Magical Golden Dawn |
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PREPARATION FOR INITIATION 0 = 0 The
Seeker The Esoteric Order of the
Golden Dawn based all their rituals on the Egyptian pantheon of Gods and
Goddesses for reasons that have been debated ever since. The Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn continues this tradition - again for whatever reasons
they alone decide. Most, if not all, of the modern Golden Dawn traditions
also use the Egyptian pantheon in their rituals. (Most of them also use
Hebrew God-names in some of their rituals and ceremonies.)
Arthur E. Waite was one of the first members of the original Esoteric
Order of the Golden Dawn to break with this tradition when he founded and
created the Holy Order of the Golden Dawn. Waite "Christianized" the
rituals and turned the Golden Dawn into a Christian esoteric organization.
Those familiar with both the Holy Order and the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn feel neither is superior nor inferior to the other. Dion Fortune
founded her own order and continued this tradition of changing the original
teachings of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn.
Dr. Juliet Ashley and several dozen of her students
experimented with many different pantheons of Gods and Goddesses to ascertain
which, if any, were more powerful for magical ritual work. Dr. Ashley's
conclusion was that it made no difference what Gods or Goddesses were used in
the ceremonies with one exception. That exception was that the closer the
connection between the aspirant and the Divine, by whatever name or names the
aspirant desires to use, the deeper the impact and meaning of the ritual was
upon the aspirant. In other words, it
doesn't matter what names we assign to the Gods and Goddesses used in our
rituals. What matters is our personal connection to the Divine. The
more connected we are, the more effective our rituals become. The Magical Golden Dawn was founded with this knowledge firmly implanted in our
minds. The major difference between The Magical Golden Dawn and any other Golden Dawn tradition is M.·.G.·.D.·. The
original Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn was founded by a group of English
Masons and they wrote all of their rituals in a Masonic manner. This means
much was hidden from the candidate and much was explained in a confusing manner
using what we fondly call "Masonic doublespeak." M.·.G.·.D.·. We've attempted to remove the
constraints of the Masonic tradition and make the ceremonies of Magical Golden
Dawn
conform more to the Tree of Life than to the Masonic Lodge configuration.
We've renamed the officers to describe their function rather than give them
confusing and often misunderstood ethereal titles. We've also changed the
arrangement of the officers on the floor so things flow more smoothly during our
rituals and ceremonies.
The original Esoteric Order of the Golden
Dawn may have introduced certain "blinds" into their ceremonies intended to
mislead the uninitiated. The founders of the original Order may have been
aware of these blinds. The blinds may have originated with earlier
writers. In any event, introducing "blinds" into esoteric material was a
common practice during this and earlier times. Where older traditions of
the Qabalah differ from the teachings of the Esoteric, Hermetic and Holy Orders
we have reverted to the earlier teachings which we find to be more consistent in
their applications. The first initiation into the Hermetic Order
changed the candidate into a Neophyte. Neophyte is a fancy word that means
"new initiate." In The Magical Golden Dawn we call the Neophyte a
Seeker.
This indicates that we're a spiritual seeker which is a more accurate
description of what we become during and after our first initiation. The God-forms
During the Seeker, or Neophyte, ritual several God-forms
are created, "worn" and maintained by the initiating officers. An
understanding of this process and the God-forms involved in the Hermetic Order
will help the Candidate understand the system used by The Magical Golden Dawn.
The first order of business is to list the officers of the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn and their usual duties:
1. The Praemonstrator is responsible for instructing the
members and holding the God-form of the Goddess Isis, the Great Mother.
The Station of Isis is the White Pillar of Jachin, the Pillar of Mercy,
stationed to the south of the Hegemon at the altar in the Temple.
2. The Imperator is responsible for leading
Magical Golden Dawn and holding the God-form of the Goddess Nephthys, the Dark Mother.
The Station of Nephthys is the Black Pillar of Boaz, the Pillar of Severity,
stationed to the north of the Hegemon east of the Altar
3. The Cancellarius is responsible for keeping the records of
Magical Golden Dawn and holding the God-form of the God Thoth, the revealer of the
mysteries. 4. The Hierophant is
responsible for conducting the rituals and ceremonies in Magical Golden Dawn and holding
the God-form of the God Osiris, the All-Father while seated in the east.
When the Hierophant leaves the east, the Hierophant assumes the God-form of the
God Horus the Elder and maintains it until returning to the east.
5. The Kerux, who is the Inner Guard and Watcher Within the
Temple, holds the form of the God Anubis of the East.
6. The Sentinel, who is the Outer Guard and Watcher Without
the Temple, holds the form of the God Anubis of the West. The Invisible Stations
In addition to these God-forms the forms of several other
astral beings, Gods and Goddesses are created and maintained for the Neophyte
ritual. These forms are not "worn" by one of the officers but they are
maintained by them. The invisible stations are as follows:
7. The Kerubim, the Kerubs of Air, Water, Fire and Earth.
The Kerub of Air in the east looks like an angelic young woman. The Kerub
of Fire in the south has the face and body of a Lion. The Kerub of Water
in the west has the face and form of a great eagle. The Kerub of Earth in
the north has the face and form of a bull. These angelic forms are usually
created and maintained by the Dadouchos.
8. The Children of Horus occupy the non-cardinal corners of
the Temple. The woman-faced man is in the northeast. The ape-faced man is in the
southwest. The
jackal-headed man is placed in the southeast. The hawk-faced man is
situated in the northwest. These man-God forms are usually created and
maintained by the Stolistes.
9. The Evil One who slew Osiris has the head
of a Water Dragon, body of a Lion and hind parts of a Water Horse. The
station of the Evil One is in Yesod. This God-form is normally created and
maintained by the Hiereus. 10. The
invisible station of Harpocrates, the God of silence and mystery, is the Path of
Samekh between Yesod and Tiphereth. This God-form is usually created and
maintained by the Hegemon. 11.
The invisible station of the God Horus the Elder is on the left of the
Hierophant in the east. This God-form is maintained by the Past Hierophant
while the Hierophant is in the east. When the Hierophant leaves the east,
he or she takes this God-form and maintains it until returning to the east.
In the meantime, the Past Hierophant maintains the God-form of Osiris who
remains in the east.
Comments About the God-forms Please
notice that the Kerubim are not Egyptian gods or goddesses. The Kerubim
(Cherubim) are a Judeo-Christian order of angels assigned to the fixed signs of
the Zodiac. They are also associated with the four gospels of Mathew,
Mark, Luke and John. On the other hand, the Kerub of Air is said to link
the powers of Isis and Nephthys as a power of the great Goddess Hathor.
The stations of Nephthys and Isis
are the two pillars in the Temple which represent the right and left pillars of
the Tree of Life. The altar in front of and between these two pillars
represents the middle pillar. Specifically, the altar represents Malkuth,
the foot of the middle pillar, as the right and left pillar represent Netzatch
and Hod, the feet of those two pillars, respectively.
Creating a God-form is a process of visualizing the form
building and taking shape and then reinforcing that visualization to maintain
the form. To "wear" the God-form is to visualize the God-form building and
taking shape around us. That can be done either by building the form
around us or by building the form and then moving it around us.
This process is really quite simple once the Candidate learns
how to visualize the formation and movement of the God-forms. They move by
"gliding" across the "floor." Actually, since these God-forms exist in the
astral world, they glide from one space to the next regardless of anything
between these two spaces.
The God-forms and other astral forms used for
the Invisible stations, except for the God Aroueris, do not move but remain
stationary during the entire ritual. The Kerubim remain in the cardinal
directions, the Children of Horus in the four corners, Isis and Nephthys at the
pillars, and Harpocrates and the Evil one at their assigned stations.
The God-form for Thoth is handled differently
in different traditions. Dr. Ashley reported that in the Esoteric Order of
the Golden Dawn, Thoth moved about the Temple to assist each officer in
performing his or her duty during the ceremonies. Other traditions report that
Thoth remains with the Cancellarius. Others say Thoth hovers above the
altar during the ceremony. Some also believe Thoth is the Guardian
of the Middle Pillar. In the Hermetic tradition it is Thoth who actually
initiates the candidate during the ceremonies.
In the research done by Dr. Ashley and her students it was
discovered the actual form of the astral forms was immaterial. The energy
of the entity, God or Goddess doesn't seem to mind the form it inhabits nor the
name by which it is addressed. Thoth is just as comfortable being
represented as Thoth, Hermes, or any other teacher-God of any pantheon.
Osiris seems content to be represented as any crucified God or Goddess and Isis
seems right at home being represented as any Mother God or Goddess.
It was also discovered that different people within the same
ceremony could use different pantheons of the Gods and Goddesses. The
names, shapes and form of the astral forms appears to be immaterial. What
is material is the energy of that form.
Visualizing God-forms
The process for visualizing God-forms and other astral forms
is to become calm and relaxed, enter a meditative state and visualize the
formation of the form. As you become proficient in forming the God-form,
add color to the clothing. A complete description of the shape and color
of God-forms is given on several websites in the Hermetic Golden Dawn tradition.
We list some of the better ones in our links. Please feel free to access
these sites for further information.
The meditative state can be achieved using any form of meditation you prefer.
If you don't have a preference, or if you have difficulty visualizing the forms,
we suggest you visit Magical Golden Dawn of Modern Essenes website and learn the
Essene Healing Breath. This powerful
technique can be used for healing yourself of physical, emotional, mental,
psychological, and spiritual pain and suffering. It can also be used to
visualize God-forms and other astral beings.
If you're having difficulty visualizing anything, we suggest
you use your imagination and imagine yourself visualizing that thing while in
your meditative state. In our experience, about thirty to forty percent of
the population doesn't actually "see" what they visualize. They actually
create and move the forms in the astral world but something inside themselves
won't let them see or visualize what they create. In time, most of these
people do start to see their creations, but a few do not.
By using your imagination you will create what you imagine
whether you see it or not. You will undoubtedly learn to "feel" it.
This is a good indication that you will learn to visualize your creations. In
any event, your creation will be in the astral world where others can confirm
its existence. Your
Assignment As you study these
visualized astral forms, you'll begin to see the relationship between some of
them and the spheres on the Tree of Life. You'll begin to recognize the
relationship between some of them and the four mundane elements. You'll
begin to see how they relate to the teachings of the Hermetic Order.
Please know that the teachings of the
Hermetic and Holy Order traditions form the basis of the teachings within our
The Magical Golden Dawn. We embrace everything taught by the Hermetic and Holy
traditions of Magical Golden Dawn. We also embrace more and
we make what they teach easier to understand and implement. That's what makes the teachings of The Magical Golden Dawn so valuable to spiritual
seekers. Find a space in your home
where you can set aside some spiritual space for an altar. For now, all
you need on this altar are representatives of the four mundane elements and the
Spirit Element. It doesn't matter what these representatives are.
You can use candles, incense, rocks, figurines, cup, saucer, crystals, anything.
You can use a paper or cardboard representation of a pentacle for Earth, a
candle for Fire, a cup or other container for Water and a paper or cardboard fan
for Air. You can use your own Book of Knowledge for Air or you can use it
for your spiritual center on your altar. You decide. Between now and the time
you attain the rank of 4 = 7 you'll need to decide what names you want
to apply to the attributes of the Divine used in our Golden Dawn rituals and
ceremonies. We use generic names and you're welcome to do the same.
You may also use the names used by the Hermetic or Holy Orders. You have
the option to use any name you choose. There are twenty-two specific names
of twenty-two attributes of Deity that we use in our ceremonies: The Creator of All That Is (Kether) Father God - The All Father (Chokmah) Mother God - The Loving Mother (Binah) The God or Goddess of Love (Chesed) The God or Goddess of Power (Giburah) The God or Goddess of Beauty (Tiffereth) The Guardian or Archangel of the Fire Element (Netzatch) The Guardian or Archangel of the Air Element (Hod) The Guardian or Archangel of the Water Element (Yesod) The Guardian or Archangel of the Earth Element (Malkuth) The Angel of Air - Fire (SE) The Angel of Water - Fire (SW) The Angel of Earth-Fire (Below) The Angel of Water - Air (Above) The Angel of Earth - Air (NE) The Angel of Earth - Water (NW) The Guardian Angel The Angel of Fire The Angel of Air The Angel of Water The Angel of Earth The Spirit Guide You don't have to name them all now or ever.
You don't have to name any of them now or ever. You may find it easier to name
them all or some of them later. The first energy you'll be asked to work with is
your Spiritual Guide. Practice visualizing your own Spirit Guide.
If you cannot visualize, then imagine yourself visualizing your Spirit Guide.
In time you will visualize your Guide. If you already know the name of your Spirit Guide, use that name in your
meditations and during your visualizations. If you can already visualize
your own Spirit Guide, skip to the next step. Practice sessions should be
about five to fifteen minutes long in the initial stages of your visualization.
You may extend this time period at your own option when you feel ready to do so.
Just keep in mind that shorter and more frequent periods of
visualization have proven to be more beneficial than one long period a day.
Practice visualizing your Spirit Guide every day. Once you are able to visualize your Spirit
Guide, you will be able to visualize the Angels, Archangels and God-forms used
by The Magical Golden Dawn. The same process of
visualization is used to create and maintain all of these forms in the astral
plane. If you want to get a head-start on the next visualizations you'll
be asked to do, work your way up the list of twenty-two names and attributes
given above. There is no requirement for you to start these visualizations
until you reach the appropriate grade in your advancement through the ranks of
Magical Golden Dawn. Members of The Magical Golden Dawn are expected to wear a robe during all ceremonies. The robe in the
Hermetic tradition is always black, but in the Magical tradition you may wear a
robe of any color. The robe may be of any length and made of any material.
The Magical Golden Dawn suggests a plain white robe but that's only a suggestion. We also
suggest your robe be used only for magical and spiritual work.
The idea is to make this your magical and/or spiritual robe for The Magical Golden Dawn.
The Magical Golden Dawn never requires, but always suggests. As you prepare for your initiation it will be
helpful for you to make a cardboard or paper cutout of the four elemental
weapons -- physical symbols of the four Elements. These are the pentacle for Earth, wand for Fire, cup for Water
and sword for Air. You may place these about your room or altar to help
set aside spiritual space during your rituals. As you prepare for your initiation it will be
helpful to start a magical journal to keep a running record of your daily
practices and progress. Magical Golden Dawn suggests you set up a daily routine
which will include the Sphere of Protection, Circulating the Light, Elemental or
Kabalistic Cross, visualizing your Spiritual Guide, meditation and your daily devotions.
Record these rituals and ceremonies in your magical journal. (You may use
any code of your choice. It's your journal.) As you prepare for your initiation it will be
helpful if you familiarize yourself with the Major Arcana of a deck of tarot
cards. It is not necessary to memorize the cards or any information about
the cards. But, it would be helpful if you are able to identify the
various cards of the Major Arcana and differentiate between them by the designs
in the cards themselves. When you feel you're ready to take your first
initiation, look up the date for the next New Moon and set the date and time for
your initiation. Plan for a two hour ceremony. Download the
materials from our website, print them out and save them for your initiation
ceremony. At the appointed time on the day of the New
Moon, clean up and robe yourself, set up your altar, get comfortable, relax and
read the initiation materials. Write a report of the ceremony, what
happened, how you felt, and what you learned in your magical journal. |
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Please contact MagicalGD @
gmail.com with any questions or comments. |
