The Three Chiefs

On the Three Chiefs:
Their Roles & Symbolism
Inherited from the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the
Outer College of AA and the Ordo R.C. are governed by a Triad of
Officers: The Cancellārius1 (Chancellor), Imperātor2, & the
Præmonstrātor3. Both ideally and symbolically, they are members of the
Second Order and provide not only a governing body for the Outer Order
G.D. (the Order which is both largest and requires far more need of such
governance), but provide in and of themselves a certain function in relation
to one another that is instructive regarding members of the Ordo R.C. and
their relations one to another in the hierarchy. It is intended to provide a
brief account of them here, so that the general membership may acquire
some basic understanding of what these Officers are as well as of their
function.
On July 29, 1906 e.v. we find in Crowley’s Record 4: “Sunday night.
D.D.S. and P. discuss a new Order. D.D.S. wants Authority. I should write
and say, ‘Perfect the lightning-conductor and the flash will come.’”, but it
wasn’t until November 15 of the following year that he wrote “Saw D.D.S.
and got him to consent to O.” In this he meant the initial governing Triad,
which in the beginning consisted of Jones as Præmonstrātor and Crowley
as Imperātor, yet due to the lack of anyone of sufficient Grade, a
Probationer by the name of J.F.C. Fuller was chosen as acting Cancellārius.
Almost throughout the existence of the Order since, it has been the case
1
Lat. “secretary”; fem. Cancellāria.
2
Lat. “commander; chief”; fem. Imperātrix.
3
Lat. “one who points out beforehand; guide, director”; fem. Imperātrix.
4
The Equinox V:4, Sex & Religion, (Nashville: Thelema Publishing Co., 1981).
1
that, because of a lack of sufficient Adepts, at least one of the governing
Chiefs not been of sufficient Grade!
While the above is of historical interest, it gives me the opportunity
to delve into a fact that very few seem to realize: The Offices are intimately
related to specific Grades, and symbolically represent such, regardless of
the Grade of the person functionally acting in that position. Understanding
this, the honorary holding of such a Grade for that purpose then becomes
easier to understand.
Their relationship was first explained in a Second Order Golden
Dawn document called “Z.1 The Enterer of the Threshold”5, and they are
as follows:
Præmonstrātor 7◦=4▫ Chesed to instruct

Imperātor 6◦=5▫ Gevurah to command
Cancellārius 5◦=6▫ Tifareth to record
They are reflected into the Outer Order as Hod reflecting the Water of
Chesed, Netzach the Fire of Gevurah, and Yesod the Air of Tifareth. But
much more can be discovered about them, and how they relate to the
Grades associated with them from “One Star in Sight”:
The Præmonstrātor (7◦=4▫) and its corresponding Grade “confers

authority to govern the two lower Orders of R. C. and G. D.” and
“…will…be known as the leader of a school of thought.” Not only is this
true for the Office of Præmonstrātor, who in essence maintains both the
type and quality of the instruction of the Outer College (and in a sense all
Grades below his or her own), but as is well known all Exempt Adepti
must set forth their own ideas in published form. While the Order has
certain set criteria for advancement, how this is brought about, and making
sure this is done in some consistent form, is for him to set about; but he or
she has a very important Task, and to that end cannot see to every rule
being followed out once he or she has set it down, or in most cases given
the order for instruction to continue as is. That is the Task of his or her
immediate inferior.
5
The Golden Dawn, ed. Israel Regardie (Llewellyn, 1992).
2
The Imperātor (6◦=5▫) is there to carry out the word of his or her Superior.
As anyone of even moderate military rank knows, one cannot go to one’s
Superior for every little thing. One has to know the letter, and put it into
action with “absolute Self-Reliance, working in complete isolation, yet
transmitting the word of his superior clearly, forcibly and subtly6”. “His
work is to use these to support the authority of the Exempt Adept his
superior. (This is not to be understood as an obligation of personal
subservience or even loyalty; but as a necessary part of his duty to assist his
inferiors. For the authority of the Teaching and governing Adept is the
basis of all orderly work.)”. While the essay here appears to be speaking
only of any Major Adept, it is clear how this applies to the job of the
Imperātor, and it takes very little to see that every Adeptus Major, in the line
from his or her Instructor down to the last Student, is in fact in one sense
an Imperātor!
The Cancellārius (5◦=6▫) or Chancellor is generally the most well-known of

the governing Triad, as he or she is the face of the Order to all new
applicants. He or she is “to manifest the Beauty of the Order to the world,
in the way that his superiors enjoin, and his genius dictates.” which, on the
personal level of any Adeptus Minor, is exactly what the Cancellārius does
for the Order as a whole. He or she not only records, but keeps records of
all members, providing a central file so that, should any member lose touch
with their Instructor through the latter’s death or the like, they will not be
then shut out from the Order by way of a break in the chain. The
Cancellārius provides for the examination of Students, and answers all
queries directed towards the Order.
These Three Officers work together in a unique way, and in practice if one
office is vacant another is voted into it by the other two. Agreement
between them in such cases is important for harmonious functioning of the
Triad as whole; and this is particularly true for the Cancellārius, who is in
effect the public face of the Order. Other lineages may handle these latter
6
These words also have another meaning, not obviously relevant to the present subject.
3
interactions differently, but in the early birth pangs of our own, as its own
being, have found these rules to be of immense practical value.
Thus far concerning the Three Chiefs of the AA.
B., Præmonstrātor 7◦=4▫

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On the Three Chiefs:

Their Roles & Symbolism

Præmonstrātor 7◦=4▫ Chesed to instruct

The Præmonstrātor (7◦=4▫) and its corresponding Grade “confers

The Cancellārius (5◦=6▫) or Chancellor is generally the most well-known of

B., Præmonstrātor 7◦=4▫

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