Israel Regardie

Born: 17 November 1907 in London, England.

Died: 10 March 1985 in Sedona, Arizona.

Israel Regardie (Francis Israel Regudy) was born on 17 November 1907 in London, England to poor Jewish immigrant parents. It is believed that he assumed the surname 'Regardie' after his original surname was spelt incorrectly on an official document. He is best known as an occultist and writer of occult literature.

On 18 February 1926, at age 19, Regardie applied for membership to the Washington College of the Societas Rosicruciana in America. He was initiated into the Neophyte grade on March 18, 1926 and advanced to the Zelator grade on 2 June 1927. It was during this time that Regardie became interested in occultism.

He began to correspond with the occultist Aleister Crowley (who was living in Paris) in 1928 after reading one of Crowley's books. He was awestruck by Crowley's talent and evident genius. In October 1928, he traveled to France. Regardie was met at the train station in Paris by Crowley and his current lover Kasimira Bass. They took him by taxi back to their hotel. Regardie became Crowley's personal secretary.

For the next three years he tried to get Crowley to teach him the magical arts. Crowley never offered and Regardie, a modest and reserved young man, did not pursue the matter. He continued to study on his own, reading every book, article or manuscript that became available to him.

Fueled by the British tabloids and reputation, the French authorities asked Crowley to leave France. Crowley returned to England and later married his second wife, Maria de Miramar in 1929. Regardie was left when England refused him entry due to his association with Crowley.

In an effort to repair Crowley's damaged image, Regardie co-authored a book with P.R. Stephensen called The Legend of Aleister Crowley which was published in 1930.

In 1932 Crowley and Regardie parted company. Despite his association with, and admiration for Crowley, Regardie never considered himself a Thelemite.

Regardie joined an offshoot of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1933. With sponsorship of Dion Fortune, he joined the Stella Matutina in 1933 but quickly became disillusioned with its egotistical leadership and departed less than two years later after attaining the grade of Adeptus Minor. Three years after that he published The Golden Dawn, which was the bulk of the Golden Dawn's documents. This earned him the enmity of the other former members and the reputation of being an oath-breaker. However, the book transformed the work of the Order into an entire new branch of the Western Occult Tradition. The various occult organizations claiming descent from the original Golden Dawn and the systems of magic practiced by them owe their continuing existence and popularity to Regardie's work. Other books include A Garden of Pomegranates, The Middle Pillar, and The Tree of Life, The Philosopher's Stone.

Regardie returned to the United States. He studied chiropractic in New York, served in the Army during World War II, and afterward moved to Los Angeles to open a chiropractic clinic and also work as a Reichian therapist. He had studied psychology and psychiatry with several notable teachers and was a strong proponent of Jungian analysis all his life, as well as the more controversial work of Wilhelm Reich.

In later life Regardie began to seriously regret the changes and additions to his books in the modern editions in print now and many believe they do not accurately reflect Regardie's original texts and wishes.

Regardie retired from practice in 1981 and moved to Sedona, Arizona where he continued to write.

Dr. Francis Israel Regardie died in Sedona, Arizona on 10 March 1985 from a heart attack.

Regardie's "Refus de Sejour"

Expulsion Order from France

Dated 8 March 1929

Regardie's

Oath of a Probationer

in the A∴A∴