Bro. Andrew Petrie Cattanach

And like many of his contemporaries, proceeded further into the realms of the occult by enlisting in societies such as the Theosophical Society, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Cattanach was born on 16 June 1856, at Perth, Scotland, to Charles Cattanach and Euphemia Petrie.

Little is known about his early life in Perthshire, but at some point in his life he moved to Edinburgh.

On 17 May, 1882, he was initiated into Lodge Canongate Kilwinning No. 2, Edinburgh. He was Passed on 31 May, and Raised on 14 June of that same year.

At the time of his initiation into the Craft he is described as a stationer. He later became secretary of the Lodge.

In December, 1893, he sought further light by joining the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn; joining the Amen-Ra Temple No. 6, in Edinburgh, where he assumed the Latin Motto Esto Sol Testis, meaning ‘Let the Sun be your Witness’.

At that time, he was residing at 67, Brunswick Street in the city.

Cattanach was also a keen student of theosophy and was a member of the Scottish lodge of that society, the president of which was the ubiquitous Dr George Dickson, and whose secretary was the equally so, John William Brodie-Innes, both of whom were fellow members of the Golden Dawn.

For a time, he helped edit the Transactions of the Scottish Lodge, but he found the Lodge rather too elitist, and he founded a lodge in Edinburgh which was more accessible to ordinary people.

Albert E. S. Smythe, 1919

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The Irish-Canadian theosophist Albert E. S. Smythe was a great friend of Cattanach since they met whilst working with Messrs. Cowan and Company, Papermakers in Edinburgh.

Cattanach was already secretary of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning Lodge No. 2 when they first met, but Smythe helped foster Cattanach’s interest in all things spiritual and esoteric.

He recommended various books on the subject, including those by eminent theosophist Madame Blavatsky; and Cattanach considered theosophy complementary to, and a legitimate and worthwhile adjunct to his Masonic activities.

Founder of the Theosophical Society Elena Petrovna Gan (HP Blavatsky), born in Russia 1831 – died in England 1891

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Smythe eventually emigrated to Canada, but Cattanach pursued his various esoteric interests to the full extent, and the pair remained in close contact, Cattanach occasionally contributing articles to the Canadian Theosophy magazine.

Cattanach transferred to the London office of Messrs. Cowan and Co. in 1901. During his time there he was President of the Battersea lodge of the Theosophical Society, and no doubt pursued his other esoteric interests.

In 1908, an internal schism occurred within the society resulting from a sexual scandal involving the famous theosophist Charles Webster Leadbetter.

Cattanach withdrew from the society, and as his friend Smythe wrote: ‘Decided to devote himself to Masonry on Occult lines.’

He returned to Edinburgh on his retirement in 1931, where he spent the rest of his life.

Cattanach clearly had a high regard for Freemasonry and was proud of being a Freemason; in 1932, he wrote to Smythe:

Were I not one, knowing what I do, I’d join tomorrow. It’s one of the few open doors to the light if one can see it.

But like the rest of such teaching, it depends on the seeker. I’ve often wondered why you have never turned some of your students on to Lytton for teachings in our line.

I’ve found much in them. But one must have experiences to be able to pick them out.

Smythe also recalled correspondence from Cattanach in which he referred to his membership of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

On that subject, he stated to Smyth, ‘it was the Prodigal who knew things, and if you knew how many Orders I have sampled you’d laugh. But the teaching of H.P.B. and Masonry remains.’

He broached the subject with Smythe again in 1935 having read about William Butler Yeats and Maud Gonne joining the Order:

It amused me to know they had both sampled the G.D. Also, that A.E. (Arthur Edward Waite) had been in it and passed on.

I found it interesting up to a point and then put it in the dustbin of might-have-beens.

Kipling’s ‘What should they know of England who only England knows?’ might well be asked. ‘What should they know of the T.S. who only the T.S. know?

But no regrets.

Cattanach was also involved in Bahaism, again probably at the instigation of Smythe.

Author Lil Osborn in her biographical essay, ‘The Extraordinary life and work of Robert Felkin – Baha’i Mage’, states that Cattanach was a Baha’i from at least 1913, appearing in voting lists into the 1920s.

She also notes his membership of the Golden Dawn offshoot, the Stella Matutina.

Cattanach was also a friend of Isabelle de Steiger, a famous 19th century artist, writer, Theosophist, and occultist; and member of the Golden Dawn (Alta Peto).

An interesting anecdote which highlights this friendship is from a period during which de Steiger was residing in Edinburgh. She left the city for a period to visit with her friend, the noted hermetic scholar, Mary Anne Atwood, in Yorkshire.

She placed her belongings, including paintings and books into storage in Edinburgh, but the storage facility went on fire. On hearing about it, Cattanach made haste to the facility to try and rescue her property, but only succeeded in retrieving two trunks of books.

Poor Isabelle had been uninsured and only received £500 for her loss.

Castles in the Air c.1925 – Isabelle de Steiger

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Andrew Cattanach died in 1939, and Albert Smythe contributed an obituary to his old friend in the Canadian Theosophymagazine. He wrote:

His regard for Freemasonry grew with his studies of theosophy and he found in Masonry confirmation of all the occultism he had learned from theosophy.