What is NROOGD?

NROOGD stands for New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn; it was named in honor of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and especially of William Butler Yeats. It is not, however, even remotely associated with The Golden Dawn. It was intended from the beginning to be a Craft coven, not a magical lodge.
The tradition has been in existence for over 30 years. It has become one of the fastest growing traditions known. College students started NROOGD in 1967 as a graduate class project on Rituals. They formed an occult study group, and later a coven, known as the Full Moon Coven. The system that they put together was based on the writings of Gerald Gardner, Robert Graves, and the OTO system, but not on much knowledge of the Witchcraft movement. When NROOGD started there were almost no public covens or groups. Most were in the closet, and Witchcraft was just coming into public awareness as a religion. Since there were few books describing actual Witchcraft rituals, everything was created fresh, and the system used by the NROOGD is very different from other traditions. The core writings of NROOGD were by Aidan A. Kelly.
NROOGD is a tradition of its own, without the adulterated knowledge that many Wiccan traditions have; it is one of the purest traditions, since it did not have many outside influences. NROOGD is not a secret tradition; we started by hosting public rituals. The first ritual was on January 11, 1968, in Muir Beach, California. We do not have secret names, secret passwords, or secret rituals in the way most traditions do.
The system of cords within NROOGD was adapted after the release of Justine Glass book Witchcraft: The Sixth Sense. in this book Robert Cochrane* discussed a cord system; this was then adapted into the NROOGD system. The cords are as follow:
Green Cord**: Dedicant , gained only after the applicant has circled with the coven for minimum of 3 moons, and attended 4 classes.
White Cord: First Degree, gained only after dedicant has completed all work assigned, and is ready for advancement, usually a year and a day from making dedicant.
Red Cord: Second Degree, gained only after white cord has completed all work assigned, and is ready for advancement, usually a year and a day from making white cord.
Black Cord/Green Garter: Third Degree, gained only after a year and a day from starting his or her own coven. Not all people in NROOGD take their Black cord/garter. You must also have a ritual that you written and feel is ready to have your coven perform.
The quarter system is very different from that of many other traditions, in how elements, colors, tools, etc., are assigned to east, south, west, and north. This is one of the keys of what makes NROOGD different from other traditions. Many other traditions are reversed. The NROOGD system is logically complete and consistent. It is not based on imitating procedures in other traditions that may not work as well.
There are many NROOGD based covens, many centered in the Bay Area of Northern California, but you will find them springing up all over at this point, including Michigan, New York, British Columbia, and Europe. Each NROOGD coven has a very different feel, and we each have our own set of standards. Some training and standards are less rigorous than others, but all NROOGD covens train using the core of the NROOGD rituals and correspondences. This is what sets us apart from other traditions, and is the foundation of NROOGD.

*Robert Cochrane is the founder of Tubal Cain, in England. Through correspondence with Joseph Wilson, 1734 was founded on the principles of Cochrane.
**This is only within the Witch Grass Coven, in Tacoma, Washington.