Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
, in Egyptian costume, performs a ritual of Isis in the rites of the Golden Dawn.]] The original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical fraternity founded in London in 1888 by Dr. William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, which ceased to exist under that name in 1903 but which continued under at least two spin-off organizations, the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega, as well as a renamed faction headed by Arthur Edward Waite that underwent further splits. The Stella Matutina closed its doors in the United Kingdom before WWII however it remained functioning under the popular name Whare Ra in New Zealand until the late 1970s.Influences on Golden Dawn concepts and work include freemasonry, theosophy, Eliphas Levi, Papus and medieval grimoire magic. It has long been thought that the synthetization of these influences into a new school of thought is largely the merit of Mathers, who at times was teaching things he had discovered only days or hours before. However more recent work seems to suggest that Dr William Westcott was a considerable influence. Mathers was responsible for the Rosicrusian inner order of the Golden Dawn being established where practical magic was taught.
The "Golden Dawn," as it is commonly referred to, was probably the single greatest influence on twentieth-century western occultism. While it existed, it was the focal point of the development and redevelopment of magical thinking in Europe. In it, most concepts of magic and ritual that have since become core elements of Wicca, Thelema, western mystery schools and other forms of magical spirituality were first formulated.
In its heyday, many cultural celebrities belonged to the Golden Dawn. Some well known members include:
- Algernon Blackwood
- Aleister Crowley
- Arthur Edward Waite
- Arthur Machen
- Charles Williams
- Dion Fortune
- Evelyn Underhill
- Florence Farr
- Pamela Colman Smith
- William Butler Yeats
See also magic, hermeticism, Argentinum Astrum (A.A.)
This is an Article on Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn External links
