Te HERMETIC BROTHERHOOD or LuxorTar HERMETIC BroTHERHOOD or Luxor Initiatic and Historical Documents of an Order of Practical Oceultism Joscelyn Godwin, Christian Chanel, Joha B Deveney 2B SAMUEL WESER, ING. York Beach, MaineFist publahedia 195 Shue Wee Ie “York Beach Maine oon0612 Copyih ©1995 Christin Cane Jam Pack Deveney aselyn Godwin {All ght roerved. No pat of ths book may be reproduced or ‘ranted inany frm orb any met econ chan Incuding photocopying. recording orb any iormation trast ld etieval sat, wits paris n weg om stn ‘ier Reviewers may gust tll passages Lia of Congres Cini Pteatn Date ‘Hotmail shite doce ‘usr sn of rsa cn Fee ye Godwin, Christian Chanel, John Patrick Deveney. - Ince gap ec nd index 1 Shen endef Line- eo Suc, 2. Hat rae oir ay Sa Finesse Gain sacha Cvinin Brey iano isn 978 259 tarde ind avosraesse taped e ‘Typeset in poe ating ‘Prin inthe United tte of Amero ‘The paper used inthis publication mets the minim require: ttre Ameean National tna for Permanence oF {erPrine Livny Motes 238081988 i. ‘Tats oF CONTENTS List of stration nnn raface. ne : ANote on Sources. ‘Acknowledgments wus = a PART 1. AN ORDER OF PRACTICAL OCCULTISM. 1. First Public Appearance of the H. B.of L 2. The Question of Origin onsennnnnnrnnnnnnnn 3. Identity of Max Theor. |k.Theon’s Early Activities . : 5. Theon and the H.B.of Ls a 6 Peter Davidson in Scotland. ——s 7. Peter Davidson in America. 8. Thomas H. Burgoyne... ao 9. Paschal Beverly Randolph 2 10, TheSecret Documents 1, Metaphysics of the H. 8 of L : 12 The HB. of L. and Theosophical Docttine. nas BZ 13. Emma Hardinge Britten and the "Hidden Hand! cw. 56 1 Influence of the H-B. of ewan = 15, The Practical Magic ofthe i. B. of L = PART 2. THE SECRET MANUSCRIPTS pyrRoDucTION. e v= 81 INMATIC MATERALS (A1) a 3 “To Whom It May Concern” (A.1.a), 8 “The Anclent and Noble Order ofthe H. B.of L.” (A.1), 85 Origin and Object ofthe H. B. of L” (A.L.), 92 “List of Questions tobe put to Neophytes in Grade” (A.1.4), 98 “The Hermetic Ritual for Private Initiation of Neophytes” (Ate), 101 Tine Rites and Ceremony for Exterior Initiation” (A..0, 10714 0 TABLEOF CONTENTS tpsrnucTONS PYSINBOU AND COSMOLOGY (8.2) ane 2D sme Nata to nt Deper" (aN 1A “epetrenc y= (Ab) The Key eae ee Rivonia (az) 178 Reetavon (A 88 pemUeTONe IN PRACTAL CCT (A) anne 14 Sagi Mire” (nal 1 sr etter Ew (AB) 213 eee 27 Cege Ft Dee, 239 Sr ecm Begone Arcanum) 234 Grade Tin agin try ofa) Dl Seal Come Biter amt Taning 271 append 2 PART 3. THE HISTORY OF THE H. B. OF L, IN DOCUMENTS PRECURSORS OF THEH. BLOF L (B.D onsen 281 ‘Occultism Defined by Emma Hardinge Britten (B..a), 281 Gleott Discovers the Brotherhood of Luxor (B.2.b), 288 Mackervie’s Definitions (B.1.), 280 Blavatsky Defines the Brotherhood of Luxor (B.1.d),292 en rs ie ene iC Bech Ate Hts, eee Fee EO a ogee cee eres ‘THE COLONY (8.4). = 34 ‘The Colony Proposed (Ba), 318 [An Enquiry and an Answer (4b), 318 ‘More Promises (B40), 322 The Principals Move to America (B-4.), 323 Some Clarifications B.4.), 324 Davidson's Budget (8.4.9, 325 ‘The “Colony” Established (B 4g), 328, ‘Tite POLEMIC WITH THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY (B85) eee 329 ‘An Invitation Renewed (B 5a) 329 Judge Utters a Warning (8.5), 390 ‘The. B. of L Defines self (8.5), 351 ‘The H.B. of L Defines the Theosophical Society (8.5.8), 333 ‘An Apology (B52), 334 ‘A Peace Offer (85, 235 ‘The H.B.ofL Beyond East and West (B5.g), 338, ‘Peace Ofer Rejected (B58), 340 Blavataky’s Suspicions (5), 341 Discovery oF BURGOYNE's CONVICTION BY THE THEOSOPHISTS (8.6) evn 38 Blavatsky Unters a Waming (B.é.a), 343 “Ayton Identifies Burgoyne (8.63), 345 Frauds and Black Magic (6.6), 347 Burgoyne’s Conviction (86.4), 349 Burgoyne’s Police Record (B.6¢), 351 Ayton’ Experiences (8.6.1), 352 Fryar Dissodiates Himself (8.6), 355 ida Threat (B.6h), 356 Blake Tries to Summarize the Affair (B.6.), 359 Another Summary of the Affair (8.61), 365. Blavatsky's Last Word on the Affair (8.6m), 370, Olcow’s Version of the Affair (Bn), 373 ‘THE H.B, OF LIN AMERICA AND FRANCE (B.) sennenn 973 Davidson Oifers Books and Crystals (B73), 375, Burgoyne Answers an Enquirer (B.7.b), 377 Johnson Answers an Enguirer (87.0) 379Barlet Answers an Enquirer (B74), 381 Davidson Counsels a Neophyte (87.0) 384 Papus Publicize the H. B.of (87, 388 Barle’s Summary ofthe H.B. of L.'s History (B7.g), 390 CChintamon Yet Again (B27), 396 REACTIONS T0 THE LIGHT OF EGYPT (B8) scene 9 ‘William Q. Judge (8.8), 399 H.-P. Blavatsky (B80), 402 ‘Anonymous Theosophist (8.8.<), 405 GIRS. Mead (88d), 407 Emma Hordinge Britten (8.8), 419 Post. MonreM DEBATES (B39). : ses 42D H,B.OfL. and Brotherhood of Luxor Equated (B9.a), 432 Waite's Summary of the Affair (890), 424 Barlet and Iiitie Societies (89.0), 428, Some Corrections (9.4), 435, Gusnon Tells All (8.9. 438 BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX OF NAMES os o vn 449 ILLUSTRATIONS Max Theo Peter Davidcon ‘Thomas H. Burgoyne. Paschal Beverly Randoph beRs PREFACE “The Hermetic Brotherhood of Laxor was an order of practical ‘oceultism, active inthe last decades of the 9th century. le aught its members how to lead a way of ife most favorable to spiritual evelopment, and gave them detailed instructions in how to cule tivate occult powers by working on their own. It differed from contemporary movements such as the Theosophical Society {(ounded 1875), whose teachings (at least after ite earliest phase) ‘were philosophical rather than practical, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1888), whose activities were socal and ceremonial ‘The “H. B. of L.” (as it was always known) succeeded in enrolling a Surprising numberof influential people, who caried forward its training and its doctrines into many ther esoteric movements of the 20th century. Its private snd individual ‘nature, and the mystery that still partially surrounds its Grand Master Max Theon, are among the reasors why it has remained soobacure. Weiterson the history ofthe Theosophical movement dismiss the H. B. of L; Golden Dawn scholars ignore it Most of the information available up to now comes from inadequate or untrustworthy sourees. We hope to have remedied the situation with this dossier, which has been compiled from a scholarly point of view and in the interests of intellectual history. Part 1 gives an account of the H.B.of L, its prineipal characters its relationship to other ‘groups, and its doctrines, Part 2 presents (where available) the Driginal English texts of the manuscript inetnactions that were circulated to the membership. Part 3s historical dossier, com- prising some fity tems that iDustrate the changing fortunes of the Brotherhood, its internal affairs, and especialy its conflict with the Theosophical Society. With this material now made available, the importance of the H. B. of L. will ne longer bein ‘question, and future studies of itcan be conducted ona firm doc- mentary basis ‘Our work is the result of cooperation across the Boundaries of language, nationality, and the professions. Mr. Chanel isthe author of a doctoral dissertation, “De la ‘Fraternité Hermétique ‘de Louxor’ au Mouvement Cosmigue': YOeuvre de Max Théon (contribution 3 Vétude des courants ésotériques en Europe 3 lafin du XiXtme sce et au début du XXxéme sitelo)” accepted by the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Sciences Religieuses (Sor, ‘bonne),in 1995. Graduated from the Ecole Nationale d’ Adminis: tration, he isa Judge in the Administrative Appeals Court of lyon, France, Me. Deveney did graduate studies at the University ‘of Chicago under Mircea Blade before entering the profession of law, Formerly Assistant United States Attorney in New Orleans ‘he is now in private law practice in New York City. Mr. Godwin. was bom in England, came to the United States in 1965, and Professor of Music at Colgate University, New York State He has Published widely on musicand the Wester esoteric traditions A NOTE oN Sources Public discussion of the H.B. of L. began with wo easly books by René Guénon that have never been translated into English. Ref- ferences to tare tobe found in his books on Shy (Guénon 1982, 14, 23-26, 31 36, 95, 99, 118,120,138, 207, 299-300, 319) and ‘on spirtualises (Guénon 1952, 20.21, 233). Guénon hints in these books about what the H. B. of L was and who belonged to it, probably basing his statements on the very documents that aze ‘now in the Bibliotheque Municipale de Lyon (see Introduction to Part 2), as well as on what he learned from Barlet, Narad Man's article, and C. G. Harrison's The Transcendental Universe [see 'B9.cel- Even given these sources, iis impossible to see how he came by some of his conclusions—and confusions. Guénon’s fccount of the H. B, of L has been treated as canonical by most French writers on the subject. “The second source of information isin the works of R. Swin- ‘burne Clymer, founder of the Rosierucian Fraternity Dased in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Clymer had access to documents of the H.B. of Land to information fram ex-members of thatand of Randolph's group, But his object in writing about the Order and its leaders in his three-volume survey of esoteric movements (see Clymer 1947, II, 80-82, 215-232), was not to serve the needs of scholars, but to support his own claim tobe the chief holder of the Rosicrucian lineage. For Clymer, the H.B. of L, and the H. . of A.L and E, to which he belonged, were merely “exoterc” doors to the esotere truths taught in his Roslcrucian groups. "A primary source has appeared recently in French (H. B. of 11988). Edited anonymously, this is an edition ofthe H. B. of [Lvs manuscripts as cireulated in Preneh during the 1880s and 1890s, Tt has an anonymous Intcoduction based uneritically on Guénon’s statements and containing other errors. Mr. Chane''s review of this publication (Chanel 1989) shows that the manu- Scripts were obtained from Paschal Thémanlys and members of the Movement Cosmique and completed by thoze in the Lyon collection—-without any acknowledgment. Dr. Massimo Intro- vigne has called our attention to another anonymous edition of the H.B. of L. manuseripts in the Lyon collection: I mamoseritt dell Hermetic Brotherhood of Lazar: scope pratche (Milano: Agape, rnd). Another translation, with minor variants, from the Lyon ‘manuscript is Peter Davideon, Gli Specchi Magic. Legg fechiice ‘operation (Genova: Phoenix, n.d)ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “The thtee editors would like to thank the following individuals and institutions for their assistance, while assuming responsibi- ity for any errors in this work Me. Cheistopher Bamford (The Lindisfarne P Mr. David Blackley Board (The Smithsonian : IM. Jean Pierce Beach (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes) Bishop T Allen Greenfield, D.D. (Atlanta) ‘Mr. John Harnil (Grand Lodge Library, London); Mr. Glen Houghton, of Samuel Weiser (Antiquarian), Inc; ‘Mr. Paul Johnson (South Boston Public Library), 1M Jean-Pierre Laurant (Ecole Pratique des Hates Etudes); ‘The late Mme. Jackie Séménof, for permitting Mr. Chanel 9 consi the archives of Max Thon, 1M. Pascal Thémanlys Gecusalem); M. Laszlo Toth (Paris); Colgate University Research Council, fora grant enabling ‘Me. Godwin o study the HB, of L documents in Lyon: Bibliothaque Municipale de Lyon; Grand Lodge Library, Freemasons’ Hall, London; ‘The Houghton Library, Harvard University; ‘The Theosophical Society, Adyar, Madras, AN ORDER OF PRACTICAL OCCULTISM1. FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE OF THE HL B. OF L. “The H.B.of L. first came to notice in the latter part of 1884, when a discrect advertisement appeared in an English edition of The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, Ie invited aspirants to contact a mysterious personage called Theosi or ‘Theon, inthe care of the publisher or an American agent [see items A.1.a and Bb in this dossier). The curious would-be ‘occult would thea receives letter from an individual acting on the "Grand Master's" behalf, asking fora photograph and anatal horoscope so that it might be seen whether he or she was suited for occultsm. Failing that, the aspirant was to send the necessary information for drawing up a horoscope, together with a small fe forthe service [see B7.a,<]. No list of members survives, but we know that some applicants were rejected," which lends at least an appearance of good faith to an organization that was fre- quently dismissed by its enemies as a money-making fraud ‘While most European members were men, women predomi nated in America ‘Those who were accepted a8 neophytes received in due course their intiatic materials: pledges, questionnaires, and the revelation of the H. B. of L's te name and degrees, The name ‘as given ona slip of paper that was tobe burmed afer reading. ‘After a delay sometimes amounting to year, the rituals for sel initiation were dieclosed [4.1] Having established contact with a named representative of the Brotherhood, the neophyte would enter into regular corre- spondence with his or her mentor, who in turn would dispense fries of manuscripts seting forth the doctrines and occult prac tices of the Order. The basic manuscripts were already cizculat- ing by late 1884. Over the years they were supplemented by adaitional ones. All were designed to prepare the neophytes for ther eventual initiations and to aid them in progressing Exough the degrees and grades ofthe Brotherhood degrees and grades ‘eof these wes the publisher RA. Canpl [eB] Others were. HF, ler amon the olen Un ate ro WA Aon oar wnamed Aer ‘py fy 0 an tau tern am Ranta Ae Siti Mam er) Unread ne© pant i aNORDEROF PRACTICALOCCULTN which were seen as paralleling the possibilities of the human sate [see Section 1, below]. These manuscript teachings were given under a pledge of secrecy which was almost universally [preserved inviolate. [tis thus only by great good fortune that a Etmost complete set of them survives, ‘In many cases, the mentor would be someone already {known tothe neophyte, and their relationship would be frlenaly and often facetoface. Such was the situation in England, hers the HB. of L's agent was the Rev. William Alexander Ayton man of wide acquaintance in the worlds of occultisen and “fringe” Masonry and in France, where the agent was the smn larly well-connected Albert Faucheux (known s8-"F-Ch Basie) Both these men encouraged their confrees tojoin the new Broth: exhood, and explained its workings in easy and informal terme 167.4}, When they could not answer their neophytes” questions, ‘someone higher up in the Brotherhood might respond person. ally [see Bl ‘The work of the occultiss was a small one, and a single per son might well belong to several different societies and have a ‘passing acquaintance with most oftheir members, Word of the HLB. of L. would have got around quickly in those circles, Bet the object ofthe H.B of L. was not to become yet another clique in London or Pais. Iwas to teach practical occultism to indived, tals, and this wes why it appealed not only to lonely aspirants living far from the metropolis, but also to people who were already inthe occult network. The fact that its practical ccaltemn inightinvolvenotonly the development of clairvoyance Suowgh using the “magicmirrer,"butalsosex and drugs, explains whit ‘was velled in secrecy, and why, when this vellwas penetrated, it aroused strong emotians. ‘There is no mystery about the people behind this effort of the period 1884-1886, Until mid-1886, the "Provincial Grand Master forthe North” was Peter Davidson,* based in Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland. The “Provincial Grand Master fo, the South” was the aforementioned Ayton, who was Vicar of ION ye ead amt wach nbs Aen a had Chacombe, neat Banbury, Oxfordshire. Thereafter Davidson becaine “President ofthe Exstern Section,” andl moved to Lanse: le, White County, Georgia, USA. The Secretary ofthe er teas another Scotsman, Thomas Fienry Burgoyne, who ieee moved tothe USA. in 1886 During 1885-1855, Davidson and Burgoyne produced The Occult Magazine, a monthly journal in which the H, Bot Seiressed a wider public Tey wrote many af ts snes urcer seuconyans, bt in correspondence ith neophytes a ata Eeyused heieownnames insho, we row how held Sat ‘operated from the tne it announced is existence, But inthe ‘tekground, and apparently superior fo Davidaon and Biss goyne there was the “Grand Master ofthe xteroe Ceeie= {Shown as“M. Theon.”® And there were many reminder that he Brotherhood had no arses overnight Deg seed nn ngage ate td ae Mex2. THE QUESTION OF ORIGINS ‘The HB. ofL. told its neophytes that they were joining the Exte For Circle ofa very ancien iniaic onder, which hed existed since before the time of Hermes Trismegistus (given as circa 600 BCE), What distinguished it from other historical orders suchas the Rosicrucians was that it had slvays stood outside any rel {gious affiliation (AL) As such its nearest relative in the West ‘was Freemasoney. But whatever Freemasonry might once have been, by thelater nineteenth century twas certainly nota source forocelt teachings “The H. B.of 'shistory as written by its eaders was naturally an exercise in myth-making, and as such is no better or worse than the foundation legends of Freemasonry itself Golomon’s ‘Temple, the murder of Hiram Abi, et). The very dating of the (Order's supposed foundation—4,320 years before 1881—issymn- bolic the first igure belonging fo one system of cosmic cycles {explained in 20], and the second to another, interlocking sys: tem{A.2c]. This auto-mythology served to place the HB of L init appropriate historical current, and also fo show sehich cur- seni itdid not want to be identified with, “The question of the .B. of Ls foundation date is nonethe- less an important one, for reasons arising out ofits rivalry with the Theosophical Society. H.P. Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott, wo founded the Theosophical Saciety ia New York in 1875, ‘were Buddhist who acknowledged the guidance of certain ‘Mabatmas or adepts in Tibet. From their point of view, the HB, SOIL, which they fist heard of tn 1885, was a sinister over of lov grade oocultism, newly invented as a mockery ofthe “real” Bre of Lon which ho pred hr on ete rarseatir[B.La-c ree ile freely acknowledging the existence of adept in the East the H.B. of stressed that twas a Western order, owing nothing fo the “Esoteric Buddhism’ of the Theosophists From the. B-of L's point of view, it was older than the Theosophical Society—not so'much by virtue ofan antiquity that was ceaely ythological, but simply because it claimed t9 have begun this phase ofits workin 1870{A.1.c}. In this view the “Brothethood of Tit Quismoworoniens ©? Luxoe” that brooded over the early Theosophical Society had ‘been the work ofthe same person oF persons. ‘Whether there was in fact any connection between the two ‘brotherhoods is one of the unsolved questions of esoteric history Its solution probsbly lies in an investigation ofthe state of West fern spiritualism in the decades prior 101875, which we will dis- ‘cuss in Section 13. ‘What is certain Is that once its public work began in 1885, the H. B. of L. developed with almost incredible speed into 2 powerful rival of the Theosophical Society. A majority of the Kinericen Board af Control ofthe latter had joined the FB. of. by 1886: they inclucied Mrs. Josephine Cables, Eliott B. Page, ‘Thomas Moore Johnson, Dr. Jirah Dewey Buck, and Wiliam B. Shelley. The fature leader ofthe Society in America, William Q. Judge, either sefused to join, as he maintained, or else was rejected, asthe H. BLof L. claimed [see BSD]. Less information is available about the Beiush Theosophists, but even Countess ‘Wachtmeister the faithful companion of Blavatsky’s last years, approached Ayton about joining:* Even more than the rival ‘der of the Golden Dawn, it was this mass movement of Theos- ‘ophists to the H.B. of L. that forced Blavatsky, against Olcot’s Will into founding an “Eastern or Esoteric School” within the ‘Theosophical Society in 1888 asa school of practical occultism ‘under her control—though her notion of "practical occultism,” ‘as her students soon found out, was far more cerebral than that of the H.B.of L ‘This enroliment of so many important Theosophists could nothavebeen achieved without some prior groundwork. David- {gon was a member of the Theosophical Society, and was making [his own reputation as an occult writer by the end of the 1870s Butbefore we describe his lfe and work, we must establish the role ofthe éminence grise behind the whole sfaie, whom The (Occult Magazine called the “exalted adept, M. Theon.” “agonal Annem apn 3 eptees 18 wenn Page ad Wake SEE SY pen dif gosin rin Shand Anca np 183. IDENTITY OF MAX THEON Better known through his ater work, Max Theon isan enigmatic character. The rae surviving photographs of him seem to depict ‘an initiate, while his life andl actions seem less akin to those of rmodem mages than to Niewsche's Zarathustra, Since the second ‘phase of his nitiatic wark (the "Mouvernent Cosmique,” which ‘Published his ideas under the name of "Philosophie Cosmique,” rough the journal Reoue Cosmigue and works such as La Tradi- tion Casmrique) was mainly dicted under the pseudonym of Ain ‘Aziz the link withthe H. B. of L. has been largely ignored. This is true even in France, where the movement was launched in the fisst years of our century, and where it has had a powerful, if subliminal influence. The Mouvement Cosmique, although pub- lic in character and more theoretical than practical in appear ance, was conceived by Theon and his wife a5 the continuation of the IL B. of L. What we know of Max Theor’s biography comes ‘mainly from there, in particular from his successor in the move- ‘ment L. M. Thémanlys, and from the latter's son Pascal Thé- ‘manlys [B.2<). Despite their information, Theon’s identity remains as unclear today as it was to his contemporaries In 1907, a French joumalist believed that he was right in saying that Theon was Jew ish, and originally from the Levant Mirra Alfassa, whom Theon trained in practical ocultism at Tlemcen, Algeria, during 1906 ‘and 1907, and whose knowledge thus gained was so important to Sri Aurobindo and the Pondicherry Ashram, recalled that hehed never told her his age, his place of birth, or who he really was. ‘She thought him tobe a Polish or Russian Jew.* When Thean was ‘married in London in 1885, he was obliged to fil out the marriage certificate [Ba] with his father’s and his own name, and his age. ‘These confirm the Polish Jewish identity, yet his age, given as 30, contradicts all of the three dates of birth that are ecorded ‘elsewhere: 17 November 1848, on his death certificate” 5 August ones onictenerierie "oneness tie 1847 on the Algerian Census of 19111 June 1850, according to an Algerian rabbi? The local paper in Algeria gave his age at ‘Boath 76, in March 1927, which agrees only with the last date? ‘Even Theon’s original name is uncertain, for the "Louis Maximilian Bizstein” of his marriage certificate is only one of Several versions that are met with, depending on whether the ames are transcribed into English, French, or Hebrew. The sur- Fame also appears as Binstein and Beirstein, though Bimstein (Gneaning “purice-stone") seems the most likely. One con- {cudes that Theon must have spent much of his existence under false names or false identity papers, and that he did not hesitate to give wrong information to the authorities. The errors on his marriage certificate, especially concerning the date of birth, sug- {gest that he might have been compelled to assume a false proof of identity, Fast European Jews often had to do this in order to ‘eseape the Tsarist or Austrian zepression.!® “Various remarks attributed to Mirra Alfassa by her biogra- phers connect Theon with Madame Blavatsky's frst attempt at public work: the "Société spirte” she started in Cairo in 1871. But they are too insubstantiated and contradictory tallow us to accept them. Whileitis not impossible that Theon was in Egypt {in 1871-72, and there met Blavatsky and her former teacher, the Coptic magician Pesslos Metamon (sometimes rumored to be ‘Theon’sfather!see B 9.e), it seems unlikely, especially ifhe was in Paris in 1870, and in England by 1873. fe Teg nd ou ice wi Pen "Mon edn othe Tietery hom atte siomenura moh _oueamci tesa Sie cepa wan neha Snare ieee ny igen soe mebecthemean ess eerree reece enacts aieessonieny,4, THEON’s EARLY ACTIVITIES ‘When Theon writes that he was initiated at eighteen, Pascal Thé- smaniys regards this as an indication thet Theon’s initiation took place in Hassidlc cizcles before he left Poland. In any case, he Soon broke off relations with his initiators. This isa comumon pat- tem among occultsts who engage in publie work, serving on the fone hand to ensure their own independence, and on the other to ‘avoid compromising their initiators, who always remain uniden- tifable. In a description of initiation from the Revue Cosmique, thats attributable to the Theons; we read the following descrip- Hon of initiation: 5 ‘This exiting ofthe initiates by ten stages was an invari ; able rule in the Sacred Hierarchy, because it was from ‘among them that the invisible Archpriest and psychic i King was chosen, oratleasta deputy who could fill the office until the Elected One was found, And from time to time, among these invisible Archpriests and psychle Kings, the Keves was chosen who, In union with the Divine Holocaust, would offer himself in hierarchical order for the restitution of the emotional, spiritual, {ntellectual, and vital energies of the Initiates. That is why ithad been judged illegitimate for any man to ‘devote himself to such a high function among the ini- tiates without having frst returned to live again inthe ‘world, for fear that he might be Influenced, even uncon- sclously, by those who had taught and evolved him, "The new initiates would therefore leave as poor ‘men, taking with them nothing but provisions for the journey and a change of clothes. They went tothe place ‘where they intended to reside, greeting no one and speaking with no one on the way. Their fist dwelling ‘ras usualy ina large city, where they lived in poverty, | selling some trivial merchandise co that no one would {question how they earned their daily bread. However, ‘Mex Ton (Repraied by peneen tom HB of. Tetes ot dument ‘ovis an ache, 500) z there was always an envoy of the Sacred Hierarchy lv. {ng in the same cy, Took afer their wants in cae of ‘ned Those wo had sent them tere from so far away Lwere well aware that worrying about food, clothing, nd lodging is Incompatible with psychic develo ent “The end of this passage, with its Rosicrucian connotations, is ‘crously evocative of Blavatsky's situation in July 1873, when, ‘as Henry Olcot recalled, “she told me she had taken lodgings ‘one ofthe poorest quarters in New York—Madison Strest- and ‘supported herself by making cravats or artificial flowers for. get which now—for a kind-hearted Hebrew shopkeeper” In addition to Hasidic Kabbalism, Theon must at some point have gained access to Indian (or Tibetan-Indian) teach. Ings forthe Philosophie Cosmique, some of whose texs clearly refer to ancient Indian thought, is, among other things, eyte thesis ofthe two esoteric streams. Mirra Alfassa sald that he hnad been in India, and had a thorough knowledge of Senskeit and the Rig-Veis.” He also had inside knowledge of Western Spiritualist circles. But this probably counted for less than his ‘own investigations of magnetism, or so one assumes from the ‘hovel Ben Malek, discovered among the archives from Tlemcen, ‘A passage in this Book shows how he ost no time in setting his spisitual sights, so as to be able to influence occultist cecles ‘without being intuenced by them: have the power of magnetizing or rather “pathetiz: dng ase cllit. wil serch for anatvesandtetgy power Evolution through contemplation, which eos Ivluea profounder stat fp, snot lowed one tho is alone and unprotected Tt woutd interest ane ‘ery mach to frequent the Western occultsts and to les fom them" Hens Dei sled "You may ell ct them, for they havea pasion for enything or tna Au forleaming fam hee ats anode er pe rane ory oc aga 28 “They are bogged down in the swamp of mysticism. Even the best have no master who ean show them the path of knowledge." "Theon succeeded in maintaining a personal obscurity verging on invisibility. However, we do have an idea of how he lived in Tandon during the 1880s from a classified advertisement for 3 psychic heal in the spiritualist magazine, The Mediums and Day- Freck (B.2b]. We know that they were the same person, for the healers address in St John’s Wood is the same as appears on ‘Theon’s marriage certificate [B2a)."Theosi” may have been the first versfon of the pseudonym he adopted for this stage of his work, and the change to the Greek “Theon” the result of his Wifes enthusiasm for ancient Greece. Inthe later phases of his werk, Theon kept close control of his public image, breaking cover only on few deliberate ocea- sos In autumn of 1899, when he had begun to publish articles inthe Journal du Magnétisme et dels Peychologie, he felt obliged to denounce the dangers of spiritualism in the face of the over: Wwhelming influence of Kardecist "Spirites” on the coming Con- ares Spirite et Spiritualiste International in Paris (1900), The Spirites reacted Virulently to his statement that their practices Put unprotected mediums in contact with diabolic forces eager fo possess humanity, leading Theon to it the vel lightly on his former practices by deseribing himself thus: "As a person who for mst of his life has consecrated his being and all his energies to the study of pathotism, and who for twenty years has prac: ticed the modest science thus acquired, an speak on all these {questions practically, sineerely, and conscientiously.” ‘By the word pathotisme,2 which he said had denoted mag- netism in antiquity, Theon meant the natural force subjected fo the cosmic law of duality, or as he put it, "the infusion of the active psychic being into the passive psychic being, and the con- ‘sequent development of the passive sensitive tothe highest per= eon “Tremont kenya pein mening bea esfection of which she is capable in every state of her being "2! This fsa technique of meditation involving an active and s passive being, whose most desirable form involves aman and a “Theon’s practice fits within a tradition of spiritual research ‘conducted by a man controling a peychlcaly gifted woman. In the West, iti at least as ola as the Delphic Oracle in which the ecstatic speech of the “Pythoness” or priestess was interpreted by the priests. Theon believed that by this collaborative method, spiritual vision could be subjected to intellectual and eriieal con. two, as was not possible when scribe and seer were one and the same person, Theon’s method consisted in protecting his wife (oF a “sensitive”) during her passage through progressively more subtle bodies, and in guiding her, for example by indicating or confirming what state and degree of subtle matter she was in ‘During the process of exteriorization, Madame Theon managed to speak faintly but audibly, and to converse with her husbar, (To judge from various passages in her Agende, Mirra Alfarsa also experimented with this) The Theons used the information thus obtained to write the texts of the Philosophie Conmiguc, totalling more than 10,000 pages of party unpublished material Among parallel examples of a man obtaining esoteric knowledge through his wife's mediumship, we might mention the collaboration of Laurence and Mary Oliphant, who produced ‘ mystical treatise called the Sympreumata in 1882-1885; that of 5.L. McGregor Mathers and his wife Moina Bergson, which gave birth in 1891-1892 to the rituals of the Golden Dawn; andsat 3 somewhat later period, A Vision by William Butler Yeats and his ‘wife George. The Theons later emphasized how important it was for the “sensitive” operating in the invisible world to benefit from the ‘best possible conditions fr the unfolding of her powers: Trance is the supreme development of passivity, a development whose nature and goal are lost in the = tive, itellec- ight of prehistoric Hones. A trained sensitiv, it ‘ihe ed rene mast remeber ta here a Scroylty anda nobility justasthereare a royalty iy of talent of bith, and of wealth) can be sre Reed (oa priceless instrament, ely tuned, of Sfuneteay thats hasmony may be destroyed iis tought Sacha erin the mont precious TOEED for if she is entrusted fo 8 person who by his tis and hs owa knowledge cm develop he, he Baby Ihcough hee agency arive at communication wit the highest ‘intelligences, acquire the secrets of Tied {oath readin the cosmic book of the universe whose Gages are open, and dominate the forces of nature, not Soon many oter things not yet touched upon. explain that ea funtion ofthis psychic rank, senstves Trewh shen in states and stages tat comeopond othowe of thei ee Ning and which ar evogrzable through thei nearing Cire ch allows the magetiae or patti to find Mi Seetgae he imiiblecostnography and to guide them wit Bese however, these slates and the degrees they imply cannot $e Stained without passing them in onder andy following 9 Beclat proces even te sense is not necessary conscious ine sages oaversed. — ‘edn’ ergnaity consisted not so much ia naving escibed in fry concrete and accessible fasion the hierarchy Si characteristics these states and degrees asin having raw atention to the importance and dangers ofthe "Nervous SE (ia nro. arent rcton he estes wings topion largely occupied oy the Horie equivalent fo Sst thence sana nth ob red opertfrethe or regions ofthe soul and spt an e exe. Just beyon [ne Nerves Sat the region of the sols repose, where Hey reat wo By to, sleeping under the protection of guaran, and see Saunas pytine ald Mate etdl Pt SENS esfrom which they sometimes come down, traversing the Nervous State, to incarnate ar reinearnate together on Earth linthe Philosophie Cosmique, Theon explains that just as the “nervous degree” (60 called because it corresponds tothe net vous system; later Sri Aurobindo and “The Mother” call t “the Vital") is the most fragile part of man and the most liable to ‘unbalance, yet isthe abligatory link between the tangible body and the realms of soul and spirit, so those higher regions are linked by this abyss to the dense material world, Thomas Bur- goyne (see below) seems to have been well aware of the diffi culty of attaining the higher states, for he denounces the “esoteric Buddhists” (meaning the Theosophists) for knowing nothing about these regions, being unable to go beyond the 5106 1 Te seal sons felt hry ae very coe wat he Pope Canmins mundane ere oe al. 5. THEON AND THE H. B. OF L ‘Theon's title of “Grand Master of the Exterior Circle” of the (Onder implies the existence ofan Interior Circle. Inthe published tents of the Philosophie Cosmique, Theon and his wile use the terms cecle exteieur and cerle nterieu in such a way a8 to avoid Creating any mystery about the latter. The cerce iniérieur seams to mean simply the few people directing the society, while the Cercle extérieur comprises the members who look after diffusing its ideas in public® This was not quite the case in the H. Bof L- ‘as itdeveloped. Here the Interior Cizele was not supposed to be ‘on the physical plane alone, but to consis of adepts on both sides Ofthe grave” and was o’be contacted thzough the occult power fof clairvoyance, especially with the use ofthe crystal or mirror, ‘which the HB, of Ls instructions were designed to develop. ‘Asan adept himself, Theon was presumably able o put oth- cers in touch with this Interior Circle. His primary contribution 0 ‘the Order was the initial training of Burgoyne and Davidson, or ‘even of Burgoyne alone. In this view, Theon was the iniator of the HI. of Lin the true sense. Once he had given it the link with the partially-discarnate Interior Cirle, his outward task was done, though as a member ofthe latter he remained as a poten ‘ial helper Twas always Theon's policy to allow his pupils and associ- ‘tes a broad freedom of action. Davidson and Burgoyne were free both in the practical organization of the Exterior Circle and in the choice of doctrinal articles forthe Brotherhood's maga- Zine. They, too, may have made a deliberate break with their ni- Bator. To judge by remarks in Theon’s letter of 1915 [B.2-], his ‘may have occurred even before the formation of the H.B. of Las {public organization in 1884, The covering leter of Theon to ‘Thémanlys that accompanied the bilingual version of "Origin ‘5 ce nase Ras Cm, 1054 Oh cc, ‘Gite ed scan Sonim weft ccna ‘peters pss ne Spero eon on se Pina omni, PeeLO8 11, en howand Object ofthe H. B. of 1.” seems to cast him inthe roe fist of ‘neophyte (in 1873), then of adept and Grand Master ofthe Exte- Hor Cirle, ‘Theon does not seem to have been interested in making his ‘wn philosophical ideas available to the Order, No manuscript teaching and no article in the Oceult Magazine bears his name ‘Tneone piece in the Occult Magazine devoted specifically to Kab. balah—a subject of which he was hardly jgnorant-is merely 3 digest based on Ginsburg’s book In the early numbers of the magazine subscribers were invited fora series of cheap editions of Hermetic works with “explanatory notes by the eminent (Occultist, M. Theon” [B.3.e], but these never appeared” The ‘only articles that bear the definite stamp of his influence are two short essays on mediumship, called “Flashes of Light” and signed by "Eos, "2? which sketch some of the ideas thet would recur in the Philosophie Cosmique. Parts of them would be reproduced word for word in Bargoyne's The Light of Egyp! (soe Section 8) Unlike so many self~proclaimed adepts and cult-leaders, ‘Theon evidently had no personal need forthe H. B.of LHe gave inigation to whiomever he chose without having to go through. «an Order with a system of degrees (as one can se inthe case of ‘Minr Altassa), and had plenty of hs own knowledge to draw on ‘without needing to borrow from Randolph or anyone else. His Iater conduct with the Mouvement Cosmique showed that he could well protect himself from inguisitive and annoying per- sors without needing the cover of a secret society. SP ‘Given allthis, we can best understand Theon’s role in the Onder with the heip of the Sufi concept of the spiritual master 5 Qutb, the tem for the unmoving Pole around which, and by virtue of whose presence, everything turns. When a person fune- SEs Nalin Oa Maps 5 (Ape 580, 2526 1/6 ay 188, slat outers pty sega ‘ints ation Cmte 990, re ean ape xplteing crn ee Tastee anon n a Rau Comes wten by Than Te ace eae Sepals “ee per eter Oe) 358 wl 6 ay 46 ee (ty sts ee L is spl lence sulle npite ad sus- He Oa Nand actions a ether, withot fis having {ain Oe favolve in their lfire—or their eros. One finds inthe peo er etn dca ite nge ea pope, respi Comm gat prods of ediaon bah or he eres a Ye world and forthe specific id of dhose close to his soo Pork, The same idea, and its practice, would recur with Si Aare aa, who was not one tsar prs indi pate testes Taeon's 2 man of enormous osalt power, a ee ercoan Fl ft wold hese sys of he seeder Rogier hot togpen hese oat God He ra cclgunes and planed to het he powet See a rai of pemana achequling pens Se aan avening ghting bale Mon sy or ous present purpose Ne aught er practcly are escent heal and es herby explo ser pat eal” “mena and oer progeny aur sr efarag or conscience sue er knowlege an ‘power, and to relate her experiences to others while in trance. i rae lavuh inher plo of ane Tre eA Nay Cine Woodrtle Ware Mir tes aa sar enarlseson ot xtordnay gs for pro: ‘a facmen, serum ech sown Theos Se Bre ramnts We donot iow when he Tone ae rave ecnis Lon he year etre el a met eeiminstes on 1 Match 1005 [Baa]. Curiously Megs Me meeting senna to fave cured sulaneoualy sree fot ple ofusation ofthe Bo! Lin aot, See roenerier tne porary ofUno Caen rom Spear cn ad aedeagal HeteTopnieat Soctey"in which ae gave lecture that are reported inte spiritualist journal The Medium: nd Dyes and owen sc enapet Sof Chapes of the Mathers Le complied by Sine Dus rndbery, Banpublished brochures The very name ofthis society, and many Erinsidens anticipate the urure Philosophie Cosmiqe, and con fim that Una was indeed Mary Ware andthe fature Madome Theo “The payehic cooperation of the Theons, furthered by their seteling in Aigera in 1868, led tothe elaboration of this iitatc fulosepy, which was not competed unl he beginning ofthe Erenietn atury- Once ther enlaboraton had bn, the hens Tau the choice fies puting their energies into the H. Boa Ls ‘raf working on the development oftheir vn ideas; in either, ‘ase they wanted their nonyaity protected. In view of the ig gece of Uns nctiring a lest ntl she bade fare Swe to The Medium and Daybreak n January 1885, Max Theon Tay havenot wanted the HB. of aciiy to interfere with Far. Concequenty, during the heyday of the Bot Ln the ‘T1805, Theon Rad tle or no part the day-onday raring Bribe Order Even the Provincial Grand Masts Ayton ould find Sct notting abou him, andar his aloson, ame fo believe that Thon was the alter ego ofan Indian adventurer, Hurry. hund Chintamon [B6i}-an opinion later adopted by Perro Duvar[B7hh A E, Wate [B94} René Guénon [Be] and the Davidson himself had to ressure the American neophytes thar Thon wao oa and tat he had atoally set Rim The "Confer of Bungayne snd Davidson to Corhar lake inthe summer of 1886 [8.81 are re, Theon had Gaappeared ater trlning Burgoyne who had upto then been visitng him every ay 2 ‘The Theons, then, left England for France in March 1886. We now of ts fom he dry (na private collection) of Augusta oll young Englhwoman who accompanied them S's sertay She wrote on 23 Jul 1885 "Tam allowed a years thal under Toon” nich she stayed with them forthe rest oF theives nary ut Max Theor death in 1927 Shlesbwnon mancomane’ Anenn myn? hag 8 ——— rom this point onwar : comespondence in the Gr spin tht allowed 2 Write letters inthe 8, Davidson and slater name petopin tsa ice Teper6, PETER DAVIDSON IN SCOTLAND Peter Davidson (1837-1915) * was a vioin-maker who lived in Forres, near Findhors, Scotland. Believers inthe genius lei wil appreciate the fact that he came from an area that would later ‘besome famouis in the lore of the "New Age.” Later he lived in Banchory, southwest of Aberdeen. Local adition in Loudsville Inad it that Davidson set out to became a priest, but lest his voca- tion when he meta woman on the tain to Rome.** ‘The fruit of Davidson's original trade was a historical and technical introduction to the instrument, The Violin (Davidson 1871), a manual that served its purpose so well hat it went into five editions. The book does lite to dispel the obscurity shroud- Ing Davidson's early life but it suggests a possible date for his abortive journey to Rome, for he mentions having seen a certain ‘iol in Paris in 1859. The only other information we have at presents that he married Christina Ross in 1866.” For al his Highland isolation, Davidson was in touch with people in the thick ofthe London occutist scene: members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, of “fringe” masonic groups, experimenters with magic mirrors, etc. A friendly letter written to Davidson in 1884 by Hargrave Jennings (author of The Rosier clans, Phallicgm, ete) says: "Thave known you, now, fora good many years.” Long before the formal appearance ofthe H. B. of Lin 1884, Davidson was already hinting at is initiation ito an unnamed ‘occult order, and at his visitation by angelic beings. In an ‘exchange of letters with Captain FG, lnwin (a leading “iringe” ‘mason and occultist) in November 1877, he gives a series of fasci- nating glimpses of is early life: "have been a student of oceult> ism for several years now. Spiritualism gave me an extra stimulus, Ibacame an initiate and go on advancing as time allows ee SEIS en cn a techy St cay pay elim atanneNeeer oer smnme sme for Thave a business here [-1” He hints rather mysteriously that he was no Rosicrucian “in th modere acceptation ofthe ter,” and boasts that he had: had the visits of bright angelic beings, shining in thelr radiance and glory of the Astral Lightcoming to me, my wife and children within our room, and be it remembered, not by physial Mediumship, cabinets or any ‘appliances or aids used and in the manner Mediims (generally adopt [J need scarcely tell you it is White Magic Thave studied ‘as Thave the utmost repugnance to the communication ‘with the Blementaries ete. by Invocations, Circles, etc such as described in the works of Agrippa, Barrett, Peter de Albano [sic ee, ete...” ‘With reference tomy pursuits you must understand any ‘ne seas the spirits in my room, but of course I never have allowed any one in this outlandish place to know except my wife and children, who have often, often seen them. No physical Meditamship, cabinets veiled ‘comers ar such like Mediumistie trumpery[.-) These things are only a preliminary however upen the [epir ite’ pact as beter and higher stages are fast in progress ‘hich [hope tobe able to report you soon. In Davidson's history of the H. B. of L.[A.1.c], the first mover is an oriental adept, who was in England in 1873 and in Tibet by 11897. Davidson's oven initiation came, he suggests, directly from the same oriental adept, for he told Ayton in 1887 that “he had ‘met with an Oriental Adept or some such person who had appeared to him in the Astral form &,, and that he was about £9 Seer MR Del ing py of a tr SN Ded Sey ome flowing ne entre fhe ae Ec Howe, laced ‘ene orang te eh vin paper aan Le iby Lanse Sister adctihemg ton stndvatng orton onrevive ot add to an Ancient Order [.]" Davidson adcled that the ‘2dept was then (that is in 1887) in Tibet." In Davidson’s mind, this astral” contact gave him an effective initiation into the mys" feries of the H. B, of L. It also accounts for his attitude to the ‘Theosophical Soclety. His original idea seems to have been that the H.B. of L. (in ts Interior Circle, of course) was responsible for the setting up of Blavatsky and Oleot’s Society. Later the "Theosophists fell away, coming under the control of beings who were ether lesser adepts of the same fraternity, or what he Lnfaiey calls Buddhist fanatics (ee Sections 12 and 13, below). ‘By the time Davidson was weting to Irwin, he was familiar withthe current explanations of such experiences by the “higher zpiritualism,” and was trying to reconcile them with Christian- ifj—as he would do all his fein an essay on “Astrology and Scripture,"® His view was that “the best and most reliable digests of Cabalistic wisdom are to be found in the songs of Orpheus, the philosophy of Plato, the doctrines of Pythagoras, ‘Apollonius of Tyana, and the modern mystics Van Helmont and Behmen.” In other words, he was reading nat the Hebrew Kalb- balah but the translations of the Platonic tradition by Thomas ‘Taylor, and had encountered the venerable English tradition of spiritual alchemy, largely based on the writings ofJ-B.and F. M. van Helmont and of Jacob Boehme-® For all his poverty and family responsibilities (he told Irwin Jn 1877 that he worked in a distillery), Davidson was able in 1878 to publish The Philosophy of Man, which showed his interest inalternative medicine, advertised his membership in numerous European and Asian secret societies, and seemed to be inviting fellow occultists to contact him. By April 1880 he had also diee covered the early weitings ofthe Theosophists and joined their ‘sodas aa Gata mai ie atone het rad {he adeptan he peop don ay Pech nation “nant (Ghat he ef See tha Bao cal Taman the pan egal {Gece arte aitvou(Ac anwar "tytn tr by Dido Fore 17a 7 py vied yD: Green. ‘Son hs tao sex Godwin a6 “Davo rin 1 Noventer 87Society:® Inthe following year, he enlarged the thied edition of The Violin by adding to ita bewildering quantity of eecult and Spiritualistc material. However irrelevant this was to the theme of the book, it served to attract attention to him as an authority fon these matters as well, ‘We do not know how or when Davidson met Theon and ‘Burgoyne, and embarked on the adventure of the H. B, of L Bur sgoyne was seeking instruction from occultiste by 1881 (see below), and Davidson may have been one of them, The next stage of Davidson's program of exteriorization was the appear= lance of amagazine. After a few failed attempts inthe latter part (f 1854 [B.3.2,,f], The Occult Magazine began in Februaty 1985 to appear as a monthly, with the help of the Glasgovr publisher Hay Nisbet. ER a ee ee ri ttn Te 7, PETER DAVIDSON IN AMERICA [No sooner was The Occult Magazine up and running than David- Son became taken with the idea of emigrating to America and starting a utopian colony there, perhaps lured by the success of ‘Thomas Lake Harris’ establishment in Santa Rosa. Max Theor twas eaid to have had an interest in such things [B4.], and may have approved the project. Fora short time it seemed as fit nigh become a serious financial venture, with an ssze of shares {pee Buta, c}. Buti did not enjoy the success of that other step child of Theon’s, Auzoville (founded by Mirra Alfassa in 1968 10 ‘rown the success of the Pondicherry Ashram). The H. B. of L Sttracted neither investors nor fellow-setters, and the projected “colony” became merely the Davidson family homestead in Loudevlle, Georgia ‘According tothe White County Board of Commissioners: ‘The Dr, Peter Davidson Family came to Loudsville, White County, Georgia from Edinburgh, Scatland in 1859 [sc]. Dr. Davidson was marvied to Chaistina Ross. They had five children: Peter Jr John, Alex, Jim and Tina All the children came to America with their par- tents except Jim, who remained asa private guard to the ‘Queen. Christina Ross Davidson died several years after the family came to White County and Dr. David- ‘on married Jessie Mantoch from Scotland. Soon after emigrating in the spring of 1885, Davidson and Bur {goyne went their separate ways, Davidson kept the HB. of L {Boing in France and a large part of the U'S. from Loudsville. ‘Much of the enrollment and correspondence was delegated 10 the national presidents [see B.7.¢ but the fees eame to Davi son. His correspondence with French members shows the dif Culties of getting these small amounts transferred from France to his local post office.” These, together with the sale of books, Simriobe Greta ire 12‘aystals, and magic mirrors [B7.], probably gave the Davidson family just enough to ive on unt they became established in the area [Bilt] By 1895 Davidson could eal himself Author of “The Caledonian Collection of Music," “The Philosophy of Man,” "Masonic Mysteries Unveiled,” "The Book of Light and Life," "The Mistletoe,” "Moun tain Musings,” etc. Editor of “The Morning Star.” "Member of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” Hon. Member of the Poona "Gayan Samaj,” Hon. Member "Bengal Academy of Musi,” ete, Hon and Cor. Member "Groupe Indep, d'Etudes Esotériques,” Member "Frater de Etoile,” "Sed" ete By explaining some of these titles and abbreviations, we can give 1 fair idea of Davidson's activities. The Morning Star, pblished ‘monthly from 1892 to 1910, began in the style of The Occult Mag- ‘azine, with translations from Hermetic works, spiritualist teach- Ings, and ansivers to correspondents wh wrote from allover the English-speaking world. Moxa Musings was the more exo- teri part of Davidson's enterprise, being aimed atthe local read ership and couched in the Christian terms familia 0 ther, “The H.B. of L. was fa foun being Davidson's only activity, but his links were now more with France than with Britain, Where the Burgoyne scandal (see Section 8, on page 33) and its exploitation by the Theosophists had ruined his reputation and. that ofthe H. B. of L. Most of Davidson's dignities mentioned in the above list are French. The “Groupe Indépendant d'Etudes Esotériques” was a creation of Papus, who had entered the French occult scene like a meteor in 1887, charmed Barlet, and taken over every group insight It was a catchall group which served asa recruiting ground forthe H.B. of L. The abbreviation 5.12." stands for “Supérieur Inconmu,” or Unknown Superior,” the ttle used by members of Paps’ Martinist Order. This order ‘Tg cf ern, i Cw Odin Mains ro, Laer: avi nla rnd Con 198 a one bi siccninnensnelileaicciiiaiaiallnetnreeantniannmneniti presented itself a5 the continuation ofthe 18th-century Muminist faition founded by Martinez de Pasqually and Loais-Claude de Saint Martin. The Morning Star served fora time as their off Gal organ in Ameria, and carried translations of articles on Mar- finism and Freemasonry. The “Fraternité de I'Etoile” was founded in 1889 by René Caillé (1851-1896) and Albert Jounet (1869-1923), two Christan esotercists, to counter the “atheistic rneo-Buddhism” of the Theosophical Society." Caillié was a Inember of the H.B. of ‘Davidson was embroiled in the mid-1890s with a dificult character called Edouard Blitz. This apostle of Mactinism to ‘Ameria did his best to discredit Davidson in the eyes of Papus tnd the French occulists by telling them that the H.B. of L. was ‘ot flourishing inthe New World, and that Davidson’s isolation fhtle him incapable of helping the Martinist ease. Although ‘Davidson had born the title of Supérieur Incnmu at Teast since 3992,” Blitz wrote to Papus in 1899 that Davidson was stil hesi- tating to join the erder Because he was not a Preemason.** One {ould be a Martinist without being, Mason (Papus himself was ‘case in point, though Blitz may not have known it). But this, Trises the question of whether Davidson himself was ever init ated into Freemasonry. Dr. Greenfield's Loudsville informants Say that he was; Mr. Board’s state quite adamantly that he was not And there we must leave it Most of our knowledge of Davidson's life in Lowdsville ‘comes from the conversations that Mr. Deveney and Dr. Green ‘eld have had with local people there, including Davidson's descendants * The locals knew Davidson mainly asa practitioner fof “alternative medicine,” having a deep knowledge of hes, Spates ney anther rah ebe Loue Le Ly asebdby ingerssoneg Cons re “iste E? op Mah95 4Spern Riowe20 0 PARTE AN ORDER OF FRACTICAL OCCULT, drugs an poisons (demonstrate in his book The Philosophy of nant a lesser extent in The Msn ods Philosophy) ‘Among the surviving documents is a homeopathic Pharma: ope, with notes on case ests. Relatives also recalled David Shas sending ginseng huntersinto the woods, and dstbating nella of life Loudeville lore records that the excise nade the best moonshine sround Davidson's activity as a healer caused him the one embar rassmnent of his American period, for itaroused the re of he local medical establishment suchas it was in North Georgia a the time. He was arested for practicing medicine without a Iiense but was acqulted and sfered no further annoyance. ‘The Davison family attained loal respectability by way of the small-town newspaper of neatby Cleveland, called The Cove ‘i. The paper was ete fom 1897 onwardsby Davidson's son ‘Alex, who sao became the local postmaster. He printing press Served for Te Morning Stor and Davidson's other publications, iter the editorship passed to Alex's son james & Davidson, then to James son Richard Davidson, remaining inthe family tin ecent years ‘Daring the last decade ofthe century, Peter Davidson's inclination was toward an ester Christy with a strongly spocalyplcMavor, sing “Christ” asa generic term more or less ‘iuivalen “Mahatma.” The teachings ofthe HB of con: ‘ering Mistrial and cosmic cycles [Aczb-a] had already cons tained the idea of 2 Nev Age having begun in 1981. Now 1897, Davidson wrote in hie magazine of how the invisible Soul ‘World was appronching the mundane pane furthered by te ‘work ofthe Marnists and Roseucing, and thatthe Coming Eingdom’ could not be far off Fs ster work concentrated ok {wo other themes a mysterious alchemical transmutation ofthe ‘human body into something more “immortal and the "Sleep of Siloam” oF mystic ance aba transformative experience, ‘which se Section 15, blow. he Caring nga Tr rig Ser 487 3.68, 2 Ste dniman candy Dr Gre nea 1 58), urpgeata PETERDAVIDSONIAMERICA 0 94 [As one might expect, Davidson accumulated a rich occult ibeory. His grandchildren rememvered him going to it daily “to meditate or something,” A few years after Davidson's death his family had a huge bentice of his papers inthe yard, but among the relics that survived were some stereoscopic of Alge fersoor Tunis, We can associate these with the fact that after the turn of the century, Davidson and Max Theon resumed relations By the late 1890s the revelation tothe Theons ofthe Cosmic ‘Tradition was nearing completion.” Theon’s first attempt to ‘publish this work had been in 189, with is articles in the Journal hu Magntisme ct de a Psychologie, but, as we have seen this came to gret because of the offence taken by the spiritualist The next attempt was more successful. F-Ch, Baret, who was the H. B. of L's representative for France, launched the Reoue Cosmique in January 1901. He was helped by Pierre Deullin who was a Mar- tinist and soon became (31 May 1909) the brother-in-law of Pepus Barlet and Deullin had both visited the Theons in Algeris in 1900 (and Barlet again in 1901). As well as being the journal's first editor, Barlet helped with the publication of the first and second volumes of La Tradition Cosmique (1903, 1904), which tll in allegorical form of cosmic evolution in "che seventh epoch of the elassifieation of matter." He resigned the editorship in the sutumn of 1902. From 1904, the official editor was Max Theon, tunder the pseudonym of "Ain Aziz.” Davidson's connections in France naturally made hie aware of the Mouvement Cosmique, and from 1905 onward he offered his Morning Str as the vehicle for iti the English-speak- {ng world.” Le Revue Cosmigue returned the compliment by pub- lishing a long and appreciative review of Davidson's Le gue sa ti got he Ew coms ity te Ane and je” Te Meng Sar X20 b> ‘ie er Pen Pepin on on steal wenger eto of ik2 0 PART ANORDEROF FEACTEAL OCCULT phitecophie# and by announcing that it had no connection with Liny other magazine “except the section of the Morning Star pub- lished in the United States by Peter Davidson." Just as Davie- son had accepted the authority of Theon in the 1880s, now he found in the Mouvement Cosmique the best exposition of the ‘mysteries that had occupied him throughout his life: those of birth, death, rebirth, and the Fall and Regeneration of Man. The ‘Morning Star and some books translated and edited by Davidson (Guch a8 The Chaldean, 1911) remain the sole source of these teachings in the English language." ‘ins want arch open of Onion 2. Te reve ae Cour 1/304 Homer nase by Ee CObogeptn™ ale tn fei ed tpt Dre och ope fo arias ‘rer newn acs en taken fr wenden oun pe te ‘iain ng aid Ege Vana Sari Sn ed ‘Smur amau/90(e 909 6. er Kena thw einai he Pee “Argan erase) spied ors x of Thonn nah ee 8, THOMAS H. BURGOYNE Unlike the case of Peter Davidson, there are no descendants oF Jocal historians anxious to bear witness to the virtues and achievements of Thomas Henry Dalton (18557-18957), better Known as T. H, Burgoyne, whose misdemeanors are amply. hroniled in the Theosophical Kterature [Bs]. The “Church of Light” a sill active Californian group which descended from Burgoyne's teachings, disposes of his life up to 1886 as follows: ‘T.H. Burgoyne was the son of a physician in Scotland. He roamed the moors during his boyhood and became conversant withthe birds and flowers. He was an ama tur naturalist, He also was a natural seer. Through Ris seership he contacted The Brotherhood of Light an the inner plane, and later contacted M. Theon in person. Stil later he came to Ameries, where he taught and ‘wrote on occult subjects. While this romanticized view cannot enticely be trusted there is no doubt that Burgoyne was a medium and that he was devel oped as such by Max Theon. Burgoyne told Gorham Blake that he "visited [Theon's] house as a student every day fora long, time” [BOR and gave this clue fo thelr relationship in The Light of Exype ‘those who are psychic, may not know WHEN the birth of an event Will occur, but ehey Feel that i will, hence prophecy. “The primal foundation of all thought is right here, for instance, M. Theon may wich a certain result if Tam receptive, the idea may become incarnated in me, and ‘under an extra spiritual stimulus it may grow and ‘mature and become a material fact® Soh a se dtr wad on eee Rouns fe Chao Ligh Suesasc PARTIE-ANORDEROFPRACTCAL OCCULT, Burgoyne was making enquiries in occult circles by 1881, when ‘he wrote to Ayton asking to visit him fora discussion of occult: ism, The clergyman was shocked when he met this "Dalton," ‘who (Ayton Says) boasted of doing Black Magic [B.6.), and orthwith sent him packing [8.6]. Later Ayton would be ‘appalled to lear that It was this same young man with whom, a8 “Burgoyne,” he had been corresponding on H. B. of L. business. Having decided thatthe mysterious Grand Master “Theon’ was really Hurryehund Chintamon, Ayton deduced thet the young Scotsman must have learned his black magic from this indian adventurer. “Hurrychund Chintamon had played an important part in tne early Theosophical Society and in the move of Blavatsky and ‘Olcott from New York to india. He had been thelr chief Indian ‘correspondent during 1877-1878, when he was President of the Bombay Arya Samaj (a Vedic revival movement with which the early Theosophical Society was allied). After Blavatsky and ‘Olcott arived in Bombay in 1879 and met Chintamon in person, ‘hey discovered that he wasa scoundrel and an embezzler, and expelled him fom the Society. Chintamon came to England in 1879 or 1880, and stayed until 1883, when he returned to make further trouble forthe Theosophists in India. Perhaps the fact that Chintamon wasn England when Burgoyne frst met Theon Jed some to conclude that they were the same person. But this ‘cannot be the whole story. Ayton claimed very clearly and repeatedly that he had proof of Burgoyne's being in company ‘with Chintamon. In a letter in the private collection, Ayton writes {Ihave since discovered that Hurrychund Chintaman the notorious Black Magician was in company with Dalton at Bradford. By means of a Photograph { have ‘traced him to Glasgow & even to Banchory, under the alias of Darushah Chichgur. Friends in London saw ‘him there just before his return to India. This time coin- ‘ides with that when I noticed a great change in the Seereon 1806management. Chintsrnan had supplied the Oriotal raaig ashe wasa Sanat schelae & knew much, ‘Freon ws Chintamant riends have lately seen Mani india where he ssl at his Wicks Before her dsluson with Chintomon, Blavatsky had touted Pans tne Landon Theosophiss sts “reat adept.” After the Seek tat llowed on her meeting with him in person: China: ‘ron lies Riou tothe sing Wester opposition to esoteric Budhinm exemplified ty Stanton Mores,©-C. Massey, Wi Es Onley, Ema Hardinge Briten, Thomas Lake Hare and ‘Shere Etim tis formidable group, Buegoyne fs contrite the hosay towards Blavatsky senerpise that would mak al NS inten also appears in connection with“, B Coxin, the otherwise unidentéable (and vaciusly speed) “Pete Srestay” of eon, who wos thought bythe police tobe just another of Burgoyne's aliases. Ayton, however, believed Corinni {oe Chintamen’ son, whe be asd offered Blavatstys old let {Gara to te President of the London Branch of te The. al Sosety, Charles Carleton Mase.” Te haw in Ayton {nbs sot enue te eustence of rel and independent Max ‘Theo whom nike Ayton, have documentary evidence, [Nonethetss ster more than a hundred yeas the waae angle ‘i mstdestcatns involving Chintamen, “Chrstaman’ sed SMotamon” [oce Bsa] with the Order cannot be entzey Fee ter 182, Bu Leeds, working in the sober 1882, Burgoyne was in Leeds, working in menial sade gc Hr etd ong stan svete Ing ese [Be so tnd a fo cast serious doubt on Nis aie: Eu Mhce agian’ Asa consequence, he spent theft seven smonths of 185ml He had probably met Theon before his inearertian and ssywe have seen, worked for ine in dally {eScions ao Theon’s ediom. On his release he stuck up ‘Shy hin tumor ae nesetncense ‘losast.auncowne © 3¢ ested relations with Peter Davidson, and became the Private Secretary tothe Council of the H. B.of L. when it went public the following year. ‘Burgoyne contcibuted many lettersand articles to The Ocul ‘Magezine, usually writing under the peeudonym “Zanoni.” He also contributed to Thotras Johnson's Plato [see B.7 <], show: ing considerably more literacy than in the letter that so amused the Theosophists[B 7.b]. But he never claimed fo be an original vwriter. Inthe introduction tothe "Mysteries of Eros” [A 36] he states his role as that of amanuensis and compiler. The former term reveals what the HB. of regarded asthe true source of ts teachings—the initiates of the Interior Circle of the Order. The goal of the magical practice taught by the H. B. of . was the ‘development of the potentialities ofthe individual so that he oF she could communicate direetly with the Interior Circle and with the other entities, disembodied and never embodied, that the HB ofL, believed to populate the universes. Gorhatn Blake is to be credited [B.6.k], Davidson and Burgoyne “confessed” to ‘him that Burgoyne was an “inspirational medium” and that the teachings of the Order came through his mediumship, Stipped ofthe bias inherent inthe terms "mediusn,” and “confess,” there iso reason to doubt the statement of Burgoyne’s role. In the Order's own terminology, however, his connection withthe spir- ‘tual hierarchies ofthe universe was through “Blending” —the taking over of the conscious subjet’s mind by the Initiates of the Interior Circle and the Potencies, Powers, and Intelligences of the ‘celestial hiorarchies—and through the “Sacred Sleep of Sialamn” (see Section 15, below). Shortly after arziving in Georgia, forall the Theosophists’ efforts to intercept him [B.61], Burgoyne parted with Davidson, From then on, the two comsnuntcated mainly through thelr ‘mutual disciples, squabbling over fees for reading te neo: phytes’ horoscopes and over Burgoyne’s distribution of the (Order's manuscripts, with each man essentially sunning sepa rate organization. This split may be reflected in the French ver~ sion of “Laws of Magic Mirrors” [A.3a], which was prepared in 1858 and which bears the reference "Peter Davidson, Provincial Grand Master ofthe Eastern Section.” Burgoyne made his way from Georgia frst to Kansas, then to Denver, and finally to Monterey, California, staying with18 0 PARTE AN ORDER OFFRACTICAL occULTISN 14.3 of L. members ashe went According to the Church of Tight Burgoyne now met Norman Astley, s professional nae Vegorand fered Captain in the Brlush Army. After 18? hetcy are a amallgroup of students engaged Burgoyne to write We basic He. ofL teachings as 8 series of lessons, ging ee Fospitalty and a small stipend. Astley is actually seid teks ished England fo meet Theon—something whichis hare {redible in the ight of whats known of Toots methods 2° do know, however, tht Burgoyne advertised widely ad took Subscriptions forthe lessons, and that they were publicked os book frm in 1889 a8 The Light of Egypt or The Scene ofthe Soul tnd the Ser, attributed to Burgoyne's H. B. of L sobriquet "Zanon.” "With The Light of Egypt, the secrecy ofthe HB. of Ls doew- ments was largely broken, and they were revealed io thoes ‘who could tell~to Be airy unoriginal compllatons rom ernes occult, presented with a strongly ant- Theosophical tone Onis the praca teachings were omitted. The hock was anes lated into French by René Phillpan, a flend of Rend Gaucher, and ino Russian and Spanish, and'a paraphrase of ites oe, lished in Geran. We present [Bi] the most important ene tions tots work, which has been seprinted equensy ap tee present dy Burgoyne'slat years were spent in unwonted comfort if, as the Church of Light sys, De. Henry and Belle M. Wagner vies had been members of the H.B.of since 1885—gave S100 0009 found an enganiztion for the propagation of tre Ligt of eye ‘nit onde tt Chiro Ue 7am es tt en de ri et Ch {br Rape! ry sw ct oa De ae Sema Wea pac mapa eee te Sesh pt ee a Ren Penne tiertonr ‘Sign farsa Eiders tmp sani orion ty ease ene, AE ia ra an free ee a zane GebctoteinctenUiverty Bese WSOeant ae Cone a re ‘Supnat al Kine Herc sri tar Strasse ate (pines ohn a THOMASH BURGOYNE O 9 teachings: ut of tis grew the Asto-Philosophical Publishing Company of Denver, and the Church of Light tse reloried 1 1900 by Elbert Benjamnine (= C.C. Zain, 188-1951) Beside Be goyne’s other books The Language ofthe Stars and Celestil Banamies, the new company ised in 19002 second volun of The Light of Egy. This difers markedly from the frst volume, for itis ascribed to Burgoyne's spirit, specking through sedium who washis “spitual successor," Sirs Wagner. Ae the Spirit sid, with charactersialy poor grammar: “Dicated by the author fom the subjective plan of life (o which he ascended several years ago) through the law of mental transfer, well kroven tall Oculist, es enabled again to speak with those ‘who are sill upon the cbjetve plane of fe" ‘Max Theon wrote tothe Wagners in 199 (the year after his wifes death), telling them to close their branch ofthe HB. of By that ime, the Order had virtally ceased to exist as such, while the Wagners continsed on their own, channeling dctenel and fictional works, Their son Henry 0. Wagner told Mr ‘Deveney that hein tm, received books from his parents by the “blending” proces, tobe described below. In 1965 he issued an enlarged edition of The Light of Egypt, which included several far ther items from his parents records. Somne ofthese ate known to hhave circulated separately to neophytes during the heyday of the HB ofl. (ee Section 10, below, while thers were ifcalcted by ‘Burgoyne individually om a subscription basis to is own private students all ef whom were in theory members ofthe Hf L) {om 1887 until his death. These ineudea lange body of astolog. ical materials and also treatises on "Penetrli” "Soul Krovi. edge (Atma Boda)” and other topies. They are perfectly consistent withthe H. Bef L teachings, but appear tohave boce Burgoyne's individual production, done after his veparavion from Peter Davidson, and they are nt ceprovduced here = oa 1a ‘Sinngenseommnten tem ‘a gure Dever geri Bs chee pees od SERS ea Re9, PASCHAL BEVERLY RANDOLPH ‘We have now surveyed the H.B. of L's origins a a somisecret ose or tenching pra ev nd ected ole of ‘Theon, Davidoor and Burgoyne. For ll he vaunted participa Sone! rare he moremediae source fat Mie Order eachingsis noe pibsan and demonstrates the trator Burgoyne’ iim to bemmeray a compiler René Gaénon Suggested that one should look forthe antecedents of the 1 BotL ina "Brotherhood of Ells,” which he gh says was founded about 1870 by Pasthal Bevery Randolph Even a fance tthe practieal instruction embodied In the “Laws of aghe Mirors" and “Mysteries of Eros” reveals the enormous wen te which the Onder mined the works of hi igue and Underrated characte” anda (18251675) was an African American man who had a reputation By the eat 1850s 8 typical “trance speaker tito weet act as the unconscious medium for various fon Ininded "spins" This began to cangeln 155 when he traveled {o Europe an ine inthe Mase cles France sround Suton les Du Pott de Sennevay and Lois Alphonse Cahage ‘et Unlike most American situa, dhe French Mesmerits ‘were well versed inthe Western magical and occult aditions Nis, and sont especialy they wae thee spin evocation tnagicmiror or eet ard drugs, especialy hashish All hs ‘rab revelation fo Randolph. in Teen again 86, Randi wasin Europe visting the samecifles but aloo venturing t the Nea East Egypt, Pale ‘tne and Turkey a frase borders of Persia) where he came to know diffrent sor of magi among the wandering der Wishes and “fakes” whom he met on hs travels. Returning to Dimeric after his at ip tothe Est, be publily denounced Spietatiom, and eapely the oleh had hitherto aceepreds ttt sive andes edu forthe tne ace he how taught a comple system of pact ad theory, of [inch these are te nan puints 8) Mins vine "monade keen 90, Golem 2 asc cdo om Dv’ ay oP Randal, ve an eae i are continuously being spun out from the vortex ofthe Divine Central Sun. The goal of every human monad is fo become first, individuated, then a divine individwal, and then to progress per- petually as a god through infinite universes. The inhabitants of these universes are not limited (asthe spiritualists though!) to the "spirits" of the human dead, but include vast hierarchies of elementals" and of the progressed dead and of the never ‘embodied, with ll of whom men on earth can be taught o.com ‘municate.B) There is no reincamation inthe sence of rebirth on this earth, with the exception of abortions, mental defectives, and those who die before the “sou” really comes into being. C) ‘The goal of divinization can be attained by many people here and now, through clairvoyance achieved by means ofthe magic mirror, drugs, and sexual magic, Whatever René Guénon may have urged to the contrary, both Randolph and the H. B.of L were frm believers in commu rication with the dead. But Modem Spiritual, in Randolph's ‘mature view, was up a lind alle in trying indiscriminately 1 contact what it took tobe the spirits of the dead, and in encour. aging passive and unconscious mediumship. What should be ‘contacted was adepts and beings in the celestial hierarchies, and what should be cultivated was conscious elairvoyance and the will Originally Randolph characterized his teachings as “Rosi- tion” undoubtedly bears stamp* “The part ofthe HB. of L corpus that Davidson and Bur gyn chess accompaniment othe Randolph materiale is eratngly nondescript bing variations. onthe prevaling cul Thomas cl the day largely theoretel or antiguarin, aching both the pont purpose and he personal conviction thd expe ential bisa Randolph’s work. These “origina” fem agu ‘Sxeepting the purely doceinal expositions such as “The ey Sorular penal nthe adition ofthe clements ef raditiogal ‘Wetors ceremonial magi paraphrased snanly from Barret the Cont de obs, and Agepps) andthe tadions| correspon {Tapceu of els mets, asteoginl times, ete, appropeat 0 ‘trou ritual acs or explanatory of varoascoomstopeal thes. vies Eramplsoi hs esof marl ae testa for ation into the Order and the theoretical additions fo “Laws of Magic Narr [A.tef/A3s), Th eeanal efuge ofthe nonvisoney oho suspect the exence of myatry ae doses to partispaie Seah Ser nee eon eH te int is bookish elaboration, dogmatism, and the working out of ‘elpermutations ofa theme. The additions to Randolph's work tide ty the HB. of L, eepecially those by Davidson, largely ifectauch elaboration. The tendency to romantic deal i obvi Sun for example inthe insistence inthe HB. of L. additions to “tives of Magic Mirrors” that the windows ofthe serving room be veiled in “violet drapes” and that ite illumination be from Mert” lamps. °YaThe HB of L. versions of Randolph's work aio smack of midnight oll and the aniguary, and deliberately omithis ding Cision. Compare the following from Randolph's manuscript “hiysteies of Eulis” with the sare reworked passage 98 poe sented in the "Mysteries of Eroe” (ee page 730) ‘That there are hierarchies—armies of ther—Potencles, Powers, vast Intelligences—not of human or material _genesis, before whose awful grasp of mental powers, Delore whose amazing sweep of mind, the grandest intellect enrth ever dic or ean produce, is asa pebble to ‘a mountain range: a tiny dewdrop tothe almighty rush of ocean’s waters;—a gentle shower to a tempest of fain; a zephyr to the raging typhoon or its devastating arch over lands and seas! These beings may be the arbiters of the destinies of worlds; and I believe that they are the originators of many a drama fruitful of ‘good. But howr do you know that such things exist? Because Ist. Inthe sleep of Sialam T and others have seen them; and we know they were not of this a similar ‘earths, Because they are organically different, and look ‘no more ike s human apparition than a negro does like a Kalmve Tarter™ ‘The purely doctrinal and cosmological works of the H.B. of L similarly lack originality. The Hebresr etymologies and thedescription of the “Weel of Ezeh!” that forms the centerpiece of Davidson's "Symbolical Notes to the Fist Degree’ se derived from Blavatsky’ [Ueland from the works of Emma Hasdinge Briten and Hargrave Jennings. The srking resentation ofthe cya revoation ofthe ears pole around eave simi, is derived from the work of the obscure shoe: maker of Norwich Samson Arold Mackey (182, with caters tions on the Hindu yuges derived from Sinnet’s Exorte Badthon (158). “To pint out hee sources however, tnt to disparage the ‘alu ofthe final works oto accuse the Bo Lefimgeopm {hrs the enemies the Onder repetedly tried fo dolece Bed) Inthe H-B of L's own myth of engin lad out in Davidson "Origin and Object ofthe H.B-of ” [ALL the Order had tte throughobt history under ane ain o nother and as ‘hereal source of everthing that wae authentic and valuable se the Western occult taeiten, Specially with regard tothe Sourees mentioned above, the H.Bof claimed Mackey se ay initiate of te Order (Burgoyne promoted him in The List Egypt to"adept) and reerded Emme Hardinge Baten’snsynte ‘ows Chevalier Lous de 8 (se Section 13, on p. 50) a 3 Inenber ofthe Hof Ls iter Ctl, ad he ont wore Bropesdeutic ofthe revival ofthe HB. of fn he 1880s, Both Randolph and Blavatsky were seen a tre ites ofthe Onder ‘rho ha fallen sede frm ther obligations. On cuca sees Imoreover the H.B. of . wat wing fo depart fom ls sources, ‘The strongest example ofthis i the Order's explicit ject, viously for principled ressons, of Randolph’ ue of cxeal ‘nagic for “sltsh”endsandscatiton on thethe angers, ing to implant the sedsof celestial Powers in one own soc rather than inthe aman ein oe“ Bret Key” Chapter of Mysteries of Fro” A “he moet sllnt omissions in al ofthe H.B. of L mane scrips, especially in the ight ofthe supposed role ofthe Hind tun Chinfamon aa motivating principal ofthe Order {coe Beg andthe undoubted rele of Max Thom asthe conta betwee is Interior and Exterior ices, are the pouty of Talon (Budahist or Hindu) endo Philosophie Comloue sc, 4 5 rent ‘al, The only allusions to the former are the references in the “Hermetic Key” to various Indian theories of cosmic cycles, which are derived from Sinnott and were in any case part of the koing. The Hebrew homologies expounded in “Symbolical Notes,” similarly, were commonplaces of Western occult ant (0 em practic) acd to teach system oe ee ea , was Davidson's convic~ nang the iates however, was Davidson’ sconie ‘tion that Madame Blavatsky, in falling away frc iin cs itrol by the H. B, of L, had fallen info the clutches not mes ly ‘Sipe boar fo Ores trang Sioa Go (anh es sere ati se nan en pesanal moray and the pe ation ch Den thesis er he eons to Otho Alexander the uk ‘The elationship Saar offi Bee w A. Amount 5,88 Fonds Paps. of the alegtions about Buddhist conto, These wer the pe de ressanc in the argument, but onfotunately they hive het Leaving asidethe claim of he H.B. of. that Madame Bay- ataky had originally been an initiate of ihe Onion teeta remains tha her eatyidens bear striking resem blosce Wt cosmology ofthe HB. of. Blavatsky hod onghelin eegten view of humanity and its destiny tht was decdealy Wes The human being was compoont of three prips book el, anu pit the last of which contained the possbity of oe tality. The goa of ocular (endo ie uel) we adc LHon-the permanent jinderof the soul tothe spin ahigh produced # conscious, immortal entity that thestater cela Progress perpetually through the univeses of esta Aer sary corollaries ofthese views, Blavatsky In the oe yon ‘elected, with certain curious exceptions shored with ncaa and the Hof Ly the notion thatthe mel of lise oo ‘eincamated on this earth ava nan ‘Mtr hes move fo India erly in 879, these ideas began to change: The new doctrines began fo appett propressteiy se 1881 a5 the famous “Fragments of Ceca Tike peblagen ‘nonymously in The Thessohi from October onvae aoa which the H: Blof L called (BS.de] The new revelation ean {ered upon the sevenfold constitution of the human Rony (which the H.B.oft. adopted), the idea of nomecree nd Immortality, and the reincarnation ofthe siuth snd seventh Principles When the conglomerate dissolved at death ee Ing to this teaching. in the uoual cage alo ponon einen Alegree of spiritual development, the shih and reams Madsen eS 8} Drstntadcopnal eles eae i iia Tagannns eect ne540 FART EANORDEROF PRACTICAL OCCULT smnmoral and nor-inlvidual princlpes, together with “some of, {Remore abstract and pore ofthe mortal attributes of the ith Sneipe or animal Sou, is manos [mind] and memory.” pase Bite "Devachan."™* This state of sweet dream” where the "olen perishable but alo soncnscious‘Monad” ofthe sath hdceventh principles rests elPaborbed inthe purest delights atthe few ronaining elements of personality taken over fromthe {ith principles” Final, after the Devachanic interlude, even the ‘emwants ofthe fith (personal) principle are burned sway, and nly the immortal and absolutely non-personal sixth ands {itt princpls goon tobe reborn in fresh se of principles 1-3 ‘Seda The goal was therefore not individualznon,immor- faity, and progress, but impersonal “nal absomption into the Grell ‘Tre so doubt that al ofthis was a departure from Bla atsky’s eave vews, a8 Colonel Olcot frankly confessed in his ‘penis of the carly days ofthe Theosophical Society” and the hangin position gave credence to the HB. of L's myth that the Theosophical Society had been started under the Orders ‘on angi, and Rad then departed from ts orginal pusposes and teachings, ‘The rub of the later Theosophical postion, of course as the spiritualiets™ and the HEB. of L were very quick o point out, tas the denial of any real communication with the dead. The tnlty mn Devachan was only in some very remote sense "individ {al or “personal” in our sense ofthe terms, only remotely iden tical with the one who lately walked the earth, The entity Pepin ithe ada Bway Te Tat any 1) Winton Congres ata ar Fi 14 ater 018 ater 08) Si, ety, Semirg Drache They Ge 82001, ‘Rope 7m 20 2,288 Se ho MLS (Later LV, nw the Masta Kat ‘Sontund be mposoal tie hepa! MoneFor the chology Sopa SEETCP sean, ti tte Argue Fein epi °MC A (Orn) Te ‘yn omy, Aw 51.95 or] surviving death could not de communicated with by the living By being dragged back tothe seance room from Devachan. Pos: Sibly the “astral ego” of a properly sensitive medium could rise fr ascend to the entity is Devachan and to some unsatisfactory Extent “blend” with itor “become” it, partaking in its self absorption. But the personality could progress no further and {as aanilated a the rebirth ofthe sixth and severth principles {the “Spiritual Ego”) afer the Devachanie interlude, leaving only 8 variety of shells and detritus that, while they may have had {ome ofthe person’s memories and pieces of his or her character, ‘were infact so rach garbage left behind by the departing true go and unworthy of being communicated with Al ofthis was eminently unsatisfactory tothe spiritual- {stsand to the H.B. of L—for whom communication with higher entitis, neluding the “spirits” ofthe dead, was of central importance. And it did not begin to approach the Theons’ con- cept of the ultimate goal of humanity, which was nothing less than physical immortality Ss mampl ML) ae tye on in One Hero yan Teeny The Timp aly 8, BC 57nd ern EY sTowen see Spt arya Rese Specs” The Toe Gapisopacn ny sas13. EMMA HARDINGE BRITTEN AND THE “HIDDEN HAND” Setting aside these later differences in doctrine, itis possible, and iluminating, to see the H. B. of L in the content ofa large-scale rmovernent within Western esotericismy of which the early Theo- Sophical Society was also a part Its driving idea, that of a Uni- versal Tradition of Wisdom descending in unbroken order {rom the Golden Age before the Deluge, had become a comer. stone of occultism By the mid-century. The ultimate source of information was usually Godfrey Higgins’ Anacalypsis (2836), oF, for the French-speaking world, the works of Fabre d’Olivet, Ceuzer, de Rougement, Jacolliot and Frédéric Portal (Gee Lav rant 1975, 29-37), It was obvious to all concerned that some Snciont wisdom must lie hidden in the fragments of ancient mythology and in the obseure oriental texts that were beginning to appear in the 19th century, and it was hoped that living ‘hooks of adepts—probably in the Eastsil preserved this wis: ‘dom intact and could impart it ina practical way tothe seeker Tnhis essay “Origin and Object of the H. B. of L” [A.1.L Davidson sketches this sweeping picture of universal history, Dboginning with the mysterious "Lost Isle ofthe West.” the origi ‘ofthe Tradition inthis cycle and the source of both Indian and Egyptian wisdom, as wells ofthe various attempts to reawaken that wisdom, such as Hermeticsm, Busidhism, Pythagoreanism, Freemasonry, and the Resicrucians. Thus fr, the history is com- rmonplace, a mere variation on the theme of the priser theologia that had emerged in the Renaissance. The unusual feature of Dvidson's version s the idea of schools of initiates with real dif- ferences between them and sith conficting approaches to the prstical realization of occult truth All were tre initiates, but {he Eastem branch (identified with Thebes and India) had rigid fed into “scendotalism,” useless theorizing, and the quest fora ‘monopoly of power, while the Western branch (identified with LLoxor end the Hermetic tradition) had continued to teach "prac tial occultsm” to all those found worthy. This idea of a power struggle on Olympus was te have a long history, with definite fepercussions on the conspiracy theories that grew up aroxind the forces thought tole behind the H.8.of Land the Theosoph- icalSacety (00, Hartson; Godwin 1990-1991; Spierenbure). Randolph, Blavatsky, andthe English spiritualist and sodium Emms Hardinge Sriten (18251899) hed been nan tnowsineeeingspintuslsm ass plane intervention by come of these initiates: a a phenomenon crested by superior Fores to emmbat the ising tide of mates and fo prepare the way for Stem." The H.B of Led to this the notion of el 36 the motivating force behind Modern Spiritualism, an the cain that taps had alto prompted the foundation ofthe Theo- Sophia Soiety iva fit step ta comet the misguided path ‘Ritapistoliem hod tskenin ts exshsive tention fo desd men co women. Uike Randolph, Emma Hardinge Britten started a8 an unconscious trance med, We give her temniscences of hove Sheoras employed as such nthe 18506 and Tei0sby the “Orphic Society” (Bua) By the ate 1650s her necumship, ke Bi ad Compitely changed and she was lecturing ina conscious tate that resembles Randolphs “bending fi this state se gave ft doctrines fr deeper than the tales about the “Summer and” that occupied most spintulists®™ She went so fara fo Ciatm that twas she who hed started the occlt movement in 1672, with her magazine The Western Star Tt was here thatthe suobiogeaphin! sketches began fo appesr, fst atsbuted 0 “Austria” an Inter "Chevalier Laude B=" that wou be published complete as Chor! Land. "Lovie? who has #0 far ‘Eiided every atempt at dencation, wa iso ceed with trates rt Magi Both books were edited and publishes by Eun, who catined tohave known Lous for yrs and here band Dr, Willa Britten, Woven among the ahecdotes and now ‘atcepinodess cogent doctrine o exer both speculative Shi praia ‘Xtal comparison of Lui’ doctrine with those of Ran Aoiph is beyond our scape here™ For present purpose, the most important doctrines held in common te the univerelevoston of monads (nlading humans) toads ivy the ssl of {2S Era Harding etn Lace Ty nd areas 1, Peeters58 OPARTI-ANORDEROF ACTICAL OCCULT sdncamation a ot being par of hisscheme: and he possibil- Jot conscious saldetlopment. disected by ee toons Hye down the ole of the spins ofthe undone nortan Seas Tptetoved othe spitualss in favor ofa universe flor sees, mrudane spits Gngslebeitgs, plantay pisses) reek mundane ones (picts of he elemento called vanioceny Eementals o “lementares") In Ghat Land he aencrbgs to Sending of his own personality wit tat of i tesches oes Sorat and evoker an Orde of ving adepte hors Renin Fd works behind th ccons of hstory erthegoadontemeen Thue “Spiritsm" according to Lous tie conmmuniersey wih higher beings, whether tse be the ving adept oon Tes othe arly and cls hearchien, The “AS hig of stile ithe praccal scence of Spntsm an ave see of Summoning sins by method and concn them Uy en fens fo the pesiiyof common spirtuaine The oa po hlmeane of scheving power and commanicstng ok be Nerarchiestremagneinnand drags (opecllyhashehrears {nd itows oxde) while magic mitorand coals arg Rope inthe proce The gol ea conpletciberaton ofticeett intl and the re ere of spstual ences inst tate CShascendtothe highest henveng, wander tn earth ss teaot Shu the ator, an in short enjoy ie bintight sas speck of Beil. othe slorious prospect, Ghost Land adds the sobering notions tat there are Competing secret brtheshoods of estae poner but with difering gins ca theory het ol haveg es vision and that conte mediumshiponatnemseati een tathat magical power (including poner over he clamenteg) Gabe tad fore purposes and athe pitaaon porey {alia fonts dtepton practiced to prepare machina fre relspinisn andoiph could have subscribed o al ofthis, with the pos: stie exception of Loui’ stres on vclementarien, a tops eben Sundevcoped in Randolph's writings The HL Bort eat foveapreed with them al ‘rma and Losi seem at fs sgh to neglect the eubject of sex inden, when wing as “Sirus” [B.ra} Eames ae oo ‘ttle continence a andi of praca] ecco Cen T ner position as one ofthe most eminent mediums ofthe spirit list movement, and as its quasi-official historian, Emma was at pains to dissociate herself from the “Free Love” movement ‘hut had inflated American spiritualism and given ita bad rep~ ‘tation [see Introduction to Part 2, and B.8.d), Nevertheless, in her wltinge she shows that she was fully in accord withthe doe {pine of “soul affinity” between man and woman that is the high- (st justieation for sexual magic. Even in the 1890s she spoke to her audiences of woman, “the half of which must complete the angel the dual principle which makes our God, ous father and ‘Our mother." In this purest form of afinity the partners’ souls {re complements of each other, halves of an original whole, and ‘eventually reunite to form but ane angel. The Theons concurred, ‘with their notion of beings as dual, while the HB. of L taught exactly the same idea. Randolph, while he believed in the cre- {tion of soul monads in paies and the progress of the soul {through the soul worlds in company with & partner of the oppo- site ex, rejected perhaps from his own unhappy experiences ‘with marriage—any notion that this afinty was alvays forthe same parmner. tisa very short step from these ideas tothe logical conse~ ‘quence: thatthe sexta union ofthe eternal affinities itself plays role in the progress ofthe soul, Whether or not Emma ever took that step as a practical matter the idea cannot have been alien to her. She certainly Believed, in some sense, that the means whereby the rudimentary soul becomes incarnated 19 begin its scent was also the means of progress. Lastly, itis important, especially in the light of the claim of the H.B.of L that its own adepts were at the source of Blavatsky’'s ‘original work, to recognize the degree to which the teachings of Blavatsky’s presindian period resembled thove of Emma Hard- inge Britten, P.B. Randolph, and the H.B.of L Leaving aside sox- tual practice, Blavatsky’s early writings (especially Iss Unveiled, 1877) agree with Randolph and with Emma on the crucial points ‘See hes Nore, Nar An Sptuatiom Ne York, 170 and Nieteth Gm ie Yon "ana Hangs te Pe crn Mision of one Basar, aed ‘owen Benamed above: the goal of human evolution into divinity; the fale of no reincarnation, with exactly the same three exceptions {Ss Randolph. and the encouragement of practical ccultsmy as ‘Opposed fo passive spiritualism, in order to realize the goal of ueptship here and now.!® The Western occultsts had fair reason to claim, after Blav- atsky’s move to India, that she had deserted their cause, espe Gially when she proclaimed that accult practices of the (ype faught by the H. B. of L. were dangerous and, for most people, inadvisable They could not be expected to weleome Her run. ring dovn of Western esotericism in favor of her Budihist mas fers: Ayton regarded her volte-face asa betrayal of her initiatic oath, weitng as follows; Nevertheless, I know now, from authority, that [Blav- atsky]equally with Randolph, was rally initiated in a temote branch of our Order in India. Hence, she has considerable knowledge, having gone further than Randolph. She goes as far as she dare in making revela- tions without incurring the penalty of her obligation [Like Randolph she has perverted [oceultsm] to her ‘own ev purposes, but unlike Randolph has contrived to steer clear ofthe penalty of her obligation, “Thehigher spiritualism of Fnuna Hardinge Britten and Randolph, the early Theasophical Society with its "Brotherhood of Luxor,” ‘Max Theon, and the HB. of L, were engaged ina common effort, {orescue Wester civilization from the twin threats of selentie ‘atedalsm and its contrary, an infantile religiosity, whether of the churches orof common spiritualism, Already in the mid-1870s there wasanucieus of docteinal and practical teachings embodied in Randolph and Emma's works, with echoes (usually without =a ceo tie sen Sireeceneacentiatn the practical side) in other Westerners such as Hargrave Jen rings. These broke out once again in the 1880s specifically to ‘oppose the new ideas that had begun to come from the Theo. sophical Society in 1881, Seen from this viewpoint, the 1. B.of ‘was part ofa continuity of Western oecultsm, having its origin inthe unknown source (unknown tous, because not pisieal ‘which all these adepts gained access, ‘Whether or not this was Theon’s specific intention, the pri- _mary result of the Order was to introduce occulta fo the prac tical methods of P.B. Randolph, All the theoretical writings om astrology, cycles, symbolism, the Hermetic tradition, ete, were subsidiary. The aspirants ofthe 18508 could find such things in dozen places, but detailed instructions in self-training were not ensy tocome by.114, INFLUENCE OF THE HL B. OF L ‘The Order fared somewhat differently in the three countries ‘where its activity was greatest: Britain, France, and the USA. In Britain, the use of the magic mirror or crystal was alceady wide= spread, having been eulvated with no particular secrecy by Pre= Gerick Hockley, by Zadkiel the astrologer (Captain Richaed } Morrison), and by Kenneth R.H. Mackenzie But they all used Seeresees being unable to soe anything in the mirror themselves Randolph, on the contrary, encouraged people net to give up ‘under the conviction that they were incapable of clairveyance, ‘butto make the effort in thisas in any other dificult and eeward ing art Somewhat analogously, Britain had seen a spate of writ- ings in the 1860s and 1870 on sexual symbolism in religion, but rothing thet linked it with sexval practice “The scandal of 1886 following the discovery of Burgoyne’ conviction and prison sentence, gloatingly publicized by the The- ‘osophists, kiled the H. B. of L's recruitment in Britain, though i id not necessarily prevent neophytes from continuing in theit studies and practice. To those hungry for experience, two new {doors opened in 1888, One was the Esoteric Section of the Theo- sophical Society, in which a chosen few would be permed to sit With Madame Blavatsky in a eizcular chamber with a Blue glass roof, constructed on the Society's property in Avenue Road, St Joha’s Wood. What they did there, we shall probably never know, for none ofthe members ever broke their oath of secrecy But as we have said, lavalsky would not have stared this with: ‘out the pressure from those who were imbibing practical occult {sm from another, and, as she thought, a polluted stream, The other portal was that of the Hermetic Order of the Golder Dawn in the Outer, to give i ts fall tle which implies, just as in the H. B. of L’s nomenclature, the existence of an inner.” The Golden Dawn had a glamor entirely lacking in both the H.B.of Land the Taeosophieal Society, for it conducted ‘impressive operations of ceremonial magi, with temples, cos tumes, swords, coffins, and other properties borrowed from 5 kis eG Nin Coy 6:08 Ones Freemasoney [se Introduction to Part? and A.1.e. Neverthe less, the neophytes had to study theoretical teachings on Kab- balah, Hermeticism, astrology, the Tarot, ete, and they were taught to cultivate both clairvoyance and the magical will The Golden Dawn, exactly like the HB. of L., opposed the uncon scious clairvoyance ofthe naturally gifted, mediumistc person, in favor ofthe conscious and disciplined development of gilt, latent in nearly everybody. While mirrors were sometimes ased, the favored method was a refinement of Randolph's card exe «se, in which the cards to be gazed at were painted in comple- ‘mentary colors. The goal was to be able to travel freely in the astral, and to encounter the entities one meets there. ‘The H.B. of L’s principle of making one's own contac with the Interior Cirele also zeappeared in the Golden Dawn, when 5:1. Macgregor Mathers revived the “sacred magic of Abramelin the Mage,” whose purpose was to communicate with one's “holy {guardian angel.” Once this contact was established, the neophyte could speak es an adept and become a channel for new revele: tions. The signal example ofthe latter was Aleister Crowley's inauguration ofthe "Acon of Horus" in 1904, with the Boot of fhe [Law as its bible. And although the Golden Dawn itself hed noth ing todo with sex or drugs, Crowley had the equivocal distinction ‘of being the greatest sexrmagician and the most drug-addlicied ‘occultist ofthe 2th century. Fis lie's work amplified and inten- sified the current ofthe H.B.ofL tothe point of distortion. InFrance, the H. B. of L. succeeded in encolling a number of the most influential occultists, Hermeriss, esotericists, and The- esophists (many of whom qualified under more than one of these headings). The national representative was F-Ch. Barlet (pseudonym of Albert Faucheus), who is probably tobe identi- fed with the "Glyndon’ who wrote for The Occult Magazine 9 Snape md Cap nd Tang esp on“intepde, "conan sarite The toe Bodin Te Ce Magee erary {us en It rh Tap ame eco He sly elie ria Se ea Eis Fecha. Soler he Ora opts Ne40 PART HANORDEROF FRACTEAL OCCULT “The driving force behind the occult movernent ofthe late 19th century was Papus: physician, publicist, lecturer, organizer of Secret societies, writer of encyclopedic treatises, and editor for a fime of bath the monthly journal L'utition and the weekly magazine Le Veiled Isis, Papus openly acknowledged three mas- tens his maitre ex pratique (practical master) was Peter Davidson [9.4], his matre spiritucl (spiritual master) the psychic healer Maitre Pipe, and his maitre infellectuel (intellectual master) the Chistian Hermetist Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, The H. B.of L's teachings had served Papus himself, they served his numerous friends, ad they remained as the esoteric core to which his more public groups, such as the Martinist Order, gave access [B71 "We cannot mention Papus’s mitre intellectual without n the remarkable and synehronistic parallel to the H, Bf L's methods in the story of Saint-Yves d’ Alveydre (1842-1909). Between june 1885 and January 1885, Saint-Yves was given a link ‘ith another “interior circle” of adepte ruling the world, this time from the underground kingdom of “Agarttha,” The person ‘who inllited him was his Sanskrit teacher, an Indian famed Haji Sharif. Using the power of dédoublement ot astzal travel, Saint-Yves immediately took off on his own to explore this realm, and wrote his own eyewitness deseription of itin Mission deine (Stnt-Yves 1981), book so uninhibited in its revela tions that he suppressed tthe moment it was printed, Saint-Yves ‘never seems to Rave joined any secret society, but his own doc frines are extremely close to those of the H. Bof L, especially in hus allegiace to the Western tradition and his later lending” ‘with the soul of his deceased wife; while his act of first establish ing link with the inner plane or circle, then using clairvoyance torculvate tis of the very essence of the H.B. of L's own ori fins and procedures, ‘The French members of the Order included the early leaders of the Theosophical Society: Arthur Amnould [8.7.3], Louis Dra- snare, and Papus himself. Others were Berle, Paul Sétr, René Philipon, René Callie, Augustin Chaboseau [B7.g] and possibly Mace Haven." There were probably a number of others, "Sati ube ven (+ Mase Ppp san ley, Dr alin) ase men SStecen haat rected through the Matnist Ocde. As the 18s pase the ey aleenchantrent with blavatey and her masters Only Seta strengthen the Westen ccclts of Papus and his $Siocites,expecally Balt and Gusts [Be] and fe espec tsar Yoos independent aur (oc sotedby Devdas meals tn the final years ofthe 1th century, while the cccllist ovement was ats eight, the HB. of {became extinct in Flancetn proprio forthe Mouvement Costigue. We know ths ron statment of Btls avy in 1908 nt the couse of etna mse gaat Aber de Suri accsation tat he St pce troup he forms of occult only tn orer to {iSuby them, Bat wrote hat ashe alone who for yeare haa Sustained the only socey tht hed diappented tue te HB of ‘Eth the words “tony cessed in onde ops om the sce Sian to another pececy vial form” he clean ianpled » ation ‘ithe Mouvement Coumigue by then int Rl eering “Athough fascinated by Sarak, Bariet was mtu ais geri oly withthe Thon Madan Tn ve nl ep {Enter 100) but also with René Guon, who wae then bes the ephemeral Orde du Tempe Renowe. ewes fom Bere that Caton reeled a conaldertle prt of hs Linowlage ofthe Bots ans enchange Ie ntuence on te younger nan eer nt nis Thsophine (192), but was present in the ealest development of thought I Gatnon wae not fone chef B of Le tenchings wereby then ccusing 2 wiely Shale would hve hd no fiat fa dnsoverng en Inthe United Sats, he HB of Lad forma sucess among the Tessopists They had reason fel aes beret tihen ine founder ofthe Society decamped fo india, where teat stayed on, while Blavatsky sear to spend her st Jerain London, They were ready forthe sew Onder teachings, {hich offered the practical ocala tat they most wanted In the 165055 group of American members of the H.B- of Ly largely Mhosophiste, were constituted dat the Aoerican Cen teal Counc. Tey called themeelves a “Comutes of Seven: SESH ASLocana Garston aera anechaps in imitation of the similarly-named group that had {len responsiblity for the“Grotherheod of Lan” ofthe 1870, hence indirectly for the foundation ofthe Society. The most proninent among them was Thomas Moore Johnson {B7.c, Who was President ofthe Counc whe Flenry Wagner was Sec- retary. Forall practical purposes, the operation of the Council Seome to have died with te revelations of Burgoyne'= past. “The various strains of the H. B.of L's thowght continued fo cxer strong infsence through the end ofthe century, both Independently and in recombination with occultists wh ult tale traced their origins beck to PB. Randolph himeslt. Free. nan 8 Dowd, a quondam follower of Randolph and member of thet of L under Peter Davidson, was the most prominent In the mid-1880s he was a frequent contributor to The Gnostic, a New Thought Spiritualist journal published in San Francisco by ‘W.].Cabill, George Chainey, and Dr. Anna Kimball the last tho of whom achieved some bref fame for their having been txplied fom the Theosophical Society for thie sexual teach ings Dowd went on to re-found the Temple ofthe Rosy Cross inPhiladeiphia in 1885 and to contebute to Paul Tyners journal The Tempe published in Denver, Colorado. Dr. W.P-Phelon and swf both of whom were prominent Theosophists and mem bers ofthe H. 8 of L, founded and ran the curiously named "Hesmetc Brotherhood of Atlante, Luxor and Elephantae. rst in Chicago and then in San Francisco (ese introduction to A.) and published a variety of “Hermetic Manuscripts” and a Her inl Journal Sylvester Clack Gould, a member ofthe HB. of tnudaninveterat joiner after the manner of Papasin France con tine to seek the synthesis of sexaality and acculismn ina vari tty of organizations. He was one of the founders ofthe Soceas Resirucina i American 1908 and published a short-lived but fascinating journal, The Rosiracian Brotherhood, in 1907-1908, Which reprinted material from John Yarker, Robert H. Fryar, ‘lower Wilder, nd others on the Westen oceit and phallic tion ‘Sema Oe ne Canny Eats Gymt nd Gre tnd Pa ate Osta Calo T | nruenccormirn nor. OF “The chief heir to al ofthese was Reuben Swinburne Clymer (1878-1966), who reunited under his Resicrucian organization at ‘Guakectown, Pennsylvania, most ofthe strains ofthe Randolph/ LB. of L- tradition. He continued the work of the movement in 1 bewildering jumble of organizations and publications and {through the distribution of secret lessons that taught the Myster- tes of Euls. Finally, there was the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light, founded of #eorganized in Chicago [see B.9<] or in Boston in 1895, whose teachings fe the streams of sexual practice flowing into the Ordo Temp Orientis of Theodor Reuss and eventually into the works of Aleister Crowley. Once the secret was out of linking occultism with sex, it was impossible to ignore, and in consequence, practically every occult order after the 1880s has some debt to the H.B. of L.415, Tite PRACTICAL MAGIC OF THE H. B. OF L. a transition tothe secret documents themselves, we new give Aaya at the praca ogle which they teach and ofthe SLUSIMddogrel trough whut the members of eB of Seed al unterpded bythe metaphysia sytem outed in ion 1, above om ‘The terms “Exterior” and “Interior” Circles of the H. B. of L. had clearly defined meanings within the Order that corre: aged the degree of aepichipor ination an othe prac ‘Paltuaningifered to the neophytes ‘The of iiged all humans nt three Grades, which represented the natural possiblities of progres of the human Thig pre and postmotiem, and also Comesponded with the Stope bt propets poste ding fe on cart a thowe seking SndGpiship bach Grade intr, wan subdivided ino thee aster degeccs (LOLI, 16160, to that there were nine Segtes inal asin the Orde Kabbabtigoe dea Rose Cro) {He Es Grade of the Hb of L wos probably exginaly called the crateof Bali bu in he tesching manuscripts becomes the Grade of Eros he names of te ce Degers ofthis Grade tre urknove, but fo jdge rom te secon beings a "Myste- {Es of Eros” the Setond Degree ay have been called "The ‘Shaieic Arcana ane the Tied "The Mystery ofl” “The Fist Grade of Adept comeaponded fo the post tes aught in the Bein Clee othe HB of hat pact he Seder which neophytes were admitted. All! the surviving ‘Senuseript material dels wih progestin hs Grade. The pow” rs tobe chained therein encornpased the leentl spheres” srenrhand the astromagnetic caren that controlled them, Sllconclved a stly nated in opal term. Te posses Sis Grade were those ofthe present embodied men on earth ‘When the adept exhausted thes he or she nual underent a proces of physical dsolution and passed ont the evel of he Eicond Grade, although in exceptional ase sti-embodied dept could popes t the Second and Third Grades. re gut of te Fist Grade wa thus the development of Perec Humaity an ently who had exhausted the sevenold owls ofthe uonan sate ond deyelaped the fll aay of ‘human potentialities: intuition, thought transference, clicvoy- nc, and the power to “converse with plat inligero will (LOE; 1, 466). Readers of René Guénon's metsphysical ‘works, especially The Multiple Sites of Beng and Maho ie Becoming Accrding tothe Vedanta, wl sally recognize tis cone cept, and perhaps beled to wonder how Inuch Gueron svas indebted wo The Light of Egypt and ts lowly author The Second Grade of Adepiship represented the Interior Girl of the HB. of whose adepts hed power over the ap itu and ethereal frsts” oferty irom the “magnetic sone of the asial world up tothe ethereal and spiritual spheres of di embodied humanity” Is te adept of is Grade the neiot Girele—wno communisted with controlled, and taught the members ofthe Exterior Cirle. “These spiritual adept cannot dlescend io earth (as we understand the term) and manifest ee power extemaly without te aid ofa property tained ner fnent whose odylc sphere they can temporarily occupy. Their ‘het means of communication withthe external worl are the auepts ofthe exterior grade, trough whom they wansmt such Pottions of situa wah asthe woridhas ned of (LOE-L 16) ‘As we have pointed out in Section 9, above the method by hich the interior Cie communiated with he meer of Exterior Circle was carefully distinguished by the He 8.0! from mere passive“ mediumahyp.” “The HB. of .'s descriptions ofthe Third Grade, comprising the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Degrees, ae sil ls specie They were thought of as dei, angele, purely celestn, and beyond human comprehension, Because ofthe HB. of Ls peculiar ideas onthe original bisexual nature ofthe primordial divine mond, the intetace between the Second and Third Grades (between the Sth and Seventh Degrees) hed a particular importance. twas ony there that thehuman being becomes tly immortal and “thatthe tee halves of the divine sol [oecomel permanently and eternally united. Thetwin soul male an femate then cortiate he com. plete whole ofthe divine Ego. This mystica ion isthe mar age ofthe Lamb’ of Sent Jor, wherein the man becomes the angel_the Defic life He i the grand angelic erophant of celestial mysteries, the nature, power, and functions or which aretoo transcendent forthe comprehension ofthe embodied mor- fa” (LOE, T, 165) ‘The three degrees of the First Grade, through which those “porn but not rade” potential adepts must progress, correspond te the practices set forth in the teachings ofthe H. B.of L, patic- lary the "Mysteries of Eros,” the sections of which are acsigned {othe diferent degrees.” All ofthese practices were Intended to ‘wolve the entire human belng harmoniously—including, most {mportantly the sexual nature, hich the H. B. of L. regarded as the exential pivot of development because of our original Bisex tuality and our fandamental quest to be rejoined to our other halves, Without this reunion ofthe original divine monad, the potential adept could only know “self” and would never achieve Bue angelhod. ‘The H.B. of L, contrasted its teachings in this regard with the "fearful practices in the East of asceticism, celibacy, sel ‘mutilations ee, [which] simply starve and chain the animal into ubjection, instead of developing it into a useful, obedient and inost highly important factor of the perfect man’s sevenfold snature." The implied criticism of the Theosophical Society is orth goal ofthe progress through the H. B. of Ls degree work was to develop clairvoyance and lairaudience, to enable the neophyte to perceive the rea, occult nature of things, and 0 be ble to contact and be further instructed by the adepis of the Interior Circle and other entities ofthe celestial hierarchies. The ‘uth will be realized within, it will not require one single shadow of external phenomena to convince that soul which Is fully prepared forthe master’s reception, neither will the student [Sew age sd the “Rey the Second Thre re snr deren moter Sig een rl mate Rear Le bid have long to waltin expectation. ’At the very hour when the soul iE veady behold its guide will appear” (LOE, 1,170) Here lies the ultimate reason for the primacy of practice over theory in the HB. of L. Theory was necessary to ensure that the nneophyte’s steps were on the correct path, but the practice ‘enabled contact with the rea! teachers of the Order Iinall ofthis, sex was central. Tt was the fundamental reality ‘of all progress and development, and not, as the Theosophists taught, a mere accidental and external characteristic that might ‘change in each reincarnation. In H.B. of L. dacrine, the entirety ‘of erenton flows from the differentiation of the unmanifested divine into male and female. Asa consequence tis sex that pro- pels evolution, and itis again sex, consciously employed by the al adept, that leads to the reunion ofthe divine Ego and to ngelhood. In the pre-angelic state of the neophyte, celibacy, though it may enable a forced development of certain powers, [anabsolute evil. The "vital secretions” or "seminal fds” of sex: lal intercourse are precisely the components—if properly uused—that go to build up the spiritual body, and “love” (the attraction ofthe other is precisely she antidote to the selfishness ‘which fatally Limits development tothe purely material sphere (OE; 1,168). Finally its sex that places the neophyte in contact with the Spheres, Potentialities, and Powers of the celestial hier- aichy, all of which are themselves sexually differentiated Inits creation myth, the H. B. of L. taught the existance of the sundered bisexual monad or “duad” whose reunification made it an immortal “god” or “angel.” On the more practical level faced by the neophytes of the Fist Degree of Grade One, however, the myth crested immediate problems. How could the neophyte be sure that his 0: her spouse, with whom the myster- ies were to be practiced, was in fac the incarnation of the sun= dered primordial monad? The problem was coeval with the revival ofthe myth of the original androgyne in the 19th centsry, and it haunted the Swedenborgian and Free Love camps of the spiritualist movement in the 180s and 1860s. ‘The answer of the H. B. of L, inserted in the Notes to the “Mysteries of Eros," was a practical one. On this earthly level, ‘even ifthe spouse was nat the sundered soul mate, so long as he fr she was from the same “plane of development,” the sexvaltunion of male and female enabled the soul to progress [see ‘Appendix to A-3c], The H. B. of L. always encouraged both spouses to join the Order, and the practice was common. Both the Rev. Ayton and his wife, for example, were members. To ‘determine the suitability of the match, Davidson or Burgoyne compared the horoscopes of the partners, as when Arthur ‘Amould was reassured thatthe horoscopes of him and his wife “anmistakably shew that both partes have emanated from the same spiritual plane of planetary existence." “The importance of sex persisted even after the soul mates shad progressed beyond this earthly level. Love and sex (hough ‘without procreation) continued to be the motive power of spii- tual progress"? Ie is apparent from the letters of Davidson and Barlet to Amould thatthe sexual union of neophyte and soul mate could continue even when one ofthe pair had died [B.7.<} ‘Arould was haunted (in every sense of the word) by the visions of his lately deceased wife and the sense of her presence. David Son consoled him with the value of the experiences, and stressed, the necessity of rising up in union to the beloved ane rather than,