The following is in response to a number of libelous messages on the

alt.magick newsgroup:
---------------------------------------The 1994 Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn schism between 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 trademark litigation, and
the initiation and advancement through the grades of the current
Imperator-Ordinis of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, David
Griffin. It has therefore become necessary to publish a formal
statement on behalf of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, in order
that the public may not be further misled. The following is a true and
accurate representation of the relevant facts.
During the 1970s, Cris Monnastre and Dr. Francis Israel Regardie
magically resurrected The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the
United States of America. Following the death of Dr. Regardie, Ms.
Monnastre approached two individuals, Chic Cicero and Adam Forrest,
inviting them to join her as her Co-Chiefs of the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn.
In 1992, David Griffin became a member of the Temple that Ms. Monnastre
has founded in Los Angeles in 1982 and has operated continuously until
the present day. David Griffin advanced rapidly through the grades of
the Outer Order, fulfilling completely all grade requirements and
passing each requisite examination with exemplary scores. Mr. Griffin
was regularly initiated or advanced into each and every grade.
In January of 1994, David Griffin traveled to Florida with Cris
Monnastre, staying in the home of Chic Cicero, so that Ms. Monnastre
might initiate David into the Adeptus Minor Grade using the Vault of
the Adepti that Israel Regardie had consecrated for her. Having
additionally fulfilled the all of the requisite requirements for
advancement to Zelator Adeptus Minor to her satisfaction, Ms. Monnastre
duly advanced David to that sub-grade inside the Vault of the Adepti
and additionally granted him a Charter to found a Temple of the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Sweden.
Ms. Monnastre, as the legitimate Praemonstratrix Ordinis of the Order
that she had founded together with Israel Regardie, did not need Mr.
Ciceros permission to issue a Charter. Nonetheless, Mr. Cicero became
inappropriately angry that she did not ask. Frustrated about the
charter, Mr. Cicero had a loud, angry, public outburst at David over
ordering pizza.
Ms. Monnastre then sternly admonished Mr. Cicero, Chic, dont you ever
embarrass me like that again. As Mr. Cicero did not relent in his
behavior, Ms. Monnastre no longer felt comfortable staying in his home.
She therefore left his home together with David Griffin and took rooms
at a nearby hotel instead.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, Ms. Monnastre was threatened by Mr.
Cicero and Mr. Forrest that she must either reduce David Griffin in

grade and to revoke the Charter, or else. Ms. Monnastre quickly

discovered what or else meant, when Mr. Cicero and Mr. Forrest
falsely informed everyone in the Order that Ms. Monnastre had
resigned. In other words, Mr. Cicero and Mr. Forrest attempted, under
false pretenses, to expel Ms. Monnastre from the Order which she
herself had resurrected together with Dr. Regardie.
Mr. Cicero next threatened to expel Mr. Griffin unless he abandon Ms.
Monnastre and remain loyal to the Order. David Griffin replied that
he would indeed remain loyal to the Order but that Ms. Monnastre
remained the legitimate Praemonstratrix Ordinis, and urged Mr. Cicero
to quit spreading lies about her.
Seeing that Mr. Cicero would not relent in his foolhardy course of
action, Ms. Monnastre therefore reconstituted the triad of Chiefs
replacing Mr. Cicero and Mr. Forrest (who had de facto abdicated their
offices by conspiring against the legitimate Praemonstratrix 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 subsequently sent a
vacuous letter of expulsion to Mr. Griffin, null and void in its
effect, since Mr. Cicero, as a former Chief, did not have authority to
expel the duly appointed and legitimate Imperator Ordinis.
David Griffin, in his new role as Imperator Ordinis of the Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn, advised Ms. Monnastre that there would
doubtlessly ensue a battle over the assets of the order. Fulfilling his
duty to defend the Order and realizing that the most important asset of
the Order was its name, David Griffin retained attorney Stuart
MacKenzie to represent the Orders interests, and following 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. Griffins
name with Office of the Harmonization of the Internal 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. Ciceros application.
Both sides eventually agreed to share the trademarks equally on a
world-wide basis including the right to license and prosecute third
parties independently, signing contracts to that effect in 1996, and
the Opposition was subsequently withdrawn in material consideration for
the contractual rights therein contained. Mr. Cicero has to this day
continuously availed himself of the European trademark rights made
available to him by Mr. Griffin under the contract.
David Griffin has served continuously as the legitimate Imperator
Ordinis of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn since 1994. Ms.
Monnastre sold her partnership interest to Mr. Griffin, including all
trademark rights, in 1998. In 1999, the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn, according to the ancient Rosicrucian rule, duly began a
reformation the curriculum of the Second Order, moving 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 Order who reestablished

contact in 2002. The Third Order is not a group of imaginary Astral

Masters, but the same, physical order which provided Kenneth MacKenzie
with the cipher manuscripts with which the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn was originally founded. At present the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn has a completely secret Second Order curriculum based
entirely on unpublished Rosicrucian magical and alchemical materials,
and has received the entire Third Order curriculum, including
Initiation Rituals as well.
---------------------------------------Fraternally in LVX,
V.H. Frater I.L.V.