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The following is in response to a number of libelou s messages on the alt.magick newsgroup: ---------------------------------------- The 1994 Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn schism b etween Cris Monnastre and Chic Cicero and the ensuing trademark litigation. There recently have been a series of libelous posts made on the internet misrepresenting the facts surrounding the 1994 schism between Cris Monnastre and Chic Cicero, the ensuing tradema rk litigation, and the initiation and advancement through the grades o f the current Imperator-Ordinis of The Hermetic Order of the Gold en Dawn®, David Griffin. It has therefore become necessary to publi sh a formal statement on behalf of The Hermetic Order of the Go lden Dawn®, in order that the public may not be further misled. The foll owing is a true and accurate representation of the relevant facts. During the 1970s, Cris Monnastre and Dr. Francis Is rael Regardie magically resurrected The Hermetic Order of the Gol den Dawn in the United States of America. Following the death of Dr . Regardie, Ms. Monnastre approached two individuals, Chic Cicero a nd Adam Forrest, inviting them to join her as her Co-Chiefs of the H ermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In 1992, David Griffin became a member of the Templ e that Ms. Monnastre has founded in Los Angeles in 1982 and has operated continuously until the present day. David Griffin advanced rapidly thr ough the grades of the Outer Order, fulfilling completely all grade re quirements and passing each requisite examination with exemplary s cores. Mr. Griffin was regularly initiated or advanced into each and e very grade. In January of 1994, David Griffin traveled to Flori da with Cris Monnastre, staying in the home of Chic Cicero, so t hat Ms. Monnastre might initiate David into the Adeptus Minor Grade u sing the Vault of the Adepti that Israel Regardie had consecrated for her. Having additionally fulfilled the all of the requisite req uirements for advancement to Zelator Adeptus Minor to her satisfa ction, Ms. Monnastre duly advanced David to that sub-grade inside the Va ult of the Adepti and additionally granted him a Charter to found a T emple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Sweden. Ms. Monnastre, as the legitimate Praemonstratrix Or dinis of the Order that she had founded together with Israel Regardie, did not need Mr. Cicero’s permission to issue a Charter. Nonetheless , Mr. Cicero became inappropriately angry that she did not ask. Frustra ted about the charter, Mr. Cicero had a loud, angry, public outbu rst at David over ordering pizza. Ms. Monnastre then sternly admonished Mr. Cicero, ‘ Chic, don’t you ever embarrass me like that again.’ As Mr. Cicero did no t relent in his behavior, Ms. Monnastre no longer felt comfortable staying in his home. She therefore left his home together with David Gri ffin and took rooms at a nearby hotel instead. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Ms. Monnastre was th reatened by Mr. Cicero and Mr. Forrest that she must either ‘reduce David Griffin in

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grade and to revoke the Charter, or else.’ Ms. Monn astre quickly discovered what ‘or else’ meant, when Mr. Cicero an d Mr. Forrest falsely informed everyone in the Order that Ms. Mon nastre had ‘resigned.’ In other words, Mr. Cicero and Mr. Forr est attempted, under false pretenses, to expel Ms. Monnastre from the Or der which she herself had resurrected together with Dr. Regardie. Mr. Cicero next threatened to expel Mr. Griffin unl ess he abandon Ms. Monnastre and ‘remain loyal to the Order.’ David Gr iffin replied that he would indeed ‘remain loyal to the Order’ but tha t Ms. Monnastre remained the legitimate Praemonstratrix Ordinis, an d urged Mr. Cicero to quit spreading lies about her. Seeing that Mr. Cicero would not relent in his fool hardy course of action, Ms. Monnastre therefore reconstituted the t riad of Chiefs replacing Mr. Cicero and Mr. Forrest (who had de fa cto abdicated their offices by conspiring against the legitimate Praemo nstratrix of the Order). Ms. Monnastre therefore appointed David Griffin as the new Imperator Ordinis (in which office Mr. Griffin remains until this day) and began to operate the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as a general partnership together with Mr. Griffin. Mr. Cicero s ubsequently sent a vacuous letter of expulsion to Mr. Griffin, null an d void in its effect, since Mr. Cicero, as a former Chief, did no t have authority to expel the duly appointed and legitimate Imperator O rdinis. David Griffin, in his new role as Imperator Ordinis of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, advised Ms. Monnastre tha t there would doubtlessly ensue a battle over the assets of the o rder. Fulfilling his duty to defend the Order and realizing that the mos t important asset of the Order was its name, David Griffin retained atto rney Stuart MacKenzie to represent the Order’s interests, and f ollowing the advice of counsel filed to register the names of both the Outer and Second Orders in Europe, which are to this day registered in Mr. Griffin’s name with Office of the Harmonization of the Intern al Market (O.H.I.M.) in the European Community, and discovered that Mr. Cicero had filed application to register the name of the Outer Order in the USA. Mr. MacKenzie then filed a legal opposition to Mr. Cice ro’s application. Both sides eventually agreed to share the trademark s equally on a world-wide basis including the right to license and prosecute third parties independently, signing contracts to that ef fect in 1996, and the Opposition was subsequently withdrawn in materi al consideration for the contractual rights therein contained. Mr. Cicer o has to this day continuously availed himself of the European tradem ark rights made available to him by Mr. Griffin under the contract. David Griffin has served continuously as the legiti mate Imperator Ordinis of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn® s ince 1994. Ms. Monnastre sold her partnership interest to Mr. Grif fin, including all trademark rights, in 1998. In 1999, the Hermetic Or der of the Golden Dawn, according to the ancient Rosicrucian rule, du ly began a reformation the curriculum of the Second Order, mov ing all published material to the Outer Order. The reformation of the Second Order was successful due to the direct intervention of the Secret Chiefs of the Third Orde r who reestablished

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contact in 2002. The Third Order is not a group of imaginary ‘Astral Masters,’ but the same, physical order which provid ed Kenneth MacKenzie with the cipher manuscripts with which the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was originally founded. At present the Hermeti c Order of the Golden Dawn® has a completely secret Second Order c urriculum based entirely on unpublished Rosicrucian magical and alc hemical materials, and has received the entire Third Order curriculum, including Initiation Rituals as well. ---------------------------------------- Fraternally in LVX, V.H. Frater I.L.V.