Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers
Mathers, in Egyptian costume, performs a ritual of Isis in the rites of the Golden Dawn
Born	8 or 11 January 1854 Hackney, London, England
Died	5 or 20 November 1918 (aged 64) Paris, France
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Bedford School
Occupation	Occultist
Known for	Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Spouse(s)	Moina Mathers
Parent(s)	William M. Mathers

Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (born Samuel Liddell Mathers) was a British occultist. An occultist is someone who studies or believes in secret knowledge about magic and spirits. He was born on January 8 or 11, 1854, and passed away on November 5 or 20, 1918.

Mathers is best known as one of the people who started the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This was a group that practiced ceremonial magic, which involves special rituals and symbols. Even today, some groups that came from the Golden Dawn still exist. A scholar named Israel Regardie once said that "the Golden Dawn was MacGregor Mathers," showing how important he was to the group.

Early Life and Family

Samuel Liddell Mathers was born in Hackney, London, England. His father, William M. Mathers, died when Samuel was young. His mother passed away in 1885.

He went to Bedford School. After school, he worked as a clerk in Bournemouth. Later, he moved to London after his mother's death. Samuel Mathers married Moina Mathers, whose original name was Mina Bergson. Her brother was the famous philosopher Henri Bergson.

His Interests and Lifestyle

Samuel Mathers added "MacGregor" to his name. He did this to show a connection to his Scottish heritage from the Highlands. He was a vegetarian, meaning he did not eat meat. Some people even say he was a vegan, avoiding all animal products.

Mathers was also against vivisection, which is surgery on living animals for scientific research. He did not smoke. His main interests were magic and the study of war. His first book was a translation of a French military guide. It was called Practical Instruction in Infantry Campaigning Exercise (1884).

As he got older, Mathers became known for being quite unique and unusual. The famous poet W. B. Yeats noticed this about him.

Mathers and Freemasonry

Mathers learned about Freemasonry from his neighbor, Frederick Holland, who was an alchemist. Freemasonry is a fraternal organization with secret rituals and symbols. Mathers joined the Hengist Lodge No.195 on October 4, 1877. He became a Master Mason in January 1878.

In 1882, he joined the Metropolitan College of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA). This was another group with ties to Freemasonry and mystical studies. He worked hard in the SRIA and received an honorary 8th Degree in 1886. That same year, he gave talks about the Kabbalah to the Theosophical Society. The Kabbalah is an ancient system of Jewish mysticism.

Mathers became a leader in the SRIA. However, he left the group in 1903 because he had not repaid money he borrowed.

Leading the Golden Dawn

In 1891, Mathers became the leader of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This happened after the death of William Robert Woodman, one of the order's founders. Mathers and his wife moved to Paris on May 21, 1892.

After he was removed from the Golden Dawn in April 1900, Mathers started a new group in Paris in 1903. He called it Alpha et Omega. Its main meeting place was the Ahathoor Temple. Mathers gave himself the title "Archon Basileus," which means "Ruling Leader."

His Important Translations

Mathers knew many languages, making him a polyglot. He studied English, French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Gaelic, and Coptic. He was better at some languages than others.

His translations of old books were very important. These books included The Book of Abramelin (from the 14th century) and Key of Solomon (also 14th century). He also translated The Kabbalah Unveiled (1684) by Christian Knorr von Rosenroth. Another important translation was The Lesser Key of Solomon (17th century).

Even though some people questioned the quality of his translations, they made these secret and hard-to-find texts available to many English speakers. His work greatly influenced the study of magic and spiritual ideas. He also helped organize the Enochian magical system developed by John Dee and Edward Kelley.

Challenges and Later Years

Samuel Mathers had many supporters, but also many people who disagreed with him. One of his most famous critics was his former friend and student, Aleister Crowley. Crowley wrote a novel called Moonchild in 1917. In this book, he showed Mathers as a bad guy named SRMD.

Crowley also wrote in his book The Confessions of Aleister Crowley that Mathers would pretend to play chess against different ancient gods. Mathers would set up the board and sit behind the white pieces. An empty chair would be opposite him. After making his own move, Mathers would look at the empty chair, waiting for his opponent to signal a move. Then, Mathers would move a black piece. Crowley did not say who won these games.

In 1902, A. E. Waite criticized Mathers's work on the Kabbalah. Waite said that Mathers's book, The Kabbalah Unveiled (1887), was mostly translations and comments. He also noted that it only covered a small part of the large amount of Kabbalah writings.

Death

Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers passed away on November 5 or 20, 1918, in Paris, France. The exact reason for his death is not known. His death certificate does not list a cause.

Aleister Crowley wrote about the decline of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He also wrote about what he saw as Mathers's leadership in his final years. Crowley felt that Mathers had fallen from his earlier power and knowledge.

See also

In Spanish: Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers para niños

• List of occultists
• Mathers table