Fraternity of the Inner Light
Encyclopedia
The Fraternity of the Inner Light is a magical society and Western Mystery School
.
and with Moina's consent, Dion Fortune
left the Alpha and Omega and formed the Fraternity of the Inner Light as an offshoot of the Alpha et Omega
. This brought new members to the Alpha et Omega. Fortune's group was later renamed "The Fraternity of the Inner Light", and was, later still, renamed "The Society of the Inner Light".
into the so called Lesser Mysteries, then onto Greater Mysteries. These lesser mysteries were roughly equivalent the Outer Order of the Golden Dawn, and the greater mysteries were roughly equivalent to the old Inner Order of the Rosae Rubae et Aureae Crucis ("Ruby Rose and Golden Cross", or the RR et AC).
During its early years, the Fraternity of the Inner Light used a large amount of unchanged versions of the Golden Dawn initiation rituals which, as Francis King
notes, had a "semi-amicable relationship" with the Stella Matutina
. However, alterations were introduced and eventually the ceremonies used bore no resemblance to those of the Golden Dawn, with the exception that they were constructed on the same principles.
The name 'Fraternity....' referred to the inner plane group, and the word 'Society....' referred to the physical plane group and those members currently incarnated. Thus the group considered 'Fraternity' to be the more senior than the 'Society'.
Western mystery tradition
Western esotericism or Hermeticism is a broad spectrum of spiritual traditions found in Western society, or refers to the collection of the mystical, esoteric knowledge of the Western world...
.
History
In 1922, after a falling out with Moina MathersMoina Mathers
Moina Mathers, born as Mina Bergson , was an artist and occultist at the turn of the 20th century. She was the sister of French philosopher Henri Bergson, the first man of Jewish descent to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1927...
and with Moina's consent, Dion Fortune
Dion Fortune
Violet Mary Firth Evans , better known as Dion Fortune, was a British occultist and author. Her pseudonym was inspired by her family motto "Deo, non fortuna" , originally the ancient motto of the Barons & Earls Digby.-Early life:She was born in Bryn-y-Bia in Llandudno, Wales, and grew up in a...
left the Alpha and Omega and formed the Fraternity of the Inner Light as an offshoot of the Alpha et Omega
Alpha et Omega
The Alpha et Omega was an occult order, initially named the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, co-founded in London, England by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers in 1888...
. This brought new members to the Alpha et Omega. Fortune's group was later renamed "The Fraternity of the Inner Light", and was, later still, renamed "The Society of the Inner Light".
Teachings
Fortune gave her followers preliminary training by means of correspondence courses, on successful completion of which aspirants were initiatedInitiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
into the so called Lesser Mysteries, then onto Greater Mysteries. These lesser mysteries were roughly equivalent the Outer Order of the Golden Dawn, and the greater mysteries were roughly equivalent to the old Inner Order of the Rosae Rubae et Aureae Crucis ("Ruby Rose and Golden Cross", or the RR et AC).
During its early years, the Fraternity of the Inner Light used a large amount of unchanged versions of the Golden Dawn initiation rituals which, as Francis King
Francis X. King
Francis X. King was a British occult writer and editor who wrote about tarot, divination, witchcraft, magic, sex magic, tantra, and holistic medicine.-Partial bibliography:* Techniques of High Magic with Stephen Skinner...
notes, had a "semi-amicable relationship" with the Stella Matutina
Stella Matutina
The Stella Matutina was an initiatory magical order dedicated to the dissemination of the traditional teachings of the earlier Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Originally, the outer order of the Stella Matutina was known as Mystic Rose or Order of the M.R. in the Outer...
. However, alterations were introduced and eventually the ceremonies used bore no resemblance to those of the Golden Dawn, with the exception that they were constructed on the same principles.
The name 'Fraternity....' referred to the inner plane group, and the word 'Society....' referred to the physical plane group and those members currently incarnated. Thus the group considered 'Fraternity' to be the more senior than the 'Society'.