The Order of the Golden Dawn

The Ameth, the Pentagram, the Monad and the Rose Cross Lamen. All seem like mystical symbols or a bunch of shapes in a game or cartoon. However, once upon a time, these symbols and figures were once the headlines of every-day news in the 19^th and 20^th century. Magic is one of mankind’s oldest forms of religion. From the sculpture of the “Venus of Hohle Fels” to the cave paintings of the Stone Age, which said to bring good luck, magic has always found itself written in human history. However, some took magic a lot more serious than others. An example of the level of seriousness is The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. 

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was said to have been founded in the late 19^th century by three British Freemasons: William Westcott, William Woodman and Samuel Mathers. However, documents show that it was then later taken over by a man from the inside, also known as “The Wickedest man in the world” Aleister Crowley. 

According to the book of secret societies written by Ellen Fanning she says “Aleister Crowley claimed he seduced a kitchen maid at the age of 14, butchered a cat to see if it had 9 lives, his mother called him “The Beast” so he one-upped her by styling himself “The Beast Whose Number is 666”. He also spent his inherited fortune pursuing his creed, and his first law was “There is no law beyond Do What Thou Wilt”. “ Crowley was all about black magic and trickery. He used to convince men and woman to join the cult by rambling mystical words, writing pornographic poems and more, while dosing them with Opium, Hashish and Pharmaceuticals. Quoted by the British Newspaper, Crowley said “I want blasphemy, murder, rape, revolution, anything, bad or good, but strong!” however his desire for strength and power led him to the use of Satanism, animal sacrifice, sex magic and become a heroin addiction.

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn soon later became the leading secret society in Britain. Unlike masonic societies back then, The Order of the Golden Dawn accepted both men and woman, in addition they taught them the complete principal and fundamentals of the cult, and practices and theories of occultism. Members of the cult were taught Magic, alchemy and divination.

However, in 1899 a rebellion within the cult broke the cult into three orders. “The Stella Matutina (The Order of the Morning Star), The Order of the Golden Dawn and the Alpha et Omega. Soon later all three cults were disbanded, however, in 1914 the Holy Order had reopened with a new name called The Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, which didn’t last till World War 2.

However, more than half of the modern day secret societies still use the fundamental and philosophical practices of the Golden Dawn. Its ideology and occultism is being practiced by Cults in Australia, America, Europe and New Zealand.