ABOUT THE MODERN MYSTERY SCHOOL
The Holy Lineage of King Salomon
The Modern Mystery School is an international school of spiritual teaching and healing rooted in the Lineage of King Salomon, a tradition that has been passed from teacher to student, in an unbroken chain, for over 3,000 years.
What was once held privately, shared only through direct transmission and the sacred process of initiation, was opened to the public in 1997 by founder Gudni Gudnason so that these ancient tools could reach anyone genuinely seeking them.
At its heart is a single, timeless invitation: Know Thyself.
This isn't a belief system you're asked to adopt. It's a body of practical, experiential work—activations, initiations, meditations, and healing modalities—designed to help you remember who you truly are and step into your fullest potential. The teachings honor every path and tradition; King Salomon himself gathered the wisest healers, mystics, and sages of the world to create tools that would serve all people, regardless of culture or belief.
Today the Modern Mystery School is a global family spanning more than 50 countries, with headquarters in Toronto and Tokyo. As a certifying body, it trains and holds practitioners, healers, guides, and teachers to a rigorous standard—ensuring that the integrity and purity of the lineage remain intact, and that the work you receive carries the full power of the tradition behind it.
The mission is both deeply personal and profoundly collective: individual empowerment as the foundation for genuine, lasting peace in the world. When we heal and awaken within ourselves, we change what's possible for everyone around us.
“The mystery in the Modern Mystery School is YOU. It is not some secret action happening in some secret room. The mystery is you, figuring out your innate divine nature as God or Goddess.”
- Sovereign Ipsissimus Dave Lanyon
The Lineage Holders
The Third Order
Every authentic lineage rests on a small circle of key holders, those entrusted to anchor its energy on the planet and to keep the doors of the Mystery School open to all who seek the Light. Within the Lineage of King Salomon, these guardians are known as the Third Order. Working in union, they safeguard the purity of the teachings and oversee the integrity of the lineage as it moves through the world. The keys are held today by three initiates:
Ipsissimus Gudni GED Gudnason Founder of the Modern Mystery School
Founder & Hierophant
Gudni “GED” Gudnason
Gudni Gudnason was initiated into the Lineage of King Salomon as a young man in London in the 1970s, and in 1997 he opened the doors of the Modern Mystery School to the public—ending centuries of secrecy so that these ancient tools could reach anyone willing to seek them. A master of metaphorical teaching, he shares profound metaphysical and esoteric wisdom through allegory, parable, humor, and story, inviting students to arrive at their own insight rather than simply take his word for it. His mastery spans Hermetic and esoteric philosophy, true Alchemy and Kabbalah, and Salomonic and Enochian magick, among many of the deeper mysteries. Based at the School's Eastern headquarters in Japan alongside his wife, Ipsissima Eiko Gudnason, he lives the philosophy he teaches—creating art, poetry, music, and film, and encouraging all who meet him to embrace the divine self within and find genuine joy in life.
Sovereign Ipsissimus
Dave “THOR” Lanyon
Dave Lanyon joined the Lineage in 2004 and became the driving force behind the School's extraordinary growth, guiding its expansion from 12 countries to more than 50 in just a few years. Drawing on decades in the corporate world—and a lifetime as a martial artist, athlete, and instructor—he brings a rare blend of discipline, strategy, and warrior mindset to the spiritual work of the lineage. He specializes in making Hermetic and esoteric wisdom practical and actionable, meeting students where they are and holding them to a higher standard than they hold for themselves. Having received the highest initiation in the tradition, that of Sovereign Ipsissimus, he anchors the vision and mission of the Mystery School for its tens of thousands of members worldwide. He is also the author of two books, You Are Not Perfect the Way You Are (2022) and Essential Principles for the Warrior of Light (2023).
Sovereign Ipsissimus
Hideto “REI” Nakagome
Hideto Nakagome joined the Lineage in 2000 and has been instrumental in the growth of the Mystery School ever since, recognizing at once the importance of its mission of World Peace. A master healer and leader of the Ensofic Ray Institute, he carries the deep wisdom and quiet humor of a lifetime of esoteric study spanning Buddhism, Shamanism, and the Lineage of King Salomon. Descended from a Japanese Bushi—or Samurai—family, he channels that lineage of discipline and strength into his work, presenting Hermetic and esoteric teachings in ways that are both practical and profound. He teaches with warmth and playfulness, creating space for students to relax, open, and truly receive the wisdom he shares.
RECOMMENDED READINGBooks Written By Members of The Third Order
Books by Sovereign Ipsissimus Dave Lanyon:
Book by Sovereign Ipsissimus Hideto Nakagome:
Governing Ipsissimus & Ipsissima Council
Through years of dedicated study, disciplined practice, and ongoing personal growth, these individuals have attained the highest level of initiation within the Lineage of King Salomon, embodying a profound mastery of their chosen path.
Ipsissima Divina Franca Lanyon, Ipsissima of Alchemy
Ipsissima Divina Theresa Bullard-Whyke, Ipsissima of Kabbalah
Ipsissima Divina Luisa Nakagome, Ipsissima of Shamanism
Ipsissima Divina Eiko Gudnason, Ipsissima of the Royal Way
Ipsissima Divina Tsukiko Kimura, Ipsissima of the Ensofic Ray
Ipsissima Divina Kate Bartram-Brown, Ipsissima of the Noble Arts
Ipsissima Divina Liza Rossi, Ipsissima of the Divine Arts
Ipsissima Kathleen Lanyon, Ipsissima of the Governance of the Light
Ipsissima Azusa Yoda, Grand Oracle
Ipsissima Divina Hitomi Shibuya, Ipsissima of the Goethian Arts
Ipsissimus Kimio Iwaki, Ipsissimus of the Occult Arts
Ipsissima Yoko Watanabe, Ipsissima of the Psychic Arts
Honorary Ipsissima Suzuko Kitamura
The Council of Twelve
When the Third Order was initiated in 2017, the Council of Twelve was activated alongside it. The Council is a circle of twelve women—high-level initiates drawn from across the world—who together form a leadership body within the Modern Mystery School.
Working directly with the Third Order, these women help carry out the directives of the Hierarchy of Light in service to humanity. They offer counsel, confirmation, and shared discernment to the Third Order across the many projects and missions the School undertakes, lending their wisdom to the vision as it unfolds in the world.
The seats of the Council are not fixed. The women who hold them rotate through their roles as the work requires, so the circle naturally shifts and renews from year to year.
The installation of these structures in 2017 opened the way for the Goddess energy—and connection with the Shekinah—to be anchored through the Third Order. In practical terms, this is what allows the many levels of operation required to run the Modern Mystery School to take form and function in the world.
As of 2018, the first women to occupy the seats on the Council of 12 are:
West
Ipsissima Franca Lanyon
Ipsissima Theresa Bullard-Whyke
Ipsissima Kate Bartram-Brown
Ipsissima Liza Rossi
Divina Rita van den Berg
Divina Ann Donnelly
East
Ipsissima Eiko Gudnason
Ipsissima Luisa Nakagome
Ipsissima Tsukiko Kimura
Divina Maiko Machiya
Divina Sincere Rohi (Hiroko Ito)
Divina Hitomi Shibuya
