Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

Henrik Bogdan

Description

For more than three hundred years the practice of Masonic rituals of initiation has been part of Western culture, spreading far beyond the boundaries of traditional Freemasonry. Henrik Bogdan explores the historical development of these rituals and their relationship with Western esotericism. Beginning with the Craft degrees of Freemasonry—the blueprints, as it were, of all later Masonic rituals of initiation—Bogdan examines the development of the Masonic High Degrees, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—the most influential of all nineteenth-century occultist initiatory societies—and Gerald Gardner's Witchcraft movement of the 1950s, one of the first large-scale Western esoteric New Religions Movements.
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. Western Esotericism

           Introduction
           The Delimitation of a Field of Research
           The Research Paradigms of Western Esotericism
           Western Esotericism in Theory and Practice
           Western Esoteric Currents
           Western Esoteric Rituals of Initiation
           Concluding Remarks

2. Rituals of Initiation, Secret Societies, and Masonic Initiatory Societies

           Ritual as a Field of Research
           Rites de Passage
           Rites of Initiation
           Secret Societies
           Secrecy and Masonic Initiatory Societies
           Masonic Initiatory Societies
           Masonic Rituals of Initiation
           Eighteenth-Century Masonic Terminology
           Concluding Remarks

3. Historical Background

           Ancient and Medieval Sources
           The "New Platonic Academy" of Florence
           The Spread of Western Esotericism Across Europe
           The Esoteric Missions of Giordano Bruno and John Dee
           Christian Rosencreutz and the Rosicrucian Manifestos
           Concluding Remarks

4. The Craft Degrees of Freemasonry

           The Emergence of Freemasonry
           Early Freemasonry and Western Esotericism
           The Pre-1730 Ritual Evidence
           The Master Mason Degree and the Ritual Enactment of the Hiramic Legend
           Concluding Remarks

5. High or Additional Degrees of Freemasonry

           Introduction
           Templar and Ecossais Rites
           Egyptian Rites
           "Esoteric" Freemasonry
           True Mason, or Académie des Vrais Maçons
           Concluding Remarks

6. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

           Introduction
           History
           A Note on Sources
           Description of the Neophyte Ritual
&

Sujets

• Comparative religion
• History of religions

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791480106
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

W estern E sotericism and R I ituals of nitiation

HENRIK BOGDAN

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

SUNY series in Western Esoteric Traditions David Appelbaum, editor

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

Henrik Bogdan

S TATE  U NIVERSITY OF  N EW  Y ORK  P RESS

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2007 State University of New York

All rights reser ved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384

Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Fran Keneston

Librar y of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bogdan, Henrik. Western esotericism and rituals of initiation / Henrik Bogdan. p. cm. — (SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-7069-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Occultism. 2. Initiation rites. 3. Freemasonr y. I. Title.

BF1411.B64 2007 130—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2006020829

To Maria

This page intentionally left blank.

List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction

1

2

3

Contents

Western Esotericism Introduction The Delimitation of a Field of Research The Research Paradigms of Western Esotericism Western Esotericism in Theor y and Practice Western Esoteric Currents Western Esoteric Rituals of Initiation Concluding Remarks

Rituals of Initiation, Secret Societies, and Masonic Initiator y Societies Ritual as a Field of Research Rites de Passage Rites of Initiation Secret Societies Secrecy and Masonic Initiator y Societies Masonic Initiator y Societies Masonic Rituals of Initiation Eighteenth-Century Masonic Terminology Concluding Remarks

Historical Background Ancient and Medieval Sources The “New Platonic Academy” of Florence The Spread of Western Esotericism across Europe The Esoteric Missions of Giordano Bruno and John Dee Christian Rosenkreutz and the Rosicrucian Manifestos Concluding Remarks

ix xi 1

5 5 6 9 17 20 23 25

27 27 30 35 40 44 49 50 51 52

53 53 54 57 60 63 65

viii

4

5

6

7

8

Contents

The Craft Degrees of Freemasonr y The Emergence of Freemasonry Early Freemasonr y and Western Esotericism The Pre-1730 Ritual Evidence The Master Mason Degree and the Ritual Enactment of the Hiramic Legend Concluding Remarks

High or Additional Degrees of Freemasonr y Introduction Templar and Ecossais Rites Egyptian Rites “Esoteric” Freemasonr y True Mason, or Académie des Vrais Maçons Concluding Remarks

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Introduction Histor y A Note on Sources Description of the Neophyte Ritual Analysis of the Neophyte Ritual Concluding Remarks

Modern Pagan Witchcraft or Wicca Gerald Gardner and the Birth of Wicca The Crowley Connection Gardner and the Witchcraft Rituals of Initiation First Degree: Witch and Priestess/Priest The First Degree Initiation Second Degree: High Priestess/Priest Third Degree: High Priestess/Priest Concluding Remarks

Conclusions

Appendix Notes References Index

67 67 70 76

8 9

5 3

95 95 95 100 103 107 119

121 121 124 127 128 137 143

145 145 148 153 155 157 160 164 167

169

173 175 209 225

1.1

2.1 5.1

5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

6.1

Tables

Terminology relating to Western esotericism according to Faivre The building blocks of a masonic ritual of initiation The degree system of theAncient and Accepted Scottish Rite The degree system of theRectified Scottish Rite The degree system of theSwedish Rite The degree system of theRite Ecossais philosophique The degree system ofDer Orden des Gold- und Rosenkreuzes The degree system ofThe Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

ix

22 51

98 99 100 104

105

122