Flight of Hermes- A Golden Dawn Blog

Presenting: The Initiates Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

2011-09-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Initiate’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

Written by: Rachael Walker, Peregrin Wildoak, Samuel Scarborough, and Nick Farrell

Introduction:

The following is a document entitled The Initiates Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. Its purpose, to open perspective to the needs of individuals, organizations, and mentors in the esoteric community as well as to offer some food for thought to the individual regarding various experiences they may have on their magical and spiritual path. It has been written by representatives and leaders of a variety of Golden Dawn organizations with the input and suggestions of people from the esoteric community. Due to the vast number of such organizations, not all, course, could be represented, and it is of the understanding of those who worked on this project that the breadth of the needs of every individual organization or person could not be met in a succinct Bill. There is also the understanding that everything included in this Bill may not be agreed upon by all, as each person has their own experiences and opinions to draw from. Instead, we hoped to make the “Bill” as universal as possible, and furbished in a way that would inspire those on a magical/spiritual path to travel it with common sense, contemplation, and guidance from the Divine at each turn. Truly, this “Bill” is merely a document of suggestions, based on the experiences of contributing individuals to help one to be aware of the various personal, political, social, and spiritual intricacies that may present themselves on the path of the initiate. I would like to thank all of the individuals who put their time and effort into helping me write or review this document, Peregrin Wildoak, Samuel Scarborough, Nick Farrell, Xandyr Walker, Nineveh Shadrach, J. Randich, and all of those in the esoteric community who chose to come forth and make suggestions on various fora, networking sites, and the blogosphere during this process. As of this publishing there are a few Orders who have chosen to ratify this Bill or parts of it into their by-laws or constitutions. It should be made clear that this document is meant to be a service for the community, to be used by individuals and organizations as an inspiration to help better the lives of others. If you have a group or organization and believe that this document or its ideas will be of a benefit to you, please use it as you see fit. Although intellectual property rights are maintained on this document, its ideas belong to the community.

On a personal note, I would also like to especially thank the individual who first recommended this idea. Unfortunately, his suggestion came in the form of an anonymous commentor on one of my blog posts...none-the-less, it's a perfect example of the power that each one of us has in this community to bring forth positive changes every day in ourselves and in the community.

Rights and Responsibilities in the Practice of Magical Spirituality

Preamble

We as followers of the magical way, profess that no magical path is the same, nor is any individual Lodge, Order, Group, Initiate or person who chooses to follow a magical or spiritual path. We do recognize that as followers of various mystical traditions we share a common ground based on the right for each person to follow his/her particular spiritual calling and for each individual to have their basic human rights respected while engaging in such practices alone or with others who have chosen to follow the most honoured and illustrious methods of the Spirit. We understand that as humans we posses human faults and that no man or woman however seemingly elevated is beyond risk of the temptations of the ego or flesh and that these temptations should they overcome any one of us can and may put others at risk. Therefore we present this Bill of Rights and Responsibilities as a service to the magical and spiritual communities so that in times of confusion a person or group may have access to a resource which may provide guidance to them during times of need. This Bill is not put forth by any one person or group, but instead at the request of the magical community and with input of various traditions, teachers, students, and organizations. We recognise and respect the incredible blessings we have been given by the Divine and seek to honour the Immeasurable One through our efforts to cultivate a magical society that is based in love, respect, equality, and the promotion of human rights and actions that are becoming of our most perfect and unblemished souls. To this end we claim, that regardless of tradition or path we:

Value and hold dear all magical symbols and paths, for they are the bridge between our limited self and the Unborn, Real, and Eternal Truth.

We consciously cultivate respect for the magical way of life and the avenues whereby we may walk along it – the various teachers, Orders, teachings, books and wisdom so freely given to us.

We understand that Magic will transform us and that as we practice our path we will change completely. We consciously choose to live with change, recognising also that only that which is born can change or die. The unborn, uncreated aspect of the Self never changes nor does it ever die. Magic guides us more and more to identify with the True Self.

We recognize that the magical path is one of relentless honesty. We understand that as beings who may have not yet become one with our True Natures we are rife with resistance to change and are imbued with negative, self-serving patterns of action and behaviour. We do not deny our addictions to the lower or ego-self, but seek to change them in accordance with the higher or Divine Will.

We know that spiritual unfoldment takes place inwardly and has no unique outer sign recognized by our finite consciousness, other than Truth, Love, and Compassion. We also recognize our own self identified egos are sources of delusion and that we must refrain from consciously and irrecoverably judging another, but seek to engage with all people in the spirit of genuine fraternity.

Based upon these edicts we therefore present this Initiates Bill of Rights and Responsibilities as an honour to the Divine, our Souls, to the Masters who have gone before us, and to each person who has been brave enough to choose the Noble Path.

Section I: The Rights and Responsibilities of the Candidate

Section II: The Rights and Responsibilities of the Initiate

Section II: The Rights and Responsibilities of Leaders, Teacher, and Mentors

Section IV: The Rights and Responsibilities of Orders, Lodges, and Magical Groups

Before Joining A Spiritual Organization A Candidate Has the Right To:

· Know the purpose for why the Order or group exists

· Know the oaths, obligations, and by- laws he/she may be responsible to make and adhere to upon initiation as well as what will be expected of them in terms of time, finances, resources, and loyalties

· Have any general questions regarding the group, its history, its workings, its materials, and its beliefs fully answered before initiation or admittance.

· Take as long as one requires before committing to join

· Be given proper reasoning in a compassionate manner if one is refused admission

· Have any financial obligations handled appropriately before joining

The Candidate Has the Responsibility To:

· Accept that certain information, including but not limited to the exact name of the group, is not available to non-initiates

· Fully understand that if one joins a secret, occult, or magical group that his/her involvement including the possible requirement of maintaining certain secrecies or obligations may affect one’s personal life, as well as others who are a part of one’s life outside the group such as spouses or children

· Understand all of the requirements of membership before joining (and ask for assistance if required in gaining this understanding)

· Engage in all appropriate research of the group and it's history so as to have an appropriate understanding of it's full reputation, purpose, and goals

· Gain a general understanding of the broader magical traditions through published literature and internet content to understand the many options available to one seeking a spiritual path and to use this knowledge to make an informed decisions about which magical/spiritual path to follow and/or which group may best serve the purpose of one’s path

· Inform, upon request, the history of one’s spiritual work thus far, so that one’s future mentors may have a better understanding of one’s level of understanding of the mystery traditions

· Take care of any financial obligations before accepting membership

· Begin to address any culturally instilled fear of magic or ‘the occult’ which may impede his/her connection with the group or one’s spiritual practice

· Fully contemplate the nature of following a magical path, living a magical life, and the responsibilities of being a part of a magical group

As a Member of a Spiritual Organization an Initiate Has the Right To:

· Be treated with respect and integrity, regardless of grade or background, as a member of the fraternity

· Fair and equal treatment regardless of age, race, religion, sexual preference, lifestyle, gender, disability or other difference in life circumstance

· Follow one’s religious path and private spiritual practice, and to develop themselves individually where desired and work beyond the set curriculum of the Order and to pursue complimentary paths of magical/spiritual practice as long as it does not violate the natural progression of the system one has chose to follow nor one’s oaths or obligations

· Know that the institution is functioning with financial and legal integrity, and know where any monies donated or requested are going, as well as to be given proof of such upon request

· Be given a copy of the group/Order’s constitution, rules, regulations, by-laws and other information concerning the administration and rulership of the Order, and to be informed promptly of any changes to these

· Be able to vote as an equal on Order matters as outlined in the Order’s constitution, rules, regulations, by-laws

· Have one’s personal, familial, work/school, or religious responsibilities and the required time needed for such outside of the group respected

· Have one’s level of comfort in ritual involvement, or level of service outside of what was informed of them upon entering the Order or group respected

· Autonomous decision making with respect to any ‘higher’, ‘received’ or ‘Third Order’ teachings

· Be free from sexual, spiritual, mental and financial abuse, bullying, exploitation or manipulation

· An Order free from the promotion of leaders’ or members’ business, politics, financial interests or promotion of lifestyle, sexual preference, religion or other spiritual group

· Be told and given the outline of training and method of progressing within the Order and the requirements for progress

· Raise objections and questions regarding leaders’ decisions they think are unethical or against the good of the Order, and to receive an answer in a timely and fraternal manner

· Have the ability to suggest changes to the method of Order administration, the Order’s constitution, rules, regulations and by-laws and have those changes discussed and voted or acted upon at the appropriate venue and time

· An Order free of slander, defamation, verbal and other abuse directed at members of the group or other Orders or magical groups or their leaders

· An Order that is free from activities that are illegal; nor should there be suggestions from Order leaders or members to engage in any illegal activities in the privacy of their own home

· An Order free of magical attempts to harm, hinder, control, dominate or attack any other person

· To uphold their Oaths and Obligations made to any Order or group, and never to be asked by the leadership of an Order or group to do anything contrary to those Oaths and Obligations. These are not limited to, but include, being asked or commanded to violate the Religious, Moral, or Civil Obligations of the Initiate

The Initiate Has the Responsibility To:

· Respect the Order, its members, teachers, symbols and teachings and to follow all requirements set forth and agreed upon before initiation

· Support other Order members in following their own religious and spiritual paths

· Request access to Order records only for genuine and serious reasons

· Read and study the Order’s constitution, rules, regulations, by-laws and other information concerning the administration and rulership of the Order

· Vote with consideration based on the ‘good of the Order’ and not upon the notion of fear or favour in regards to gaining or losing position, title, access to higher grade materials or personal gain in any other terms

· Be open to the Order’s teachings and those of individual teachers, evaluating them without bias or prejudice

· Support other member’s choices regarding any ‘higher’, ‘received’ or ‘third Order’ teachings.

· Treat other members with fraternity and love regardless of age, race, religion, sexual preference, lifestyle, gender, disability or other difference in life circumstance

· Protect other members from any sexual, spiritual, power or financial abuse, bullying, exploitation or manipulation

· Accept and welcome their group leaders as human and imperfect

· Contribute to the upkeep of the Order through equally shared resource and financial contribution to the best of one’s ability and to help support members of the fraternity on their path of spiritual development

· Refrain from judging other member’s level of ‘spiritual development’

· Keep secret and confidential all information they have obligated and agreed upon

· Work through the spiritual practices and lessons set by their teachers with respect, dedication and honesty and to not request advancement beyond what one has received until all obligations of one current and past grades or positions have been fulfilled

· Refrain from using magic to harm, hinder, control, dominate or attack any other person

· Not teach other members material or knowledge outside of their particular level of advancement nor share with them secret knowledge obtained in confidence

· Not engage in slander, gossip, or action against a brother or sister

· Understand that although one has the right to study complementary spiritual paths and practices that when being a part of a magical group, one may be required to fulfill particular obligations before becoming privy to higher teachings and, to know that if one should seek out these teachings before the allotted time, one may find themselves at spiritual risk of not fully understanding the consequences of working with more advanced levels of magics and entities involved.

· To apply common sense to any and all situations, both within and outside of the Order or Group that they are a member, and to have one’s decisions respected

· To pursue the Work with integrity, discrimination, patience, diligence, moderation, responsibility, self-sacrifice, and service to others

· To report any criminal offense should it be witnessed or brought to light that anyone within the group including its leadership is or has engaged in violations concerning theft, sexual misconduct, extortion of finances or otherwise and to request that if a person be proven guilty that he/she be appropriately reprimanded

· To honor and respect the Sacred Tradition and one’s True Self by behaving in a manner that is becoming of the Sacred Traditions not only in an Order setting, but also in one’s private and public involvements.

· To understand that the members of the Order or group including other members, leadership, mentors, or officers of the Temple have other obligations outside of the Order that may affect their own involvement and ability to perform duties

When Leaving an Order An Initiate Has the Right To:

· Leave freely at any time, for any reason

· State freely to the leaders why they are leaving

· Have their decision to leave met with respect by Order leaders and members and be free from any verbal or other retribution or malice directed at them, nor to be inappropriately pressured to stay

· In cases of great concern, to have their views relayed to the entire Order at the appropriate time and through the appropriate media

When Leaving an Order the Initiate Has the Responsibility To

· Accept the Order may wish to conduct an ‘exit interview’ or questionnaire to ascertain reasons for leaving, and to honestly answer these questions where possible

· Try and find replacements or alternatives for any duties the Initiate may have committed to in the near future and to appropriately resolve any financial obligations agreed upon by the Initiate

· To return to the Order any property, manuscripts, tools, rituals, robes, implements of office etc, that were loaned to the Initiate, and to destroy any items that the Initiate committed to destroy via oath or obligation, including any Order rituals the Initiate was obligated not to copy.

· To refrain from slander, defamation, verbal and other abuse directed at the Order, its leaders or members

· To maintain the oath and obligation of secrecy regarding the Order as laid out in the oath or obligation in the section pertaining to leaving the Order

· To act with integrity upon leaving by not revealing the identities of the members of the Order or group, not engaging in destructive acts upon its materials, instruments or places of worship or sacred spaces, not stealing or committing crimes against the institution, nor distributing on the internet or otherwise its teachings, grade materials, pictures of members, events, ritual tools, regalia, or places of sacred ground

A Teacher, Leader, or Mentor of an Order has the Right To

· Be treated with respect by all students and members of the Order

· Have responsibilities and a life outside of the Order and their teaching obligations, as well as to have their time and responsibilities respected

· Be given appropriate time to respond to student requests or questions

· Continue to be trained and taught by their mentors.

· Be given the needed materials and lessons needed to teach others in light of the Tradition of the group or Order.

· Be supported in their mentorship by other mentors and leaders.

· Be seen as another human being who still has faults and treated with compassion and support should he/she succumb to these faults

· Refuse advancement to students who have not met the requirements set forth by the organization or present and past grade levels and to ask for assistance in responsibilities given if one is unable to fulfil or complete them

A Teacher, Leader, or Mentor Has the Responsibility To

· Inform their students and their organization of time constraints , and the best or preferred way of contacting them when outside of Order functions

· Inform a student honestly if one’s knowledge in a certain area will not answer or fulfil their educational needs and to take the time to research to the best of their ability the answer to the question.

· Interact with all students and members in an appropriate manner, and with the highest sense of integrity never engaging in gossip, improper sexual advances, or other actions that would break the bonds of the sacred student-teacher relationship.

· Step down from position if displayed or un-displayed faults begin to interrupt the spiritual development of others or in any other way cause serious harm

An Order Has the Right To:

· Have its teachings and rules followed by members who have been properly informed of them and who have agreed and given oath to do so.

· Have its teachings, materials, secrecies, workings, members, and rituals protected.

· Have autonomy and not be controlled, threatened or defamed by another Order/Lodge or group or person within or without the Order.

· Not recognize grade, position, or title given to an Initiate by another group or Order nor is required elevate them to such position if an Initiate seeks admission into their Order.

· Ask that all responsibilities that were agreed upon before admission be fulfilled by the members of the group so that it may maintain proper functioning as an institution.

· Have the ability to reject membership by any person, or remove any member should they violate their oaths, engage in poor behaviour toward the Order, its’ Temples, or members, or engage in illegal activities which may harm the Order or any of its members.

· Create its own rules, regulations, by-laws, offices, and voting structure and to require that these guidelines be followed in agreement for admission.

An Order Has the Responsibility To:

· Maintain behavioural and legal integrity to its members as well as to other groups and Orders.

· Respect the teachings of other groups, even if their chosen beliefs or practices are not agreed with.

· To keep detailed records of finances, and distributions of monies and to share them with the members upon request if it is believed that ill practices regarding them are being set forth.

· Not claim to be the only path to salvation, enlightenment, the Mystery Traditions, spirituality, nor the only beneficiary of certain Currents, Energies, Knowledge, or Lineage that is known to be shared among the practices and beliefs of other groups.

· Not to engage in “member-poaching”; which is defined as the active recruitment of another Orders’ or groups’ members.

· Not misrepresent the functioning or purpose of an Order to those outside or seeking admission, to appropriately and honestly answer all questions pertaining to the Orders functioning and rule, and to bestow knowledge of vows, oaths and obligations that will be required of a candidate before admission into the group takes place.

· Not function as a business used for economic or personal gain of an individual or persons but instead to function as a school of spiritual enlightenment designed for the improvement of its members, unless otherwise stated to the members before admission takes place.

· Not to use threat or promise of elevated or demoted status, grade-advancement, secret teachings, defamation, or otherwise to manipulate, coerce or control a member or members to engage in any actions that are against his/her personal beliefs, vows, integrity, or outside responsibilities.

· Not to proclaim seniority or lineage over another group or Order, nor publicly defame or slander another group or organization or person’s within.

· Not to interfere with the internal workings of another group or organization nor attempt to create schism.

Interview with Ninevah Shadrach Part One

2011-08-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am happy and honored to present this wonderful interview with Ninevah Shadrach author of the newly released Encyclopedia of Magical Squares. Nineveh is an accomplished scholar,mage, and author. In this interview we discuss the ancient traditions of the Ruhaniat and it's influences on the Western Mystery traditions.

You have been a practitioner of Ruhaniat and the Golden Dawn, as well as a priest in the Order of Melchizedek and Marduk (Osiris). For those who may be unaware of what Ruhaniat is can you give us a brief description?

Ruhaniat is taken from the Arabic root Ruh, which means Spirit. Ruh is the exact same as the Hebrew word Ruach. Ruhaniat basically means all that pertains to the spiritual arts. This covers all kinds of familiar topics such as astrology, theurgy, geomancy, alchemy, and so forth. English has multiple words to describe the various kinds of magic out there. Arabic isn’t as precise. The word Sihr is used for everything from stage magic to the darkest form of the craft. This is why instead of using Sihr most Arabs prefer to use the word Ruhaniat to describe the esoteric field in general and that includes more positive approaches to magic.

What is the main force or principle behind Ruhaniat?

The main active agent in Ruhaniat that allows for metaphysical things to happen is identical in many ways with the Greek idea of pneuma or Hindu concept of prana. Everything in the universe is part of a great universal spirit. Each thing possesses its own Ruhaniah or spiritual emanation or intelligence. Often, these Ruhaniah are seen as both integrated with the thing as well as distinct. They have an intelligence to them that can be called forth, communicated with and enlisted to bring about effects. Doing so requires knowledge of the sacred properties of letters, numbers, planetary movements and even stones and plants to create a harmonic connection. This is why Ruhaniat often has a complex system of planetary and elemental correspondences. Ruhaniah stands often as a separate category from arwah or spirits, which can be either ghosts or disincarnate beings, jinn, an independent semi-physical race that competes with humans, or angels, beings of light operating as agents of the Creator. Ruhaniat has its roots in pre-Islamic Near Eastern mysticism and esoteric lore, which covers a tremendous amount of influence from the Babylonian (Sabian cults) and the Greek and Persian schools of thought. This is partly due to the translation of texts from pre-Islamic societies, as well as to the fact that many of the masters of this tradition either resided in North Africa or were originally from Mesopotamia or Persia.

Is there any relationship between Ruhaniat and the Golden Dawn?

From my study of Western literature, I would say that Ruhaniat has had an impact on the streams that formed the Golden Dawn and it isn’t as unfamiliar as most people suspect. Think of the Picatrix as a prime example of an important text through Western esoteric history, which is part of the corpus of Ruhaniat. Some of the influences are a bit more under the radar. For example, the word "Armadel" is a corruption of the Arabic "Almandel", a methodology of evocation and scrying. The number of Arabic grimoires on magic exceeds the Hebrew and English ones by at least ten fold. You can also see parallels and influences when looking at the adoption of the names of spirits. "Amaymon" the Goetic king is an easily identified corruption of the Arabic "Maymon", the jinn king of Saturn.

Geomancy is part of Ruhaniat, correct? How different is this from the Golden Dawn version?

It goes without saying that Geomancy, which originated in Arabia and North Africa, has found its way into Golden Dawn teachings, albeit in fragments. Comparing notes between classical variants and the version that the Golden Dawn uses, I found enough variations in correspondences, structure, and interpretation method. The figures are the same, but that is about it really. Based on what is available, I can’t imagine anyone getting that excited with Geomancy compared to the Tarot. The accuracy of Geomancy is totally underrated. I have seen a method in an Arabic source where a Geomantic reading was cast, the figures were converted to letters, and that answer spelled out the location of a missing person whose body was fished out from the Nile based on that info. Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming the Golden Dawn for this. On the contrary, I am thankful to them for keeping the basic principles alive in Western occult literature by integrating it into their system. They simply didn’t have much to work with from the original sources and had to rely on European literature like Agrippa’s.

It sounds like you are seeing a cultural barrier of some sort.

I think there does exists a kind of bias and blindness due to political, religious, and historical divide between the Muslim world and the Western world. The work of famous medieval Arabic astrologers has also had an impact on Western astrology and its development. Astrology seems to be more open about its influences and, like a football, keeps getting thrown from one culture to the next in its developmental states and everyone is just fine with that. There is the old Babylonian phase, the Hellenic phase, the Arabic phase, and so on.The same can’t be said for magic and other branches of the esoteric field. You don’t often see acknowledgement of the Arabic influences, which creates the sense of separation and distance and unfamiliarity. I remember someone drafting a history of magic and suffering from a 500-600 year empty space. He counted all kinds of various cultural influences on Western esoterica, but had this gap. I tried to explain to him there was no gap. That period was when the Muslim world had the magic ball and was expanding on its development before passing it on. Let’s take a look at planetary magic squares introduced in Agrippa’s book and then in various grades in the Golden Dawn. There is rarely mention of one of the oldest published sources on them, which is the work of Ahmed al-Buni in the early 12th century. In the end, the issue goes beyond the matter of acknowledging the contributions of another culture. It is about pointing students toward the source so they can go further than the fragments that made its way into their corpus. If al-Buni’s influence had been recognized, it would have led to more interest in the rest of his work; that would have even further enriched the Western Mystery Tradition and further empowered the magic of Western practitioners over the span of hundreds of years.

Do you really believe the Arabic influence has had such an impact on the Western Mystery Tradition?

I believe the impact varied over time. Obviously, there has been little direct influence for a long time. However, this has been changing and there has been a shift more and more toward exploring this stream as of late. Yet, historically this influence was present. This influence is acknowledged and given credit as far back as the Rosicrucian story, in which Christian Rosenkreuz studies under the wise men of Fez and Damkar and takes an Arabic master with him to found the society in Europe. We see this story play out again in the Golden Dawn. Even if people today were to ignore the narrative, it is still there like the story of Genesis in the Bible.
Later on the idea of the Arabic Master had its impact on Felkin of the Stella Matutina with his contact with the Arabian master Ara Ben Shemesh.

Here is what we know:

• Felkin came under influence of the “Sun Masters”, the fabled Secret Chiefs
• Around 1908 he came in contact with Ara Ben Shemesh (“Lion son of the Sun”)
• Ara Ben Shemesh belonged as one of the “Sons of Fire” inhabiting a Near Eastern “temple in the desert”, who had been given permission to contact and teach Western students.
• His appearance to Felkin was a shadowy presence and was later described by a clairvoyant as being in Arabian dress.
• He described himself as a Chaldean
• He was seeking someone to help him in uniting Eastern (Ruhaniat) and Western teaching.
• He promised to appear physically later and Felkin and his brethren waited for years for this master to show up in New Zealand and teach them great wonders. According to people familiar with the story, he never did.

Beside a historical anecdote about astral encounters, what does that mean to the average student of the Golden Dawn? There has been criticism of Felkin over this incident.

Let me defend poor Felkin’s reputation. He is often maligned for this particular incident by those that are overly dismissive or ignorant of the symbolism in question. I will now shed some light on this from the perspective of both Ruhaniat and Near Eastern mystery tradition. At its heart, the Golden Dawn is an Osirian order. As you correctly identified earlier in one of your questions, Osiris is the Egyptian rendition of the Akkadian Marduk, associated with the constellation of Orion. However, it dates back much farther. The Osiris cult was an importation of an older Sumerian religion. The mystery of the son of Enki known as Dumuzidabsu or Asari Murdug gave rise to Asar Unefer in Egypt. By the time of the Akkadian period, Asar remained as Asarluhi and, based on Semitic language rules, Murdug was transformed to Marduk (K in Akkadian was a substitute for the Sumerian G).

Why is this important?

For one, the title of Marduk was Mariutu (Son of the Sun). This wasn’t just his title, but the title of many of the old priests of Uruk. For example, Enmerkar, the builder of the temple of E-anna, was called Mariutu (son of the Sun) just like his father Ara Ben Shemesh being a Chaldean (another name for the Babylonian era) wouldn’t have had a Hebrew name. It would make sense that he was speaking to Felkin in a language that he himself understood as a mystical language. It is more likely that his Chaldean title was Mariutu. "Ara" means lion and in old Babylonian motifs, we see the powerful Goddess Ishtar riding on a lion. The metaphorical lion is none other than the mystical son figure whose identification as the lion makes its way later into the Christian religion with the conversion of the Assyrians into Christianity and, of course, is mentioned in the Old Testament. On the surface, the title “sons of fire” is a reference to the jinn, but there is more to it than that. Marduk’s alternate name is Gibil, which translates as Fire God. However, the word for fire and light here is the same. "Aur" means both fire and light. The narrative of the “children of fire” (Beni Aur) also appears in apocryphal literature in Israel, where it is translated as children of light. The double connotation of fire and light has its direct connection with the emanations of the Sun. All of this brings us right to the “secret chiefs” of the Golden Dawn, the Sun Masters. I have seen no compelling evidence to believe in the existence of “secret chiefs” specific to the Golden Dawn, human or otherwise. Of course, this in itself doesn’t negate their existence.Having said this, I do believe in the existence of “secret chiefs” of the entire spiritual teachings of humankind, esoteric and exoteric. This isn’t something that started with channeling in the early 1900s. Ruhaniat text dating to the Middle Ages makes mention of “asyad al-ruhaniah” (Masters of Ruhaniah). One such master is no other than Metatron, known in Arabic as “Sayed Metatron” or Master Metatron. Metatron is a later rendition (attribute wise) of Nabu, the son of Marduk, whose temple in Sumerian is called Ezida (House of Righteousness) connecting him directly with the Akkadian Kittu (Righteousness) the son of Shamash (Sun), in later Babylonian theology. There is another layer to this mystery, when you consider the belief in the Near East that stars are bodies of angels and a less known mystery connecting the souls of all living things emanating and returning to the vault of souls, which are part of the Ruhaniah of stars.I think if Felkin failed to understand something, it is that Ara Ben Shemesh, whoever he is really, was guided by the "Sun Masters" to use the GD as a vehicle, but that should the situation change, that vehicle would be abandoned and another found. Assuming, indeed, that Ara Ben Shemesh intended to return physically, since he was seen as a shadowy apparition, it is likely what Felkin saw was a jinn announcing or heralding the arrival through incarnation. In Ruhaniat, each human has a jinn qareen or companion from birth. These jinn often appear as shadowy figures. Of course, if such an incarnation was to occur, it would have been futile for Felkin to wait, since he couldn’t know when it would happen and the child still would have to grow up.
I want to emphasize that I am not a member of Whare Ra, nor affiliated with any of its members. I just wanted to show how understanding Ruhaniat can shed some light on such experiences within the Golden Dawn.

Can you tell us a little about the differences between Ruhaniat and the Golden Dawn?

This is a tough question as I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I can say that the aims are the same, many of the methods are in harmony, and that while Ruhaniat isn’t the father or mother of the Golden Dawn, it sure is it's distant uncle. However, where the familial lines break has less to do with the Golden Dawn itself, but more with the cultural situation as it exists in the world today compared to the ancient world. In other words, it is between Ruhaniat vs modern new age thinking, or modern magick.

Can you tell us a little about the differences between Ruhaniat and modern magick?

Another difference between old and new is the idea that all power comes from within. You see more and more people basically pushing the Creator out of the picture altogether and making it all about us manifesting our own creation. Many old teachers of Ruhaniat argued that this was the danger of sorcery or association with the lower world denizens. One sign they warned against was that of letting power get into your head and feeling like you’re on equal footing with the Creator and attributing all gains to your own personal power. They saw that more with sorcerers and less with Ruhaniat practitioners and noted that. I should mention that I am using sorcery here in the Arabic sense to identify those who work with lower world denizens and seek to gain power over others. In Ruhaniat, the powers were always seen as having come from the Creator as a gift and blessing to help one spiritually and to benefit one’s community.There are differences between Ruhaniat and the styles of magic strongly influenced by Crowley. Crowley’s Aiwass would have been identified easily as an Ifrit (a class of jinn) by most practitioners of Ruhaniat, and the message and teachings he infused into magic bear hallmarks of that influence and not just Crowley’s own genius. In modern times, magical practices and objectives are considered more and more to be primarily a combination between mental imagination and pure human will unified to cause reality to conform to one’s personal will.This flies in the face of the teachings of Ruhaniat, which sees the craft as a direct tool to unveiling the barriers between the human consciousness and the realm of pure spirit. It was likened to soap, a tool to purify and cleanse the human soul and psyche and bring it to a state of spiritual perfection.The practitioners of Ruhaniat were also practical people and used their craft to help others on a physical level. The idea of high and low magic didn’t exist as it is understood today. There was nothing unspiritual about improving your life materially. High and low were associated in older Arabic literature with the realm of the Gods (angels, heaven, etc.) and the realm of the underworld (dead, lower jinn, demons, etc.) This brings me to another point, which I think is becoming exceedingly unpopular in today’s pop-occultism world. You didn’t dance between both worlds back in the day. You chose to align yourself with either. Psychologically, we all want to balance and deal with our shadow self and not suppress it, but transmute it. However, Ruhaniat deals with objective spirits and, as such, they advised shifting back and forth. The lower jinn were harmed or made uncomfortable by the presence of the upper world denizens. Contrary to modern conceptions of banishing at will and evoking at will, you always had one or two such beings as your companion to help you out once you got started. The opposite side is that celestial or upper world beings required a certain level of purity elevation and were turned off by regular companionship with beings from lower worlds. Finally, Ruhaniat makes no distinction between magic and mysticism. In Ruhaniat mystical practices were often integrated into all facets of the craft ranging from prayer and fasting, to solitary retreats in darkness, engaged in chanting hymns and mantras. Ruhaniat is also strict about its dietary requirement of veganism during spiritual practices and admonishes its practitioners to even avoid looking at meat and slain animals when going through extended meditations. You don’t need to be a vegan all the time of course, but I know for me, my spiritual practices lead me to vegetarianism as a daily life choice. The re-integration of mysticism and spiritual discipline of a devotional level with magic and esoteric thought is what often gets most modern Western practitioners to experience a kind of mental computation error. Many have come to think of magic as a form of mental creation backed by will and most prefer not to have structure in their styles of magic; instead they like to create their own rituals. Ruhaniat would be a challenge as it requires consistent structured practice and discipline.

Can you give me an example of how a Ruhaniat ritual would differ from more modern methods?

Sure! Let’s say you want to consecrate a talisman. It takes time and preparation to just figure out the proper square that goes on it, the planetary timing (not just day and hour), and the consecration can take up to 40 days. You don’t project your own energy at it, but bring the energy from the macro universe and animate it like a golem. You want it to give you what you don’t possess, so you attract forces greater than yourself to it.

So, what makes this a better path for the average person?

It all boils down to efficacy. In the more popular modern methods, you often have to rely on faith that your work has done something. Frequently, the talisman is infused by your own will and energy, so it doesn’t have any more than what you can produce. If you are good, it may have energy, but it requires that you be psychic or intuitive to know that it has anything to it. In the Ruhaniat method, the talisman is placed on a tripod, and then it spins on its own – yes, on its own - and once it’s charged its energy is often physically tangible to random people. Some might report a feeling of their hand on fire or outright electrical shock from touching it. These are not the reactions of occultists, though I have had occultists have equally shocked reactions, which always amuses me, because they should know better. I’ve had family members visit where I asked them to close their eyes and first placed magical talismans on their hands and then normal objects without telling them what I was doing, and their reaction was amusing to behold.

This was part one of my interview with Nineveh...stay tuned for part two!

Azoth or The Star In The East- Commentary Part 1

2011-06-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

"I knew on a very deep level that this was a Sacred Art"

Alchemy is known as the Royal Art. It is an art in the sense that it calls forth both the creative and destructive forces within. It stimulates both the inner and the outer, and gives a greater meaning to that which at first glance may seem worthless or trite. It opens the world like a book to the hungry reader and tells a magnificent tale of worlds outside, within, and surrounding our own. It is Royal or Noble in that it repels any superfulous influence. Its is a path of purity, of higher status for the soul trapped in a muddied world, one that places the crown of immortabilty on anyone who would undergo its trials and blessings. It is spoken of in Greek Myth and in Spiritual Allegory. In fact, I would say that it is the only Art. Truly every spiritual tradition, every system of High Magic, every mystical teaching is only an extension of the process of alchemy The transmutation of the soul from the state of unknowingness and plumbous nature of lead to that of the perfected, incorruptable, and auriferous nature of gold. To elevate oneself from the imperfect to the perfect, to be a vessel which holds the essence of the All, and can with a touch turn other things imperfect into their exhalted counter-parts...that is the nature of the mystical life, the spiritual life. To those who seek the Royal Path I offer a commentary on portions of Azoth or the Star of the East. It's purpose to offer a bridge for your own research and development in the Great Work for you will see that alchemical texts draw from many, many sources and it is the work of the alchemist to delve into each mystery slowly uncovering its source and its meaning, digesting it and making it apart of oneself. And as I am a student always and forever I welcome any commentary from fellow alchemists and mystics alike. May we all move forward together in the Great Work. I hope this short blog is helpful and interesting. I will be off on a spiritual journey for a few weeks time, so this one is short but when I return I shall continue with Part II.

Nosce te Ipsum

Soror FSO

Preface.

In the books of the old physical Mystics, who conducted the experiments of transmutation and investigated the possibility of Nature in the world of metals and minerals, we find frequent reference to an all-permeateing and sublimating principle, which of the many forces deal with or referred to in occult chemistry appears most potent and most universal.

metals and minerals- refers to a more advanced stage of alchemy usually partaken of only after mastery of the

vegetable/herbal realm in which one has completed the "vegetable stone" known as the Minor Opus. This is the process of balancing and purifying the elements within through seperation and recombination. This work corresponds to the work of the Outer Order in the Golden Dawn taking one from Malkuth to the threshold of Tiphareth as well as to the world of Yetzirah and its effects on the astral body. The mineral work corresponds to the permanent psychic changes that are made in Briah, the Inner Order work and the spheres of Tiphareth, Geburah, and Chesed.

all-permeating;all-evading- Azoth is effective in all planes and for all times

sublimating-the spiritualization of matter; purification, the raising of one's vibrational energy. In chemistry this corresponds to the process of transition from a solid to gas with no liquid phase in between. Sublimation begins with the removal of the superfulous so that the purest parts remain possessing only the quality of the spirit, the term sublimation can also refer to the creation of the astral body.

It is the 'essential and final principle of the Great Work; its analogies in the intelligible order are to be found in the Divine Will; it is, allegorically speaking, the hand of God in Nature, and therefore in its symbolical aspect, as the outward sign of a withdrawn and unattainable potency; it has not been inappropriately designated the God of the Sages.

intelligible- denoting the metaphysical ream which is accessible to the intellect as opposed to the world of phenomena accessible only to the five senses. According to Pythagoras there are two worlds the sensible and the intelligible, the latter has the Monad as an originating principle. Plato also expounded on the intelligble world using his "Divided Line" analogy, a quick summery which can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy_of_the_divided_line

This force is the alchemical Azoth, The Catholicon, Magnesia, The Sperm of the World, Mercury, and the "Universal Medicine of Things, endowed with the most intent and concentrated virtue.

Azoth- The Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End, formed from the first and last letters of the hebrew alphabet Aleph-Tav

Catholicon- a remedy for ills

Magnesia-the "white" or "red" magnesia, the "magnet of Jah", the attractive principle of Divine Wisdom. This 'magnet' is also the power of attraction which establishes the orbits of the planets and the astronomical order of the heavens ( we hear this echoed in the Zelator initiation "He has bound Man with the Stars as with a chain. He allures him with Scattered Fragments of the Divine Body in bird and beast and flower, and He laments over him in the Wind and in the Sea and in the birds".\) It is the matter of the Stone. It "yields to nothing but love because generation is her aim and this is never accomplished through violence" The Sperm of the World from which all things are naturally generated, she (Magnesia) is of a middle nature (the Reconciler)

"It contains within itself" says the Book of the Wood of Life, "all other Medicines, as well as the first principle of all other substances, their accidents excluded. Unto this all things are alike; it uncovers every species, and imparts and immense streangth and catholic, central virtue.

catholic- universal

accidents-The nine accidents are quality, quantity, relation,action, passion, time, place, disposition, rainment. Accident was a term used by Pythagoras to describe a quality that was not apart of something's inherent nature (substance). For example a dog is a dog whether it is black or white. Therefore the dog is the substance, and the color is its accident. When the substance and accidents are reconciled together they form the one title, the perfect number, iota (10) (Matt 5:18: Verily I say unto you, till the heaven and earth pass away, one iota, or one title may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass). The iota is associated with the letter Yod-Hand in the hebrew alphabet. It is also associated with Virgo and The Hermit in the Tarot. (refer to the previous reference as Azoth being the hand of God in Nature)

And The Winner Is...

2011-06-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

The American Breast Cancer Association i.e "Save the Tatas" so precociously left on my facebook wall, and in my opinion a very worthy cause. I think we'll have to do this again sometime!

Thank you everyone who participated in the donation fun!

In Gratitude To You Reader...A Donation to Charity.

2011-06-10T10:39:00.001-07:00

Well, I was getting ready to start a blog expounding on some of the mysteries I came across in Waite's book Azoth or The Star of the East, but when I logged onto my blog today I saw that I had 100 followers! Now this may not seem like a lot in comparison to other blogs (or even in the scheme of popular written works) but to me it is a great honor that 100 people would want to read my thoughts, poems, papers, and ramblings. When I began this blog it was a way for me to solidify my thoughts, to get feedback on my opinions, magical practices esoteric research etc., and although it has accomplished these things, it also has become a blessing to me in so many other ways. Since starting this blog I have met so many wonderful people, I have been able to share in so many discussions, and learn so much from the great minds who include their input here and via others blogs. I have been able to witness the Great Work in action amongst those in the community who truly dedicate themselves to spiritual development, and have been inspired over and over again by what I have read and seen. Don't fool yourselves...you may think that the Golden Dawn community is full of drama, and bad-mouthing, and slander, but this is such a samll portion of what is truly represented by the people in our community and in the blogosphere. You are all amazing and inspiring people. I never expected to learn so much and be so blessed. I would just like to say thank you...to all of you who read my blog, to all of you who leave their feedback, and to all of you who've become such great friends and colleagues because of it.

So I ask you to please celebrate with me! I will be donating $100 to a charity. Please leave your suggestion below or on my facebook account and in two days I will put them all in a hat and choose one at random, and let you guys know what charity is the winner! Only one paper per charity will be put in the hat.

Again thank you guys so much...and I promise I will be putting that commentary on Waite's book up in a few days...I really want to give everyone a chance to submit their suggestions.

Pax Profundi,

Nosce te Ipsum.

VH Soror FSO

Favorite Quotes

2011-05-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.-- Albert Einstein

Don't follow any advice, no matter how good, until you feel as deeply in your spirit as you think in your mind that the counsel is wise. -- David Seabury

It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him. -- Abraham Lincoln

Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. - Chinese Proverb

Nature is too thin a screen; the glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere..-- Emerson

Seriousness makes inflexible that which should remain flexible, the heart, the mind, and the spirit. Inflexibility causes the hardening of constructs, and the feeding of the ego that should instead be molded by the Divine daily. - Rachael Miller

Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him. -- Epictetus

Virtue means doing the right thing, in relation to the right person, at the right time, to the right extent, in the right manner, and for the right purpose. Thus, to give money away is quite a simple take, but for the act to be virtuous, the donor must give to the right person, for the right purpose, in the right amount, in the right manner, and at the right time.-- Aristotle

The world is a dangerous place to live;
not because of the people who are evil,
but because of the people who don't do
anything about it.. -- Albert Einstein

As the earth bears all that cast upon it, both the pure and the impure, and feels no resentment nor rejoicing, so shall you receive favors and rebuffs alike, with indifference. --Zen Proverb

Of other men, make him your friend, who is most distinguished by virtue. - Pythagoras

And when, after having thrown aside thy body, thou comest to the realms of the most pure ether. Thou shalt be a god, immortal, incorruptible.- Pythagoras

Only For Believers! Preparing For The Rapture!!!!

2011-05-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: If you do not like satirical, dry, or otherwise slightly offensive humor DO NOT READ! This is meant purely for purposes of humor, nothing less, nothing more.)

That's right folks! St. Theresa is about to be joined by a whole lotta believers! Can you say partaay?! I'm sure no one likes to be getting their rapture on alone...but not to worry, this once in a life-time event is upon us! Now for such an occasion many of you may be wondering "What should I be doing over the next 24 hours to prepare for this glorious event?" Well I have prepared a list for you so that you can spend the next day taking care of and doing what's most important.

1. Don't Do Anything That Will Ruin Your Chances of Ascension! - Please don't mock" The Believers" and for Pete's Sake, don't sin! In fact, you better take you sinful butt down to Church right now, and get a Confession! Bringing the Priest milk and cookies might better your chances as well...

2. Have Sex! And Lots of It!- Of course, only if you enjoy the sanctity of marriage, if not refer to #1. But seriously folks you better take the day off of work and get some nookie now, who knows if you can get it in the after-life. I mean the last time humans and angels copulated we got the Nephalim and as Borat would say that "Was Notta So Good!" So, I'm pretty sure there's going to be a hands off policy.

3.Go Shopping!- Hell yeah! Run up those credit cards! Get what you want! The only things that will be left over after the Rapture are sinners and looting, so the credit card companies are going to be screwed anyway. Hey just call me and we'll go on a shopping spree, I just got a 30% off coupon in the mail for Kohl's, more savings = more things you won't be able to take to the Pearly Gates, but hey you've only got one day to get that mixer you've always wanted.

4. Pack For The Rapture!- Essentials include but are not limited to, portable harp, baby-wipes, hand-sanitizer (You better not clasp the hand of St. Peter with dirty fingers!) lavender-filled neck pillow (it might be a long trip), toothbrush, your ENTIRE collection of True Blood ( Blue-Ray preferred), and of course as mommy always told you, clean undies. I will also be bringing my kitty cat with, cause I just think she'll look super cute with angel wings!

5. Make Amends- Yes, I know your b*tch Trigonometry teacher gave you a "C", but this is no time to be slamming that cool glass of Hater-Aid, or taking a ride on the Ele-hater for that matter. No, you're gonna have to suck it up on this one or else be left here on this retched planet with her! You've spent that last semester dealing with her crap, you certainly don't want to spend the rest of eternity with her now do you? Send her some flowers or something with that credit card you won't be paying on and get extra eternity points!

6. Ladies, Put On Some Make-up and Get Yur Hair Did!- You've already seen the effects on your husband when he comes home from a hard day at work and you're still hanging out in that horrible fuzzy-teal robe your mother in law got you for Christmas. Mmmhmmm. Girl, you need to freshen up! It's not everyday that the real bridegroom comes to claim his wife, so get those highlights done and your nails pedicured up. After you're done refer to number 2 on the list, then number 1 (if you're living in sin), and then re-freshen up by lighting the oil lamps, applying a little lip gloss and spritzing on a little Eau De Salvation. Now you're ready for the rapture and never looked better!

7. Burn all your Sh*t!- You don't want those sinners looting your stuff post-rapture and getting all your goodies. No, they deserve the pits of hell, not Gramma's bone china. About 5:00 pm (because we all know the rapture starts promptly at 6:00) start a bonfire and start dancing! Or on second thought, don't! We don't want to be mistaken for those icky pagans dancing around praising Satan and such. Better to go back inside and start counting up your salvations points, just in case you need to quick run back to Church and see the Priest again.

8. Say Thank You! - I better not see you at the Pearly Gates acting like you belong their O.K. ! Humilty is key here. Make sure you say please and thank you, and if you want to go the extra mile take some soot from you bonfire and smear it all over...not you of course ladies, you don't want to mess up your hair, we can leave the dirty work for the men.

To Share In Love and Light...

2011-05-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

There is a man whom I've never formally met. This man, who lives thousands of miles away from me, whom I've never even spoke to on the phone has cystic fibrosis. It is a disease that causes mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive track. It's very serious and often leads to early death.

A few years ago, my little brother passed away. He was only fifteen and suffered a sudden brain aneurysm. It was a terrible and unexpected tragedy, but it was through this tragedy that I came to know Kenneth. Kenneth is a recipient of my brother's lungs. As I said, I have never personally met him. My mother has. In fact she has remained relatively close to him and his wife over the past few years, as they lived in the same state. Kenneth was the only recipient who ever contacted my mother. He even took the opportunity to visit her after she moved away from Michigan and was living by herself in Georgia for awhile, trying to heal. Those two things alone made it quite apparent that Kenneth appreciates every moment he is given and wishes to give back in return. To see a person reach out to a woman whom he has never known or never met where it is the trend to stay away, is the type of person I would want to be if such tragedy ever befell me. To go beyond the self to help the life of another, is one of the most profound mystical values that I hold dear. And as far as leading that type of life, although not a Rosicrucian, or most likely a mystic in anyway...Kenneth inspires me.

A few weeks ago, Kenneth's body started to reject the transplant and they placed him on a new donor list.

A few days ago, only after a few short weeks of waiting, they took him off the donor list and decided to transfer him to hospice.

I have never met Kenneth...only spoken to him via Facebook, but one thing I absolutely know is that he has a wonderful soul.

He is as kind as his soul is wonderful. He loves life. He likes awesome dorky stuff like old He-Man cartoons, Cannibal the Musical, Jeeves and Wooster, Lord of the Rings, and Monty Python. He enjoys photography and film-making.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that some things should be left alone. This is not one of those times. Something inside me is speaking, pleading, begging me to do something. Something is telling me that even if it is just the act of giving energy to man whom I have never met, that energy, those thoughts, that love which can be felt and shared from one human being to another is extensively needed. Until further notice of change in the situation I will be preforming a continuous vigil. When my mind is not on other tasks I will place it into prayer. When I am not preforming other duties I will be working consistently with the One. I am writing this because I see no point in having a blog... having a voice, and not using it for the good of others. Everyone of us as mystics has a voice and we have honed it to be powerful. We have and are continuously honing it to speak the Word, the listen to the Word, and to bring the Will of the Word into existence....to share its essence.

Many of you in the community joined me in healing rights for the Earthquake/Tsunami in Japan, as well for the healing of Haiti. It touched me deeply to see the community so bonded in healing. And although part of me feels a little imposing asking this, my soul cries out to say, will you join me in sending Healing, Love, and Light to Kenneth Staunton and his family? For a few minutes a day could I ask of those of you who read my blog to do a special prayer, ritual, or devotion for this man who has lead such an inspiring life? In return I will be hosting a special healing list every month. I will open it up to requests from blogs, facebook, twitter, e-mail etc. If you have a name to be added I will place it on the list and every month preform a special rite. I will keep you updated on any new that comes my way concerning this situation.

Nosce Te Ipsum,

Soror FSO

Gamma Frequency Oscillations Connected To Perceptual Binding/Consciousness

2011-04-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

The study of human consciousness and perception has traditionally been ignored amongst the hard sciences due to its subjective and therefore assumed un-measurable nature. Studying the subjective aspects of the human condition has traditionally been left to the softer sciences of psychology and sociology and even considered to be more in the realm of philosophy and religion. However, recent applications of quantum physics, chaos theory, neurosciences, and even plasma, fluid, and solid state dynamics have opened the door to studying the subjective aspects of the mind and what have been termed the “neural correlates of consciousness”. Proposals for a theory of consciousness have ranged from quantum approaches applied to microtubules (Orch-OR Theory; Penrose and Hammeroff) and ion channels (Bernroider) to electromagnetic theories (Vitiello, Frohlich) and even the application of chaos theory to algorithms produced in the brain (Vandervert). Most proposals have subsequently been disproven by empirical data showing that the thermal temperatures present in the brain could not harbor the quantum effects suggested coupled with their inability to explain how the human mind combines a wide-range of stimuli into coherent experiences (the binding problem). Just as well, “mind as computer” theories are harshly debated in the scientific community with little scientific evidence correlating said theories with the exquisite nature of neural functioning. However, recent studies in gamma frequency oscillations and their corresponding neural correlations seem to be filling in the blanks that have traditionally made studying consciousness and perception so difficult. This blog will discuss the findings of these studies, the bio-physical correlates and the effects of gamma oscillations on coherency and perception within the brain.

In the last two decades advances in neuroscience and the use of electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) techniques have solidified the observation that brain regions communicate by synchronizing the firing of neurons. The rhythmic input that is produced in the extracellular field potential results in brain oscillations represented by delta (0–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), beta (12–30, Hz) and gamma (30–200 Hz) frequencies respectively. Previously thought to be a bi-product of waking, sleeping, and dreaming states, research in the past two decades has uncovered the possibility of these frequencies (especially those in the gamma range) representing a more causal roles in normal cognitive processes including memory, attention, perceptual binding and the experience of consciousness. Experimental data shows that gamma oscillations become highly correlated during different perceptual tasks amongst long-range neural networks which may lead to the creation of a unified field of perception.

Initial experimentation by Singer and Grey (1989) analyzing the visual cortex of cats presented with moving bars of varying orientations produced results showing that gamma oscillations work to synchronize inter-columnar input in the cortex when the bars were perceived. During a cycle of gamma frequency oscillations the neurons in different parts of the cortex fired “in phase” (i.e at the same time) leading to the proposition that gamma oscillations helped to “bind” different aspects of the scenery and convey a unified representation (Williams 2010). Further studies have found that the firing of cells in the visual cortex and elsewhere can become highly correlated over distances of many millimeters during perceptual tasks (Robinson 2007). Most studies of cortical network dynamics have focused on “random wiring” or “neighborhood couplings” however, recent studies point to more complex state of activity by utilizing local and long-range “patchy connections” (horizontal connections). Patchy projections seem to provide an exceptionally efficient way of wiring, as the resulting networks use significantly reduced wiring costs. Furthermore,” the eigenvalue spectra, as well as the structure of common in and output of the networks suggest that different spatial connectivity patterns support distinct types of activity propagation” (Voges 2009). In particular, the existence of strong two-point correlations in inter-columnar processing was closely associated with the oscillatory behavior in the gamma range. Two-point correlations of firing rates or local field potentials often show peak near-zero-time lag, even amongst easily detectable axonal conduction delays between the cells of interest. Correlations between cells are found to be highest when subjects are called upon to use similar preference features (line orientation, ocular dominance, etc.) and lessened as the disparity of presented stimuli increased (Robinson 2007). In cases where multiple stimuli were presented simultaneously, neural-cells partitioned off in “highly correlated groups each of which corresponded to one stimulus with little correlation between groups” (Robinson 2007). In comparison, the arousal of the same cells when presented with only one stimulus resulted in activity amongst all cells. Although changes in gamma activity were found to be statistically insignificant when a stimulus was perceived and not perceived, the level of correlation of gamma activity increased dramatically between cells depending upon the type of stimulus perceived (i.e multiple or singular). Mean-field theory, normally applied to fluid, static, and plasma physics presents working formulae which show how mm-scale patchy connections can support the properties of gamma oscillations with the proper frequencies needed for spatial structure even when motivated by uncorrelated points. These occur via resonances associated with the periodic modulation of the network connections rather than being due to single-cell properties.

Building on the initial experiments of Singer and Grey, experiments by Bartos et al (2007) found that cortical and thalamic regions display accelerated sub-threshold gamma oscillations of neuronal membranes. Synchronization of these rhythmic movements were shown to be facilitated by intra-laminar neurons which fire rhythmic spike bursts in the gamma frequency range and exhibited wide-spread cortical projections . Experiments focusing on the hippocampus of mice in the temporal lobe showed that gamma oscillations arise from the precise interplay of the action potential ﬁring of excitatory glutamatergic pyramidal neurons and inhibitory GABAergic inter-neurons. Consequently, alternating pairs of current sinks and sources occur in the tissue, which require enhanced Na+/K+- ATPase activity to restore ionic gradients and to maintain excitability. ATPases enzymes are responsible for catalyzing the decomposition of adenosine trihosphate (ATP) in the andesonine diphosphate (ADP) and a free phosphate ion. Dephosphorylation reactions are responsible for the release of energy which is used to drive other chemical reactions. The local ATP consumption in neurons is rapidly counterbalanced by mitochondria via oxidative phosphorylation, mainly in response to changes in substrates and intracellular Ca2 +. The process requires sufficient glucose and O2 supply as well as proper activities of mitochondrial enzymes.

Results obtained by experimentation of gamma wave frequency oscillations and perception emphasize that neural synchrony does not require temporally synchronous inputs, but can be instead draw from a variety of seemingly non-related stimuli. Activated patchy connections in turn help to compose seemingly unrelated events and perceived objects into a coherent perception. It is also apparent that the fundamental cause for gamma oscillation synchrony is governed by the network eigenmode rather than single cell properties (although mean cellular characteristics determine wave properties) and correspond to biological functions in the brain such as ion gradients and enzyme catalyzation. Further exploration of these topics may lead to greater discoveries in brain functioning, neuro-degenerative diseases, and how the neural correlates of consciousness may function. They also show that consciousness and perception both have the ability to be studied empirically and that resulting data is significant in understanding the functioning of the brain, deepening bio-physical concepts, and understanding how humans process information.

Nosce te Ipsum,

Soror FSO

Your Soul For A Trinket?

2011-04-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Someone from another Order contacted a student of mine a few days ago and offered to "make him an Adept", "give him students" and a few other unmentionable trinkets to join their Order.

Yes, I suppose I could be upset that there is someone out there trying to "member steal", but honestly I believe that a person should be allowed to choose whatever Order they'd like to be apart of. In fact, when my Order split from the EOGD we told our students just that...you must make your own decision and we will not get in the way of what you choose.

What did upset me however was the offer to bribe a student to join their Order by "making them an Adept". Call me "out of line" but since when does becoming an Adept come with a bribe? If C.R. hadn't most likely been lifted into the heavens he could very well be rolling over in his Vault right now!

All of my students know that when they come to me I will offer complete honesty. So what did I say? Well I asked him these questions...

Do you want to be in their Order because that it your decision to make. (no need to tell me this answer)

How important is it to you to become and Adept?

Do you want to become an Adept in Spirit and because of the growth it brings, or do you want to become and Adept for the sole purpose of having the title of Adept and some idea of authority and power over students?

(My student answered that he wants to become an Adept in the truest sense, and that he in fact did not want to be a part of the other Order)

Being an Adept is a sacred calling. It is a way of living. You cannot be bribed into true Adepthood, just as you cannot be bribed into enlightenment. It happens through hard work, perseverance and commitment. It comes with integrity, honesty, loyalty and devotion to the Divine. Just because you are given the title of an Adept does not make you one. "But most Adepts haven't made it to 'Adepthood' you might say, and they have the tile V.H. ____yes this is true. But those who have been made Adepts through the proper requirements have also gone through a significant amount of alchemy. Becoming initiated as an Adept means that you are ready for a life-long commitment, that you are committed to enduring the trials of the ego, and that you are ready to think not of yourself, but of others and the betterment of the world.

If one enters into Adepthood because he/she has been bribed into it, what energy do you think that will bring to his/her development? Does it represent the ideals spoken of above? Not only is bribing someone with a title of Adept a grave offense to what it stands for, but it is a grave offense to the student and to the Divine. Being an Adept is a state of mind, a commitment to development. How can you offer a role which represents the utmost in spiritual devotion to the Divine in a way that wreaks of such dishonor?

How can you guide the innocents onto a path of selfishness, conceit, and an addiction to power, when they have entered onto a path seeking enlightenment, fulfillment, and a true relationship with the Divine? The very thought of it is an anti-thesis to the calling of an Adept.

On top of that you have to think about the quality of people who are joining your Order if they are open to"incentives". Do you think they will be loyal to you and stay for the long haul? These will be people who will require that you give them things in return for their service, and as soon they are not getting the grade material that they want, the position that they want, or the power that they want they will leave (unless you can find some other way to manipulate them) Let's say you actually convince someone to join your Order this way and they actually believe that they will reach enlightenment faster by "all of a sudden" becoming an Adept. What will happen when they see that the Current is lacking, and find themselves amongst individuals who are selfish and power seeking? Their stay will be short-lived because you cannot offer them the Truth that you are seeking. So in the end you will have a group of people that will be like a house of cards...ready to fall at the slightest bit of trouble.

Nosce te Ipsum,

Soror FSO

Spiritual Parenting Part 1

2011-04-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

My little one has just turned four. Ahhhh...my wondrous little Aries, so full of joy and curiosity. I can't help but think about how much he has changed me over the years, and then, on the other hand what my role is in helping him to grow up an enlightened soul. Unfortunately, most people don't think about these things, most parents it seems, are more concerned with having a child who behaves and ends up being financially successful in life. Even more unfortunate they will base a child's esteem and worthiness on these two factors. Now, I am not here to judge, these are things which are deeply ingrained in our society, but the spiritual parent has an obligation to go beyond these factors and to help their child to develop and deeper sense of awareness of themselves, of other people, and of the world.

To give help a child to attain the skills which will lead to the perfection of their souls later on in life (when they are old enough to make their own decisions about their soul's path), is the greatest gift a parent can bestow. So, what are these "gifts", what actions can a parent can take to help their child to attain these higher states of awareness later on? Well, first let me state that it is up to each parent to contemplate their own lives, the lessons they have learned, and the experiences that they have had which have helped them to grow to a greater understanding of who they are, and then to translate this into how they raise their child. But of course I would love to share with you those things which I have learned and have experienced that I feel gives children a great start in these areas...and will not only ultimately help to lead to more developed souls but consequently also then help to feed these other areas of success and good behavior which are so important in our society. This knowledge comes from my training in psychology, the time when I was a nanny, the times when I was a yoga and martial arts instructor for children, and of course from my own experience as a mother. I am not saying these are the end all be all of tips, but they are what I have found works well. I hope you enjoy, and of course I always appreciate your comments. (I will be writing this blog in a few parts for time's sake).

1.Self-esteem: Self-esteem is very important to a child, not because it makes a child feel good or bad, but because it helps a child to define who they are and what their place is in the world. Humans do not finish fully developing their "frontal lobe" until their late teens/early twenties. The frontal lobe governs the function of understanding others thoughts and feelings and the world around them. These are skills that as a mystical parent we want to instill in our children...the ability to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others. As a child, the frontal lobe is fairly undeveloped still so children look towards positive reinforcement to help then to understand if what they are doing is good and bad, if they are cared for, how they fit into the world, and how their behavior affects others. By teaching your child proper habits, not only will your child begin to develop these concepts much faster than most, but practicing them will actually help their little brains grow!

Self-esteem boils down to one concept... respect. Respect is not something that is often considered when it comes to children. Traditionally, people are of the opinion that adults are to be respected while children are to keep their place and 'Do as they are told'. But, I will tell you from what I have witnessed as a teacher and parent that a child, although they may not be able to verbalize or understand the concept, do understand respect on some level. They know that parents are to be respected, and in turn look for clues that they are respected as well. This is natural, because we are their examples, so in order to feel as if they are apart of the world, they look to how you are treated, and how you act, and attempt to see if this is reflected in their world. To a child, knowing that he or she has mutual respect from a parent affects how they view themself, their performance in school, and their willingness to do what is asked of them. In fact, many people think that success in activities (school, sports, social-life etc.) leads to a good self-esteem, but in fact knowing that regardless of how one performs that they will still be loved and respected leads to good self-esteem, and thus gives one the confidence to continue to keep trying and learning until they have mastered those activities.

In a sense, what we are talking about is developing the notion that one should treat others as they themselves would like to be treated. Yes, you should look at the day to day situations you are involved in with your child and ask yourself how you should act and how you would want to be treated. For example, if you would like your child to develop the habit of good manners, then it is important to use good manners yourself, not only when speaking to others, but also when speaking to your child. If you want him to say "please" and "thank you" then, when asking your child to do something or get something, you should also say "please" and "thank you" to your child. The "do as I say, not as I do" mentality A.) does not show mutual respect for a person and B.) is not enough to help a child to develop a good habit. Instead he sees that it is fine to say these things in some instances, but not others...so when is it appropriate and when is it not? Well for a child, who can't contemplate this, he doesn't know...so instead you are gifted with erratic behavior. However, if both you and your child use good manners at home and outside of the home on a consistent basis then not only will that habit be ingrained in the child, but he feels as if he is apart of the world, and also experiences the positive effects of using good manners from his interaction with others. All of these help him/her to develop a greater sense of self and a greater sense of others. These two things are key to concepts of spirituality such as compassion and humility. Other areas which help with this concept are

1. Letting your child help you with household activities such as cooking and laundry. For example let him or her help you put laundry in the washer, or mix up the cake batter. Being able to help with the house-hold activities helps them to feel as if they are apart of the family unit, teaches responsibility, and gives greater personal confidence. 2. Giving your child "choices", this not only gives you the ability to set boundries but also gives them the ability to think for themselves. It's a perfect example of the balance that can be attained between these two concepts. For example, saying that "It's cold outside so no you cannot wear your spring sandles", but then giving them a choice of what warm outfit to wear, helps them to feel that they are still important and keeps the rules intact. Also saying things like "Would you like to put away your toys or go to time out?" rather than "Put your toys away or you will go to time out" gives them the opportunity to learn to start making proper decisions. Children are also much happier to be able to choose to put their toys away then to feel as if they are already being punished. 3. Fun! We are all busy, and tired at the end of the day, but just like you must take time to nurture your relationship with your signifigant other, you must take time to nurture your relationship with your child...and not just on the weekends. This may be as simple as reading together at night, or taking a half and hour for some" mommy and me", or "daddy and me" play time. Having some quality time each day that you dedicate to your child without the distraction of house-hold duties, shows your child that he or she is important...it also teaches balance. Use this to help them learn the concept of responsibility. After dinner for example, have everyone in the house help with chores, and then spend some fun time together!

Remember, having a mutual respect between you and your child does not mean that you should let them walk all over you. It is important to remember that although you can show and teach your children respect, you are still the parent. Consistent boundaries are just as important to parenting. When rules are followed inconsistently children get confused, and this can lead to poor behavior and lower self-esteem. Boundaries not only teach children respect, but also help a child to feel safe in the world. So it is an important part of teaching respect to have boundaries and to keep them.

to be continued....;)

Nosce Te Ipsum,

Soror FSO

A Very Special Announcement!DrumRoll

2011-04-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that we have completed the solidification of

The Order of the Golden Dawn: Collegium Spiritu Sancti

With The Affilitate Temples:

The Grand Temple of Ptah Chicago, IL www.templeptah.org

The Temple of Thoth-Hermes Denver, CO

The Temple of Het-Heret Seattle, WA

And The Sanctuaries of

Isis Los Angeles, CA

Maat San Fransisco, CA

We will be hosting our Summer Conclave August 1-6th at The Grand Temple of Ptah!

http://templeptah.org/powerweek/index.htm

So far over 150 students have pre-registed and it looks as if it will the largest gathering in history! We would be blessed to see you there!

I would like to extend a special thanks to my brothers and sisters for putting in the hard-work to make this happen so quickly and efficiently. I am continuously inspired by your dedication, integrity, hard-work, loving-kindness, and connection with the Spirit. You have made my decision to stay apart of this wonderful tradition a blessing.

I would also like to thank the Golden Dawn community for your support. I have been humbled by the out-flowing of love you have all showed us during this transition.

We are pleased to finally have the opportunity to live, learn, and teach this tradition in the way that we have all dreamed of. To be apart of an Order that focuses on love, peace, truth, integrity, conscious living, and dedication to the spirit is a blessing. I am proud that we have seen this dream come into fruition and have already seen that it is the start of many beautiful things to come.

Nosce Te Ipsum,

VH Soror FSO

Order of the Golden Dawn:Collegium Spiritum Sancti

De-basing the (s)elf Not the (S)elf- Practicing the Divine Art of Humility

2011-03-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

Humility is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts of spirituality. The most common belief is that humility means "placing others above oneself", "being submissive" or even "self-abasing". If we look at humility from the stand-point of the dictionary, then yes this is what you get and if this is how you practice humility you will get dictionary results, not spiritual. However, when we analyze the mystery of humilty and its ability to raise one to union with the Higher Genius, then we have something else completely.

( just a quick note, when using self with the small "s" I am referring to one's personal self, whereas the use of big "S" refers to our True Self, the Higher Genius)

Let's quickly define the purpose of a mystical path...to purify oneself so that one may attain knowledge and union with the True Self, known in the Golden Dawn as The Holy Guardian Angel or The Higher Genius. Purification here is the key, and all acts that we preform in magic and mysticism are meant to purify the self wether it be meditation, yoga, right eating, right speech, magic, fasting, prayer, communion with higher beings, humility...there are literally hundreds of techniques that have been developed by mystics to accomplish this goal- the goal of purifying the consciousness so that one can see the True Light. A quick analogy for this is to think of a light-bulb with dust on it. As we preform these techniques and follow the path of The Great Work we slowly remove the dust that keeps our consciousness impure and keeps us from experiencing the True Light, until finally do we not only see the Light, but the Light is all that shines.

Humility by this definition should be an act which helps one to purify their consciousness. True Humility then is first and foremost a complete surrender and constant yearning for union with the Divine. All acts of spirituality should come from this purpose first and foremost. It is important to make this point because often-times when one de-bases themself for the sake of another in order to be "more humble", or act with "more humility", (although their intention may be pure) sometimes one is acting against their true goal. It is important for each person to be honest with themselves when following a spiritual path, and to ask each time "Will this action bring me closer to the Divine?" Sometimes you may find yourself really questioning either way, and in this case if you have time I suggest preforming a divination, asking the question "If I preform this act what will the spiritual outcome be?" You must be absolutly vigilant in your spiritual path, and make sure that every step you take comes from a place of communion with your True Self otherwise you risk walking in circles rather than forward.

Now, what is the first thing we learn as initiates in the "Hall of the Neophyte?" "Fear is Failure!"

Why? Because fear is a lie, and the fallen state that we recognize as our daily consciouness before enlightenment is one of illusion, a lie, known in the East as Maya. This illusion is the dust or film on the light-bulb we were discussing earlier, and humility then is a powerful tool to help remove this from our consciouses.

Humility removes fear.

First it places in a state of no-fear. Fear is based on the notion of protecting one-self. It is at the very basis of our psychological and physiological state of being...most people have probably heard of the concept of "Fight or Flight". But think abour fear for a moment. What do we fear? Not paying our bills, not getting the love of another, being alone, wondering if we are being spiritual, wondering if another is hurt or in pain, or even in some cases where we might eat or sleep? Most fears are based on the idea of protecting the self, or one's sense of self, or that which we love. There is always the element of "I" in fear. There is always a level of attachment. Attachment is the symptom of Maya. Practicing non-attachment (humility) removes Maya from our state of consciousness. Just think..."People weep rivers of tears because a son is not born or because they do not get riches, but who sheds even one teardrop because he has not seen God?"

Practicing humility takes the attachment to the self and to the physical world out of the picture as one forgoes the self for the Divine thus allowing for the powerful influence of the Divine to take its course in our lives. When this happens not only do we develop at a faster rate, but our knowledge of the Divine comes more vivid thus further removing more fear...for once we see the constant stream of love, positivity, increased awareness and intuition, and begin to have more confidence in our path and in our relationship with the Divine, we become even less fearful and more powerful in fulfilling our path as mystics. Think about how much more successful you are in life when you have complete knowledge and confidence? Think about how this state of mind would affect your spiritual path.

Magically speaking this is when we experience the most power in our practice, because "fear is the mind-killer" (dork points!). It blocks our energy as magicians, and keeps it from flowing. It also allows outside thoughts and fears to make thier way into our practice, where instead we should be developing a lazer-sharp level of concentration and communion during ritual. Removing fear increases our knowledge of the Divine, and having true Self-confidence (big S meaning the Higher Genius) not self-aggrandizement or egoism gives us the most power in our practice.

Humility then is not necessarily the de-basing of oneself, or thinking of others above oneself, yes these practices are beneficial when done properly, but one should always remember that True Humility is the practice of surrendering to the Divine which can come in many forms and should be practiced with great fervence.

Initiate's Bill of Rights-Calling All Mages!

2011-03-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

The time has come to get the ball rolling on this. I have had quite a few requests for this since someone posted this idea to my blog, and I happen to think this is a very good idea. I am working with some leaders of the Golden Dawn community as would also like to hear the communities opinions and experiences. This Bill will be a reference document for all initiates regardless of tradition to help them make sure that they are dedicating themselves to a path of integrity and growth. So inquiring minds want to know? What do you think is important. What would you like to see in this Bill? Many of us have been in the magical community for a long-time and have learned a "thing or two", please share your wisdom with us!

I'd like to make a first point on this topic. Spirituality is a "sticky" thing sometimes. We talk about humility, sacrifice, surrender, non-attachment to material things. These topics are all valid, and important I belive to someone's spiritual path, but also are the topics that confuse people and often are abused by others in order to abuse those who follow them. I would personally like to see this topic addressed. Where do we draw the line? How does one know if they are following a spiritual idea such as self-sacrifice, or when they are allowing things to get our of hand? What could we include in the Bill that might make these points clear?

Can't wait to hear everyone's comments!

Soror FSO

I Can't Be Your Superman!

2011-03-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

And now for a candid announcement....Sometimes I think the "B" in blog stands for bullshit. First of all having the ability to post whatever you want on the internet gives people the false impression that they are an "authority" which gives them permission to wag their dicks in anyone's faces about any subject what so ever....yes, I'm sure there is some comfort being a keyboard cowboy from the privacy of your own living room knowing you can say whatever you like and no one is going to come to your door and punch you in the face. Secondly, it's very funny how people begin to acquire a belief that just because you write a blog that means you wear some kind of "S" on you're chest and you can go around saving the world, physically swooping in to stop evil in it's tracks...and when you don't, well, hell hath no fury like an "Anonymous Poster" scorned...

And thus in light of these things above, from the comfort of my living room, key-board cowboy style, I'm going to break down this reality check for some of you real quick...(obviously this post is not meant for everyone)

1. Soror FSO posts things to her blog that she believes are relevant and worth her time. Whereas you may have a day job and get to sit at home surfing the internet with nothing else to do after work or during work my time is precious. Getting a MA degree in physics/biomedical engineering is no easy feat, and when I am not spending 40hrs a week on my homework I have a child, husband, house, students, and if I have the time, some magic to attend to. This means that responding to every moan, bitch, and complain that crosses the internet regrading "The Golden Dawn" is not on my agenda. If it's relevant and I believe makes an impact I will take the time to write about it...i.e. I did not feel that "Robert Zink" coming down to the Temple of Isis was anything to sneeze at. Yes, when rampaged around the internet and various blogs it sure seemed like the apocolypse had come and gone...the truth of the matter is that it was more like a fly landing on your back at the beach, annoying to say the least. Which brings me to my next point.

2. Robert does not have control of anything except the hearts and minds of five people....count 'em baby uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, sies!...Hot Damn! One whole hand! Maybe if Robert works really hard and doesn't screw anyone over by stealing anyone else's credit card information he might get that up to two hands pretty quickly...a far cry from the few hundred students which used to be apart of that Order...Did you know that when Sideshow Bob showed up to EQ, the Adepti and members vacated the premises?! Essentially Robert went down there and played "Big Fish in a Small Pond", Imperator of five people...go Robert!, after all those years you're back to where you started. And for those of you who are so "pissed" that we "let" Robert have the Temple did you also know that the lease of Isis is in the hands of those few people who love Robert so much? O! that gives me such great legal grounds to go down there and shut that whole "operation" down. Super Soror to the rescue!

3. Soror FSO is not apart of the EOGD anymore, and doesn't care what they do. Yes, I could get all upset and say "O, well Robert still has the ability to hurt people", but first of all, I did not sign up to be the Robert Zink police. I have been doing that since I was a Theoricus, and was even proudly kicked out of the Order twice because I got on Robert's bad side for not 'cowtowing' to his whims. Short of going up to La Crosse, WI and doing something illegal that will put me in jail there is really nothing else that can be done. The ownership of Isis is in the hands of those few who stayed with him. The rest of us few hundred people who were in that Order no longer have anything to do with him, them, or however they decided to live their life...it's democracy at its finest. So for all you little "Judgemental Judys" out there who want to act like we are the bad guys, I would like to make it clear that you have just as much power to do something about him as I do which includes...

1.Not recognizing him as a member of the Golden Dawn community

2. Boycotting his forums and blogs which include the World-Wide Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Golden-Dawn-Forum-World-Wide/messages?o=1

http://golden-dawn.blogspot.com/

http://esotericgoldendawn.wordpress.com/

3.Suggesting to people whom he screws over that they press charges on him..which is the right thing to do. ( I would do this, but I never gave him a red cent)

4. Offering something better than what he has to offer

5. Informing those who may show interest to do a small amount of research

6. Help me to write an "Initiates Bill of Rights" which I will be making my next blog post about.

So now, Soror FSO is going to do what she has been wanting to do since she was a Theoricus and finally has the ability to do... be apart of an Order full of people I respect, enjoy doing magic, enjoy not dealing with drama, and that includes the internet bullshit. Most likely, (unless I feel its really relevant to discuss) this will be my last blog post which even gives credence to the Golden Dawn drama. There is so much more to this beautiful tradition and its time for me, and all of us to start living it. If you feel the same way, I say let's fill the internet, it's blogs, and forums with information that will light the way for people seeking the Light, let's turn our focus back to the Divine. Lets stop "defending the tradition" and start showing people our knowledge, our growth, and how to live the life of a mage...let's show them the tradition. Yes, I know there will always be those drama queens who can't quit gossiping, but I've learned its up to you whether you want to involve yourself in it or not. One can just as easily read a blog relevant to magic where they will learn something as they can read a blog that is essentially the "National Enquirer" of the Golden Dawn. Be an informed magician, be a smart magician. Ask questions, do research, study magic...leave all the distraction behind.

Repost From Nick Farrell's Blog: 10 Signs an Occult Leader Has Lost The Plot

2011-03-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Nick nails it on the head!

http://nick-farrell.blogspot.com/2011/03/10-signs-that-occult-leader-has-lost.html#comments

A Day of Magic For Japan

2011-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Calling all magi! Today magical relief efforts for Japan will be undertaken by magi all over the world. The goals being to 1.Stop the partial nuclear melt-down that is occuring. 2. Invoke compassion for the people of Japan so that they may receive the physical help they need 3. Send healing light to the victims of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear melt-downs. If you would like to participate (please do, only if its for a few minutes) at some point today, preform a ritual, prayer, chant...something of you choosing, something your HG guides you to do for the people of Japan, and for these goals. It's times like these that the magical community can really shine, by pooling our efforts together for the benefit of the world.

FSO

With Love To Japan

2011-03-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

My thoughts, prayers, and love to all the people in Japan.

http://www.redcross.org/

Apocalypse Now? The Decline of Earth's Biodiversity and The Next Mass Extinction

2011-03-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to the Cell Press daily newsletter http://www.cell.com/cellpress It's a great way for me as a scientist to stay abreast of news in neuroscience, evolution, stem-cell research, cellular and molecular biology etc...and it keeps me preoccupied while waiting in line. Yesterday while I was at the bank I almost choked on my orange tic-tac when I read an article from "The American Journal of Botany" which stated:

"Earth's biodiversity- the number of microorganisms, plants, animals, their genes, and their eco-systems is declining at an alarming rate, even faster than the last mass extinction 65 million years ago. In fact two-thirds of the terrestrial species that exist today are estimated to be extinct by the end of this century!

Humans are an integral part of this extensive network of life. We depend of biodiversity for goods and services (and medicines); we impact biodiversity via rapidly expanding human population growth, consumption of resources and the spread of disease"

If you are not shocked by this please read it again...two-thirds of our biodiversity will be extinct by the end of this century?! The impact that this will have on us as a human species is almost incomprehensible...and yet I bet people will continue to bury their head in the sand thinking that it has nothing to do with them...nope only your children. If you don't make it to the turn of the century they most-likely will.

It has been long thought that humans and their activity are causing mass extinctions. Despite our increased efforts in conservation it has not been enough and we continue to see mass losses including oceanic biodiversity, amphibians, lizards, fish, the coveted rain-forest canopy (which has helped up to discover many different types of medicines) and many others. We have not even discovered all the species on earth (especially in the rain-forest) and two-thirds of them will be gone. The WHO stated the state of biodiversity continues to decline, according to most indicators, largely because the pressures on biodiversity continue to increase. There is no indication of a significant reduction in the rate of decline in biodiversity, nor of a significant reduction in pressures upon it.

These activities which are resulting in heavy loss in the animal and plant kingdoms also can result in human loss...for example over-foresting. In Bagladesh and India over-logging has caused the monsoon seasons to become even more deadly, and have also increased the deadliness of avalanches and mud-slides since these natural barriers may not even exist any longer in some areas where these natural disasters are prominent.

I have been thinking about the recent earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and wild-fires the world has been experiencing. Is it me, or does it seem as if these things are happening a little more frequently than before? Is the rapid change in environment and biodiversity causing these things to happen on a greater scale then before? Whether it is or not...its time to wake up! The world we live in is being destroyed right before our very eyes, and we are asleep to it. If we do not take action, out world will be in serious jeopardy..in our life-time.

Do It!

http://www.briloon.org/

http://www.greatgreenmacaw.org/donate.htm

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/what_you_can_do/

Update From Frater Francesco

2011-03-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have read a blog earlier this week written by Frater Franscesco. I just wanted to share his update with everyone :) Sorry haters, I know you were waiting for the mud-slinging to get into full swing. I have always been proud to be apart of the EOGD, and after witnessing the actions of these wonderful people to make amends...I can say that I remain a proud member and Adept. Thank you brothers for all your hard work.

FSO

http://fraterfrancesco.blogspot.com/

Indispensable Teachings Of Magic

2011-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

From time to time, I like to take a step back and review my magical regimen. This is a little trick I learned when I was studying to become a yoga instructor because it is so common to become attached to the fruits of our labors that we forget the bigger picture...is what I am doing truly helping me to grow? This happens all the time. Studnents want to get to the next level, they want to get to the next grade, they want to become an Adept...these things to them mark success, and moving forward. The unfortunate consequence of this is that people begin to rush through the techniques that are meant to help them truly move into the next level, and so although they may have the book knowledge and even some practice under their belt, its very rare that a person takes the time to master a magical concept or practice. Mastering the practice is what brings true power to the practice. Having power in your practice drives you forward to union with your higher genius. Its like having a full tank of gas and a tuned car vs some spark plugs which aren't in all the way, and a half-empty tank of gas. If you're like me you want to get to your Union ASAP! but half-assing the Work only makes it take more time.

Magic is like mathematics. If you don't build a good foundation in algebra, you will have a hard time in Trig. If you end up skating through Trig by the seat of your pants, by the time you get to Calculus you'll find yourself in a world of trouble. In order to be good in Calculus you must learn the concepts, and techniques of algebra. It's the same thing with magic...if you want to learn how to invoke a spirit into physical form one day then you better learn your basics.

Learning your basics though is often an on-going process. What you may learn and comprehend in the Neophyte grade may be very different than what you can comprehend in the grade of Philosophus. Thus taking the time from a new point of view to review and re-learn your materials will be an indispensable tool for you as a magician...but it takes patience and will-power to sometimes go back to what seems so elementary.

Seems so elementary...this is a feeling that you get when you haven't truly learned yet the mysteries of the techniques you are studying. As one progresses and learns and begins to open themselves up magically one finds that no ritual, no matter how basic, is elementary. The depth of even an LBRP is beyond explanation, and as I have taught many students...what you are exposed to in the Neophyte grade is some of the most important material that you will ever cover because it encompasses, in seed form, the entire tradition of the Golden Dawn...mysteries upon mysteries lay in the 0=0 hall and in the material that is given to you.

Now back to me :) Over the years of re-reading an re-studying the materials I have found that there are some key teachings of magic that are completely indispensable to the magician who is serious about mastering himself and the Great Work...and I would like to share them with you....so now back to you :)

Concentration-Just the thought of it makes me squirm. I love to get up about a million times while I do my physics homework or think of something to do at the last minute before starting a ritual. Concentration is something that has not been easy for me, but I have learned is one of the most important things for a magician to master. Concentration allows one to focus on the energies around them, it allows you to focus your will-power like a lazer on whatever magic you are trying to preform, it helps to calm your mind during meditation so that you can transcend the senses and bask in True Gnosis. Training the mind to be keen in the skill of concentration will take you far in your magical life. Here are some great exercises to hone your skills.

Ex 1: Counting letters. Scan a paragraph of a book...how many e's does it have? The letter e is the most common letter in the English language. Count again...do you come up with a different answer? Most people will at first, but the more you do this very simple exercise the more your level of concentration will increase and the easier it will be to pick out all the letter e's.

Ex 2: Mantra- choose a mantra that is specific to what you are currently studying right now, I like to use my magical motto...repeat it in your head. How long does it take for you to start thinking of something else? Set a timer and start working up to five or ten minutes...this little exercise also prepares you for meditation.

Visualization- So key! A magician absolutely must hone his skills of visualization. Being able to very specifically picture in your mind the outcome you want to attain in magic will boost your power exponentially. Here we must also take advantage of our skills in concentration.

Ex 1: Tarot Contemplation: Gaze at a tarot card of your choosing. Open and close your eyes to see how powerful the image is in your mind's eye. Finally when you are ready close your eyes and see how long you can hold the picture in your mind. This may be difficult at first if you are not visulization-inclined. However, the more you practice, the more neural bundles will form allowing you to develop a vivid sense of visualization.

Tarot Readings/Divination: I expounded a bit on the benefit of this in another blog. The purpose of divination is not only to open you up to new information about the energies surrounding you, or what may happen in _____ situation...but also to help you get in touch with your Nechamah. The more you work on divination the more your power of intuition increases and helps you to become more naturally aware of people and events happening in your life.

Non-Attachment: This is a Buddhist concept, but one I love and believe is very important for a magician to practice. It is very easy to become attached to certain things, right or wrong and to have them equally blind us until we are stumbling around in darkness. The only thing we should be attached to is Divine Will and only by cleaving to this will ultimate enlightenment and fulfillment occur in one's life. We can not be attached to fear, we cannot be attached to praise, anger, hurt feelings, or even the fruits of our magic. You cannot worry if you will or will not get something, you cannot worry is someone likes or dislikes you...you must ask yourself in every situation if it is something that is bringing you closer to the Divine or not. Attachment breeds fear and takes power out of one's magical practice and goals, especially when one is attached to a result. Do your magic...and forget about it1

Just As Well..Banish and Forget About It!- Banishings seem like they are an over-talked about topic. However, when it comes to balancing your sphere of sensation and keeping out the ickies, they can't be over-looked. They are like exercise for you soul. Outside of helping to bring balance to your inner self, and opening you up to the higher energies, the most important aspect of a banishing (especially when used in psychic self-defense) is to do it and forget about it. A magician must claim the power of thier soul over the lesser elements. Banishing and continuing to worry about a problem doesn't do you any good. Instead worrying gives energy to the problem. Worrying is an expression of fear and fear continues to allow things which are undesirable to float around. Banish it...its banished..now forget about it! These things have no power over you.

Doing a little magical exercise in these few but simple areas will help you to increase your power exponentially. As you draw closer to the Divine by empowering your magic your life will begin over time to fall into place. Magic is about perfecting the self, and drawing closer to the Divine, but you must be an interactive partner in this.

Response To Nick Farrell's Blog Post "Revolution in an Esoteric Order"

2011-03-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I came across Nick Farrell's new blog post "Revolution in an Esoteric Order". After reading it, it became apparent to me that there is still quite a bit of misunderstanding regarding the expulsion of Robert Zink so I thought I might expound upon it a bit so that the community was clear of the intentions for doing so (although I thought they were made clear in the public announcement).

First and most importantly I want to be very, very, clear that Robert was not expelled due to a vie for power amongst the Adepti of our Order, nor because we did not "like" the way Robert was running it. Robert Zink was expelled because he was victimizing the students who joined our Order through the illegal activities of theft, credit-card fraud, and inappropriate sexual advances to the female members of the Order. These activities became so gross and so often (daily) that as an Order (Outer and Inner) we were forced to take extreme measures. This was not a decision that was made lightly, and it was made as a last resort when all other attempts to help him reform (attempts we had been making for years) failed. After his expulsion I received a sea of e-mails from other Order members, current students, and ex-members who were quite thankful and exclaimed "What took you so long?!"

For those of you who were wondering what took us so long, the truth of the matter is that as an Order and especially as a Body of Adepti, being of a Rosicrucian lineage...we debated for a long time whether or not it was the proper and right thing as a Rosicrucian to do. Rosicrucian values teach love and forgiveness...does kicking out the "head" of the Order represent those ideals? It was only after seeing the intense pain, and suffering that was being caused to our members, and through much contemplation, and contact with spiritual guides that we realized something very important....as Adepti we are the servants, we serve our students just as the Shepard serves his flock. It is our duty to protect them, to guide them, to teach them, and above all not to break the spiritual trust of a student who is seeking the Truth in the mysteries. Above all, this is our utmost goal...the protection and care of our students, not the support of one man who has dedicated the better part of his esoteric career taking advantage of them.

Secondly, I would like to make it known that Robert was not the "founder" of our Order. Although he may have been appointed Chief and held that title for many years, he did not start the Order. The Order was started by a group of individuals, who after seeing a time of intense growth within their group decided to vote on a Chief after a round of testing. Robert was voted in as Chief, along with two other Chiefs (three in all) and as such he was voted out and expelled when he failed for over twenty years to fulfill his duties as a spiritual leader.

Thirdly, I would like to point out that throughout the history of our Order, the culture, presence and current was created by the group of people who worked very diligently to make this Order grow and thrive despite Robert's continued efforts to sabotage it...not by Robert himself. Nonetheless a Golden Dawn Order does not belong to one person, it belongs to all people. It is meant to be founded for the betterment of people, not for the ego-stroking of one person. The things that are built throughout time are built by the people...for the people. It sounds very American of me to say this, but a spiritual tradition who serves only one person is a cult not a service to the Divine or to the seeker of Light.

Lastly, we have not changed the workings of the Order thus far because it is the Order that we love, an Order that was created by the blood, sweat, and tears of many, many people with the markings of all these people's efforts. For as long as I have been around I have not seen Robert put one cent into the Order, nay he has spent many years instead draining Temple funds, scaring away our students by charging gas, snacks, and little league parties on thier credit cards without permission. Every Temple, every tool, every Power Week has been accomplished because of the sheer will and dedication of the members, and it is to the members that the Order shall go.

We may in the near future decide to change courses, but as I stated on another blog, our current efforts are focused on making sure that our students stay protected. As of now Robert is still attempting to use the EOGD name to gain access to people's credit card information and use it for unauthorized purchases via his website. We are currently working to put a stop to this, everything else is inconsequential.

Interview With Sandra Tabatha Cicero

2011-02-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

BIO: Sandra “Tabatha” Cicero is an American esoteric author and lecturer, best known for her work in the field of Western Hermeticism. Born in rural Wisconsin in 1959, Cicero graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts in 1982. She has worked as an entertainer, typesetter, editor, commercial artist, a computer graphics illustrator, and a paralegal. She met her husband, Chic Cicero, in the early 1980s when she was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Ciceros are two of the G.H. Chiefs of the contemporary Order of the same name, which claims initiatory lineage to the original Golden Dawn through their mentor, Israel Regardie. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is an international Order with Temples in several countries (www.hermeticgoldendawn.org). Tabatha is also the Supreme Magus (Imperatrix) of the Societas Rosicruciana in America, a Rosicrucian Order that was founded in 1907 (www.sria.org).

Tabatha and Chic have co-authored several successful books on the Golden Dawn, Tarot, Qabalah, and the Western Mystery Tradition including The Essential Golden Dawn, which won a COVR award in 2004 as one of the year's best titles in the field of magic. Together, the Ciceros have edited, annotated and added new material to recent editions of classic magical texts by Israel Regardie including The Middle Pillar, A Garden of Pomegranates, and The Tree of Life. At the encouragement of Israel Regardie she painted The Golden Dawn Magical Tarot.

They are also regular contributors to Hermetic Virtues Magazine (www.hermeticvirtues.org) and on-line store, specializing in hand-crafted Golden Dawn implements.

1. What is it that first got you interested in the Golden Dawn and what was it that made you want to dedicate your life to studying and practicing it?

I have always had a very strong sense of the Divine Presence and a keen interest in comparative religion, the occult, and esoteric subjects of all stripes. In the early 1980s I came across Regardie’s book, The Golden Dawn in a Walden's book store in San Angelo, Texas. It was the blue hard-cover Llewellyn edition. I browsed through the pages and thought to myself, “This is the only book on magic that I will ever need.“ I had $38 in my pocket, and the price was around $37.50. I considered this a good sign. When I looked at the ritual of the Pentagram, I was immediately attracted to the organization of the workings. The invocation of the archangels had me hooked immediately. The very first time I performed the LBRP and visualized the four archangels around me, there was no turning away from the system. I had to know more.

2. Is there one thing you can pick out from your experience with the Golden Dawn that has really impacted your personal growth such as a mystical experience, lesson, magical working etc.?

I'd have to say that, over the course of my esoteric journey, there have been several mystical experiences that have had a profound impact on me. I can honestly say that one of those graceful synchronicities we call "magic" was present at every major event in my life where I came into contact with one of my teachers (being in the right place at the right time, usually through highly convoluted circumstances), so that I could meet some person of great importance to my spiritual quest.

I have never considered myself a particularly psychic person. When I first joined the Golden Dawn in 1983, I was asked what magical motto I wanted to use in the Outer Order. Being a Double Taurus with a rural background, I said "...um... how about Child of Earth?" (This was translated as Felia Telluris.) At the time of my initiation into the Neophyte Grade, I heard the Officers keep referring to me as "Child of Earth." It wasn't until later that I realized they were not referring to my newly adopted magical motto, but rather the generic title of the Neophyte who has started up the path of Initiation. This is exactly what I mean by a "graceful synchronicity" so typical of magic. It was the kind of numinous event that lets a person know when he or she is on the right path.

The most memorable events in my life revolve around the teachers and friends I have had the pleasure of knowing along the way: Israel Regardie, my soul mate Chic Cicero, my Hierophant, and the many wonderful Fratres and Sorores who have shared the journey with me for almost 30 years. It's rare these days that a core group of people in a magical Order can actually remain close friends and magical companions for three decades of ritual work. It is a true honor and privilege.

3. You are well known for your scholarly contributions to the Golden Dawn community. After the years that you have spent studying, writing, and teaching can you tell us what aspects of the Golden Dawn system you feel are most important for a person to learn and study?

If I could name only one aspect of the GD curriculum that I feel is essential, it would have to be the Qabalah. The Qabalah is the single most important area of study for any magician—offering a wealth of information to anyone who examines it in depth. It is the dominant segment of Western occult philosophy, and portions of it permeate Jewish, Christian, Hermetic and Pagan esoteric practice. Regardie said that “the Qabalah is a trustworthy guide, leading to a comprehension of the Universe and one’s own self.” The Qabalistic Tree of Life can be described as a double-helix DNA blueprint of God in the Divine Universe; its pattern exists everywhere. As Magicians we must not only explore the various aspects of the Qabalah, we must also integrate its teachings in our very souls.

4. Is there anything about the Golden Dawn system that you haven't been able to delve into as deeply as you like but are really looking forward to exploring further?

There are always more aspects to the system that could stand further development and examination. At the moment I am busy finishing up a book on Dr. Wynn Westcott's Enochian Tablets. My study of these unique Tablets has lead me into new avenues of exploration into the Golden Dawn Enochian system. It's been an exciting project.

But every aspect of the GD system needs to be explored and meditated upon. It is an endless source of inspiration, knowledge, and ritual work. I don't think it is possible for anyone to say, "I know everything there is to know about the Golden Dawn system of magic." There is always more to be known.

5. Is there still Golden Dawn material that remains unpublished or has not ever been made public? If so, do you think it will be important for those who may have their hands on it to eventually get this information out to the public?

There is still unpublished archival material out there, and I believe Chic and I have seen most of it. Eventually all such materials will be made available to the general public through the proper channels.

But just because something is unpublished doesn't make it somehow better than material that has been published. Some unpublished material just seems stale and dated. It might be useful from a historical perspective to have access to this material, but I believe that some people have placed far too much importance on the acquisition of old papers and far too little focus on what is ultimately important to the Great Work—personal evolution and spiritual growth. If I only had a dime for every time I heard about someone hording old papers or lording their possession of such papers over others, like a child bragging about having the best toys in front of other children. Even worse, there is at least one recent instance of an individual duping people into giving him copies of unpublished documents, allegedly for his own private use, which he then publishes, breaking the trust of people in the esoteric community under totally false pretenses. In any event, I can't think of one instance where owning a bunch of papers makes anyone a better person or a "superior" magician. It's just ridiculous and arrogant.

At the other end of the "paper hoarding" spectrum, you have people who actually destroy rare magical documents so that nobody else can learn from them. That's just so sad.

A living magical tradition takes its guidance from the past, but it must evolve to be relevant to lives of modern-day Initiates. For example, archeologists are always uncovering new information about the ancient world—things that were just not known in the Victorian era. Therefore, our knowledge of ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices may change, and this can influence our modern praxis. We must learn from the past, not become slaves to it. The words of a ritual on a old piece of paper do not come alive—they do not become magic—until we perform and internalize them. If we don't, they remain just "words, words, words."

6. As someone who is involved with publishing books on the Golden Dawn tradition, do you feel there are certain responsibilities to the public that must be remembered by those who would seek to do to the same?

I think it is very important for modern authors to remember that it is absolutely fine to build upon and adapt the traditional teachings of the Golden Dawn to a more modern approach, and even a mixture of different spiritual traditions, so long as the various sources are made perfectly clear to readers. Some people prefer a traditional approach, while others add teachings from various spiritual paths: Theosophy, Thelema, Wicca, etc. So long as these different approaches work within the framework of their respective Orders, and spiritual growth is achieved by the Initiates, who is to say that one way is right and the others wrong?

Do magicians from various groups always have to argue about how many angels will fit on the head of pin?

However, authors have a responsibility to make sure that whatever materials they advocate are clearly identified as to their origins: original GD manuscripts, an spin-off Order, a specific temple within the greater Golden Dawn Tradition, a specific teacher's oral tradition, or the author's own thoughts and adaptations of GD material.

For example: the modern tri-colored Caduceus Wand that many Golden Dawn groups use today differs from the traditional staff used by the original Order and its offshoots. The modern version did not come from Israel Regardie. It was a product of Chic's work in the Isis-Urania Temple in Georgia in the late 1970s. This wand IS the Caduceus of Hermes. To many of us, it is an obvious and logical improvement over a simple colored staff supposed to "represent" the Caduceus of Hermes. The Caduceus of Hermes, with its entwined serpents, is explained in the 2=9 Ritual in the speech describing the Keryx's Lamen. It certainly would have been easier to use the caduceus symbolism in the Lamen rather than to make a full Caduceus staff. However, the word Caduceus is derived from the Greek Kerykeion which means "herald's staff." The word Kerykeion is the origin of the word keryx or "messenger, herald," and the oldest form of the Kerykeion was a rod with two twining serpents at the top in such a way that they resembled horns—this later morphed into what we know as the Mercury symbol. Either the Kerykeion or the full Caduceus form would make a proper "Staff of the Herald" or "Rod of Hermes." In my opinion, a simple tri-colored staff with no serpents attached would be half of the "Herald's Staff," or a portion of the actual "Rod of Hermes," minus the two primary conduits of energy. You could easily hold the Caduceus by the bottom (blue) section of the wand by creating a Caduceus with a longer shaft and smaller serpents. I've seen plenty of perfectly fine adaptations, including a 6" metal caduceus affixed to the top of tri-colored staff.

Is the modern Caduceus Wand of the Golden Dawn as described in Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple traditional? No. Is it better than a traditional painted staff said to "symbolize" a Caduceus Wand? We certainly think so.

In books such as Tarot Talismans, Chic and I try to indicate where we have used traditional Golden Dawn teachings and where we have adapted those teachings for a new approach. It's just a good rule of thumb.

7. The Golden Dawn is obviously a very male dominated tradition...but over the past five to ten years more and more women have been joining. Is there any advice you can give to other women out there about traveling this path?

I'm not so sure that it is fair to say that the Golden Dawn is a "very male dominated tradition." During the heyday of the original Golden Dawn, about one-third of the members were women, and many of them came from the Theosophical Society. The original GD added Eastern Theosophic elements to the GD curriculum in order to attract more women Initiates. There were a number of strong women in positions of power in the original Order: Florence Farr, Annie Horniman, Moina Mathers... These were hardly "shrinking violets." They were excellent role models for today's female Initiates.

Of course there are many more women who choose Wiccan-type groups over ceremonial magic. Why is this? I believe it has to do with both perception and opportunity. People mistakenly assume the Golden Dawn is male-dominated—I've never thought of it that way. As for opportunity, men who are interested in esoteric subjects have traditionally had more opportunity to connect with each-other through Masonic organizations. In contrast, magically-inclined women have had much more opportunity to connect with each other through the neo-pagan community.

In our Order, women make up close to half of the membership. We have been very blessed to have a number of strong women in charge of several temples over the years. From the very beginning of our Order, at least one of the G.H. Chiefs has always been female.

I guess I would tell women who are thinking of exploring the Golden Dawn Tradition to remember that the Neophyte Hall, also called the "Hall of Two Truths" is dedicated to the goddess Maat, goddess of Justice and Truth, and two highest officers in the Hall, Praemonstrator and Imperator, are associated with the sister goddesses Isis and Nephthys.

8. How would you like to see the Golden Dawn tradition grow over the next 100 years? Are there personal goals you have that you would like to see manifest before it gets passed onto the next generation?

I am happy to see the various ways that our Order, as well as other Golden Dawn Orders, are taking the tradition out of the dusty archives and keeping the GD a vibrant, living tradition for seekers of diverse paths. This is vitally important, and it doesn't matter whether the group is considered traditional GD or mixed tradition GD—it must be a living system that is capable of growth and evolution within the context of its own core principles.

Our own Order is very traditional, and yet we are fully willing to make what we consider to be enhancements of the GD system or corrections of errors in the old documents. Take for example the colors of the Hebrew letters on the Minutum Mundum diagram and the Rose from the Golden Dawn’s Rose Cross Lamen. All the old documents from the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina, and the Alpha et Omega state that the King Scale color of the Path of Yod (or Virgo) is Yellow-green. That’s fine, but they also state that the color of the letter Teth (or Leo) is greenish-yellow. That is just wrong. They can’t both be the same color, neither of which is a primary color. Take a look at the Rose—it is a true artist’s color wheel. If you look at the outer petals of the Rose, you can see quite easily that the color of Teth (Leo) has to be pure, primary yellow, otherwise the color wheel doesn’t work.

In another example, we feel that the correct name of the angel of elemental Fire is Ariel ("Lion of God") not Aral. The original GD documents preserved a mistake in Agrippa wherein the names of Ariel and Aral were switched. This age-old confusion is due to the fact that the four rulers of the elements were not recognized as the names of orders of angels: Seraph, Tharsis, Kerub, and Aral (Arel or Erel) are actually the singular forms of Seraphim, Tarshishim, Kerubim, and Erelim.

So even traditional Golden Dawn groups like ours change things when we feel that certain points can be improved upon, while remaining true to the spirit and ethos of the original teachings. As magicians, we shouldn't be so tied to the past that we take "tradition" for gospel, leaving no room for the creative innovation and inspiration that is the very hallmark of magical practice.

8. What do you think is the biggest challenge for a student of the Golden Dawn and what advice do you have for over-coming it?

The biggest challenge by far is to avoid the trap of Ego inflation: Regardie was adamant about this, which was why he suggested that magical students undergo some form of psychotherapy to guard against this phenomenon. We experience something called infantile megalomania in early childhood, when we all believe that we are the very center of the universe—our own wants and needs are paramount to everything else. As we mature, we grow out of this stage of extreme-self-centeredness. However, the practice of magic can sometimes result in the reemergence this mechanism, especially in those who may have an inflated ego to begin with. The practice of magic works to expand the mind’s latent psychic abilities.

Unfortunately some magicians begin to experience delusions of grandeur and messianic tendencies as the infantile megalomania is reactivated. In magic, infantile megalomania (the "I am the New Prophet" syndrome) is very easy to spot—they are the ones always bragging and tooting their own horn, claiming to have all the best magical toys, disparaging other magicians continuously, proclaiming to be the world's single greatest magician, boasting lineage that goes all the way back to Atlantis, etc.—you get the idea.

One of the best ways to overcome ego-inflation is to listen to the advice of your Fratres and Sorores as well as others in the greater GD community: whenever you start to get a swelled head and visions of grandeur, you can be sure that other magicians will step up to the plate and take you down a few notches, as well they should. (It is a bit more difficult when the offending egotist is the head of a temple or Order—in that case the membership may be too blinkered or fearful to let the leader know that he or she is swimming off-course.)

Luckily, most magicians within the GD tradition strive to maintain psychic balance and spiritual equilibrium, which are among the specific goals of the Outer Order work.

9. At some point, if a person studies long enough they may be blessed with serving as a teacher of this tradition. Can you give us some words of wisdom about the nature of teaching this path? Is there anything that we should always keep at the forefront of our minds?

There is an old Zen saying that covers it nicely: "Before enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water." Always remember that your students are your companions on the path of Light. You have something of value to teach them. Be open for those times when they have something to teach you. Never, ever feel that you are superior to anyone else. And be damn certain that you don't begin to treat anyone else as if you were.

10. Do you have any current projects in the works that you would like to share with us? Anything exciting that we can look forward to?

We currently have several irons in the fire: Basics of Magic—The Best of the Golden Dawn Journal: Book II: Qabalah, and Westcott's Enochian Tablets, both published through HOGD Books, will be available sometime next year. Also, look for a new annotated edition of Regardie's The Philosopher's Stone coming from Llewellyn. In addition, we are working on a book/oracle deck on the Qabalah tentatively called The Tree of Wisdom: Experiencing the Magic of the Qabalah, and another book on the Mystery Religions with the working title of Hiera Mysteria: The Sacred Mysteries. A Survey of the Western Mystery Traditions, both Ancient and Modern.

The Tradition of The Golden Dawn...How To Find Your True Self

2011-02-23T19:15:00.001-08:00

What really is the "Tradition" of the Golden Dawn? Some would say its the magical techniques passed from teacher to student, some might describe it as a special Current that flows through the Orders, some might say it is a system of core beliefs that the Golden Dawn is based in. Arguably, you could say it is all of these...however I believe that our wonderful system is filled with something much more precious that gives the Golden Dawn its "Tradition", an essence that reaches above the physical and is thus beyond all of these things which I stated above and more.

The problem with some of the more terrestrial answers such as 'its teachings", "its Current" "its beliefs"etc...is that although each of these come attached with a lofty ideal they are still imperfect in that they in their nature can still be used to defile the system or another. How many times have we seen on the internet and possibly even within our own Orders that a person has used the words "Golden Dawn Tradition" to either support their own views or even nay say another's.

Today I recieved a post which stated "This whole idea that within the GD there is voting is ridiculous...Voting does not exist in the Golden Dawn in any Order that I know of....I want to make it clear that in the Golden Dawn Tradition there is no voting. I know this offends Americans, but the Golden Dawn is a Hierarachy not a monarchy or a democracy"

Now for someone who is power hungry or seeks to place themselves above others, this statement may sound like the Holy Grail...hot damn! and you can use the words "Golden Dawn Tradition" all the way to the bank, into some girls pants and more! All you have to do is start your own GD Order and state "Tradition!"

But, the real root of the Golden Dawn, the singular aspect that every "tradition", ritual, and belief is based on is not a tradition at all...its the spiritual goal of becoming one with the True Self/ The Higher Genius. This is the only thing that one should base their personal development on. The one question one should constantly be asking themselves is..."Is this ______(fill in the blank) going to bring me to union with my Higher Genius?".

And I hate to break it to the power hungry peeps out there... but only you can know, and it is your duty to find out how to do that. Allowing anyone to use the excuse that something is part of a tradition in order to make you go against what is your proper path in life will do nothing but take you further from the Truth and cause you and others ultimate pain. And sometimes, when one is going through their alchemical growth one must shun the old and bring in the new. Like Osiris, there comes a time when one must die to the old so they can be reborn again. Only you can know...and how do you know?

This is a legitimate question because everyone who is apart of a spiritual path must know how to make decisions for their spiritual growth otherwise one would put all their faith in symbols, persons, and other outside entities to save you, when your Higher Genius in from the realm within. You must learn how to validly determine what your dharma is. Following are a few things that I have witnessed over my years as a magician to be some of the most effective tools in this process.

1. Divination- I often tell my 0=0 students that if they can only focus on one magical technique in the Outer Order besides their banishings this is it. Divination is an indispensible tool to the magician. Not only does a Tarot Reading allow you to see the influences surrounding a situation but the process of divination itself allows one to develop the Nechamah. It is through the Nechamah that a magician becomes truly intouch with their higher intuition. The process of invoking higher forces to guide you in your divination allows one to connect to their Higher Self, and the process of doing the readings themself help one to hone their skills in discrimination. Tarot doesn't come easy for everyone, it can take a lot of practice. I was not very good at Tarot when I first started but after diligently practicing one day the cards "opened themselves up like a book" the power from it was profound. Tarot of course is not the only from of divination available, pick what works best for you and use it.

2. Contemplation. The best mind is a quiet mind. When all else fails, your True Self is there...waiting to open itself up to you. The best way to hone this skill is through meditation. Meditation allows ones thoughts to settle and one's Essence to be present untainted by emotion, thoughts, perceptions, or judgements. Medititation as well can seem like a daunting task as well, but it in fact one of the most natural states of consciousness. The key to meditation is non-attachment. One should just let themself be. Just allow yourself to sit and watch. Mantras can be used to help the particularly unruly mind. If using a mantra say it once and then allow your mind to bring the word into the forefront of your consciousness when it wants...just let the thoughts settle, and if they present themselves see them as you would a house as you pass by in a car...notice it and don't give it any mind. By practicing meditation even for a few minutes a day you will be able not only to gain a deeper sense of knowlege in the universe to guide you through your spiritual path...but you will also empower your magic greatly.

3. Get Someone's Opinion, The A Second, Then A Third...although its easy to get caught in a group mentality when you are apart of a spiritual community, it is also important to remember that you are apart of a world-wide community. Don't forget that everyone and anyone can be your teacher, from a child to a pet, to a homeless person, to the person behind you in the grocery store. Just as well, when your going along your spiritual path you should not let yourself get so focused on the opinions of only one type of person that you forget there are other perspectives.

4. Stay balanced. In the Golden Dawn the Magician Card shows the picture of the enlightened mage standing above an alter with representations of the four elements upon it. The magician learns while going through the Outer Order that he must balance the elements within himself as the start of mastering the self. Yes, the start. This is your foundation, and building this foundation firmly and within your Sphere of Sensation will give you the ability to genuinly determine the future of your spiritual path. It is through this balance that one can then begin work with the Metals or Alchemical Symbols present in Adepthood.

So much more can be said on this topic...but as always there is so little time.

Nosce te Ipsum

FSO

The Essence of The Rosicrucian

2011-02-22T20:20:00.000-08:00

A very bright student sent me a ritual earlier this week that she had been working on for me to review. As I was reading through it I came across something I had not thought about in awhile, but which has always been very profound to me. It is often known at "The Confession" or "Negative Confession" which is taken from the "Papyrus if Ani". If you are familiar with Egyptian mythology and especially if you are a student of the Golden Dawn you should be well familiar with The Egyptian Book of The Dead aka the Pert-Em-Hru, which roughly translates to "The Book of Coming Forth By Day".

In it the soul of the deceased, guided by Anubis is brought through the underworld to re-unite with Osiris. Some of you may know of this as an analogy for The Great Work, or Alchemia. As the soul (candidate) is taken through the Duat (underworld) he is brought before Maat, who weighs the heart against the weight of her feather. Should the soul be lighter than the feather than it would be granted eternal life in the Duat and unification with Osiris. If it weigh heavier the soul would be consumed by Ammit a creature depicted with the head of a crocodile, the hind-legs of a hippopotums, and the forequarters of a lion.

The beauty of "The Confession" is that it really expressed the true essence of what it means to be a Rosicrucian. And in return it affirms the connection that Rosicrucianism has with Egypt both alchemically and in spiritual teachings. I believe "The Confession" is one of those rare pieces of human history that represents the true essence of "The Rosicrucian Way" It is by standards such as these that an Adept of the Rose and Cross should seek to live in his life by...by the highest of standards. Presented below is "The Confession".

I hope you will enjoy this, and should you have any suggestions for other texts in this vein please feel free to leave them in the comments section so that myself and others may explore them. I highly recommend "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" by John Climacus and "Rosicrucian Symbols" by Franz Hartmann. The latter has a wonderful chapter on living the Rosicrucian Way.

Nosce te Ipsum

-FSO

"I have destroyed wickedness. I have not done evil to mankind. I have not oppressed the members of my family. I have not wrought evil in place of right and truth. I have no intimacy with worthless men. I have not demanded first consideration. I have not decreed that excessive labor be performed for me. I have not brought forward my name for exaltation or honors. I have not defrauded the oppressed of their property. I have made no man suffer hunger. I have made no one to weep. I have caused no pain to be inflicted upon man or animal. I have not defrauded the temple of their oblations. I have not diminished from the bushel. I have not filched away land. I have not encroached upon the fields of others. I have not added to the weights of the scales to cheat the seller and I have not misread the pointer of the scales to cheat the buyer. I have not kept milk from the mouths of children. I have not turned back the water at the time it should flow. I have not extinguished the fire when it should burn. I have not repulsed God in His Manifestation."

and following this confession we often say...

For I am Osiris triumphant, Even Osiris Onnophris, the Justified One. I am He who is clothed with the body of flesh, yet in whom is the spirit of the Great Unknowable One. I am the Lord of Life, triumphant over death. He who partaketh with me shall rise with me. I am the Manifestor in matter of those whose abode is in the invisible. I am purified; I stand upon the universe, I am the reconciler with the eternal gods, I am the perfector of matter and without me the universe is naught.

The Truth About Robert Zink's "Expulsion"

2011-02-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Avete My Brothers and Sisters,

Unfortunately today I write with a heavy heart. As you know I have been "off the radar" for quite some time. I have said a few times this has been due to my graduate studies, however the real truth is that troubling Order needs have taken up the bulk of my time. I have been remiss in writing this particular blog because it deals with many sensitive issues. However, recent incidents surrounding the announcement of Robert Zink's expulsion have made it necessary that I confirm the truth regarding this incident.

On Febuary 5th a public announcement was made by "The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn" that Robert Zink had been permanently deposed from his position as Chief and expelled indefinitley. Every claim in this document is true, just as are the names of every Adept of the Second Order including myself.

Due to this announcement please know that the websites www.esotericgoldendawn.com and www.golden-dawn.org are owned and operated by Robert Zink and thus no longer belong to the Order. We will not be accepting any applications via these websites. You may however visit http://templeptah.org/links.html for links to our Temples and Sanctuaries.

For those of you who may not have seen it I will post the official announcement below. You will note that every Adepts' decision was completely accounted for.

Also, please know that this decision was not made light-heartedly, nor in a spirit of hate or spite. It was made only after much deliberation, reflection, and in communion with those who guide our Order in the material and immaterial. It was made with the heaviest of hearts.

Light in Extension,

Soror FSO/POIO

Official Announcement February 5th ,2011

Greetings in LVX,

It is come to the point where we of the Second Order have to take the
unfortunate action of deposing former G.H. Frater P.D.R. (Robert Zink) of his
highly influential position and expelling him from the Esoteric Order of the
Golden Dawn. He received the grievances from the Adepti of the Second Order,
but was still given a great deal of time and opportunity to reform his ways. In
response to this, he persists to hold himself above accountability and has gone
to great lengths to secure his own position through surreptitiously ensuring as
much of the Order's assets were under his sole control as possible. There are
many grievances that the Body of Adepti has brought to him, however the main
points that have lead to this final decision are as follows:

1. Robert Zink has taken thousands of dollars from Initiates and Adepti in
return for promised products and services that he did not deliver on, nor
refund. His poor business practices continue to afflict many Initiates and
Adepti and, despite many promises of reform, he has shown no signs of changing
or even slowing down.

2. Robert Zink has used the forums, materials and name of the Esoteric Order of
the Golden Dawn in connection with his personal products and services against
the will of the Second Order and has refused to stop doing so. The result has
been that the public and our own initiates perceive that our Order endorses his
products and services. Let it be clear that the Esoteric Order of the Golden
Dawn does not endorse his products and services, nor do we approve of them at
all.

3. Robert Zink has created and uses several blogs and forums that he has
connected with our Order's name to make personal attacks on other members of the
Golden Dawn Community especially, but not limited to, David Griffin. Let it be
understood, that although David Griffin's Order and ours operate under very
different philosophies and interpretations of the Golden Dawn Tradition, we do
not condone these attacks by Robert Zink and they do not reflect the attitudes
of the Adepti of our Second Order.

4. Robert Zink has abused his position of influence along with his well-studied
knowledge of techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming and psychological
manipulation to endear a substantial number of Outer Order initiates to his
personal unpaid servitude. We find this practice cultish, detestable and in no
way a reflection of the true principles and practices of the Golden Dawn
Tradition.

5. Robert Zink threatened and in several cases has admitted to performing magic
intended to cause harm upon several initiates and Adepti when they attempted to
hold him accountable for his poor business transactions and mistreatment of
members of our Order and their non-initiate family.

As a result of the above points, Robert Zink has sullied the spiritual and
magical development of a great many initiates of our Order. In addition he has
caused great and in many cases irreparable damage to our Order's reputation and
the reputation of the Golden Dawn Tradition as a whole in the eyes of the
public.

It is for these reasons and many others not mentioned here that Robert Zink,
formerly G.H. Frater P.D.R., is stripped of his rank, position, and authority
and expelled from the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn.

Let it be understood that due to his surreptitious actions, the websites of our
Order under the names of www.golden-dawn.org and www.esotericgoldendawn.com are
under his personal control. All moneys, inquiries and applications sent via
these websites currently go to him personally and do not go to our Order. Any
personal information provided to his sites will ultimately be used by him as
part of his marketing database to promote his personal products. No Temple of
our Order supports him nor will perform initiations on behalf of those from whom
he accepts money and applications. As such, any promise of initiation, astral
or otherwise, that he makes will be a deception.

For the time being the official websites representing the Esoteric Order of the
Golden Dawn as a whole will be those of our two Grand Temples: info.eogdisis.com
and www.templeptah.org.

Sincerely and in LVX,
The Chiefs and Adepti of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn

APPROVAL RECORD:
The undersigned represent the entire body of the Second Order. With the
exception of only a couple verbal responses, all approval statements are on
file. It should be noted that all the Chiefs and Adepti of our Order, including
the dissenting votes, agree that the accusations given above are true and that
something must be done to protect the public and our own initiates. Those
dissenting disagree only with the action of expulsion. With 3 Chief Adepti vs. 1
for expulsion and one abstention and the overwhelming approval of the Adepti of
the Second Order, this act of expulsion is confirmed.

Approve, GH Frater AA, Chief Adept
Approve, GH Frater ICL, Chief Adept
Approve, GH Frater SI, Chief Adept
Abstain, GH Frater BT, Chief Adept, Nuance: Agrees that the accusations are
true, agrees that Robert Zink's contact with the Outer Order should be cut
Disapprove, GH Frater TDL, Chief Adept, Nuance: Agrees that the accusations are
true

Approve, VH Frater IC
Approve, VH Frater SD
Approve, VH Soror CMU
Approve, VH Frater CDD
Approve, VH Frater P
Approve, VH Frater VMP
Approve, VH Frater OOA
Approve, VH Soror RT
Approve, VH Frater MD (Ptah)
Approve, VH Frater MD (LLL)
Approve, VH Frater PV
Approve, VH Soror AEI
Approve, VH Frater ID
Approve, VH Soror POIO
Approve, VH Soror VPP
Approve, VH Frater FOF
Approve, VH Soror SM
Approve, VH Frater SA
Approve, VH Frater CE
Approve, VH Soror B
Abstain, VH Frater SLS, Nuance: Agrees that the accusations are true, agrees
that Robert Zink's contact with the Outer Order should be cut
Abstain, VH Soror P, Nuance: Agrees that the accusations are true, agrees that
Robert Zink's contact with the Outer Order should be cut
Disapprove, VH Frater DN (D), Nuance: Agrees that the accusations are true
Disapprove, VH Frater DN (T), Nuance: Agrees that the accusations are true,
agrees that Robert Zink's contact with the Outer Order should be cut

Divine Love Spent In the Midst of Two Lovers

2010-06-09T23:06:00.001-07:00

Avete, it's been awhile...again. I have spent the past few months readying myself for graduate school. In the fall I will begin my journey to getting a Master's degree in bio-medical engineering, so I have been a busy bee. To say the universe has blessed me as of late would be an understatement. Truly, in the darkness shines the Light, although we may not always see it.

Below is my new poem inspired by a wonderful friend who was able to show me over the past few months that Divine Love shines in all areas...even the ones which sometimes try to sweep us away. Earlier today he showed me a poem that he wrote when he was fifteen which suddenly made its way back into his life again. It's theme an expression of love felt throughout the ages. To some love is a savior, to others a demon bringing pain, and still to others and obsessive thought that deters them from life's responsibilities. But the true essence of love is Divine. God is love, and it shares its love with us along the path of our Great Work should we choose to see it, even during times of distress. Here then is a poem about a true, healthy love experienced between two people, a love centered in the Divine Sacred which then feeding off of its own essence sheds its Light unto the world around. May we all seek to find true, unselfish, universal love. May we be selfless enough to not hinder it whether it may seem to stay or go, and may we seek to find its essence in all things.

Divine Love Spent In The Midst of Two Lovers

Sweetly, beautifully,

You touched me in the moonlight,

Your passing hand an eternity

On my waking flesh.

Too long have our

Souls been bound together

Yet, our existence left asunder

Waiting for the meeting of the Fates.

Exasperated,

Gentle kisses fill the air

Hungered by the loss of time.

Mental connotation has no breadth for

Length of time we must have

Known each other in lives

Past spent.

Born from the universe together

To meet and share its living wine

In you I see the spirit

To know you is Divine

Fortitude, set forth to conquer

The flames, and floods, and shadows

Of the sleepless night.

For we have had the patience of

The gods in wait,

We have forged through life

Growing old, and wise

Until the night there was reflected

Across the room

Two pairs of profound

And ubiquitous blue eyes.

Enveloped in a sweet perfume

Of timeless sway

I now touch the the quivering

Hands which lay

Themselves upon my soul.

And though the sands of time might waver,

Though our scented bodies fade

This fire burns too bright

To fade this time

When life's short journey

Makes its way.

The Binding Colors of Light - A Poem

2010-04-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am dedicating this poem to all the people on the path who have extended their support and love to those in need whether it be brother or sister, student, or friend, or even an unsuspecting stranger. Our path is not the solitary path, but the path of fraternity. Thank you to everyone who has embraced the true essence of that bond.

The Binding Colors of Light

You were like a rainbow to me,

Like a bridge between the sun and the rain

A moment of promise,

Between the scintillating light within us

And the over-bearing times of pain.

Your colors wore through me

Causing a subtle shift,

And when I looked up

I was lifted out of the horror

That sometimes life plots

To fracture us with.

You invited me to see another side of life

From a perspective all your own.

I remember the way we played,

I remember the way we innocently

Took things too far

To test ourselves and see

The quality of our hearts.

I put my hands into your facets

I breathed them in

Your energy flowed through

The caverns of my heart and mind,

I attempted to return it

With the same love and hope

You offered me over time.

In the end, like all things, you faded

But in the end, like all things, you returned

More beautiful than the past

Your colors presenting themselves

More clearly than before.

Bouncing off the drops of cloudburst left behind

I could see your shining glory

Filling the space of time.

A small reminder

That hope is never torn

From the ones

Who truly share their love.

And the vision of the rainbow

Is that no matter how far apart

We can look in the sky

And be reminded of the beauty of

Frienships’ extended arms

The way they touch softly the good and bad parts

The way they offer promise to those

Who find themselves

Rent within their hearts.

Finding Time For The Great Work

2010-04-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure at this point my readers either think I've fallen away from blogging, am being lazy, or am super busy. It is the latter I assure you. In the past few months I have moved, started getting ready for a career change and have decided to go back to graduate school for biomedical engineering. Needless to say, my brain is a little fried. I am continuing on with the Great Work. Right now since I have had to focus the majority of my personal time on grad school prep my magical efforts have been dedicated to helping my students, and spending time at the local Temple. Now more than ever I have had to prove to myself that the Great Work is not something that can be separated from regular life, but must be integrated into all areas.

These days, we are all busy. Our time is a precious commodity and choosing what to spend our time on can be stressful. Over the years students have come to me from time to time and told me they have to give up their practice because they "just don't have time for it". But the truth of the matter is that there is always time for the Great Work. The Great Work supersedes all other areas because it is what causes all other areas to blossom and flow. The Great Work is tapping into the true nature of the universe and harnessing it to bring success, happiness, and perfection. Who doesn't have time for that?

If you have time to brush your teeth in the morning, you have time to do an LBRP. If you find yourself sitting at a stoplight, you have time to review your magical correspondences, if you are driving in a car and see an accident on the side of the road you can do a simple ritual to bring healing and light to those in need. Examples such as these show that we merely need to use our imagination at times to fit in our magical practice. But what is equally as important is to cultivate the magical mind frame throughout the day, and begin to transform our minds and thus our spirits. And this is something we often forget, that the Great Work is not focused on ritual work alone, but must be brought into our everyday lives.

There are many ways to do this, and each way will depend on where you are at in your path. However, the general rule of thumb that I like to use with my students is to choose one thing that you are working on...one personal lesson from your particular grade for example, and try to recognize that lesson and the opportunities for growth throughout the day. For example, often I have my Theoricus students spend an entire week just paying attention to how events and circumstances effect and seek to form their perceptions. After that they spend time analysing how they can personally change and effect their perceptions, and then they witness the interplay between the two. None of these particular exercises require ritual work. However they teach one to understand the nature of the mind and its perceptions. Ritual work and work outside the Temple must be utilized together and, depending on one's life can be altered to bring the greatest effects. When I have time I will spend everyday in the Temple. When I don't I will do banishings and a Middle Pillar daily (which takes 5-10 min) and work on incorporating the lessons of my grade into my daily life.

Until sometime soon, good luck in the Great Work my friends.

Nosce Te Ipsum,

Soror FSO

Restless Seas

2010-03-26T09:21:00.001-07:00

I've been spending a lot of time lately exploring my creative side through photography and poetry. I have always been a scientifically minded person spending my time studying astronomy, psychology, quantum mechanics, and working in hard-core neuro-surgery and bio-psychology labs, but during the time I've studied magic the other part of my brain has been functioning at a higher level seeking integration with the more dominant left-brained part of me. Its been amazing, beautiful...I love being able to see the world through an artist's eye. You really do catch glimpses of things that normally you wouldn't take the time to see or experience. So, here's another poem I wrote recently. Its about love, because right now I'm in love with so many things. The world is opening itself up to me and the boundaries of mental constructs and opinionated living are falling away. Nothing is black and white, everything is One. Btw the picture above is one that I've taken over the past few months...its one of my faves :)

Restless Seas

My heart is sreaming out the winds of existence.

Something so real has come to take over.

Why is it that everytime she feels she

Spends her life pleasing others

Convinced its what brings life?

But now a sail has come to guide the boat

Not to overcome but

To become one with her

And conquer the restless seas.

She sees the sun on the horizon

Opening up a new found dawn.

The light penetrates weaving

New universes within her.

Is that how life on earth was created?

Not by a god, but a passion...

To move.

Can an atom fight the beautiful violence of passion?

Tell me,

When you are in love

Does the universe move for you?

It does in mine

It flips, and turns, ascends and descends

Creating beauty, and trust, sentiment, and fire

Binding together that which brings

Futures and pasts into co-existence,

Creating wholes where there were once holes.

Putting perfection to rest as it accepts all

And thus rests in true perfection.

My Boyfriend is Ugly - A Poem

2010-03-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

I was talking to someone the other day and was heart-broken after hearing their opinion that a mutual friend of ours should not date a particularly wonderful person because they deemed him unattractive. Obviously this is something that is common place....but I do yearn for a world in which everyone could truly look at each person for their internal quality. Thus I wrote this poem based on this conversation with my acquaintance as well as my own personal experience with dating someone who was not considered attractive by conventional means. They were amazing to me, totally hot...because they were so beautiful inside.

I wrote this in honor of all the people who aren't afraid to look past the outside, and for all the people who take time to better themselves on the inside. This poem, although written is meant to be preformed in a spoken-word format.

I have a boyfriend.

Some might say he's plain.

Some might even go as far as to say,

He's ugly.

Certainly, not attractive in the

Traditional sense.

But whenever I look at him

All I see is the sun shining forth,

Blessing people with his light.

Other guys have done

Nice things for me.

But, anyone can do that.

(Boys listen to what I'm about to say)

Open a door,

Pull out a chair,

Pour her a glass,

And then you believe

You treat her better than the rest.

And you forget

That flowers don't grow

On trinkets alone.

But he,

He tries to find what makes me tick,

What makes me bloom,

What makes my insides twist, and cry, and glow.

He listens,

Not only to my words

But to my body, my soul,the way my eyes flash

When he does something that makes me blush.

So he does it again...to see a reaction,

To test my boundries...to make me smile.

Yes, you might say he's unattractive

But then he's so damn funny.

And his brain is a masterpiece in motion.

I love to watch it work, and whirl, and smoke.

Cute guys are so dead behind the eyes.

If a house looks like shit on the outside

And its a fucking mansion inside...then I'll take

The maid, the butler, and those damn comfy pillows.

I don't care about the neighbors...let them think

I'm slumming while I drink champagne.

Cute boys and girls might not ever have to work

At being better on the inside.

(Although I give props to those that do)

They just get everything for free.

While their house is in decay

They think you should pay

To park in their garage.

And when you do, you get jacked

Like your in the ghetto

But instead of your rims getting "stole"

Its your soul.

You say my boyfriend's ugly

But I say your eyes are weak

Maybe its his Light,

The intensity of it shining so brightly

Its hard to look directly in and come out

The same.

He'll change you, you'll grow

And find yourself looking

At the beauty of life

Just a little bit more.

The Magician's Paradox: Balancing Power and Enlightenment

2010-01-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

Power is the double-edged sword of the magician, the paradox which we continuously suffer for the mastery of our path. One one hand, as one increases in skill and purity one increases their power and the ability to use it for deeper spiritual exploration. On the other hand this power can easily begin to corrupt what one has accomplished, viciously tearing apart any hard-earned progress we may have achieved. If you have studied magic, I can almost guarantee that you have inhaled the luscious scent of this vexatious rose, equally intoxicating, purifying, and devilish. We find ourselves teetering on the edge trying to harness that power yet always risking falling onto its deadly blade . How can we walk the thin line which if crossed successfully will bring with it fulfillment, enlightenment, and joy without falling into the depths that will completely devour us, leaving us as an empty shell, slaves to our lesser selves rather than masters of the elements and of metals? To begin our exploration of this topic lets look at another tradition and one of its key texts, The Yoga Sutras.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is one of the most important and widely studied texts of the Vedic system, which in contemporary time has become more widely known in the West. It discusses and describes the state of yoga (union) and the process one's consciousness goes through to achieve it through the practice of the "eight limbs" of the Yoga system. Most people have only read or studied the first two chapters but the last two are equally as important, albiet wrapped in more mystery than most Westerners are willing to explore. Chapter Three of the Yoga Sutras discusses the subject of the Siddhis, supernatural powers which are attained as a result of one's spiritual progress. These include (but are not limited to) levitation, mastery over the elements, invisibility, divine hearing, the ability to walk through walls, and flying through space. The Yoga Sutras expounds on this topic by saying that these abilities will naturally arise out of the practice of Samayama which is the bringing together of dharana (steady orientation of the mind), dhyana (meditation, effortless awareness at the point of attention), and samadhi (one's awareness appearing as the pure object of meditation, devoid of even the thought of itself). As Samyama becomes firmer, cognition of the subtle strata of the universe becomes more and more lucid. Thus, by bringing ones awareness to these subtle layers of the universe one can gain control and knowledge over them. However, it is through this state of Samyama that the light of fully enlivened consciousness arises, thus making it essential to full enlightenment, although not yet its final state.

Let's look at this state a little more closely. On one hand the person begins to experience the subtle strata of the universe, the underlying fabric of creation. On the other hand the light of fully enlivened consciousness is arising. Here the consciousness begins to illuminate itself, and begins to reflect its own light onto itself. As a result of being in touch with such a subtle layer of existence the yogi may begin to experience Siddhis or supernatural powers. These can occur spontaneously, but as the Yoga Sutras explains one may be able to invoke a particular power such as levitation by bringing one's awareness to that particular layer of the strata. However, at this point the yogi is still not completely free from his ego, and thus this can be a very dangerous state of consciousness. Imagine being able to walk through walls, create fire at a touch, or fly through space? Would you be drawn to explore this further? Even if you told yourself you wouldn't think of yourself as better than another because you have attained this state or allow these powers to feed your ego, can you imagine how easily these powers could become a distraction? Because of this it is warned that they yogi continue to adamantly practice non-attachment, for it is through non-attachment, (even to the idea of non-attachment) that absolute freedom is attained.

Now the magician takes a bit of a different route. Instead of experiencing powers as a result of enlightenment he seeks to gain powers in magic as a way towards enlightenment. He uses his powers to explore deeper levels of purification, to invoke beings of a higher vibration, and to raise his consciousness into higher parts of the Tree of Life. But, the same problem can still arise, this disease of attachment to ego and power. The number of ego-driven people on this path is an often discussed topic...well of course! Most people are not prepared to handle the magical powers that are given to them, which is why the fathers of our traditions always stressed living life most piously when practicing magic. If we look at the yogi, we can see that even he, at this extremely purified state is in danger of falling...how much more in danger are we at a lower level?

This doesn't mean that we should stop practicing magic, for this path is holy and effective. But, we must recognize the subtle interplay of power and how it is affecting our consciousness. We also must be strong enough to admit when the intoxicating essence of power is beginning to taint and destroy our lives and our work. Furthermore we must remember that it is not for these powers that we are following this path...but for the enlightenment that comes through following this path of which the powers can be used to help complete our Work. By following the concept of non-attachment we can give ourselves a great step-up in this area. Non-attachment allows us to keep our egos separate from the fruits of our labors, from the special powers we may attain, and from the positions of power we may receive in our groups. In essence non-attachment is an act of humility, the one gift of the spirit which opens the door fully for the grace of the Divine.

Vision Of The Tree

2010-01-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been practicing a simple, but very special technique meant to further solidify my being with the Osirian current. It is interesting how the more refined my states of consciousness become...the more simplistic and modest the techniques are that I am called to use. I still take time to preform more complex ritual because each one is special and brings along with it a certain initiatory current. But, it seems like when I am in the refining stages of the current more simplified rituals which focus on bringing me into very deep state of consciousness seem to work best. Here is an example...

The other day when I was practicing this Osirian/Yeheshua based meditation I entered into a very deep state of consciousness and began to have a vision. Part of it must remain with me only, but I was guided to share the second half of it with you. It begins with my re-birth in the form of a seed.

Trapped inside the atmosphere is tenebrous and cramped. I feel as if I am suffocating and my head begins to swim with the urge to break free. I am no longer meant to be here, in this state. I begin pressing on the inside of the shell trying to break free, trying to extend my legs and arms outward from the fetal position. Suddenly a crack! and light bursts through flooding my eyes with blindness. Before I can even get my bearings I begin to feel my body expanding outwards, my arms taking the form of shoots, the verdigris fibers stinging my nose with a fresh and equally bitter tang. My legs begin to endure taking on the form of roots, the stretching and expanding uncomfortable my muscles forming twisted caverns beneath the ground. Growing up, out, down my consciousness becomes crystal clear, shooting out unto the ends of the universe. My body becomes hard and flexible, giving it both stability and the ability for energy to flow through my veins and out to the furthest extension of my being. My arms begin to stretch out to the sides and up forming branches and leaves. Pores patterning themselves throughout the leaves calling forth great breaths of Light, for it is not air that they are breathing but the source of brightness above which is shining down. Up ahead is a glorious Light sources raining its brilliance down upon me. It feeds and nourishes me, and every inch of my body strives to taste it through my leaves, my bark, and my fingertips which are now full branches. Birds begin to settle into my arms, making nests, feeding and living off the Light, protected by me, creating a perfect symbiotic and unified relationship. As I look down I see my roots, the furthest away from the Light, covered in a ubiquitous darkness. I begin to understand how even though all is created from one source, and feeds off the Light, their life experience can be so different. One part living far away from the Light, another so close...yet still one and the same. I witness as a branch begins to bring forth luscious fruits...candy red apples. Apples start to spring up throughout the entire tree, and I begin to think about how we are all connected, although living in our own microcosm. Then I see one apple fall, only one, the others stably affixed to the tree and it rolls unsteadily on the ground. Suddenly a hand explodes from the earth underneath and grabbing fervently at the apple it disappears. Confused, I turn to listen to myself...and hear the message. Everyone is given the opportunity to receive the fruits of the Divine..but if one should abuse this gift, or turn away from it, they shall be severed from the tree and returned to the earth.

Your comments will be warmly welcomed :)

Nosce Te Ipsum

Soror FSO

Updates on Golden Dawn Interviews

2010-01-17T10:19:00.001-08:00

I have final confirmation of upcoming interviews with Robert Zink, Tabitha Cicero, and everyone's fave GD blogger Dean Wilson. I hope to have the next interview up this week. Thanks for all the positive feedback. I have been enjoying doing and posting them as much as you all have been enjoying reading them :) To privately contact me with questions or comments please e-mail me at werisetogether@gmail.com you can also tweet me at werisetogether Also, I came across a wonderful portrait done by a fellow blogger on Moina Mathers. If you have any Golden Dawn related art (poems, drawings, paintings, videos etc) please send them to me via e-mail and I will include them in my blog. Hopefully said blogger will allow permission for me to showcase her portrait here, or I will send a link over for you to enjoy it.

Nosce Te Ipsum,

Soror FSO

What Is It That Binds You?

2010-01-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a Zen Buddhist over Facebook this morning and we were discussing the topic of how different traditions approach the topic of enlightenment. He said that when a person asks how to attain enlightenment in Zen he is then asked "What is it that binds you?"

After hearing this statement even now, hours later, my consciousness is reverberating like a brass bowl that has been expertly played. What is it that is holding you back, holding you to this world, keeping you from experiencing the Divine in your life every day, keeping your consciousness locked in the material, the ego, your desires? What is it that you are holding onto? What is it that binds you?!

At each level of our development we are seeking a deeper and subtler degree of purification. I have always asked myself "What is it that I need to purify?" or, having noticed myself reacting inappropriately or being attached to something said " I need to purify myself of this". But there is something about the word "bind" that strikes me on a whole new level. I might be just looking at the the same thing from a different perspective, but using the word "bind" instead of "purify" invokes a sense of urgency within. When I think of the word "purification" I associate that with time. Yes, purification takes time so even though I am working on purifying these lower qualities I now see that part of my consciousness doesn't mind if it takes longer to accomplish.

The word "bind" however makes me feel suffocated, controlled, and held back. It is as if someone is telling me "No, you can't live in your full potential because you are being shackled to this existence by illusions, desires, appetites, addictions, and attachments." Re-framing it this way makes me want to go into the Temple right now and stay there doing magic until I emerge like the Buddha from underneath the Bodhi tree. In fact, here I am equally kicking myself and equally rejoicing as I realize I have awaken from another layer of slumber. How easily we fool ourselves into thinking we are progressing when really we are half-sleeping on the floor of enlightenment.

The irony is that they only thing that is binding us to this lesser state of consciousness is ourselves. If we look at The Devil card in the Book T based tarot decks we see that the man and woman standing beneath the Devil, bound to him, are in fact holding the chains. They can choose to release them at anytime, yet their own ignorance causes them to believe they are trapped, tortured, and forced to live in an imperfect existence. We hold the chains to our bonds. Equally, we hold the key to our happiness. Now when I think of "purification" I think of "cleaning out", but when I think of "binding" I think of letting go. What is there to clean out? Nothing. We are created in the image and likeness of the Divine. What is there to let go of? Everything, because there is only one true state of consciousness and that is Unity. Enlightenment is a state of consciousness, it is not dangerous. There is nothing dangerous about immediately achieving it. What is dangerous are the paths sometimes used to get to enlightenment ;techniques used wrongly, purification done too strenuously, but if done correctly, they can be a jewel worth more than any physical trinket.

What I am trying to say is this, it is important to follow our chosen path, and it is important to practice our techniques (properly) so that we can ripen our consciousness. It is the ripened consciousness that is free to realize the bonds which he is so fervently holding onto. But it is important not to hold ourselves back by the false belief that we cannot live in the Truth until some far off time. The Truth is here now. It exists now. It is all around us and within us now. By remembering this at all times it is as if we keep a suitor waiting on the other side of the door so when we are ready to open the door we can embrace him that much more passionately. Let's not forget that our True Nature is there at all times...we only need to turn to it.

Nosce Te Ipsum

Soror FSO

"Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment chop wood and carry water" - Ancient Chinese proverb

Update On The Magical Community's Help For Haiti

2010-01-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

You are all amazing. Seriously. Over the past few days the magical community has really stepped up to do magical healing and support work for the victims of the Haitian earthquake...and it is really paying off. Right now the relief efforts have been stepped up a notch...Isn't it amazing to know that no matter what happens in the world as a magician you can always do something to help, to move people, resources, and Light to those in need. My heart-felt appreciation goes out to all of you. A special thanks goes out to my readers, our fellow blogger St. Balthazar, my Facebook friends in the esoteric community, the EOGD, Robert Zink, and Mary Kresky for stepping up to promote this cause and for doing the magical work to support it. Keep up the good work all of you!

Magic For Haiti

2010-01-13T08:42:00.001-08:00

If you read my blog and are a practicing magician, please take some time to do some healing work for the people in Haiti. We are blessed with the ability to wield our power beyond what most would think imaginable, so it is important for us to use our gifts for the good of others. Also, you get back what you put forth, so if you are in need of a little extra blessings start by giving some to others. If you think your magic is "too small" to help a situation like this, remember my friends we are all created in the image and likeness of the Divine. That means you can tap into infinite resources of power...especially if you are using your magic for healing. So invoke those angels, create those elemental, or whatever it is you do. If you are new to magic and would like to learn how to use it to heal yourself and others than check out www.western-mysteries.org Also, I will be preforming a special healing rite this Friday...so send your healing requests to werisetogether@gmail.com There is no charge to have your request added to my rite. Many blessings to you all!

Angelic Healing Touch Podcast 1/12

2010-01-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight there will be a podcast on Angelic Healing Touch...check it out!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/robert-zink/2010/01/13/how-to-learn-the-secrets-of-angel-healing-touch

Golden Dawn Interview With Nick Farrell Part 2

2010-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

Salve to all my lovely readers! I hope your days are being blessed with health and happiness. As promised, here is the second part to my interview with Nick Farrell. I hope you have been enjoying his widsom and experience as much as I have. Some of you know that last week I preformed a special prosperity ritual for all of the people who follow my blog . I figure since you are doing so much for me by giving me a sounding board for my thoughts, why not do something for you? Besides, you deserve it! We all need a little extra help right now. Since it was such a blessing for me (and to some of you who e-mailed me about the results you saw) I am going to do some healing work this week. As I do not know all of you personally it is important to "follow" me so I have some reference as to who you are during my ritual. It will be preformed on Friday so if you haven't started following yet or know someone who needs a little extra Light...feel free to spread the word! :) Also, if you have a specific healing request you can e-mail me privately at werisetogether@gmail.com or go to http://www.esotericgoldendawn.com/ouro_healingrequests.htm to have an entire group of Adepti work on you during a special monthly ritual that we preform. Heck...why not do both? And now without further ado...part two of my interview with Nick. ( and Nick if your reading this Bonjourno!)

Nick Farrell Interview Part 2

What are the qualities that you believe define an Adept? How would you describe the differences in the work that an Outer Order member does and the work and Inner Order member does?

An Adept is one who is “most themselves”. The outer order shows them how to become that and does the work on the sphere of sensation that alAlows that state to manifest. A second Order Adept, knowing themselves and their position in the universe, is able to be a conscious co-creator with god and explore inner space.

Is there any type of magic that you particularly enjoy i.e. skrying, Enochian, divination, etc….

I am a big fan of ritual. It is the triple leo side of me I like a good performance.

As far as your personal work is concerned, what do you consider to be the most important thing for you to be focusing on right now?

Last year I was involved in establishing the Magical Order of Aurora Aurea which is a Golden Dawn order. When you do this it is traditional to call yourself an obscenely high grade and do little work for the rest of your life. Although NAM and ZAM grade the Second Order of the GD is all documented there is little work that has been done on the other sub-grades of the 5=6 and the 6=5 and 7=4. It is my idea to develop a system to work myself through those grades and write the material for the second order to develop as I go. The fun is to crack the symbolism of the system and make it more practical.

Do you feel the Golden Dawn has helped you to attain the life that you wanted and to reach the goals that you have set for yourself in life?

Magic has shaped me and my goals and defined most of what I do. If I am happy it is because I have managed to archive a magical goal. So it really your life, if it isn't then you are not a magician. Sure, magic has helped me achieve goals but I am not sure if I would have had those goals if I had not been a magician.

What do you think makes the Golden Dawn unique?

I still think it is the most complete unending system out there.

Some people believe the Golden Dawn can be tailored to anyone, do you believe it is for everyone, or do you think it is really for the niche, ceremonial magician?

Golden Dawn groups divide into three types. There are the tourists who come along for a look. They might be in the group for the rest of their lives but they never 'live' the system. Then there are those who study it and allow it to transform them. Magic becomes their life pattern. Then there are those who are born magicians. These are rarer and usually cause a teacher the most problems. The GD works for all these types and each group should have a balance of them. Most groups are formed from a majority of the first group with a smattering of the second type and if they are lucky one or two real magicians.
But I don't think it is for everyone. The modern golden dawn has made a huge mistake in believing it can be inclusive and that any one can come along and be nurtured up the levels. As a result standards have fallen to the point that people are becoming Adepts without knowing the basics. Orders are said to be successful if they are big rather than how many Adepts their system produces. Real magic does not suffer fools gladly and I think there are too many fools who have floated to the top.

What do you think is the current state of the tradition? How would you describe the climate? Do you think that it is really just a lot of in-fighting as the internet makes it seem, or do you think that the internet does not represent what it really going on in the community as a whole?

I think the Golden Dawn is splitting into three clear factions. The first is those who think they can make money out of it, the second are those who believe it should be run along masonic or religious lines and the third are those who are only interested in the magical side. Magical Golden Dawn groups talk to each other and use the internet to share information. When they argue it is more of a row based on techniques and usually is patched up. The masonic style groups take people through the grades and status is accorded by grade. Such groups are more expansive because the numbers of temples which are under their umbrella equates to their personal status. They are more likely to be concerned with lineage or what they perceive as being the tradition. They get very upset if their status is questioned or threatened. Then there are those who a trying to make money out of the Golden Dawn system who see any one else out their as competition. I would like to think that the Magical Golden Dawn will win, but what is more likely is that they will move the the background, perhaps not even calling themselves Golden Dawn to avoid being drawn into such conflicts. I think it will be harder for those who are searching for a real Golden Dawn group under that name to find a good one.

What is the Magical Order of the Aurora Aurea?

The Magical Order of the Aurora Aurea is a modern expression of the Golden Dawn tradition. It is an international Order with its Headquarters in Rome with Temples forming in Ireland, England, Wales and Slovinia. We also intend to open temples all over the world.
Although it is a traditional secret magical order it operates two public programmes. The first is its correspondence course which places its teachings in the hands of people who would not be able to join a working magical temple. The second are its Anticums which are public rituals and workshops organised by its initiates. While the Order is running, we have yet to go public. It will probably be ready in the next few weeks.
It is orthodox Golden Dawn but its teachings require more practical work in addition to intellectual study. This does not mean that we have put inner order techniques in the outer, but instead have organised a system of study which requires regular practical effort and alchemical changes in personality. We are also interested in the magical layers involved in the initiation rituals. We do not use the cut down versions of the Golden Dawn rituals that were published by Regardie and are the mainstay of modern Golden Dawn groups. Instead we use the same rituals which have been part of the Golden Dawn for more than a century.

Interview With Nick Farrell Part 1

2010-01-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the next interview in my "Golden Dawn Interview Series". A big thanks to Nick for taking the time to share his thoughts. After talking with him I realized he is a veritable Golden Dawn machine! ...full of zeal and motivation. For the enjoyment of my readers and the community at large I am posting the entire interview in two parts due to its length. I hope you enjoy...If you haven't yet, please read my first interview with Samual Scarbarough, some questions are the same, but I think its nice to hear a variety of viewpoints on similar topics in our community.

What was it that first interested you in magic? and Why did you choose the Golden Dawn System?

I was interested in religion as a kid but something about the art and idea of magic drew me in. I was always imaginative and found that exoteric religion was simply too shallow and proscriptive. The Golden Dawn attracted me because it was a complete magical system. I trained in groups that were derived from Dion Fortune and I always had the feeling that while such systems were good at some things they were not complete. This left the teachers free to add bits that they though were important which meant that other ideas came unstuck. The GD gives you a map and then it says “start from here”, while other groups I found would give you a jigsaw puzzle with the corners lost down the back of the sofa.

Were there certain changes in personal growth that you expected to see? Where these accomplished? If so, how quickly after being initiated?

I didn't expect any personal changes really, just development. I had been working in the magical tradition since I was 17 and was initiated into a Golden Dawn order when I was 33. I knew a lot but there was no structure on which to build. However there were some changes at key points in the grade system. The outer order of the GD is about becoming yourself as an individual and being confident about that. I think that during my period on the outer I evolved from someone who sat back and learnt other people's views to someone who was happy to express his own ideas. I became 'famous' for actually saying what I think and comfortable projecting those ideas in writing or standing up in front of people. This caused problems for some. I have a nasty knack of not doing what I was told and there is my sense of humour which I like but some people take seriously. My 5=6 was the most dramatic initiation I experienced though and that caused a personality change where the different aspects of myself fused together. It did not last but now I notice there is a 'plugged in' Nick Farrell and one which is ordinary and a bit weaker.

How would you describe spiritual growth in the GD system?

It is furry, with a few spots and tends to like chocolate :-) Actually it is like most forms of spiritual growth. It is hard work that requires sacrifice. People make the mistake of thinking the GD is about intellectual understanding and long involved rituals. It can be that. There a lot of people who sit there and pontificate for hours about the Geomatria of the Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram and its relationship to the spiritual alchemy of the godforms of Atum-Re but cannot do a lesser ritual of the pentagram if a demon was burning hoof prints into the carpet. However there are also those who do and they are the most fun to work with.

It seems many mystical traditions have similarities in mystical experiences, as well as ones that are primarily within their tradition…how would you describe the spiritual experience of the Golden Dawn?

It depends on the person. Each person has inside them a key to a part of the rainbow that is God. I think they find that and then find that they have deal with the other colours too. No one's rainbow is ever complete but it is theirs and they are happy with it. I would like to say that you see into the gates of infinity and touch the throne of heaven and certainly I have had spiritual experiences like that. More often though it is seeing the colours of god in your daily life and knowing what to mix to get the image you want.

What have you found the biggest pitfall in the Great Work and what advice do you have to give about overcoming it?

Believing that you are small. It is easy to think you are small when you stand on the rim of a small galaxy before the infinity of space. To make matters worse we have religions and other people tell us that we are at the bottom of a spiritual ladder two steps up from plankton. However the way I see it we are meant to be co-creators with infinity and you don't get that sort of job by thinking small.

Have you had what can be described as “peak experiences” of consciousness while doing magic or as an effect of magic, for example Unified Consciousness, one-pointed awareness, out of body experiences, levitation, etc…if so could you please describe a meaningful one? Have you found these to be common within people who study magic and the Golden Dawn?

I think they are overrated, certainly as a mark of spiritual progress. I mark diaries of students who tell me they have had them but you are left with thinking “well now what?”. A spiritual experience is not worth much if you can't do much with it. While most of the time it is people trying to impress you, generally these experiences are like electricity arcing in the darkness. It is all very impressive but it is not going to cook your dinner or light your home. The ones that get on my nerves is the person who tells you they have had a spiritual experience but say they don't have words describe it. I usually tell them to write a poem or draw a picture as art brings the experience down the levels. If they can't, and the experience does not translate into changes in their life it is not doing anyone any good.

How has the Great Work changed for you over the years?

When I started out I was a small child looking at the sky and it all felt too big. Now it is an adventure.

Have you found the Golden Dawn system to work with other systems…do you advocate using it with other systems…such as Eastern traditions?

In the west there are few traditions that do not owe something to the Golden Dawn. Most of the time they work together ok. The Eastern system doesn't. The GD founders were over awed by the Eastern systems and some of it found its way into the tradition. But I think if they looked harder they would find the same thing in the West which worked better. I use the Eastern godform techniques with Western gods and some of the breathing techniques. But I don't use charkas and some of the stuff on the aura. I prefer the western idea of the Sphere of Sensation which is similar.

Are there any particular techniques in the system that you believe are absolutely necessary to master for personal and spiritual growth?

Regular meditation work. Ironically it is the one thing that many GD schools think is pointless and few enforce. However if a person is not doing regular meditation work they would be better off watching a nice video.

Things I'm Digging Right Now

2010-01-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

There are just some great Golden Dawn and esoteric resources I am digging right now and I thought I would share :)

Books

The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Hermeticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Ascepius (long title, awesome read)

Marriage As A Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints by David and Mary Ford (in case you didn't know this was possible)

Meditation and The Kabbalah: Aryeh Kaplan (always informative and interesting to go back to)

Golden Dawn Blogs:

Some good, although unfortunatly little know blogs

www.rosicrucian-vault.blogspot.com

www.abiegnus.blogspot.com

www.robertzink.blogspot.com

the last one you may find intriguing as it is written from the perspective of someone who is not within the occult community, but whom met Robert while on a trip to India...and became interested in his life's work. Its nice to hear an outside perspective.

Music:

Beats Antique- if you haven't heard these guys, they are amazing, and will really get those juices flowing to do some magical work

Purification of The Soul Through the Loving Gift of Gratitude

2010-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you were as blessed by the season as I was. Although, I have to admit, as a creature of habit I am more than happy to finally be back into my regular schedule...and I am very exited about this coming year! Did anyone notice that amazing full moon we had on the first?...a beautiful healing moon, full of nurturing energy. My hope for myself, my students, and all my readers is that we all remember everyday how blessed we are (even if the circumstances seem dire), and take that gratitude and share it with others...this is the best way to bring even more blessings into our life.

I was blessed over the holidays to learn a true lesson about gratitude (in retrospect, how appropriate!) and I have come to see that it is a real tool to happiness...one that can be used to bring positivity and healing to any situation. Over the holiday I was in beautiful, sunny California at an an amazing condo on the beach in San Diego, a city which has a million fun things to do. I was really looking forward to having a, fun filled vacation...and what happened? Someone was sick every day I was there. First it was my son, then my mother, then my husband, then my mother in law...it was really a recipe for disaster- a bad mood, and a bad trip just waiting to happen. Whereas in the past I would have let my attachment to my expectations, and my desire to have the trip be a certain way cause me to be disappointed, then irritable, then angry, then just plain worn out from 2 1/2 wks of sickness...I was determined to not let it be so. Recently I have been working very hard to not be attached to my desires, expectations, or material inclinations...and this to me was a great test for that. But, I have to admit that while this has been my goal I wasn't quite sure how to reach it. Was it through control of my thoughts, or by constant testing until it was burned out of me, or through prayer and fasting? What I found through my Christmas ordeal...was that the key was gratitude. No matter what happens, no matter what is taken away...there is still something to be grateful for. And whereas intellectually one may think that by attaching your consciousness toward another material thing would be contrary to the goal...gratitude for the blessings in your life has the alternate effect of going beyond the ego, and taking us away from attachment. I realized the fullness of this concept in the simplest of choices I made while on vacation. My son was sick? How thankful I was that I could watch over him, while to beautiful ocean was outside to soothe me. My husband was ill? How wonderful it was that it didn't happen until he got to CA so I could be with him and see him after a week of being gone. My mother was throwing up? How thankful I was for the time we did get to spend having heart to heart conversations...every time a feeling of hopelessness tried to take over I would combat it with gratitude and thanksgiving to the Divine for all the great things I did receive while there. Even if I didn't get to go surfing, and to the amusement park, and around to take more photographs (I love photography), the small, simple moments were far more meaningful. And although this may seem like a small lesson learned in a small situations...the power of gratitude showed itself to me during a far more difficult time in my life when I was no where near where I am in my consciousness today...when I was truly lost in darkness.

There was a time when I was so wrapped up in my own pain that at one point I couldn't get out of bed. My depression was so debilitating that it culminated in me dropping out of college. One day, as I lay there in bed, thinking about my life, I realized that no one was going to "save" me. No friend or family member was going to come bursting through my door and say "Get up! its time to start living your life!" It was up to me to take the first step to having a fulfilling and happy life. I thought "there are so many people who are happy, what is different for them?" and from somewhere deep inside,(which I now realize was the whisper of my Higher Self) I heard a tiny voice that told me...choice. We all have a choice. The world is the world, and we see it for what we believe it to be. There are just as many "bad" things as there are "good", there are just as many "mean" people as there are "nice"...but we see what we want. I was always flabbergasted when I was out driving, or shopping, or going to school by how rude and inconsiderate people were. But how many people had been nice that I hadn't noticed? Were people maybe extra rude because I was always in a foul mood? On and on my thoughts swirled around in my head, and I went from thinking that I was a victim of a terrible curse to realizing that I had some control over my life, and that maybe my life was a result of who I was inside. So I took that first step, allowing my feet to slide out from the covers and feel the carpet beneath my bed, and I thought "how nice it is to have carpet". Who do you know had been thankful for carpet? But that thought was a start, a new way to look at the world. It was a new way to cultivate an attitude that wasn't so full of darkness and despair; a way that kind of tickled my heart and gave me hope. After all those months it was like a refreshing drink of water given in the desert. So I started to cultivate the attitude of gratitude when I could...of course having a new attitude about life was a challenge to overcome, but now I had a tool. So I counted my blessings- food, shelter, the ability to not have to sleep in a cold street in the winter, health...in the beginning my blessings seemed few, but there was always at least one things that I could be grateful for and over time I realized how great even the smallest one seemed. And now 12 years later, I have so many blessings, family, friends, happiness, healthy, a graduate degree, a beautiful son, and this lesson has come full circle in the smallest of circumstances...an illness over Christmas vacation, and I am made fully aware of its power.

The only way to true happiness is to look outside our small selves to our Higher Self which resides within us and throughout the whole universe...to realize our intimate connection with everything and everyone. The material realm, the material consciousness of the ego strives for more, and is never satisfied always leaving us feeling empty no matter how much we gain. But, when we connect to our Higher Self, we connect to the source of all and thus can never feel empty. We accomplish this by purifying ourselves to our lower natures and exalting our Higher Self. Gratitude is the loving way to purification, for it automatically humbles us and withdraws us from the ego. It fills us with love, hope, and kindness, and causes us to want to share it with others...thus becoming a self-perpetuating gift.

May we be grateful for all that we have this year, and share our blessings with others.

Nosce Te Ipsum

Soror FSO

For information on how to receive training in the Hermetic Arts, and The Golden Dawn please contact me at werisetogether@gmail.com

Litany of Humility

2009-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Throughout the week I feel a consistent urge to blog. Surprisingly I have found it to be a wonderful outlet for thoughts that like to incessantly poke at my consciousness...I say surprising because until my foray into the blogosphere I never thought of myself as a writer, and now I see the real joy behind it. Unfortunatly, I do not have the time to keep up with it the way that I wish to so I have come up with a compromise for myself. Instead of taking the hour or so to craft a blog whenever I have an idea to get off my chest, I will do what I do now, and do so when I have the time. But to fulfill my urge I will more frequently post excerpts from books, grimoires, or papers that I am researching at the time (that's what I have to spend the majority of my free time doing, since I teach). This way you can see more often where my brainpower is being focused, and I can feel what I am beginning to understand is a writer's need to release to some degree all the thoughts that swirl around in their head.

Right now I am loving the "Litany of Humility".This Litany is Christ centered, but I believe it can be altered for those who are not studying the Christian Mysteries. I personally have found that practicing humility in the occult sciences is not only necessary for keeping one's head in check when surrounded by such powerful energies, but helps one to become closer to the Divine, and bestows greater power to the magician(something that I will expound upon in a full length blog)

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Isis Invocation Video Posted to YouTube

2009-12-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

A new video has been posted on youtube giving a glimpse of some of the Isis Rituals we have preformed throughout our Temples...truly amazing. I look foward to the Isis Invocations every year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mNcTh0Gqrg&feature=fvsr

Overcoming Doubt During Times of Spiritual Pain

2009-12-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

All who have followed a spiritual path have doubted their purpose, their work, themselves and even the Divine at one time or another. Even the holiest of people like Mother Theresa, the Apostles, and Christ himself expressed doubt during times of great duress. Doubt invokes one’s trust in the material faculty of the intellect in order to pull us out of the spiritual realm and back into the comfort of our ego and that which we find to be more pleasing and familiar. During times of great trial it is natural for us to experience what psychologists term “fight or flight” in order to return to a state of where psychological and physical pain does not exist. Doubt is a sister of fear, and fear as we all know, is failure. Conversely, “courage is the beginning of virtue”. Thus doubt is the attack that is used to turn the gaze of the spiritual man from the Will of the Divine to the will of the self.

We first see the serpent in the Garden of Eden use doubt to tempt Eve. He says “Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the Garden?” Eve responds,

"We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

What we are witnessing here is the first suggestion of disunity, division, and incongruence. For that is the only goal of a negative entity…to bring disharmony between one and the Spirit. Mental constructs which come from outside of the self are widely reconized in mystical and spiritual traditions throughout the world. At first one heartily believes that in fact they do originate with the self, but as one grows deeper in the knowledge of their inner landscape they begin to recognize which thoughts originate with them and which do not. As an example, can you think of a time when you suddenly had a thought and said “That’s not like me” or “Why would I think such a thing?” this is an experience of realizing that a thought did not come from your true nature.

One practice of the monks who reside on Mt. Athos is to delineate their thoughts in terms of what expresses love, virtue, godliness, trust, humility, sacrifice, unity, obedience, forgiveness, and chastity vs. what thoughts express non-unity, selfishness, pride, judgment, intolerance, and non-forgiveness. Thus when the latter thoughts come up they first stop and analyze where the thoughts are coming from, do they originate with their own lower natures or are they from outside the self completely? Then they contemplate them, and analyze them to find how these thoughts are attaching themselves to the ego, for as a negative thought is the bullet, the ego most assuredly is the gun, allowing the thought to deeply wound us. For how would doubt cause its trouble if our ego were not attached to certain beliefs, ideas, or opinions?

How then can we defend ourselves against it?

1. Practice Non-Attachment. This is a called santosa in Sanskrit and is widely practice in various eastern and western mystical traditions, as it helps one to not only quench the ego and to turn away from material desires but also to recognize the different aspects of one’s inner landscape. One can practice non-attachment in meditation by bringing the awareness back again and again to the breath or a certain part of the body should the mind wander and wish to attach itself to a thought..this is a subtle form of practice. Or one can practice non-attachment in life, by recognizing when one is in disagreement with something, then turning one’s attention to the ego to release it. I have found that saying “Thank you God, thank you for this trial” allows the vice grip of the thought to be overcome by humility and love.

2. Gratitude: it is often easier to focus on that which seems negative, in fact it is easier to focus on the negative than on the positive because until we reach higher degrees of spiritual development we are closer to our lower nature than our higher selves. We are closer to our egos and our evil persona, closer to the Nephesh and the things that make us want to focus on the self. Being grateful for what we have and what has been accomplished can fight off negative thought senders because gratitude is a brother of humility, the greatest defense against all attack. The strongest example of this is in Luke 4: 1-13 when Jesus was tempted in the desert (I would argue this was the greatest attempt at spiritual attack that was ever launched in the history of mankind). Each time Jesus was tempted, he overcame the Devil with humility…every time.

3. Look at the trend of things. If we look at our recent history it would be easy to think that we have not made much progress, but if one looks at the trend of progress over the years we can see that great changes have occurred. For example, I might look back on the last year and think that I haven’t changed much, and see that there is much to do…but if I look at the trend over the past ten years, I see that I am drastically different and much farther along on my path. The same thing holds true for spiritual groups and those in it. Although you may think that not much change has occurred look at all the things that have happened over the years, the people that were helped, the Temples that were built, the lessons learned, the growth that occurred…using this technique can quickly quell the temptation of doubt in your path.

4. Communication: More times than not, your personal opinion or relationship with another brother or sister will be the chosen by outside forces to cause you to doubt your path. How many times have we heard ourselves say “If this person were a spiritual person he/she would not behave this way?’ “If this were a real spiritual group this would not be happening.” A spiritual group is not meant to be a feel good club that you go to after a hard days work…it is meant to be a venue of transformation, a place where you learn about yourself, your weaknesses and your path. Everyone who involved is undergoing many tests, and trials as well as accomplishments and progress. A spiritual group is a veritable alchemical alembic in itself with all the processes that go along with it. Thus, it is imperative to communicate openly and honestly with your brothers or sisters for there may be many un-thought of explanations for the behavior which offended you. Can you think of a time when you wished you had been consulted on a problem before judged or wished you could have explained yourself better….things are not always as they seem and where there is darkness in understanding so is there also a fertile field of distrust. You can never over- communicate.

5. Forgiveness: There will be a time when everyone makes a mistake…maybe many mistakes, and these mistakes will open up the doorway for a great deal of doubt. We may even get angry, but at some point we must forgive. For a lack of forgiveness will allow for a an intense poison to set in to the mind, one that will let a flood of thought-senders in over and over and over again, torturing us until we run as fast as we can from our path. But forgiveness is a great virtue of Spirit. Forgiving as our Lord so forgives us brings us closer to Him, and is this not what we desire so deeply? To be closer to our Master? Mathers says, “Be not hasty to condemn another’s sin. How knowest thou that in his place thou would have resisted the temptation? And even were it so, why shouldst thou despise one who is weaker than thyself? Be thou well sure of this, that in slander and self-righteousness is sin. Pardon therefore the sinner, but encourage not the sin. The Master condemned not the adulterous woman, but neither did he encourage her to commit sin” (On the General Guidance and Purification of the Soul 3=8)

6. Writings of Saints, and other Spiritual Leaders- Taking the time to read the writings of Saints, Masters, and other people whom we look up to can give us examples of the proper way to handle a situation, for none of these people reached such high levels of spiritual status without undergoing great trials themselves. Writings which are particularly helpful during times when one is being mentally attacked are The Imitation of Christ, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, the essay “On the General Guidance and Purification of the Soul’, “The Litany of Humility”, The Bagavadgita, The Mountain of Silence, and The Dammapada

No path can ever be completed if one leaves it, and no path of purification is ever easy although its rewards are great. Quit the night and seek the Day!

Nosce Te Ipsum

FSO

p.s. check out a new blog written by my fellow brother and friend "Tales of Abiegnus" : Lessons in the Hermetic Arts in the style of tale and discourse!

Golden Dawn Interview With Samuel Scarborough

2009-11-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

This interview will be the first in a series of dialogues with members of the Golden Dawn community. The goal of these will be to give those seeking or interested in this path an idea of what the Golden Dawn is truthfully. I hope that my readers will not only enjoy hearing about the experiences of Golden Dawn magicians, but will learn more about the true nature of the Great Work; its benefits, its pitfalls, and its magnificence.

Today I am presenting my interview with Samuel Scarborough. He is a contributing editor for the "Journal of Western Mystery Tradition" and also writes for the magazine "Hermetic Virtues". A senior member of the Ordo Stella Matutina, a modern Golden Dawn order that carries on the work of the original Stella Matutina, he currently resides in North Carolina. His esoteric interests lie in both practical and spiritual alchemy, tarot, astrology, Golden Dawn, Qabalah, ritual magick, and Hermetisim.

My personal experience with Sam is of a man who is not only kind and generous, but absolutely knowledgeable in his craft. Not only does he have a firm understanding of the Golden Dawn, but he also exudes its true nature in his attitude about life and in his correspondence with others. Unfortunately, this interview is only a small sample of what he has to offer the community but I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed making his acquaintance. So, without further ado...

Golden Dawn Interview With Sam Scarborough

FSO: How would you describe spiritual growth in the GD system?

SS: Like the growth of a tree. Slow and steady. The seeds for spiritual growth are planted in the very first ritual work and studying the First Knowledge Lecture. It slowly grows as you do the Work and advance through the grades. Doing the Work and fully integrating the energies that are raised from the initiations and work nurtures that first seed in my opinion.

FSO: When you first began studying the Golden Dawn were there certain changes in personal growth that you expected to see? Where these accomplished? If so, how quickly after being initiated?

SS: There were changes that I expected to see, but in the beginning I was a bit naïve and had lots of preconceived ideas about what I should expect. I thought that I could summon wind, control the physical elements, and other things which were a bit “Hollywoodisms”. Eventually, I learned that those sorts of things were not what the Work was truly about. It was about balancing out those parts of yourself so that you are more balanced and can draw closer to your own Divine Nature. Once I got this through my head, I began to see that I needed to work on things like being lazy, or daydreaming too much, or a volatile temper.

Over time and with very hard, diligent work through the Outer Order Grades I slowly began to fully integrate the positive aspects of the various elements into myself, and began to overcome being lazy, daydreaming too much, etc.
I did wind up overcoming lots of those shortcomings once I had identified them, but have found that it is a continuing job to keep them up and deal with the new issues that arise from doing the Work within the Golden Dawn.

None of those negative traits of laziness, daydreaming, or temper just “magically” disappeared because I had been initiated – instead I had to work at overcoming them as they were brought to my conscious attention through the grade material and the energies of the initiations themselves. In fact, I find that I must constantly work on myself to improve, plus the longer that I do the Work the more new issues arise that have to be worked through and overcome. There has been no set time frame from initiation to overcoming a negative trait for me and I presume that it is a different time frame for each person that works through the Golden Dawn System.

FSO: LOL. Well outside of not being able to shoot fire balls have you had what can be described as “peak experiences” of consciousness while doing magic or as an effect of magic, for example unified consciousness, one-pointed awareness, out of body experiences, levitation, etc…if so could you please describe a meaningful one? Have you found these to be common within people who study magic and the Golden Dawn?

SS: When it comes to my personal Work I mostly adhere to the concept of Tacere – "to be Silent" – in relation to it, but I have had a couple experiences of heightened consciousness from performance of specific rituals and to some degree in acting as an officer for initiations.

One experience that I will share though came about when performing the Middle Pillar Exercise with a full "Circulation of the Body of Light". I had been performing the "Four-fold Breath" in preparation to performing the "Middle Pillar". I began the visualizations and appropriate vibrations (vibrating the Divine Name as many times as there are Hebrew letters in the Name). I went through the whole "Middle Pillar" and then began the "Circulation of the Body of Light".
During the final “fountain” portion of the "Circulation of the Body of Light" I had this experience of snapping away from my body through my Kether-Galgalim and rising above the shower of light towards that infinite point far above myself. It was exceedingly peaceful and very comfortable – almost as if I belonged there rather than in my own body. The moment seemed to last forever as I lost track of time and to some degree, of space. Luckily at some point I sat down or else I think I would have fallen down in my ritual space. In any event I finally returned to myself feeling more relaxed and calm (peaceful) and realized that an hour and a half had passed since I had started the Middle Pillar.

In my experience there are a lot of moments similar to what I described above. Everyone experiences something at some point in their Work, especially if they are diligent and sincere in what they are doing. I do not think mine is a common experience, but things similar occur for a sizable portion of those doing the Work to not be “uncommon” at least.

FSO: Are there any particular techniques in the system that you believe are absolutely necessary to master for personal and spiritual growth?

SS: The "Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram", meditation, and the "Middle Pillar" ritual are absolutely essential elements that need to be mastered for personal and spiritual growth. I am not talking about just blindly following the material and just performing these things, I am talking about in reality experiencing these rituals and meditations; making a genuine connection with the forces that are generated through the performance of these. Couple with these a full understanding what these basic rituals and meditations do, and you will be well on the way to mastering yourself and growing in a positive manner.

FSO: What types of personal changes should someone expect to see when learning the Golden Dawn tradition?

SS: This is something of a loaded question. In a lot of ways this sort of question can set up preconceived ideas of what to expect and when certain things should occur from working the Golden Dawn system. There are some things though that everyone who is looking at beginning to work in the Golden Dawn system should realize, and this is that there is a lot of hard work. Like anything else, the more you commit to doing the work and actually do the work as outlined, the bigger the rewards will be. Hopefully, through doing the various exercises and grade work, a person should balance out most (if not all) of those negative traits that they do not like about themselves. This takes serious, hard work to accomplish though. In addition, the energies generated from the initiations and the work will need to be fully integrated into yourself. Again, this takes hard work, but the Golden Dawn system provides a solid framework to accomplish this sort of thing.

FSO: It seems many mystical traditions throughout the world have similarities in mystical experiences, as well as ones that are primarily within their tradition…how would you describe the spiritual experience of the Golden Dawn?

SS: The spiritual experience for me within the Golden Dawn has been one of slow illumination and self examination. The symbol set that is used within the Golden Dawn helps to fully integrate the specific energies into the Self- this is especially true during the Elemental Grades in the Outer Order. The principle thing is that each of the Elemental Energies from the Outer Order Grades must be fully incorporated into a person’s sphere of sensation. Once they are incorporated, then the person must balance these forces out so as to achieve equilibrium. This process is rather alchemical in nature, particularly in the spiritual sense (that is through mediation and working with the diagrams and symbols related to a particular grade ) rather than from practical alchemical means (the use of a physical laboratory to produce results in flasks, etc.).

FSO: What have you found the biggest pitfall in the Great Work and what advice do you have to give about overcoming it?

SS: There are several big pitfalls in working towards the Great Work. Taking yourself too seriously is obviously one. The Great Work is serious business and the Work is hard, but that does not mean that you have to think of yourself as always right or not laugh at yourself when you make a mistake. And make a mistake we all do, since we are still human and prone to making them. Take the time to enjoy life and your mistakes. Laugh at yourself, especially when you start taking yourself too seriously. You are not the center of the universe and you are not yet god.

Ego is the other seriously big pitfall that plagues those that are striving towards the Great Work. To begin with a magician (a person doing the Great Work) needs a strong ego just to try to reunite with the Divine. The problem is that too many of us doing the Great Work have strong egos that are not balanced but which run rampant. Many people fall into this trap of being “right” or having such-and-such title or degree, or that because we have such-and-such degree, we obviously know more and thus must be correct.

My biggest advice is to try your best to maintain a healthy balanced ego. Learn how to moderate yourself and to examine all your words and actions to see if they are egotistical. Also, go get therapy from a professional therapist or psychologist. Things come up in the course of the Work that you may miss that may feed our egos or other aspects that we are working on through the grade material. It helps to have an unbiased professional to advise you through those trouble spots and to keep us grounded.

Another piece of advice is to work with a solid group of well grounded magicians – a local temple or Order that has members that are rooted in common sense.

FSO: Some people believe the Golden Dawn can be tailored to anyone, do you believe it is for everyone, or do you think it is really for the niche, ceremonial magician?

SS: I am something of an elitist. I believe that the Golden Dawn is not for everyone, anymore than Wicca or Witchcraft is for everyone. Certain people will be drawn to either a more ceremonial approach to magic and theurgy or they will be drawn to something else.
The Hermetic Tradition, which the Golden Dawn is certainly a modern manifestation really lends itself to those more interested in ceremonial magic and theurgy.

FSO: What do you think is the current state of the tradition? How would you describe the climate? Do you think that it is really just a lot of in-fighting as the Internet makes it seem, or do you think that the Internet does not represent what it really going on in the community as a whole?

SS: Personally, I think that the current state of the Golden Dawn tradition is one of growth. The overall system has grown tremendously in the last 120 years, and with various modern Orders putting their own spin on the traditional material, the system can only grow.

The Climate in the Golden Dawn Community is one of guarded work in my opinion. There are several serious Golden Dawn Orders around the world that communicate and get along, even share some material, but there are outside forces that constantly threaten the overall Golden Dawn Community. Many of these outside forces claim that they represent the Golden Dawn or the Golden Dawn Community as a whole, but they are really on the outside looking in trying to tear apart something they do not wholly comprehend. Because of these outsiders, the other serious groups are very cautious in their dealings with others within the Golden Dawn Community.

The apparent “in-fighting” that is routinely seen on the Internet does not accurately portray what is going on in the overall Golden Dawn Community. This “in-fighting” is brought on by a few bad apples, as it were, that do not represent the overall community, but they certainly tarnish the rest of the community by their words and actions.

The Internet is a great tool, especially for magicians to share information, talk, and network amongst themselves. It is this that is overshadowed by the bickering and “in-fighting” that is more often seen publicly. There is more communication behind the scenes than the average person really sees on the Internet. Various members from several Orders communicate and network sharing and just talking among them. This is not just the average member of an Order, but also senior Adepti and even the various Chiefs of the Orders communicating.

FSO: Is there anything that you personally would like to express to the community? Any advice, words of wisdom, anything that you have always thought it was important for people to know?

SS: The only advice I have is to be fraternal with each other. Sure we can disagree on various points of doing the work of the Golden Dawn System, but do so without becoming person in the debate. Remember that all of us had to start some where nothing was fully formed at the beginning in doing this Work.
Do the Work. Be diligent, be discriminating in your choices and actions, and take responsibility for your words and actions, but be fraternal to those whom are doing the Work in another Order within the Golden Dawn Tradition as well as those that are in your own Temple and Order, after all we are all doing similar grade work and striving towards the same goal in the Magnum Opus.
Try to live up to the Hermetic maxim of Scire, Velle, Audere, Tacere (To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent).

The Golden Dawn Magician's Diet

2009-11-10T16:22:00.001-08:00

Recently there was a post on the Golden Dawn World Wide Forum concerning the importance of diet in a magician's path. Since this is a topic that seems to come up on a fairly regular basis (especially since we in the U.S. are finally starting to get on the health-kick) I thought I would re-post my reply to the gentleman here. My comments are based on my years spent as a yoga teacher and how I melded it with the energies surrounding magic and the beliefs of Rosicrucianism.

It is an eternal debate within spiritual circles, how do we treat the body? Should it be ignored as and all our intention on the spiritual realm, should we keep it strong as a way to help us maintain focus on our studies and practices, is the answer somewhere in between, or does it really not matter at all? After having studied a wide breadth of spiritual traditions around the world, what I have found is that the answer to this question solely depends upon the tradition and the focus of its practices.

In Kabbalah we use the Tree of Life as the map of the universe and as our guide on how to return to the Divine. If we study the correspondences on the Tree of Life we will find that Malkuth is associated with the Gu'ph or physical body and the material world. However, it is also associated with the Shekinah aka the presence of God. Our physical bodies act as the temple which houses our consciousness as well as that which expresses the presence of God within us. Here she continually strives to be connected to her bridegroom the Spirit so that it can be manifested in the world. Therefore in the Kabbalistic tradition, the body takes on an important role, however due to our need to overcome the physical realm when astrally projecting, traveling in the spirit vision or in spiritual goal of not being attached to those things which are not of the spirit, it is essential in the path of a magician learns to take on a special attitude about the body. It cannot be overly exulted through vanity or gluttony nor overly emaciated through intense fasting.

Although intense fasting is this is a tool used in many traditions, it has limited use in the nature of magic. Whereas in the internal traditions (Buddhism, Vedanta, Sufism, etc.) , fasting is key in purification and in overcoming the desires of the body so that one's consciousness can be solely focused on in meditation, breathing techniques, and sense-withdrawal this does not work for the magician. Magic is expressive rather than internal and the magician must be strong enough to deal with banishing forces in the Temple, controlling and directing one's Will and other energetic forces so maintaining a balanced and strong constitution is key. Keeping your body clean from impurities helps the energy to flow more freely as it allows that which reflects the Light within to be less weighed down, but making sure to keep your body strong and vital will help with things such as long skrying sessions, healing work, banishing rituals... essentially any work the magician seeks to do, as one is raising and maintaining power.

In comparison, using fasting from time to time can help when you are doing astral work or engaging in a Vigil as in those instances overcoming the pull of the physical body becomes either needed or symbolic. As a magician it is your goal to find what works best for you as we are all our own expression of the Divine. Magic is an art, and after the rubrics have been learned and mastered it is that aspect of being an Art which denotes that you must now take these rubrics to express the Work properly within you. What works for some does not always work for others, and having a cookie-cutter diet or practice is more like training wheels for someone who is learning to become more adept at knowing their body or spirit. However, Here are some suggestions that might help you on your magical journey.

1. Keep a food diary- write down what you ate, the quantity, and how it made you feel afterwards, also right down your energy level. In magic, energy is currency...so try to pinpoint what foods give you the most energy and which make you feel weighed down, lethargic, or ill. I guarantee there are many foods which may not be compatible with your body, but which you may not realize since we pay so little attention to our body in this culture, eating in front of the t.v., while talking, or working on a project.

2. Experiment with foods for ritual. For example if you are working with Mars eat some red meat before hand, Mercury- fish, doing a Vigil-fast, Jupiter- fruits and nuts. Look up correspondences in magical manuals or commune with angelic beings to figure out what will empower your magic the most.

3. Combine your diet with exercise. Purifying your body by adding heat helps to clean out the deeper energy channels. Don't exercise to exhaustion, this actually depletes the body of energy reserves and nutrients (remember energy is our currency and must be protected)...exercise until you feel as if you've just pushed past what you feel comfortable with then stop,this will build your endurance slowly overtime. (yes, that may mean over-coming the ego and not training "as hard" as others) When you are done exercising you should feel energized not depleted. Trust me, I was training for a triathlon for awhile and going into the Temple after you have wasted yourself at the gym does you no good.

4. Oil massage- this is something that I learned while studying Ayurveda and I still practice it, it's called abyanga. Its not magical and its not a part of the Golden Dawn..but I love it. Get some organic sesame oil or olive oil, cure it by heating it to 212 degrees, let it cool, then store in a glass, not plastic container. Massage your body focusing on your hands, feet, and scalp (I massage my scalp without oil) then take a hot shower...the oil helps to flush toxins out of the body and calm the vata dosha (air) which I have found is often out of balance in magicians... plus its a super relaxing way to start the day! I only take about five minutes to do it..but I really focus on how it feels and visualize the energy channels opening and the toxins leaving my body.

I Heart the Golden Dawn!

2009-11-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Compared to my other blogs this one may seem a little bit more informal...the reason being that I would like to express something from my heart and my life experience rather than my intellect.

If one were to judge the Golden Dawn by the internet alone, really, who would join? Seemingly it is one negative comment after another.

But, I would like those people who read my blog to know that my experience of the Golden Dawn and the experience of many, many, other people is one of joy, growth, love, harmony, self-sacrifice, knowledge, gnosis, prosperity, and fulfillment. I am blessed everyday to be apart of this community, and the only time I ever experience negativity is when I get on the internet, and have to read blogs and posts about how someone is a fake, a cheat, or fill in the blank with some slander. Yes, I have witnessed and experienced the frailty of the human condition in this community and in every community I have ever been apart of... work, gym, church, meditation group, family, Golden Dawn, but how many people in this world have actually reached the status of an ascended Master ? Not many, but there are those who are striving for it every day, and I am lucky enough to see it....everyday! 98% of my Golden Dawn experience is amazing.

I am a proud member of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn. I have lived by two large Temples and now I teach at another blossoming one. Because I found the Golden Dawn I am excited to get out of bed every morning. I am excited about life, and I can't wait to share that with my students, teachers, friends, family, and people I meet on the street. Before I found the Golden Dawn I had gone through a variety of traditions seeking the right path for me. When I was finally initiated into the Golden Dawn I saw more positive changes in the time I went from being a Neophyte to a Zelator than in the year I had spent at the yoga ashram meditating 8 hrs a day. Hmmm..if this path doesn't work, and if the Order I am apart of is a farce...well that's one heck of a placebo effect.

I have found this to be a true path of the Light, and I am sorry for those who have to see all this scandelous trash that is being spewed all over the internet as its only representative. Not only am I enjoying the fruits of its teachings and technique, but so are my students, my brethern, and the people whose lives I have found I can touch through the growth I have experienced here.

I am always blessed to be provided with new stories about how effective and inspirational this path is. Right my favorite inspiration is a student I have who came to the EOGD a few months ago. When I first met him he was already a deeply spiritual person, having an intesive practice everyday. But, he had some issues that he just couldn't seem to get past...years ago, he was held hostage for five hours, shot, and then witnessed his abductor commit suicide. Now, I would be comfortable saying that this would be something that few people would be able to get past their entire life. I would also like to say that if anyone were to be able to do it, it would have been him in the state of elevated consciousness he was in when I met him. But, it was a barrier he just couldn't seem to break through and it took the magic of initiation and only two rituals that he learned in the Neophyte grade for him to finally overcome what he said was the worst experience of his entire life. Amazing. This Work is amazing, and when I see people's lives change dramatically everyday I am continually inspired to continue on in this Work.

Seriously, I don't know what other people are doing, but I'm having a great life and I love the Golden Dawn. I talk to a lot of people in and out of my Order everyday...and they are doing great too! According to our forums and the people who show up to our Power Week event, there are about 3000 people world-wide who are having a great Golden Dawn experience. I think most people who are in the Golden Dawn community are having a great time doing magic, being apart of Temples, learning, teaching, communing with Angels, healing. In fact, most people are probably having such a great time...getting on the internet to talk about is probably the last thing they think about. I'm saying that because I was blogging a few times a week at first and then realized I really missed all the magic I was doing. I would gander to say if someone is spending so much time spewing up crap for you to read and get discouraged about...they probably aren't spending enough time having a great time doing magic and leading a fullfilling life....I'm just saying ;)

Nosce te Ipsum

Protecting Your Path: Overcoming Spiritual Dissolutionment

2009-09-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Before I began studying the Golden Dawn system I spent many years studying the mystical practices of the world's religious traditions. Oftentimes, when I was particularly interested in a path I would join a corresponding group. From the time I was ten years old I knew my purpose was to become "enlightened" and so with each group and each tradition I strove very hard to immerse myself in it, to learn the techniques, be a good student, and to get to know the core people and teachers of the group. But for many years I kept running into the same disappointment over and over again. First, I would find the group and the teachings very enjoyable and inspirational. I would study night and day and begin to become closer and closer to the core people of each group. But to my dismay, as I drew closer to the group instead of finding people who were centered and enlightened as I had expected, I would find bickering, drama, rumors, and politics. After awhile with each group or organization I would become so disenchanted I would find myself leaving heart-broken and disgusted.

Most of this scenario did not change when I finally found the Golden Dawn, and for those of you who are familiar with it the politics and bickering within the community at large it can be quite a burden at times. However, as I began to feel the same sense of disenchantment wash over me as I witnessed the constant attacks on the Internet or watched the poor behavior of its "leaders" I finally realized something that caused me to break free from my break-ups.

It is not the path that is the problem. These spiritual paths are gold and have everything one needs to enjoy spiritual freedom. But, whenever we become disgusted with the way another person is behaving we are allowing them to become a blockade to our internal treasure. How many times have I heard or said "If this is how someone whose a Christian, Buddhist, Golden Dawner, _____ (fill in the blank with your preferred spiritual path) behaves then it obviously must not work. Ah, but it does...look at the many Masters that have gone before us who have completed the Path and finished The Work. How many people and problems did they have to overcome in order to make that happen? In order to master a path one has to complete the journey, and in order to do that we must free ourselves from the judgment of others and attachment to their behaviors. We can't change them, but we can keep ourselves from allowing them to ruin what we are working so hard for. This, I believe is one of the hardest tests I have seen any initiate overcome.

In a similar vein but on a different subject... something else I understand now that I did not when I was younger is that just because someone wears a sash, has earned a title, is an Adept, or is considered a great teacher does not mean that they as of yet have become perfected. In fact, especially in a mystical school, that individual may be going through harder internal trials then they had previously in their path as they seek to purify themselves on deeper and deeper levels. For those of you who are interested in Alchemy think of the difference between the calcination that one undergoes when creating a tincture vs The Torment of Metals that one endures when creating the Philosophers Stone...the latter being far more intense. The result is that this may cause people to behave in ways that seem unbecoming of their position as they are forced to deal with deeper issues. If this behavior is displayed in front of a younger brother or sister it may cause them to doubt the spiritual work that they have grown to love.

I believe that part of this problem lies in the willingness these days for teachers to be on more familiar terms with their students. It used to be common to keep a professional distance between teachers and students, or as we say in our Order to keep a "strict veil" between the Inner and Outer Order. This I believe to the detriment of spiritual traditions is not so common anymore. My first experience with this was when I was training at a kung-fu school. I remember really looking up to my Sifu (master) as an accomplished person, someone who had overcome great difficulty in order to master himself and his tradition. I studied at the school for about a year, and one night after class I was asked if I would like to go out and have dinner with a few of the members, which included the Sifu and two teachers. When we got to the restaurant they ordered a pitcher of beer. I was shocked, and then I thought, "Well there's nothing wrong with having a few beers". However, the more beers I saw my teachers drink the more uncomfortable I became, and I didn't quite understand why. I realized now that with every beer I watched them drink, my super-heroes...the ones I looked towards for absolute inspiration were becoming more and more human. After that dinner I began to hear about all the underlying drama of the school and it began to cloud everything for me as if I was living in a real-time soap opera. Eventually, I left because I had a hard time learning when I went there. The drills and forms lost meaning to me, and it was no longer a place where I could be inspired. Instead of seeing my Sifu or Older Kung-fu brother, I saw their problems, their drama.

Now, I do firmly believe that at some point all teachers must have that "fall from grace", but I have come to believe that this occurrence should happen later when a student has reached a level of spiritual development when they need to see that their Great Work rests on them alone. However in the beginning stages while groping in the darkness searching for the Light...they need a beacon. They need someone to guide them and show them the goodness of the Work, the fruits of it. By keeping a bit of a distance we allow them to have that "ornament" of the Order placed before them to guide and inspire. Now, some people disagree with me on this belief...they say "Screw it! Let them find out sooner rather than later...let the one's who are aren't strong enough weed themselves out". But, the formula is Isis-Apophis-Osiris. Everyone needs their Isis phase...its essential to their spiritual growth. Even St. John of the Cross discusses how at first a student must be enticed with the goodness of the Spirit, and then later taught how to stand on their own two spiritual feet, learning to do the Work of the Lord without attachment to feeling good or bad. Then, he is really doing the Work for he is not doing it for the feelings it brings but out of the pure love of his heart.

So for the students out there I suggest finding those people in your group who inspire you, and continue to let them inspire you. It may seem like a great idea to hang with the "in" crowd, but it may be to your own disillusionment for while there may be many who are at a point of peace there may be just as many who are undergoing difficult changes and may not be the role-model you deserve. Just because someone is a teacher does not mean their Great Work is finished.

On that note, as a student, should you come across a mentor or teacher at some point who has not behaved according to what you would have expected...try to be understanding. When one enters a position of mentorship many burdens are placed upon them, not only must they teach you, help run the school, do their own work, take care of their mundane responsibilities...but they must also deal with a higher level of internal development, a stronger fire, to push them past their imperfections. Please remember this never gives anyone an excuse to treat you poorly, or abuse you mentally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally as we sometimes hear in the "guru horror-stories". What I am saying is...use your common sense. Is this person behaving poorly because they are under a great amount of pressure, and their human frailties are coming through...or are they behaving totally inappropriately. If it is the latter...please speak to someone in your school so that it may be taken care of. But, don't let their behavior cause you to leave your Work...your path is between you and God. How terrible is it to fall off the path for another's transgressions?

For the teachers out there, consider your position and consider your role as a teacher...allow yourself the opportunity to be one who inspires others just as those who went before you inspired you to greater heights. Its fun to be friends with new students, but as we let down our guard remember they are still looking at us and placing under a microscope every decision we make, everything we say, and every attitude we have.

Fear is Failure: The Folly of Pride

2009-09-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

During my spiritual practice I often spend time invoking higher beings (i.e. angels, seniors, etc..) that I may learn the deeper mysteries of nature not available in books. Of all the secret mysteries to be obtained there is one that is not so secret, yet so powerful that it is told to me again and again. "Remember to be humble".

Over the years the meaning of this has changed in my perception. For awhile it meant to remember not to place meaning into a situation that may not be there or assume that I knew the thoughts of others. After awhile it changed to be a reminder that I did not know the fullness of every situation, or the outcome of it, and after that it showed me that the Divine chooses mysterious ways to emit his grace into the world... ways in which I may not understand until after I have long passed away. In all of these situations my involvement in the Great Work was tested and constants changed. But, what has always remained a constant is the fact that just the act of pride in any form is a constant reminder of my own imperfection, an imperfection that could destroy my path, especially if I felt justified in it.

We all know the saying from Dune "Fear is the mind-killer". Isn't it true that Pride is based first and foremost in fear? Can you think of a situation where your prideful nature was inflamed that didn't have its fruit born from fear? It starts out as a situation that makes you uncomfortable, something you don't like... someone's behavior, or action, a deed done wrong. Don't we feel justified in judging another because we fear that if some good may come from the them or the situation, or the wrong-doing our view of the universe could be shattered?

Even if we know that there is not a black and white, don't we feel better if we can pretend like there is? That's really what we as humans fear the most; a world-view that is not stable to the degree that we desire. The more unstable it becomes the more we fear, the more we must attach to the self...thus pride rears its ugly head. As it states in the Neophyte initiation of the Golden Dawn"Fear is failure". Why? Because fear causes one to leave the spiritual path. When we tremble at the flames and floods and the shadows of the night, it is not usually because we saw a demon, but more likely that we let the trials of our progress, our spiritual alchemy, and the alchemy of others turn us away. It is because our sense of right is tested, and our beliefs sometimes shattered.

The fear that something good could come from something we don't like I think for many is too much to bear. But that is where true humility comes in. Light and Darkness bow down to the Lord of the Universe equally, all things must fall under his command.

So in all situations we must remember to adhear to our highest sense of right and to do the right thing, but let us not forget the demon Samael who seeks to use and twist righteousness and goodness to throw us off the path. He invokes spiritual pride within us to convince us to turn our back on the Great Work, he uses reason and goodness against itself. True humility leads to discrimination, loyalty to our vows, and a steadfastnes in the Work which leads us to stay and change the wrong around us rather than to abandon our path.If our world-view is shattered let us rejoice because now we have the room to replace it with what the Divine wishes us to see. We must remember that until we have become one with our Holy Guardian Angel that our perception is imperfect. Let us let the Divine be the one to perfect it, wether it be with a sledgehammer or the lightest of touches.

To learn more about the Golden Dawn visit
http://www.thoth-hermes.org/
http://www.esotericgoldendawn.org/

From Action to Being- The Stages of Self-Sacrifice

2009-07-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

"For while he willingly puts himself under it, all the burden of tribulation is turned into confidence of divine comfort. And the more the flesh is wasted in affliction, the more the spirit is made strong by inward grace"- Kempis

The value of self-sacrifice; it's an oft talked about subject in the esoteric community, especially amongst alchemists and hermeticists. The notion of sacrificing the lower mundane material needs, the primal urges of the body and the ego so that one can rise to a higher, more spiritual state of grace and fulfillment sparks many debates. When one thinks about it, it is quite paradoxical. On one hand there is the notion that as a child of God, a spark of the Divine, one is worthy of consolation, fulfillment, and happiness even being blessed with having dominion over the land and animals of the earth. But at the same time, in order to have this in its truest form we must humble ourselves, thinking nothing of ourselves in order to rise up. This is difficult to not only imagine, but to practice.

We are so attached to our egos and lower natures that we immediately feel pain when we begin to withdraw from those things of which bring us comfort. Correspondingly the ego reacts beginning to question the point of pain and suffering...God is abundance why should we not live and enjoy this abundance? But here again is the paradox discussed in almost every major mystery and religious tradition, "to humble oneself is to be exalted", "the meek will inherit the earth."

We can look at this philosophically and easily see that in order to be truly one with God the Divine from the perspective of the direct knowledge of our consciousness we must overcome the small self (the Ruach, Nephesh, and Guf) so that we can transcend into the Unity consciousness of the big Self. But how does this translate into our practice and experience as spiritual people and magicians?

On its grossest level it begins with an understanding of its importance and a trust that self-sacrifice will bring us the fruits we seek. It is hard when we are young in the Work and so addicted to the world around us not to doubt its effectiveness and essential rightness as all we have ever known to be right has come in the security of things in our environment. But we seek now to move from beyond the security of eat, sleep, clothe, love, to a security of the spirit and in fact we will see as we travel along in our path that unhappiness comes from these terrestrial things as they are always transient and never lasting. Just like a jilted lover we endlessly seek to fill a hole when we see permanence in the impermanent nature of the lower plane. This is of course why we yearn for spiritual things, because our true nature is permanence and until we know it we always feel something is missing.

The next step is that of the rote habit of learning self-sacrifice. Anything that we can be successful in comes from doing it over and over again. At this stage in our development self-sacrifice is no exception, especially during the first stages when it is an action that must be taken rather than a state of consciousness (we will discuss this shortly). Not only does this require of us to physically give of ourselves, but to create a mental state within of being undeserving of the gifts we receive. It is usually not the former that causes great difficulty, but that latter notion amongst initiates. The problem does not come in the fact that we are or are not 'deserving' of a good life...our Father and Mother in heaven deeply desire for us to have absolute happiness. The problem comes in nurturing the belief that we are, because once we believe that we are, our egos become inflamed, and we deepen our attachment to those things which are fleeting and false. "Set yourself always in the lowest place and the highest shall be given to you, for the highest cannot stand without the lowest".

Now, during this time of habit-forming, one may begin to experience a sweet nectar, a small fruit of internal peace at times when renouncing the self. We have all experienced this while doing a "good deed" for someone. And although this is needed to feed us so that we may carry on when the tempest of our egos take hold, it is not the whole fruit that we are seeking. The reason I say this is that you will notice you are still functioning on a level of receiving. For example, when we go to the store and buy something that catches our eye, we relish in the feeling of receiving something pleasurable. The same thing applies here, we use self-sacrifice as a means to gain a pleasurable feeling, we may not realize it at first, but when being young in the work this is almost always the case, and when this is taken away many a spiritual student fall from the path. In "The Dark Night of the Soul this is referred to as God feeding one a mothers milk to help nourish him in the Work. But, at some point this must be taken away so that the young child of the spirit can learn to feed himself and walk on his own...the next step then is to overcome this attachment and this is when a real change in consciousness begins to take shape.

At this point you will begin to experience a shift in consciousness and will start to see the true nature of the material world. The things from which you previously sought comfort you will now see as empty for its transient nature. Why place your hope and trust in things which do not last. It is there for a short time and then we are off seeking to find it or something else to fill the space? Now you are beginning to find a disappointment in material things, yet a growing state of internal peace and happiness. Overcoming the material for the spiritual then begins to take over as the true priority, and this is when you will notice an influx of magical and spiritual powers because the essence of the true Self is descending upon its throne. The burden of tribulation is "turning into confidence of divine comfort" the mere act of thinking less of yourself, and doing more for your brother, or for God becomes a living life-force within rather than a mere trinket of pleasure. It becomes an essence feeding you, energizing you, fulfilling you...and its beyond measure; "and the more the flesh is wasted in affliction, the more the spirit is made strong by inward grace". Thus, now you have reached a point where self-sacrifice is not an act, but a state of consciousness, and when we read texts which speak of humbling the body, the mind, and the heart we will no longer feel repulsion or fear at the words, but hope, excitement and joy. Here you will find and endless fountain of grace, and you will know that your total connection with the Divine is just around the corner.

To experience true Grace in your life preform this exercise:

Pray daily that any spiritual gifts (or magical powers) you may be blessed to receive will instead go to another, perhaps a brother or sister in need, a cause, or a healing. Ask yourself if you are willing to sacrifice all your efforts in the Great Work so that the fruits you may attain can be given to another....

Morning Prayers

2009-07-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Just so my reader's don't think I've been spending my summer days lazing around here is a poem from a book of magic that I have been translating from French to English...

A Morning Prayer I

O my good and Divine Lady
Whose tears cause my soul to cry
Who are you looking for?
- I am seaching for my little child.
-He is on the cross, Poor Mother!

And his blood flows upon the earth
Like a seed that will flower into the
Happiest day, Easter.

Thus, the red fruit you will give
You a crown
These palms poured out into
Stars will shine

-Sweet Mary, Poor Mother,
Your son is no longer on the earth
-Where is he? He is in the sky
And now comes to us on an alter.

God the Father is also my father,
The Virgin Mary is also my mother
St. Peter is my godfather
St. John my eldest cousin

That's what I delight in most
My parents who are in the heavens

II
I hear an alluring voice
The beautiful Lady is calling
Calling from among the lillies
The flowering lillies of pardise

Winter passes over the earth
The spring returns me to my mother
And I see Easter Bloom
When God tells me to die

I hear an alluring voice
The beautiful Lady is calling
Calling from among the lillies
The blooming lillies of paradise

The Adept's Challenge: A Semi-Monastic Life

2009-07-07T13:17:00.001-07:00

For those of us living as part of magical and mystical orders, we daily find ourselves tempted by the of the material world. Indeed a great many Adept have fallen from "The Great Work" because of the rigorous temptations that befall him during his personal alchemy. Because of this, it is imperative to read spiritual texts of a high nature such as the lives of Saints or books written by monks or yogis. Spending time reading about those who have reached the states of enlightenment we seek, conquering the pitfalls of the material world can spur on the fervor we had when we first began our Work.

However for some, these texts can have the opposite effect. Seeing the discrepancies between the way we live our lives and they way these great Master's lived theirs can at times be disheartening. I have personally found myself contemplating my own personal weakness when I can't get my face out of a bag of chocolate while at the same time reading about a Saint invoking demons into the desert to tempt him so he can learn to overcome them. But, we must remember that we do not have the ability to live the lives of mortification the way that these great sages did. Yes, we need to strive to disconnect ourselves from material inclination but, we cannot bring low the body as they do through extreme fasting, penance, vigils and constant meditation...we could not possibly function and take care of our responsibilities. Unfortunately, what then seems to happen is that we compromise by living mundane lives with magic and devotion spattered throughout rather than taking it upon us to become true spiritual athletes. Even if we take the time to set aside a daily practice, as soon as we are finished our minds turn to regular things taking a great deal of our power with it.

Thus, what needs to happen is a slow, progressive training of one's mind and life-style to coincide with the special challenges of those of us who should be living a semi-monastic life-style. I am specifically talking to people who are in the Second or Inner Orders of the Golden Dawn, or have finished the preliminary teachings of their tradition. You must be ready and committed to move onward to a more stringent life-style meant to further the progression of the spirit through the Torment of Metals.

A semi-monastic life-style is not a complete removal from the material realm, but instead a mentality of constant vigilance to the world we live in. It is a monitoring of the effects each event and activity has one's consciousness, a faithful magical practice, a training of the mind to be constantly focused on the Divine, and one's True Will. It is so easy, living in a non-cloistered environment to lose the jewel of our True Will in a sea of attractions. This sacred jewel must be guarded as the most precious thing we possess. Imagine if a King gave you the largest diamond in the world, and asked you to hold it for safe keeping from a pack of robbers? What would you do with it? Most likely you would guard it with your life, and this is what we are asked to do with the holy knowledge that is given to us. Yet we so easily drop it, or dirty it, or lose it while engaging in simple activities such as eating, watching t.v., or entertaining negativity, because it is constantly in front of us, tempting us. It is therefore our job to protect ourselves from this by moving outside of just having a regular magical practice to leading a life-style of true devotion.

So what separates someone who is leading a mundane life with magic in it, to one who has moved into a semi-monastic life-style? The difference is the latter leads a simple life, removing the things which aggrandize the Self, and replacing them with activities, people, and attractions which benefit The True Self. He makes every activity an offering to the Divine, especially those things which nourish the body such as eating, cleansing, and sleeping (so as not to forget that the Divine takes part in even the simplest things) He takes time each day for spiritual practice and then takes that practice with him into the rest of the day maintaining an uplifting attitude. He partakes in the sacraments of his Church, or if he is not of a Christ centered faith replaces it with the mystic repast of the four elements or other similar ritual. He keeps his mind in constant prayer, helps those whom are poor in the spirit, but does not seek the company of those who bring it low. He assesses all activities for their effect on their consciousness including forms of entertainment, and material desires, and does not allow himself to be addicted to any such thing. This person is one who enjoys the many gifts and wonders of the world, yet controls his passions so that he is not controlled by them...as it has been said by many monastic brethren, a far more difficult task than living away from temptation under the tutorship of a Superior.

As you can see, this is not a life-style for those who are young in the Work. Do not get me wrong, the work of the Neophyte or Outer Order member is just as Holy, but their focus must be on learning the rubrics and beginning to integrate themselves into a magical life-style. If a good basis is not formed one cannot possibly endure to be a spiritual athlete, and as many of us have seen even the early work, though enjoyable, can be tasking without the added practices of semi-monasticism. Even most Adepts do not choose this life-style, but for those who do, not only does their power in magic increase drastically, but their spiritual rewards are great for no material inclination can match the gifts of the Spirit.

Path of Purification/Enochian Seniors

2009-06-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

In my last blog I spoke about the effects of inward purity on the power of one's magical workings. In theurgy, the process works in tandem. High Magic helps you purify, purity brings you closer to God, and thus your magic becomes more powerful thus leading you to greater purification. However, I have found to get the most efficient effects it is helpful to add onto one's magical practice other practices of purification such as prayer, fasting, meditation, right thought, right action, reading the lives of spiritual masters etc...

Over the next few months I will be undergoing a particularly special practice which will include a gradual purification practice that will build upon itself. Thus, I will start out slowly with one discipline and every few weeks add another until I have a very stringent regimen right around the time the event will take place. I would like to share the results on my blog of how this begins to affect my magic, its power and my consciousness.

Over this past week I began practicing the technique which I shared with you in my previous blog of constant prayer. I have used this technique before and have found it to be quite powerful. It is a little difficult at first to try and realize when your mind has entered a state of empty chatter while doing mundane things. The mind doesn't tame so easily, but as you begin to remind yourself over and over again, it becomes more natural. I haven't reached the state yet where my mind goes naturally to prayer...however I am already seeing the effects it is having on my magic.

This evening a Frater and I did a special ritual for peace. We have dedicated our personal practices to spiritual enlightenment, but our group work to healing the world and others. Recently I just came out of a bought of deep alchemy which was causing me to lose my motivation a bit, thus my magical practice was suffering. But I have been back on track for a few weeks now, and my experience has been good during magic, but not what it could be.

Tonight was a different story. I have been using constant prayer all week and today I made sure to go to Church as partake of the Eucharist. (This is not Golden Dawn, however I am a Rosicrucian and I choose to add Church etc...to my personal practice) During the banishings I began to see an underlying shimmer in the space around me. I can't exactly describe it, but it was if I was seeing that Light does permeate all things. Everything in the astral plane had a glow around it as if there was a Light shining from behind it somewhere. As I began moving through the rituals I found myself more intensely connected to the Divine Light than normal (normally its pretty good, but tonight was very powerful) I started to enter a state of bliss and felt entirely connected to the beings around me that we were invoking. It was as if I was on the threshold of a state of oneness with all that was around me, rather than it being there and me being here. Compared to the what I have been feeling recently this was a big jump...I guess a little purification can go along way.

This week I am thinking of adding on a Wed/Fri fast. This is a traditional Orthodox practice that is kept most of the time throughout the year. However, this week is a special week long fast of St. Peter and Paul so I am thinking of just fasting for the whole week. If I choose to do this I will then commence with the Wed/Fri fast the following week as well as the constant prayer.

On a separate note, I would also like to mention that I have found if you are going to seek counsel from the Enochian Seniors it is best if you are fairly purified first. I have been working with them for about 6months, and for about 3 wks or so I wasn't following as strict of a daily regimen as usual. Let me tell you, it is no fun to get your ass handed to you by Enochian Seniors...I very promptly began my practices again and took my butt to Church today to partake of the Eucharist. Of course, you may find a difference in your practice, which I would love to hear about. But this recent instance reminds me of the story of Moses when he hit the rock twice...it seems in my experience that once you have purified to a certain level, and you go backwards a bit, the spirits are not always as forgiving as they may have been when you were ignorant of that state. Just a heads-up ;)

I look forward to telling you all of my progress, please pray that I will remain steadfast throughout the months...may you be greatly blessed in your Work.

Cultivating Real Magical Power

2009-06-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a leader of the Golden Dawn today and we were discussing the differences between people who do and do not get the results they are seeking in magic. He said he often has felt disappointed over the years because students would do a ritual once or twice and then give up on it if they didn't see the results. It is very rare to find a student who is willing to work through this type of barrier. I said that is because people believe if you do a magical ritual once or twice you should be seeing results, and I do believe this to be true as does he. So what is the difference between people who see immediate and powerful results in thier magic and those who do not?

I believe this answer to be four-fold; Initiation, Training, Mental State, and a Connection to the Divine. The first two subjects are frequently discussed in books and forum so I would like to talk about the last two.

I have spent a great deal of time with my students over the years training them to cultivate a proper mental state before doing thier magic. Proper state meaning, a clearing of one's thoughts, and a raising of one's consciousness to what is known as the Kether Sphere (sphere on the Tree of Life that is vibrationally closest to the pure energy of the Divine). This allows one to become an open vessel for Divine Light to flow into one's ritual practice so that the most powerful forces of the Universe can be used to gain results. It is interesting though how many people gloss over this most important step when doing ritual. I have seen countless people at conferences out in a lobby goofing around and then go into the Temple, and without even taking a few minutes to calm thier thoughts go right into doing an LBRP....do you really think your going to banish anything when you are still thinking about that joke someone just told? So, this is the first step...taking time before ritual to sit, meditate on the Kether Sphere, clear your thoughts, and let your mind and body become an open vessel for the Divine Light. Once you have accomplished this then you can move onto the next step which will cause your magic to become trully powerful.

The second step deals with honing one's Will by focusing one's thoughts throughout the day on magic. This habit takes its place in someone who moves beyond being a hobbyist in magic and one who has taken the magical life-style as their calling or occupation. Even if one must work to gain money, or has familial duties etc...his thoughts are primarily focused on magic and connecting with the Divine. We can see the power of this even in mundane activities. If you look at the people in the world who have accomplished great things (politicians, olympians, humanitarians, scientists, writers etc...), you will find one thing in common...they have single one-pointed awareness on whatever it is they want to accomplish. The same is true for those monks, and yogis who ascend to the hieghts of enlightenement to become Saints. Do you not think if you were to put this much effort into your magical training that you could not, heal the sick with a touch, cast out demons, or control the weather? For every serious step you take to live a magical life-style, your power increases exponentially.

The key to this intense, but powerful training comes in monitoring one's thoughts, and guiding them back to magical topics. I am not talking about obsessing, although this state of mind can be very powerful (it can of course also be very dangerous as it is controlling you, not vice -versa). If you pay attention to your thoughts throughout the day, you will notice that you have a great deal of mental junk floating around i.e. thoughts that really have no purpose. By training yourself to notice these thoughts and than bring them back to what you choose, you are not only honing your Will, but you are placing the power of your thoughts onto one singular thing, thus building up that egregore around you, which can be tapped into when doing ritual work.

Now, you may choose to use this as you wish, but I am a theurgist so I believe that my power in magic is equivalent to how purified I am spiritually, and thus how close my relationship with God/ess is. Thus, the mental training that I have placed upon myself is to hone my thoughts towards the Divine rather than just a magical topic. I usually do this with what is called "constant prayer" I choose a particular short prayer, that I can use as a mantra and when my mind is not on a particular task I try to focus my thoughts on it. The eventual goal being to train my mind to go directly to the prayer when my thoughts do not need to be on something else, without noticing.

I have found it is best for my spiritual and magical development to mix in serious devotional work with my ritual training. As it is imperative to rise up to the Kether Sphere when beginning one's work, it is far easier to bring down that Divine Light, to commune with holy beings such as Archangels, Seniors, and Enochian Angels when I spend the time to work on constantly purifying myself through a devotional practice. By keeping my mind on prayer I leave very little space to dwell on things which lower my energy level such as lust, pride, vanity, and negatice thoughts. However, I also recognize that no spiritual gifts come to me of my own accord, but only through the blessings of the Most High as He/She sees fit...may you also be greatly blessed by the powers of the Lord of the Universe.

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