SATANISM & SRIA 1: "Christian" Leaders Obsessed with Magick and the Occult?

SRIA Supreme Magus, John R.Paternoster

Rumors have circulated since 2005 of a "Satanist coup" at the highest levels of leadership of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.).

As a Pagan, the entire discussion seems quite superfluous at first glance. Considering, however, that present S.R.I.A. leaders have already co-opted numerous G.D. leaders in our community, effectively bringing entire orders under their dominion, Golden Dawn members of all faiths have reason to be concerned. 

S.R.I.A. leaders teach a segregationist, "Trinitarian Christians only" view of the Rosicrucian tradition and argue even that the Golden Dawn is "Christian" (See Peregrin Wildoak's argument here). The only way to properly evaluate S.R.I.A.'s 2005 "Satanist coup" schism, therefore, is through a Trinitarian Christian lens.

What is certain is that there was a mass exodus of S.R.I.A. members surrounding a controversial change in leadership when dentist, John R. Paternoster, seized power as S.R.I.A.'s Supreme Magus. The Society did their best to keep the affair quiet, including an alleged cover-up at the highest levels of S.R.I.A. Nonetheless, a certain amount of information did eventually surface on the Internet. For example, "Zac" wrote here in 2006:

"The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, known in the Masonic world as the SRIA, has been taken over secretly by those adhering to Satanism. 

The Society is presently led by Fra. John R. Paternoster, a dentist from Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire, who was elected by some of the ruling members of the SRIA in dubious circumstances early in September 2005. But what most members of the Society do not know is that he has been writing regularly for The Oracle – Occult Magazine which is published in London every three months. On the publishers’ website it is claimed to be a serious journal examining the supernatural. 

One of Fra. Paternoster’s first acts on taking up control as Supreme Magus was to appoint another adherent of Satanism, Fra. ‘Mike’ Crowson, to be the Director-General of Studies for the whole Society. He has been advertising his occult practices (based in London) and his connections with fringe groups in The Oracle for some time. He is also the webmaster for the publishers. He claims to be a Christian but refuses to affirm in public any belief in the Trinitarian Christian faith...

...The latest issues of The Oracle are entirely devoted to devil worship, witchcraft, the Black Mass and other similarly obscene topics. They also contain explicit drawings about masturbation and swearing. Fra. Paternoster has written articles for both issues as the ‘Supreme Magus’ of the Society. That is stated quite clearly in print. So the name of the SRIA and therefore of English freemasons generally has been clearly connected with this occult magazine. 

Copies of these magazines were received last month by the Grand Secretaries of the United Grand Lodge of England (in Great Queen Street), The Supreme Council 33° (in Duke Street) and the Grand Lodge of Mark Masons (in St James’ Street). So the leaders of English Freemasonry have known about this Satanic involvement at the top of the SRIA for some time. 

At 2.00 pm on Wednesday 22 February 2006 the General Purposes Committee of the SRIA met in emergency session at the Society’s London headquarters in Hampstead in the presence of Fra. Paternoster and Fra. Crowson. Most of the Committee are appointees of Fra. Paternoster. 

They met to consider several formal complaints against this occult involvement of their leader and his close associate which had been received from other senior Fratres from various parts of the world. Fra. Paternoster, in writing his articles in The Oracle, has been fully supported by the Society’s Deputy Chaplain-General, a non-ordained senior London freemason, Fra. Arthur Craddock, who is also a Past Grand Steward of the United Grand Lodge of England. 

However, what is not generally known is that a few members of the Committee met secretly in ‘The Flask’, a pub just off the Hampstead High Street, before the official start of the scheduled meeting. Later on at the Committee meeting one of these, Fra. Ronald Pike – the Superior of the Order of Essenes and the Chaplain-General of the SRIA – produced a draft hand-written statement setting out the route which they wanted the rest of the Committee to take. So a cover-up had been arranged even before the Committee met formally.

After only about one hour’s discussion and according to the official circulated Minutes, the Committee decided by a vote of only 6 with three abstentions - hardly surprisingly in the circumstances considering who appointed them - ‘that, for the good of the Society, the less said about this the better’ and ‘expressed the view that, in view of the number of resignations that have already taken place, more would cause confusion, particularly among our younger members, which should be avoided at all costs’ – which is just the sort of cover-up which the Church itself has been accused of in the past. 

At the time the Committee had been made aware that the SRIA is known on the internet, for example in Yahoo chat-rooms, as being involved by its ‘Supreme Magus’ with The Oracle – Occult Magazine. Even so they instructed the Secretary-General to circulate their amazingly arrogant decision to all members thereby hoping that this covert intrusion by those adhering to Satanism will be covered up.

But if these leading Fratres know about this appalling infection at the top of the Society, then perhaps others – including ordinary Christian members like yourself should know about it too."

The involvement of S.R.I.A. Supreme Magus, John Paternoster, in the "Oracle Occult Magazine" is easily verified on the Oracle's MySpace page here (The titles of the other articles are quite revealing concerning the above allegations of Satanism).

I already pointed out last week the absurdity of Trinitarian Christian S.R.I.A. leaders and their G.D. puppets arguing that the Golden Dawn is a "Christian" tradition. It should be quite obvious that the Golden Dawn is Non-sectarian, not Christian. The Golden Dawn is a MAGICAL order and Magick has been at all times condemned by Christianity in no uncertain terms.

Unsurprisingly, no S.R.I.A. leader nor any Golden Dawn leader under their dominion has had anything at all to say in defense of their original argument. This is because there is nothing they can say, since there is no rational explanation for Trinitarian Christians to be so obsessed with Magick and Magical orders. To put it simply ...

"Their silence is deafening!"

Instead, as a diversionary tactic, a host of leaders of S.R.I.A. licensed or affiliated Golden Dawn orders, published a barrage of articles (by Donald Michael Kraig, Peregrin Wildoak, Nick Farrell, Aaron Leitch, and Morgan Eckstein), each arguing in favor of using Magick for making money and other material gain.

As a Pagan, I have nothing at all against practical Magick.  In fact, I revealed the keys to unlock the entire Golden Dawn system for practical Magick in Chapter 6 of the Ritual Magick Manual. (As a purely technical matter, I do always make clear that spiritual development proceeds faster if a Magician focuses on Magick purely for energetic evolution rather than for material gain, however).

But what about the Trinitarian Christian, present S.R.I.A. leaders' obsession with Magical Golden Dawn orders?

"According to Trinitarian Christianity, the practice of Witchcraft and Magick are regarded as Sins that need to be repented of, confessed, and forsaken."

Anyone who approaches ANY of the “Christian” denominations and asks if that particular group would allow for ANY form of Magick to be performed as part of an approach to Jesus as God, they would be denied. 

If no Christian denomination (including the Anglican church most S.R.I.A. members belong to) will permit Magick to be practiced within the canon of their teachings, then why are S.R.I.A. leaders so obsessed with controlling MAGICAL Golden Dawn orders?

After all:

• The Christian Bible is filled with injunctions against Magick. For example:
• The struggle between St. Peter and the Magician, Simon Magus.
• Leviticus and Deuteronomy prohibit certain kinds of Magick, specifically divination, seeking omens, mediums who commune with the dead, and spell-casters.
• Exodus 22:18 states: "Do not allow a sorceress to live".
• Galatians includes sorcery in a list of "works of the flesh".
• This ban is repeated in the Didache, written during the mid to late first century.
• Martin Luther shared some of the views about witchcraft that were common in his time. In his Small Catechism Luther taught that Magick was a sin against the second commandment.
• The Rituale Romanum De Sacramento Paenitantiae specifically lists Magick and Astrology as mortal sins, and illucidates the following for grounds for excommunication from the Church: "Who adheres to Magical beliefs such as the Magic of Cartomancy, Astrology, and all esoteric practices or who converts to other faiths such as Masonry or Rosicrucianism.

Evangelical Christian groups, likewise condemn Magick, Numerous Christian groups even go so far as to condemn ANY form of Magick as Satanism. 

What would these Christian groups say about people who try to control esoteric orders that teach Magick or even those who advocate Magick for money and material gain?

Are these not Satanists when viewed through a Trinitarian Christian lens?

As Trinitarian Christians, the efforts by current S.R.I.A. leaders to bring Magical Golden Dawn orders under their dominion through trademark licensing and co-opting G.D. leaders makes no sense at all.

Trinitarian Christians condemn Magick, not practice it or teach it.

On the other hand, if the above rumors are true - and S.R.I.A. leadership was indeed toppled by Satanists as rumored in 2005, then the obsession of today's S.R.I.A. leaders with Magick, the Occult, and the Golden Dawn suddenly all makes perfect sense.

At least one thing is certain - Rank and file members of S.R.I.A. deserve some real answers to tough questions!