Historic Lecture - Golden Dawn
by V.H. Frater Sapere Aude
(Dr. W. Wynn Westcott)
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, Ragon,
Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie, author of the Masonic Encyclopedia and
Frederick Hockley, 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 Rosenkreuz 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 a curious fact 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 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.
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 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' OrÆ.
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. 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 ministers.
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 Happiness. |