.
Fitzsimons 2019 as quoted in Hine 2021.

Works cited

Anon (1987). "Frederick Leigh Gardner". Ars Quatour Coronatorum. 100. Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon: 19. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
Anon (February 26, 2001). "Samuel Liddel MacGregor Mathers". freemasonry.bcy.ca. Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon A.F. & A. M. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
Blackmore, Leigh (1985). "Hermetic Horrors: Weird Fiction Writers and the Golden Dawn". Shadowplay. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
Booth, Martin (2000). A Magick Life: The Biography of Aleister Crowley. London: Coronet Books. ISBN 978-0-340-71806-3. OCLC 59483726.
Churton, Tobias (2011). Aleister Crowley: The Biography. London: Watkins Books. ISBN 978-1-78028-012-7. OCLC 701810228.
Cicero, Chic; Cicero, Sandra Tabatha (May 10, 2002). "Golden Dawn Time Line". Llewellyn Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
Cockin, Katharine (2017). Edith Craig and the Theatres of Art. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1472570611.
Colquhoun, Ithell (1975). Sword of Wisdom: Macgregor Mathers and the Golden Dawn. Neville Spearman. ISBN 0-85435-092-6.
Cullingford, Elizabeth (1983). "How Jacques Molay Got Up the Tower: Yeats and the Irish Civil War". English Literary History. 50 (4): 763–789. doi:10.2307/2872926. JSTOR 2872926.
Davis, Sally (August 6, 2022). "Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Biographies of Members". Zenodo.org. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6971255. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
Decker, Ronald; Dummett, Michael (2019). A History of the Occult Tarot. London: Duckworth. ISBN 9780715645727.
Denisoff, Dennis (2013). "The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, 1888-1901". Branch: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
Ellwood, Robert S. (1993). Islands of the Dawn: The Story of Alternative Spirituality in New Zealand. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-1487-8.
Fitzsimons, Eleanor (2019). The Life and Loves of E. Nesbit: Victorian Iconoclast, Children's Author, and Creator of The Railway Children. Overlook Press. ISBN 978-1468316759.
Foster, R. F. (1997). W. B. Yeats: A Life. Vol. I: The Apprentice Mage. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-288085-7.
Gilbert, Robert A. (1986). The Golden Dawn Companion. Wellingborough: Aquarian. ISBN 0-85030-436-9. OCLC 60016501.
Gilbert, R. A. (1986b). "The masonic career of A.E. Waite". Ars Quatour Coronatorum.
Harris, Elizabeth J. (1998). "Ananda Metteya, the First British Emissary of Buddhism" (PDF). The Wheel Publication (420–422). ISBN 9552401798. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
Hine, Phil (February 19, 2021). "Jottings: Edith Nesbit and the Golden Dawn". Enfolding.org. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
Jenkins, Phillip (2000). Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-512744-7.
Kaczynski, Richard (2010). Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley (1st ed.). Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books.
King, Francis X. (1971). The Rites of Modern Occult Magic (1st ed.). Macmillan Co. ISBN 1-85327-032-6.
King, Francis (1989). Modern Ritual Magic: The Rise of Western Occultism. Prism. ISBN 1-85327-032-6.
King, Francis, ed. (1997). Ritual Magic of the Golden Dawn: Works by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Others. Destiny Books. ISBN 0-89281-617-1.
Melton, J. Gordon, ed. (2001). Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Vol. 2. Gale Group. ISBN 0-8103-9489-8.
Moyle, Franny (2011). Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde. Hachette UK. ISBN 9781848544611.
Penczak, Christopher (2002). Spirit Allies. Red Wheel/Weiser Books. ISBN 1-57863-214-5.
Raine, Kathleen (1976) . Miller, Liam (ed.). Yeats, the Tarot and the Golden Dawn. New Yeats Papers. Vol. II (2nd ed.). Dublin: Dolmen Press.
Regardie, Israel; et al. (1982). The Golden Dawn: An Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Order of the Golden Dawn. Vol. 3–4. Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 0-87542-664-6.
Regardie, Israel (1993). What You Should Know About the Golden Dawn (6th ed.). New Falcon Publications. ISBN 1-56184-064-5.
Runyon, Carroll (1997). Secrets of the Golden Dawn Cipher Manuscripts. C.H.S. ISBN 0-9654881-2-8.
Smoley, Richard (1999). Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. Quest Books. ISBN 978-0-8356-0844-2.
Sutin, Lawrence (2000). Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley. New York: St Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-25243-4. OCLC 43581537.
Yeats, William Butler (1927). Autobiographies: Reveries over Childhood and Youth and the Trembling of the Veil.

External links

Term: Golden Dawn in Llewellyn Encyclopedia
The Life and Work of WB Yeats. Material on display in exhibition includes Yeat's ritual notebooks.

Magic and witchcraft in Britain

Folk magic

Variants	Anglo-Saxon metrical charms Anglo-Saxon paganism Cunning folk in Britain Goetia Nicnevin
Magicians	Dummy, the Witch of Sible Hedingham James Murrell George Pickingill

Ceremonial magic

Organizations	A∴A∴ Alpha et Omega Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn O∴A∴A∴ Ordo Templi Orientis Society of the Inner Light Typhonian Order
Magicians	Peter J. Carroll Andrew Chumbley Aleister Crowley John Dee Kenneth Grant Dion Fortune Phil Hine James Lees Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers Madeline Montalban Alan Moore Austin Osman Spare A. E. Waite

Early Modern
witchcraft

Trials	Windsor Witches 1579 Witches of Warboys 1589–1593 North Berwick witch trials 1590 Aberdeen witch trials 1596–1597 Pendle witches 1612 Northamptonshire witch trials 1612 Samlesbury witches 1612 Witches of Belvoir 1619 Bury St Edmunds witch trials 1645, 1662, 1655, 1694 Alloa witches 1658 Bideford witch trial 1684 Paisley witches 1696 Pittenweem witches 1704 Islandmagee witch trial 1711
Accused witches	Lilias Adie Margaret Aitken Allison Balfour Margaret Bane Margaret Barclay Magdalene Blair Janet Boyman Margaret Burges Katherine Campbell Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis Meg Dow Margaret Duchill Geillis Duncan Bessie Dunlop Isobel Elliot Issobell Fergussone John Fian Agnes Finnie Maud Galt Gormshuil Mhòr na Maighe (aka Gormla) Isobel Gowdie Helen Guthrie Gwen ferch Ellis Janet Horne Grissel Jaffray Mary Hicks Marie Lamont Beatrix Leslie Euphame MacCalzean Elspeth McEwen Violet Mar Barbara Napier Alice Nutter Mary Pannal Alison Pearson George and Lachlan Rattray Elspeth Reoch Agnes Sampson Isobell Shyrie Bessie Stevenson Anna Tait Annaple Thomsone Marioun Twedy Issobell Young Marion Walker Beatrix Watsone Jane Weir Major Thomas Weir Janet Wishart Bessie Wright
Witch hunters and Witch-prickers	Christian Caldwell John Kincaid

Neopagan witchcraft

Variants	Wicca: Alexandrian Wicca Gardnerian Wicca Cochrane's Craft
Neopagan witches	Artemis Charles Cardell Robert Cochrane Dafo Stewart Farrar Janet Farrar Gerald Gardner Frederic Lamond Sybil Leek Alex Sanders Doreen Valiente Cecil Williamson

Modern
witchcraft

Last person imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act 1735	Helen Duncan

Monuments
and museums

Monuments	Witches' Well, Edinburgh Maggie Wall
Museums	Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Cornwall

Categories: