About Us

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® AΩ is a secular educational training program operating under Alpha Omega Mystery School.

Founded in 1888 and continued through the Alpha Omega in 1906 by S.L. MacGregor Mathers, the HOGD was among the first esoteric organizations to include women as equal members—a significant advancement for its time.

We teach the system of Hermetic Self-Initiation as a ritual framework for self-study and symbolic engagement with philosophy and form.

Our mission is to preserve and teach the corpus and methods of the historical Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, namely “to assist aspirants in exploring symbolic ritual systems — in the tradition of Golden Dawn, emphasizing archetypal study and self-reflection.

The HOGD operates under the Alpha Omega Mystery School, which oversees our courses and activities, including instruction in Hermetic philosophy, Qabalah, Alchemy, Rosicrucianism, and Enochian ritual studies.

We hold the exclusive Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® trademark in the European Union (Reg. No. 000063925) and operate in the U.S. under a trademark agreement adopted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Since 1888, our secular training program has guided students through education, symbolic ritual and experiential learning.

Expertise: Holds advanced ranks in multiple esoteric traditions, blending Hermetic, Rosicrucian, and related philosophical systems to deepen the HOGD curriculum.

Anthropologist Leslie McQuade serves as Chief Adept of the HOGD, leading its training programs.

HOGD Leadership: Guides students through the HOGD’s educational curriculum, including Hermetic philosophy, Qabalah, Alchemy, Rosicrucianism, and Enochian.

Archaeological and Ethnographic Expertise: A world-traveled field archaeologist and ethnographer, Leslie has worked on excavations for the Carnegie Mellon Museum and the Japanese Department of Education.

Leslie blends an academic approach to ritual studies with comparative insights from global cultural practitioners, enriching other courses we offer — distinct from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®’s core curriculum.

Comparative Ritual Scholarship: Leslie’s training includes comparative study of indigenous ritual forms and esoteric practices.

Under the Alpha Omega Mystery School we are committed to delivering the traditional teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® through both self-directed study via Hermetic Self-Initiation: Rituals of the Golden Dawn and structured formal courses.

Since 1888, we have upheld this mission through structured training and ritual study within an initiatory framework. General information on fees, requirements, and course details is available upon inquiry.