In certain magical and mystical Orders, especially in the 19th century, it was popular to have leaders other than the known leaders. They would generally stay out of the regular functioning of the group and hand out mystical information through the known leaders, thus giving the very human known leaders extra authority and leading cynics to doubt their existence. The best known of these were the teachers of the Theosophical Society who would leave written notes known as the “Mahatma Letters” for one of the society’s founders, Madame Blavatsky. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn moved the Secret Chiefs into the non-physical realm and was founded through their auspices.