William G. Gray | |
|---|---|
 Gray at theRollright Stones (photograph by Geoff Dearn) | |
| Born | William Gordon Gray (1913-03-25)25 March 1913 |
| Died | 1992 (aged 78–79) |
| Occupations | Ceremonial magician, writer |
| Parent(s) | Christine Ash Gray and John McCammon Trew Gray |
William G. Gray (25 March 1913 – 1992) was an Englishceremonial magician,Hermetic Qabalist and writer, who published widely on the subject ofwestern esotericism and theoccult. Gray founded a magical order known as theSangreal Sodality. The historianRonald Hutton described him as "one of Britain's most famous ritual magicians".[1]
Born to a working-class family inHarrow,Middlesex, Gray moved around in his childhood, living in various locations across England, and also inMontreal, Quebec, Canada, where he took a particular interest in the rituals of theRoman Catholic Church. Developing an early interest in western esotericism from his mother, who was a professionalfortune teller, he met a number of famous occultists in his youth, includingVictor Neuburg,Aleister Crowley andDion Fortune. Eventually taking an Austrian named Emile Napoleon Hauenstein to be his magical teacher, he joined the British Army and served for several years, fighting in theSecond World War.
Returning to Britain, he befriended and performed rituals with members of many different occult currents in Britain at the time, includingRobert Cochrane, and published a number of books on the subject of the esoteric. 1975 saw the publication ofThe Rollright Ritual, a book about the rituals and alleged spiritual interactions which he had experienced at theRollright Stones, a Neolithic stone circle in theCotswolds.
The life and work of Gray is referenced in the works of various occultists and academics studying western esotericism, while in 2003 the writers Alan Richardson and Marcus Claridge published a biography of him, entitledThe Old Sod.Gareth Knight, who was acquainted with Gray, referred to him as a "redoubtable old occultist".[2]
Gray was born on 25 March 1913 inHarrow,Middlesex.[3] His mother, Christine Ash Gray (née Christine Chester Logie) was an American with aRoman Catholic background. But she took a great practical interest in Western esotericism and associated with other occultists, believing herself to be thereincarnation ofMarie-Noémi Cadiot (1832–1888), the wife of the influential French occultistEliphas Lévi (1810–1875).[4] William's father on the other hand, John McCammon Trew Gray, was from a "Low Church" background and took little interest in the esoteric.[5] The couple had married on 26 August 1910 inPhiladelphia, where John had been managing a theatrical touring company and Christine had been working as an actress; both of them had been previously married, with John being a 44-year-old divorcee and Christine a 27-year-old widow at the time.[6]
When theFirst World War broke out in 1914, the United Kingdom allied itself with France to fight Germany, leading John Gray to lie about his age to enlist in the British Army, believing it to be his patriotic duty; joining the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, he served in France and then India, where he took charge of a prisoner of war camp atElephanta Island nearBombay.[7] With her husband away at war, Christine Gray took up employment with theBritish War Office, eventually being posted to the London American Headquarters. She sent her young son William to live with his elderly grandmother and Aunt Lella inRamsgate, where (he would later relate) he was "badly behaved, disobedient, [and] untidy".[8] Eventually, Aunt Lella fell ill and William was sent to live with his Aunt Will and Aunt Florence, a couple who were active in theTheosophical Society. It was there that William first learned about the esoteric, although he would always associate Theosophy somewhat derogatorily with "elderly ladies of both sexes and genteel behaviour whose ideas ofNirvana centred around mysterious Oriental Masters who directed the destiny of all mankind from a secret spot in Tibet."[9]
When he was eight, he began his education at primary school, which he despised, and soon after was sent back to live with his parents, who had settled intoForest Hill, London after the war.[10] His mother took him toMass at a localRoman Catholic Church, which he enjoyed very much. He developed a lifelong appreciation of ritual and decided he would one day like to be ordained as a Catholic priest.[11] In 1922, he and his mother moved toMontreal in Canada, where she was hospitalised for a serious chest infection. He was put under the care of his Aunt Leslie and her husband Bruce, a wealthy stockbroker. InMontreal, he continued to attendMass, but lost his desire to become a priest because the rituals at the Canadian church were less impressive than those in England.[12]
"All I remember Crowley saying to me was something like: 'So this is your Great Magician is it? He doesn’t look very dangerous to me. Wouldn't you like to be as wicked as I am?' Not quite knowing what to make of this I muttered something about my uncertainty and my mother turned it to a joke by saying 'Oh he can be wicked enough when he wants to be.' Whereupon Crowley stared at me very solemnly and almost intoned his famous phrase: DO WHAT THOU WILT SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW, making this his exit line. I never met him again, nor did I ever discover what he and mother said to each other."
Returning to Britain after his mother's recovery, William and his parents moved into a flat in East Park Terrace inSouthampton. Due to problems in the couple's relationship, Christine and John slept in different bedrooms and William shared with his father, with whom he had a strained relationship.[14] Because the family struggled with financial problems, Christine worked as a professionalfortune teller and William shared his mother's interest inwestern esotericism, reading books onmetaphysics andpsychology from the local library.[15] Later relating that he experienced severalvisions at this time, he devised several magical rituals using the kitchen as a temple, based upon what he had read in books and his own innovation.[16]
He attended lectures given by theTheosophical Society and also met a number of famousoccultists who were friends of his mother; these included Arthur Wilson, who later tried to found a commune in Canada, andVictor Neuburg (1883–1940), whom Gray would always remember as "one of the gentlest men I ever met".[17] "Once or twice" he briefly met the infamous ceremonial magicianAleister Crowley (1875–1947), founder of the religion ofThelema and a pariah figure in the British press. An old friend and magical partner of Neuburg's, Crowley made Christine feel uneasy; she later told her son that Crowley was "not a very nice man" and burned the signed copy of his book777 that he gave her.[13]
By the age of 14, Gray was intent on finding a magical teacher from whom he could learn more about Western esotericism and the practice of ceremonial magic. On a visit to an uncle in London, Gray travelled to the home ofDion Fortune (1890–1946), the noted ceremonial magician and leader of theFraternity of the Inner Light. She spoke to him briefly, but informed him that no one under the age of 21 would be admitted to the Fraternity, and simply wished him well before sending him away empty handed.[18] An eager reader of theOccult Review, Gray also wrote a letter to the paper discussing his views onRosicrucianism, which was subsequently published, leading another occultist to get in touch with him. This man was Emile Napoleon Hauenstein (1877–?), an Austrian esotericist who ran a newspaper shop inPiccadilly where he lived with his daughter. Hauenstein, whom Gray usually referred to as "ENH", had formerly been aMartinist and an associate of the French occultistGérard Encausse, the founder of theQabalistic Order of the Rosy Cross.[19] The two struck up a correspondence and then a friendship, with Hauenstein becoming Gray's magical mentor, teaching him various exercises designed to develop his concentration and ability to perform ceremonial magic rituals.[20]
Gray had gone through a series of temporary jobs since leaving school, and eventually decided to join the British armed forces. After receiving the blessing of Hauenstein, who informed him that he could continue his magical training while in the army, he duly did so, being admitted into theRoyal Corps of Signals, and fought in theSecond World War.[21]
Gray underwent a series of nocturnal meditations at theRollright Stones, a prehistoric site in theCotswolds, in which he hoped to commune with spiritual energies that he believed existed there.[22] He published his subsequent ideas asThe Rollright Ritual in 1975.[22] In this book, he described a ritual that occultists could perform at the site which drew heavily upon the practices carried out by Cochrane.[22]
Gray worked withRobert Cochrane.[1]Cochrane's letters to Gray survive and are a key source for understanding his beliefs.[23]In 1982, Gray met with the California-based Wiccans Dave and Ann Finnin, who were then visiting England to learn more about Cochrane. He gave them a ritual cord in his possession that had once belonged to Cochrane and put them in contact with Cochrane's fellow Clan member,Evan John Jones.[24]
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"Real esotericism was not just dressing up in handsome robes and manipulating symbols for the sake of so doing. It was knowing how to apply the meaning of such symbols to Life itself, for the purpose of altering or directing its energy in accordance with intention. For example, a Magical Sword was not the physical symbol one handles in Temple practice, but its qualities as applied to the human being. Flexibility, sharpness, keenness, brightness, pointedness of action, and everything else to be thought of in connection with a well-balanced blade."
TheSangreal Sodality is a spiritual brotherhood of the Western Inner Tradition founded by William G. Gray andJacobus G. Swart, and was officially launched by them on 19 November 1980 on the occasion of the official inauguration of the first Sangreal Sodality Temple named "Domine Dirige Nos" inJohannesburg, South Africa, and the induction of the first initiated member of this brotherhood.[citation needed] Chapters and Temples of the Sangreal Sodality have been established in South Africa, Latin America, North America, Britain and Europe.[26][non-primary source needed]
The designation “Sangreal Sodality” speaks of spiritual principles and ideals which prompted its foundation. The term "Sangreal" is understood in this brotherhood to be "Sang" ("blood") and "Real" ("authentic)". the basic premise being the "True Identity" and "Inner Values" within each single human individual. The termsodality derives from a Latin root referring to a "Comradeship."[27][28]
Since the Sangreal concept means bringing out the very best in everyone which their own "Inner Identities" can offer, "Sangreal Sodality" is open to all those intent on a process of personal spiritual development, here considered the most ideal path to Self-discovery and service to our fellow humankind.[29][30]
Members of the Sangreal Sodality gather in Temples, Lodges or Chapters. These are operated independently of one another. Individuals who agree with, or feel inspired by, the teachings and practices expounded in the basic textbooks of the Sangreal Sodality, may set up a Temple, Lodge or Chapter. Such a working circle is deemed an autonomous grouping, which may link with other such groups, or remain independent in accordance with preference. As such, each group is responsible for its personal self-government, financing, and organisation.[31]
Sangreal Sodality is not a religion, nor does it oppose any valid religion of any denomination whatsoever. The Sangreal Sodality allows a focus for willing individuals to articulate their approach to divinity — without external dictates or interference of hierarchical structures.[32][33]
In their biography of Gray, Richardson and Claridge noted that he held to "many of the prejudices of his class, age and locale". He was openlyracialist, and Richardson and Claridge claimed that he was alsoracist, because he used the word "Nigerian" as a euphemism for the derogatory term "nigger". Despite these views, they related that he was neithersexist norhomophobic, getting along well with women and taking no issue with several homosexual occultists that he knew.[34]
Gray died in 1992 at the age of 79.
