Stella Matutina

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This article is about the initiatory Order. For the Jesuit school, see Stella Matutina (Jesuit School).
Main article: Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

The Stella Matutina was an initiatory Order dedicated to the dissemination of the traditional teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn through the process of initiation. Between 1900-1903, the Outer order of the Stella Matutina was known as Mystic Rose or Order of the M.R. in the Outer.[1]

Contents

[edit] Origins

After a revolt in the spring of 1903, the Order was formed out of the Amoun Temple, changing the name of the Outer order from Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to Stella Matutina, by Robert Felkin, a British doctor, and other members from London.[1] Among those to help form Stella Matutina was John William Brodie-Innes, though he soon made peace with Samuel MacGregor Mathers and returned to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, now called Alpha et Omega.[2]

The first gesture of independence brought a committee of twelve to govern for a year, but such developments forced them to realise that this was far from satisfactory.[3] With inconceivable pettiness and more disputing, they abandoned every reform and went back to the original scheme of appointing three chiefs to lead and govern them.[4]

While visiting New Zealand, Dr. Felkin and his wife set up a new temple called Smaragdine Thalasses which was closely associated with the New Zealand Province of the Societas Rosicruciana.[5] The stay was supposed to be permanent, but Mr. Meakin, who was to take over as chief of the Amoun Temple, died in the autum of 1912.[6]

The Amoun Temple of the Stella Matutina in London closed its doors in 1919.[7]. This was due to two members becoming schizophrenic, one of whom, a clergyman, was later to die in the mental hospital.[7]

Felkin set up Whare Ra (Maori for House of the Sun), a Stella Matutina temple, in his home at Havelock North, in the Hawke's Bay Region. During the next few years, Felkin established further temples: Hermes Lodge in Bristol, The Secret College in London, and Merlin Lodge, also in London. [8]

In 1933, Israel Regardie joined the Hermes Temple in Bristol,[9] and resigned out of the Amoun Temple in 1934, finding it in a state of demoralisation and decay. Many of the original Knowledge Lectures had been "removed or heavily amended, largely because they were beyond the capacity of the chiefs."[10] These same chiefs claimed "extraordinarily exalted" grades, but showed ineptitude and ignorance of that which they taught. Regardie, giving an example, found that no one in the temple knew how to play Enochian chess, in fact the Order's chess set had never been used.[10] He constructed his own boards and he challenged his superiors in the Order to play: all refused with excuses.[10]

By 1939, Stella Matutina became largely dormant, although the Hermes Temple existed until 1970. Whare Ra continued until 1978.[11]

[edit] Asserting independence

From the very beginning, Felkin believed that the Order must in fact gain contact with the Secret Chiefs by the use of astral work and communications which were received through either trance or automatic writing[12], as well as his wish that there should be unity among the Rosicrucians. Great importance was given to these messages, which were coming in considerable numbers, some of which gave approval to make changes to the rituals.[12] Felkin constructed new grades for the Stella Matutina, of which included Adeptus Major, Adeptus Exemptus, and Magister templi, all of which bear resemblance to the Ordo Templi Orientis grades of the fourth, fifth and sixth, before Aleister Crowley rewrote them.[5]

At this point, according to Francis King, the chiefs of the Amoun Temple were addicted to mediumship and astral travel. Their interpretation of the Golden Dawn techniques of astral projection and travel appears to have been derived from Florence Farr's Sphere group.[7]

There were two main astral entities contacted. The first group were Rosicrucian, in which at times the medium believed to be controlled by Christian Rosenkreuz himself. The second were called Arabs, said to be the teachers of the Rosicrucians.[7] The orders given by these "Arabs" had a substantial effect on the policies. For example, instructions received on January 9th, 1915 was put into effect by the foundation of the Anglican spiritual healers organisation called the Guild of St. Raphael, as Francis King notes, "were almost without exception, members of the Stella Matutina".[13]. Recent documentary evidence, however, suggests King may have been mistaken and the Guild was not linked to Felkin (Chrism, 2006, p2)

Felkin was not satisfied with astral meetings as he wished for physical contact with the Secret Chiefs. From 1901 onwards, he traveled extensively in hoping to meet authentic Rosicrucians.[14] In 1906, he believed he had found what he was looking for: a professor, his adopted daughter, and another gentleman, all who he believed were in fact Rosicrucians. The professors' adopted daughter had claimed to be the niece of Anna Sprengel (the Secret Chief who authorised the founding of the original Golden Dawn), and also claimed that her aunt was a member of the same organization as herself.[15]

The purported Rosicrucian group which Felkin has made contact with, was led by Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Anthroposophical Society, and at that time, still head of the German section of the Theosophical Society. King explains that it didn't appear as though this group was Theosophical, nor did it appear to be any later form of Anthroposophy. He speculates that, since Steiner was at that time also the Austrian Chief of the Ordo Templi Orientis, his first Rosicrucian grade bore resemblance to the first degree of the O.T.O (before Crowley).[15]

[edit] Known members

[edit] Modern revival

There is a Stella Matutina revival order called Ordo Stella Matutina, which runs the online school for self-initiates known as The Hermetic Sanctuary of Ma'at.[16]which is certified by The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Inc.[17]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b King, 1989, page 96
  2. ^ Llewellyn Encyclopedia online
  3. ^ Regardie, 1989, page 18
  4. ^ Regardie, 1989, page 19
  5. ^ a b King, 1989, page 106
  6. ^ King, 1989, page 106
  7. ^ a b c d King, 1989, page 127
  8. ^ See [1]
  9. ^ Regardie, 1989, page 208
  10. ^ a b c King, 1989, page 154
  11. ^ See [2]
  12. ^ a b King, 1989, page 97
  13. ^ King, 1989, page 129
  14. ^ King, 1989, page 98
  15. ^ a b King, 1989, page 99
  16. ^ Ordo Stella Matutina website
  17. ^ The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Public Announcement

[edit] References