Founded in 1888 and continued through the Alpha Ωmega in 1906 under S. L. MacGregor Mathers, the HOGD was among the first esoteric orders to admit women as equal members, marking a significant moment in the history of initiatory traditions.

The HOGD teaches the system of Hermetic Self-Initiation as a ritual and philosophical framework for self-directed study, symbolic engagement, and initiatory practice rooted in the historical Golden Dawn tradition.

Our mission is to preserve and transmit the original Golden Dawn system through a structured ritual curriculum, maintaining the integrity of its methods and teachings for modern students.

The legacy of the HOGD extends through the classical Hermetic system preserved in the Alpha Ωmega line. Our curriculum includes initiation and training in Hermetic Ritual, Hermetic Astrology, Hermetic Alchemy, Qabalah, Rosicrucianism, Egyptian and Enochian studies. This maintains the ritual, symbolic, and philosophical structure established in the late nineteenth century.

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

Since 1888, the Order has maintained a structured method of training that unifies ritual work, philosophical study, and symbolic exploration within a cohesive initiatory framework.

HOGD Imperator David Griffin leads the Order’s initiatory and educational work. As Imperator and International Director of Studies, David preserves and transmits the Hermetic ritual methodology inherited through the Alpha Ωmega. He is fluent in German, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, and English.

David is the author of The Ritual Magic Manual (1999), the landmark publication that first presented the complete Golden Dawn self-initiation system in a step-by-step format, and the original edition of what is now published as Hermetic Self-Initiation: Rituals of the Golden Dawn. His work integrates the ritual, philosophical, and symbolic currents of Hermetic and Rosicrucian traditions within the broader curriculum of the Order.

HOGD Chief Adept Leslie McQuade serves as a primary instructor for many of the Order’s programs. An archaeologist and anthropologist, Leslie has conducted fieldwork for the Carnegie Mellon Museum and the Japanese Department of Education, bringing archaeological and ethnographic depth to her teaching.

Leslie contributes comparative ritual scholarship grounded in global ethnographic study, enriching the broader educational setting while maintaining the distinction between academic perspectives and the formal Hermetic curriculum of the Order.

Under Alpha Ωmega Mystery School, we maintain the full traditional structure of the Golden Dawn initiatory sequence. This includes a progressive curriculum with 173 lessons in the first year alone, supporting students as they advance through the established Hermetic training preserved in the Alpha Ωmega line.

Since 1888, the work of the Order has been upheld through disciplined initiatory practice, structured study, and ritual engagement. General information regarding enrollment, prerequisites, and program details is available upon inquiry.