Jeff Dannes
REL 195b
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
I.) Abstract
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (G.D.) was a secret fraternal organization
dedicated to the study (with practical focus) of occult and esoteric
practices. The organization was founded
in the late 1880s by prominent Freemasons, and drew heavily on the tradition of
Victorian Freemasonry, and from the German Rosicrucian movement. The Order also based much of its ritual
practice on ancient texts, particularly the Egyptian “Book of the Dead” and the
Hebrew Kabbala, but G.D. never identified itself as a
religion or substitute for religion.
Like Rosicrucians and some Kabbalists,
G.D. adherents (called adepts) sought to “penetrate the mysteries of nature,”
that is, to reform philosophy and science to reveal divine truths. The Order used alchemy, astrology and other
such practices to reveal a member’s “true life.” Golden Dawn adepts could be of any religious
persuasion and any gender. The group
recruited members from all sections of European Society, though many were
members of
II.) Scope and Purpose of the System
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded was founded in 1888 by Dr. William Wynn Wescott, a physician, coroner, and part-time occultist. The Order was initially devised as a fraternal organization dedicated to the “study of Occult Science, and the further investigation of the Mysteries of Life and Death” (Howe, 34). Like most of the handful of organizations that cropped up during the occult revival in Victorian Britain, G.D. was generally similar to Freemasonry. It was a true secret society, marked by strong hierarchical and ritualistic systems. The Order was further marked by a dedication to practical instruction and application of ritual magic. It sought to “penetrate the mysteries of nature” through all manner of occult practices (divinations, alchemy, astrology) and borrowed heavily from a wide range of religious and magical traditions. In short, the order sought to provide members with spiritual enlightenment through explicitly practical knowledge of occult matters.
Victorian
Freemasonry, especially in certain circles within
III.) Authority Structure
a.) Sources and Criteria of Valid Knowledge
From its inception, the Order was careful not to
identify itself as a religion. Rather,
it claimed to be an approach to spirituality, a series of techniques one could
use to uncover the “Mysteries of Light” and thus reveal, and come to terms
with, religious truths, whatever one considered those to be. As such, the order had no comprehensive holy
document. The ritual guides that
dictated the meeting procedure and individual rites for adepts (practitioners
of G.D.) are presented not as some new revelation, but merely as a
quasi-scholarly compendium of “proper”’ knowledge concerning esoteric religion
and occult science. Much of the
hierarchical structure and ritual authority of G.D. proceedings comes from the
mysterious “Cipher Manuscript,” a coded document Wescott found amongst the
possessions of a recently deceased friend, Kenneth Mackenzie, a prominent
occultist and Grand Secretary of the Swedenborgian
Rite of Freemasonry (a occultist Masonic offshoot). The Cipher manuscript, as it turns out, was
written entirely in English, probably as late as 1880, and was encoded by
MacKenzie so as to keep the work from his wife and some Masonic
colleagues. The document itself was most
likely MacKenzie’s outline for improvements to the ritual and practice of the
Sat B’Hai, “a quasi-Masonic order supposedly imported
from
However, G.D. adepts do claim direct influence
from a small handful of explicitly religious traditions. Perhaps chief among these was German
Rosicrucianism. Gilbert points out that,
in Wescott’s day, nearly every occultist, if a man,
would be not only a mason, but a member of the Masonic Rosicrucian Society, a.k.a the Societas Rosicruciana in
The Order is primarily a Humanitarian Movement, making for greater Health, Happiness and Peace in the earthly lives of all mankind. Note particularly that we say in the earthly lives of men, for we have naught to do with any doctrine devoted to the interests of individuals living in an unknown, future state…Also, our purposes are to enable men and women to live clean, normal, natural lives, as Nature intended enjoying all the privileges of Nature (A.M.O.R.C., 25).
Rosicrucians sought to achieve these goals through use of alchemy, other esoteric practices (purportedly of Egyptian and Hebrew origins), and a sort of physics and mathematics, all placed within the Christian context of “the Mystical Jesus.”
Though Rosicrucianism was at least rhetorically focused on improving the earthly lives of its adherents, in Wescott’s day Masonic Rosicrucianism had lost its practical focus; it was “little more than a study society with a series of simple graded ceremonies” (Kuntz, 27). Thus in the forming of the G.D. Rosicrucian purposes and principles were maintained (though with far less emphasis placed on Christ), but with a more practical approach to esoteric wisdom, the occult and magic. Rosicrucian teachings formed an important basis for G.D. activities. However, it would not be a complete and sufficient authority for G.D. adepts.
In the interests of “practical” application of the esoteric wisdom it sought, the Order, like many other esoteric organizations of its day, relied heavily on the Kabala. In fact, in the first public “announcement” its existence, G.D. was referred to as a “society of Kabbalists.” It is unclear precisely how much Kabbalistic knowledge was held by Second Order Adepts of the G.D., or how accurately they interpreted the mystical Hebrew texts. Certainly, members of the Order shared with Kabbalists the belief that divine wisdom delivered by some superhuman agent (fallen angels, to Kabbalists) had been hidden by veiled language in the books of the Old Testament. The theosophical and esoteric wisdom they found in the Kabbala was evidently of much interest to members of G.D., and the text (or, at least, popular Western interpretations of it) formed an important scriptural authority for the Order.
Finally, the G.D. found authority and valid knowledge in the various texts and traditions that comprised (Victorian British knowledge of) Egyptian religion, namely the “Book of the Dead,” a mystical text dedicated to the god Osiris (Asar). The G.D. rituals (like the Rosicrucian ones) relied heavily on Egyptian symbolism, though much more had been discovered concerning Egyptian funerary rites since the founding of Masonic Rosicrucianism. The Order sought to fuse these rites with Kabbalistic Hebrew teaching and Rosicrucian Christian mysticism (as well as a few lesser alchemical and occult texts) in order to reveal the path to truth, spiritual awakening and a life well lived.
b.) Methods of Inquiry and Institutional Structure
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn relied heavily on the practice of graded rituals. The grading system, outlined in the cipher Manuscript, divides the Order into two classes: the Outer Order (or First Order) members still undergoing training, and not yet privy to all the secrets and esoteric wisdom held by the G.D., and the Inner (or Second) Order, the so-called adpets who understand and practice the rituals and rites that pave what the G.D. calls “the road of Self-Mastery and the magical way of life.” The numerical, hierarchical grading system assigns an equation and element to each grade as follows: Neophyte (no element), 0=0; Zelator (Earth) 1=10; Theoricus (Air), 2=9; Practicus (Water), 3=8; Philosophus (Fire), 4=7. The elemental characteristics of each grade pertain to the “internal alchemical process” undergone by every member of the Order. The process seeks to turn “inner lead to gold.” An “Invisible” grade exists between the First and Second Orders, called the Portal grade in which the “Veil of Paroketh” is torn from the face of the initiate as truths are revealed to him. Golden Dawn Adepts require a minimum period of study at each grade before ritual ascension can be attempted. Every aspiring Adept must spend a month each at grades 0=0 through 3=8, three months ascending from 3=8 to 4=7, seven month from 4=7 to Portal and nine months from Portal to 5=6, or full advancement to the Second Order[3].
Members (both male and female) who
have ascended to the Second Order (adepts) are responsible for the governance
of the G.D. The hierarchical structure
of
IV.) History
By 1888, Wescott, as a prominent Freemason, member of the Masonic Rosicrucian Society (S.R.I.A.) and occultist, had become frustrated with the lack of practical application of the so-called “occult sciences” (divination, alchemy, ritual magic) he found within the S.R.I.A. In his quest for an occult organization that was “practical, not visionary,” Wescott found the British occultists called the Society of Eight (Gilbert, 46). As its name suggests, the group’s membership was severely limited. Nevertheless, Wescott became one of the Eight and was able to learn much of the practical occult science he desired. However, in the narrow confines of the Eight, Wescott felt restrained. Furthermore, the Society did not admit women, and by the late 1880s “to Wescott, the admission of women was essential, for…he had become enraptured with the work of Anna Kingsford, whose Hermetic society supplied all the theoretical occultism one could wish for – but without a hint of the practical” (Howe, 86). After leaving the Eight, Wescott found the Royal Oriental Order of the Sikha and the Sat B’Hai, led by occultist John Yarker. Under Yarker, this organization was “inactive to the point of paralysis” (Gilbert, 6). However, Yarker’s student, Kenneth MacKenzie, was preparing a series of revisions to make the esoteric society more focused on practical occultism. These revisions would form the Cipher Manuscript and, in the hand of Wescott, the basis for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
During 1888, Wescott recruited, through word of mouth, around 60 members for his new society, mostly from occult organizations like the Theosophical Society. By 1889, Wescott publicly acknowledged (in a printed response to a letter in a newspaper, which was probably written by Wescott himself) the existence of “the Hermetic Students of the G.D.[4],” thus inviting interested occultists to seek membership in the Order. The Order flourished for a few short years, as its inclusive nature and focus of practical use of esoteric knowledge attracted many members. By the turn of the century, however, a disastrous rift was forming. A Second Order Adept named Aleister Crowley (who would later rise to fame as an author of “black magic” texts) published some G.D. rituals, separated from the mainstream Order and formed his own rogue Ahathoot Temple. By 1901, the Order was badly splintered. The same year, Theo and Laura Horos (a.k.a. Frank Jackson and his wife Edith, a.k.a. the Swami Viva Ananda), American members of a splinter group called Theocratic Unity, were charged with “the procurement for immoral purposes and rape’ of three young female followers. The trial made public many of the purloined G.D. rituals, and sent the system into a state of public disrepute. The Order would never fully recover. Golden Dawn temples created by would-be adepts exist throughout the world today, but the unified, secretive and relatively popular G.D. of the late nineteenth-century in a relic of the past.
V.) Representative Example of Argumentation
During the Horos trial, the
Mathers responded on behalf of the Order in an open letter to John Kane, the police inspector who had provided much of the testimony condemning G.D. Mathers was clear to disassociate the Order from the Horos. He claimed he had met Laura Horos, but that she had been denied entrance to G.D. proceedings. Mathers’ suspicion was raised, he said, in part because Horos claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of Pope Pius IX.
However, Mathers was also careful to frame the Order as a strictly academic concern:
[G.D.] is an association for the study of Archaeology of Mysticism and the origin and application of Religious and Occult Symbolism. Its teachings are strictly moral[5] and inculcate a profound respect for the truths of all Religions
(Gilbert, 55).
Given the G.D. focus on occult and esoteric practice (i.e. not simply study), one could claim that Mathers was being somewhat disingenuous in calling G.D. a study society. However, his argument should serve to demonstrate an important point: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn never claimed to be a religion or a substitute for religion, merely a method, an apparatus, for discovering higher spiritual truths within one’s own religious framework.
This argument fell largely on deaf ears. The scandalized and already fragmented Order would completely fracture after the trial, and would never regain its past popularity or prestige.
VI.) Suggested Position in Comparative Scales
-all positions are based on standard 1-10 scale
a.) Relative emphasis on traditional authority – 7
The G.D relied heavily on ritual, which could not be varied to suit an individual. However, the Order still attempted to serve the earthly lives of the individual men and women it counted as its members. Furthermore, as a relatively young (and short-lived) movement, traditional authority must be considered a somewhat relative term. Nevertheless, individual experiences were not meant to dictate or replace ritual, even if the practical occultism associated with the rituals was subservient to the individual Adept.
b.) Relative Centralization of Authority – 6
The Order was controlled exclusively by the Second Order Adepts, and the three co-Chiefs had authority over all other members in any G.D. matter. However, the Order promised members that they would not be asked to take any action that conflicted with their moral, religious of civil responsibilities, and thus the G.D. cannot be said to have an overwhelming influence on the lives of its members. Also, the fact that the Order split after only 12 years of existence may indicate that a strong central authority was not present.
c.) Relative Emphasis on Invisible Realities – 5
Like the Rosicrucians, G.D. adepts were concerned with the worldly well-being of members. Furthermore, rituals were intended to make identifiable gains in the lives of members, and in some case, adepts hoped to gain powers such as divination and telepathy from the Order. However, the Order also sought to allow members to find spiritual enlightenment (i.e. removal of the veil of Paroketh, revelation of truth and light) through the system’s practices.
d.) Most Power or Agency Reserved for a Divine Being – 2
Though a divine being in still the
governing force of the universe (as all G.D. members were monotheists), G.D.
adepts attempted to use divine truth and power for their own purposes. Like the Kabbalists
who sought to harness divine wisdom delivered by fallen angels, G.D. members
used rituals to harness esoteric and spiritual powers for their own (hopefully
enlightening) purposes.
Primary Sources:
AMORC. Rosicrucian Manual. Grand Lodge of AMORC, San Jose. 1966
A usable manual for American Rosicrucianism, this text answers few questions concerning the purposes of the movement, but is an interesting example of the confluence of science and religion.
Board of General
Purposes of the United Grand Lodge of
A pamphlet, published by Masons for “the curious non-Mason” on what the purposes an tenets of the society are. Answers only the question posed in its title.
Gilbert,
R.A. The Golden Dawn Scrapbook: the
Rise and Fall of a Magical Order.
Interesting source material, in the form of letters and scraps of the Cipher Manuscript, on G.D. practices, and particularly the lives of G.D. adepts. Provides a comprehensive history of how a (relatively) modern magical society might come to be, and serves to humanize the movement.
Kunytz, Darcy (ed.) The Golden Dawn Source Book. Holmes.
Exclusively primary source material, basically useless without and understanding of what one is reading. Still, fairly interesting, at least as a curiosity.
Secondary Sources:
Interesting scholarly treatment of many magical systems, from Faustian “black magic” to the practices of the Knights Templar, this texts draws lines between magic traditions and the mainstreams systems they borrow from.
Gilbert, R.A. The
Golden Dawn Companion. Routledge.
History, ideals and construction of G.D. are explained and placed within the context of Victorian England.
Howe, Ellic. The
Magicians of the Golden Dawn.
Aquarian.
Similar to above, with wider historical context.
[1] Simply
put, Freemasonry, sometimes referred to as “the Craft,” is designed as a secular,
secret fraternal society comprised of “men concerned with moral and spiritual
values.” Freemasonry is (and was in the
19th century and before) open to men of virtually all
religions. Though Freemasonry is not a
religion, “its members are taught its precepts by a series of ritual dramas,
which follow ancient forms.” The
occult practices that became popular in Victorian Freemasonry in
[2] The
charges of heresy against early Rosicrucians are
unsurprising given the Catholic Church’s tendency to mistrust secret religious
societies, particularly those associated with Freemasonry. A series of Papal Bulls and encyclicals
issued during the late 1750s condemned or excommunicated all Freemasons, citing
“the secret nature of the institution and the highly suspicious fact that men
of all religions were allowed to enter it” as primary concerns (
[3] Unfortunately, thanks largely to secrecy surrounding G.D. ritual practice, as well as to the fragmentation of post-Victorian G.D, the precise meaning of these numerical assignments, and the alchemical processes they represent, is difficult to apprehend . Each grade relates to a single Sephiroth on the Kabbalistic “tree of life,” but exactly what this relationship entails or represents in unclear. For our purposes, it is instructive merely to understand that the G.D. was comprised of a rigidly hierarchical graded scale of membership, with highly ritualized tests and ceremonies allowing the possibility of ascension.
[4] Wescott’s acronym
[5] Mathers’ emphasis