The Golden Dawn Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Freemasons

The Golden Dawn was founded in 1888 by William Westcott, William Woodman and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, all of whom were Freemasons. William Westcott claimed possession of coded papers that showed the group as a branch of the German Rosicrucian Order, and it was these papers that laid down the basics of the organisation and rituals of the movement.

However Samuel Mathers proved to be the prime motivator for the group, spending much of his time researching old grimoires and fusing Westcott's papers with Egyptian, Jewish and Greek magic, along with tarot and Eastern mysticism, into one coherent structure that laid down the final hierarchy, degrees and rituals used in The Golden Dawn.

Answer: Egyptian

Part of Samuel Mather's research claimed that The Golden Dawn could trace its roots back to Ancient Egypt and connect with those Gods. The first temple, in London, was named Isis-Urania, and this concentrated on philosophical and metaphysical teachings, but once the members had completed the entire course of study and graduated to the next level, other temples quickly followed. Osiris in Weston-super-Mare, Horus in Bradford and Amen-Ra in Edinburgh were all started in a very short space of time, followed a few years later by Ahathoor in Paris.

Answer: Aleister Crowley

Crowley was an influential member of many occult societies including The Golden Dawn, and is noted for his "The Book of The Law", which is the central text of Thelema, and which set out the precept of "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law". At various times he used sex magic, satanism, and white magic. His death in 1947 was accompanied by various rumours of lightning and high winds, crashing noises coming from his room, and even one that he died during a ritual to raise the Great God, Pan. At his funeral his "Hymn To Pan" was read out, leading to newspapers describing the service as a "black mass".

All of the incorrect options were members of The Golden Dawn at one time.

Answer: Ten

Based on the Kabbalahic Tree of Life, The Golden Dawn had ten degrees, starting with Neophyte and rising to Magus. Each level was attained by study and exams, and passing from one degree to another was marked by rituals in the temple, which included special regalia, and being given passwords and tangible symbols such as wands, swords and lamps to mark the new rank.

The main emphasis was on achieving god-like status by developing the higher self. If Magus level was attained the member would then be in touch with "The Secret Ones", a group of otherworldly beings or Magi who controlled the order, and were unapproachable other than by Magus level initiates.

Answer: Raising Satan

Members of The Golden Dawn never indulged in Satanism. They taught Ancient Egyptian and Greek mysteries, tarot reading, astral travel, skrying and clairvoyance, ceremonial magic, alchemy, elemental magic, the power of talismans and amulets, banishing and protection rites.

Their scope was wide and took in virtually every magical belief and system known at the time. Everything was geared to personal growth and empowerment and was never designed to do harm to anyone else. The higher you rose through the ranks, the more mysteries were revealed to you.

Answer: Yes

The rituals and beliefs of The Golden Dawn have influenced everything from neo-paganism to New Age spirituality. Many movements have adopted their ranking system and belief in guidance by a higher authority, who can only be contacted by specific rituals carried out by Magus-level adepts.

Much of the tradition and ritual of modern Wicca and witchcraft can trace its roots directly back to The Golden Dawn practices, including women being given equal status with men in the rituals and magics.

Answer: William Westcott was accused of forging the founding documents

Samuel Mathers, backed by Aleister Crowley, accused William Westcott of faking the documents on which the order was based. Later evidence indicates that this accusation was probably true, but at the time it was a very unpopular move and Samuel Mathers was expelled from the order.

He, with his wife, moved to Paris and started a Golden Dawn splinter group, but the order never gained the popularity in France that it enjoyed in England. W B Yeats took over the group for a while after Mathers left, but in 1903 A.E. Waite took control, changed the name of the order from The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn to The Holy Order of The Golden Dawn and took it on a course that leaned far more towards Christian teachings than the Eastern mysteries.

Answer: Two criminals claimed to be Golden Dawn leaders

A couple named Mr and Mrs Horos joined Mr Mather's Paris order, convincing him that they were genuine in their wish to learn The Golden Dawn mysteries. In fact they were con artists, and when they were discovered they fled to London, bringing with them papers that they had stolen from the order.

In London they set up their own group, The Order of Theocratic Unity, and embarked on a career of extortion and fraud. Mr Horos was arrested for rape and the couple claimed to be leaders of The Golden Dawn.

In court, most of the secrets of the order were made public, and details of their rituals were published in the London newspapers.

Answer: America

The exact dates are uncertain as different sources give different timescales, but certainly by 1914 there were temples in both Chicago (Thme Temple) and New York (Thoth-Hermes Temple). Aleister Crowley, with whom Mathers remained on very good terms, was almost certainly a member of one or both of these during his sojourn in American during 1914-1918, although he was also operating as a Magister Templi in another order at the same time.

A temple was also established in New Zealand, where the order took the Maori name Whare Ra.

Answer: Apathy and dwindling membership

After Samuel Mathers was expelled from the order and left for Paris, there were continued rifts and schisms, with some temples aligning themselves with Mathers and others staying loyal to the mother temple. By the time The Golden Dawn was finally closed down, the late Victorian/early Edwardian fascination with magic and mysticism had given way to the reality of the looming war, and membership dwindled to the extent that the order was no longer viable.