The Lycian Sanctuary

Freemasonry’s Influence on Mystical Organizations

(Note: the only difference between Grand Lodge Masonry and Co-Masonry is that the latter admits men and women to its ranks, while the former only men.)

Freemasons founded the following mystical organizations:
1. Bavarian Illuminati
2. Lucis Trust
3. Theosophical Society
4. Ordo Templi Orientis
5. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
6. Wiccan Religion
7. Stella Matutina
8. Astrum Argenteum
9. AMORC

Bailey, Alice A. (1880-1949) Co-Mason and co-founder of the Lucis Trust.

Bailey, Foster Co-Mason and co-founder of the Lucis Trust.

Besant, Annie Co-Mason and leader of the Theosophical Society.

Mabel Besant-Scott Leader of Co-Masonry in Britain, after her mother's death and was Gerald Gardner's neighbour in Highcliffe, near Christchurch, on the edge of the New Forest. She was also a leading member of the Rosicrucian Fellowship of Crotona.

Blavatsky, Helena Petrovena (1831-1891) Co-Mason and wrote Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine in the latter part of the 19th century. She also founded the Theosophical Society.

Cagliostro, Count (1743-1795) An Italian adventurer and self-styled magician who became a glamorous figure in the royal courts of Europe where he reputedly excelled in various occult arts, such as psychic healing, alchemy and scrying. His real name was Giuseppe Balsamo and he came from a poor family in Palermo, Sicily. At the age of 23 he went to Malta and was initiated into the Order of the Knights of Malta where he studied alchemy, the Kabbalah and other occult secrets. Later, in London, he joined the Freemasons, and subsequently spent his life roaming the royal courts in Europe performing various occult arts and peddling magic potions and an 'elixir of immortal life' with the aid of his beautiful wife Lorenza Feliciani.

Casanova, Giovanni Giacomo (1725-1798) aside from living a now-famous romantic life, was also a Freemason and occultist/esotericist.

Crowley, Aleister (1875-1947) After growing up in a Plymouth Brethren home he rejected Christianity to become the leading English occultist of the twentieth century.

Crowther, Arnold (1909-1974) Freemason, English Witch, a skilled stage magician, and married to Patricia C. Crowther. Crowther was born on October 7, 1909, in Chestham, Kent, one of a pair of fraternal twins. Crowther authored in collaboration with Patricia two books, numerous magazine articles, and a radio series on Witchcraft.

Encausse, Dr. Gerard (Papus) (1865-1916) he organized what was announced as an "International Masonic Conference" in Paris on June 24, 1908, and at this conference he received a patent from Theodor Reuss to establish a "Supreme Grand Council General of the Unified Rites of Antient and Primitive Masonry for the Grand Orient of France and its Dependencies at Paris." It was probably on the same occasion that Reuss conferred upon Papus the X° of O.T.O. for France, and Papus in turn assisted Reuss in the formation of the O.T.O. Gnostic Catholic Church as a child of l'Église Gnostique de France. When John Yarker died in 1913, Papus was elected as his successor to the office of Grand Hierophant (international head) of the Antient and Primitive Rites of Memphis and Mizraim.

Gardner, Gerald Brousseau (1884-1964) English Freemason, occultist and creator of modern witchcraft or "Wicca." He was a sickly child and received very little formal education. In 1900 he moved to Sri Lanka where he worked on a plantation and later became a civil servant. He traveled widely in the East, absorbing local cultures and folk beliefs. Retiring to England in 1938, he joined a Theosophical group led by the daughter of Annie Besant, through whom he met Dorothy Clutterbuck who claimed to be a witch and initiated him into "the Craft." In 1949, under the assumed name "Scire," he published a novel High Magic's Aid where he outlined many of his ideas about magical ritual. Following the repeal of England's Witchcraft Laws in 1951, he published Witchcraft Today (1954) and numerous other books. In 1963 Gardner initiated Raymond and Rosemary Buckland who spread his creed to North America.

Gebelin, Antoine Court de (1725-1784) French linguist, cleric, occultist, Freemason, member of the Lodge of the Philalethes, and author of the nine volume work Le Monde Primitif.

Hall, Manly P. (1901-1990) Rosicrucian adept and author of popular Freemasonry manuals. In 1990 Mr. Hall was recognized as an honorary 33º Mason (the highest rank possible in the Scottish Rite).

Jennings, Hargrave (1817-1890) was a British Freemason and amateur sudent of comparative religion. In several voluminous works, he argued that the origin of all religion is to be sought in phallic worship of the Sun and fire.

Leadbetter, C. W. Co-Mason and Theosophist, mentor of Krishnamurti, and prelate in the Liberal Catholic Church.

Levi, Eliphas (1810-1875) The pseudonym of Alphonse Louis Constant, a French occultist who was largely responsible for the revival of interest in magic in the 19th century. Eliphas Levi became a Freemason, initiated at the Lodge Rose du Parfait Silence. Levi studied magic and believed in it but was more of a commentator than and adept, though he did claim to practice necromancy on several occasions. His first and most important book, The Dogma and Ritual of High Magic, was published in 1861. He followed that with A History of Magic, Transcendental Magic, The Key of Great Mysteries and other occult books. Levi's magic was adopted by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in London in 1888.

Lewis, Harvey Spencer (1883-1939) Freemason and famous Rosicrucian mystic, was the founder and the first Imperator of AMORC, from 1915 until 1939.

Mathers, S. L. MacGregor Freemason and co-founder of the Golden Dawn.

McKenzie, Kenneth R. H. Member of the Golden Dawn and author of a Masonic Encyclopedia.

Pickingill, George (1816-1909) Freemason, witch and sorcerer in England and leader of the “Pickingill covens.”

Pike, Albert (1809-1891) Author of "Morals and Dogma" the Masonic book of doctrine. Borrowed extensively from the books of Eliphas Levi for material for his own books.

Reuss, Dr. Theodore (1855-1923) Freemason and one-time head of the society Ordo Templi Orientis.

Sanders, Alexander (1929-1988) Freemason and self-styled “King of the Witches” based in London, England, and one of the most influential leaders of Wicca after Gardner.

St-Germain, Count de Although no one knew when the Count de St. Germain was born, his life from 1710 to 1822 is a matter of history. Intimate and counselor of Kings and Princes, nemesis of deceptive ministers, Rosicrucian, Freemason, accredited Messenger of the Masters of Wisdom; worked in Europe for more than a century, faithfully performing the difficult task which had been entrusted to him.

Waite, Arthur Edward (1857-1942) He was an English occultist, Freemason, and member of "The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn" which he joined in 1891 (and apparently again in 1896 after quitting them) ...and it was he that had their name changed in 1903 to "The Holy Order of the Golden Dawn". He was more into the mysticism side of the occult and later with the famous William Butler Yeats would found a new order, "The Stella Matutina".

Weishaupt, Adam (1748-1830) A Freemason, he was initiated into a Lodge of Strict Observance, Lodge Theodore of Good Council, at Munich in 1777; founder of the Bavarian Illuminati.

Westcott, Dr. Wynn (1848-1925) Freemason and founding member of the occult Order of the Golden Dawn; the most influential magical society of the 19th and early 20th century.

Woodman, Dr. William Robert (1828–1891) Freemason and co-founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.