DEN 14 MAJ 2009

Rudolf Steiner and the Golden Dawn

o

This essay was inspired by a some words coming from Samuel Robinson
regarding the Stella Matutina teachings of implement handling, which he claims
didnt at all originate in the Golden Dawn but came directly from Rudolf
Steiner. This intriguing comment made me want to look into this subject as
most information, and especially of that kind which calles itself the oral
teachings of Whare Ra, almost has become gospel because of it being
disseminated in litterature. As I started to collect facts and doing my research,
this project just grew larger and larger, as I was able to extract information from
my main sources, i.e. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn: A Documentary
History of a Magical Order 1887-1923 (1978, Samuel Wiser, York Beach) by
Ellic Howe, Ritual Magic in England (1887 to the Present Day): The Golden
Dawn & Other Magical Orders (1970, Neville Spearman, London) by Francis
King, Secret Rituals of the Golden Dawn (1973, Aquarian Press, Denington
Estate) by R.G. Torrens and Ordo R.R. et A.C. (1976, R.A. Gilbert) by Arthur
Edward
Waite.
I first thought that it would be just another of my all to lengthy essays, but it has
become almost like a thesis. For easy reference I have therefore organized it
somewhat as a thesis, with an introduction, followed by a historical account, and
then a presentation of the contents of Rudolf Steiners teachings which found its
way to the Golden Dawn (or rather the Stella Matutina), followed by a
discussion where I problemize the whole subject matter, and ending with a

conclusion. For easier reading I recommend skipping the lengthy history section
and go directly to the section called The Teachings of Rudolf Steiner and start
the reading from there. If you are not convinced by my conclusions and
findings, I recommend wading through the section called Historical outline
where
everything
will
start
to
dawn
upon
you.
I honestly didnt know that I would reach such conclusions, of which I
personally still feel ambivalent. I must confess that I really like the Stella
Matutina tradition, it being the first version of the Golden Dawn which I (like
most of us) became aquainted with through the works of Israel Regardie, and
that I still deeply respect the Whare Ra and all the work being done there by its
highly proficient Adepts. But I cannot look away from facts which stares me in
the eyes. The fact being that the Stella Matutina deviated much further from the
original Golden Dawn tradition than I ever could have dreamt of.
I suspect my findings will be hard to digest in many stomachs. Believe me Im
not doing this out of disrespect for anyone. I have seen certain patterns in the
material which I wish to lay bare for you to judge and scrutinize for yourself. I
believe many of you wont look upon the Stella Matutina with the same eyes
anymore.
I
know
that
I
wont.
Two things has resulted from writing this essay: a marked and growing
distancing from the Stella Matutina and a growing interest and faschination of
Rudolf Steiners version of the Memphis & Misram Rite and his form of
Rosicrucianism.
Addendum No. 1 (May15th, 2009): I have inserted two interesting quotations of
Tony Fuller regarding the Steinerian teachings of the Stella Matutina. Mr.
Fuller, being a historian specializing in the New Zeeland tradition of the Golden
Dawn and also being initiated into the Adeptus Exemptus 7=4 Grade by old
Whare Ra Adepts, must be regarded as the foremost authority on the subject of
the
Stella
Matutina
and
the
Whare
Ra.
Addendum No. 2 (May23th, 2009): I have inserted some remarks made by
Mikael W. Gejel, the Grand Master of the Swedish Misraim Society, one of very
few organizations still working the Steinerian Misram Rite. So naturally his
opinions must be regarded as being initiated. However the recount of my
discussion on Wikipedia with Mr. Gejel about the Etheric Link in the section
The Teachings of Rudolf Steiner is part of the original text.
Introduction
I have often though about the fact that Rudolf Steiner for a time was regarded to
be a Secret Chief and his branch of the German O.T.O. (Ordo Templi
Orientis), and its Freemasonic Memphis & Misram Rite, to be regarded as the
Third Order of the Golden Dawn offshoot Stella Matutina, headed by Dr.
Robert
William
Felkin.
I remember reading about this fact for the first time in Ellic Howes seminal, but
highly biased, account of the history of the Golden Dawn, i.e. The Magicians of
2

the Golden Dawn, and later in Francis X. Kings highly sympathetic reading
Ritual Magic in England. I remember that I was appalled by this information;
how could Dr. Felkin allow himself to be so duped by a Theosophist and
Rosicrucian
wannabe
as
Rudolf
Steiner?
Over the years my respect for Steiner and his works, especially his western form
of Theosophy called Anthroposophy, has grown considerably, especially when
I first read that the French Rosicrucian and Alchemical society called Freres
aines de la Rose-Croix, or F.A.R+C., listed Steiner as one of their former Grand
Masters, right after MacGregor Mathers and William Wynn Westcott!
So today I do regard Rudolf Steiner as a real Rosicrucian, albeit of a totally
different current as compared to the Golden Dawn. In my opinion blending
Memphis & Misram, and especially Rudolf Steiners take on that Rite, with the
Golden Dawn is like blending water with oil; they dont mix particularly well.
Let me explain why in this following essay, presenting both the history of Dr.
Felkins dealings with Rudolf Steiner and the following consequences that have
come out from all that and effected the particular branch of the Golden Dawn
which
are
known
to
us
as
the
Stella
Matutina.
Historical

outline

Let us first look into the facts of how Felkin first came into contact with Rudolf
Steiner. According to the above mentioned sources (i.e. Howe and King) Dr.
Felkin, during a trip to Germany in 1906 met a professor, his adopted daughter,
and another gentleman near Hannover, who he thought of as Rosicrucians.
According to Felkin, reminiscing in 1912 to the Amoun Temple in a lecture, they
showed every sign of being such:
They were very secretive, and averse to giving much information, because they
said that although they knew him as a scientific man, he was not a Mason, nor
did he belong to any occult society that they had knowledge of.
What made Dr. Felkin especially convinced of their authenticy was the fact that
the professors adopted daughter claimed to be a niece of the original Freulein
Sprengel, or Soror Sapiens Dominabitur Astris, or so he thought. He was given
her first name of Anna and was told that the aunt in question was a member of
the same Rosicrucian Order as the professors daughter.

Dr. Robert William Felkin

In this essay I will also cite some pertinent parts, relevant to our discourse, from
the notebook of Arthur Edward Waite, which deals with his meetings with
Robert Felkin, later published as Ordo R.R. et A.C. Regarding Anna Spregel,
Waite gives us the following information:
October 14th 1910: In Germany, FR [Finem Respice; Dr. R.W. Felkin] met
Fraulein Anna Sprengel, c 65, supposedly niece of original and a patient of FR
(treated at a distance). FR thinks Anna Sprengel may be name used by different
people not related for occult reasons (one at a time). Meeting either in
Amsterdam or Berlin, in here SA [Sapere Aude; William Wynn Westcott] was at
time, but FR couldn't arrange meeting because QL [Quareo Lucem; Mrs. H.M.
Felkin] wouldn't let FR out of her sight SA saw her and wouldn't go for SDA
[Sapiens Dominabitur Astris; Freulein Sprengel] meeting on account of Mrs.
Westcott. In the same way QLs presence stopped FR meeting 3rd Order people.
Later, in june 1910, Dr. Felkin received the address to Rudolf Steiner from Dr.
Wilhelm Hbbe-Schleiden. Obviously, Steiner had already gained an impressive
reputation amongst German contemporary occultists. He was the Secretary
General of the German branch of the Theosophical Society under Annie Besant,
but more significantly he was heading a western style lodge of the
aforementioned Memphis & Misram (which I henceforth will abbreviate as
M&M). In 1906 he was granted a charter from Theodor Reuss, the Grand
Master of the O.T.O. and M&M in Germany and Austria, to run a Chapter and
Grand Council called Mystica Aeterna. They also admitted both male and
female members. In time, Mystica Aeterna became the Cognitive Cultic
Section (also called the Misraim Service) of the Esoteric School of the
German Section of the Theosophical Society.

Rudolf Steiner & Annie Besant

Dr. Felkin met Steiner in 1910 and obviously was greatly impressed by him,
being seen as the hitherto missing link to the historical German Rosicrucian
fraternity and therefore corroborating with Felkins conceptions of what the
Secret Chiefs of the Third Order was supposed to be. Supposedly Dr. Felkin was
persuaded also by his discarnate and astral teacher Ara Ben Shemesh
(abbreviated as A.B.S.), the Arab Teacher. However, it seems that Steiner had
a representative in London, as Waite recounts the following in his notebook:
October 14th 1910 (cont.): News from 3rd order is: Old retired London
clergyman belongs to conclave in question FR has his name and address.
Another name and address were given him, but he is to wait until approached by
this person. FR was believed by 3rd Order to be involved with A[leister]
C[rowley]. Other info. from Third Order hindered by presence of QL.
Here we also have a reference to Aleister Crowley who was a member of
Theodor Reuss O.T.O. by 1910 and two years later was granted a charter to
open a British branch of the O.T.O. called Mysteria Mystica Maxima. The
Third Order, i.e. the O.T.O., obviously knew of Crowleys earlier dealings with
the G.D. Today it feels quite surreal to know that the O.T.O. was regarded as a
Third Order in one of the important branches of the Golden Dawn!
December 12, 1910: One Prink, a theosophist of Amsterdam, claims to know SR
[Sacramentum Regis; Arthur Edward Waite], publisher of T[eosophical] Soc.
there is Ginzel. T.Soc. people & 3rd order object to SR revising rituals, because
they feel nothing Rosicrucian should be printed (nor had been on their part).
GD rituals thus not Ros[icrucian]. SR pointed out that English GD was no
concern of theirs; they agreed so but said they did authorise GD. One original
prel885 member was East end clergyman mentioned in Life of Anna
K[ingsford] (later edition only) members included HPB [Helena Petrovna
Blavatsky], SA, Papus [Grard Encausse], Anna Kingsford & Maitland. [...] GD
had no German connection. 3rd order works Outer Temple in Germany on GD
& Sephirotic lines. Thus SDA neither did nor could license a temple.
It is clear from reading these lines by Waite, that he was highly skeptical about
Felkins new acquaintance. It seems that Steiner's Theosophic Rosicrucians, i.e.
the Misraim Service, held the view that rituals shouldn't be printed in written
5

format and memorized instead (this notion will occur again through Waite's
notes). Strangely enough, there is a reference to Steiners M&M Rite working
according to the Sephirothic initiatory system, an notion that Felkin later will
reject as will be seen.
December 23, 1910: FR says there are several German external temples; the
Second order begins with a ritual corresponding to 5=6, it has six steps or
degrees. In 3rd Order is nothing beyond 8=3 (SR says this is Daath) [...] FRs
American trip on account of EOL's claim about Graal. He has entered something
and got further than EOL [Ex Oriente Lux; Nevill Meakin] more later. [...] No
3rd Order in America but in Germany at Nuremberg and somewhere near the
source of Danube.
The reference of six degrees of the Steinerian M&M, or Memphis Service, is
clearly a error; it in actuality had nine degrees (as did the O.T.O.). Perhaps
Steiner reserved his highest three degrees for his own German people, having
Felkin outside the loop? We know that Felkin only claimed to have received the
VI
or
8=3
from
Steiner.
Be there as it may, in late 1910 Felkin, not being able to personally attend the
instruction of Steiner, consulted A.B.S. about his choice of representative, Nevill
Meakin. Meakin, who supposedly was the author of the revised Portal Grade
Ritual as published in Israel Regardie's books, was approved by A.B.S. and soon
was sent to Berlin as Felkins emissary. Prior to his departure he was conferred
the Grade of Adeptus Minor, in a Ceremony where A.E. Waite himself acted as
Chief Adept. So, obviously, Waite initially saw some prospect in the dealings
with Steiner; at least he didnt want to be left behind if Felkin actually had met
the true Rosicrucians. According to the above cited lecture by Felkin:
These Fratres than said that in order to form a definite etheric link between
themselves and Great Britain it was necessary for a Frater from Great Britain to
be under their instruction for a year
Edward Waite continues in his notebook:
March 16, 1911: EOL gone to Cairo, largely on Bahai business, but has had 3rd
Order papers on Tree of Life. These to he transcribed and shown to SR.
Meakin embarked on a journey which was supposedly to be a reenactment of
the pilgrimage of Christian Rosenkreutz as described in the Fama Fraternitatis.
According to the Felkin lecture:
Frater E.O.L.commenced his teaching at once, and after residing for some
time in North Germany and Austria, he was sent to Constantinople
Waite continues with his narrative:
July 31, 1911: EOL may get professorship of history at Southampton on return.
Now in Constantinople. Will get 1st degree of German Ros.[icrucian] initiation
from the 3rd order at end of August.
Earlier that month A.B.S. again was consulted, who for some reason was against
Meakin going to Constantinople. Instead he ought to, according to A.B.S., have
gone to Damascus, which I dont doubt, was identified as the mysterious city of
Damcar of the Fama. Felkin continued his narrative thus:
[E.O.L.] finally returned to Germany, where, having passed his tests, he was
invited by special dispensation into the first few grades of the Rosicrucian
Society, corresponding to our 6=5.
This of course being the IV of Steiners Mempis Service. It seems that Meakin
received his III on his return to Berlin. Waite continues:

Sept.15, 1911: 3rd Order will allow EOL to talk to FR on some things as they
know of SR. EOL at Grade corresponding to Tiphereth. System is ascent of Tree
by Middle Pillar Grades are Malkuth, Yesod and Tiphereth. Following grades
are Daath & Kether or (if direct line abandoned) Geburah & Chesed. Rituals
revised following leaks in France c 1840. EOL heard terms like Malkuth & Yesod
in ceremonies. The rituals have become more Masonic and are removing those
things leading to lower Magia, thus paralleling changes made in England by SR.
Due to the same pressures, 3rd Order aim at reducing ritual. EOL has met
Steiner & trusts him but says he veils things. There was a leakage in 1777. EOL
told of old Passwords etc. Says he met over 1,000 claimed Rosicrucians, but only
100 genuine.
It is interesting to note that the degrees of Steiner's Mystica Aeterna or
Memphis Service was assumed to follow the Middle Pillar, i.e. I corresponding
to Malkuth, II to Yesod, III to Tiphareth, and the rest following in ascending
order from Geburah and onwards. It is also clear that the IV could both be
regarded as corresponding to Geburah or Daath, and V to either Chesed or
Kether. I cannot wonder why this ambiguity? Was is Steiner experimenting or
Felkin
speculating?
I
believe
the
latter.
The reduction of Masonic ritual clearly marks the shift of Steiner towards what
was to become the Anthroposophical Society, which was wholly absent of any
Masonic style ritual. But there still was room left for Masonic regalia:
Addenda: (a) EOL saw no vault or pastos. Grades are mainly Christian, officers'
clothing like that of Royal Arch, Masonic postulants preferred. They regard
English order as derived from external Temple.
The German activities of Rudolf Steiner was of a more classical Masonic flavor
compared to the Golden Dawn, i.e. with aprons, etc., which echoes their M&M
nature. Im not surprised about the lack of Vault, and also the pastos. In the III
of most Freemasonic systems, even though the symbology of a coffins exists, the
candidate is placed in a wrapping upon the Trestleboard if not in an actual
coffin. Hence, this clearly shows Steiner working on old Freemasonic lines.
Sept. 25th 1911: German brotherhood does not wish for jurisdiction over
English temples. EOL named FR & SR Temples, plus Edinburgh and
Resurgam's. EOL's initiation took 3 hours but in full would have been 26 hrs.
Despite FR's wish to have SR shown that the 3rd Order existed and was ancient,
SR said that all EOL could do was describe the initiation he had received in
Germany via FR. Words "Rosy Cross" come from Rosa and Tau, which is
Provencal for rose, or they were RosTaw, i.e. Dew of the Rose (but no
Provencal connection shown). The one Head Lodge meets when required in
various places. Inner Grade people start temples in various countries numbers
are largely German but also French, English, Danish, Austrian, Italian &
Russian. As original Inner members died out same temples were left to die
away, others became purely outer. No set archives. Link between Head Lodge
and others by "Etheric currents", occult practices depending for success on such
currents and on its good intent. [...] Members, largely Fourth degree &
equivalent to 6=5, called together hurriedly for EOL's initiation, which was a
shortened form of 3 degrees; third like Tiphereth using our implements,
fourth something like Geburah apparently involved coming out of a tomb. They
divide Annie Bessant's 33 degrees into 9 because 33 was a blunder for 3*3=9
(which says little for their Occult knowledge). EOL says SR's folding Ros.
[icrucian] diagram correct but they have Zelator equal to Malkuth (he thinks)
7

and Theoricus, Practicus & Philosophus arc put together in No.2 as a portal to
no.3 all very muddled. EOL thinks they don't keep minutes, not needing them
being occultists. Their promised teaching is a kind of marriage of occultism &
Mysticism. IF they are genuinely old it would be fine to have material not had by
SA. 3rd grade has no vault but miseenscene provided astrally; ritual was in a
small chamber but EOL was hoodwinked and moved about often so had no idea
of size. At one point he had impression of being thrown down but only a short
fall.
It is clear that Dr. Felkin still hasnt fully grasped or decided for himself how the
initiatory scheme of Steiner is corresponding with that of the Golden Dawn. As
will become clear later in this essay, Felkin (I suppose through Meakins
intervention) later believed I to correspond with all four Elemental Grades (i.e.
1=10, 2=9, 3=8 & 4=7), and the Portal with II. A much more neat and
logical arrangement, as echoed in the Stella Matutina Portal Grade Ceremony
(see
discussion
below).
The reference to Annie Besant's 33 degrees concerns the fact that she operated
irregular Co-Masonic lodges from the French Le droit Humane, which allowed
women to become members, obviously working the Scottish 33 degrees system.
Besant was also the current leader of the Theosophical Society, with which
Steiner gradually distanced himself because of the Krishnamurti-affair,
eventually leading to his schism and the creation of Anthroposophy in the
following
year.
This last paragraph clearly depicts Meakins IV (corresponding to 6=5) as it
was supposed to take a whole day (which is the normal way) but instead took 3
hours. The reference to the Dew of the Rose is directly taken from the Rose
Croix 18 of the Scottish Rite, to which Steiners IV corresponds according to
Alex Sumner. It is also interesting to note that Steiners M&M Rite supposedly
used implements similar to them used in the Golden Dawn, which I take is a
reference to the Lotus, Phoenix and Winged Globe Wands. If this is the
case, it clearly wasnt taken from Theodor Reuss. The coming out of a tomb of
the IV clearly echoes Felkins and also Waites later Adeptus Major 6=5
Ceremonies, as well as the lengthy nature of them both. Sadly enough, but as
earlier stated not surprisingly, the M&M of Steiner obviously lacked the use of a
Vault in its corresponding degrees.
Sept.26, 1911: EOL chose to take a year's exercises rather than immediate
initiation. FR saw 3rd order man & his daughter in Hanover after postal comm.
in London. Nothing then as he wasn't a mason but once he was went again to
Berlin & Amsterdam. Then took Meakin (EOL) to Germany with previous result.
EOL had final preparation of 14 hrs. with 20 min. break. EOL then took
proposals from German 3rd Order to FR who turned them down. FR asked SR
to join him and go to Germany for initiation. the year's probation not being
needed for SR. SR would get the true initiation. But SR said his members were
of different calibre from FR's "babes" and would need evidence of 3rd order. FR
thought 7 or 8 of his people could be linked up in the chain. Would call one
morning at P.R. to give facts to Vigilate [Mrs. Helen Rand]. Didn't want to tell
MWT [Ma Wahanu Thesi; Marcus Worsley Blackden] personally. Germans say
SDA [Sapiens Dominabitur Astris; Freulein Sprengel] story (i.e. Woodford &
SA) true but will send no more warrants as they have been lost. They recognise
IU which is in FRs hands. No temporal password given to external temples but
8

a word goes etherically. Novitiate Exercises very simple. [...] In answer to SR,
FR thought that entering chain didn't involve risk of astral control. Since no
connection between German brotherhood and Cipher mss. SDA had no power to
warrant a Temple working nonGerman order degrees. FR has met the London
3rd order person who has only the 3rd degree now held by EOL. [...] FR stressed
he would always pass on what he knew as agreed in concordat. After leaving FR,
SR saw QL who agreed his opinion of EOL's proposals SR said his people
would want evidence. SR suspects that FR is concealing part of his plan,
(statement re SDA's mss may be fraud on part of Germans the watermark
question shows it all up).
The note about the Hannover meeting is of course a reference to Dr. Felkin
meeting the Rosicrucian gentleman and his daughter, the niece to Anna Spregel,
in 1906. It seems that Waite is making some sorts of a resume of the events
during the last year. Its also obvious that Felkin is staring to plan a stay in
Germany
for
himself.
Obviously Rudolf Steiner didnt recognize the G.D. Cypher Mss., but on the
other hand did recognize the Freulein Sprengel story by Westcott to be true!
One year later Felkin used this information about SDA when he agreed upon
giving William Wynn Westcott a affidavit to the effect that the latter had
received correspondence with Anna Sprengel and had permission from her to
form a Society of the said G.D. in England. Waite, always suspicious of the
authenticity of the Cypher Mss., now suspects the Germans to be fraudulent and
behind their creation, even though they themselves denies its authencity.
Oct 9, 1911: SR met FR at Sancta Maria Preceptory and they went part of the
way home together. Conditions (preparation for Entrance) must be met before
anyone can enter German Brotherhood. FR would make everything clear to SR's
people. Four of FR's put up for entrance into German Br. If SR joined he could
put forward his own candidates. Must join the single Head Lodge no
subscriptions mentioned. Meets twice a year, lately at Genoa soon at Prague. FR
will send photo. of cipher mss. page to Germans though it doesn't concern them.
SR would wish to bring in (should anything come of it all) MWT, Regnum Dei
and Vigilate. Connection at SR's temple depends on nature and objects of
German order. FR still awaits papers, London agent not yet authorised to give
him any.
Dr. Felkin never gave up proselyting A.E. Waite to become a member of Steiners
group. Of course, he wouldnt succeed, Waite being not as susceptible to fancy
as the former.
October 12, 1911: FR called on SR and Vigilate unexpectedly bringing curious
pack of Tarot Trumps. SR could only identify three of them Sun, Moon,
possibly Venus & the Hermit. Also brought various Sephirotic Trees, redrawn
from rough sketches of EOL. One with GD attributions may have been
"improved" by FR. FR knew nothing of the Trumps. [...] The German Br. has
reps. in various countries who bring postulants to Head Lodge.
November 10 1911: German fraternity only 10 or 11 years old. Prob. connects
with ancient orgs. as do English Temples. Has no early archives. EOL showed
SR Tarot cards made by him to order attributions. Showed Sephiroth in form of
Cubes made from numbers derived from the letters of the Sephirotic names;
also series of Figures allocated to Tarot. Derived trad magical squares of planets.
Advised SR against going to Germany as he would have to wait years for each
9

grade. EOL has taken pledges, and is under obedience of German Br. FR taken
no pledges. The probationary practices produce equilibrium; Tattwas used in
Germany but not (he thinks) Enochian system. Colour systems used. Aim was to
read Akasic records. SR asked, and EOL agreed that final aim was Divine Union.
EOL spoke of some German Br.[others] as Holy men; thought occult practices
wouldn't hinder Divine Union. (SR is sure old grade sequence abandoned). EOL
sure that German 3rd degree is our 5=6 in some form. He spoke of the tomb
(and thus 6=5) but may have meant the vault, though the Temple itself is seen
as the v[ault]. EOL interested in historical side but not other German brethren.
FR only can give out knowledge from Germany. Candidates of 5=6 grade would
have to be instructed by FR. EOL thought this instr. could be in either SR or FRs
temple. SR assured EOL of his and Vig.[ilate's] interest. EOL assumed SR would
approach them on his own initiative. Exercises easy for the clairvoyant, but FR
said exercises easier if one was not clairvoyant. Germans have old passwords:
they cosm 7 temporal passwords at solstices not Equinoxes. Fraternity
connected with E[soteric] S[ection] of Theos.Soc. and thus with Comasonry,
but this unofficial. Members may be in both. Theos. connection has led to
stressing of Eastern ideas, this now discouraged.
Actually, Steiners Rosicrucian group was only five years old, as a charter from
Theodor Reuss wasnt grated before 1906. Thus this fact makes the Misraim
Service 17 years younger compared to the Golden Dawn, which makes me
wonder how a young Order such as Steiners may serve as a Third Order to a
much
older
one
like
the
Golden
Dawn?
Im not surprised that Enochian wasnt used in Germany, as it more or less
belongs to the English Rosicrucian tradition. It is clear that the exercises as
taught by Steiner more resembles eastern yogic techniques; all these references
to Akasic records and Tattvic clairvoyance bears this out, even though Steiner
was moving away from purely eastern methods and thinking as in the
Theosophical Society. The connection between the Theosophical Society and the
Mystica Aeterna grew stronger over time and soon became part of it, thus
renaming itself to the Misraim Service. I believe the assertion of Steiners rite
being part of Co-Masonry to be wrong; M&M and Co-Masonry were two distinct
things,
even
if
there
are
superficial
similarities.
It is also interesting to note that the Germans under Steiner used the simple
cubical Temple or Hall as a layout for the Vault of Tomb of Christian
Rosenkreutz. I wonder why this wasnt regarded as a major flaw in the eyes of
Golden Dawn Adepts such as Felkin and Meakin? The use of Solstice as a time
for change of temporal passwords are interesting to note; it seems Steiner laid
lesser emphasis on the Equinoxes compared to G.D., another major discrepancy
which should have alerted Meakin and Felkin, as well as the difference in the
Tarot attribution as mentioned below:
November 13, 1911: EOL doesn't know about Tarot attributions in German
Order; thinks they differ from ours. Fraternity called Rosy and Golden Cross;
Steiner is a member but EOL doesn't agree with all he says (some or which is
wrongly reported). Germans Chief not known to SR but thinks reorganised in
1890 by Steiner. Germans would rather EOL was their channel than FR but he
has stayed loyal to FR (which is a pity). French members would be known to SR
but [Paul] Sedir not of them. English member is one Piper. Germans wanted
EOL, FR and SR to form a triad in England. Word of the Order is RosTau; sign
10

similar to first part of Adeptus minor ritual of 1777; Point of left index finger
against left side of heart, 2nd finger out at an angle. Second part of sign
unknown in to EOL. Some masonic words are used (e.g. Shiboleth) and
masonic signs (as EAD). Sign of 3rd degree referrs to solar plexus and
contemplation. Their first degree has word alluding to Fire like 1777 word of
Zelator and Fire pillar is shown. 2nd degree (water) shows water pillar, thus
pillars are separated which would be wrong in our symbolism. Death symbol,
in 3rd degree, how can this for Tiphereth? But they may not use Sephirotic
system. SR believe Ros.[icrucian] connection begins with his 5=6 and they prob.
have little of earlier sequence. German E[soteric] S[ection] of Theos.Soc. is
Comasonic but they have had an overdose of A.B. Lower grades wish to break
free of Theosophy yet they are keen on Atlantis! No alchemical activity.
Concerned with healing through Steiner's influence. Last reformation was 1900
so Steiner may be behind it all. Older members carried aver (one French one is
70+). Schure prob. a member. EOL thought SR should inform his own people;
will be seeing English member of German order soon and would take questions
from SR. Healing by Colour EOL in red one of the coloured rooms. FR has
told his members and pledged them to secrecy anxious that SS[Sub Spe; John
Brodie-Innes] shouldn't know. EOL promised to tell SR about the other order he
is in for which he went to Germany.
The though of Steiner being a reorganizer of Chiefs in 1890 or a reformer in
1900 is quite amusing considering the fact that he took interest in esotericism
not prior to the year of 1901, and then definitely wasnt in a position to reform
anything
as
a
Neophyte.
Reading this paragraph it's obvious that Nevill Meakin was the principle contact
between Rudolf Steiner and Robert Felkin, and that Steiner even favored the
former. But it is also clear that Meakin was having second thoughts about
Steiner as a true Secret Chief. The reference to Rosy and Golden Cross is
similar in nature to the Golden Rosy Cross (i.e. Gold und Rosenkreutz), which
used the Latin name of Ordo Rosae et Aureae Crucis (abbreviated as R. et
A.C.) which translates exactly as the former English rendition. The many
references to the year 1777, the year of the reformation of the Golden Rosy
Cross, also is interesting which indicates that Steiner at least had some
knowledge of older German Rosicrucianism. It is obvious that the Gold und
Rosenkreutz is under discussion as the Juniorus password actually is Aesch, i.e.
that
of
Fire.
The Masonic references here are many. Shiboleth must refer to the II. EAD
is a Masonic abbreviation of Entered Apprentice Degree and thus refers to the
sign of the I. The attribution of fire to I and water to II (the R. et A.C.
password being Maim i.e. Water) points to the fact that Steiner tried to
correspond his degrees to the Gold und Rosenkreutz degree system and creating
a blend between it and the Craft Degrees of Freemasonry. He has for example
retained the death symbolism in the III or Master Mason. The referenced to
Fire and Water pillars in that order is perhaps foreign to the Golden Dawn, but
not to the Golden Rosy Cross. Waite does speculate that Steiner is not using the
Sephirotic system, and he is right about this I believe; Steiner is more trying to
follow the Gold und Rosenkreutz system which, to my knowledge, didnt
correspond their Grades with that of the Tree of Life, an idea which more was a
child of the 1888 year reformation, i.e. that of the Golden Dawn.
11

But the similarities between the Misraim Service and the Gold and Rosy Cross
seems to end with the Grade system, as Waite notes that there is no alchemical
activity, as was the case with the Golden Rosicrucians, but instead lays its
emphasis on Steinerian healing (se below under the heading Teachings of
Rudolf Steiner).
November 24, 1911: FR claims to have seen tomb of Phrygian at Haarlem and
other tombs having RC and hexagram on them. Germans claim CRC real
person, FR says of 13th cent. FR told Vigilate current solstitial password was
CEHURUDWIN meaning of which he knows not. FR doesn't know how psychic
and occult practices can lead to Divine Union but believes that is the aim. FR
agreed that Steiner prob. at the back, even poss. a Chief. FR admitted that he
had before said he knew not of Steiner connection he has met S.[teiner] in
person. FR agreed that headship bias prob. 7 plus 8th in Heaven (CRC) to make
ogdoad. FR agreed that Sephirotic system seemed absent. Germans have grades
equal to 8=3 and 9=2 but not 10=1 (in 1777, still recog., 9 is Magus) Our own
system connects with number 11. No grades corr. with Daath but FR thinks our
supernals Sequence may be rep. by a Daath degree. Germans have 3 processes,
each a triad with occult interpretation of Craft signs, attributions to centres in
the body. Thus 3x3 (=9) processes, the 33 of Scottish Rite being a confusion of
this. References prob. to 9 1777 grades however, FR confused. Germans use
ERO signs instead of LUX, which Vigilate says is Gnostic corr. to AUM. Signs
thus: hand uplifted, thumb & forefinger uplifted=E; hand down, th. & ff ext.=R
Hand over middle of body, th. & ff. joined=O. How first two correspond to
letters not clear. Steiner said to have mission to take Theosophy from Eastern
hold. Convention of T[eosophic] S[ociety] shortly prob. will break with A.B.
[Annie Besant]. Letters from FR are long in replying as all three chiefs must see
them. Each period is 120 years, last ended in 1890 (but why not 1897 which
would follow 1777?) [] EOL received at Munich. EOL & FR wrote to 6 people in
Berlin, Munich, nr. Paris etc. German lecturing to FRs people was old GD
member but progressed nowhere; joined at same time as Crookes. SR stressed
importance of historical connection, but while SR was out FR told Vigilate that
Germans wouldn't like mere historical interest. Steiner occult concerns with
Akasic records, Atlantis etc. [] 3x3 processes should be given in 9 installments,
involving a simple ritual: In any Temple. Hierophant seated in E. Another
officer (corr. to Hiereus) in W. Two pillars, blue and red, in N. Candidate
between them. Blackboard in S. with sign on it. Process is (a) visualising, (b)
transcribing the symbol within one, (c) placing certain letters on the symbol.
Triadic division of process I. This or later process used to ascertain cosmic or
general worldevents of past, present or future. Another process: In early
morning find rose in garden with dewdrop on; remove it with tip of tongue
where it is retained while pronouncing 3 certain words. (!!) This rubbish is
supposed to be true and ancient occultism!. SR suggested to FR that position of
red & blue pillars could be worked out from ours black corr. with blue; black is
Queen scale Binah colour, while in SR's scheme Binah is deep sea blue (Mary
blue). SR pointed out paucity of ritual in 1777 higher grades. QL told SR that FR
had been seeking German Order for years but only last year had found it.
Suddenly the Steiner connection becomes an embarrassment, as Felkin tries to
erase his trail by claiming he didnt know of it until now. We all know its a lie.
Here we also see for the first time the Steinerian (and Felkian) notion of the real
existence of Fra. C.R.C. (i.e. Christian Rosenkreutz), and that he may still guide
12

the

Order

as

an

ascended

master

of

some

sorts.

It is probably, from reading the paragraph above, that Steiner didnt envision
any Sephirothic system of initiation. Waite and Felkin now are of the view that
Steiner is doing a reenactment of the old Gold und Rosenkreutz system. Here
Felkin also proposes that the whole Supernal Triad may be substituted with
Daath, i.e. the 8=3 being the highest Grade. The reference to three processes
of three degrees, or three distinct groups of degrees, is often found in
Freemasonic systems such as the Swedish Rite, or the O.T.O., as well as in the
G.D.
Steiner uses a 120 instead of 111 years cycle, which confuses Waite who knows
that the year of 1777 is important because of the reformation. Again the red
(fire) and blue (water) symbolism is confirmed in the Memphis Service Lodge
room, again referring to a synthesis of Freemasonic and Golden Rosicrucian 1
and 2. Strangely enough the Pillars are placed in North, which defies normal
Freemasonic procedure. Waite is not impressed with certain Steinerian
processes,
again
relating
to
Akasic
records
and
clairvoyance.
Mikael W. Gejel have some suggestions which may solve the mysterious ERO
puzzle. According to him this is a classical case of confusion of languages; an
englishman would mistakenly assume a german pronounce the syllables IAO
as ERO. Mr. Gejel states that Steiner intended the syllables for I.A.O. The
hand movements accompanying I and A are correctly described by Waite, which
solves the sentence: How first two corresponds to letters not clear. Now Waite
continues:
December 14, 1911: SR suggested that working with German fraternity should
be on a Masonic basis; recognise respective claims, mutual acquaintance of
rulers, and nature of grades. SR asked FR how he could still use DDCF [Deo
Duce Comite Ferro; Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers] originating rituals
when both are anxious for this connection to be done with. FR hopes to have
rituals from Germany but SR pointed out that they would be no use unless
Sephirotic. SR again pointed out that SDAs Hanover fraternity would give her
no power to warrant London Temples, unless German grades were also
Sephirotic. SR wants to know how it is that DDCF could have had no German
connection if Germans use similar rituals? (e.g. Adonai HaAretz process).
Again the absence of the Sephirothic structure is emphasized. It is clear that
both Felkin and Waite are convinced that Steiner is working in a different
system not relating to the Tree of Life. Waite stresses the fact that Steiners
rituals are not compatible.
February 16, 1912: Has sent SRs letter to Germany. Smith of Steiner mission in
London not in German order. Ros.[icrucian] Lodge prob. to foward aims of "The
occult Wisdom" student soc aimed at freeing German Theos. from Besant. At
German Theos. Convention December before this was proposed by Baron
Walleen. They wish to quit Adyar because: Prominence of Eastern traditions,
attitudes of A.B. (and that she isn't a true occultist), dislike of E.S. [Esoteric
Section of the Theosophical Society] and of A.B.'s claim to be John the Baptist,
as of claim that Alcyone is Christ who cannot reincarnate. Dislike of
Leadbetter and his alleged incipiant divinity. A[nnie] B[esant] attacks German
theos. in Vahan. Walleen in outer German order, but soon taking 4=7. His no, in
66; FR trying to arrange for us to meet him. FR has received some documents at
13

last. [] FR hasn't read Steiner and knows not of panspiritism hypothesis. FR

thinks Steiner hostile to Leadbeater. German Ros.[icrucian] meeting next
Whitsuntide in Sweden FR to attend, with QL. FR has said nothing of
Germans to Non Sine. Smith working in London Ros.[icrucian] Lodge with one
Collison.
By now Steiner was planning to leave the Theosophical Society and the BesantAdyar movement, to create a International Bund of Esoteric Masonry, using
a traditional hermetic initiatory pattern. In a letter to the Danish Baron Wallen,
a disciple of Steiner, quoted in full by Francis King in his Ritual Magic in
England, Meakin expressed his deep concerns of how the creation of this
Bund would appear in the eyes of the British, regardless if they were
theosophists or Freemasons; the first category would simply regard the
breakaway as a arrogant schism, the latter as the creation of yet a pseudomasonic and illegitimate body. According to Meakin, both him and Felkin would
feel compelled to choose between Steiner and the approval of British
Freemasonry. Apparently, and according to King, this letter had an effect on
Steiner who instead created the Anthroposophical Society (which lacks any
Freemasonic references) when he finally broke away from the Theosophical
Society.
April 26, 1912: FR thinks Germans unwilling to put things in writing and they
find his German difficult. He has had no German rituals but has had planetary
diagrams, long ms. from Austria with Tarot reference in it and a typed
document he will show to SR. Germans haven't answered over photograph cip
or over SRs ideas on Masonic connection. FR has all materials for first German
practice; SR should have practice details in June and should tell this to Vigilate.
EOL's presence necessary as QL knows nothing, Germans don't like SRs seeing
CRC as a myth in his book. SR said that if Ros.[icrucian Order] came into being
historically then it had a founder, but Fama was a Legend. SR said evidence
needed if German claim that origin was 13th C. was to he accepted. SR had to be
careful in his book because of his Masonic pledges. FR agreed that there was
difficulty over SR's great interest in historical reality question but they agreed to
differ over occult side. SR doesn't think much of German Rosicrucian
intelligence as a result.
The rift between A.E. Waite and Steiner's Rosicrucian group now becomes more
accentuated. Even if Felkin had received very little written information he still
believes in Steiner and recognizes him as a Secret Chief. As Steiner's teaching
is more of a word of mouth character this creates a difficult situation.
According to the astral teacher A.B.S. it now becomes necessary for Robert
Felkin and his wife to meet Steiner and take training from him personally
instead of through the intermediary. Brodie-Innes, who at the time was
standing with either leg in the Stella Matutina and Alpha et Omega camp, was
now also becoming highly skeptical of Felikins German connection and
reaffirming his loyalty to MacGregor Mathers. In a letter to Brodie-Innes dated
11 June, 1912, Felkin says:
Ihave felt from the time I first knew anything about the origin of the [Order]
that it was very doubtful if it had any real connection with the real Rosicrucian
Order at all. [] I at last have come on the track of what I think is the real thing
and I am on the way to get what I want but I am hampered in getting full
information by being unable to go over and spend the necessary time myself.

14

A.E. Waite himself was also getting more and more skeptical, as may be seen in
this quote from his notebook:
June 11, 1912: By arrangement with QL, SR mentioned guardedly that FRs
portal ritual was changed; reminded FR that he had said Paroketh veil should be
shown in Temple. FR did not remember, but "changed colour very much getting
his white and old look." FR said change was to conform with German sequence
but refused to show ritual to SR as he didn't accept the Germana. SR said he still
had open mind but needed evidence, should see FRs ritual under pledge of
secrecy FR to think about this.
As can bee seen, the Portal Grade Ritual as revised by Meakin, was already
implemented. It is also very clear that the changes were motivated to conform
the Golden Dawn tradition and system of initiation to that of Steiners
sequence, i.e. his 9 degrees system. Apparently this was the last contribution
of Meakin. Even if much in this new and revised version of the Portal Grade
Ceremony is superior, in my opinion, to the original version of the G.D. and the
A.O., I will have reason to return to the problems attributed to the
conformation in my later discussion below. This, I believe, outweights any
improvements made by Meakin as it affects the overall initiatic system of the
Golden
Dawn
in
a
erroneous
way.
During their stay in Germany Dr. Frelkin, according to Francis King, seems to
have received some form of medical treatment according to Steiners ordination,
during which colored lights were played on him and healing ceremonies
conducted in his presence. Felkin later reported to Miss Stoddard that both he
and Mrs. Felkin visited five different Rosicrucian Temples during their trip to
Germany in June and July 1912, and that he himself had received the Magister
Templi 8=3 Grade and his wife the Adeptus Exemptus 7=4 Grade through
initiation. These rituals were not in written format but were to be memorized.
Waite noted this in his diary, confirming the information given to Miss
Stoddard:
August 1st, 1912: FR and QL visited on their Journey: Cologne, Ulm, Stuttgart,
Munich, Vienna, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg and Berlin. Both received into
4 grades & something said quietly to FR alone so that others, inc. QL should not
hear. (SR couldn't see how unless they were deaf) QL is as consequence a
Master Mason! 4th grade corr. to Master Mason and our 6=5. 1st Grade is
Entered Apprentice and grades 0=0 to 4=7; thus 3rd grade prob. 5=6 and
Fellow Craft. 3rd grade has trial by 4 elements or corr. with Neophyte. What of
2nd grade? Pres. Portal. Although shortened, ceremonies took 5 hours. FR is
now, says SR, pledged to secrecy over this affair. QLs presence hindered FR. 4th
grade: candidate given 3 blows by persons rep. (a) WM, SW & JW (b)
Hierophant, Hiereus & Hegemon (c) Ormuzd, Ahriman and Lucifer. After struck
doing, candidate placed in Coffin which is screwed down. Organ plays, loud
voices; brought out, sees fire then darkness and he is alone, Then sufficient light
for him to see he is alone; glass for reflection in front of him. FR received 5th
and part of 6th degrees, QL didn't. 5th degree (like our 7=4) is that of Teaching
Adept. Candidate placed in coffin, taken Into vault, then brought out so that all
see it is empty then candidate shown at a height above people as risen adept.
Chief Adept higher again in cloud of incense which is driven away and celebrant
revealed. Gives T.[eaching] Ad.[ept] warrant to candidate. Both FR and QL
preferred their own degrees. Nothing is put in writing. SR thinks rituals modern
because of Akasic records ref. FR admits revised c 1900. FR agreed that
15

Steiner's manner might notbe liked; Steiner is uncouth, not so pleasant as

DDCF, after power and has great occult power. FR saw three temples, only one
purely Ros.[icrucian] One had crucifix and Lords Supper + Madonna on walls.
Here go German Theos.[ophists] who want Steiner knowledge when they go
further enter another ro0m and have 1st grade. These must be Steiner creations,
being German T.[heosophical] S.[ociety] places save the one purely Ros.
[icrucuian] On Ros. matters Steiner under direction of inner group, through
whom pres. he was initiated. Doesn't fit S.[teiners] claims to he overshadowed
by Christ and CRC or are these claims made only by others? All this contradicts
FRs story of one Head Lodge. Reincarnation of CRC to take place between 1936
and 1950 (so much for Count Rakocszi!) Germans demonstrated clairvoyance to
FR, describing SS [Brodie-Innes] to him. Both FR and QL felt a presence during
their receptions, people were excellent, FR and QL seem to have benefitted. [...]
FR says new Theosophical Rosy Cross uses GD rituals taken from Equinox pub.
but could have come; from Theos. members of GD. Story of 3 Temples and
part or 8=3 (6th) grade repeated by FR to QL.
The clearly Masonic contents of the M&M Rite is again quite obvious, but Waite
is here wrongly assuming the Steinerian IV and 6=5 corresponding to the
Master Mason degree and his III and 5=6 to the Fellow Craft. But here also
the I is now corresponding with the Elemental Grades (and 0=0). He also
rightly assumes the Portal Grade corresponding with II. I do understand why
Waite is assuming the IV to be equivalent of the Master Mason degree; because
of the three blows. The concept Ormuzd, Ahriman and Lucifer is a clear
reference to Steinerian philosophy. The description of the IV bears striking
resemblance to Felkins later 6=5 Ceremony. The V has a clear image of the
ascension of the Exempt Adept (se discussion below) but differs somewhat from
Felkins later renditon of the 7=4. The initiatory status of the Felkins are here
confirmed, i.e. Dr. Felkin receiving the Grade of 8=3 and his wife that of
7=4.
Mr. Gejel however considers Waite's appreciation of Steiner's sequence of
degrees as muddled. III doesn't, according to Mr. Gejel, involve any trial by
four Elements. Instead the I has, which fit it well with the Felkian G.D.
rendition of Malkuth as the First Grade. Furthermore, the degree in which the
candidate is given three blows and is placed in a coffin is not the IV, according
to Mr. Gejel, but the III as in the ordinary Master Mason's degree.
Here Waite also spots the Theosophical contents of Steiners rituals and Dr.
Felkin acknowledging them to be of a recent origin, but the revision of rituals
made by Steiner is again set to early; must have been made after 1906 and not
circa 1900. The reference to Brodie-Innes is interesting and shows that he was
regarded as an important figure in the Stella Matutina. After the return from
Germany Felkin and Brodie-Innes broke connections and the latter instead fully
engaged in Dr. Berridges Alpha et Omega Temple besides his own Sun Order or
Chromlech Temple, which later became strongly associated with the A.O.
Brodie-Innes would soon also revive his Amen-Ra Temple in Edinburgh under
MacGregor Mathers jurisdiction. Waite continues recounting later talks with
Felkin on the subject of the Rosicrucian M&M Grades:
August 13, 1912: 5th grade given to FR in whispers, 6th grade account given
privately. 2nd grade corr. with Fellow Craft and Portal. Teaching warrant verbal
only. 6th grade enables Adept to communicate power, via unseen forces with
16

whom he is linked. CRC reinc. from 1939 to 1950. FR hadn't heard of Lalcovich
in German Ros.[icrucian Order] [...] Grades in Germany meant to represent
progress into manifestation. From unmanifest state, via development in manif.
through Lemuria & Atlantis first circumamb. is done backwards to rep.
[resent] going back through earlier states. Masonic unclothing rejected by
Germans. Thus new idea, as suggested by MWT. Collson in Germany, prob.
[ably] taking degrees equivalent to what he has in SM.
Now finally Waite acknowledges the II as being corresponding with Fellow
Craft degree and the Portal of the Vault of the Adepti, which indirectly aligns the
III with the Master Mason degree. Again, as in the former paragraph, much
emphais is laid on Steiner teaching verbally, not in written format. Here is also a
clear reference to the astral link which enables the Exempt Adept to channel
powers from higher forces. This force is of course none other that Father C.R.C.
(i.e. Christian Rosenkreutz) himself, which both Steiner and Felkin believed
would appear as in a second coming somewhere between 1939 and 1950. It is
also of interest to note that Dr. Felkin was convinced that some sort of
concordat had been established between him and Steiner, where according to
the Felkin narrative:
Anyone conversant with German, French, Italiano or Dutch, who is a full 5=6,
may be sent abroad with an instroduction signed by F.R., and should it be
considered that a candidate is sufficiently developed, one or more grades may be
given him. This is not essential, as, if the new methods are carefully introduced
into our curriculum, the candidates will progress just as well without the
necessary of going abroad.
After their trip to Germany Dr. Felkin, his wife and daughter (Miss Ethel Felkin)
went to New Zeeland during autumn 1912, during which time they founded the
Smaragdum Thalasses Temple, which later would become known as the Whare
Ra. Six months later they returned to England in time for the Vernal Equinox
Ceremony in 1913, because of the sudden and unexpected death of Nevill
Meakin, the Chief of the Stella Matutina in England, something that apparently
was prophesied by A.B.S. because of Meakin attracting destructive forces by
misdirection of his efforts. Waite here continues in his notebook:
October 8, 1912: FR back from N.Z. for Vernal Equinox of 1913. SR given details
of death of EOL, which death was itself painless. [...] Following EOLs death, FR
now has many German papers; he may have not been sent them because he may
not have been persona grata (as sugg. by Lucem Spero) All these docs. placed in
tin trunk at FR's bank.
It seems that Felkin inherited all papers which Meakin had received from
Steiner and his Rosicrucian group. Waite clearly alludes to the fact that Felkin
never
was
on
close
terms
with
his
master.
Upon Felkins return Brodie-Innes had declared himself to be Chief Adept in
Anglia and Scotia, and also deputy Archon Basileus in Britain (the title of the
head of the A.O.), also claiming to have received new Theoricus Adeptus Minor
material which would be granted to any Temple acknowledging him a such.
Felkin only acknowledging Steiner as Chief of course ignored Brodie-Innes. By
then Steiner had started to distancing himself from his Masonic dealings and
now began to lay more emphasis on his newly created Anthroposophical
Society.
May 7th, 1913: Meebold Emissary of Steiner, very keen to propagate Steiner
views in England. Belongs to Steiner org.[anization] known to FR who had
17

opened comm.[unication] by writing to Steiner. Thinks FR didn't understand

what he saw; FR felt he couldn't carry on his group and appealed to Steiner.
Mss. from Germany only those sent by S.[teiner] to anyone. CRC date is 13th
cent. but gained from Akasic Records. As long as FR keeps his Order he will get
nowhere with Steiner. FR is not link between English and German Ros.
[icrucians] FR's mss. can be bought in Germany by Steiner students told to SR
by a Steinerite member of his own. Meebald says Steiner casts aside old
systems, hence math. attributions not from him. Prob. done by EOL. Early in
Steiner period, Meebold became a Ros.[icrucian] in Rome but broke up order by
disputing their knowledge. People concerned emotional but wellmeaning and
serious. M[eebold] says we can get reality by disbanding and joining Steiner. To
M. only Steiner possesses truth. M. insisted on reason against emotionalism;
also need for inspiration which S.[teiner] has. (yet SR knows noone more
emotional that Meebold) SR asked if Germans were on point of discovering real
tomb of CRC (as claimed by FR) M. scorned this. SR repeated to M. tale of
Steiner's being old school Ros.[icrucian] sent to wean Theos.[ophy] back to
Christianity. Prob.[ably] says M. reincarnated Ros.[icrucian] saw in Steiner a
person with knowledge. Meebold staying with Mrs. Dalby who has sent Vigilate
her resignation, this being imperative. (Insisted on by Steinerites says Per Deus
to Vig.) Either Meebold exceeds his instructions or Steiner's statements to SR do
not represent his rule.
It is clear here that Waite is regarding Felkin to be at a dead end with Steiner,
who refuses to give him any substantial and secret teachings only for the select.
Hence no real use as a Secret Chief. Obviously Felkin believes that Steiner
somehow holds the notion of a real and original Tomb of C.R.C., which is denied
by a local Steinerite. Already in 1913 Steiner tried to convince the initiates of the
Stella Matutina to disband their Order and to join his Anthroposophical Society.
In 1914 Rudolf Steiner distanced himself wholly from all Masonic activity such
as the M&M, in the aftermath of his breakaway from the Theosophical Society
and founding of the rival Anthroposophical Society, and the outbrake of the
Great War. He later denounced that he ever had initiated Dr. Felkin and his wife
to anything. In his memories, Shadows of Life and Though, A.E. Waite
recounted a meeting with Steiner in 1912 where the latter completely denied
that he had conferred any grades whatsoever upon either Dr. Felkin or his wife,
although he confirmed that the Felkin couple had witnessed certain things no
matter what they were of a ceremonial kind; Steiner clearly distanced himself
from
Robert
Felkin
and
the
Stella
Matutina.
On 17th March 1914 Dr. Robert Felkin wrote a statement which he issued to his
Adepts finally revealing the results from his search after the Secret Chiefs of the
Third Order. The first paragraph of this statement reads:
As is well known to one of you, for some years I was much troubled about the
origins and genuineness of the Order Stella Matutina and R.R. et A.C.
Circumstances arose in 1906 which led me to the conclusion that either I must
find out the whole truth of the matter or drop the whole of my connection with
the Orders. From that time to the present I have used every effort and have
spent a good deal of money, if so be, I could come into real contact with what we
have been led to suppose was the Third Order. I have been able to do this to my
own satisfaction.

18

Felkin also informed his Adepts that he had introduced Nevill Meakin to the
Third Order, and to its Secret Chief Rudolf Steiner, and that he himself later
had received the grade equivalent to the G.D. Magister Templi 8=3, and that
his wife had received the equivalent of the Adeptus Exemptus 7=4, hence
being superior to both MacGregor Mathers and Brodie-Innes, the former being
merely a 7=4 while the latter being an advanced student of the Adeptus Minor
5=6 Grade. In his statement Felkin continued:
I am told that neither Woodman, Westcott nor Mathers are or ever were real
R.C.s
at
all.
[Sic!]
Morover I am forbidden to work with Mathers or with anyone working with
him. For this reason I cannot, as I told him, work with our Frater S.S. [BrodieInnes]. I understand that lately he, Frater S.S., has said that he was initiated
many years ago in Germany. This, I am told is untrue as far as the real Order is
concerned. And if it is true, why did he write to Germany and ask for initiation
in 1912? I and Q.L. saw his letter, which was not replied to.
So basically, Felkin only recognized the Steinerian M&M group, under licence of
Theodor Reuss and the O.T.O., as the only rightful heir to the original German
Rosicrucians
of
the
17th
Century!
It's obvious from reading this highly entertaining account that A.E. Waite and
John Brodie-Innes had every right to be skeptical about Felkin's proceedings
with Steiner. It's is clear to me that neither Steiners take on Rosicrucianism,
nor that peculiar system of the Memphis & Misram that he developed, has
much to do with the Golden Dawn. Although interesting as Rudolf Steiner
seems to be, especially his Anthroposophical philosophy, his teachings are alien
to
the
Rosicrucianism
of
the
Golden
Dawn.
Later, even after Steiner had officially renounced both Dr. Robert Felkin and
anything related to the Golden Dawn, Felkin still was wrapped up in his
Rosicrucian-Steinerian fantasy when he wrote a memorandum on 9 June 1918
recounting a second trip to Germany together with his wife and Miss Stoddart
(one of the Chiefs of the Stella Matutina) in early August 1914, supposedly under
the invitation of the true German Rosicrucians:
From what I was told abroad I was under the impressionthat a few, I was told
twelve, were to be picked out of all the Temples to help C.R.C. when he again
manifested in 1926-33 or 35. The whole of that was to have been told me face to
face in 1914 when we went to Germany. We had tickets there which took us to a
place S.S.E. of Austria, where we were to have been met and been taken to the
Old Vault, and also to have met several Hidden Chiefs.
Unfortunately the Great War erupted and the plans had to be cancelled. But
Felkin did write his own version of a Adeptus Major 6=5 Ritual during these
perilous times, which was used for the first time in London, 16 October 1914,
when the famous poet William Butler Yeats was advanced into that Grade.
It is possible that Felkin actually met Steiner or people from his M&M group
during this trip in 1914, as he continued his involvement in the Masonic rites for
a couple of years even after the foundation of the Anthroposophical Society,
before he altogether ceased his involvement in the M&M in 1914 with the
eruption of war. The reference to Austria also bears out this fact, as Steiner was
an Austrian. According to Peter-R. Koenig:
19

Steiner stops the meetings of the Esoteric School [at summer 1914] and ceases
use of the expression "Misraim Dienst" [Misraim Service] (which counts 600
members) in Germany because War conditions make it impossible to hold
closed meetings safely. Anyway, at around this time Steiner begins to terminate
private consultations and meetings since sufficient published material required
for
training
purposes
is
present.
On the occasion of his visit in Oslo [in 1921], Rudolf Steiner gathers all members
of "Mystica aeterna", without rituals and without ceremonial habits and
although two or three new members are accepted [as a sign that the old form of
the Misraim-Service definitely is left], declares the work of the
"Erkenntniskultische Arbeitskreis" (= Misraim Dienst) solemnly dissolved.
So it seems that the Great War ended Rudolf Steiners active involvement in the
M&M. I also believe that all contact with The Third Order now was terminated
on Robert Felkins part, even if he himself though of the Stella Matutina as
being in contact with Steiner and his Anthroposophical Society as late as 1920.
In a statement issued as of 18 June, 1916, before the final departure to New
Zeeland, Dr. Felkin proclaimed the creation of three new bodies in Britain, the
Hermes Temple in Bristol and two separate Daughter Temples in London, of
which the first would be:
confined to the members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, who have
taken at least Grade 4. I may mention here that the reason why I am obliged to
form it is as follows: When E.O.L. and I made our arrangements of recognition
by our Continental Fratres, they stipulated, and he agreed, that the Masonic
Rosicrucians, of whom there are large numbers, should be given the opportunity
of
being
linked
with
us.
With regard to the [other] daughter Temple, there are some fifty or sixty
members of the Temple which used to be ruled by S.R. [i.e. Waite] and a
number of the members of the Anthroposophical Society who are seeking
admission. It has been pointed out to me, that as these people have worked on
different lines from us, it would not be well to admit them to the S.M., as they
would undoubtedly cause confusion in the S.M. Temple. I therefore propose that
they should for a Temple of their own
One of Steiners own men who infiltrated the Stella Matutina, H. Collison,
expressed the formers sentiments on the Stella Matutina and Felkin in a letter
on 1921:
The following is what I gathered from an interview with Dr. Steiner in Holland
last
March.
1. Dr. Felkin was a spectator at one of Dr. Steiner's ceremonies in Munich
several years ago. No grades have been given to him by Dr. Steiner. No grades
were given to him in Munich. But Dr. Steiner gave Dr. Felkin a great deal of
instruction, such as he gives to other people who desire it.
2. Several visits have been paid by various enquirers to castles and other places
in Austro-Hungary, but there has never been any true or practical result from
these
researches.
3. Dr. Felkin was anxious to get a charter from Dr. Steiner and made many
attempts to gain this and be appointed his sole representative in England... Dr.
20

Steiner

said

that

he

was

unable

to

grant

this

request.

4. Dr. Steiner cannot say that the forces in the Order are good or bad, but in all
spiritualistic practices under the old form of clairvoyance which is resorted to in
the Felkin Order, self-deception is very possible and forces may enter which are
beyond the power or understanding of those physically present.
5. The Order is decorative and useful to those who need it and are able to
distinguish between mere ornament and reality.
So, as can bee seen, we must conclude that Steiners personal involvement was
scarce in the years between 1912-14, and non existent after that. We also must
conclude that Steiners own views on the Golden Dawn as a workable vehicle for
expounding the mysteries as low or insignificant. But this didnt hinder Felkin
to expand upon the teachings of Steiner and the process of its integration into
the Golden Dawn. In November 1915 Dr. Felkin gave this fascinating account of
Christian Rosenkreutz and how all of this related to the Golden Dawn system of
initiation:
First I will try to explain what I think most of you do not quite realise. The
actual as well as the nominal Head of the Inner Order, is out Father in God,
C.R.C. himself, who gives us directions and instructions from time to time
through Members who are clairvoyant and clairaudient to such an extend that
they
are
able
to
receive
them.
In addition to them there are certain Members who still function on the material
plane; most of these live very secluded lives and can only be met with after
much difficulty has been overcome. E.O.L. met some of them when he went
abroad on pilgrimage before passing beyond. Q.L. and myself have also met
them at various times and received instructions and help (in 1904, 1909 and
1912).
These members form what has been known to us as the Third Order and it is
their business to look after the various Temples and to give advice when
required. Most of them live abroad in various countries but one lives in England
and I have called him The Unknown or Epopt, because for most of you he
must
remain
behind
the
veil.
We have been told by some of these that C.R.C. himself expects to manifest
again on the material plane before very long. I do not know whether he will
return as an infant, or whether as sometimes happens he may assume a suitable
body
which
has
already
reached
maturity.
Hitherto we have spoken loosely of Three Orders. Now it will be possible to
define a little more clearly the different Grades, since during the last three years
we have received several of the Higher Grades, which we hope to pass on to
those who are ready for them before we leave you [i.e. for New Zealand].
All these notions of an actual second coming smells very Steinerian to me; this
is what happens when theosophical notions of avatars (as with Annie Besant
and Jiddu Krishnamurti, the supposed reincarnation of Christ) are blended with
traditional Rosicrucianism. Notions like this can easily develop into sectarian
fundamentalism and has nothing to do with the Golden Dawn. Dr. Felkin

21

continued laying out his new system in the following manner, relating the
different Orders to the Sephiroth of Tree of Life:
Kether
10
=
1.
Our
FatherC.R.C.
(Sixth
Order).
Chokmah and Binah, 9 = 2. Members on the Material plane, but secluded (Fifth
Order).
Daath, 8 = 3. Members who may be contacted actively (Fourth Order).
Chesed, 7 = 4. Your own highest Members (Third Order)
Geburah,
6
=
5.
Next
highest
Members
(Third
Order)
Tipareth,
5
=
6.
(Second
Order).
0
=
0
to
Portal
inclusive
(First
Order).
Finally I think you would find it of great assistance if you could set aside one or
two of the more clairvoyant and clairaudient Members to act as a sort of Delphic
Oracle. The duty of these Members would be to go to the Vault, either alone or
together as may seem best, and get direct instruction from C.R.C. himself.
In a letter written by Felkin on 7 November 1915 he expounds somewhat on the
subject of the Epopt:
With regard to the Epopt, I regret that it is impossible for me to give you further
information at present, except that he has attained a high Grade (hence the
suggested title, which in fact means one who has been initiated in the Greater
Mysteries). He will not act until I actually leave and he does not wish to be
known at present. Even when he takes office it will be with the proviso that only
a few of you shall be in personal communication with him and the general
Members will not be told who he is.
We may only speculate about the true identity of this Epopt, but I highly
suspect that this is a reference to one of Steiners representatives in England.
The

Teachings

of

Rudolf

Steiner

I wonder what else was transferred into the Stella Matutina from the teachings
of Rudolf Steiner, besides these lofty and fanciful claims in the last paragraphs
of the former section? I must conclude that the amount of instruction and
influence must have been quite substantial, at least in the higher Grades of the
Stella Matutina. Dr. Felkin apparently obtained from Steiner certain
continental processes, which according to Ellic Howe appear to have
resembled yoga exercises of some kind. Advanced members of the Stella
Matutina were not allowed to send details of them in the post or carry written
notes on their persons. A document issued in 1915 states:
Inner Order, is our Father in God, C.R.C. himself, who gives us directions and
instructions from time to time through Members who are clairvoyant and
clairaudient to such an extent that they are able to receive them.
After all these processes have been successfully accomplished and the student
has become clairvoyant, there are three other methods which may be given
which will enable the student to get visions in the Akasic Records at definite
periods of the worlds history. These three processes are indicated upon the
diagrams which may only be shown in the Temple. [] The first symbol should
enable him to read the Akasic Records before Christ, the second one at the time
of Christ and the third one at the present time.

22

Miss Stoddart in her book The Trial of the Serpent, using the pseudonym of
Inquirer Within, writes regarding the Rosicrucians of her time, i.e. the
members of her own Order or Stella Matutina and that of Steiners, that they,
likewise as the Rosicrucians of old:
not only studied, but went about doing good and healing the sick and
diseased, [and] now are concerned in the study and administration of
medicines (such as Steiner!), and in their manufacture upon old lines; they also
teach and practice the curative (also magical) effects of coloured light, and
cultivate mental processes which are believed to include spiritual enlightement
(Steiners processes for rousing the kundalini) and extended powers of the
human senses, especially in the directions of clairvoyance and clairaudience.
Reading the quotations taken from A.E. Waites notebook above it's quite
obvious that the Stella Matutina Adeptus Major 6=5 Ritual was heavily
influenced by Rudolf Steiner and his rendition of the Memphis & Misram IV
Ceremony, i.e. the lying in the coffin, etc. According to Francis King Dr. Felkin
supposedly based this said ritual, and the following Adeptus Exemptus 7=4
and Magister Templi 8=3 Grades, on Steiners corresponding Grades of IV, V
and VI, blending this German source material with extracts from Mabel
Collins Light on the Path and the Egyptian Papyrus of Ani. Notice also the
reference to the link from the entry of August 13th 1912 of Waites notebook.
This is the etheric link which often has been connected to the Adeptus
Exemptus 7=4 Grade of the Stella Matutina; a separate ritual was performed
in the Tomb of Fra. C.R.C. for select Adepti Exempti called The Transmission of
the Etheric Link, which basically constituted a invocation of Christian
Rosenkreutz.
To emphazise this latest statement I will recount a discussion I had on
Wikipedia with the Grand Master of the Swedish Misraim Society, Mikael W.
Gejel, which is heavily influenced by Rudolf Steiner and his Anthroposophical
take on the M&M. According to Gejel Robert Felikin never lost faith in Rudolf
Steiner, even after the latter severed all connection with the Stella Matutina.
Gejel also states that the material as handed down from Steiner was continued
and is used even today. He also states that the latter part of Felkins Adeptus
Exemptus 7=4 Grade is crowned by the so called etheric link to Christian
Rosenkreutz. This corraborates what I described in the last paragraph.
Recently Samuel Robinson, who formerly has been the household mate of Pat
Zalewski and under his personal tuition, made some very interesting comments
regarding the views of ritual conduct and handling of ceremonial implements as
expressed in the latters book Ritual Commentaries (or Z-5):
For the most part Whare Ra studied the auric effects of the tools and this came
from Steiner and not Felkin or the G.D at all. I have seen the Steiner papers
used for his Memphis Misraim rite where he discussed the auric effects of the
grip, tools, wands, swords and movements etc, the methods are the same and it
was introduced later by Felkin.
Regarding these papers written by Steiner about ritual Samuel Robinson further
states:
Half of them appear in 'Freemasonry and Ritual Work' by Steiner, the other half
belong to a private collector, both are being used in Steiners' Masonic Ritual still
being worked in a few countries in Europe.

23

Tony Fuller, the renown Golden Dawn scholar who personally has known
serveral Whare Ra Adepts, has the following to say regarding Steinerian
practices within the Stella Matutina:
Although relations between Whare Ra and the Anthroposophists always
remained close the Steiner influence declined over the 50 odd years after R.W.
Felkin's death. At the house of a senior Whare Ra person (Ewen Campbell 9=2)
I was shown by his family four original handwritten manuscripts taken from
discussions with/lectures from Steiner with many coloured illustrations and
additional notes made by Campbell. But by the times of the 1950's knowledge of
most of the Steiner additions had been lost and no one was 'receiving' the
Processes. Prior to this each member was given individually by the Chief (Felkin
then Mrs Felkin) a unique version of the Processes calculated just for that
person and it was written on a tiny piece of blue paper. Within Hermes, Bristol,
the Steiner influence had declined even earlier and under Mrs Carnegie Dickson
it
had
moved
back
to
a
more
Mathers
oriented
Order.
...there is little indicaton of any Steiner influence in the the First Order but more
so within the Second and particularly the Third Orders. There are a few
indications that the height of the Steiner influence coincided with the strong
presence of many Anglo-Catholic clergy within the S[tella] M[atutina]. The
latter also declined, particularly after Felkin's death and, there are a few
tentative indications, following an investigation by a committee of the
Archbishop of Canterbury which apparently took a dim view of the involvement
of its priests in occultism. I suspect that there was a significant involvement of
Anglo-Catholic clergy within Anthroposophy at this time.
Discussion
The major influence of Rudolf Steiner that I can detect in the Stella Matutina,
putting all this information together and trying make any sense of it, is the
actual initiatory system. To me it is clear that both Dr. Robert Felkin and Neville
Meakin saw direct parallels between the Golden Dawn and the Memphis &
Misram Rite, as it was envisioned by Steiner through his nine degrees system of
the Misraim Service. This latter system bears clear resemblances, but is not
identical to the O.T.O. system of nine operative degrees as envisioned by
Theodor
Reuss.
Personally I regard Steiners Mystica Aeterna as an independent body of the
O.T.O., not just for the fact that Theodor Reuss gave Rudolf Steiner his charter
to operate the M&M, nor simply just because Steiner, according to Samuel
Robinson, also had received the O.T.O. Seal from Reuss. For one thing it is a fact
that the O.T.O. and the Misraim Service both had the same number of degrees
(and both using Roman numerals) and being reminiscent of each other, and the
first three being equivalent with the Craft Degrees of Freemasonry. But
interestingly enough, which Samuel Robinson has been so kind to point out for
me, it was Steiner who revised the old 99 system of the M&M into 9 degrees,
something which Reuss eventually decided to copy because of its success.
Furthermore the name Mystica Aeterna has a typical O.T.O. quality to it. Last
and not least for the fact that they both admitted both male and female, and that
there is some evidence that Steiner referred to his group as Esoteric
Rosicrucians, which was a name given to initiates of the VIII of the O.T.O.
24

But there were also some discrepancies between the O.T.O. and the Misraim
Service. According to Alex Sumner, in commenting the above mentioned book
Freemasonry and Ritual Work, Steiner envisaged IV (equiv. to 6=5) as
equivalent to the Rose-Croix 18 of the Scottish Rite and the V (equiv. to 7=4)
as a version of the Royal Arch Mason degree of the York Rite. This is however
disputed by Mr. Gejel, who states that Steiner's IV actually is Royal Arch and
his V Rose Croix. Mr. Gejel notes that the misunderstanding probably stems
from a mistaken headline on page 234 in Freemasonry and Ritual Work,
containing the collected works of Rudolf Steiner on the subject of Masonic
Ritual.

The Misram Degrees upon the Tree of Life

So, as we will see, Meakin and Felkin attributed the nine degrees of the Misraim
Service with the Tree of Life thus: The first three degrees (corresponding to the
Craft Degrees of Freemasonry) with the Middle Pillar Sephiroth from Malkuth
to Tiphareth, IV & V with Geburah and Chesed respectively, and that of VI to
VIII with the Supernal Triad. I wonder what ever happened to the IX in the
Meakin-Felkin arrangement? This omission of the highest degree of the
Misraim Service makes it apparent that this whole scheme is an ill advised
attempt to force a union upon the O.T.O. and G.D. initiatory systems.
It has unfortunately also become clear to me, during the research for this essay,
that Neville Meakins real motivation for changing and expanding upon the
contents of the Portal Grade was to adapt the G.D. system of initiation to that of
Rudolf Steiners Misraim Service. What I am referring to in particular is the
notion that the Outer Order Elemental Grades are corresponding with Malkuth
and constitute a First Grade, while the Portal Grade is corresponding with
Yesod to form a Second Grade, hence indirectly referring to Tipharet as the
25

Third Grade. Using this version of the Portal Grade as the missing link
between the Outer and Inner Orders, Felkin now was able to use Steiners IV,
V & VI and adapt them to the 6=5, 7=4 and 8=3 respectively.
In my humble opinion, this constitutes a grave fallacy on Felkins and Meakins
part. It shows a deep misunderstanding of the Memphis & Misram Rite in the
first place, as I cannot suspect that both these gentlemen didnt know of their
own system, i.e. the Golden Dawn. Fist of all, the application of the Misram
degrees in this manner to the Three of Life feels overly forced; there are no
ground for this being the original intent of Rudolf Steiner. On the contrary, I
suspect that Felkin knew that he couldnt throw out the Baby with the
bathwater, i.e. dispensing with the Tree of Life as the initiatory pattern, in trying
to adjust the Misraim-degrees to the G.D. scheme. Reading the contents of A.E.
Waites notebook from December 12, 1910 and onwards, it seems to me that
either Steiner did actually work with a Sephirothic system or Felkin somehow
lied to Waite (or to himself) regarding all G.D. references (including using G.D.
implements) within Steiner Lodges to make his continental connections more
appealing. I suspect the latter. As one reads the account by Waite it becomes
clear that it dawns upon his mind that there is no actual correspondence
between the Sephiroth and Steiners nine degrees. To this also Felkin finally
admits. So what it all amounts to is Felkin making a Golden Dawn
interpretation of the initiatory system of the Misraim Service.
Secondly, the first degrees of the Misraim Service, O.T.O. and all other versions
of the Memphis & Misram Rite, as well as all high degrees systems of
Freemasonry, as I already has pointed out on several places, corresponds
directly with the three Craft Degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry, i.e. that of
Entered Apprentice (I), Fellow Craft (II), and Master Mason (III). Now, the
Rosicrucian Sephirothic Grade system, i.e. that of Zelator to Magus (and
Ipsissimus), has always been regarded as a high degree system from the very
beginning, i.e. the general reformation of 1777. To become a Juniorus (i.e.
Zelator) in the old Gold und Rosenkreutz Orden (the very organization who
invented these Grades in the first place), as well as Zelator in the later Societas
Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.), one had to be a Master Mason (i.e. that of III)
before even entering the Order; the G.D. Grade of Zelator is hence to be
considered as a high degree Grade being placed just above Craft Masonry.
In my opinion the G.D. 0=0 of Neophyte was created to be a substitute to
these three Craft Degrees, as both men and women was admitted as members.
Hence in preparation for the 1888-year reformation the reformers abolished the
Freemasonic requirement and created the Neophyte Grade as a preparation in
its stead. Being a Freemason myself, and having passed through and seeing
many candidates passing through the Craft Degrees, I can see many parallels of
structure between them and the 0=0 of the G.D., especially the I. All major
ingredients are present there, the blindfold, the symbolical binding with a cord,
obligation, circumambulations, reception into the light, the symbolical blood
shedding, etc. I can also detect all three Craft Degrees present in the 0=0;
this may also be said of the I (birth) in which is contained the seeds or formulas
of the II (adult life) & III (death). Thus when the candidate is led into the Hall
of the Neophytes, and passes the Portal for the first time, he is symbolically
born; he is here referred to as Child of Earth. The circumambulations and
26

reception into the light constitutes the adult or mature life, while the symbolical
blood shedding in the end and partaking of the Eucharist, symbolizes death and
resurrection.
Thus, to apply the Memphis Service and O.T.O. degrees systems as parallel to
the Golden Dawn is to relegate the latter to a status compared to the
Freemasonic Craft Degree system. As a Freemason, having first hand experience
of the Craft Degrees I cannot disagree more; the Elemental Grades are not
corresponding with the I; in my view the Neophyte Formula more amply fits
with it. The Portal Grade isnt even close in symbology nor content to the Fellow
Craft degree of II. While I can see some superficial likeness between the
Adeptus Minor and the Master Mason reception, because of the death and
ressurection of Hiram Abiff, I still hold that the 5=6 is on a higher level of arc
compared to the III; the ceremonial and grade formulae often recur on
different levels, as with all human development, but to say that adolescence is
the direct equivalent to the oedipal phase, because of the psychological link, is
outright wrong and shows lack of understanding of psychoanalysis the same
may
be
said
of
Rosicrucianism
in
this
regard.
However, it seems when reading A.E. Waites notebook, that Rudolf Steiner
himself had another view of the I-III as compared to Craft Masonry being
the outer court of the Rosicrucian Grade system. It seems he likewise tried to
align the Gold und Rosenkreutz 9 Grade system, from Juniorus to Magus, with
that of his own 9 degrees system. Thus I would in Steiners view correspond to
Juniorus, II with Theoricus, III with Practicus, IV (and the Royal Arch
degree) with that of Philosophus, V (and the Rose Croix degree) with that of
[Adeptus] Minor, VI with that of [Adeptus] Major, VII with that of Adeptus
Exemptus, VIII with that of Magister [Templi] and finally XI with the exalted
Magus Grade. This, in my opinion is a more logical way to correspond the old
Rosicrucian Grade system if one want to, as Steiner obviously seemed to, make
this correspondence. This fact of course makes Steiners take on the M&M quite
interesting, much more so than how it was usually done in the O.T.O. during
Reuss time. But on the other hand, in view of Meakins and Felkins own
interpretation of G.D. correspondence with that of the M&M it makes
everything even more confusing; in Steiners view the Adeptus Minor Grade is
the equivalent of V but according to Felkin of III. Thus Felkin and Meakin
distanced themselves from both the Golden Dawn and the Misraim Service, to
create a new and unique hybrid that is neither G.D. nor the M&M.
However according to Mikael W. Gejel there seems to be a indirect or tentative
correspondence between the Golden Dawn Grades (and the Sephiroth) and
Steiner's Misraim Service. Let me quote Mr. Gejel as he explains this better than
me:
Steiner's nine dregrees corresponds to a. the planets and b. the subterranean
spheres. E. g. the first degree corresponds to the Earth (the whole earthly
development through Lemuria, Atlantis, old India, old Persia, etc.), the second
(with Isis as one of the main characters and the water pillar) to the Moon, the
third degree (death and resurrection) to Mercury, the fourth to Venus, etc.
Although Mr. Gejel has stated to me that Steiner never explicitly used the Tree
of Life as a foundation for his initatic system, he did use the Ptolemaic system of
Earth, Planets (according to speed) and fixed stars (i.e. the Zodiac). Incidentally,
27

the Tree of Life uses these same attributions in the Hermetic Qabalah, as used in
the Golden Dawn. To me it more seems to be a coincidence, but corroborates my
views about the true attribution of Steiner's degrees according to the Gold und
Rosenkreutz Grade system. But still I hold that it is a mistake of Steiner to
correspond the three Craft Degrees to the first three Grades of the Gold und
Rosenkreutz Orden, as the latter originally were supposed to be a direct
continuation
of
the
former.
Lastly, even if I can accept the fact that the Elemental Grades may be regarded
as partaking in the four parts of Malkuth, and hence in a sense never quittet it,
I maintain the opinion that the correspondence of the Portal Grade to Yesod and
to Luna is flawed and foreign to the original intention of the Ceremony of the
Portal. In viewing the Portal Grade, and the transition to the Inner Order and
Tiphareth (i.e. 5=6), one must envision it in relation to the Elemental Grades
as corresponding to the lowest four Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Hence, the
Portal Grade was never envisioned as taking part of any particular Sephirah; it
was regarded as partaking of the Path of Samekh, the Arrow of Saggitarius, the
Path of the Rending of the Veil. The Portal Grade formula is all about the
transition from Yesod to Tiphareth; it is a dynamic and moving formula, as
opposed to static and containing as in the Sephirotic Grades. In actuality, the
Portal Grade is not a Grade proper at all but instead a state of transition
between the Outer and Inner Orders through the Veil of Paroketh; the member
is technically still regarded as being a Philosophus or 4=7. This last
assumption is confirmed in the old Portal Grade Ceremony of the G.D. and the
A.O., and as well and further corroborated in A.E. Waites rendition of it, written
in 1910 for his own Holy Order of the Golden
Dawn.
It is however also true, as also Samuel Robinson has pointed out to me, that the
Misram Rite (or Egyptian Freemasonry as it is often called) in certain ways
was a forerunner to the Golden Dawn. For example, prior to the G.D. creating
its 0=0 Egyptian Freemasonry used the Hall of Maat in its 1, echoing what I
wrote above regarding the G.D. 0=0 as corresponding with I or Entered
Apprentice. In certain degrees the M&M also uses the Officers of Hegemon,
Hiereus and Hierophant. I have been told that Westcott brought in some
elements from the Memphis & Misram tradition, being himself an initiate of
that Rite. Jean-Pascal Ruggiu already noted in 1996, in his seminal paper
Rosicrucian Alchemy and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, that the
author of the Golden Dawn Cypher Mss., Kenneth MacKenzie, himself being a
initiate of the M&M, held Cagliostro (the founder of Egyptian Freemasonry) in
high regard, having him elevated as the spiritual Chief of MacKenzie's
organization Fratres Lucis (i.e. the Hermanubis Temple No. 2). So I'm not
surprised that these common Elements may be spotted between the M&M and
G.D.

28

The Seal of the Rite of

Memphis & Misram
However, I still maintain that this influence never had such implications as
compared to when it came into the hands of Felkin and Meakin, after their
submission to Rudolf Steiner. In a sudden blow, the entire initiatic system was
altered because of these changes made in the Portal Grade, and further being
enhanced with the creation of the Adeptus Major 6=5 and Adeptus Exemptus
7=4, designed after the model of Steiners IV and V, and even the Magister
Templi 8=3 after the directions as suggested in his VI. Thus, what we now see
after 1912 is a great rift, greater that ever, between the Alpha et Omega and the
Stella Matutina; the A.O. continuing the original G.D. current while the S.M.
now becoming a strange mix of the G.D. and O.T.O., becoming foreign to them
both
in
the
process.
But on the other hand I must hand it to Dr. Felkin that there are some merits to
his design of the high Adepti Grades (6=5 and 7=4) as to what they
represent. In my own understanding of the Three Adepti Grades I envision the
5=6 as embodying the Passion of the Christ, i.e. his suffering up to and
including the crucifixion. This may also include his actual physical death, as the
Candidate when bound to the Cross of Obligation (and of Suffering) is
symbolically pierced with the dagger on the six points of the Stigmata, including
the heart that clearly represents the death of Christ referring to the Roman
soldier piercing his side with a spear. This also directly relates to the killing of
Osiris by Apohis (or Seth) and the scattering of his members across the nation.
Next, in the 6=5 I envision it as corresponding to the phase between the death
and resurrection of the Christ. This involves the part when his disciple Joseph of
Arimaetha takes down the body of Jesus from the cross, winds it in linen clothes
and places it in the sepulchre. This of course relates to Isis gathering the
members of Osiris and the embalming (i.e. wrapping in linen bandages) by
Anubis of his body. Furthermore the vigil of the Adept refers to the descent of
the Christ into the Netherland, or Hades, where he makes a new covenant with
the dead souls to rise with him on the Final Day of Judgement, which of course
directly relates to the Osirian mythos. This assumption is somewhat
corraborated by a statement made by W.W. Westcott in the Flying Roll No. XVI
- The History of the Rosicrucian Order - where he corrolates the 6=5 with the
120 years of silence and secrecy where Fra. C.R.C. remained hidden in his
Tomb, being the period from 1484 to 1604. It is described as:
...a degree of death and solmnityreferring to the precedent stage of
obscuration, during which silent study and meditation may be considered as
the typical condition.
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Finally, Christ (in a similar fashion as Osiris) is resurrected on the third day and
expounds the secret doctrine to his disciples, before his final transfiguration.
Here it is interesting to note that Osiris actually is resurrected as Horus, which
conquers his nemesis Seth. This of course refers to the Martial nature of the
6=5 and the work of subduing and integrating the powers of darkness (i.e. the
Qlippoth) within the Adept, directly corresponding with the descent of Christ
into Hades and freeing of the dead souls. This work being fulfilled, the Adept
becomes liberated from karma, i.e. Exempt. This is the nature of the 7=4
which symbolically corresponds with the transfiguration and ascension of the
Christ, where he is placed on the right side of his Fathers throne to judge the
souls of men on Judgement Day when they are supposed to be resurrected. This
of course directly relates to Osiris becoming the God of Death and Resurrection,
the
Lord
of
the
Hall
of
Judgement
and
of
Maat.
Reading Dr. Robert Felkins 6=5 and 7=4 I find them corroborating these
assertions, down to the point of the Candidate symbolically being embalmed
before laid in the Pastos. The only conclusion which I can draw from all this is
that the initiatory cycle of the Golden Dawn having some correspondence with
that of Rudolf Steiners Misraim Service. But I cannot regard them as equal
because of the fact that I must reject the idea of the three Craft Degrees
corresponding with the Elemental Grades, Portal and Adeptus Minor
respectively. Therefore the IV and V must also be placed below Tiphareth on
the Tree of Life and corresponding to the level of the Outer Order, perhaps the
IV corresponding with the Elemental Grades and the V with the 5=6? This
last suggestion at least echoes Steiners own views on the subject.
Conclusion
So, considering these facts, I cannot make any conclusions other than that the
Stella Matutina tradition in general, and the Whare Ra teachings in particular,
cannot be regarded as traditional Golden Dawn, but rather must be regarded as
a fusion or synthesis of Rudolf Steiner on one hand and the Golden Dawn as
presented by MacGregor Mathers and W.W. Westcott on the other. Suffice to
say, anything that is added and cannot be recognized from the original Golden
Dawn papers in any of the teachings of the Whare Ra, be it propounded as oral
teachings or actual surviving copies of official documents from the Whare Ra,
must be surmised as having Steinerian content, at least in potential.
But it must also be stated, that reading official Whare Ra documentation and
curriculum, it becomes clear to me that the Steinerian influence is absent in the
Outer Order, and even in the Adeptus Minor 5=6 Grade of the R.R. et A.C., at
least up to the Th.A.M. level. The fusion becomes more pronounced in the
Adeptus Major 6=5 Grade, and probably is most present in the Adeptus
Exemptus 7=4 Grade. So I must conclude that the Whare Ra kept its doctrine
very orthodox until the initiate entered the higher levels of the Second Order or
R.R. et A.C. But all this is limited to the personal teachings of individual
members. Regarding the initiatory system of the Stella Matutina as a whole, i.e.
the very foundation of the tradition of any initiatory society, the Steinerian
nature is present from the very start, because of the changes made to the Portal
Grade Ceremony, which I hold transforms the four Elemental Grade into sub30

grades of a Steinerian First Grade, while the Portal itself now has become a
Second Grade. I am convinced, however, that lots of unwritten or oral
tradition of a Steinerian nature also was transmitted in the training of officers,
but this doesnt contradict my conclusion as Whare Ra seemed to have the
principle of only using Adepts as Officers in the Outer Order Ceremonies.
It is also clear that the Elemental Grades and the Adeptus Minor Grade of the
Stella Matutina are following the Golden Dawn tradition. The greatest and in my
opinion most controversial change has been limited to the Portal Grade, which
becomes the missing link which binds the old Outer Order with Felkins
reformed Inner Order, in which he developed new rituals for the Adeptus Major
and Exemptus Grades, directly inspired by Steiners corresponding degrees, as
Felkin saw the underlying patterns and understood the correspondences.
Seeing that most of the existing Temples today draws heavily upon the Stella
Matutina tradition, I wonder how they will relate themselves to these facts
which I have laid bare here, of a significant deviation from a tradition which
they profess to represent? Have they even bothered to reflect upon this at all
before? If not, what will be the consequence of this new knowledge? What will
happen to the identity of such a Temple? Will such Temples be able to perform
the Ceremony of the Portal in the same way as they have become used to in the
past?
SR
U P P L A G D AV

SINCERUS RENATUS

KL.

02:09

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