Aurum Solis
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Aurum Solis, Gold of the Sun, is a magical order founded in England in 1897 by George Stanton and Charles Kingold which claims descent from the Ogdoadic Tradition of the Western Mystery Tradition. It is best known through the published works of two of its leaders, Vivian Godfrey and Leon Barcynski. Better known by their pseudonyms, Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips, the husband and wife team together authored many books on different aspects of magical practice, such as Astral Projection and Creative Visualization, as well as their seminal work outlining the corpus of the Aurum Solis and the Ogdoadic Tradition, The Magical Philosophy. Vivian was the Grand Master of the Order from 1976 until her death in 1997. Leon assumed the role of Grand Master shortly after his wife's passing.
On July 26, 2002, the ruling body of the Order issued a statement dissolving the American commanderies (working bodies) due to internal issues. A charter of succession was granted to William Stoltz, an adept of the order in Minnesota, who shortly after formed the Ordo Astrum Sophiae.
In October 2002, the Aurum Solis website is changed to reflect a brief, but shocking change in the Order: it is declared to be exclusively Christian.
However, in June 2003, Leon Barcynski retired as Grand Master and is replaced by Julianus-Hekatyfy (Jean Louis de Biasi), former Prior of the Order. Julianus issues a declaration on the new Aurum Solis website which is free of any mention of Christianity.
The Aurum Solis as well as the Astrum Sophia continue to flourish and accept new initiates.
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[edit] The Ogdoadic Tradition
As defined in the Aurum Solis Constitution of June 1999, "The Ogdoadic Tradition is an initiatory system which arose from a fusion of pre-Christian traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean with the mystical teachings, to which no date of origin can be assigned, of the Oriental monasteries: Sinai, Carmel, St. Sabas.
"It appears in the traditions of the Hesychasts (around the twelfth century) and in the symbolism of Byzantine art. Its signatures are the Fivefold Pattern of the House of Sacrifice as a plan of working (whether in ritual, pictorial or literary form) and the Eight-pointed Star of Regeneration as an emblem of Attainment. It appears in the insignia, ritual and architecture of the mediaeval Order of the Temple, and to some extent in the symbolism of other chivalric Orders. It inspired the design of the Baptistery at Florence; it appears in the work of Giotto (1270-1337), notably in his representation of the Temple of Jerusalem in the form of the House of Sacrifice, in his frescoes at Padua. It appears in the ritual accompanying the mediaeval Sacrament of Baptism, and in literary form in the works of such diverse writers as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and the great Renaissance Platonist Marsilio Ficino. It has given a structural plan to the Tridentine Mass, and in the present century has been used by Pope Pius XII in his Encyclical De Mystici Corporis [Mystici Corporis Christi]. "Not by the mere occurrence of the relevant symbols, but by their use in a significant context, is this tradition to be traced of which the keyword is Regeneration: a regeneration not depending on creed or sacraments, but upon the understanding and application of unchanging spiritual laws.
"The general historical designation of the tradition is Hermetic: not alone as signifying an involvement with alchemy, but because its teachings incorporate and build upon the works of Hermes Trismegistus."
[edit] Initiatory Structure
Again, from the 1999 Aurum Solis Constitution:
"The Order has three operative foundation grades:
The first grade is Neophytos (Neophyte), the proper title of which is Apprentice of the Great Work.
The second grade is Servitor (Server), the proper title of which is Servitor of the Secret Flame.
The third grade is Adeptus Minor (Adept), one proper title of which is Priest of the Gnosis.
Unlike the first two grades, that of Adeptus Minor is not fully achieved by initiation. The fulfilment of the grade is by subsequent personal endeavour and reception of the Rite of Ratification, whereby the initiate becomes Adeptus Plenus (Full Adeptus Minor).
Hereinafter, the term 'Adeptus Minor' is understood as carrying only the initiatory status of the third grade, thus not comprehending Adeptus Plenus.
The first initiation (Neophyte) is given in the First Hall. The second initiation (Server) is given in the Second Hall. The third initiation (Adept) is given in the Third Hall.
The First and Second Halls constitute the Outer Order or Lesser Mysteries.
The Third Hall, which incorporates also the higher mystical degrees of the Order, constitutes the Inner Order or Greater Mysteries.
Initiates of the various Halls are addressed as Companion.
The name AURUM SOLIS is generally applied to the entire Order, but properly refers only to the Outer Order; the name of the Inner Order is STELLA GLORIOSA."
The three foundation grades of the Aurum Solis have correspondence to the three "Gate Sephiroth" of the Qabalistic Tree of Life: the grade of Neophyte to Malkuth or Earth, the grade of Servitor to Yesod or Luna, and the grade of Adeptus Minor to Tiphareth or Sol.
The initiation rituals themselves are resplendent with unique and beautiful symbolism, and are in many ways the heart of the Tradition. The three ceremonies are referred to as the Rites of Induction, Integration and Elevation respectively, and can be found in their entirety in the book Aurum Solis: Initiation Ceremonies and Inner Magical Techniques by Osborne Phillips.
[edit] History of the Aurum Solis
[edit] Birth of the Order
Just before the dawn of the 20th Century in England there were a number of "antiquarian" and "folklore" societies who chronicled curiosities and pursued their own chosen researches. One such society was known as Societas Rotae Fulgentis, Society of the Blazing Wheel, and had been slowly amassing a wealth of knowledge and research from the various antecedents of the Ogdoadic Tradition.
From this Society came two dedicated occultists, Charles Kingold and George Stanton. In the changing religious and political environment of the late 19th century they decided to take the core philosophy of the Societas Rotae Fulgentis and constitute it into a living magical and initiatory occult order, establishing the Order Aurum Solis in 1897 “to re-establish the Wisdom of the Mages and to proclaim anew the Secrets of the Alchemists.” George Stanton was the first Warden of the Order until the outbreak of World War I.
[edit] The Early Order
The order continued to grow and thrive under the guidance of Stanton until the outbreak of World War I, which saw the cessation of order activity. From the early 1920's and onward, with the introduction of new initiates, the order gradually began to divide into the older membership who pursued their chosen studies on which the order was founded and the new membership who brought in more of a Masonic as well as Golden Dawn background. However this divide would not become fully apparent or divergent until later years, and indeed, proved to be a fruitful field for collaboration and expansion of order philosophy and practices. Notable in this period is the Rabbi Morris Greenberg who contributed much to the order's understanding of the Hebrew Qabalah and who continued to be a valued resource even in his last days in the 1930's at Bournemouth.
In the politically charged environment of the late 1930's, the order issued the following statement regarding two prevalent philosophies in Europe, Communism and Fascism:
"The development of the individual towards perfection, we hold to be a sacred duty: and we work for the common good, as a means towards the perfecting of every individual. To invert this ideal, and to regard the individual existing only for the good of the race as a whole, is to stultify all higher aspiration, and is directly opposed to the purposes of Occultism."
When World War II broke out in 1939, order activity again ceased. After the war ended in 1945, many members began working with other ceremonial magicians in Europe to cleanse the astral aftermath of the war and re-establish channels with the Divine. (While there is no known connection, Dion Fortune also contributed to magical workings related to WWII.) These workings proved quite powerful to the members involved, who brought that resulting vigor and zeal back to order when it officially resumed operation in 1949 and was reorganized.
However the seeds of schism planted by the influx of new initiates had grown, and in 1956 the leadership of the order conducted a review of the whole question of magical workings, their different styles (ancient vs. modern) as well as their role within the order and issued the following statement:
"Initiation into an understanding of the Occult powers does not necessarily result in the ability to make magical use of those powers. In English Freemasonry (the only type of Freemasonry reviewed in this instance) a type of ritual has been developed which is designed to initiate the understanding but, by deliberate intention, not to lead to ceremonial magick. The Freemasons do not claim and do not wish to be magicians. A Masonic type of ritual is not therefore likely to be suited to a magical Order."
This conclusion was to result in a split in the order, with the supporters of the more modern, Masonic-style ritual breaking away in 1957 to form the Hermetic Order of the Sacred Word, or Ordo Sacri Verbi. The Aurum Solis completely reorganizes its ritual structure along the original lines conceived of by its founders.
[edit] Ordo Sacri Verbi
In an unpublished writing of Denning & Phillips, they present a refutation of some comments of Ithell Colquhoun's in her book, The Sword of Wisdom, regarding the relationship of the Ordo Sacri Verbi to the Stella Matutina. They state:
"Certainly, a Golden Dawn influence was strong in the Sacred Word, and the bias was apparent in its workings; but this can hardly be interpreted as a claim to descent from Stella Matutina. The reason for the G.D. bias have to be traced to an episode in the history of its parent Order, Aurum Soils, and are given explicitly in the first volume of The Magical Philosophy. Aurum Solis itself is entirely independent of Stella Matutina both in its origin and in its fundamental tradition; a tradition which is demonstrated in The Magical Philosophy, with historical evidence of its development ranging over many centuries.
"The "Order of the Light and of the Darkness" is the name by which Ms. Colquhoun incorrectly refers to the Order Lux in Tenebris ("Light in Darkness"); and Lux in Tenebris is quite another matter from Sacred Word. Roger Hunt of the Hermetic Order of the Sacred Word, and Ross Nichols of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, between them in 1968 created Lux in Tenebris, the inner name of which was 'Horus and Harpocrates." It is true that some Druid and some S.W. members worked its ritual; but neither the College of the O.B.O.D. nor the College of the S.W. ever accorded recognition to it, and the experiment was ephemeral. It probably is the foundation of the rumour which Ms. Colquhoun passes on to her readers, about Sacred Word meetings held at O.B.O.D. premises, although in fact Sacred Word meetings were never held at O.B.O.D premises, and Lux in Tenebris functioned on neutral ground."
The Hermetic Order of the Sacred Word published an article in The Aquarian Guide to Occult, Mystical, Religious, Magical London and Around edited by Francoise Strachan, published by The Aquarian Press in November 1970. The four page article, entitled Ecce Homo, outlined the general philosophy of the Order and its framework: the Qabalah. Portions of this article were later adopted by the modern-day Aurum Solis as its "Manifesto" for a brief time.
Thomas Maughan, homeopath and Archdruid of England, is intimated to have been a member of the College of Thrones of the Ordo Sacri Verbi in the first edition of The Magical Philosophy, Book III: The Sword & The Serpent, which is dedicated to him. The dedication references Maughan as "... Adeptus Magni Aestimatus Sodalis, Collegii Cathedrarum O.S.V."
Chapter V of Book I: Robe & Ring (reprinted as Vol. 1: The Foundations of High Magick) of The Magical Philosophy, "Some Practical Considerations", is indicated to be an "O.S.V. Outer Order Document."
Also, in Chapter I of the same book, "the opening speech in a formerly-used Neophyte Initiation Ritual of the Order of the Sacred Word" is quoted as:
"Now is this Temple become a diamond of rainbow-flashing dew, a rose of fire shining out from the mists of the world. Now are we who stand within the sacred place gathered together not as Children of Earth, but as Gods. For our purpose is the Great Work, which we follow beyond time, and our meaning is Mystery. We raise our arms, and the vast powers of creation and destruction are but a little beyond our fingertips. We raise our heads, and we hear sounding far from us the echoing thunder of our every act. O ye who stand in the Temple in silence, now has the time come to speak. Let us declare why we are met here and what is to be done.
"The cry has come to our ears of a traveler lost in desolate places, weary of seeking a path in the darkness, and fearful to follow the wandering lights of the marshes. The cry has come to our ears of a soul near to despair, carried along by the ever-changing winds of doubt and illusion: the cry of one who seeks for Truth, and can know no rest until it has been found.
"When the earth is frozen in winter or hard and bare in summer's heat, the rain falls upon it in vain. The precious water runs away and is lost in well or in stream, unless a channel has been prepared for it, and if a channel has been prepared, that is the work of Wisdom."
Apart from these items, though, there is little known regarding the Order of the Sacred Word's ritual, initiatory or philosophical structures.
In 1959, Ernest Page, notable London astrologer, became the Warden of the O.S.V. Page was, according to the Magical Philosophy, a well-known figure throughout Soho at the time. He would meticulously draft horoscopes and interpret them to a high degree of accuracy in local cafes either for free or for a very modest sum. He was also a skilled graphologist, and talented lyrical poet--a short verse of his appears in The Magical Philosophy, Book III: The Sword & the Serpent, pp. 170-171. As well as his esoteric work, he was a devoted social-worker with the Simon Society, an organization dedicated to helping those who needed aid but could not seek it through the normal channels. Upon becoming Warden of the Ordo Sacri Verbi, he immediately began to work for its reunion with the Aurum Solis. He did not live to see the reunion of the two Orders in 1971, and died in 1966. Melita Denning's poem "Orpheus," which prefaces Book I of the Magical Philosophy, serves as a dedicatory verse to Page.
[edit] Denning & Phillips
Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips are the pen-names of Vivian Godfrey and Leon Barcynski, who together authored many books in the early days of Llewellyn Publications, chief among which is the formal presentation of the Order Aurum Solis' philosophy and praxis: The Magical Philosophy.
Leon Barcynski began to receive magical training at the age of 16 from Ernest Page. For some time in the early 1970's, he was the head of the Aurum Solis psychic investigation team. Leon was also a pupil of U Maung Maung Ji, a lecturer in Eastern philosophies, who worked with the UN Secretary-General U Thant. He is a Fellow of the International Biographical Association, a Life Patron of the American Biographical Institute, and an Honorary Fellow of the Anglo-American Academy.
Vivian Godfrey Barcynski was the first female Grand Master of the Aurum Solis, from 1976 to 1997. At one point Vivian spent about six years traveling throughout and gathering occult knowledge, chiefly from the Middle East and the Mediterranean. These studies led her to discover the work of the Aurum Solis on kindred matters. She studied Jungian psychology under Buntie Wills, herself a student of C. G. Jung's friend Toni Sussman. Vivian was invested Dame d'Honneur, OMCT, in 1968 by the Geneva Grand Priory of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple. She was also friends with Olivia Robertson, the founder of the Fellowship of Isis, since they were young women. Vivian spoke English, French, Italian and Latin.
Around 1971, Vivian & Leon met or began working with Carl Llewellyn Weschcke. Around 1979 they moved to the United States. In June of 1982 Leon & Vivian were consecrated Autocephalous Bishops of the Paracletian Church by Herman Adrian Spruit, the founder of the Church of Antioch. In 1983, they both consecrated Carl Weschcke into the same bishopric. Around 1984, Vivian & Leon began working with William Stoltz and initiated him into the First Hall. On 8 July 1987 Vivian & Leon retired from the Aurum Solis, and Weschcke became the Grand Master. Yet on 23 June 1988 both resumed office at the unanimous request of the members; Vivian as Grand Master and Leon as Administrator-General.
In 1989 the two returned to England, and the Grand Commandery of Athlit relocated. On 30 January 1994, Vivienne O'Regan, author of The Pillar of Isis, was established as Administrator-General of the Aurum Solis by Vivian Godfrey. In 1997 Vivian was diagnosed with cancer and died on 23 March. In September 1997, Leon Barcynski publishes an In Memoriam to Vivian. Vivienne O'Regan is established as Prior of the Order on 3 May 1998, then Deputy Grand Master on 9 September 1998, and then Acting Grand Master in December 1999. On 11 April 2001 Leon resumes office as the Grand Master of Aurum Solis.
