Aurum Solis Vs. Golden Dawn Options

Hello all!

I have some questions about the Aurum Solis.

Over the past year I have become interested in the occult, mainly in Ceremonial Magick. Most of the info that I have read has been from the net and I have found a plethora of articles and sites that deal with the Golden Dawn but very little about the A.S. What little I have found about them intrigues me quite a bit, and, seeing it recommended a number of times, I purchased "Mysteria Magica" by Denning & Phillips.

So, what I am wondering about is what are the differences between the G.D. and the A.S. I understand that the former is a Rosicrucian style and the latter is Ogdoadic and from what I can tell, Ogdoadic has something to do with the number eight and deals mostly with Greek gods and seems to use the Greek language more so than Hebrew. Other than that I'm lost to the major differences between the two. The rest look to be more... for want of a better term, minor. For instance the Golden Dawn uses the Kabbalistic Cross and the Aurum Solis use the Calyx. They seem to be the same ritual to me! The G.D. has the LBRP; Aurum Solis has Setting of the Wards. Again, to my unseasoned eye, same thing! From reading articles and people's comments about magic and the occult, it is the subtlties that have the most impact. After all, the "Devil IS in the details".... I just can't see the little bugger! lol

Any help appreciated

-- G.L.B.

p.s. I apologize if I seem a bit incoherent. It's 0744 est , I just got home from work and my head feels like it's full of oatmeal

The AS never split off from the GD. They are completely seperate. In fact I think the AS might be older than the GD.

The AS is more greek while the GD uses hebrew. The GD uses the lotus wand as a general wand while the AS has the trident based on the letter shin and other sources. You are correct that the GD is mostly influenced by rosecrusian in spirit and masion in set up. One of our central symbols is the rose cross and the vault where christians body was found is used in the inner order which is actually the RR et AC, while the outer order which is actually the GD uses the Hall of Ma'at.

Ritual wise they are strangly similer even though they developed seperatly. You may be able to find alot more GD material due to Regardie, Crowley, and later writers such as the cicero's and Pat. Z, spilling the beans as it were. Although the AS material is becoming more common due to Dennings and Phillips writtings. Regardless of which system you choose they are both designed to get you to the same place. Bottom line go with the one that feels right.

This is what I know of the actual history.

At right around the same time period as the formation of the Golden Dawn, there was an Antiquarian group that was mainly interested in the study of occult books, mss, etc. They were not a practicing group. More of a interest group. From within that group a number of members decide to form a ceremonial order. i.e. a practicing group based on what they had been studying in theory.

The Golden Dawn and Aurum Solis have never been connected in any formal way. The founders were different people although there may have been some overlapping members at times.

Almost all Magickal orders share some common thread in the overall focus of their practices. I think both could be described as somewhat Hermetic in practice. Here is where I see some differences forming. If we move chronologically from the beginning of time forward in the chain of ideas of the two orders share many of the same neo-platonic ideas. Not the actual orders themselves but what there influences are in chronological order.

A bit of a split of focus occurs in the ideas they focus on when we hit the 15th-17th century. Here the Golden Dawn takes on Rosicrucian ideas with both Christian and Judaic mysticism. Therefore we see the influence of the German mystics of the time, and it continues from there under the influence of the Kabalah, freemasonry,etc. So at it's heart the Golden Dawn is carrying on the Rosicrucian tradition or current that was first made public by the Manifestos in the early 17th century.

The AS leans more towards the Italian Renaissance philosophers. The Ogdoadic tradition springs from a group that was formed by one of the Medici's and included some of the finest Italian thinkers of the time. I think it was called The Order of the Helmet. But don't quote me.

So the A.S. looks much more into ideas put forth by those who they consider part of the "Ogdoadic Tradition", Pico de Mirandola, Marsilio Ficino, Nicholas of Cusa, Giordano Bruno.

I would really encourage you to listen to the podcast link I posted as one of the heads of Astrum Sophia a chartered group of the Aurum Solis explains the question of the differences. He lays it out quite well and this would give you it right from the horse's mouth so to say.

I can only speak from my own observations, I have never been a member of either group so I don't want to lay out too many ideas on something I may know nothing about. I have worked with an order before and I found that the overall quality and focus of a group is largely dependent on it's members. Neither of these groups "forbids" any studies that the other shares as far as I know so they aren't actively restricting ideas they don't focus on.

One interesting thing is that the heads of the Aurum Solis and their chartered offshoots have repeatedly stated in interviews that all of the documents and teachings of the Order are public. So that by joining you would not be exposed to materials that are not available to anyone. Joining provides mentoring and group practice but it does not open any secret doors of knowledge. I don't know if the Golden Dawn has materials that are considered "Order only" documents and it might vary from GD to GD. The O.T.O. definitely has things that are meant to be obtained only by joining.