IAmA former member of the occult group the Hermetic Order Of the Golden Dawn AMA.

Will you reply to the questions on your AMA?

When I finish work, of course!

Why did you quit?

The Temple I was a member of closed down, due to us no longer having a premises for our meetings.

Have you been assassinated for revealing the secrets behind the organisation or can you just not be bothered to answer questions?

Not yet! I’m currently at work so will be answering in due time.

Why do an AMA if you're not here to answer any questions?

I wasn’t at work originally, I work on call. But I’m around now.

Did you have crazy sex orgies ?

If they had been, I’d have found another Temple to join after ours closed!

What is the the average meeting like?

Do you believe the Order still maintains some connection to its Hermetic roots? If so how strongly?

An average meeting would usually consist of individuals going through a ritual of advancement to the next grade within the Order (the rituals are elaborate “plays” in which the candidate is introduced to the symbolism of his/her new grade) and has to recite an obligation. They are fairly short, 20-30 minutes.

In other rooms other people would be taking exams, which upon passing them would enable them to be advanced to the next grade at the next meeting.

The Hermetic connection is purely in the Orders doctrines and teachings, there is no belief that we can trace our roots back to Hermes Trismegistus or anything like that.

How high up the chain were you? Did it require money from you to keep up your rank, similar to Scientology? *Edit, grammar

I was one of the senior members of the Temple. No money was required to progress further up the grades. However you had to pass examinations on occult subjects to enable you to progress further within the Order.

Do you actually believe that magic is real? Or is it like a metaphor for something else?

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If you think any of it was real, can you tell me 1 thing you actually believe you accomplished through magic?

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I'm just curious if we live in the same reality or if I should just think you are insane.

Excellent question.

This subject causes much division amongst occult practitioners, particularly in the Temple I belonged to!

I have always been of the standpoint that magic is purely psychological. A form of psychology that modern science doesn’t yet understand. So fingers crossed on that basis, we live in the same reality.

Was it something you were born into or joined later in life? If the latter, what led you to the decision to join and subsequently leave?

My father was also a member but not of the same Temple I was a member of. He was one of the senior members at a Temple we had in Edinburgh, Scotland.

How do you feel about the Greek far-right party using the same name?

We actually changed the name of the entire Order after the Greek “Golden Dawn” rose to prominence, and it still goes by the new name now. Occult groups are very superstitious and we felt keeping the name would draw bad energy to the Order (and press!)

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We where? Damn I missed that. Must re-watch Die Hard.

Are you also a member of A.A or O.T.O?

No I’m not a member of either of those. I’m not a Thelemite and I find there practices a little.. exotic.