Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

The Keryx (Greek for "Herald") is the Watcher Within. He is represented by the god-form Anoup empeIebet (Anubis of the East), and is the counterpart of the Phylax, the Watcher Without. His station is within the portal of the Hall, and his duties are to see that the furniture of the Hall is properly arranged at the Opening, to guard the inner side of the portal, to admit the Fratres and Sorores, to watch over the reception of the Candidate, and to make all reports and announcements. He is also charged with leading all Mystic Circumambulations with the Ever-burning Lamp of the Guardian of the Mysteries. He wears a black collar with a lamen depicting a white Caduceus on a black background, and carries the Red Lamp, symbolic of the Hidden Knowledge, and the Caduceus Wand, symbolic of its directing power. The feminine form of Keryx is Kerykissa , but Keryx is often used in practice for both sexes.

Traditionally the Officers in a GD ceremony were required to be of at least a certain grade, and thus these Officers would be dropped from subsequent initiations (such as the Sentinel, being a Neophyte, being dropped from Zelator onwards) to ensure that such an Officer would not be employed in an initiation above their own grade. The traditional grade requirements for holding office are: Sentinel - Neophyte Stolistes and Dadouchos - Zelator Keryx - Theoricus Hegemon - Practicus Hiereus - Philosophus Hierophant - Adeptus Minor (usually ZAM) For some interesting alternative perspectives on the suggested or required grade of the Officers in an initiation, check out this post by Morgan Drake Eckstein .