This essay is a followup on the two previous works which disseminates the subjects of the relations between the Alpha et Omega and Stella Matutina and sexual teachings of Alpha et Omega and the Solar Order. Yesterday Anthony Fleming a.k.a. Tony Fuller as usual made a highly interesting and illuminating exposition on the Golden Dawn Group regarding the higher Grade teachings of the Rosicrucian Order of the Alpha et Omega (A.O.) of S.L. MacGregor Mathers, somewhat comparing these to the higher Grade teachings of Stella Matutina (S.M.) of Dr. Robert Felkin. I believe it is in common interest for the readers to cite pertinent sections of this here, as it directly relates to the two above mentioned essays. However I have taken the liberty to edit the text somewhat, inserting clarifications within brackets and make corrections to some typos.
To begin with Tony Fuller states that he is "aware of very few SM papers in this category and almost none relating to the sub Grades which Felkin later dispensed with. However there were certainly quite a few AO Th[eoricus] A[deptus] M[inor], P[racticus] A[deptus] M[inor] and Ph[ilosophus] A[deptus] M[inor] papers issued". Fuller says he know this "because some were listed in a version of the Z2 papers as editorial comment [...]. Most of these papers have probably not survived but a few have (e.g. Sub Spe's [John William Brodie-Innes'] two part 'Paths and Portals' papers). A few of these also found their way to the SM (probably via Cargenie Dickson) and a couple were found in the [William Butler] Yeats' papers. Again, a small number of 6=5 [Adeptus Major] and 7=4 [Adeptus Exemptus] papers issued by the AO have survived and one can probably conclude that more existed than the small surviving selection". While most of those Fuller have seen "seem to have been written by Brodie Innes (Sub Spe) there are one or two indications of a Mathers origin. For example, there is a four part sequence of papers on the Kameas written by Brodie Innes which is stated as being for 7=4."
Fuller further says that he doesn't believe that the Cromlech Temple of the Solar Order in general was seen "as providing the 'higher' teachings" although he concedes "this may have been the case with some members. Certainly some of the Aura papers do elaborate on GD themes (the Dragon formulae, astrology, Ritual 'U' etc) and several are supposedly reserved for the Adeptus Exemptus."
Fuller states that he is "aware of some 160 separate Cromlech documents which in volume alone at least equal if not surpass the GD corpus". Fuller states that he has "around 120 of these. Another dozen may exist in another collection, and a further 30-35 are listed by Carnegie Dickson along with his annotation that he did not himself have copies of them. Quite a few of these papers are noted by Dickson as also being AO papers and issued accordingly to AO members. Despite a very close study of all extant papers, along with letters from Mrs Carnegie Dickson regarding Cromlech, and some 70 letters from Beryl Renn, 20 letters from John Reid (another N[ew] Z[eeland] member) plus many conversations with the last two", Fuller freely admits he has "not been able to form a coherent picture of the Cromlech temple in terms of its Grade structure nor how the various levels of teaching interralate."
If the reader has been zealous enough to study the above mentioned texts he or she will be aware that both the tradition and current of A.O. and the Solar Order eventually were brought to New Zeeland by the A.O. Adeptus Major (6=5) Charles Renn. Fuller futher, in comparing with the Golden Dawn, says that "very little is known of the Cromlech history. Certainly some Whare Ra members were upset that it was allowed to 'take root', Frank Salt being one of them. Indeed he writes very scathingly of this in a letter to the Chiefs. [...] After [Charles] Renn died there was, apparenly, some unpleasant lobbying amongst the members to suceed him, which upset Beryl Renn. There is, incidentally, one piece of evidence to strongly suggest that Ewen (Hugh) Campbell, 9=2 joined Cromlech in England in the 1930s and was initiated by Carnegie Dickson with whom he stayed while visiting."
And futher regarding the Solar Order and its relation to the Stella Matutina, Fuller continues that whether or not "the N[ew] Z[eeland] Temple of Cromlech (Io-Ana Temple) was well received it does appear to have been highly valued by senior UK GD members. We know that Brodie Innes remained the head for most of its existence apart from a brief period when he relinquished seniority to Felkin. For a period both Felkin and his wife highly praised the Order (in surviving documents) and Felkin did believe (for a period) that the 'Sun Masters' ruling the Order were also the Third Order (again documented in surviving including unpublished papers by Miss Stoddart - she was very critical). And we do know that Mathers joined and that either under his rule or under that of his successor, Cromlech and the AO were ruled together. Several of the surviving Cromlech rituals and papers actually bear AO stickers. Again, we know that Brodie-Innes' successor (Carnegie Dickson) actually was simultaneously head of AO and SM temples (he revived Amoun) and the Cromlech. This was at the time that Regardie joined Hermes and the Chiefs of Hermes referred to Dickson as the senior Chief. By the late 1940s the AO remnants had dissipated and Dickson and his wife transferred their activity to Hermes where the Cromlech was introduced again. From this point certain Cromlech papers make reference to the SM, rather than the AO. Other prominent AO members of the period (e.g. Mrs Tranchall- Hayes, friend of Dion Fortune) were also Cromlech members. Gareth Knight provides intriguing indications that Cromlech symbols and motifs were introduced to Dion Fortune."
So according to Tony Fuller the A.O. current through its legal successor Garnegie-Dickson was inherited into the Hermes Temple of Bristol. This explanis why Hermes Temple, according to Fuller, used the A.O. rituals and not the ones from S.M. during the 1950's and onwards. It is also interesting to note that Tamara Bourkoun's Order of the Pyramid and the Sphinx (O.P+S.) according to Steve Nichols and his The Magical Writings of Ithell Colquhoun gives an account where both Orders (i.e. the S.M. and O.P+S.) shared the same space for their meetings. This makes it possible that the A.O. current actually were transferred to the O.P+S. through Miss. Tranchell-Hayes, the last Imperatrix of the A.O., because of the physical close proximity.
Fuller further says that he doesn't believe that the Cromlech Temple of the Solar Order in general was seen "as providing the 'higher' teachings" although he concedes "this may have been the case with some members. Certainly some of the Aura papers do elaborate on GD themes (the Dragon formulae, astrology, Ritual 'U' etc) and several are supposedly reserved for the Adeptus Exemptus."
Fuller states that he is "aware of some 160 separate Cromlech documents which in volume alone at least equal if not surpass the GD corpus". Fuller states that he has "around 120 of these. Another dozen may exist in another collection, and a further 30-35 are listed by Carnegie Dickson along with his annotation that he did not himself have copies of them. Quite a few of these papers are noted by Dickson as also being AO papers and issued accordingly to AO members. Despite a very close study of all extant papers, along with letters from Mrs Carnegie Dickson regarding Cromlech, and some 70 letters from Beryl Renn, 20 letters from John Reid (another N[ew] Z[eeland] member) plus many conversations with the last two", Fuller freely admits he has "not been able to form a coherent picture of the Cromlech temple in terms of its Grade structure nor how the various levels of teaching interralate."
If the reader has been zealous enough to study the above mentioned texts he or she will be aware that both the tradition and current of A.O. and the Solar Order eventually were brought to New Zeeland by the A.O. Adeptus Major (6=5) Charles Renn. Fuller futher, in comparing with the Golden Dawn, says that "very little is known of the Cromlech history. Certainly some Whare Ra members were upset that it was allowed to 'take root', Frank Salt being one of them. Indeed he writes very scathingly of this in a letter to the Chiefs. [...] After [Charles] Renn died there was, apparenly, some unpleasant lobbying amongst the members to suceed him, which upset Beryl Renn. There is, incidentally, one piece of evidence to strongly suggest that Ewen (Hugh) Campbell, 9=2 joined Cromlech in England in the 1930s and was initiated by Carnegie Dickson with whom he stayed while visiting."
And futher regarding the Solar Order and its relation to the Stella Matutina, Fuller continues that whether or not "the N[ew] Z[eeland] Temple of Cromlech (Io-Ana Temple) was well received it does appear to have been highly valued by senior UK GD members. We know that Brodie Innes remained the head for most of its existence apart from a brief period when he relinquished seniority to Felkin. For a period both Felkin and his wife highly praised the Order (in surviving documents) and Felkin did believe (for a period) that the 'Sun Masters' ruling the Order were also the Third Order (again documented in surviving including unpublished papers by Miss Stoddart - she was very critical). And we do know that Mathers joined and that either under his rule or under that of his successor, Cromlech and the AO were ruled together. Several of the surviving Cromlech rituals and papers actually bear AO stickers. Again, we know that Brodie-Innes' successor (Carnegie Dickson) actually was simultaneously head of AO and SM temples (he revived Amoun) and the Cromlech. This was at the time that Regardie joined Hermes and the Chiefs of Hermes referred to Dickson as the senior Chief. By the late 1940s the AO remnants had dissipated and Dickson and his wife transferred their activity to Hermes where the Cromlech was introduced again. From this point certain Cromlech papers make reference to the SM, rather than the AO. Other prominent AO members of the period (e.g. Mrs Tranchall- Hayes, friend of Dion Fortune) were also Cromlech members. Gareth Knight provides intriguing indications that Cromlech symbols and motifs were introduced to Dion Fortune."
So according to Tony Fuller the A.O. current through its legal successor Garnegie-Dickson was inherited into the Hermes Temple of Bristol. This explanis why Hermes Temple, according to Fuller, used the A.O. rituals and not the ones from S.M. during the 1950's and onwards. It is also interesting to note that Tamara Bourkoun's Order of the Pyramid and the Sphinx (O.P+S.) according to Steve Nichols and his The Magical Writings of Ithell Colquhoun gives an account where both Orders (i.e. the S.M. and O.P+S.) shared the same space for their meetings. This makes it possible that the A.O. current actually were transferred to the O.P+S. through Miss. Tranchell-Hayes, the last Imperatrix of the A.O., because of the physical close proximity.
Regarding the supposed elevation of the Solar Order to the status of a "Third Order" Tony Fuller continues that apart "from the Felkin reference above there are a few suggestive, but insubstantial, references in the Cromlech and other papers which possibly support a claim which ex-member John Reid once made" to Fuller that "the Cromlech Order (correct title, 'The Holy Order of the Sun') was regarded by some members as 'the Third Order', or the 'risen Sun of the GD'. Whether this ever was the case", Fuller concludes, "cannot yet be proved" and he affirms that he is "not asserting it."
In closing Fuller however asserts that regarding "the origins of the [Solar] Order no one knows. The earliest surviving document indicates an 1890 date. There is an intriguing claim made that the first Cromlech papers came from Isabelle De Steiger. If true, did she receive them from Mrs Atwood, the Alchemist, from whom De Steiger received many papers? Much work on these fascinating Orders remains to be done."
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The Solar Order (Cromlech Temple) and its relation to Alpha et Omega and Stella Matutina is truly a fascinating subject and ideed well worth any serious research. Hopefully such serious research eventually will surfice and contribute to our fragmented historical understanding of the Golden Dawn and its side traditions.
S.R.
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