Not many people today know what a profound impact the Order of the Golden Dawn had on mysticism in the European tradition. Coming out of Mormonism it seemed like an obvious path to me.
“The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which originated in late 19th century London among a small group of Masonic Rosicrucians, remains the most influential and well-known occult society in Western history. Its story has been told in a number of popular books, and its prominent members—Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, William Butler Yeats, A. E. Waite, Dion Fortune, and Israel Regardie—are icons of esoteric lore. Yet countless Neopagans and New Agers, along with those who dabble in esoteric practices like Kabbalah, Tarot, astral travel, and visualization, have no idea that their spiritual beliefs and practices are pulled directly from the pioneering work of this magical secret society.“
- Michael M. Hughes, The Secret Society that Brought Magic to the Modern Age (June 13, 2004).