Israel Regardie

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Israel Regardie (born November 17, 1907 in London , † March 10, 1985 in Sedona , Arizona ) was an occultist , magician , psychoanalyst and Reichian. Towards the end of his life he tried to revive the Golden Dawn in a timely manner .

Childhood and youth

He was originally born Francis Israel Regudy in London to Jewish parents. At the age of 13 he emigrated to the USA with his family. Although he was not yet of legal age, he became a member of a Rosicrucian college of the Societas Rosicruciana in America (SRiA) in 1926 , not to be confused with the older Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA), and began to take an intense interest in occultism.

Occultist and magician

After brief correspondence, he became Aleister Crowley's personal secretary in Paris in 1928 . But in 1932 they separated again. In 1933, with the support of Dion Fortune , Regardie became a member of the Stella Matutina , a successor organization to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn , where it was initiated under the motto Ad Majorem Adonai Gloriam (= For the greater glory of God) in the Hermes Temple in Bristol . In a short time he went through the degree system up to the Adeptus Minor. In December 1934 he left the order because there were arguments between him and the leadership.

He collected a large part of the documents of the order and compiled the four-volume work The Golden Dawn from 1937 to 1940 , which can be regarded as an encyclopedia of the occult tradition of the West. This publication earned him the enmity of many former members who henceforth viewed him as an oath breaker. Regardie justified the breaking of his vow of silence with the fact that the magical system of the Golden Dawn should not be lost in its entirety, since it is a treasure of all humanity.

Psychoanalyst and Reichian

Regardie began studying psychoanalysis in London and later returned to the United States to study psychology . In addition to Freud's psychoanalysis, his studies also included the psychology of Wilhelm Reich and Carl Gustav Jung .

Later life's work

In many of his works Regardie tried to combine his psychological knowledge with his magical knowledge. Among other things, he demanded a prior psychoanalysis from students of the occult. He distanced himself from the teachings of Thelema and Aleister Crowley throughout his life . However, throughout his life he maintained friendly contacts with well-known thelemites and also worked with them in ritual work, for example with the author and OTO member Lon Milo DuQuette .

In 1982, in Columbus, Georgia, Regardie consecrated a Vault of the Adepts and initiated two people into the Adepus Minor Grad to revive the tradition of the Golden Dawn. Whether he was even entitled to do so is extremely controversial. Even so, various, mostly American, occult organizations that claim to be a direct descendant of the original Golden Dawn actually owe their existence and popularity to its occult publications.

Regardie died on March 10, 1985 in Sedona, Arizona of complications from a heart attack .

Works (selection)

English

German

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Regardie, Israel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British occultist and magician
DATE OF BIRTH 17th November 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH March 10, 1985
Place of death Sedona , Arizona