The Golden Dawn and the Esoteric Section

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THE GOLDEN DAWN AND
THE ESOTERIC SECTION
THEOSOPIDCAL HISTORY CENTRE
LONDON
1987
THE AUTHOR
R. A. Gilbert came early to an association with the Golden
Dawn, for the midwife who delivered him - in 1942, at Bristol was the sister of the last Chief of the Hermes Temple of the Stella
Matutina. Given such a beginning it was, perhaps, inevitable that
he would develop an enthusiastic interest in the occult and the
supernatural - an interest fostered both by his father, a stage
conjuror and amateur psychical researcher, and by reading
Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Bristol.
By occupation he is an antiquarian bookseller, but he now
directs his energies increasingly towards writing. His books
include two studies of the Golden Dawn, and he is the co-author
of The Treasure of Montsegur, a study of the Cathar secret. He is
also the foremost authority on the life and work of A. E. Waite,
his latest book being a major biography, A. E. Waite: Magician of
Many Parts.
He is married, with five children, and still lives in his native
city.
This paper was presented at The First International
Conference on Theosophical History held in London, 18 - 20 July
1986.
Cover photograph : W. Wynn Westcott, by permission of The
Library, United Grand Lodge of England.
THE GOLDEN DAWN
AND THE
ESOTERIC SECTION
R. A. Gilbert
THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY CENTRE
LONDON
1987
THE GOLDEN DAWN AND THE ESOTERIC SECTION
On 15 June, 1889, through the pages of Lucifer (1), the theosophical
public was introduced openly -if somewhat obliquely -to the Hermetic Order
of the Golden Dawn. An appendix to a letter of S.L. McGregor Mathers disclaiming any connection between the 'Rosicrucian Society of England' and
the 'Ros. Crux. Fratres, or Order of the Dew and the Ught' (2) advised the
'Fratres and Sorores of the G.D.' to warn 'the unwary and uninitiated' about
the activities of .these spurious Rosicrucians who may 'lead students away
from the Higher Paths of Mysticism, into Goetic practices'.
In the body of the letter Mathers stated that "The Theosophical
Society is in amity with the Rosicrucian Society of England, and believes in
its bona fides, although, as representing the Eastern Wisdom, the T.S. naturally differs in some of its views from the Soc. Ros." By implication the G.D.
was also 'in amity'. This friendship was, however, of very recent origin. The
fundamental difference between the T.S. and the G.D. was that of the
Eastern as opposed to the Western approach to occultism, and the apparent
incompatibility between these two paths had already caused serious problems
for the Theosophists.
When the Theosophical Society was founded, in 1875, its initial aims
were "the study and elucidation of Occultism, the Cabbala etc." (3), which
by 1878 had been expanded to embrace - in Col. Olcott's paraphrase 1. The Study of occult science; 2. The formation of a nucleus of universal
brotherhood; and 3. The revival of Oriental literature and philosophy."
(4) This apparent harmony between eastern and western occultism seemed to
be supported by the text of Isis Unveiled (1877) which contained as much on
Gnosticism and the Kabbalah as it did on Vedantism and Buddhism, although its extreme anti-Christian bias should have indicated to its readers the
direction in which Madame Blavatsky wished to see the society move. By
1882 the Rules of the Theosophical Society stressed the importance of the
Eastern Path, the second 'Primary Object' of the Society being now "To
promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literature, religions and
sciences and vindicate its importance ." (p 5)
The heavy emphasis on Eastern teachings was, however, causing
dissension - at least among members of the British Theosophical Society. In
1882, Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland, the authors of The Perfect Way
(1882) and prophets of 'The New Gospel of Interpretation', had joined the
British Society believing that it would give them 'the means of testing and
judging' the 'philosophy of the East' by 'the light of actual knowledge, in
order to determine its true place in regard to the religion of the future, and
perhaps, even to influence its course'. (5)
Having tested that philosophy, however, they soon found it wanting,
although Anna Kingsford was yet happy to be elected President of the British
T .S. in January, 1883. In the following October Edward Maitland read
an Address by Mrs. Kingsford to the London Lodge {as the British T .S. was
then styled) attacking the ideas expressed in A. P. Sinnett's Esoteric
Buddhism {1883), especially the adulation he heaped upon the Mahatmas.
The Address was not well received and the subsequent controversy over
Sinnett's book - effectively over Eastern versus Western teaching - led to the
majority of London Lodge members siding with Sinnett and, in April 1884,
to the resignation of both Mrs. Kingsford and Edward Maitland from the
Lodge.
Outside Theosophical circles they had long been seen as the principal
exponents of Western Hermeticism and they gained immediate support when
they founded The Hermetic Society within weeks of leaving the London
Lodge. (6) The inaugual meeting of the new society was held on 9 May but
was preceded by the distribution of a prospectus setting out the aims and
objects, these being:
1. The investigation of the nature and constitution of man and the universe, with
a view to the formulation of a system of thought and rule of life which, in
virtue of. their accordance with the laws of existence, will enable the individual
to develop to the utmost his higher potentialities.
2. The comparative study of the p ilosophical and religious systems of the East
and of the West, and especially of the Greek Mysteries and the Hermetic
Gnosis and its allied schools, the Kabbalistic, Pythagorean, Platonic and
Alexandrian, - these being inclusive of Christianity -, with a view to the
elucidation of their original esoteric and real doctrine, and its adaptation to
modem requirements.
3. The application of the know ledges attained, lust to the interpretation and
harmonisation of the various existing systems of thought and faith, and the
provision thereby of an Eirenicon among all churches and communions; and,
secondly, to the promotion of personal psychic and spiritual development. (7)
It was further emphasised that "In the pursuance of these ends full
freedom of opinion and expression will be accorded, and experience and
reason recognised as affording the sole legitimate ground of conclusion" - a
specific rejection of the Mahatmas and their revelations. The founders did,
however, point out that "the Hermetic Society has been formed, not in any
spirit of opposition to, or rivalry with, the Theosophical Society, or any of its
2
branches, but rather as a supplement and complement to it and them , and in
friendly co-operation in their declared aims" while stressing that it "directs its
attention more particularly to the systems of the West." So cordial were
relations with the T .S. intended to be that Col. Olcott attended the inaugural
meeting and addressed it 'in a spirit of cordial encouragement' (8)
Many members of the Theosophical Society, especially those of the
London Lodge, were yet unhappy with the new society, and early in August
1884 , twenty two of them petitioned the 'Masters' for the establishing of
an "Inner Group, - the Adytum of the London Lodge", whose 'fundamental
principle' was to be "implicit confidence in the Mahatmas and their teachings
and unswerving obedience to their wishes in all matters connected with
spiritual progress". They also requested the Masters , if they approved of the
petition (which, in due course, they did), to "confirm it with their signatures
and to consent to continue their teaching as heretofore so long as there shall
remain one faithful member in this group." (9) In other words, if o'ne is
inclined to be cynical , to confirm their existence to the sceptics. This 'Inner
Group' had only an ephemeral existence, but its very creation as a counterbalance to the Hermetic Society served notice that the battle lines between
East and West were now drawn.
The Hermetic Society flourished for the next two years, most of the
early papers being expositions of aspects of esoteric Christianity by the two
founders. During 1886, however, papers on alchemy and the Kabbalah were
read by Mathers and by Dr. William Wynn Westcott (1 0) - an indication of
the Society's increasing concern with both topics. Westcott's paper (on
the Sepher Yetzirah) was destined to be the last given to the Society, for
Anna Kingsford 's failing health prevented the 1887 session from commencing, and after her death in February 1888, the Society's activities ceased
altogether.
It was never revived, for, as its members admitted, it depended entirely
on the driving force of Anna Kingsford. In October 1888 Maitland wrote to
Westcott declining to revive the Society, and telling him that "so satisfied
were the council of the H.S. of the impracticability of carrrying on the
Society without Mrs. Kingsford, with hope of results equal to the effort, that
they decided to leave it in abeyance" (11) But by this time Westcott no
longer had any real need for it.
From the time that Maitland issued his circular postponing the 1887
session, Westcott had realised that the Hermetic Society was finished and he
turned instead t~ the construction of a more practical and far more ambitious
project - the creation of a body that combined occult teaching with a series of
3
linked rituals based upon the stages of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Not that
Westcott was anything but eclectic, for the Esoteric Order of the Golden
Dawn in the Outer - as his creation was initially and properly styled - derived
its subjects of study and its androgynous nature from the Hermetic Society,
the ritual basis from the S.R.I.A. and the structure (if not the content) of the
prelintinary Pledge from the Obligation required of Fellows of the
Theosophical Society. The T .S. almost certainly gave him also the idea of
corresponding with the Secret Chiefs.
The origins of the Golden Dawn, according to its official history, were
as follows: "the foundation of the Sephirotic scheme and the relative
dependence of its several parts, the secret names and references are untouched and unaltered from the Cipher MSS. which were handed to V. H.
Sapere Aude 5=6 [i.e. Westcott] (whose motto was at that time Quod Scis
Nescis) already an Adept and an Honorary Magus of the Soc Rosin Anglia,
some years before by a most eminent and illuminatr.d Hermetist (since dead)
[presumably the Revd. A. F. A. Woodford] whose title was Frater 'Vive
Momor Lethi'. He had been for many years in communication with prominent British and Foreign Adepts , and he had enjoyed ample access to the
writing of Eliphaz Levi. This collection of MSS. has since been supplemented
by a varied collection of MSS chiefly in cypher, which have been either given
or lent to the Chiefs of the temple by our Continental Fratres and Sorores.
These MSS provided the A.depts who possessed the secret of their
occult meaning with the ability to extend the order of the G .D. in the Outer
subject to the approval of the Chiefs of the Second Order. This · approval
having been obtained from the G.H. Soror 'Sap: Dom. Ast.' [i.e. Sapiens
Dominabitur Astris; the motto of the mythical Anna Sprengel] in Germany ,
the Fratres 'Quod Scis Nescis', 'S. Rioghail Mo Dhream', (i.e. Mathers] and
'Magna est Veritas [i.e. Dr Woodman] the Supreme Magus of the Soc Ros
in Anglia, were duly instructed to extend the Order in England, and this
Temple was consecrated as a successor to Hermanubis No. 2 which had
ceased to exist, owing to the decease of all its Chiefs." ( 12) This reverie of
Westcott's is both inaccurate and dishonest, but although the truth about the
creation of the Golden Dawn will probably never be known in full, there is
enough surviving evidence to present a more reliable account.
At some time in 1886 or 1887 a collection of manuscripts wntten in
cipher came into Westcott's hands - possibly from the Rev d. A. F. A.
Woodford but ultimately from papers that had been unearthed at
Freemason's Hall. The cipher was a simple one and Westcott soon deciphered
the manuscripts, revealing a series of outline rituals purporting to be those of
an occult Order. The possibility that remains is that Westcott himself was the
4
original author of the cipher manuscripts, but whether he was or not he undoubtedly added to them the address of a German Adept, one Soror Sapiens
Dominabitur Astris, or Anna Sprengel, to whom he wrote {although his
letters do not survive) for permission to set up a new branch of this hypothetical Order. Fraulein Sprengel replied - in German - authorising him to
establish a new Temple in England. Subsequent letters permitted Westcott to
sign her motto "on any paper if the need arise", regretted that she could not
travel to England, supplied him with further rituals and advanced all three
Chiefs of Isis-Urania No. 3 (as the English Temple was known) to the exalted
degree of Adeptus Exemptus. {13)
Secret Chief she may have been, but Anna Sprengel was yet mortal,
and in August 1890 Westcott was advised of her death: the time and place of
which he, as her creator, had doubtless already determined. But if Westcott
had conceived the Golden Dawn alone, it was a triumvirate that brought it to
birth. There were three Chiefs in the Order, the others being Mathers - who
worked up the rituals -and Dr. W. R. Woodrnan who, as Supreme Magus of
the S.R.I.A., provided the standing that his fellow Chiefs lacked.
In some ways the Chiefs of the Golden Dawn (two of them at least: Dr.
Woodman, who died in 1891, exercised neither influence nor real power
within the Order) resembled the heads of the Theosophical Society. If
Westcott was a somewhat muted reflection of Olcott, lacking the latter's
organisational zeal and skill, Mathers even more closely mirrored Madame
Blavatsky: the same irascibility, the same sense of mission coupled with an
unswerving belief in - and dedication to - superhuman beings, and the same
creative genius in his chosen field of occult endeavour. And the same jealousy
of rival Orders.
The fmal version of the Grade rituals of the Golden Dawn was completed by March 1888, when the three Chiefs chartered the first Temple of
Isis-Urania No. 3 {having previously signed and countersigned their own
Pledge forms) and admitted the first members. By the end of March there had
been nine initiations, by July a further 17 had been admitted, and by the end
of the year there were fifty -five members. Nor were they all active in London
alone, for in October 1888 two further Temples were chartered: Osiris No. 4
at Weston-super-Mare (made up entirely of members of the S.R.I.A.) and
Horus No. 5 at Bradford - from which virtually all of the Order's problems
over relations with the Theosophical Society would stem. Initially, however,
they stemmed from the actions of a man whom W. B. Yeats described as 'the
most panic-stricken person I have ever known.'
The Revd. William Alexander Ayton and his wife were the 23rd and
5
24th persons respectively to sign the Order Roll after their initiation in July
1888. Both were enthusiastic occultists and admirers of H. P. Blavatsky especially, in Ayton's case, of her hostility towards the Jesuits, for he was
convinced that the Black Brothers, as he called them, had England under
occult attack.
Following his initiation the timid Ayton was evidently unsure of the
propriety, as a Theosophist, of his involvement in practical occultism, and he
wrote to H. P. B. seeking support. Extracts from his letter were printed in
Luc((er in October 1888 as part of the text of Madame Blavatsky's paper,
Lodges of Magic (14) but it was probably written before July lOth, on which
day T. H. Pattinson of Bradford was "appointed Provincial Hierophant of
Yorkshire members" of the Golden Dawn (15), and the process of founding
Horus Temple set in motion.
The printed extract consists of a plea for practical occultism: "a friend
of mine, a natural mystic, had intended to form , with others, a branch T. S. in
his town. Surprised at his delay, I wrote to ask the reason. His reply was that
he has heard that the T. S. only met and talked , and did nothing practical. I
always did think the T.S. ought to have Lodges in which something practical
should be done. . .. There are many readers of Lucifer in -------------------shire.
Perhaps in it there might be a suggestion for students to form such lodges for
themselves, and to try, by their united wills , to develop certain powers in one
of the number, and then through the whole of them in succession. I feel sure
numbers would enter such lodges, and create a great interest for Theosophy."
H. P. B. utterly rejected the argument on the grounds that "If the 'lodges of
magic' suggested in the letter . . . were founded, without having taken the
greatest precautions to admit only the best candidates to membership, we
should see these vile exploitations ( 16)of sacred names and things increase an
hundredfold", but Ayton's letter had also alerted her to the growing risk of
a split in the Theosophical Society over this issue, and she added "It is
certainly desirable that there should be some school of instruction for
members of our Society; and had the purely esoteric work and duties of the
Founders been less absorbing, probably one such would have been established
long ago."
Aware now of both the existence and growing appeal of the Golden
Dawn, Madame Blavatsky responded to its perceived threat by announcing
the formation of a new body: The Esoteric Section of the Theosophical
Society. It was no coincidence that the 'Order in Council' concerning it
should have been published in the same issue of Lucifer as Lodges of Magic
(See Appendix B for the text of the announcement). Sinnett maintained in
later years that the Esoteric Section was designed by H. P. B. "to neutralise
6
Colonel Olcott's autocratic supremacy in the Society" {17), whereas Olcott
himself looked upon it as a means of pacifying her during their quarrels over
organisation: she was, after all, to be head of the Esoteric Section, and "the
constitution and sole direction of the same is vested in Madame H. P.
Blavatsky". It seems more probable, however, that both Sinnett and Olcott
were wrong, and that the Esoteric Section was created specifically to avert
the loss of would-be practical occultists to the ranks of the Golden Dawn and
to prevent a complete split between the followers of the Eastern and those of
the Western Path.
Certainly the Esoteric Section contained elements designed to appeal to
potential 'practical occultists' - a note in Lucifer for January J 889 advised
readers that "Its preliminary Rules and Bye-Laws prove that the way to the
acqusition of occult powers and the conquest of the secrets of nature lead
through the Golgotha and the Crucifixion of the personal Self' (p 435,
Vol. 3) - although it had earlier been described as "not a lodge of magic, but
of training'. (ibid. p 341). Further, the Probationers Pledge (See Appendix A)
emphasised secrecy and referred to "the Signs and passwords": the very
elements of mystery that helped to draw people into the Golden Dawn. Some
recruits to the Esoteric Section were, however, unhappy with the Pledge: in
particular with the clause that required absolute obedience to H.P.B. in all
matters theosophical. When W. B. Yeats joined the E. S. in December 1888 he
insisted on the pledge being modified: even the Neophyte's Obligation in the
Golden Dawn, blood-curdling though it was, did not demand unquestioning
obedience to one's superiors. (18)
The Esoteric Section was an immediate success, but Madame Blavatsky
was still uneasy about the Golden Dawn. In May 1889 Ayton, now a member
of both bodies, told his friend Frederick Leigh Gardner how "a short time
ago, an ukase was issued from the headquarters of the T. S., that members of
the Esoteric Section should not belong to any other Occult Order. I at once
wrote to say that I belonged to the Rosicrucian Society, but I was ordered to
give it up , and I felt bound to do so at once without hesitation, and wrote to
some of my Yorkshire chelas , who belonged to it and the T. S. , to do the
same." But they were less faint-hearted than Ayton: "They were dismayed,
and two of them went , as a Deputation, to H. P. B. to remonstrate against
this decision. H. P. B. then began to see she had made a mistake and she
wrote to me for advice, which I gave, and the consequence was, she withdrew
this ukase as regards the Rosicrucian Society." Nor was this all, for "The
result was that Dr. Wynn Westcott, the head of this Rosicrucian Society,
joined the Esoteric Section of the T. S. and with him some 20 others, and
about 14 from Yorkshire. All is well that ends well!" (19)
7
In this Ayton was wrong, for the friction between the Esoteric Section
and the Golden Dawn was far from over. For the present, however, overt
hostility was at an end . Westcott had not simply joined the Esoteric Section,
for by his account (incorporated into his Address to Isis-Urania Temple of
March 1891 ), when "several theosophists wished to join the G. D. and difficulties were placed in their ways; to remove these, I was selected as the
Hermetist who should endeavour to cast oil on troubled waters and to be a
bond of union and peace between the two Societies, and the Soc. Ros. in
Anglia" (20), and he had made "a 'solemn agreement' between Helena
Petrovna Blavatsky on behalf of her Masters of Theosophy, and myself on
behalf of the G. D." The details of this agreement were not made public at
the time but were divulged much later, in November 1892, in an Address by
Westcott to Horus Temple: (21) "By this agreement there was a mutual
understanding, by each party - a confession
A. of a Bona-Fides
B.
of an origin from those who were wiser than those who are actually
here teaching.
C.
of an exalted aim,
1. which tended to the search for the true ideas of the divine
2. to self sacrifice
3. to mutual benevolence
4. to the study of the mysteries of nature
5. to the hidden workings of the human mind,
and each party , for the sake of a mutual support, in a scoffing and materialistic age , was willing to recognise the fact that although dissimilar in method;
using a different mode of tuition; a varying terminology, - the one from
Egyptian and Hebrew, the other from Sanscrit sources- yet each was making
strenuous efforts onward toward the goal of mutual improvement - Self
improvement -in order that others might be improved."
Westcott was, of course , obliged to submit to the same discipline in the
Esoteric Section as were all the other members - and this included the sitting
of examinations. It is perhaps worth quoting Westcott's answer to the
question 'Give reasons for joining the E. S.' (Question No. 5 of Examination
Paper No. 1), for it supplies just those reasons that rendered him acceptable
to Mme. Blavatsky: "Having devoted many years of my life to the investigation of the Ancient Mysteries and their connection with Freemasonry on the
one hand and the existing religions on the other; and having searched as far
8
as possible into the teachings of the Hermetists and Rosic [rucian] s
accepted with gratitude the opportunity of familiarising myself with
Eastern School - believing that by such new studies I might complete
view of the origin of man's religions and obtain a clearer insight into
constitution and destiny". (22)
- I
the
the
his
Despite the compact, Westcott does not seem to have progressed to the
Inner Group of the Esoteric Section. He was invited to become a Probationer
of the Inner Group in August 1890 (23) but was required to comply with
strict conditions of abstinence and chastity that he was unwilling to accept.
His Address to Horus Temple went on to say "All practical experiment is forbidden to you in this First Order [i.e. of the Golden Dawn] on account of
the dangers of the uninstructed lightly playing with occult weapons - all
experiment is also discouraged in the T .S., until after long study, and only
then in the absence of several disqualifications; no really serious processes are
undertaken in the East (and Eastern system) unless total abstinence exists
alike from alcohol, sexual inclination and from meat food - , because the
Easterns have found that unless such abstinences are insisted on, there is great
risk that bodily, or mental mischief may occur to the aspirant, leading to insanity, and suicide-: or else total failure results: or there is the further risk
that some progress having been made the aspirant may lapse from purity fall, and then misuse his powers before fmally losing them. This is what
H. P. B. herself told me." He concluded, "I have not been permitted to enter
upon it, and therefore knowing nothing I have nothing to add."
Asceticism was not, however, demanded of candidates for entry into
the Second, or Inner Order of the Golden Dawn and perhaps Westcott was
happier with "the Western system, (of which) I know ·somewhat - certain
peculiar powers of great interest and fascination for some minds, are
obtainable;- with discipline indeed, but apart from such total abstinence, and
so with less risk to health." This was effectively a reiteration of his attitude to
'practical occultism' as it had been set out in his answer to another of the
questions in the 'Examination Paper'- a question, as it happened, which none
of the members of the E.S. had answered to Mme. Blavatsky's satisfaction.
In the printed Criticisms and Remarks by the Head of the Section concerning
the members' answers, she had noted that Question 7 - 'What is Occultism;
and what do you consider to be Practical Occultism?' - was "Badly answered.
Hardly anyone had caught the central idea of Occultism". Which 'central
idea' was presumably not the Western emphasis that Westcott placed upon it:
"The successful Practical Occultist", he wrote, "may gain the power of
purification and elevation of himself and so fit himself to commune with
higher beings, and so may assist in raising others: his intuition is extended by
9
training, his senses are rendered so acute as to perceive presences and gain
information, beyond the reach of the selfish and sensual man of the common
standard". In addition , "He may obtain the art of performing many acts
which are impossible to the general public, but is beyond the temptation of
using those powers for private ambition or for cajolery of others" : an
appropriate state of affairs for members of the Second Order.
An Inner Order of the Golden Dawn had existed in theory since its
foundation , but it did not possess an Adeptus Minor ritual or engage in
practical work until the end of 1891. It was based upon the myth of Christian
Rosencreutz and the initiation ritual was acted out in a vault constructed on
the basis of that described in the Rosicrucian manifestoes of the early 17th
century. Once they had achieved the grade of Adeptus Minor, members of the
Second Order -the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis- became involved for the
first time with practical magic. When Westcott addressed the members of
Horus Temple in 1892 few of them would have appreciated his comments:
only three were also members of the Second Order, plus Ayton and his wife
who were unofficially attached to Horus. It was, nonetheless, the Second
Order with its strict hierarchical nature and wholly Western approach that lay
behind the troubles that were to befall Horus. To understand those troubles
fully , however, one must first look more closely at Ayton 's 'Yorkshire
chelas'.
Horus Temple No. 5 was consecrated by Westcott on 19 October 1888,
its three chiefs being T. H. Pattinson (Frater Vota Vita Mea) , F. D. Harrison
(Quanti est Sapere) and J. Leech Atherton (Semper Fidelis). Pattinson, a
Bradford watch and clock-maker, was the driving force of the three: he had
written to Westcott in March, eager for a local Temple: "I find 7 interested
friends all ready to fall in with the idea of forming a G. D. here in Bradford
and the sooner this is done the better. I shall be glad if you will consider this
matter and let me have your opinion. 5 out of the 7 are old occult students,
and I am here ready to do all I can to assist in the move. I dare say 3 of us
could come to London and then be initiated there , afterwards make arrangements for a Lodge up here in proper working order. I am inclined to think in
a year or 2 a strong Lodge would be formed, but I fmd the idea of Ladies is
not looked upon kindly, and with your permission that clause respecting
their admission would be struck out so far as we are concerned." (24) As it
transpired, ladies were admitted , the first being Mrs. Pattinson !
Behind Pattinson , however, was Ayton , who had met him some seven
years before, had been impressed by his 'strong proclivities ... for occultism"
and had mooted the idea of an occult Lodge in Yorkshire . He recounted the
prehistory of Horus in an Address to the Temple early in 1890: (25) "It was
10
about the year 1881-2 that I may say I became occultly acquainted with the
Frater Pattinson & some others, i.e. it was the tendency to occult knowledge
which brought us together. . .. I had the greatest desire to organise a Lodge
somewhere in this neighbourhood for carrying on the study of occultism.
Great difficulties were in my way, but what I then wished to do but could
not has been carried out by the zeal and energy of Frater Pattinson to whom I
imparted as much Occult lore as I was capable of doing. I may say that I initiated him and the establishment of this Horus Temple has been the result."
Ayton went on to describe his association with Maurice Vidal Portman,
an occultist from whom he "learned a good deal of Oriental Occultism". This
was evidently - Ayton does not name the Order - the August Order of light, a
quasi-masonic rite that Portman had developed. When Portman returned to
India, in 1882, "He left it in my hands to re-form the Lodge, if possible. I
took means to do so, I found (it] a most difficult task for lack of real
occultists. The means I took brought me into communication with Frater
Vota Vita Mea and some others. In all this is really the commencement, in an
indirect way, of this Horus Temple."
Ayton had little to do with the Order of light because he felt that "like
other modern Initiations, performed in the West , it was entirely without the
personal discipline and trial which Mr. Portman himself had undergone at his
initiations in India. Wherefore, . . . I set no great value on it." Pattinson,
however , did, and with Dr. B. E. J . Edwards- another early member of Horus
-he revised the rituals and set up the Order of Light in Bradford. But for all
these masonic enthusiasms Pattinson became a keen Theosophist.
Just as Ayton had been eager for the founding of a Temple of the
Golden Dawn in Bradford, so he encouraged the members to support
Theosophy. He told them of the coming wonders in the T. S. which "was
established in England first in 1879 and it has not yet arrived at it (i.e. the
next stage in spiritual development] , tho' in the new premises to be occupied
in a few months, a special room with peculiar appliances is to be built for the
purpose of developing the higher powers in a select few" {26) Whether
encouraged by such blatant elitism or not, a Bradford Lodge of the
Theosophical Society was established some months later, the first meeting
being held on 5 February , 1891 . Of the eighteen founding members all save
two were members of Horus Temple , while the only officer of the Lodge who
was not a member - John Midgley, the Secretary -was initiated in the following June. As the membership of Horus at this time stood at twenty-one, it is
clear that there was no desire for a divergence of the Eastern and Western
ways.
11
But this initial harmony did not last. The first President of the Bradford
Lodge was Oliver Firth who had been admitted to the Golden Dawn in
November 1888 but had advanced no further than the Grade of Practicus by
January 1892. (27) He does not seem to have taken the Order seriously , and
when Annie Horniman, a senior member of Isis-Urania , visited Horus on
Westcott's behalf at the Autumn Equinox meeting of 1892 she was appalled
by his behaviour .
Reporting her experiences to Westcott, (28) she charged Firth with
'insubordination' : "When required by the Hierophant to act as Auditor he rerefused rudely and disrespectfully and sitting down suddenly he exclaimed
'I shan't' "; with arguing against Westcott's letter to the members of Horus
(it concerned the "T. S. and G. D. controversy ; unfortunately, it has not
survived); and with "speaking disrespectfully of our Ceremonies": when
admonished for 'want of reverence', "instead of expressing pentinence , Frater
Firth gloried in doing as he felt inclined in the Temple and said he would
laugh there if he chose, even if turned out for so doing." In private he told
her that he looked upon astrology (at which she excelled) as 'mere
divination ' ; that he objected to wearing the sash of his grade 'because of its
similarity to Free Masonry'; and that he thought Pattinson "made a great deal
too much of the matter" of the friction between the T. S. and the G. D.
Nor was Firth alone in his attitude. F. D. Harrison was censured by
Miss Horniman for 'Jeering at Ceremonies' : he had spoken "as if the
Ceremonies were only foolish mummeries in his eyes"; and for disrespect to
the Second Order : "daring to question V. H. Frater Sapere Aude 's conduct in
writing to Horus Temple ." She concluded that "this Frater is I imagine , a
man who requires to learn to obey his superiors and acknowledge them as
such and also to be taught that unless Kabbalistic Truths are welcome to him,
he must be expelled fro m our Order."
In both cases , however, there was rather more to the affair than a mere
cavalier attitude to the Golden Dawn . The Corresponding Secretary of
Bradford Lodge was Mrs . Cooper-Oakley who seems t o have disparaged the
Golden Dawn in remarks made to the Lodge: as both Firth and Harrison were
hostile , or at least indifferent, to the masonic ethos that Pattinson wished to
maintain in Horus , and as both of them evidently preferred the Eastern path
of occultism, they inevitably sided with Mrs. Cooper-Oakley.
Westcott was extremely distressed by the affair. On 2 October 1892 he
had a meeting with Annie Besant - a chief of the Theosophical Society -in his
capacity of "Interceder between the Hermetic Order of the G. D. and the
Theosophical Society".
She was wholly sympathetic, promising "to
12
expostulate with Mrs. C. 0." and saying that "she would not suffer any one
to tamper with the good feeling which had always subsisted between the two
Societies." (See Appendix C for the full text of Westcott's Report of this
meeting)
The uproar in Horus was far more serious and on October 21st Westcott
took over from Athe rton as Imperator, travelling to Bradford in November to
address the members. In the course of his Address (29) Westcott admonished
the members over the recent dissension : he told them that the Order "will be
always host ile to the pupil who will not be content with the privileges of his
grade , and will demand his submission , or will request him to depart in
peace" and that they "have a duty to perform, in suppressing all attempts of
fellow members to dictate to your officers, whether such to Bro. Judge and
A. B., or the adepts of the G. D. of England." He warned them also to "avoid
making unwise and invidious comparisons between our Order and the great
Theosophical Society", and pointed out that "the Heads of the Eastern
School of Theosophy [by which name the Esoteric Section was now known]
will not tolerate any levity at their meetings, nor will the G. D. Chiefs; for
each society has an object which is serious and is solemn, and which is carried
out with earnestness. The G. D. Adepti have felt that the laudable endeavours
of the E. S. to insist upon due decorum at meetings should be supported by
corresponding efforts on their part" , adding that "there is certainly no
opening fo r anyone to leave this Hall for such reasons, and think he can go
ove r to the T. S. and carry out his fancies there ." All of which he was justified
in saying because , " I was invited to admission to the E. School, have been
honoured with high office in it, and with advancemen t in Grades in it , and so
I am as competent as any Theosophist here present to speak with auth ority as
to what A. B. & W. Q. J . will suffe r, an d what they will forbid."
Prior to this meeting Firth had left the Golden Dawn , having refused to
submit to authority although he had undertaken " never to do anything to
disturb the harmony between the two societies." Harrison , who had been
suspended, chose instead to send in "a letter of cordial acquiescence in the
ruling of our Chiefs" but it was a worthless submission for he never intended
to abide by it.
Matters did not improve , and in March 1893 Mathers, who was far more
intemperate in his language than was Westcott, acted as Hierophant at the
Equinox Meeting of Horus and berated the members for breaking "the clause
of the (Neophyte] 0=0 Obligation binding them to keep secret the proceedings of the Temple from any member who had resigned, demitted or been
expelled; for that Oliver Firth had been informed of S. A.'s speech on the
occasion." Three other members had resigned (Harrison, John Midgeley and
13
Edward Mackey - Mackey later rejoined) and if further betrayals of Order
proceedings occurred, "the Temple would assuredly be suspended" . Mathers
also reminded them yet again "that the heads of the Theosophical Society
past and present, had been and were in amity with the Chiefs of our own
Order , who on their side had recognised the late Madame Blavatsky at a time
when she was exposed to much obloquy and slander" , and he told them that
Annie Besant "had recommended persons to join our Order, as we on our side
had in many cases done in previous instances." (30)
But whatever harmony subsisted between the Chiefs of the respective
Orders did not percolate down to the ordinary members. Such bad feeling
built up in Bradford Lodge that a group of members resigned , and in August
1893 founded a new Lodge, named Athene . {31) Of its twelve founding
members, seven were active in Horus but had resigned from Bradford Lodge.
A split of this nature- effectively between Eastern and Western paths- served
only to weaken the Theosophical Society in the city and both Lodges slowly
declined. The moribund Athene eventually amalgamated with a revived
Bradford Lodge in 1902, the original Bradford Lodge having closed down in
1898. If such was a victory for 'western' occultists, it was a hollow victory
indeed.
Westcott made no further attempt to reconcile the two factions in
Bradford, and while they were busily rending themselves apart he tried to put
the amity between the Golden Dawn and the Eastern School to some use. In
October 1893 he founded the small Ananda Lodge of the E. S. , composed of
men only, with himself as President and Percy Bullock - the Cancellarius, or
Secretary, of lsis-Urania Temple - as Secretary. A third Golden Dawn
member, Frederick Leigh Gardner , joined in July 1894, but Robert Roy ,
who had been active in the early days of the Order, declined to join and
Ananda Lodge did not thrive. To some extent this was probably due to the
autocratic rule of Annie Besant, with which the members had been unhappy
from the outset- perhaps because it seemed so similar to that of Mathers in the
Golden Dawn. Initially Percy Bullock had drafted a specific Constitution for
Ananda Lodge but this was rejected by Mrs. Besant; Bullock, however, was
reluctant to accept that preparing a Constitution for the Lodge was contrary
to the rules of the E. S. and in February 1894, J . C. Keightley (acting on
Annie Besant's behalf) complained to Bullock, "I seem_to fail to make you
understand that E. S. T. Lodges have no Constitutions; it is not permitted" .By
November 1895 individuality had conquered submission and the Ananda
Lodge was disbanded. (32)
Here the story of the Golden Dawn and the Esoteric Section comes to
an end , for there were no further official contacts between them.
14
They represented not so much incompatible ways of occultism as
parallel paths for quite incompatible personalities. The Golden Dawn
appealed principally to the occultist who wished to be his own master and to
explore the spiritual world in his own manner, while the Esoteric Section
satisfied those who wanted the glamour of secrecy, but coupled with occult
dogmas revealed by hidden Masters. In a sense the two ways were analogous
to the Christian concepts of Salvation by Works and Salvation by Faith- but
it is not for me to place one above the other.
15
NOTES
1.
Vol. 4, No. 22, pp 350-351
2.
The Ros. Crux Fratres deserve further study than they have yet received.
Their journal, The Lamp of Thoth, was weighted toward Western
occultism but contained much on Indian magical practices and would
undoubtedly have appealed to Theosophists. It is also a tantalising
possibility that the Secretary of the 'Society of the Dew and Light' David Lund, of Fern Cottage, Keighley - was related to the printer,
Percy Lund, who, in 1902 became the first president of the revived
Bradford Lodge of the Theosophical Society, and who, in 1908,
applied for admission to A. E. Waite's branch of the Golden Dawn, the
Independent and Rectified Rite.
3.
Olcott, Old Diary Leaves, 189 5, Vol. 1 , p 121.
4.
ibid. p 401.
5.
Maitland, AnnaKingsford, Third edition, 1913 Vol. 2,p 103.
6.
Originally they intended the society to be the 'Hermetic Lodge' of the
T. S., but as Maitland explained in a letter published in Light, Vol. 4,
No. 174, 3 May, 1884, p 182, a rule had been laid down that "no
Fellow of [the T.S.] can belong to more than one of its lodges or
branches at the same time" and those who were already members of the
London Lodge had no wish (at that time) to leave it.
7.
The prospectus was printed in full in Light, Vol. 4, No. 175, 10 May,
1884, p 186.
8.
Light, Vol. 4, No. 176, 17 May 1884, p 198.
9.
The petition was printed in facsimile and transcript in Blavatsky:
Collected Wn"tings, Vol. 6, 1954, pp 250-256. It is interesting to note
that two of the signatories, Ralph Palmer-Thomas and Isabelle de Steiger
later joined the Golden Dawn- as did W. F. Kirby, the first Secretary of
the Hermetic Society.
10.
Mathers read two papers: The Kabala, on 3 June , 1886, and The
Physical Alchemy, vn 8 July. Westcott's paper, read on 29 July, was
entitled The Sepher Jetzirah, a Rabbinical Treatise on Creation.
11.
Maitland to Westcott, 30 October, 1888. The letter is in Private
Collection C having been among Westcott's private papers. The bulk of
the Golden Dawn archives are contained in three private collections,
16
designated A, Band C in order to preserve the anonymity of their
keepers. An analysis of the contents is given in my Golden Dawn
Companion (Wellingborough, Aquarian, 1987).
12.
The Historical Lecture is printed as Appendix Bin The Golden Dawn:
Twilight of the Magicians. (Aquarian, 1983) by the present writer.
13.
There were theoretically ten grades, corresponding to the Sephiroth of
the Kabbalistic Tree of Ufe, in the Golden Dawn and the R. R. et A. C.
but only seven were practically attainable. These were: Neophyte,
Zelator, Practicus, Philosophus, Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major and
Adeptus Exemptus. The letters are given in translation in Howe, The
Magicians of the Golden Dawn. {1972, reprinted Aquarian, 1985) and in
Gilbert, The Golden Dawn (op. cit.)
14.
Lucifer, Vol. 3, No. 14, 15 October, 1888, pp 89-93.
15.
The date is given in Westcott's manuscript Roll of Officers (Private
Collection C).
16.
This refers to the bogus 'Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor' founded by
one Peter Davidson and with a 'convicted felon' - T. H. Dalton, alias
Burgoyne - as Secretary. Ayton had become involved in it before he
discovered its true nature.
17.
Sinnett, The Early Days of Theosophy in Europe, (1922) p 89.
18.
The Pledges of the Theosophical Society, the Esoteric Section and the
Golden Dawn are printed in full as Appendix A. For Yeats's attitude
see Ellman, Yeats, the Man and the Masks ( 1949) p 6 7.
19.
Ayton to Gardner, undated but early in May, 1889. The letter is printed
in Howe (ed .), The Alchemist of the Golden Dawn , the Letters of the
Revd. W. A. Ayton to F. L. Gardner and others , 1886- 1905.
(Aquarian, 1985), pp 29-30. The original is in the Yorke Collection at
the Warburg Institute.
20.
Address to the Fratres of Isis Urania Temple at the Equinox (Spring)
1891. The manuscript is in Private Collection C.
21.
The Address of G. H. F. Sapere Aude to Horus Temple, Nov. 13. 1892.
The manuscript is in Private Collection C.
22.
The examination paper, together with Westcott's replies (dated
June 1890, is preserved with others of Westcott's papers in the library
of the United Grand Lodge of England.
17
23.
Annie Besant and G. R. S. Mead to Westcott, 19 August 1890. The
letter is in Private Collection A.
24.
Pattinson to Westcott, 27 March 1888. The letter is in Private
Collection C.
25.
Ayton, G. D. Address to Horus {1890) The manuscript is in Private
Collection C.
26.
The 'new premises' were at 19 Avenue Road, St. John's Wood, London,
and as they were occupied by June 1890, Ayton's address was probably
delivered in March or April. The room to which he refers was built for
the Esoteric Section and its construction is described in Lucifer, Vol. 6,
No. 34, 15 June, 1890, p 342.
27.
Olcott thought highly of Oliver Firth and included a portrait of him in
Volume 4 of Old Diary Leaves ; it is placed facing p 206.
28.
V. H. Soror Fortiter et Recte. Report Oct 1892 Re Horus. The
manuscript is in Private Collection A.
29.
See Note 21 , above.
30.
Report on the present state of Horus Temple No. 5. Mar 25/93. The
manuscript is in Private Collection C.
31.
Details of both Lodges are given in Clayton, History of the Theosophical
Movement in Bradford 1891-1941 (1941). Accounts of meetings
appear in contemporary issues of The Vahan.
32 .
A copy of the Rules of the Lodge is in Private Collection A. Westcott 's
letter to Gardner concerning his admission is in the Yorke Collection at
the Warburg Institute.
APPENDIX A (on pages following, 19, 20, 21 and 22)
The Pledges of the Theosophical Society, the Esoteric Section and the Golden Dawn.
(1882)
(1891)- by which time
(1888)
was known as the
Eastern School of Theosophy)
18
APPENDIX A (continued)
PLEDGE FORM, 1888
Order of the G. D.
For the purpose of the study of Occult Science, and the further investigation
of the Mysteries of Ufe and Death, and our Environment, permission has
been granted by the Secret Chiefs of the R. C. to certain Fratres learned in
the Occult Sciences, (and who are also members of the Soc. Ros. in Ang.) to
work the Esoteric Order of the G. D. in the Outer; to hold meetings thereof
for Study; and to initiate any approved person Male and Female , who will
enter into an Undertaking to maintain strict secrecy regarding all that
concerns it. Belief in One God necessary . No other restrictions.
N. B. This Order is not established for the benefit of those who desire only a
superficial Knowledge of Occult Science.
Preliminary Pledge to be signed by Intending Candidate .
I the undersigned do hereby solemnly pledge myself:
(1) That I am above the age of 21 years.
(2) That I join this Order of my own free will and accord.
(3) To keep secret this Order, its Name , its Members , and its Proceedings,
from every person outside its pale ; and even from Initiates unless in actual
possession of the Pass-Word for the time being. I further promise to keep
secret any information relative to this Order which may become known to me
before my admission; and I also pledge myself to divulge nothing whatsoever
to the outside World concerning this Order in case either of my Resignation ,
Demission, or Expulsion therefrom.
( 4) I undertake to prosecute with zeal the study of the Occult Sciences.
( 5) If accepted as a Candidate, I undertake to persevere through the
Ceremony of my Admission.
(Signature in full : =)
Dated this
day of
18
I select the following for my Motto:(Motto, Latin preferable : =)
I desire that all communication may be addressed to me as under:( Address in full : =)
[This was the first version of the Pledge Form to be issued.
from a manuscript in Westcott's hand.]
19
~t
was cyclostyled
[Reset for publication, 1987]
FORMS OF APPLICATION AND OBLIGATION.
(Form A.)
APPLICATION FOR FELLOWSHIP
I, ... .. ............. ... ..... .. ...... .... ..... ... .... ......... ...................... ............. ...
being in sympathy with the objects of the Theosophical
Society, hereby make application for admission as a
fellow thereof
P. 0. Address.
{
We, the undersigned, Fellows of the Theosophical
Society, hereby certify that .. ........ ......... ........... ... ... ..... ..... ... .
a candidate for admission to the said Society, is a person
of good character and, to the best of our belief, in every
way worthy of enrolment in it as a Fellow.
*
Dated at .. ...... ... ... this .. ..... .. ... ... day of .. .. ..... ..... 188
This Application must be accompanied with the Initiation FeeTen Rupees.
* This recommendation must be signed by at least two fellows.
20
(Fonn B.)
OBLIGATION
I, ... ... ........ ... ....... ............. ......... ............... .... ............. .. ...... .
an applicant for fellowship in the Theosophical Society ,
do hereby give to the President individually, and to
each and every one who now is or may be accepted hereafter as a fellow of the said Society, my most solemn
and sacred promise that whatsoever information connected
with the legitimate philosophical work or researches of the
Society may be communicated to me , as a member of the
Society, with an intimation that it must not be revealed,
I will faithfully keep secret, allowing no one, under
any pretext, or by any threat or promise, to extort the
same from me.
For the faithful performance of this promise, I do
PLEDGE
hereby, in the presence of these witnesses,
MY WORD OF HONOR.
Dated at .... .. ... ........ this .. ...... .. ... .. day of .......... ...... 188
In presence of
21
[If the candidate decides to join this School after careful study of the subjoined
Memonnda and Rules, this Pledge is to ~ written out in full in the hand11'T'iting
of the candidate, and signed with his name in full, including all middle names,
and such signed Pledge is to be sent in accordance with the directions found
·
within the Rules.]
PLEDGE OF PROBATIONERS
IN THE
~~~ii~~INI ~CCIMIO<OIL
©Ir
TIMI~O~O~IMIYo
I. I pledg-e myself to endeiZf!our to make Theosophy a ltving
pr;wer i11 my life.
2. I pledge myself to support hifore the world tlte Tlteosoplrical
movement, and rn partzcular to anSfiJer and ohe;·, 1Dt"tlrout cavr1 or
dela_y, all orders g-rven me tlrrou~h the outer Heads of tJris School, zn
all that concerns my Tlreosophzcal duh"es and Esoterzc work, so jar as
I can do so wz"tlrout vzolatz·n g my post"hve oh/i"g-ahons under tire moral
law and tlte /a11Js of the land j and I expressly agree tJrat I may
he expelled from the School and tJrat tlte fact of such expulszon
may be made kno11Jn to its members, sltould I malate tins pledge of
obedience and secrecy.
J. I pledge myself never to Hsten,. 11Jt.tltout protest, to any evil
tln1zg- sjoken falsely, or yet unprOflen, of a lwotlter Theosopltist,
and to abstazn from condemnzng others.
4· I pledge m;•self to matnfat"n a constant strug-g-le against my
/()fl}er natz1re, and to be chan·tab/e to the Tl!eaknesses of otlters.
s. I pledge myself to do all zn my jxniJer, hy study and otlterwzse,
tn fit myself to kelp and teach otlters.
6. I pledge myself to pve what support I can to the Tlreosopht'cal
movement, tn tt'me, money, and 111ork.
7. I pledge myself to preseroe t'nviolahle secrecy as regards tlte
signs and passwords of the School and all confidential documents;
and to return tire latter to one of tlu outer Heads of tlte Se/tool, or
tltez·r agents, zn case of my resignation, or •/ten reiJuested by them
to do so.
To all of Tlllnch I pledge my most solemn and sacred tJJord of
h011011r.
So lrelj me, my Higlter Self.
Dated at __________________ J/ze _ _
day of
-----------------------I89I.
Name in jtl/1_ _ _. - - - - - · - - - - - - - - - - Please state :
r. W Aat is yow,. a,f l 1
.
~.
yo• a mem6n- D.fa B"a'""· T. S. a11ti wlaicla, tW tir1
J. A,., yo• marri1ti or s;,K/11
Puu1 snul :ftll'"' jMIDr"aJk.
A,.,
22
·
7• •• •uthJclalti F. T. S.f
APPENDIX B
The announcement of the formation of the E. S. Lucifer, Vol. 3, No . 14
p 176. It is not dated but Olcott gives the date as October 9th (Old Diary
Leaves, Vol. 4, p 60)
THE ESOTERIC SECTION OF THE
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
-----:0:-----
Owing to the fact that a large number of Fellows of the Society have felt
the necessity for the formation of a body of Esoteric Students, to be
organised on the ORIGINAL LINES devised by the real founders of the T. S. ,
the following order has been issued by the President founder :I. To promote the esoteric interests of the Theosophical Society by the
deeper study of esoteric philosophy, there is hereby organised a body,
to be known as the "Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society."
11. The constitution and sole direction of the same is vested in Madame
H. P. Blavatsky, as its Head; she is solely responsible to the Members
for results; and the section has no official or corporate connection
with the Exoteric Society save in the person of the President-Founder.
Ill.
Persons wishing to join the Section , and willing to abide by its
rules, should communicate directly with :- Mme . H. P. Blavatsky,
17 Lansdowne Road, Holland Park, London , W.
(Signed) H. S. Olcott,
President in Council.
Attest:- H. P. Blavatsky.
23
APPENDIX C
Westcott's report to the Adepts of the RR et AC on relations with the T. S.
On the day of Sol. and Second of October , 1892 the G. H. Fra. Non
omnis moriar (1) reports that in the capacity of Interceder between the
Hermetic Order of the G. D. and the Theosophical Society, he sought an
interview and was at once most cordially received by its chief in England Annie Besant. He explained that a discordant note had been introduced into
the Horus Temple, by means of remarks made by a Mrs. C. 0. (2), a prominent Theosophist , and late councillor of H. P. Blavatsky - remarks whose
tenor he deemed a contravention of the Compact of Mutual Toleration, which
had been made by Sapere Aude (3) on behalf of the G. D., on the one handand H. P. B. on behalf of the T. S. on the other hand.
Annie Besant immedi-ately disclaimed any wish to permit any word or
act in opposition to the alliance; expressed herself as well satisfied with the
status quo ; promised to expostulate with Mrs. C. 0.; and said she would not
suffer any one to tamper with the good feeling which had always subsisted
between the two Societies.
The G. H. Fra. and Adeptus Exemptus, desires to acquaint the College
of Adepti, with the assurance that he is fully persuaded of the Bona Fides of
Annie Besant as Chief of the T. S. and suggests that it would be well at the
next G. A. Assembly to call the attention of the Members to the existence of
the Alliance , and call upon them to take care that they offend not agst. the
doctrine of mutual respect and Toleration; else the Adepti will not be in a
position to protest against any subsequent infringement by members of the
T.S.
All which is submitted
with respect by
N. 0. M. 7=4
duly constituted Intercessor between
the G. D. and the T. S.
NOTES
1) i.e. 'Greatly Honoured Frater' - 'Non omnis moriar' was Westcott's
motto in the Second Order; his being that of Adeptus Exemptus, 7=4.
2) i.e. Mrs. Isabelle Copper-Oakley
3) i.e. Westcott; 'Sapere Aude' was his motto in the Outer Order.
24
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THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY
Theosophical History is an independent quarterly journal
launched in January 1985 which reports on the expanding histor. ical study of the Theosophical Movement - the persons and impulses associated with H. P. Blavatsky who founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. It prints original papers and hitherto
unpublished archives; reviews; and news of research throughout
the world. It also reprints important inaccessible material. Without dwelling on personalities for their own sake, it seeks to aid the.
historical assessment of such pioneers as Alice Bailey, Annie
Besant, W. Q. Judge, J. Krishnamurti, C. W. Leadbeater, G. R. S.
Mead and Rudolf Steiner. By arrangement with the Society for
Psychical Research, most issues carry an unpublished item from its
files on theosophical phenomena. The journal is sympathetically
neutral to the different expressions of Theosophy, and seeks to
promote the common historical enterprise by Theosophists and
non-Theosophists alike.
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