Edmund William Berridge
Encyclopedia
Edmund William Berridge was a medical doctor in London
, homoeopathist
in the United States
and occultist
. He joined the Golden Dawn
in May 1889, taking the magical name "Respiro" and the motto Resurgam (I shall rise again). He was also a follower of Thomas Lake Harris
.
In the book Moonchild written by Aleister Crowley
, Berridge is grossly depicted as Dr Balloch, a professional abortionist. Earlier, in 1911, Berridge testified in court on the matter of Crowley's reputation.
lodge and according to biographer Francis King
, he was the only senior Adepti
who remained loyal to Mathers
during the revolt in 1900.He wrote (under a pseudonym) a series of articles for the Unknown World, an occult magazine published by A.E. Waite. It was Berridge that would introduce Waite to the Golden Dawn.
Berridge was appointed by Mathers, as his London representative. In his autobiography (Shadows of Life and Thought), Waite explains that a few of the members approached him to allege that the temple was badly mismanaged, and had soon died out. As King indicates, this might not be true at the time. The temple became active as early as 1903 and was still flourishing in 1913, with twenty-three members.
Many of the members of the Golden Dawn wrote knowledge lectures, called flying rolls. During his time in the Isis-Urania Temple he wrote two of their knowledge lectures and collaborated on a third. On December 11, 1892, he issued flying roll number 5 titled Some Thoughts on Imagination. On January 12, 1894, he issued flying roll number 24 titled Horary Figure, derived from a lecture he gave on the subject of horary astrology
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, homoeopathist
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and occultist
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
. He joined the Golden Dawn
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical order active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development...
in May 1889, taking the magical name "Respiro" and the motto Resurgam (I shall rise again). He was also a follower of Thomas Lake Harris
Thomas Lake Harris
Thomas Lake Harris was an American mystic, spiritualistic prophet and poet.-Early life:Harris was born at Fenny Stratford in Buckinghamshire, England. His parents were Calvinistic Baptists, and very poor. They settled at Utica, New York, when Harris was five years old...
.
In the book Moonchild written by 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...
, Berridge is grossly depicted as Dr Balloch, a professional abortionist. Earlier, in 1911, Berridge testified in court on the matter of Crowley's reputation.
The Golden Dawn
Berridge was an active member of the Isis-UraniaIsis-Urania Temple
The Isis-Urania Temple was initially the first temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The three founders, Dr. William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, were Freemasons and members of Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia .-History:In October 1887,...
lodge and according to biographer Francis King
Francis X. King
Francis X. King was a British occult writer and editor who wrote about tarot, divination, witchcraft, magic, sex magic, tantra, and holistic medicine.-Partial bibliography:* Techniques of High Magic with Stephen Skinner...
, he was the only senior Adepti
Adept
An adept is an individual identified as having attained a specific level of knowledge, skill, or aptitude in doctrines relevant to a particular author or organization.-H. P. Blavatsky:...
who remained loyal to Mathers
Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers
Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers , born Samuel Liddell Mathers, was one of the most influential figures in modern Occultism...
during the revolt in 1900.He wrote (under a pseudonym) a series of articles for the Unknown World, an occult magazine published by A.E. Waite. It was Berridge that would introduce Waite to the Golden Dawn.
Berridge was appointed by Mathers, as his London representative. In his autobiography (Shadows of Life and Thought), Waite explains that a few of the members approached him to allege that the temple was badly mismanaged, and had soon died out. As King indicates, this might not be true at the time. The temple became active as early as 1903 and was still flourishing in 1913, with twenty-three members.
Many of the members of the Golden Dawn wrote knowledge lectures, called flying rolls. During his time in the Isis-Urania Temple he wrote two of their knowledge lectures and collaborated on a third. On December 11, 1892, he issued flying roll number 5 titled Some Thoughts on Imagination. On January 12, 1894, he issued flying roll number 24 titled Horary Figure, derived from a lecture he gave on the subject of horary astrology
Horary astrology
Horary astrology is an ancient branch of horoscopic astrology by which an astrologer attempts to answer a question by constructing a horoscope for the exact time at which the question was received and understood by the astrologer...
.