Since Aleister Crowley and Israel Regardie published the Golden Dawn's initiation rituals and parts of the Golden Dawn magical system, Golden Dawn teachings have had a huge impact on the entire esoteric community. This has been a mixed blessing, however. Many Golden Dawn temples closed because of it, but it has also aroused a great deal of public interest in Golden Dawn teachings and created a flood of newly started "Golden Dawn" groups based on this published material.

Thousands of people today already practice Golden Dawn magic on their own using Israel Regardie's books before joining the Golden Dawn looking for additional guidance, supervision, and training. People join the Golden Dawn looking for training in magic and expecting True Golden Dawn Initiation physically present in a traditional Golden Dawn temple.

Golden Dawn start-up groups could be of great service by making True Initiation available to more beginners than would otherwise be possible. Although these start-up groups don't have any Golden Dawn lineage or other real connection to the original Golden Dawn, they could nonetheless be helpful at least in properly initiating and training beginners, despite that Regardie's publications leave off at the relatively low, Adeptus Minor level.

Since individuals that have never been initiated nor properly trained themselves frequently lead start-up groups, however, it is important that they be taught and encouraged to maintain high, traditional standards. Our order therefore attempts to have a good relationship with Golden Dawn start-up groups, teaches them True Golden Dawn Initiation, and encourages them to provide new members immediate guidance, supervision, and training in classical Golden Dawn magic. As an incentive, we occasionally offer these start-up groups formal Golden Dawn affiliation with our order, and even the possibility of advanced training beyond published material. Some of these groups are reccommended below.

A serious problem arises because there still are many local areas without legitimate Golden Dawn temples, so many people seeking True Initiation have to travel to get to a legitimate Golden Dawn temple. Unfortunately, some start-up groups have tried to exploit people's desire for short cuts by inventing dangerous Astral and Self Initiation scams, falsely claiming that these are legitimate alternatives to True Golden Dawn Initiation, but without the need to travel. This is a terrible deception, as it not only cheats people out of the full benefits of True Initiation, but it also unnecessarliy exposes them up to danger of possession by destructive Astral entities and forces. In fact, Astral Initiation has gotten such a bad reputation that some groups have started calling this scam Long Distance Initiation instead.

There are no short cuts and True Golden Dawn Initiation should not be undertaken lightly, as True Initiation involves the ritual separation and reintegration of a candidate's physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects to give birth to a higher and more balanced spiritual form and awareness. This process is fraught with danger even under the best of circumstances. With candidates physically present and protected within the safety of a legitimate Golden Dawn temple, however, these dangers can be overcome by a highly trained and skilled Hierophant. To deceive oneself that the same result can be achieved alone or with a candidate sitting in another city or on the other end of the world, however, is madness not only bound to fail, but actually inviting spiritual disaster. On the other hand, travelling to a legitimate Golden Dawn temple for the full benefits of True Golden Dawn Initiation has since 1888 safely resulted in quantum leaps in spiritual growth for thousands of people!

In today's confusing and misleading internet environment, Golden Dawn trademarks serve as an important guarantee both of quality and of legitimacy to protect the public from deception by groups calling themselves “Golden Dawn,” yet having no legitimate connection with the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in Britain in 1888. Our order, the European headquartered, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, is a direct lineal descendent of the original Golden Dawn and practices only True Golden Dawn Initiation with highly trained and skilled Hierophants and candidates each physically present in fully chartered and licenced Golden Dawn temples

The European headquartered, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, practices only True Golden Dawn Initiation with highly trained and skilled Hierophants and candidates each physically present in fully chartered and licenced Golden Dawn temples. They also don't make students wait for years to practice Golden Dawn magic, but provide immediate guidance, supervision, and training in ritual magic to all new members. They uphold tradition in maintaining the strict separation between the Outer and Inner orders and are the only Golden Dawn order that offers advanced training far beyond published material, from humble Neophyte to exalted Magus and beyond. To meet the needs of members in outlying areas, they also offer training in the Golden Dawn system of magic at a distance under direct supervision of our Adepts, but still require True Golden Dawn Initiation, even if it means that people have to travel to one of their local Golden Dawn temples. Whereas they welcome the diversity of newly created Golden Dawn groups based on the material created by Regardie and Crowley, they encourage such groups to provide immediate guidance and supervision for students learning the Golden Dawn system of magic, not to mix Golden Dawn teachings with other traditions like the Thelema of Aleister Crowley, and to provide only quality, True Initiation in real Golden Dawn temples rather cheating people with and dangerous Astral or Self initiation scams.

The following is intended as a guide through the labyrinth of "Golden Dawn" groups crowding the internet today:

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® - The European headquartered, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is vastly different from the host of Regardie-based "Golden Dawn" groups crowding the Internet today. Most importantly, this order teaches and initiates in the entire "three order" system envisioned for the Golden Dawn since its inception in 1888, from the Neophyte (0=0) all the way through the Ipsissimus (10=1) grade, whereas, most Regardie-based "Golden Dawn" groups "dead end" with well known, published material. The H.O.G.D. offers supervised training in ritual magic and Hermetic alchemy at a distance to students around the globe through their on-line school as well as traditional, physical initiation through their worldwide network of Golden Dawn temples.

     Their First or Outer Order is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. (H.O.G.D.). Their Second Order is the Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis® (R.R. et A.C.). The name of their Third Order is a carefully guarded secret. In 1906, S.L. MacGregor Mathers gave their order a name for its entire three order system, by which it remains known until today: the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega® (commonly referred to as the Alpha et Omega or A.O.).

      Unlike the newly created American groups calling themselves "Golden Dawn," yet having no legitimate connection with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn founded in Great Britain in 1888, this order is a direct lineal descendent of the original H.O.G.D. and the sole and exclusive owner of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® trademark in the European Union (reg. 000063925). They additionally own the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn International® trademark in Canada (CIPO Reg. TMA510387). In the United States, they operate by legal agreement adopted by United States District Court as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, outer order of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega.® They hold primary Golden Dawn lineage deriving directly from the secret Continental European order of Hermetic alchemists, commonly referred to as the "Secret Chiefs" (Geheime Oberen), who are the "source of origin" of all of the initiation rituals, teachings, and spiritual practices of all of the grades comprising all three orders set forth in the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. These lineages were transmitted through Kenneth MacKenzie in 1850 (for the First Order, the H.O.G.D.), S.L. MacGregor Mathers in 1891 (for the Second Order, the R.R. et A.C.), and through David Griffin in 2002 (for the Third Order). They hold auxiliary lineages that include R.W. Felkin's Stella Matutina, S.L. MacGregor Mathers' Alpha et Omega, A.E. Waite's Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, G.W. MacGregor Reid's Ancient Druid Order, Madeline Montalban's Order of the Morning Star (Ordo Stella Matutina), and Countess Tamara Bourkoun's Order of the Pyramid and the Sphinx as transmitted by Desmond Bourke, Countess Tamara Bourkoun, and Marquis Nicholas Tereschenko. They additionally hold a vast array of supplementary Rosicrucian lineages and/or esoteric transmissions that include the Gold und Rosenkreutz Order (Fraternitas Aureae et Rosae Crucis), the Order of the Asiatic Brethren (Fratres Lucis), the Societas Rosicruciana of Backstrom, Les Frères Ainées de la Rose+Croix (F.A.R.+C., The Elder Brothers of the Rose+Cross), the Rose Croix d'Orient (Rose Cross of Egypt) and the Reaux Croix (Elus Cohen).

      In order to distinguish themselves from the groups engendered by Regardie's and Crowley's publications that dead end where the published material leaves off, this order decided in 1999 to completely reform its Second Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (R.R. et A.C.), and moved all material that had been profaned by publication to its outer order, the (H.O.G.D.). As a result, where the Regardie-based Golden Dawn groups leave off, their Second Order, the R.R. et A.C., just begins with a completely traditional and extremely substantial magical and alchemical curriculum derived entirely from pre-Golden Dawn, Hermetic and Rosicrucian esoteric transmissions. The putative "Second Orders" of the Regardie-based groups, on the other hand, are but empty shells containing little or nothing beyond well-known, published material.

      Another important distinction is that their beginning students study and practice ritual magic immediately upon entering our First Order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In the Regardie-based groups, however, the practice of ritual magic is largely reserved for their putative "Second Orders," merely because these groups have little or nothing to teach their students beyond what is available in any esoteric bookstore.

      The distinction between this order and the Regardie-based groups does not end at the Second Order level. The Golden Dawn was originally conceived in 1888 as merely the beginning of a three order system, comprising grades form Neophyte (0=0) through Ipsissisimus (10=1) with the R.R. et A.C. as the Golden Dawn's Second Order. Golden Dawn co-founder, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, received the material to create the R.R. et A.C. from physical representatives of the extremely secretive, Continental European mystery school to whom Mathers referred to as the "Secret Chiefs," and with whom he established contact in 1891 in Paris. At that historic meeting, Mathers was also given certain teachings about spiritual sexuality, notably certain techniques of "Hermetic Inner Alchemy" and "Alchemical Magic," which were intended for eventual inclusion in the Golden Dawn's projected Third Order. Unfortunately, Mathers passed away before he mastered these techniques well enough to manifest the Golden Dawn's planned Third Order. Mathers nonetheless did communicate some of the more advanced teachings regarding spiritual sexuality to certain students, like J.W. Brodie Innes.

      In 2002, leaders of the European headquartered H.O.G.D. were invited to meet with representatives of Mathers' "Secret Chiefs" in Paris once again. At this meeting, they were given everything for the Third Order that had been envisioned for the Golden Dawn since its inception in 1888. These materials included the initiation rituals for the Golden Dawn system's three highest grades (called "Magisteria"); Magister Templi (8-3), Magus (9=2) and Ipsissimus (10=1). Unlike the higher grades of R.W. Felkin's "Stella Matutina" or of A.E. Waite's "Fellowship of the Rosy Cross" these grades are not merely nominal or titular, but come with substantial, extremely advanced teachings. The order was given, for the curriculum of these higher grades, a vast esoteric corpus including not only the elementary sexual practices from Hermetic Inner Alchemy and Alchemical Magic given to Mathers by the "Secret Chiefs" for the first Magisterium of Magister Templi, but the continuation and culmination of these teachings for the second and third Magisteria of Magus and Ipsissimus as well.

      The techniques of Hermetic "Inner" Alchemy comprise the highest wisdom and represent the capstone on the pyramid of the Western esoteric tradition. This alchemical practice uses the subtle fires of the body, including love and sexuality, to transmute the "lead" of the physical body (or "Prima Materia") into the "gold" of a solar body, into which the Adept projects his or her consciousness at the moment of death, thus becoming consciously immortal.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, outer order of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega® - This is the American website of the U.S.A. jurisdiction of the European, international world headquarters of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®.

August Order of the Mystic Rose  -  The August Order of the Mystic Rose is formally affiliated with the European, international world headquarters of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® as well as with its American branch, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, outer order of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega® and has established full international recognition and reciprocity with their temples world-wide. In addition to holding the affiliations of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the A.O.M.R. additionally holds significant additional Hermetic, Rosicrucian, and Gnostic affiliations and esoteric transmissions. According to its web site, "the August Order of the Mystic Rose is a modern link in the ancient chain of mystic studies known as the Secret Doctrine, which has been handed down since time immemorial in the instituted Temples of the Mysteries."

Hermetic Order of the Morning Star, dba Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn - Although this Regardie-based start-up group markets itself as the "Guardians of the True Golden Dawn Mysteries," it is led by former stage magician, Robert Zink, who has himself never been initiated or properly trained in the Golden Dawn system. According to his ex-wife, Sonya Neiman Zink, the couple started the EOGD by buying Regardie's book and a Ouija board, with which Robert Zink channelled a demonic entity Zink calls "X." Robert Zink noticed that there still are many local areas without legitimate Golden Dawn temples, so many people seeking True Initiation have to travel to get to a legitimate Golden Dawn temple. Zink therefore tried to exploit people's desire for short cuts by inventing a dangerous scam he called Astral Initiation, falsely claiming that it is a legitimate alternative to True Golden Dawn Initiation, but without the need to travel. This is a terrible deception, as it not only cheats people out of the full benefits of True Initiation, but it also unnecessarliy exposes them up to danger of possession by destructive Astral entities and forces. In fact, Astral Initiation has gotten such a bad reputation that Mr. Zink has begun to call this scam Long Distance Initiation instead. There are no short cuts and True Golden Dawn Initiation should not be undertaken lightly, as True Initiation involves the ritual separation and reintegration of a candidate's physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects to give birth to a higher and more balanced spiritual form and awareness. This process is fraught with danger even under the best of circumstances. With candidates physically present and protected within the safety of a legitimate Golden Dawn temple, however, these dangers can be overcome by a highly trained and skilled Hierophant. To deceive oneself that the same result can be achieved alone or with a candidate sitting in another city or on the other end of the world, however, is madness not only bound to fail, but actually inviting spiritual disaster. Mr. Zink has also introduced untraditional requirements for blood sacrifice and the ritual scarring of candidates into classical Golden Dawn rituals. This has been fully documented from the content of EOGD's original correspondence course, that was published for free download on the internet by one of its original compilers, in protest of the expensive fees EOGD charges for public domain Golden Dawn materials. In recent years, a vast number defamatory websites have been anonymously published attacking traditional Golden Dawn orders and their leaders. EOGD leader, Robert Zink, was directly implicated when he slipped up and published a link to one such site from his "Golden Dawn Blog." Mr. Zink has also used several fear based marketing ploys on the EOGD website in a clear attempt to frighten the public into PAYING HIM and away from classical Golden Dawn orders. The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn was formerly known as the Hermetic Order of the Morning Star, Inc. (HOMSI) (1997-2003), as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Intl. (HOGDI) (1993-1997), as the Eternal Golden Dawn (EGD) (1991-1993), and as the Eternal Circle of Light (ECL) (1987?-1991)

The Stella Matutina Order of the Golden Dawn - The Stella Matutina Order of the Golden Dawn is a Regardie-pubication-based start-up group. Since there still are many local areas without legitimate Golden Dawn temples, many people seeking True Initiation have to travel to get to a legitimate Golden Dawn temple. This start-up groups therefore tries to exploit people's desire for short cuts by promoting a dangerous scam that they call Self Initiation scams, falsely claiming that it is a legitimate alternative to True Golden Dawn Initiation, but without the need to travel. This is a terrible deception, as it not only cheats people out of the full benefits of True Initiation, but it also unnecessarliy exposes them up to danger of possession by destructive Astral entities and forces.

Mountain Temple and Order of the Golden Dawn - The Mountain Temple and Order of the Golden Dawn is a Regardie-based "self initiation" Golden Dawn temple. Of all of the Regardie-based groups, this one has the best sense of humor, as is evidenced by the photograph of its founder, Michael J. Crowley, captioned "That old black magic is still alive at Mountain Temple Center!"

Societas Rosicruciana in America - The Societas Rosicruciana in America (improperly called S.R.I.A. to cause confusion with the real, British S.R.I.A.) is an irregular Freemasonic-style Occult society founded by George Plummer. Plummer submitted an application to gain recognition and regularity for the Soc. Ros. in America from the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, and corresponded briefly in this regard with W. Wynn Wescott. The application was immediately rejected by the High Council of the Soc. Ros. In Anglia. The American's organization's persistence in calling itself "S.R.I.A." (sic) is therefore obviously indicative of an intent to mislead the public.

      Due to Plummer's brief correspondence with Wescott, false but persistent rumors have been circulated for years that the Soc. Ros. In America received either a Golden Dawn charter or a regular ritual transmission from Wescott. That this deception has been intentional is evidenced on the orders website where they write: "it was during this time that the Societas Rosicruciana in America received the status from Dr. Wm. W. Westcott to work with the Golden Dawn system." In reality, there exists no evidence at all that the Soc. Ros. In America ever received either a charter or even a regular ritual transmission from either the Golden Dawn or any if its derivative orders.

      The Soc. Ros. In America did eventually begin to work and odd version of Golden Dawn ritual, which was derived not from Wescott, but rather cobbled together from Aleister Crowley's published account of Golden Dawn rituals in "The Equinox." In a desperate move to achieve at least a veneer of legitimacy, the Soc. Ros. In America next appointed Aleister Crowley to its board of directors, before finally managing to get a Rosicrucian charter from the Quakertown Rosicrucians, descending form Pascal Beverly Randolph.

      In the 1980s and 1990s, the group was presided over by "Sister Lucia" Grosch. Whatever tenuous lineal affiliation Soc. Ros. In America might ever have enjoyed, with certainty ended when Grosch dissolved its high council in the 1980s. Grosch was later sued by Frank Modica in the 1990's in a real property suit that nearly bankrupted Grosch. Substantally destitute, Grosch accepted financial assistance from Maria Babwahsingh apparently in exchange for handing over leadership of the Soc. Ros. In America to Babwahsingh.

      Under Maria Babwahsingh's present leadership, the Soc. Ros. in America today makes a host of specious and misleading lineage claims on its sria.org website including claims of charters from the Golden Dawn, the R.R. ET A.C., and the Alpha et Omega. These claims have been debunked with specificity by Golden Dawn historian, Anthony Fleming (aka Tony Fuller), who wrote: "If I am correct in thinking that you dispute any direct and official ritual transmission from the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina or Alpha et Omega to the Soc. Ros. in America, then I agree with you. Their rituals are sui generis and while, as noted by R.A. Gilbert there is Golden Dawn material included in some of them, I am not aware of any evidence that this occurred through any authorized Charter, Warrant, etc. from the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina, or Alpha et Omega." Indeed, closer examination of the host of alleged charters published on the Soc. Ros. In America website reveals them, in actually, to be nothing but a collection of worthless, and completely unrelated documents.

Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn - The O.S.O.- G.D is an untraditional Thelemic - Golden Dawn hybrid with strong Buddhist overtones. In recent years, a vast number websites have been anonymously published defaming traditional Golden Dawn orders and their leaders. The O.S.O.- G.D. has been directly implicated in such defamation when the publisher of two defamatory websites was unmasked as O.S.O. - G.D. initiate, Nagashiva Yronwode. Moreover, O.S.O.- G.D. leaders, Joseph Max, Sam Webster, and Barbara Cormack, recently published a diatribe giving explicit directions to one of these defamatory sites, thus additionally implicating the entire O.S.O.- G.D. leadership in the propagation of such sites.

Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn - The Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn is another Thelemic - Golden Dawn hybrid using materials published by Israel Regardie mixed with the Thelema of Aleister Crowley. The has seven grades of initiation which are linked with the seven chakras of yoga, the seven traditional planets of astrology, and the seven metals of alchemy.

Sodalitas Rosae Crucis et Solis Alati - The Sodalitas Rosae Crucis et Solis Alati is an order in apparently struggling to find its own identity. The group states that it is a hybrid of the Rosicrucianism, Gnosticism, Martinistism, Golden Dawn, and Egyptian Freemasonry.

Order of the Golden Dawn - According statements made by Pat Zalewski in a recent internet post, his "Order of the Golden Dawn" is not really an order but a merely correspondence course. Golden Dawn author PAT ZALEWSKI has for decades deliberately created a false but enduring reputation as a Golden Dawn Adept. Zalewski claimed in his books that he was a 7=4 Adeptus Exemptus with Golden Dawn lineage through former Whare Ra member, Jack Taylor. Unfortunately, Zalewski's Golden Dawn background has now been revealed as a hoax. It turns out that Zalewski was never initiated even as a Neophyte of the Golden Dawn. Zalewski has now changed his tune and claims that he is "Self Initiated." This is not at all what he claimed in his books, but is carefully documented in the linked .pdf (pp 1-12). Zalewski also finally admits (pp 13-15) that many of the ideas that he formally misattributed to others, like S.L. MacGregor Mathers or a "Whare Ra Oral Tradition" - were actually Zalewski's own inventions! Most damningly, Pat Zalewski's Order of the Golden Dawn has been revealed as part of a confidence scheme in which Zalewksi scams thousands of dollars ($1,200 per person per year) for a fraudulently named Golden Dawn "Inner Order" correspondence course that Zalewski himself concocted. This recently became public amid serious allegations of alleged criminal activities (pp. 16-28) made by former Zalewski students.

Magical Golden Dawn  - The Magical Golden Dawn advertises with the slogan: "Where you can become an Adept in a Year or Less." Need anything more be said?

Orden Hermetica de la Aurora Dorada - EL Templo L.V.X. THOTH es un templo irregular situado en Buenos Aires, Argentina que ofrece un curso por correspondencia en espanol basado en los materiales de HOGD y Stella Matutina publicados por Regardie. Ha sido de nuestro conocimiento que actualmente este grupo afirma funcionar bajo la autoridad del templo Ahathoor de la Orden Rosacruz de Alpha et Omega. Es desafortunado que LVX Thoth necesite esparcir mentiras como estas para justificar sus actividades. L.V.X Thoth de hecho una vez fue acreedor de un permiso temporal y provisional conferido por nuestra orden. Este permiso mas adelante fue revocado por nosotros. Aunque les permitimos una segunda orden local honoraria, sin validez ninguna fuera de la Argentina, el grado mas alto obtenido por un miembro de L.V.X. Thoth reconicido por nuestre orden fue el de 3=8 (Practicus). En parte, cancelamos el permiso temporal y provisional de L.V.X. Thoth por la falta, atraves del tiempo, de cumplimiento por parte de sus lideres con nuestros altos requicitos magicos y academicos. L.V.X Thoth no esta actualmente afiliado de ninguna manera con la Orden Rosacruz de Alpha et Omega.

› Builders of the Adytum - A Non-Profit Corporation based on the Mystical-Occult Teachings and Practices of the Holy Qabalah and Sacred Tarot. Founded by Dr. Paul Foster Case. Extended by Dr. Ann Davies.

Fraternity of the Hidden Light The Fraternity of the Hidden Light is a non-profit organization founded a decade ago by Rev. Paul A. Clark and a handful of Initiates of high grade. The Mother Temple was established in Southern California (U.S.A.) with Rev. Clark as the Steward of the Order.

› Servants of the Light - "Servants of the Light is a fully contacted Mystery School teaching through correspondence. We are a registered non-profit organisation and have approximately 2600 students in 23 different countries. Servants of the Light was founded in 1965 in England by the well-known magician, psychic and author W E Butler. He had been a student of Dion Fortune's and a member of her Fraternity of Inner Light since its inception in the 1920s. His appointed successor, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, is the present Director of Studies."

› Order of the Celestial Academy - An initiatic order of primarily a ceremonial, kabbalistic, and hermetic nature with a strong emphasis on research into ancient traditions and development of new material.