by Morgan Drake Eckstein

Created on: March 09, 2007   Last Updated: January 20, 2012

Golden Dawn is a lodge based system of spiritual attainment. The Order's instructions and rituals include symbolism drawn from kabbalah, astrology, and the Tarot; elements are also drawn from Christian and grimoiric traditions. Furthermore, Golden Dawn was the first esoteric Order to use actual information from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

The Order was founded in 1888 by Dr. William Wynn Westcott, a Master Mason and member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, with the help of two others, Samuel Liddell Mathers and Dr. William Robert Woodman. The inspiration for the Order came from a manuscript written in cipher that had came into Westcott's possession. The Cipher Manuscript outlined a series of lodge rituals which Westcott fleshed out for his new Order.

Mystery surrounds the origin of the Cipher Manuscript. One of the most plausible theories is that it was written by Kenneth Mackenzie, the author of The Royal Masonic Encyclopedia. If Mackenzie was the source of the Cipher Manuscript, he probably meant it (the rituals) to be used by The Society of the Eight (another esoteric Order). Unfortunately, we will probably never know for sure if Mackenzie wrote the Cipher Manuscript. The mystery of the Cipher Manuscript would later play a role in the breakup of the Golden Dawn.

In late 1891, Woodman died, leaving just Westcott and Mathers. Due to the creation of an additional ritual (the Adept Minor [5=6]) by Mathers, and Westcott being forced to resign, the Order soon fall under the complete control of Mathers. This was not good for the Order. Mathers had moved to Paris, so he was ruling the Order from a distance. The membership started to became increasing dissatisfied with Mathers' leadership, and the suggestion arose that perhaps it was time to disband the Order. Upon hearing this, Mathers alleged that part of the Cipher Manuscript (the pages that gave the Order its authority to operate) was a forgery by Westcott. This was the final straw for the members of the London lodge; they expelled Mathers, who in turn as Chief Adept said that they had no authority over him and expelled them.

From a historical viewpoint, this is the end of Golden Dawn. Twelve years and a little over three hundred members-yet Golden Dawn is the most influential esoteric group in modern history. In order to understand why one needs to remember that the Golden Dawn system didn't come to an end when the remains of the Order abandoned the use of the "Golden Dawn" name. In reality, the Order split

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