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Whare Ra is a special building in Havelock North, New Zealand. It was once the home of a secret group called the Stella Matutina, which was a type of magical order. A famous New Zealand architect named James Walter Chapman-Taylor designed and built it. He was also a high-ranking member of the group.

Whare Ra was one of the last places that kept the traditions of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn alive. It was also the only one of its kind built specifically for the group's activities.

Starting the Group in New Zealand

Cover of The Forerunner, No. 13, October 1913
The cover of "The Forerunner" magazine from October 1913.

The idea for this group in New Zealand began with Reginald Gardiner (1872-1959). He was born in New South Wales, Australia. In 1907, he moved to Havelock North, New Zealand. He gathered a group of people interested in art, culture, and spiritual ideas. Their activities became known as the "Havelock Work". They even had their own magazine called "The Forerunner". This group later became known as the Society of the Southern Cross.

In 1910, a priest named Revd. Father J. Fitzgerald visited New Zealand. He met Gardiner's group and was very impressed. Before he went back to Britain, he promised to help them. A leader of the Order later said:

"This visit made the group very hopeful. They stayed in touch with the priest and followed his instructions for their meetings."

Later, the priest wrote that some people from England would need to come to New Zealand for the group to grow.

In 1912, Dr. Robert Felkin arrived. He was a leader of the Stella Matutina Order. He was also an inspector for another group called the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. This appointment was given to him by William Wynn Westcott, one of the original leaders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Building the Smaragdum Thallasses Temple

08 Looking NW at Sth wall of Whare Ra
The south side of the Whare Ra building.

Dr. Felkin came with his wife and daughter. He welcomed twenty-four new members into the Order. Twelve of these members moved up to a higher level called the "Second Order". A large piece of land in Havelock North was given to the group. They built a home for their Order there and named it "Whare Ra", which means "House of the Sun". The main temple was built in the basement of this house.

Whare Ra is a very large building, about 3,000 square feet. The top floor is the same size as the temple below it. They used reinforced concrete, which was a new idea at the time. People usually built with timber back then. But concrete was good because it resisted fire, needed little care, and was very strong. The temple needed to feel like one solid piece, and concrete helped with that. The walls were six inches thick and were poured in sections.

During their three-month visit, enough members joined to start the group. The building was also ready enough to be officially opened. Before Dr. Felkin returned to England, he created the Smaragdum Thallasses Temple No. 49. The first three leaders of this temple were Reginald Gardiner, Mason Chambers, and likely Harold Large.

A special trust was set up to manage the group's money. The trust aimed to support scientific, religious, and charitable work. It also helped with literary and craft work.

John von Dadelszen, who was a leader of the Order for many years, explained how they trained members. He said they used three main ways: ceremonies, meditation, and personal study. The ceremonies were like different levels, similar to those in Masonic groups. They were based on the "Tree of Life" from the Hebrew Qabalah. They also had special ceremonies for the spring and autumn equinoxes.

Archie Shaw, another leader, spoke about the role of the three Chiefs in 1960:

"The three Chiefs guide the whole Order. They work together like a balanced triangle and are equal. They make sure the Order's traditions are kept safe. They also meet with a council of older members."

He added that three Wardens also helped run the "Outer Order" (the first level of the group). They worked closely with the Chiefs.

The Group's Activities

Students who joined the Order had to follow a set of activities.

"Each member had a daily routine of rituals, meditation, prayer, exercise, and study. It was a bit like the routine of a monk or nun, but not as strict."

They studied many topics, including different religions, myths, geomancy (reading the earth), astrology (study of stars), tarot cards, cabala (Jewish mysticism), alchemy (ancient chemistry), and tatwas (elements of nature).

After a certain time, and after passing tests, a student would move up to the next level. This happened through a special ceremony. The Order had one initiation ceremony and ten advancement ceremonies. The last one or two were usually for a small number of very senior members.

The Order was split into two parts. The "Outer Order" or "First Order" taught basic skills and knowledge. The "Inner Order" or "Second Order" gave advanced teachings. These teachings helped members connect with the divine. You could only join the Second Order if you were invited.

The "Work" of the Second Order took the ideas from the First Order and turned them into ceremonies. These ceremonies aimed to strengthen the link with the divine. They also helped members grow spiritually and improve their lives.

The Smaragdum Thallasses group used almost all of the original teachings and methods from the Golden Dawn. Some words in the ceremonies were changed by the Stella Matutina (the group Smaragdum Thallasses came from). They removed some Masonic-style words but kept the main structure the same.

Over time, with decades of experience, the Smaragdum Thallasses also created many new materials. They developed their own unique knowledge and skills.

The Temple Grows Stronger

Dr Felkin’s Grave at Havelock North Cemetery
The inscription on Dr. Felkin's grave.

In 1916, Dr. Felkin and his family moved back to New Zealand for good. The members of the New Zealand group invited them and offered them a lifelong home at Whare Ra. That same year, Dr. Felkin announced that the main temple of the Stella Matutina Order was now in New Zealand. The Order, led by three Chiefs, grew and did very well. By the time Dr. Felkin died in 1926, the group was very active and well-known. Its members included two Anglican Bishops, a General, the Governor General of New Zealand, Members of Parliament, and other important people.

To enter the Temple for initiation, new members used a secret staircase. It was hidden behind a wardrobe in Dr. Felkin's office.

"Halfway down the stairs, there was a landing called 'the Cave'. It had hessian curtains with Egyptian figures on them. The new member waited there. After a while, two Temple officers, wearing robes and Egyptian headdresses, met them. They blindfolded the person and led them into the Temple. That's where the initiation ceremony began."

In 1931, a big earthquake hit the area. Many buildings were destroyed or damaged. But Whare Ra, with its strong construction, was not harmed at all.

"The big earthquake of 1931 caused no damage. Only a tall, black pillar fell onto the paw of a black sphinx statue inside the Temple."

After Dr. Felkin died, Mr. Gardiner became a Chief. He, along with Mrs. and Miss Felkin, led the Order for another 33 stable years.

In the 1930s, when the group was at its peak, it had about 300 men and women members. Over its 60-plus-year history, around 400–500 people joined. During this time, the Temple became separate from the Stella Matutina in Britain. It renamed itself simply the Order of Smaragdum Thallasses.

In 1949, Mrs. Felkin wrote in the last issue of "The Lantern" magazine:

"Soon, someone else will take up the torch and carry the light further. I believe there is a real spiritual world. It's not far away, but woven into our everyday world, right here and now."

In 1959, Mr. Gardiner and Mrs. Felkin passed away. Miss Felkin died three years later.

In the late 1960s, a man named Frater Albertus visited Whare Ra. He wrote about his visit to his own group:

"In the middle of New Zealand's North Island, there's a special place where a lot of ancient wisdom is kept. The Maori people have their own wisdom, and later settlers brought knowledge from Europe. Dr. Felkin was one of them. The Order of the Golden Dawn has its home and underground temple in a beautiful, hidden place called 'Whare Ra' (House of the Sun)."

He added that the leaders of Whare Ra, Mr. von Dadelszen, Mr. Salt, and Mrs. Jones, were kind people. They were very keen on continuing the work of the Golden Dawn that Dr. Felkin brought to New Zealand.

The End of Whare Ra

By 1978, it was clear that Whare Ra was coming to an end. On August 24, 1978, a letter was sent to members announcing the closure:

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are very sad to tell you that the Temple is closing. There will be no Spring Equinox Ceremony.

Those who have been to recent ceremonies would have noticed fewer people and less energy in the Temple. Our yearly reports show that no new members have joined since 1975. There have been no ceremonies to move up levels for over two years."

Sadly, many of the group's special clothes, temple furniture, and records were burned. But some things survived, like the Temple's pillars and two sphinx statues. Many copies of the rituals and lessons were also saved.

Whare Ra is now owned by private individuals. It has been officially recognized as a Category I protected building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

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