Golden Dawn Community Stands In Solidarity Against Greek Neo-Nazis

 

Golden Dawn Leaders Stand Together To Show The World What Our Community Is Really All About, And What It Won't Stand For

 

 

 

by Frater A.T.L.V.

 

Recently, there has been much confusion between our beloved Hermetic Tradition, The Golden Dawn that we hold so dear to our hearts, and Greek Neo-Nazi extremists, the Chrysi Avgi.  These hate mongers have been using the name "Golden Dawn" for their Neo-Nazi political party and in so doing have created confusion amongst outsiders who do not know the difference between our spiritual Hermetic and Rosicrucian Tradition, and a hateful, right wing extremist political party that has its roots in Greece, and unfortunately, has been using the same name.  Even the possibility of the two being confused is not acceptable.

Lately, an internet search for "Golden Dawn" will turn up just as much if not more of this garbage than it will anything related to the REAL Golden Dawn, a beautiful, tolerant, and peaceful spiritual Tradition that has influenced the entire Western Mystery Tradition for over a hundred years.  Today, there are many orders, independent Temples, and solitary practitioners who use this beautiful system, and I am sure that none of them want to be confused with the forces of evil that have been using our name.  I for one, find it deeply disturbing.

This problem has however, brought about something rarely seen in the Golden Dawn Community......solidarity. 

It is indeed rare to see the various leaders and authors in the Golden Dawn Community stand together, united, on any issue. However, this time, that is exactly what's happening.  None of us want to be confused with these minions of evil and hate.

I would like to thank Donald Michael Kraig for his blog post about this issue, which you can read HERE. I would also like to thank him for starting this initiative for leaders to stand together on this issue, saying...

"Even if you disagree with other Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn groups, I would propose that you consider standing in solidarity with them on this one, single issue."

I could not agree more with the sentiment of this statement.  And it seems, for the most part, it is happening.  Well known Golden Dawn leaders and authors such as Donald Michael Kraig, Nick Farrell, David Griffin, and Alex Sumner are all in agreement on this one. Frater Farrell addresses this issue as well, in his own post, HERE.

I would like to praise those who are putting aside their differences, and embracing their similarities, namely, the Hermetic Tradition they have devoted their lives to, and standing together against this very real and very terrible threat.  As Golden Dawn practitioners, we can not allow the forces of evil to go unchecked, and it pleases me to see a truly community wide effort such as this.  There has been peace in the community for a while now, which is a nice change of pace, and something like this can only serve to strengthen the bonds of fraternity.

It seems the well known leaders and authors in our diverse community have put aside the flame wars and attacks of the past, and are looking toward the future of our beautiful living Tradition.  Unfortunately, as always, there are some who just can't let their feelings from the past go.  Although Alex Sumner does deserve praise for being a part of this noble cause, he has not been able to put aside his grudge with David Griffin, even in a time such as this.

In the comments section of a post he made on his blog, Sumner continues to attack Griffin, in the usual sniping style that unfortunately has been all too rampant in our community for far too long now.  When Griffin responds, he is censored, another all too common tactic of the Golden Dawn flame wars that have raged now for too long.  I found the comment Griffin attempted to post on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Yahoo forum, run by Griffin.  It seems he posted it there after being censored on Sumner's blog. Here it is....

"Hi Alex, Why do you want to keep wagging fingers about the past instead of taking

responsibility to co-create a better future? There are offensive old posts on your blog as well as that of Nick,

Aaron, Morgan, Deanna, and the others – some even calling AO members

names and one book even calling the AO a cult. Heck, I even still have 

defamatory letters that Don Kraig wrote privately attacking me. There is no doubt that as a community still ALL still have things to 

clean up once peace in our community is more firmly established. The AO 

is willing to look at this, albeit ON A RECIPROCAL BASIS. Things have been quiet for some time now though. Why is it that YOU are

suddenly flinging poo again, continuing to stir strife by wagging 

fingers and digging up stuff from the past rather than taking a UNITED 

stand with the rest of us Golden Dawn leaders against the threat posed

to our ENTIRE spiritual community posed by the Greek ultra-nationalists? Is this really the right time for you to even yet once AGAIN start

throwing poo to try to start another flame war as you do in this post? As a community, we all face a common and very serious problem posed by

the Greek ultra-nationalists to the reputation of our spiritual 

community.

The time has come to stand TOGETHER to face down this threat. Or would you really rather continuing stand alone in the corner

continuing to fling poo all by yourself?" -David Griffin

Again, this is not the time to turn back to the same old bullshit and mudslinging, complete with all the usual tactics of the Golden Dawn flame wars of the past. However, it seems that's exactly what is happening here. It is wonderful to see Kraig, Griffin, Farrell, and other well known leaders in our community getting along and unified in this effort to make it known that our Golden Dawn community has no association with these minions of evil. Some would rather continue the same old BS, but right now he's the only one, let's hope it stays that way! Let's not use this as an opportunity to attack each other, but rather, to show solidarity and together avoid confusion with the forces of evil!

Greek ultra-nationalist "Golden Dawn" (Chrysi Avgi)

The Tradition of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and all of the orders, independent Temples, and solitary practitioners that use the wonderful system, wish to make it known that we have NO association with the Chrysi Avgi, or any of their hate filled ideals. We are a community of spiritual seekers, and while we do have our differences, we stand together strongly on this issue.

 

Sincerely & Fraternally, in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

Peace In The Golden Dawn Community

 

It seems as though there is finally peace and fraternal behavior in the greater Golden Dawn Community!

 by Frater A.T.L.V.

It looks like one of the anonymous attack blogs is no longer on the blogosphere, and the others are focusing on other things. It also seems that all members of the Golden Dawn Community are getting along and getting on with the Work.  At least they are not attacking each other, and are peacefully coexisting. This is the ultimate Blessing for our community. 

I only hope this peace can last. Of late, the blogs of the various Golden Dawn leaders, orders, and members are focusing on the Great Work and writing inspiring posts and staying positive.  This is very important for our community as a whole.

This is great news for our diverse Golden Dawn and wider esoteric community! We are all more similar than we are different, and I'm pleased to see that everyone seems to be putting the flame wars and attacks behind them and getting on with the Work, which, after all, is the point. This is a wonderful statement of how we can all come together and act as fraters & sorors of the same Hermetic & Rosicrucian Traditions should, even if we do have our differences.

Let's all take a minute to enjoy this positive, peaceful existence and strive to keep it so. Let's all let our Light shine brighter than ever before!

May Ma'at keep the balance!

Best wishes for continued peace in the Golden Dawn Community!

Sincerely & Fraternally, in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

Review Of "Mansions Of The Moon" by Frater V.L.

 

A Golden Dawn Magician's Review of "Mansions Of The Moon" by Frater V.L.

 

 

 

 

 

by Frater A.T.L.V.

This is a GREAT book! This is a book that all ceremonial and ritual magicians, Golden Dawn or otherwise, should not ignore.  I have been working with it for some time now and it has produced great results.  It deals with a Lunar system of astrological magick, rarely ever discussed, that is completely unique compared to the Solar based planetary day and hour system and corresponding astrological magick we are all so used to. It is written by a very wise man, trained in both the Magical and Mystical aspects of the Rosicrucian and Hermetic Western Mystery Traditions.  An intelligent, intuitive, and brutally honest fellow true Rosicrucian and Hermeticist, Frater V.L., who's blog you can visit at fratervl.blogspot.com HERE 

You may purchase the paperback HERE
There is also a PDF version you can purchase by following the link from his blog listed above.

Review

"Mansions of the Moon" is a book of great value for the magician, and deals with Lunar astrological Magic, a topic which is rarely dealt with in any detail beyond the construction and use of Talismans, as it is in "The Picatrix".  This book is rather a practical manual for the invocation of the 28 presidential Angels that rule their respective 28 Mansions of the Moon.  

The Mansion system is a system based on the passage of the Moon through the zodiacal Wheel, rather than the more common system which is based on the passage of the Sun through the zodiacal Wheel.  It uses the Tropical zodiac system, which is more suitable in this case as the system is based on observing the movement of the Moon through the zodiac from the Earth's perspective.  Because of this, it does not take into account the variations in the movement of the Sun as does the Sidereal system, and all of the 28 mansions occupy a fixed space in the zodiacal Wheel.

The purpose of the book is not to simply make and consecrate Talismans to these 28 presidential Angels of the 28 Mansions of the Moon, but rather to directly invoke them, just as one does with the Angels of the Elements, Solar zodiacal Planes, Planetary, and Sephirothic Forces, in traditional Golden Dawn Magic, with one major difference.  Timing.

The Mansions of the Moon is by its own right an independent system which works directly with the Zodiac in relation to the Moon, rather than the Sun.  Because of this fact, the timing of the rituals are determined in a different way than the traditional planetary day and hour system.

Since there are twelve zodiacal Signs, and 28 Mansions, naturally, each Mansion does not have a direct correspondence with a just one specific zodiac Sign. Rather, each Mansion occupies a certain number of Degrees and Minutes of the zodiacal Wheel, with overlap in the Signs that they occupy. This gives each Mansion a unique set of properties based on its position within the zodiacal Wheel which the Moon is passing through, which are colored by the properties of the different Signs it occupies.

The current Mansion is determined by the position of the Moon within the zodiacal Wheel, which means that only one Mansion is able to be worked with during a given period of time.  Here a huge difference lies in comparison to the systems of magic based on the position of the Sun in the zodiac, and the use of the planetary hours.  As long as the Moon is in a specific Mansion, you may work with the Rite of that Mansion and its Angel during any time of day or night, without regard to the hours.  You may work with only the Mansion in which the Moon currently resides in, and no other.

The book's Rites are based on a Golden Dawn ritual framework, but can be adapted to fit nearly any ceremonial magician's needs. It is similar in a way to Enochian Magic and Solomonic Magic, in that it uses an altar with a Tablet of Practice along with a scrying medium.  It also makes use of a Lamen that must be constructed for each Angel, similar to the Seals in the "Clavicula Salomonis".  It gives very detailed instructions on how to create everything necessary to work the system effectively.

The book gives precise information on the locations of the 28 Mansions, in table form, for easy identification of the current Mansion, the degrees and minutes it occupies, the name of the Mansion, and its presidential Angel.  It goes into further detail with a page on each Mansion, its Seal or Lamen, which contains its Sigil, and for what purposes its Angel can be invoked.

It also contains a section that describes in detail the tools necessary to perform the invocations, and has clear diagrams that make it easy for the magician to be sure they have everything set up correctly. It is very user friendly, and serves mainly as a practical guide for these specific invocations of the 28 Angels of the Mansions, without a lot of theoretical material. 

In this sense it is a very valuable book for the magician that knows how to perform invocations, and is looking to work with the energies of the Moon in more depth than just the usual Golden Dawn Luna invocation in which one invokes the Archangel Gabriel and the full hierarchy of the Moon. 

The part of the book that deals with the actual ritual instructions contains valuable commentary that will really help the beginner to understand the component parts of the greater ritual.  It is clear and concise and to the point.  As I said earlier, it is presented in a Golden Dawn ritual framework, but the instructions are given in a way where the magician can omit the Golden Dawn parts of the ritual to suit their own needs if they so desire.

There is also an appendix at the end of the book that gives ritual instructions for the Qabalistic Cross, Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram.  These rituals are used when doing the invocation in the Golden Dawn format, and these additional ritual instructions will be very helpful to those who are not familiar with the basic rites of the Golden Dawn.

Mansions of the Moon, by Frater V.L., is a great book and invaluable resource for both beginning students and advanced magicians alike.  Working with the different Mansions and their ruling Angels brings much insight into the Lunar forces, and is a wonderful tool for the practical magician.  With 28 Mansions and Angels at your disposal, all with their own correspondences and abilities, there is little you can not accomplish with this book when working sincerely with the system.

I personally have had some pretty profound results working with the system, and since starting to incorporate it into my routine, I have been regularly working with it, always discovering new things as I continue to work it.  It has also given me much insight into Lunar energy in general and its various Angels, along with all that they have to offer the magician.

I highly recommend this book to any ceremonial magician, Golden Dawn or otherwise, that is looking for a practical manual for working with Lunar astrological magic, or simply to expand upon the more common rituals that one practices in the Golden Dawn Tradition. 

Thank you Frater V.L., for a wonderful and extremely useful book that will no doubt produce endless results and revelations for magicians everywhere. It certainly has for this magician!

Sincerely and Fraternally in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

Review Of "Mansions Of The Moon", by Frater V.L.

 

A Golden Dawn Magician's Review of "Mansions Of The Moon" by Frater V.L.

 

 

 

 

 

by Frater A.T.L.V.

This is a GREAT book! This is a book that all ceremonial and ritual magicians, Golden Dawn or otherwise, should not ignore.  I have been working with it for some time now and it has produced great results.  It deals with a Lunar system of astrological magick, rarely ever discussed, that is completely unique compared to the Solar based planetary day and hour system and corresponding astrological magick we are all so used to. It is written by a very wise man, trained in both the Magical and Mystical aspects of the Rosicrucian and Hermetic Western Mystery Traditions.  An intelligent, intuitive, and brutally honest fellow true Rosicrucian and Hermeticist, Frater V.L., who's blog you can visit at fratervl.blogspot.com HERE 

You may purchase the paperback HERE
There is also a PDF version you can purchase by following the link from his blog listed above.

Review

"Mansions of the Moon" is a book of great value for the magician, and deals with Lunar astrological Magic, a topic which is rarely dealt with in any detail beyond the construction and use of Talismans, as it is in "The Picatrix".  This book is rather a practical manual for the invocation of the 28 presidential Angels that rule their respective 28 Mansions of the Moon.  

The Mansion system is a system based on the passage of the Moon through the zodiacal Wheel, rather than the more common system which is based on the passage of the Sun through the zodiacal Wheel.  It uses the Tropical zodiac system, which is more suitable in this case as the system is based on observing the movement of the Moon through the zodiac from the Earth's perspective.  Because of this, it does not take into account the variations in the movement of the Sun as does the Sidereal system, and all of the 28 mansions occupy a fixed space in the zodiacal Wheel.

The purpose of the book is not to simply make and consecrate Talismans to these 28 presidential Angels of the 28 Mansions of the Moon, but rather to directly invoke them, just as one does with the Angels of the Elements, Solar zodiacal Planes, Planetary, and Sephirothic Forces, in traditional Golden Dawn Magic, with one major difference.  Timing.

The Mansions of the Moon is by its own right an independent system which works directly with the Zodiac in relation to the Moon, rather than the Sun.  Because of this fact, the timing of the rituals are determined in a different way than the traditional planetary day and hour system.

Since there are twelve zodiacal Signs, and 28 Mansions, naturally, each Mansion does not have a direct correspondence with a just one specific zodiac Sign. Rather, each Mansion occupies a certain number of Degrees and Minutes of the zodiacal Wheel, with overlap in the Signs that they occupy. This gives each Mansion a unique set of properties based on its position within the zodiacal Wheel which the Moon is passing through, which are colored by the properties of the different Signs it occupies.

The current Mansion is determined by the position of the Moon within the zodiacal Wheel, which means that only one Mansion is able to be worked with during a given period of time.  Here a huge difference lies in comparison to the systems of magic based on the position of the Sun in the zodiac, and the use of the planetary hours.  As long as the Moon is in a specific Mansion, you may work with the Rite of that Mansion and its Angel during any time of day or night, without regard to the hours.  You may work with only the Mansion in which the Moon currently resides in, and no other.

The book's Rites are based on a Golden Dawn ritual framework, but can be adapted to fit nearly any ceremonial magician's needs. It is similar in a way to Enochian Magic and Solomonic Magic, in that it uses an altar with a Tablet of Practice along with a scrying medium.  It also makes use of a Lamen that must be constructed for each Angel, similar to the Seals in the "Clavicula Salomonis".  It gives very detailed instructions on how to create everything necessary to work the system effectively.

The book gives precise information on the locations of the 28 Mansions, in table form, for easy identification of the current Mansion, the degrees and minutes it occupies, the name of the Mansion, and its presidential Angel.  It goes into further detail with a page on each Mansion, its Seal or Lamen, which contains its Sigil, and for what purposes its Angel can be invoked.

It also contains a section that describes in detail the tools necessary to perform the invocations, and has clear diagrams that make it easy for the magician to be sure they have everything set up correctly. It is very user friendly, and serves mainly as a practical guide for these specific invocations of the 28 Angels of the Mansions, without a lot of theoretical material. 

In this sense it is a very valuable book for the magician that knows how to perform invocations, and is looking to work with the energies of the Moon in more depth than just the usual Golden Dawn Luna invocation in which one invokes the Archangel Gabriel and the full hierarchy of the Moon. 

The part of the book that deals with the actual ritual instructions contains valuable commentary that will really help the beginner to understand the component parts of the greater ritual.  It is clear and concise and to the point.  As I said earlier, it is presented in a Golden Dawn ritual framework, but the instructions are given in a way where the magician can omit the Golden Dawn parts of the ritual to suit their own needs if they so desire.

There is also an appendix at the end of the book that gives ritual instructions for the Qabalistic Cross, Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram.  These rituals are used when doing the invocation in the Golden Dawn format, and these additional ritual instructions will be very helpful to those who are not familiar with the basic rites of the Golden Dawn.

Mansions of the Moon, by Frater V.L., is a great book and invaluable resource for both beginning students and advanced magicians alike.  Working with the different Mansions and their ruling Angels brings much insight into the Lunar forces, and is a wonderful tool for the practical magician.  With 28 Mansions and Angels at your disposal, all with their own correspondences and abilities, there is little you can not accomplish with this book when working sincerely with the system.

I personally have had some pretty profound results working with the system, and since starting to incorporate it into my routine, I have been regularly working with it, always discovering new things as I continue to work it.  It has also given me much insight into Lunar energy in general and its various Angels, along with all that they have to offer the magician.

I highly recommend this book to any ceremonial magician, Golden Dawn or otherwise, that is looking for a practical manual for working with Lunar astrological magic, or simply to expand upon the more common rituals that one practices in the Golden Dawn Tradition. 

Thank you Frater V.L., for a wonderful and extremely useful book that will no doubt produce endless results and revelations for magicians everywhere. It certainly has for this magician!

Sincerely and Fraternally in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

Book Review-Coming Soon-You Won't Want To Miss This!

A Golden Dawn Magician's Review of "Mansions Of The Moon" by Frater V.L.

by Frater A.T.L.V.

Review coming soon!

 This is a GREAT book! This is a book that all ceremonial and ritual magicians, Golden Dawn or otherwise, should not ignore.  I have been working with it for some time now and it has produced great results.  It deals with a Lunar system of astrological magick, rarely ever discussed, that is completely unique compared to the Solar based planetary day and hour system and corresponding astrological magick we are all so used to. It is written by a very wise man, trained in both the Magical and Mystical aspects of the Rosicrucian and Hermetic Western Mystery Traditions.  An intelligent, intuitive, and brutally honest fellow true Rosicrucian and Hermeticist, Frater V.L., who's blog you can visit at fratervl.blogspot.com HERE

Coming soon!

Pax et L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

Thoughts On The AΩ's Newly Released Teachings & Magick

 

A Golden Dawn Magician's Experience With The Supplemental Teachings & Ritual Magick Recently Released By The Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn, AΩ

 

 

 

  

by Frater A.T.L.V.

There is much speculation going on in the Golden Dawn Community surrounding the supplemental traditional Golden Dawn teachings and Rituals recently released at the 2013 International Festival of Golden Dawn Magicians earlier this year by the HOGD/Alpha et Omega.  There are also of course a lot of questions.  This is of course to be expected.

 In this post, I will give my personal experiences and opinions on the subject as objectively as possible.  These are my own personal thoughts and experiences with the new material, and in no way represent any sort of official Order business. Of course I can't divulge any of the actual rites or teachings, as these are Oath bound.

The AΩ prides itself on being a Traditional Golden Dawn Order, and there are some out there who feel as though there is no place in the Traditional Golden Dawn System for new teachings, rites, or rituals.  For those of you who feel this way, I can assure you that the AΩ is NOT attempting to change, alter, or graft anything onto the existing Golden Dawn System, and will continue to offer Traditional Golden Dawn training just as they have since the beginning.

The new rites and rituals are in a separate section of the AΩ, and are completely new (or rather ancient) and not at all an attempt to alter the existing system.  They are however complimentary to the existing ritual system.  I will get into this more later in this post. There are a few rituals which do use modified versions of existing rituals to some degree, but they are indeed very different from the published material that is widely available in the community and in most orders.

There are also many Golden Dawn orders that are not Traditionalist, and have added much to the Golden Dawn system to make it fit their goals, or to make it adhere to a belief system, such as the Thelemic Golden Dawn orders.  There are also reconstructionalist orders that have changed and altered things within the system, or added things to keep their order evolving with the times.  

I want to make clear the fact that this is not what is being done with the newly released material in the HOGD/AΩ. 

What is being done, at least from my perspective, is the enhancement of the existing material with teachings that better explain certain fundamental symbolism and help to unlock a much greater understanding of the existing material, along with additional, more Pagan, Egyptian and Sumerian Ritual Magick systems to supplement the Qabalistic rituals that as I said are definitely not being replaced in any way, shape, or form.  These ancient ritual systems compliment the existing Qabalistic Golden Dawn System in a very powerful way and feel like a natural extension for an already vast and wonderful system.

The "new" material is composed of teachings, rites, and rituals that were intended for the original Golden Dawn, but never made it in due to the schism.  I truly believe that this new material has the potential to bring the Golden Dawn back to a state of unprofaned wisdom and glory that has not been seen since over a hundred years ago.  It takes the magician far beyond what has been published over and over again into a beautiful magical system that feels pure and untainted by centuries of diluted current.

It brings it back to a truly secret system, which I feel is important. With the widely available material, you have people all over the world doing things incorrectly, which no doubt effects it's power, as we are all microcosms within the Macrocosm, and we all "plug in" to the Universal Consciousness when we practice magick, that is, if we are doing things correctly.  The new material is being transmitted orally, which in my opinion keeps it from falling into too many hands, and in turn, diluting it's power.

As I said, the new teachings that deal with the Qabalistic system give the magician a much greater understanding of the basic rites of the Golden Dawn System, and of the symbolism that we are so familiar with, yet have not fully comprehended until now.  It is the missing piece of the puzzle that will no doubt produce many "ah ha" moments for magicians that study it.

The AΩ's Egyptian College of Isis offers a system of beautiful, powerful, ancient, and effective rites to be used separately from the Qabalistic ones, although they do compliment them quite perfectly, and in certain areas, can even be used in conjunction with them.

There are also some very powerful Sumerian rites and rituals that have really profound effects, and unlike most, the effects can be quite rapidly achieved. Whereas with most Qabalistic rituals, one must do them regularly for quite some time to really get results, these rites and rituals seem to be so pure that the effects are almost immediate when they are practiced correctly.

Working with these rites and rituals on a regular basis, one quickly sees that they are definitely not new at all, but rather obviously precursors to the basic Golden Dawn rites and rituals that we are so familiar with. And after working with them regularly, I can tell you for certain that not only are they effective, but they most assuredly have a special place within the Golden Dawn magician's repertoire and will definitely help him or her with the goal of accomplishing the Great Work. 

I am honored to be one of the lucky few who have received the supplemental traditional Qabalistic teachings and Rituals, the Egyptian Rites from the AΩ's new College of Isis, as well as the Sumerian/Chaldean Rituals.  I have been working with the new material, rites,  and rituals regularly since receiving them at the Festival this past April, and I have to say, I have had some very astonishing results!

Some things I have noticed since working regularly with all of these.  My ability to create and control Light energy has greatly increased. This is fundamental to the success of any ritual, rite, or work of Magick, and has made all of my ritual work far more productive, whether for spiritual development or for practical purposes.  Working one of the newly released rituals in particular has made it much easier to raise my Kundalini, and has made it more of a commonplace event.

As I said before, the supplemental teachings considerably raise the magician's understanding of the hidden meaning behind much of the symbolism and also of the basic rites of the Golden Dawn. Also, I genuinely believe that if these rituals are worked with dedication and persistence, that preliminary contact with the HGA is possible, even for Outer Order or less advanced magicians.  I know this is quite the claim, but I say this based on my personal experience with the material, and can only tell you what it has done for me.

There is also a ritual that effectively ties your personal Temple or Ritual Space to the egregore, and current, of the Golden Dawn System, including the Qabalistic, Egyptian and Sumerian aspects.  This ritual has proven extremely effective in making all of my work much more powerful and effective, while also giving a feeling of connection to those who came before us, those who are practicing now, and to the very Light itself.

Considering that what has been released so far is only the Neophyte section of the new material, I am very excited to see what the future holds.  Some of the material that has already been released is very advanced, especially for a Neophyte, but still easily comprehended with some determination and persistence.

One of the most beautiful things about these new teachings, is that they can help the advanced magician just as much as they can help the Neophyte, and in some cases, cause you to look back at things you learned earlier in your career as a Golden Dawn magician and say "oh.... ah ha!" One teaching in particular really caused one such ah ha moment in me when first learning it at the Festival, and I am still finding myself amazed at how much knowledge it contains and the fact that it continues to give me those ah ha moments to this day.

I really wish I could get into specifics and really show all the doubters out there just how amazing all of these teachings, rites, and rituals really are, and the place that they undoubtedly have in the Golden Dawn community, but hey, my word is my bond, and I take Oaths very seriously.  In my opinion, it is in any Golden Dawn magician's best interest not to ignore these new teachings.  By the way, they really are not new at all. More appropriately, they are far more ancient than most Golden Dawn Magick.

My most sincere thanks go out to The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn, Alpha et Omega, David Griffin, and Leslie McQuade, for hosting the 2013 International Festival of Golden Dawn Magicians, where I had the privilege of receiving this priceless material. If you are interested in the AΩ, visit www.golden-dawn.com, and of course the AΩ's official blog at hermetic-golden-dawn.blogspot.com.

Sincerely and Fraternally, in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

Banishing & Equilibration Of The Aura

How to Use Magick to Effect Change in Your Life Part 2

 

 

 

Balancing and equilibrating the Aura

 

by Frater A.T.L.V.

In the last post in this series we covered some very basic concepts and questions that the beginner on this Path faces, and the problems that can arise if they are not properly dealt with.  In this post we will pick up where we left off, and get into the specifics of the rituals and practices that are all important to the beginning solitary practitioner of Golden Dawn Magick.

Since I have decided to start at the beginning and not just jump into advanced Magick, this post may seem very basic to those already familiar with Golden Dawn rituals and rites, and the various concepts and symbolism that are used in them.  However, I feel that there is a huge lack of resources for solitary practitioners and independent magicians regarding the Magic of Light, so the first few posts in this series are aimed at helping those who are taking their first steps onto this beautiful Path on their own.

The last post posed a very important question to would be Golden Dawn magicians: is being a solitary practitioner for you?

Hopefully you have had the time to think about this question and honestly ask yourself whether you have what it takes to work this system effectively on your own, or whether you would be better off with the guidance and structure that comes with belonging to an order.  

If you have found that the latter is true, there are many orders to choose from.  If this is you, you should begin doing extensive research into the various orders and do your best to find the one that speaks to you.  Be very wary, however, to not make that choice based on blogs alone. Be sure to check out the websites of the orders very thoroughly and try to determine exactly what you can expect from membership.  If possible, ask members what their experience has been. There are forums for several of the bigger name orders on Yahoo Groups where one can do this.

However, if after reading the last post, you feel that you have the patience, determination, persistence, and strength of Will to pursue the Magick of Light as a solitary or independent practitioner, then this post will cover just how you should get started.  If you plan on continuing on as a solitary, expect to be very busy, make time for daily ritual work and study, and always write in your magical journal, ALWAYS!

Many would be solitary Golden Dawn magicians have failed or simply given up because they start to feel as though they've got it, and stop writing in their journal, stop practicing the rituals on a regular basis, or simply feel as though they have hit a wall and cannot continue to progress.  A lot of times this happens because they are relying solely on material from Israel Regardie's "The Golden Dawn", this is a common problem amongst solitaries.

Another reason solitary Golden Dawn magicians often fail is because they want all the Magick at once, and are not willing to work slowly and patiently, but rather skip right ahead to the more advanced rites and rituals that come traditionally in the higher grades. But remember, as a solitary, it will be up to you and you alone not to make this crucial mistake, and instead to work the system as though you were going through the grades, slowly, patiently, and with dedication and persistence.

The first thing solitary Golden Dawn Magicians should begin to do daily, with regards to ritual work, is the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.  This ritual, when practiced daily for at least several months, is very effective in beginning to balance out the Aura or Sphere of Sensation of the magician.  

It is advisable to work only this ritual, which will hereafter be referred to as the LBRP, for at least 3 or 4 months, if not a full year, before moving on to more advanced rites and rituals.  I know, this sounds like an awfully long time.  Remember, when one works this system on their own, they are not receiving LVX (energy, current, Light) directly from an initiator as magicians that work in Temples or orders do, and thus it takes much longer to develop the ability to create, control, and manipulate this Light energy.  

This ability to create and control LVX, or Light energy, is crucial to the success of any Golden Dawn magician, and without it, the rituals are but empty dramatic plays.

There are several different versions of the LBRP out there, and this can be confusing to the new magician.  This is why in my last post on this subject I talked about the importance of choosing a source that is not only complete, but consistent. As I said in my previous post, I recommend the Ritual Magic Manual, or RMM for short, to use as the basis and consistent reference point for your ritual work.

It is quite easy to find instructions for this ritual on the internet, but as I said, you will find that the instructions vary slightly from one source to the next.  I will present the form of the ritual I find to be the most productive and effective, and will try to give the directions in a clear, simple manner.  At this very early stage in a magician's career, it is important not to make things too complex, or to analyze too much.

This ritual is to be done daily, or as close to daily as possible.  Doing so will accomplish two key things.  Firstly, it will begin to slowly, safely, and effectively balance out your Aura.  Secondly, it will begin to introduce you to the types of energy and the forces that you will be working with later in more advanced rituals.  It is important to note, however, that one should never stop doing this ritual regularly, regardless of how advanced you may be or how long you have been doing it already, as consistent performance of the ritual is the key to its success.

There are a few things one must know in order to properly perform the LBRP. These are, the Sign of the Enterer, or projecting Sign, the Sign of Silence, or protecting Sign, the proper visualization of Light, and the Rite of the Qabalistic Cross.

We will first briefly discuss the two Signs mentioned above.  These signs are a crucial component to all Golden Dawn Magic and must be learned and performed correctly for any ritual to be effective.  You should do more research on your own into the history and meanings behind these very important gestures.

The Sign of the Enterer, also known as the projecting Sign or attacking Sign, is used to project magical energy.

The Sign of Silence, also known as the protecting Sign or the Sign of Harparcrates, is used to prevent the rebound or reflux of the energy projected with the Sign of the Enterer back onto the magician.  In this way it is used to confine a force or energy after the tracing of the banishing pentagrams.

As far as the proper visualization of Light is concerned, it can be very difficult for the beginning student of Golden Dawn Magic.  Many people tend to concentrate so hard on visualizing the Light that they are not properly visualizing it, but rather fantasizing it.  Further, it is not necessary to close your eyes to properly visualize, you should practice until you can see the Light you trace with your eyes open, and without losing concentration on the other aspects of the ritual. 

The Light you will use in the Qabalistic Cross is of a brilliant white nature.  The Light you will use when tracing the pentagrams in the LBRP, is reminiscent of the flame of a gas stove, that is, light blue but with a brilliant white glow.

Concerning the Rite of the Qabalistic Cross, it should be studied in depth and practiced alone until the student is familiar enough with it to do it from the heart without need for reference before using it in conjunction with the LBRP. One can find in depth explanations of this Rite in the RMM. There is a very barebones version in Regardie's Golden Dawn as well, and it is also available in many other sources. This Rite is done at the beginning and the end of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram as an opening and closing.  I will cover it briefly and without exhausting detail, as it is thoroughly covered elsewhere. It should be performed as follows.

Rite of the Qabalistic Cross

 

 

1. Stand West of your altar facing the East. Visualize a star of Light above your head. Using either a banishing dagger or simply your right index finger, point straight up and pierce the star, while visualizing a shaft of brilliant white Light emanating from the star above your head straight up into infinity.  While lowering the dagger or finger to touch first your forehead and then your Solar Plexus or Heart, vibrate ATEH (a-ta). Touch the forehead during the first syllable & the heart during the second syllable. Continue to move the Light downwards as you do so.



2. While keeping the dagger tip facing up (never point the tip towards the Earth), lower it to the area of the groin, vibrate, MALKUTH (mal-kut) and visualize the Light extending downwards beyond your feet to infinity.


3. Touch your right shoulder, vibrate, VE-GEBURAH (ve-ge-vu-ra) and visualize the Light extending from your shoulder out to the right to infinity.



4. Touch your left shoulder, vibrate, VE-GEDULAH (ve-ge-du-la) and visualize the Light extending from your shoulder out to the left to infinity.


5. Bring the dagger or finger to your heart. Move it in a circle in a counter clockwise motion while you vibrate, LE-OLAM (le-o-lam).



6.. Clasp your hands before you over the center of your chest, at your solar plexus, holding the dagger (if using) with interlaced fingers, tip pointing upwards, with your elbows extended horizontally along the shafts of Light you have created. Visualize the giant cross of Light you have formed, while vibrating, AMEN (a-men).

  Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

 

 

1.  Stand West of your altar facing the East. Begin with Rite of Qabalistic Cross.

2. Go to the East of the altar.  Trace a light blue (but with white brilliance) Banishing Earth Pentagram while you vibrate YHVH (yod-he-vav-he). Project Light into the center of the pentagram using the Sign of the Enterer. Immediately give the Sign of Silence.

3.  Pierce the center of the pentagram and trace a line of white Light as you move to the South.

4. Trace a light blue (but with white brilliance) Banishing Earth Pentagram while you vibrate ADNI (a-do-nai). Project Light into the center of the pentagram using the Sign of the Enterer. Immediately give the Sign of Silence.

 

5. Pierce the center of the pentagram and trace a line of white Light as you move to the West.

6. Trace a light blue (but with white brilliance) Banishing Earth Pentagram while you vibrate EHEIEH (e-he-ye). Project Light into the center of the pentagram using the Sign of the Enterer. Immediately give the Sign of Silence.

7. Pierce the center of the pentagram and trace a line of white Light as you move to the North.

8.Trace a light blue (but with white brilliance) Banishing Earth Pentagram while you vibrate AGLA (a-ge-la). Project Light into the center of the pentagram using the Sign of the Enterer. Immediately give the Sign of Silence.

9. Pierce the center of the pentagram and trace a line of white Light as you move back to the East. Complete the circle by finishing the line in the center of the first pentagram you traced.

10. Go to the West of your altar facing East. Give the Sign of Osiris Slain (arms outstretched like a cross), dagger in your right hand pointing upwards (if using).

11. Say with authority, vibrating where the bold names are, "Before me RAPHAEL (ra-fa-el), behind me, GABRIEL (gav-re-el), to my right, MICHAEL (me-kai-el), and to my left, AURIEL (u-re-el), about me flame the pentagrams, and in the column, shines the Six Rayed Star". (When vibrating the Archangelic Names, visualize them standing around you in all their majesty, while still visualizing the pentagrams you have traced & charged. )

12. Perform the Rite of the Qabalistic Cross again in closing.

If the above ritual is done regularly and repeatedly over a long period of time, the effects will astonish you! Practice, practice, practice, and be patient! Great things come to those who have the virtues of patience and persistence.

(Rituals paraphrased from memory, primary source, "The Ritual Magic Manual", by David Griffin)

Sincerely and Fraternally, in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.

First Steps on the Path-Is Being a Solitary Practitioner For You?

 

How to Use Magic to Effect Change in Your Life Part 1

 

 

The first steps on the Path:

Is being a solitary practitioner for you?

 

by Frater A.T.L.V.

This will be the first in a ongoing series about how to use Ritual Magic from various schools and sources to effect change in your life, part of an even larger ongoing series about my own experiences with Magic.  In this first post I will discuss some very basic concepts and some common issues that effect solitary magicians. This will hopefully help you to decide whether practicing on your own is right for you, or whether you might be better off joining an order.  This first post will not get into specific details about rituals, but will give you an idea of what is necessary to be successful as a solitary.  In later posts, I will discuss my own personal experiences with rituals and different systems of practical Magick and personal spiritual development at length.

In this very first installment I will be explaining very basic concepts that are necessary precursors to successful Magick, whether used for personal spiritual development, or for practical purposes.  No significant results can be obtained from the use of Ritual or Ceremonial Magick until a firm foundation is laid regarding certain basic knowledge and regular exercise of certain fundamental Magical Techniques that balance the Aura or Sphere of Sensation of the practitioner and begin to awaken the sleeping powers that lay dormant in the average individual. The most important of these exercises for the beginner include meditations, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and the  Ritual of the Middle Pillar, which will be dealt with in detail in future posts.

This is harder than it sounds for a solitary practitioner of The Magick of Light.  With traditional training, such as is found in orders and schools of Magick like the various Golden Dawn orders, and other esoteric Magical schools, there is a strict Hierarchy and every student is supervised and given direction from a more advanced Magician.  Along with this crucial component, there is a set curriculum designed specifically to slowly and efficiently awaken and balance these forces in every Magician.  There is also the aspect of physical initiation and of working with a group, which makes learning and practicing much easier as you are not left to fend for yourself. 

A common mistake that the solitary magician makes is when they don't fully understand something, and cannot find the answer readily available in their collection of books, or on the internet (not always the best place to to go for accurate info anyways!), they, of course not wanting to simply stop practicing, either continue on without comprehension of the concept, or fill it in with their own ideas.  This is folly. 

This is not to say that Magick is not a very individual and inward process, as it is most definitely.  However, throughout history, magicians have relied on certain basic principles and techniques passed down through the Aeons by their ancestors, that are known to work as they have been successfully applied already in the past with good results.  

Another way this can manifest is in the execution of ceremonial rituals or rites. If the magician, having found the school of thought or Tradition they most identify with (we will use the Golden Dawn as an example) and wish to practice, has a doubt about whether or not they are doing something correctly in their ritual work, this can be frustrating and all out devastating to the desired results.  

This can also get tricky, however, as there are many versions out there.  When one decides to devote themselves to a system of Magick such as the Golden Dawn as a solitary, they should also decide what their primary source for said material will be, to avoid unnecessary confusion.  Of course the Magician will use several sources or books, but it is best for a solitary practitioner to have a primary source to rely upon when confronted with different versions of even the most basic rituals, such as the QC (Qabalistic Cross) & LBRP (Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram).

My personal suggestion is "The Ritual Magic Manual", by David Griffin. It is not only very thorough and detailed, but consistent in the explanations of the rituals of the Golden Dawn.  One can easily use this book as their reference for the correct execution of all of the rites and rituals of the Golden Dawn, and it goes far above and beyond Regardie's "The Golden Dawn", also known as "the brick".  If one looks at the description of even the basic rituals of the Golden Dawn, in these two books, side by side, they will find that Regardie's ritual directions are slightly different, and with enough research, will begin to find inconsistencies and errors in them as well.  

This is not at all to say that Regardie's books are not great to have for solitary Golden Dawn magicians, as they most definitely are.  But as I said before, one needs a consistent source that they can refer to when they begin to expand upon the basic rituals and to use other books by various magicians that will no doubt use slightly different methods, especially when these books are from antiquity.  You will quickly learn that medieval grimoires and books such as "The Key of Solomon the King" use extremely complicated methods and sometimes month long preparations for even the simplest of rituals. 

With the RMM (Ritual Magic Manual), one can fit just about any ritual or invocation into the framework of the Golden Dawn system, thereby making it easier to understand, and just as powerful & successful, without having to learn an entirely new system of Magic and create an entirely different set of Magical Tools to perform said ritual.

On the topic of Magical Tools.  If you plan on practicing the Golden Dawn system, I would recommend picking up a copy of "Creating Magical Tools", by Chic and Tabitha Cicero, as it is very thorough in its instructions.  It not only tells you how to make all of the magical tools by hand, but also your regalia, along with the furniture and banners needed for a fully functional Temple, should you choose to build one.  The written instructions are clear, and all have very helpful diagrams as well.

Now, back to the issue of correctly executing ritual work, and the doubts that almost always arise when working with only Regardie material.  Regardie, while a famous magician and important historical figure when it comes to the Golden Dawn, was quite inconsistent and sometimes flat out wrong in his books.  

I assume much of this was due to the fact that he didn't write the books until long after learning the material, and also the fact that he didn't actually ever spend much time practicing the rituals in a Temple.  Most of his career with the original Golden Dawn was spent as a secretary.  Just a simple example, is his incorrect description of the Outer Order sashes and their colors.  The colors are referred to each grade based upon the color of the corresponding Sephira, and he got even this most basic concept incorrect in his works.

Regardie also gives versions of rituals that are slightly different than they should be, and they even vary slightly between his own books.  You can see where this would get confusing.  If you were working solely based on Regardie's books, you would no doubt end up questioning yourself often. With the RMM, you have a consistent ruler to measure by and can always adapt rituals to fit into the framework carefully laid down in it that you find elsewhere, without the worry that you are doing things incorrectly and not getting results. Many solitaries, due to a lack of guidance,  continue to do so, and end up so frustrated that they quit the Path altogether, and that is a sad state of affairs.  

I am not saying that the RMM is the only good book on ritual magic out there, far from it, however, it is in my opinion the very best when it comes to consistency, detail, easy to follow directions, and completeness when working with the Golden Dawn system.  It also contains very helpful charts, tables, and color plates with all of the Enochian Tablets, Talismans, and much more.  It's best attribute is that it remains consistent throughout, and if one starts at the beginning, and learns first the basic rituals, they will have far less trouble when building upon them slowly as they reach more advanced ones.

Back to the LBRP and the fundamental inconsistencies found in Regardie's books.  In Regardie's "The Golden Dawn", it is taught that the Ritual of the Pentagram should be done in the morning as an invocation, and at night as a banishing.  This could not be more incorrect.  For one, it would be very dangerous to invoke anything and then not banish immediately at the end of the ritual. The only exception being the charging of Talismans and tools, which are covered before the banishing so as to not discharge the force they were consecrated with. Still, all rituals close with banishings, including those meant to consecrate items. To invoke something, especially with a basic, general ritual such as the Lesser form of the Pentagram Ritual, then leave it open all day, and not banish until night time could be disastrous to the magician and those around him.  

The Lesser form of the Pentagram ritual is not meant for invocation, that will be dealt with later on after you have prepared yourself with a good foundation.  This form of the Pentagram ritual is truly only meant for banishing as a means to balance the Aura and to begin to get familiar with the energy you will be working with.

However this is not the only flaw, as beginning solitary magicians should start out with at least a year of nothing but banishing rituals and certain Rites and meditations that are designed to balance and equilibrate the Aura or Sphere of Sensation of the magician.  I know, I said a year! If this is discouraging to you, then working as a solitary magician may not be for you.  On top of this all important period of balancing of the Aura, which prepares it for the invocations that will come later, there is also much intellectual and theoretical material that must be learned, if you are to become a successful solitary magician.

Another key element to the beginning solitary magician is creating a magical diary or journal.  In this diary you should write down all of your ideas about things you've read, the subjects of your meditations, dreams, ritual results,  and anything that might be useful later on to look back at.  This allows you to track your progress, which is very important as a solitary, as you will not have the guidance of a teacher.  You can also write down mundane thoughts in your journal, and see how they change over time.  It is important that you not only write when you do your rituals or meditations, but also when you do not.  This will help you discover patterns later on and help you to stay on track.

The process moves quite a bit more quickly when one is working within an order, has direct guidance, a set curriculum, and needs to prove themselves efficient in both ritual and knowledge in each grade level before moving on to the next, more advanced level.  There is also a much faster transformation taking place within the Aura of a magician who takes physical initiations, as they are receiving energetic current directly from their initiators.  

Do not be discouraged, it is possible! And if you are a person dedicated to The Great Work, you will need to learn a great deal of patience and persistence.  I am going to end this very first installment with a list of some recommended reading.  The next piece in this series will begin to deal with the most basic rituals and the knowledge that needs to be learned in order to successfully begin this great journey as a solitary magician.  In the meantime, you may want to consider whether you have the patience and persistence and strength of Will that is so very key to being a successful solitary magician.  

If you find yourself lacking in these virtues, you may want to consider joining an order.  However, do not for a second think that simply joining an order will give you the keys to the Kingdom, as in the end it always comes down to you, and how much work you are willing to put in.  If you are in this to earn empty titles, then there are orders who will happily give them to you for a fee, but what does this really accomplish?  Whether working solitary or with an order, YOU have to do the work! Magic is an inward Path, a Path of self discovery, and no one else can do it for you.

However, having said this, it is still possible to accomplish at least most of what is accomplished as an initiate on your own, if you are willing and disciplined enough to apply the same rigor to yourself.  This is easier said than done.  With no one watching your progress, no one to report to, and no official structure to your practices, it can and will be very difficult to achieve the same results.  This is no different than trying to learn what you learned in school on your own with no teachers, no set class hours, and no report cards.  It takes a very determined individual to accomplish such a task.

So, in summary, every individual magician will have their own genius to add to their Magic, but, certain basic foundational concepts and practices must first be learned from antiquity and put into practice for quite some time before one can efficiently apply their own ideas with any amount of success. 

Suggested books for beginning solitary practitioners of the Magic of Light:

• "The Golden Dawn", by Israel Regardie
• "The Ritual Magic Manual" (RMM), by David Griffin
• "Creating Magical Tools", by Chic & Tabatha Cicero

It may also be helpful to the beginning student of the Golden Dawn system of Magick to do some research into its founders, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, W. Wynn Wescott, and William R. Woodman, along with the books they have written.  Other notable occult authors of import include Eliphas Levi, Cornelius Agrippa, A.E. Waite, and many others. A simple search on Google will provide you with much material to ponder.  The beginner should also start to do their own research into Hermetic philosophy, Qabalah, alchemy, and astrology.

Suggested rituals and exercises for beginning solitary practitioners:   

• start writing in your magical diary
• meditation, including but not limited to the Neophyte meditation given in Griffin's "RMM" &  Regardie's "The Golden Dawn"  
• The Qabalistic Cross and the LBRP (these will be dealt with at length in the next post in this series)

I would also suggest that you look into the various ways that one order, the HOGD/Alpha et Omega, is doing it's part to help solitary practitioners and independent magicians, as is discussed in a recent post HERE.

You now have a general idea of what it is going to take to be a solitary Golden Dawn magician, and have a decision to make.  Is being a solitary practitioner for you?  The next post will deal in detail with some of the fundamental rites and rituals for solitary magicians to properly use in order to lay a firm and strong foundation to be built upon later, and my own experiences with them.

Sincerely and Fraternally in L.V.X.,

Frater A.T.L.V.