The Order’s last Presider, up until her death in 1997, Melita Denning was the pen-name of Vivian Godfrey, who had been one of the founding members of the Order in the 1960s. She then emigrated to the USA and with her partner Leon Barcynski (writing as Osborne Phillips) authored many books in the early days of Llewellyn Publications. From 1976 they led a magical Order, The Aurum Solis, and wrote a number of books about its philosophy and praxis, including The Magical Philosophy. On their return to Britain in the 90s we invited her to succeed John Michell as Presider of the Order she had belonged to thirty or so years previously.
