The Golden Dawn and the Arts

The history and practices of the Victorian magical society known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn have been written about for decades. But while its temples were formally spaces to study magic, author Dr Felix John Taylor (The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Magic Arts and the Occult Revival) approaches the history of the Golden Dawn through the lens of its artistic and literary members, viewing the Order more as an arts club or society of writers (see Fortean Times 474: 36). Political schisms and sex scandals ensured that it was short-lived, yet for many members its occult practices came to shape their work and influence the wider culture over a much longer period.