THE GOLDEN DAWN
AND THE SECRET CHIEFS

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By David Cherubim
(Frater Aurora Aureae)
Copyright © 1995 e.v.
The Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn.

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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

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The words "Golden Dawn" do not just apply to an hermetic organization which was founded in the latter part of the 19th century. Rather do they denote something beyond this hermetic organization. Thus we find that after this hermetic organization was terminated in the material plane in the early part of the 20th century, Aleister Crowley himself applied the words "Golden Dawn" to the First Order of his magical organization, called the A.·.A.·., which was actually an advanced and Thelemic reconstruction of the original Golden Dawn system of Magick.

Simply put, the words "Golden Dawn" symbolize the principle of Initiation, and this initiation is universal in kind, applying not only to the aspirant of the Great Work, but to the initiation of all things, even to the initiation of the Universe itself. The words "Golden Dawn" do not just represent an Outer Organization which initiates and gives instruction in Magick, but they are rather spiritual in kind, representing universal creation and illumination. When a child is born into the world, it is the Golden Dawn of a new incarnation for that infant, an initiation of his evolving consciousness.

The actual work and responsibility of any serious organization which bears the name "Golden Dawn" is to properly assist in the initiation of the aspirant to the Great Work, to help the aspirant in his/her search for the quintessence and light of Wisdom, to awaken in the aspirant self-analysis and understanding, so that thereby s/he may attain to the Great Work of knowing and doing his/her own True Will to inevitably be the master of his/her own Universe and world.

The Golden Dawn is the Outer Order of the Inner Order of those men and women who we call Adepts, who have attained to the knowledge and conversation of their own Holy Guardian Angels, and who are appointed to assist in the development of the Outer Order by way of assisting in the initiation of the aspirant to the Great Work. This is no simple task, but requires a genuine spirit of selfless interest in the development of others. The initiator is one who must initiate without lust of result, without the desire to personally gain from assisting the aspirant, except in terms of the spiritual and evolutionary progress of all. We may thus conclude that the initiator must be in contact with a force beyond human desire and personal gratification, and this force must be of a spiritual sort, beyond the elemental sphere of terrestrial activity. This force we call the Holy Guardian Angel or Solar Self of WoMan, yet this Angel or Solar Self is but a reflection of an even higher order of existence, a mere instrument in the Great Work of this higher order which is beyond all human thought and activity and is comprised of those great immortal beings who live in a world beyond all earthly knowledge and human understanding, who have crossed the Great and Terrible Abyss, and who have attained to the Supreme Illumination. We often call these great beings Gods, Masters, or Secret Chiefs, and we often symbolize them as Stars, Planets or even Moons. They are the secret life and intelligence of the Third Order of the Hermit Grade, which is the Holy Order of the Silver Star.

The Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn, also called the New Order of the Golden Dawn (Novus Ordo Aurora Aurea), is, in essence, dedicated to the same task as any other Golden Dawn organization, which is to prepare the aspirant to "become more than human" or to "attain the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel." The Golden Dawn, be it Thelemic or Hermetic, is a preparation for the attainment of this Great Work of human and spiritual development. Yet it does not end here. It is actually the initiation of the aspirant into a whole new world and reality wherein s/he may attain to even greater heights of self-awareness and development, which not only includes his/her own progress in the Great Work, but also the whole of mankind. It is a fact of Magick that the higher you ascend the Tree of Initiation the more involved you become with the development of the all, that is, with humanity as a whole. Literally, you become a conscious and responsible part of the all, so that inevitably you become the all itself, and in this you become a center of great evolutionary power for the actual welfare of mankind.

The Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn (T.·.G.·.D.·.) represents the manifestation of a New Order of the Golden Dawn, that is, a new form of initiation, which is based on the Law of Thelema and the revolutionary principles of The Book of the Law (Liber Legis) which is a revelation from the Secret Chiefs of the Third Order of the Silver Star. The Book of the Law announces the birth of a New Aeon (New Age) and the initiation of the world by Fire! The Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn is dedicated to assisting the aspirant to the Great Work in his/her own personal initiation by fire, awakening him/her into the light and life of the New Aeon of Horus.

The Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn and all other genuine Golden Dawn organizations ultimately emanate from the Secret Chiefs through their inner work upon the minds of certain Adepts who are chosen by them to fulfil their work in the world of men and women, to initiate in human consciousness certain divine strivings which inevitably change the human psyche along creative lines, helping to evolve the human species. The Secret Chiefs are the invisible conductors of the initiation of the world, and the secret regulators of all human experience on earth. The Secret Chiefs influence us all, either directly or indirectly, through their representatives on earth, who are parts of the all and of the Great Movement of Things. These representatives, or Adepts, are the makers of new civilizations, the great geniuses who have walked the earth and transformed it according to their individual messages. There have, in fact, been many types of Adepts upon the earth, related to many special fields of activity of a scientific, religious, or artistic value. Each one of them has contributed to the advancement of the human race, for which purpose they were incarnated in the flesh. The same applies to the Adepts of today, who are the representatives of a higher order of existence. Through these Adepts, the Secret Chiefs accomplish their Great Work in the world, initiating the all, making for the Golden Dawn of a New Age of Freedom!

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Love is the law, love under will.