The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order

by Israel Regardie, John Michael Greer

First published in 1937, Israel Regardie's The Golden Dawn has become the most influential modern handbook of magical theory and practice. In this new, definitive edition, noted scholar John Michael Greer has taken this essential resource back to its original, authentic form. With added illustrations, a twenty-page color insert, additional original material, and refreshed design and typography, this powerful work returns to its true stature as a modern masterpiece. An essential textbook for students of the occult, The Golden Dawn includes occult symbolism and Qabalistic philosophy, training methods for developing magical and clairvoyant powers, rituals that summon and banish spiritual potencies, secrets of making and consecrating magical tools, and much more.

Genres: Occult, Spirituality, Magick, Nonfiction, Religion, Esoterica, Philosophy

960 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Israel Regardie (born Francis Israel Regudy) was considered by many to be the last living Adept of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. At an early age, Regardie worked as Aleister Crowley's personal secretary. In addition to his extensive writings, Regardie practiced as a chiropractor and as a neo-Reichian therapist. He taught psychiatry at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and contributed articles to many psychology magazines.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

For people already invested in the Occult, Hermetics, Freemasonry, Theosophy, Wicca, Witchcraft, Alchemy, Gnosticism, mystical Christianity, the Qabalah, and comparative religion. Seriously, don't waste your time and money otherwise.

Not a basic beginner's book or a simple how-to book (though it does explain many basic practices that people should learn.)

Don't get it until you've read other beginner's books - Kraig's "Modern Magick" or Penzack's "Temple of High Magick ", maybe, since they have simpler practice explanations. See also Regardie's "The Tree of Life", the "Corpus Hermeticum", and probably more books on the Qabalah (I suggest Lon Milo Diquette "Chicken Qabalah" & "Understanding the Thoth Tarot", Ellen Canon Reed's "Witches' Qabalah", Dion Fortune's "Mystical Qabalah", Gareth Knight's detailed "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism".)

The language of "The Complete Golden Dawn" is dated, it will not be easy for most people to read. Most people want easy.

"Liking" this book is irrelevant. It certainly isn't the [i]only[/i] system or resource out there. It's an important one. I have THREE COPIES, and keep buying used ones as I see them available, because this important book is indeed expensive. I might spend the rest of my life exploring and dissecting it.

[Angus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really own this book. It was expensive. This is by far the most expensive D&D Manual I've ever laid eyes on. I've tried to cast some spells from this book, and I think my energy was off or something because I don't have a Mercedes, most of my enemies are blissfully living, etc. Kinda disappointed....oh, one other thing. If, you actually read this whole book, you are certifiably insane.

[Errin Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book, "The Golden Dawn," is not a graded course although it contains enough material to keep one studying for years. Multitudes of subjects one can take lifetimes to master, Astrology, Tarot, Numerology, Geomancy, Meditation, Alchemy, Enochian system, QBL, ect., can be found here in great detail.

By going through a graded course such as the Cicero's, "Self Initiation," or "Modern Magick," by Donald Michael Kraig and using this book as supplementary material one could make much progress upon the esoteric path by this Golden Dawn tradition.

Re: Initiation. Temple initiation is by far the ideal route for those to whom this tradition resonates. (This book contains invaluable material to study side by side with ones own temple material.) That being said, it would be redundant of me to point out that this book contains nearly every imaginable "spoiler," for those who will seek that path. So there are several choices. To leave the initiations alone until one has the privilege of experiencing them, or to carefully dissect and understand them one at a time, until at great length they are built into ones aura, whether working with a temple or not.

It is to those seeking the latter that I dedicate the following.

Spend at least several months on the study of the Neophyte initiation. The Ciceros recommend building a temple and give a well thought out course for self initiation. I would recommend building a small scale model of the temple, or even organizing it like a paper chess board. Break down the entire classical ritual and understand each of its parts. One will also see what is omitted from the Ciceros version and get a better glimpse of the entire ritual. This is nice to do in combination with the "Z" docs. Spend much time with Z.1 and 3 (and if one has access to Zalewski's invaluable Z.5 you are very lucky.) The Z documents are for the Adept Heirophant who will officiate the initiation, and for the officers who will be performing it.

Break it down, learn the significance of each piece. Take notes and try to understand the significance of each part, officer, piece of furniture and item used. Try to discover the elements of the ritual, perhaps re-examining it after each chapter of "Modern Magick," (or similar,) is completed.

The Golden Dawn tradition is really historically amazing. Even though much of the material was available in other sources at the time of the formation of the GD, no other single source brought it all together so cohesively, often combining extraordinarily rare and obscure texts. This century which has followed its birth has seen countless contributions from many adepts who have worked through and pieced together a collective opus unknown and unmatched in history. For those who master this work there are a multitude of areas which the next generation will expand. This is a potentially never ending sea of expansion of which, in its already current vastness, it is possible we have merely seen the first drop of that which will one day be an ocean.

"And the voice of my undying and secret soul said unto me, 'Let me enter the Path of Darkness and peradventure, there shall I find the Light. I am the only being in an abyss of Darkness, from Darkness came i fourth, ere my birth from the Silence of a Primal Sleep.'"

"And the Voice of the Ages answered to my Soul, 'I am he who formulates in Darkness, the Light that shineth in Darkness, yet the Darkness comprehendeth it not.'"

-From the Neophyte Ritual of the Golden Dawn

Knox Om Pax
LVX

[Logan Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's difficult to know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it's historically useful to have the practices of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn down on paper, considering how influential this system of magic has been. On the other hand, as a manual of practical instruction, this is almost useless. The bulk of the book consists of elaborate rituals that require a small fortune in participants, props, real estate, and costumes, as well as the memorization of huge chunks of dense text. On top of that, certain key pieces of information have been omitted for the sake of preserving the "secrecy" of the order. I can't imagine anyone actually performing these rituals, and the whole thing kind of feels like the self-indulgent musings of bored, rich, Victorian kids.

Some of the knowledge lectures early in the work are useful, but there's nothing here that can't be found in other, more concise, more readable books on ritual magic. It's possible that I will occasionally dip back into this as a reference, but it's organized in such a way that even finding the relevant information will be a chore. In short, unless you are REALLY into the Golden Dawn tradition and already an advanced student of the occult, it is likely that this book will only frustrate you. For beginners and the less fanatical, there are at least a dozen better books to start with, including Regardie's own The Tree of Life and The Middle Pillar.

[Malini Chaudhri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential guide to technical systems in Hermeticism. A must have for Mystics. This book embodies the formal principles of initiation into work with the subconscious and astral worlds. The Golden Dawn was a fascinating arrangement to those who sought advent into the inner worlds in the absence of Gurus and Enlightened masters.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really something "to read", just more of a nice, comprehensive reference to have on mysticism and the occult.

[Zadignose]

Outrageously bogus, utter nonsense, but I must admit I read this thing in my youth.

[Woman Inside Water · Rating 4 out of 5]

This got me interested in Thelema. Wonderful reading, tons of information from a "Christ-ian" point of view. I had this book a long time ago and lost it a few years later, have yet to buy it again. Granted, most of the rituals in here are not for the Thelemite, but it does the basic structure and knowledge of the system which Aleister Crowley reworked to become the A.'.A.'. It also tells of alchemy and some stories surrounding the philosopher's stone. Note that that the ankh (soul symbol) is Greco-Egyptian, not only similar to the Venus glyph but also the sandal-strap of Hermes. Many of the teachings are Greek Gnostic and Egyptian, being a syncretic system. And I loved the tables for the planets, which are a nice complement to those in Liber 777.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is worth taking a look at in regard to some of his interesting research into the occult. The problem is, one must take the time to separate the wheat from the chaff, and unless the reader has already delved into other sources, this can be quite tedious. In the end, I found not much of use here, and in general, I thought it was a big yawn.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind blowingly complex teachings in occultism

[My work is never done · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I am still reading, but the information, the rituals, etc all seem pretty interesting

[Warmdarksky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impossible to really finish this stuff in a year. Maybe I'll review it next year.

[Marc Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do What Thou Wilt Shall be the whole of the Law! 93! I call this book "The Black Brick" because it looks like a big, black brick! It is not a book that you will sit down and read straight through. You will find yourself becoming distracted by more interesting things, and well this book will take a year of so to get through. The most frustrating thing about this book is it contains a lot of nonsensical arcane rituals that you will find no one to help you understand them because you don't possess the secret password. Israel Regardie was a plagiarist and a liar, who knows where he got this material. He claimed to be a real Golden Dawn member although the only thing he seems to have known is what Crowley taught him, it is obvious that he did not write this book or any of his other books for that matter.

[Walter Five · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Big Kahuna for Golden Dawn students-- Originally published in 1936 in 4 volumes, Llewellyn Press's 1st Edition was an unedited 2-volume collection of the 4-volume set, and the Llewellyn 2nd Edition was a "Revised and Expanded" 2-volume edition, even larger than the first set.

This edition takes that 2-volume expanded set and puts it in a single volume with all of the information present-- no editing, condensing, or abbreviation of the original material can be found when comparing different editions page-by-page. The paper is thinner. Any of the 70's or 80's Llewellyn hardback editions will do, they're all superiorly made with good sewn spines.

Many students find this book dovetails quite nicely with Regardie's "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic."

[Mark Upshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The go-to manual for every Golden Dawn startup since it was published. All the outer order material is published here in one volume. Some of the inner order material from the 5=6 grade as well. One could mine for a lifetime the gold buried within the rituals and lessons. Another lifetime and more in the Book T lecture.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unless you are really interested in the occult, this book is really boring. I read it during my religion phase, and I haven't picked it up since. I'm not ripping on the book, it's just not my cup of tea...

[Bob Schweiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a set of 2 books 6 volumns that contain the teachings and rituals of the Masonic Order. As background reading it is a must for those interested in occult.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a bit wordy.

[Jhef · Rating 5 out of 5]

REQUIRED READING!!!

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fundamental material.

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The original groundbreaking occult work of the 20th century. Regardie's printing of all the GD lessons had alot of blowback but in the end it was all a good thing.

[Rudina Bridgewater · Rating 4 out of 5]

good resource book for ceremonial magic

[Jeremy Marshall]

An excellent and most comprehensive handbook for modern occultists and scholars.

[BRANDON · Rating 5 out of 5]

indispensable.

[Jennifer Kneif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably only for masochists. Loving it so far, although I admit I've not got past the introduction yet.

[Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of water has gone under many bridges since this was written.It is still a good read but nowadays things have moved on.However it is still worth a place on your shelves.. good basic stuff.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know very little about the Golden Dawn. It was interesting to read about some of their beliefs and practices. There are some similarities to Wicca, but I was surprised by the Christian beliefs given the animosity between Christians and Wiccans. Many Christians suggest that witchcraft and magic follow Satan. Many Wiccans don’t hold any Christian beliefs at all and yet, many of their practices come from people who held Christian beliefs.

This book’s structure is difficult to read. It is somewhat dry and has little explanation of the practices. It’s more like engineering procedures in some areas. In other areas it is tables full of data. Other parts were like lessons. An oddly structured book.

[HillbillyMystic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add this to an ever growing list of books to re-read and practically memorize. I most definitely have a greater understanding of the Sephora and the paths, but by no means have them memorized which Israel strongly suggested doing. I have a concise, quick reference for scents, stones, colors, Gods, Goddesses for each and every path which will come in handy ceremonially speaking. Matter of fact the first thing I am going to do after writing this is seeing how the Trump cards look in their paths. I can tell you one thing I am noticing already studying these things from a neophyte perspective my dreams are becoming vivid and complex. For instance last noc I was hiding out with a group of humans during an Ai robot apocalypse. We eventually infiltrated and befriended the highest ranks which were cyborg replacements of people like Mark Zuckerberg and Barrack Obama. We had an intricate scheme to take them down and they trusted that we were on their side and agreed to help them find and eliminate remaining pockets of humans. It ended with us dancing in one of their weird Luciferian rituals while two of our members snuck off to fill their oil cans (which they drank like coffee) with a toxic material that would make them melt from the inside. I was woken up from the exciting conclusion by my wife’s bitch, ineptly named Hermes, whom I prefer to call Trudeau.

[Zendali · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why is it that people who are into occultism, are so interested in jewish mysticism?
These rituals contain a lot of quotes from the Bible, more from the Old testament, but also from the New testament. Some hebrew, greek and latin words and/or sentences here and there, then some unidentified languages that you can google and find out what it is supposed to be. Qabbalah stuff, but I’d rather read the Bible or the Zohar, than this.

I read one third of the book, but the only parts worth reading were the introductions (in the first 48 pages) where some of the beliefs and practices of this book are explained. Otherwise, if you’re not into occult/Golden Dawn/thelema etc., don’t bother reading the rest of the book, just look at the pictures.

I'm not dissing on anyone who is into this kinda stuff, but if you're just looking for some info on what the Golden Dawn is, this is not the book for you.

[Arthur B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat dense, though in part the Golden Dawn system was designed that way because that's what the practitioners found satisfying. A lot of nonsense is talked about the Golden Dawn (and the various successor organisations that fragmented off it), so it's handy to have this reference volume capturing at least a version of what they were doing internally. Useful for anyone researching late Victorian occultism; even if you don't believe in the efficacy of what they were doing, this at least lays out what they were trying to achieve and the symbolic underpinnings of it. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...