Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips are internationally-recognized authorities on the mainstream Western Mysteries and are two of the foremost exponents of the Ogdoadic Tradition, that premier hermetic school whose keywords are knowledge and regeneration, and whose influence and works are historically traceable for the past one thousand years.

The authors received their major esoteric training in the magical order Aurum Solis, a society which was founded in 1897 and which has continued in active existence to the present day. On July 8, 1987, the authors, then heads of Aurum Solis, retired from the Order; but on June 23, 1988, at the unanimous request of the members, they resumed office.

In 1997, Melita Denning passed from this earth.