+++ In Memoriam +++

A great man has gone before us into the light of eternity!

Our beloved friend, brother and mentor, Leon Roger Hunt, left his body one Sunday in the summer of 2026 in Kettering, UK. He now watches over the solar mysteries of the Ogdoadic Tradition from on high.

He grew up in London, where he first came into contact with the sacred mysteries in 1965 when he joined the Ordo Sacri Verbi. He later became the Warden of this Order, reuniting it with the Aurum Solis, from which the group had split earlier.

Leon also played a crucial role in the Aurum Solis. From 1974 onwards, he and his first wife wrote a five-part series of books about Magical Philosophy under the pen names Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. This was the first time that the existence of this Order, founded in 1897, was presented to the broader public.

In 1997, Leon became the last Grand Master of the traditional Aurum Solis, with the aim of assigning a more prominent role to the Order's original Christian heritage. The related mysteries had previously been continued and fostered by a group of high initiates within the Order known as the 'Tipharic Guild of Theosis', all of whom were ordained clergy.

However, this aspiration was only achieved in his role as Senior of the venerable Societas Rotae Fulgentis, which acted as an umbrella organisation for the Ogdoadic Mysteries. Through his patronage of the Societas Lucis Viventis, he revived an explicitly Christian spiritual orientation, as well as the relevant initiation ceremonies.

Overall, he personally empowered, authorised and commissioned three individuals to carry on the full current of the Ogdoadic Mysteries for these days.

As internationally renowned author Leon has published numerous spiritual books. Furthermore, he authored extensive studies on liturgical matters and the religious elements inherent in medieval chivalric tradition. 

Leon lived in the USA from 1979 to 1989, where he served as Senior Chaplain of a Healing Home. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1982 and ultimately consecrated to the episcopate in the UK in 2010.

He was a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Paul, which was officially constituted 1987 with the agreement and blessing of His Beatitude Ignatius IV, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.

In succession from and in continuation of this chivalric line Leon established in spring 2018 the Religious and Chivalric Order of St Philip of Hierapolis, an ecumenical order of knighthood. Its members, who are mainly clerics, primarily aim to promote Christianity by example.

The following year, he retired from his ecclesiastical office as Archbishop Primate of the Autocephalous Catholic Church of Antioch (Nicene Apostolic Church), which is based in the United Kingdom.

Leon was a true visionary who generously shared his knowledge without expecting anything in return. He devoted all his energy to looking after the well-being of those entrusted to his care. With a wise gaze and a deep sense of empathy, he created things that endure. 

Furthermore, he taught that those who dare to walk along the path of return will change the world. He placed his trust in the people around him, and it is precisely there, within us, that his light continues to shine. Many people still benefit from his wonderful gifts to this day.

Leon, we will miss you and continue your Great Work!