In various
occultist movements, Secret Chiefs are said to be transcendent cosmic authorities, a spiritual hierarchy responsible for the operation and moral calibre of the
cosmos
The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity.
The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...
, or for overseeing the operations of an
esoteric
Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...
organization that manifests outwardly in the form of a
magical order or lodge system. Their names and descriptions have varied through time, differing among those who have claimed experience of contact with them. They are variously held to exist on higher
planes of being or to be
incarnate; if incarnate, they may be described as being gathered at some special location, such as
Shambhala, or scattered through the world working anonymously.
History
One early and influential source on these entities is
Karl von Eckartshausen, whose ''
The Cloud upon the Sanctuary'', published in 1793, explained in some detail their character and motivations. Several 19th and 20th century
occultists claimed to belong to or to have contacted these Secret Chiefs and made these communications known to others: Aleister Crowley (who used the term to refer to members of the upper three grades of his order,
A∴A∴
The A∴A∴ ( ) is a magical organization established in 1907 by Aleister Crowley, a Western esotericist. Its members are dedicated to the advancement of humanity by perfection of the individual on every plane through a graded series of univ ...
),
Dion Fortune
Dion Fortune (born Violet Mary Firth, 6 December 1890 – 6 or 8 January 1946) was a British occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer. She was a co-founder of the Fraternity of the Inner Light, an occult organisation that promoted philoso ...
(who called them the "esoteric order"), and
Max Heindel
Max Heindel (born Carl Louis von Grasshoff, July 23, 1865 – January 6, 1919) was an American Christian occultist, astrologer, and mystic.
Early life
Carl Louis von Grasshoff was born in Aarhus, Denmark, into the noble family von Grasshof ...
(who called them the "Elder Brothers").
Golden Dawn
The ''Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn'' was founded by persons claiming to be in communication with the Secret Chiefs. One of these Secret Chiefs (or a person in contact with them) was supposedly the (probably fictional)
Anna Sprengel, whose name and address were allegedly decoded from the
Cipher Manuscripts by
William Wynn Westcott.
In 1892,
S. MacGregor Mathers (another founder) claimed that he had contacted these Secret Chiefs independently of Sprengel, and that this confirmed his position as head of the Golden Dawn. He declared this in a manifesto four years later saying that they were human and living on
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
, yet possessed terrible superhuman powers. He used this status to found the ''Second Order'' within the Golden Dawn, and to introduce the ''Adeptus Minor''
ritual
A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...
.
Aleister Crowley
While in Algeria in 1909, Aleister Crowley, along with
Victor Neuburg, recited numerous
Enochian Calls or Aires. After the fifteenth Aire, he declared that he had attained the grade of
Magister Templi (Master of the Temple), which meant that he was now on the level of these Secret Chiefs, although this declaration caused many occultists to stop taking him seriously if they had not done so already. He also described this attainment as a possible and in fact a necessary step for all who truly followed his path.
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Works cited
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Further reading
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*{{cite book , last=Greer , first=John Michael , title=The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order , year=2015 , publisher=Llewellyn Publications , location=Woodbury, MN
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Thelema