The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Introduction
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was the greatest European magickal organization in modern history!!!!!  It was founded by 3 people and it focused on ceremonial magick and spiritual development. There were 3 sets of grades within Golden Dawn.  It only lasted for 91 years.  Many other organizations came from Golden Dawn.

Thesis
It lasted from 1887-1978.

Founders: William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers created it.  They were Masons and Rosicrucians.  Woodman was an English surgeon.  Westcott was a coroner and a Theosophist.  Samuel was a polyglot.  

Structure: There were 3 orders.  The first order had 6 degrees and the last two had 3 degrees.  As a person progressed in degrees their knowledge grew.  In the first order, the person learned about the 4 elements(earth, water, air, and fire), tarot, geomancy, and astrology.  In the second order, they were taught high magick, alchemy, astral projection, and scrying.  People in the third order was in charge of the other 2. They were in communication with the highly evolved spirits.      

Hermetic Qabbalah:  Its similar to the Jewish Kabbalah and the Christian Cabbalah.  Each of the sephiroths corresponds to a planet and they have certain traits.  Each sephirah/planet can help you in a certain area of life. 

Angels:  They had a strong belief in angels.  There are 10 choirs of angels.  The choirs correspond to 10 sephiroth on the tree of life. 

Rituals: They did ceremonial magick in private.  They did the Kabbalistic Cross, Greater and Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, Greater and Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram, Water Purification, Fire Consecration, Magickal Eucharist, Middle Pillar, etc. 

Splitter Groups
Several other organizations came out of the Golden Dawn.  The Isis-Urania temple became independent of the Golden Dawn because they didn't like its leadership.  They practiced Christian mysticism and was lead by the creator of the modern-day tarot cards.  Alpha et Omega was led by Samuel Mathers.  They practiced sex magick. Stella Matutina was similar to the Golden Dawn.  Aleister Crowley created the AA. They practiced yoga, ceremonial magick, and Buddhism.

Conclusion
This organization had great knowledge.  It had great structure, rituals, and members. The angels are sweet and so is the Hermetic Qabbalah.  There is much to learn from them.  There is a modern version of this order too!

References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Order_of_the_Golden_Dawn
http://goldendawnancientmysteryschool.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HermeticOrderOfTheGoldenDawn/
http://www.hermetics.org/library/Library_Golden_Dawn.html
https://archonmatrix.com/israel-regardie-the-complete-golden-dawn-pdf/
https://issuu.com/grupodeestudosfernandodeogum/docs/kabbalah_magic