The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was devoted to knowledge.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ( Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae or , more commonly , The Golden Dawn ( Aurora Aurea ) ) was an organization devoted to the study and practice of the occult , metaphysics , and paranormal activities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries . The occult ( from the Latin word occultus `` clandestine , hidden , secret '' ) is `` knowledge of the hidden . '' In common English usage , occult refers to `` knowledge of the paranormal , '' as opposed to `` knowledge of the measurable , '' usually referred to as science . The term is sometimes taken to mean knowledge that `` is meant only for certain people '' or that `` must be kept hidden '' , but for most practicing occultists it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual reality that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences .