Everything about Macgregor Mathers totally explained
Samuel Liddell (or
Liddel)
"MacGregor" Mathers, born as
Samuel Liddell (January 8 or 11, 1854 – November 5 or 20, 1918), was one of the most influential figures in modern
Occultism. He is primarily known as one of the founders of the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a
ceremonial magic order whose offshoots still exist today.
Early life
Samuel Liddell was born on
January 8 or
January 11,
1854 in
Hackney,
London,
England. His father, William M. Mathers, died while Samuel Liddell was still a boy. His mother, whose maiden name was Collins, died in 1885. He attended
Bedford Grammar School, subsequently working in
Bournemouth,
Dorset, as a clerk, before moving to London following the death of his mother.
His wife was
Moina Mathers (
née Mina Bergson), sister of the philosopher
Henri Bergson.
Lifestyle
Mathers was an
eccentric whose chosen lifestyle was unusual in its time. He added the "MacGregor" surname as a claim to Highland
Scottish heritage, although there's little evidence of such in his family background. He was a practicing
vegetarian, or (according to some accounts)
vegan, an outspoken anti-
vivisectionist, and a non-smoker. It is known that his main interests were
magic and the theory of
war, his first book being a translation of a French military manual.
Freemasony
Mathers was introduced to
Freemasonry by a neighbour,
alchemist Frederick Holland, and was initiated into Hengist Lodge No 195 on
October 4,
1877. He was raised as a
Master Mason on
January 30,
1878 and in 1882, the same year he demitted from Masonry, he was admitted to the Metropolitan College of the
Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia as well as a number of
fringe Masonic degrees. Working hard both for and in the SRIA he was awarded an honorary 8th Degree in 1886. He became Celebrant of Metropolitan College in 1891 and was appointed as Junior Substitute Magus of the SRIA in 1892, in which capacity he served until 1900. He left the order in 1903, having failed to repay money which he'd borrowed.
Upon the death of
William Robert Woodman in 1891, Mathers assumed leadership of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. After a schism in 1900, Mathers formed a group called
Alpha et Omega.
Translations
Mathers apparently knew how to read and translate a number of languages, including
English,
French,
Latin,
Greek,
Hebrew,
Gaelic and
Coptic. His translations of such books as
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage,
The Kabbalah Unveiled,
The Key of Solomon The King and
The Lesser Key of Solomon, while probably justly criticized with respect to quality, were responsible for making what had been obscure and inaccessible material widely available to the non-academic English speaking world. They have had considerable influence on the development of occult and esoteric thought since their publication.
In addition to many supporters, he'd many enemies and critics. One of his most notable enemies was one time friend and pupil
Aleister Crowley, who portrayed Mathers as a villain named SRMD in his 1929 novel
Moonchild. According to Crowley's memoirs
The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Mathers was in the habit of playing ostensible chess matches against various pagan gods. Mathers would set up the chessboard and seat himself behind the white pieces, with an empty chair opposite him. After making a move for himself, Mathers would then shade his eyes and peer towards the empty chair, waiting for his opponent to signal a move. Mathers would then move a black piece accordingly, then make his next move as white, and so forth. Crowley didn't record who won.
Death
Mathers died on
November 5 or
November 20,
1918. The manner of his death is unknown; his
death certificate lists no cause of death. Violet Firth (
Dion Fortune) claimed his death was the result of the
Spanish influenza of 1918. As few facts are known about Mathers's private life, verification of such claims is very difficult.
Further Information
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