Founding of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Background. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a secret society from the Western esoteric tradition, heavily based on Rosicrucianism and inspired by Freemasonry. It focused on the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The order was active in Great Britain, focusing its practices on theurgy and spiritual development, becoming a significant influence on 20th-century Western occultism.

Origins. A reported Rosicrucian lineage of the order is traced through Count Apponyi, a Hungarian nobleman, though this is a claimed lineage rather than an established fact. The founding documents, known as the Cipher Manuscripts, reached William Wynn Westcott after Woodford passed them on to him in February 1886; Westcott decoded them in 1887. These manuscripts are described as the founding documents of the order, providing the outlines for its rituals and a curriculum including Hermetic Qabalah, astrology, occult tarot, geomancy, and alchemy.

Founders. The three founders were William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers. All three were Freemasons and members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. Westcott, a London coroner, decoded the manuscripts and sought confirmation from Mathers, who then asked Woodman to assist. These three high-degree Freemasons established the first temple.