Madeline Montalban
Encyclopedia
Madeline Montalban who had been born as Dolores North and was also known as Sylvia Royals, was an influential English ceremonial magic
ian known for founding the occult organisation known as the Order of the Morning Star, through which she taught her own form of Luciferian
magic.
. During the 1930s, she became a journalist for Reuters
Press Agency and the Daily Express
, and it was through the latter that she was sent to interview the famous occultist and founder of the Thelemite
religion, Aleister Crowley
. When she first visited him at his lodgings in Jermyn Street, he was suffering from an asthma
attack, and having had experience with tis ailment from a family member she was able to help him, earning his gratitude. They subsequently went to the expensive Café Royal
in Regent Street
, where after their lunch, he revealed that he was unable to pay, leaving Montalban to sort out payment. A number of years later, in the late 1940s, Kenneth Grant
, one of Crowley's followers, knew Montalban, and along with his wife they performed rituals together at Montalban's flat. Meanwhile, in 1939 she married a man named George E. North in London.
In the late 1940s, an English Wiccan named Gerald Gardner
decided to publish a novel entitled High Magic's Aid, in which he had included many of the practices that the Witches he had encountered in the New Forest coven
adhered to. Deciding to publish it through the Atlantis Bookshop, which was then run by Michael Houghton, the original manuscript was edited by Montalban, who was associated with the shop. Gardner himself incorrectly believed that "she claimed to be a Witch; but got evrything [sic] wrong" although credited her with having "a lively imagination." She meanwhile had little respect for him and his tradition of Gardnerian Wicca
, considering him to be "a 'dirty old man' and sexual pervert."
, although she was heavily influenced by Mediaeval and Early Modern grimoires like the Picatrix
, Corpus Hermeticum, The Heptameron of Peter d'Abano, The Key of Solomon, The Book of Abramelin, and Cornelius Agrippa's Occult Philosophy. A Witch known as Rolla Nordic
, according to her own accounts, was a member of Montalban's group.
In 1967, a young man who was interested in witchcraft and the occult known as Michael Howard wrote to Montalban after reading one of her articles in Prediction magazine. Whilst she did not usually respond to enquiries, something made her decide to do so in Howard's case, and invited him to visit her at her home at Queen Alexandria's Mansions in Grape Street. The two became friends, with Montalban believing that she could see the "Mark of Cain" on him. Over the coming year, he spent much of his time with this older woman, and in 1968 went with her on what she called a "magical mystery tour" to the West Country
to visit such places as Stonehenge
, Boscastle
and Tintagel
. In 1969, he was initiated into Gardnerian Wicca
, something she disapproved of, and their friendship subsequently "hit a stormy period and we went our own ways for several years."
-type magic and thought a lot of it was just play-acting."
Ceremonial magic
Ceremonial magic, also referred to as high magic and as learned magic, is a broad term used in the context of Hermeticism or Western esotericism to encompass a wide variety of long, elaborate, and complex rituals of magic. It is named as such because the works included are characterized by...
ian known for founding the occult organisation known as the Order of the Morning Star, through which she taught her own form of Luciferian
Luciferianism
Luciferianism is a belief system that venerates the essential characteristics that are affixed to Lucifer, originally a name referring to the planet Venus when it rises ahead of the Sun....
magic.
Early life
She was born as Madeline Sylvia Royals on 8 January 1910 in BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. During the 1930s, she became a journalist for Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
Press Agency and the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, and it was through the latter that she was sent to interview the famous occultist and founder of the Thelemite
Thelema
Thelema is a religious philosophy that was established, defined and developed by the early 20th century British writer and ceremonial magician, Aleister Crowley. He believed himself to be the prophet of a new age, the Æon of Horus, based upon a religious experience that he had in Egypt in 1904...
religion, Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
. When she first visited him at his lodgings in Jermyn Street, he was suffering from an asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
attack, and having had experience with tis ailment from a family member she was able to help him, earning his gratitude. They subsequently went to the expensive Café Royal
Café Royal
The Café Royal was a restaurant and meeting place on 68 Regent Street in London's Piccadilly.-History:The establishment was originally conceived and set up in 1865 by Daniel Nicholas Thévenon, who was a French wine merchant. He had to flee France due to bankruptcy, arriving in Britain in 1863 with...
in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, where after their lunch, he revealed that he was unable to pay, leaving Montalban to sort out payment. A number of years later, in the late 1940s, Kenneth Grant
Kenneth Grant
Kenneth Grant was a British occultist, novelist, and poet, who with his partner, the artist Steffi Grant, headed the magical order previously known as the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis but which is now referred to as the Typhonian Order.-Occult background:Grant's occult experiences began in 1939...
, one of Crowley's followers, knew Montalban, and along with his wife they performed rituals together at Montalban's flat. Meanwhile, in 1939 she married a man named George E. North in London.
In the late 1940s, an English Wiccan named Gerald Gardner
Gerald Gardner
Gerald Brousseau Gardner , who sometimes used the craft name Scire, was an influential English Wiccan, as well as an amateur anthropologist and archaeologist, writer, weaponry expert and occultist. He was instrumental in bringing the Neopagan religion of Wicca to public attention in Britain and...
decided to publish a novel entitled High Magic's Aid, in which he had included many of the practices that the Witches he had encountered in the New Forest coven
New Forest coven
The New Forest coven were a group of Neopagan witches or Wiccans who allegedly met around the area of the New Forest in southern England during the 1930s and 1940s...
adhered to. Deciding to publish it through the Atlantis Bookshop, which was then run by Michael Houghton, the original manuscript was edited by Montalban, who was associated with the shop. Gardner himself incorrectly believed that "she claimed to be a Witch; but got evrything [sic] wrong" although credited her with having "a lively imagination." She meanwhile had little respect for him and his tradition of Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian Witchcraft, is a mystery cult tradition or denomination in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner , a British civil servant and scholar of magic...
, considering him to be "a 'dirty old man' and sexual pervert."
The Order of the Morning Star
In 1956, she founded the Order of the Morning Star, or Ordo Stella Matutina. She believed that in a former life, the group's members had been "initiates of the Babylonian and Ancient Egyptian priesthood" from where they had originally all known each other. According to later members of her Order, Montalban’s basis was in HermeticismHermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...
, although she was heavily influenced by Mediaeval and Early Modern grimoires like the Picatrix
Picatrix
Picatrix is the name used today, and historically in Christian Europe, for a grimoire originally written in Arabic titled غاية الحكيم , which most scholars assume was written in the middle of the 11th century, though a supported argument for composition in the first half of the 10th century has...
, Corpus Hermeticum, The Heptameron of Peter d'Abano, The Key of Solomon, The Book of Abramelin, and Cornelius Agrippa's Occult Philosophy. A Witch known as Rolla Nordic
Rolla Nordic
Rolla Nordic was a Witch and designer of tarot cards. She had several books published, including Tarot Shows the Path in 1961, and she also appeared on several television shows....
, according to her own accounts, was a member of Montalban's group.
In 1967, a young man who was interested in witchcraft and the occult known as Michael Howard wrote to Montalban after reading one of her articles in Prediction magazine. Whilst she did not usually respond to enquiries, something made her decide to do so in Howard's case, and invited him to visit her at her home at Queen Alexandria's Mansions in Grape Street. The two became friends, with Montalban believing that she could see the "Mark of Cain" on him. Over the coming year, he spent much of his time with this older woman, and in 1968 went with her on what she called a "magical mystery tour" to the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
to visit such places as Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
, Boscastle
Boscastle
Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is situated 14 miles south of Bude and 5 miles north-east of Tintagel....
and Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
. In 1969, he was initiated into Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian Witchcraft, is a mystery cult tradition or denomination in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner , a British civil servant and scholar of magic...
, something she disapproved of, and their friendship subsequently "hit a stormy period and we went our own ways for several years."
Religion and Magic
Montalban "totally disliked the theatrical rites of Golden DawnGolden Dawn
Golden Dawn may refer to:In popular culture:* Golden Dawn , an Austrian black metal band* The Golden Dawn , a 1960s psychedelic band* The Golden Dawn , an indie pop/rock band* Golden Dawn , a 1930 musical...
-type magic and thought a lot of it was just play-acting."