The logo of the Golden Dawn
The Order of the G.D. in the Outer is a Hermetic Society whose members are
taught the principles of Occult Science and the Magic of Hermes. During the
early part of the second half of the 19th Century, several adepti and chiefs
of this order in France and England died, and their deaths caused a
temporarily dormant condition of Temple work. Prominent among these were
Eliphas Levi, Ragow, Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie, author of the Masonic
Encyclopedia and Frederick Hackley, possessed of crystal vision whose M.S.S.
we highly esteemed. These and other adepti received their knowledge and
power from predecessors of greater imminence and have handed down to us
this
doctrine and system of Theosophy and Hermetic Science of the Higher
Alchemy
from a series of practical investigations whose origin is traced to the
Fratres Rosae Crucis of Germany, which association was founded by Christian
Rosenkrawz about 1398. He and the theologian, Valentine Andrea, have left
us, in the works published about 1614, an account of the exoteric
arrangements of the Rosicrucian Society. It seems likely it was Andrea who
published in 1614 the Fama Fraternitatis, or Theory of the Society, which
must have been derived from the old records of the pupils of Christian
Rosenkrawz. But even this arrival of mysticism was a new development of the
older wisdom of the Qabalistic Rabbis and of that very ancient secret
knowledge of the magic of the Egyptians into which Moses had been initiated.
Through the Qabalah, indeed, Europe became possessed of the ancient
Wisdom
more than from any one other source, for the Hebrews were taught at one time
by the Egyptians and later by the Chaldees of Babylon.
It is curious that the classic nations, the Greeks and Romans, have handed
down to us but slight glimpses of the Ancient Magic, and this is more
notable because Greece succeeded to the mastership of Egypt, and Rome to the
Empire of both the Greeks and Jews. Greece did indeed succeed to a share in
the mysteries of the Egyptians for the Eleusinian Mysteries were copies of
A temple of the Golden Dawn society.
the ancient ceremonies of Isis, Osiris and Serapis; but they lacked true
magic. And further, the classic writings contain but faint glimpses of even
the Eleusinian Mysteries, and these disclose the fact that the pupils were
partly ignorant of the true mysteries, a notable example of which is seen in
the use of the words Konx Om Pax, of which they knew not the meaning, the
words being the Greek imitation or translation of really ancient Egyptian
words, whose meanings has been kept secret for centuries. Hence the 0=0
Grade is found to possess Egyptian characteristics and symbolism and the
Higher Grades will reveal the source of much of the culture and illustrate
the language of Eliphas Levi, through whose adeptship the study of occultism
has been popularized.
Some original masters of the Goldn Dawn society.
The First Order is a group of four grades of which Neophytes are admissible
when approved by the G.H. Chiefs after showing themselves possessed of
sufficient aptitude and knowledge. Beyond the above, there are three grades
of Adeptship forming the Second Order . These have the power of selecting
Candidates, initiating students into the lower grades and their Chiefs have,
in addition, the power of issuing warrants of Temples such as that of Isis
Urania. But the highest of all in this ancient scheme are the Great Rulers
of the whole system who severally sustain and govern the Third Order, which
includes three Magic Titles of Honor and Supremacy. These represent the
Supernal Triad of the Sephiroth and are shrouded and unapproachable to the
profane and to all others but the Chiefs of the Adepts. In case of a vacancy
in this Order, the Chief most learned Adept obtains by decree the
well-earned award.
The tree of Life.
The scheme of the G.D. then is formed upon the type of the Decad of the
Sephiroth, the ten Emanations of Deity as figured in the Qabalah whose
professors were illuminated by the higher magic of the ancient world. The
grades of the First Order will be found to be Hebrew in design and tendency;
and inasmuch as the influx of time brought on the revelation of the
Christos, the Tiphareth, the Beauty of Microprosopos, Christian design is
reflected in the higher degrees.
The Neophyte Grade and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grades, which this present
Isis Urania Temple is authorized to confer after due examination and
approval, posses rituals and secrets which have been received from the G.H.
Chief adepts and these are placed in our hands to use in the tuition of
pupils in the ancient methods of this Order. This Temple (Isis Urania) was
consecrated as a successor to Hermanubis No. 2 which had ceased to exist
owing to the death of all its Chiefs.
The Temple No. 1 of Licht, Liebe, Libra is a group of Continental mystics
who have not been in the habit of performing ceremonies in open lodge, but
have conferred the grades chiefly in privacy and in the presence of two or
three members, so there is no accurate record of name and rank of all these
members. Soon after the formation of Temple
No. 3, permission was granted for the consecration of Osiris Temple No. 4 at
Weston-Super-Mare under rule of V.H. Frater « Crux dat Salubrem » and the
West
of England has been assigned to him as a province. Almost at the same time,
the Horus Temple No. 5 under the rule of V.H. Fratre « Vote Vita Mea » was
also consecrated at Bredford in Yorkshire. These three Temples have members
also in the United States, Hindustan, Palestine, Denmark, etc.
The name of the Order in various languages is:
In Hebrew: Morning Light Shining Society (Chabrath (or Chaorah) Zoreh
Aour
Bakker) which means The Society of the Shining Light of Dawn.
In Latin: Aurora.
In German: Die Goldene Demmerung.
In French: L’Aube d’ Oré.
Reference may now be made to the Society which was reconstructed by Robert
Wentworth Little, student of the mysteries. This Society, which has branches
in England, Scotland and the United States, is allied with the G.D. It
perpetuated one form of Rosicrucian initiation which was conferred 100 years
ago in England and which was mentioned by Godfrey Higgins in his work The
Anacalypsis, or an Attempt to Withdraw the Veil of the Saitic Isis. Fratre
Little was a student of the school of Levi and also an eminent Freemason,
and the Rosicrucian Society as revised by him was made by intention and
permission essentially masonic, thus severing all connection with those
Adepts who have not been Craftsmen, as Basil Valentine, Artephus, Nicolas
Flamel, Jacob Behmen and Robert Fludd. The Rosicrucian Society in the same
manner fails to recognize any worth for occult research in women.
Aleister Crowley,the real true founder of the Golden Dawn.
This is
also an innovation or the scheme of the Ancient Mysteries in many of which,
notably those of Isis priestesses and virgin prophetesses, were prominent
Note specifically, that there are several instances in the ancient M.S. of
our Order, which are written in cypher, where reference is made to the
fratres and sorores, the words « her or him » occur showing that in olden
time, as at the present day, women rose to high rank and attainment in the
secret knowledge of the Order. Mention may be suitably made to Pernelle, the
wife and fellow-worker of Nicolas Flamel, of Martine Berthereau, companion
of Baron Jean de Chatelet who died about 1645 and of the widow lady
afterwards symbolized by him as Sophia (Heavenly Wisdom), fellow student
and
inspirer of John Georg Gichtel who died about 1700. The occultists of today
cannot need to be reminded of the great Hermetists and Theosophists of
recent times: of D. Anna Kingsford, who was indeed illuminated by the Sun of
Light; of Madame Blavatsky, leader of the T.S. No occult student, however
wide apart his own favored path of wisdom, could fail to recognize in her a
master mind in a woman’s frame.
I cannot fail to express the lament which followed the passing of D. William
Robert Woodman, for many years known as the supreme Magus of the Society
Ros. in Anglia which is exoteric in its outer grades but whose concerns are
regulated by an inner circle of adepti who still hold the secrets of the
R.:. C.:. and its masonic society.
The eastern school of Theosophy and Occultism and our own Hermetic Society
of the G.D. are fraternities of students whose predecessors must have come
from the same stock of magi as the scientific priests of a remote antiquity.
The two Societies, different in modes of teaching and in language, are
allied by mutual understanding and respect, and their aim is similar. Be
assured that the Order of the G.D. can show the way to much secret knowledge
and spiritual progress and lead true and patient students who can Will,
Dare, Learn and Be Silent to the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom, and Perfect
vonechman 