How to marry the Bridegroom with his Bride: A follow-up to Alchemy and the Golden Dawn

o

TODAY – at last – there seems to be a somewhat general agreement in the Golden Dawn community that Alchemy should serve as the capstone to the initiatic system, or at least take on a more substantial role in the senior Grades. This has not always been the case, however. With the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn / Alpha et Omega® this process was initiated following the general reformation anno 1999. As the Alchemical corpus is vast and contains many different aspects (“ways” and “paths”), this implementation and integration of Alchemy with the Golden Dawn has since then been a work in progress, and continues to be so.

I have already written about how I regard these issues in a previous essay; my ideal projected Order. This present essay may bee seen as a companion or follow up to this initial contribution. Or rather it is a comment on recent discussions regarding this would-be marriage of the Golden Dawn with Alchemy. In this respect the “Bride” is the Temple or Order of the Golden Dawn Dawn in the Outer and the Vault of the Adepti of the R.R. et A.C., the bridegroom being the Hermetic Alchemical Tradition since antiquity preserved through the Third Order.

I have, since the very start of my studies of the Golden Dawn Tradition, often asked myself: “Why is the Order actually called the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn? Why not the Qabalistic Order of the Golden Dawn instead? Most of its teachings are Qabalistic anyway? Where is the Hermetica? Where is the Alchemy?” Well, it’s time for the Golden Dawn to properly deserve its designation “Hermetic”, don’t you think?

Now, quite recently, this has become a general discussion and debate – finally! But other than this superficial likeness, that most of us agree with the premise that alchemy should become integrated somehow with the Golden Dawn tradition, the different factions within the community are dealing with this deficiency or lack of Alchemy in the Second Order or R.R. et A.C. in completely different ways. What we see today is rather a polemic how Alchemy should correctly be interpreted. This major difference may be properly analyzed using the already suggested model of “traditionalism” vs. “reconstructionism”.

Reconstructionist reformers are quite stubborn on their self reliance in creating their own system / interpretation of Alchemy – from a non-operational perspective – and forcing it into the Golden Dawn system. There is also a general skepticism, amongst reconstructionists embracing modern natural sciences as dogma, regarding the true value of operational Alchemy, either of the “external” and laboratory type, or of the “internal” kind, the latter often associated with Eastern Tantra and Yoga or Daoism, and thus “foreign” to the Golden Dawn. Few reconstructionists belive in a true material Philosopher’s Stone. Thus they are only interested in developing the speculative or “spiritual” side of alchemical interpretation, which is beyond the scrutiny of natural science, the Stone serving as the metaphor for the illuminated Soul, or similar such notions. Thus is created a dualism between spirit and matter, which is the very antithesis of true Alchemy.

Traditionalists on the other hand are instead doing research into older alchemical and Rosicrucian Mss. and oral traditions to develop their Second and Third Orders in an alchemical (and operative) direction. They also agree upon that there exists an intrinsically Occidental form of Internal Alchemy which is akin to Oriental Tantra but at the same time unique and distinct from the latter, seeing the physical body and matter as an expression of spiritual forces. Traditionalists believe in a actual Philosopher’s Stone and in the reality of transmutation, both of the body and of base metals. Some of these researching Adepti have also struck gold in their digging, finding a dusty copy of the legendary Arcana Arcanorum, and some even fewer receiving internal processings which goes way beyond that.

One well known and respected authority of the post-modern reconstructionist faction of the Golden Dawn, who also disputes the veracity of physical transmutation using the agent of the Stone, has even stated that the Alchemical tradition needs to be adapted to the Golden Dawn paradigm for it to work with the latter in harmony, to prevent any changes to the overall Golden Dawn sub-systems, etc., which is quite baroque for a traditionalist as myself. This type of militant reconstructionism not only tries to reconstruct the Golden Dawn, but the entire Hermetic tradition behind it as well. For a traditionalist it is the other way around in the process of integrating Alchemy with the Golden Dawn tradition; the alchemical tradition has millennia behind it compared to the single Century with the Golden Dawn and should properly mould the latter.

That said, the more I study and practice the Royal Art and do comparative study of esoteric traditions, the more I am convinced of the fact that Alchemy truly is an archetypal language (in a non-Jungian sense) which forms the foundation for most spiritual and religious systems. May I please refer the reader to my latest blog effort. As an example, just by chance while attending a wedding ceremony, I noticed the symbol of the Ouroboros (the serpent biting its own tail) in the Church, flanking the statue of the Crucified Christ. Students of alchemy are well aware of its significance as a symbol of the Royal Art. Its interconnection with Christ and his resurrection is intriguing and proves my case; a wedding ceremony in itself is of course charged with an alchemical significance.

The twin Ourobori (the two gilded circles)
on each side of the crucifix, at Varbergs Kyrka.

Thus, I do believe there is some merit to “spiritual alchemy” after all, although it is quite a recent invention compared to operative alchemy. As an example, the interplay between the King (God / Sol) and Queen (Goddess / Luna) – “the dual contending forces” or sexual polarity – permeates all levels of manifestation, both in the large and the small. Spiritual or analogical alchemy actually saw its first beginnings with the works of Jacob Boehme of the 17th Century, and was also to some extent developed in the original Golden Dawn as well, more than two Centuries later. Alchemy lends itself very well in better understanding the underlying mechanics of the initiatory system of the Golden Dawn, in particular with respect to the phases of the Great Work and the colours, etc.

Being a typical Virgo I cannot help doing that myself on occasion; it really helps me grasping the greater context of the Golden Dawn system. However I would never dream of changing one letter of the old alchemical tradition. On the contrary, if something should be changed it is the Golden Dawn tradition itself, although that fortunately enough seldom must be done as it was based upon the Hermetic Alchemical Tradition in the first place. As I said, its initiatory system lends itself splendidly for alchemical interpretation.

In his recent book Rosicrucian Tradition of the Golden Dawn Samuel Robinson seems to have done something to this effect, and as it looks in the first analysis, from a traditionalist point of view. I am eagerly anticipating its arrival in my mail box in a week or so, and after a careful reading I will return with a full review. I sense it’s a good piece of work, having been following the written words of the author on yahoo for the last years, although his alchemical analysis seems to be limited to the somewhat flawed Stella Matutina 5 degrees system (along the Middle Pillar); Malkuth (Outer Order and first degree), Yesod (second degree) and Adeptus Minor (third degree). No doubt he has corresponded these degrees to the three stages of nigredo, albedo and rubedo, as I myself once did years ago, that is before I discovered the actual reason behind why the Stella Matutina reformed its 11 grade system into a 5 degrees system; today I do it quite differently that for me makes more sense.

However, it must be stated clearly that any “sprititual alchemy” can only constitute a minor part of the alchemical corpus of the Second Order or R.R. et A.C., which primarily must be an operative alchemical order. Anything less than this constitutes a mere “mental masturbation”, if you excuse my rather vulgar use of language. But alchemy is not about intellectual mind games and fanciful speculation, actually, but rather about the energetic transmutation of the body of the initiate, for him or her to “become more than human”, that is, one of the divine immortals or demi-gods – the divinization of humanity. Its techniques are designed with this aim in mind.

What I like with Mr. Robinson’s take on the work of developing the alchemical tradition is that he seems to have a mainly operational emphasis, focusing on the laboratory aspect of alchemy or “external alchemy”, something that I myself agree upon. However I believe we have to work with all of the kingdoms of nature, not only the vegetable, that is, the mineral as well as animal. Our Rosicrucian ancestors in the 18th Century mainly worked on the mineral and animal kingdoms. This is the heritage that we have to administer to our initiates.

To summarize this present discussion, I must emphasize that if you look upon the Golden Dawn tradition from the perspective of the alchemical tradition the former will reveal itself, but if you do the reverse – that is interpreting the alchemical tradition from the limited perspective of the Golden Dawn – your understanding of Alchemy will be clogged. Or to use the above metaphor of the bride and the bridegroom: In most traditional cultures the bride moves to the household of the bridegroom and also takes upon her the latter’s surname. In the case of the Order of the Golden Dawn, this surname is “Hermetic”.

Please don’t misinterpret my latest metaphor (which happens all the time it seems). If you would know me personally you also would know that I am a strong defender of women’s rights, as also MacGregor Mathers was one Century earlier and any initiate would. In truth, the dual contending forces are equal in standing, as shown by the two Pillars in the Hall of the Neophytes. However, in this particular case, the metaphor of a traditional marriage is quite apt as it is the younger tradition (the Golden Dawn) which should adapt itself to the older Tradition (Hermeticism); it is also a question of the merging of generations. However, from this union also something new and fresh emerges; a future offspring. One such “offspring” is the allowance for alchemical speculation, in the vain of so-called “spiritual alchemy”, if done in moderation and without loosing track of the true aims of operational Alchemy. The other is the merging of Magical Ritual with Alchemical Operation, of which I spoke in my earlier essay. Ora et Labora!

Addendum (2014-03-13)
 
Since writing this blog yours truly is no longer affiliated with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Outer Order of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega® (H.O.G.D./A+O®). However, my general view on this subject stays firmly unchanged, as expressed in the above written text, and what I have authored previously on the Gyllene Gryningen blog still represents my overall opinion. Any practices referred to in reference to the H.O.G.D./A+O® also apply to the Order that I am currently affiliated with, namely the Hermetiska Orden av Den Gryende Morgonrodnaden (“Hermetic Order of the Nascent Aurora”) or H∴O∴G∴M+R. 

S∴R∴

Theurgic Black Magic

o

Reading Rufus Opus’ latest blog post and its follow up today I was mildly upset as well as quite intrigued by its contents. Now I haven’t been following his blog or looked at his web page in any greater detail, although it seems to me he is one of the more knowledgeable and proficient magicians out there on the blogosphere, having his foundation in neo-Platonism and esoteric Christianity. It also stands quite clear that he is a very well respected authority on Magic and the classical traditions.

The main issue for me personally is that Rufus Opus has used and frequently is using ritual magic to affect the free will of individuals that annoys him. Using a consecrated material substitute for that particular annoying person he invokes the 7 Planetary Lords and initiates her to their influence to remedy her “sickness” or “faulty ways” of thinking and feeling towards her neighbors – i.e. to stop being such an pain in the neck. This, he claims, he is doing for her own good.

But him being a professed Christian, it makes me wonder if Rufus Opus has ever considered the ethics involved in this kind of “black” magic? What about the free will of man? And who is he to actually know what is best for a human being? Isn’t that the prerogative of God? Is it right to use magic to initiate persons against their will? Is it fair to heal people without their consent?

In my humble opinion, it takes a Magician of Christ’s standing (or a man-god) to free individuals from their burden of karma. Does Rufus Opus consider himself being His equal? It does seem to me that he in fact is doing this out of compassion for the souls of these inflicted individuals. But is he aware of all the consequences of his actions and of the intricate interconnections which we call “fate”, that this person is suppose to experience for her to grow spiritually? Is he aware that in doing this he perhaps is ridding that person from a possible important lesson in life because of any future consequences of Rufus Opus’ actions?

Shouldn’t spiritual development and psychic maturity mainly come (or originate) from within the person, and not from any outside influence? Even if someone can be an important initiator to start a process of growth, personal insight still have to come from within to have any fundamental changing effect, as may be construed from the word itself. Isn’t it the work of the Divine Genius or Holy Guardian Angel of that person to teach her lessons? Isn’t Rufus Opus, when he stepps in, taking his place in Its stead?

These are just some questions that popped up reading Rufus Opus’ last two blog posts. I have my personal opinion regarding all of this, but I don’t know for sure what is the right conduct in instances as this. I suppose there is a line that may be crossed where a Magician can put on the cloak of Christ to remedy mental and behaviour sickness of this kind, but are these instances that he has exemplified – i.e. that of people causing strife and being generally annoying – really belonging to this category? I’m interested in hearing your opinions on this matter.

Rufus Opus himself refers to this formula of Theurgy used against others as the “truest form of Black Magic”. But I don’t know if one form of black magic is actually better than any other. Compare this use of magical manipulation of someone’s free will with an ordinary magical attack where you want to injure or hurt someone. In the latter case you at least have left that person’s free will and integrity intact, even if his life perhaps has been shattered to ruins, if you know what I mean. So I don’t actually know which of these two kinds of black magics is morally superior. What I’m sure of though is that any such magical manipulation of someone else’s fate creates negative after-effects for the magician himself; consider the heavy burden of karma being carried over from that other person. That is a heavy burden ideed for an ordinary magician to carry.

Personally I have never resolved to using back magic of any kind, nor would I do it in any future, perhaps with the exception of warding off someone else’s direct magical attack against me or any of my beloved ones (especially the latter) – but then again that last example wouldn’t constitute any “black magic” in the first place as self-defense is ethically permittable. As I have said in a recent previous blog post, there are situations where severity is required to deal with certain aggressions. However, I’m not a particularly paranoid person, although I do believe that I and others close to me in fact have experienced magical attacks in the past.

What I would do, if being in a similar situation as that of Rufus Opus, is to pray for the annoying person’s soul to receive the Light to better her ways – that is, receive the Light only if she consent to it. Remember that no true initiation forces itself upon any individual; the conscious consent of the candidate is always an important factor also during the ceremony itself (see the “Ritual Z.3” of the R.R. et A.C. corpus). That kind of working could also have involved opening up a direct line with that person’s Holy Guardian Angel, praying for it of doing that, having one’s own Angel communicating with the other person’s Angel or, if one somehow knows the other Angel’s name, through evocation. But then again not forcing anything upon any of them, neither Angel nor Man, only requesting for the Angel’s guidance of the poor soul. As a kind of compassionate prayer.

Perhaps the best solution to all of this would have been to invoke one’s own Holy Guardian Angel or Divine Genius to provide for oneself some more patience and forgiveness towards the other person. We cannot (or shouldn’t dare to) change anyone else, but we definitely can and should change ourselves. As initiates that is our main and constant task.

I’m not trying to be overly judgmental of Rufus Opus’ actions and ideas here, although I would admonish caution against anyone considering what he has suggested. His blog posts have raised several important issues and questions that I wanted to address. What I’m saying is that it may be proper to do this kind of workings if you are working under the consent of the Divine, being given the authority to burn away someone else’s Karma or alleviating his burden of Guilt or Sin, partaking of the level of initiation that equals that of Jesus Christ. In the Golden Dawn scheme of things, this would equal someone being at least a Magus 9°=2°. I hope that Rufus Opus has already earned this spiritual standing, for the sake of his own soul and that of his victims.

S∴R∴

Historical research vs. anthropology: a blind spot in oral tradition

o

I have been lurking the recent witches debate raging with quite some amusement, the scholarly work of Professor Ronald “Q” Hutton being contested and in particular his not so recent book Triumph of the Moon: A history of modern pagan witchcraft. Ben Whitmore quite recently published his rebuttal called Trials of the Moon, and simultaneously my own Chief G.H. Fra. L.e.S. (David Griffin) openly acknowledged himself as being a Pagan of the particular Italian based Stregheria Tradition, joining the pagan apologist choir. Now, suddenly the pagan witches issue became a concern of the general Golden Dawn community as well, with Morgan Drake Eckstein and Peregrin Wildoak joining in the debate with Mr. Griffin, on the opposite side of the fence.

Professor Ronald Hutton

Now, I have to be honest at the outset that this issue doesn’t lay particularly close to my heart, at least not as close as to that of Mr. Griffin’s, or that of Mr. Wildoak’s or Mr. Eckstein’s. I wouldn’t even label myself as being a “Pagan”, nor would I label myself as being a “Christian” either. And if anyone is wondering, no I’m not a Stregherian Witch although I find that old religion quite faschinating, being one of the few examples in Europe of a surviving pagan tradition. What is especially interesting with Stregheria, or l'Arte Eccelsa (“The Sublime Art”), for me personally is that it linked to ancient Roman paganism, and in particular to the cult of Diana, the Huntress. Thus it is the only remaining pagan living tradition coming from ancient Rome.

The Goddess Diana

But when it comes to personal religious beliefs I abhor labels such as “Paganism” and “Christianity” as none of them can truly grasp any real spiritual truths, at least not how I would define my own religions beliefs. Being a non-dualist Hermeticist I sometimes make fun of it all in calling myself a “Christian Pagan”; I’m neither and I’m both. What I believe in, in the core of my own being – with a religious fervour – is in the Hermetic Godhead, the ONE and ALL. Qabalists refer to It as the Ain-Soph.

But I also believe that the ONE expresses itself through the many; from a purely pragmatic view I do sometimes supplicate and invoke specific “pagan” lesser deities in my own personal Theurgy, depending on my current needs on that particular occasion, in the name of personal and spiritual development, and with the aim of Apotheosis. As a Hermetic Alchemist I believe that every human has the seed inside of him or her to become truly godlike, “to become more than human”; to become a man-god. If you like, you also can call it being “angelical” in nature. Thus we may all one day become one with the “sons of God”.

Apotheosis

With this particular aim in mind I often find myself drawn to the foremost Occidental exemplar, i.e. Jesus Christ. I regard Christ to be one of several personages who succeeded in the Great Work of becoming transhuman and godlike, but one that I particularly find most appealing. Being a Westerner and European I prefer to call upon his name as a patron of Alchemists and demigods in the making. Orientals instead prefer Buddha, or any of their local Bodhisattvas, in the same manner as Shia Muslims rever their Imams. Thus I’m intrinsically drawn to all deities enacting the death and resurrection mythos, such as Osiris, Dionysus, etc.

Crucified Dionysus

But as a practicing Alchemist I am also drawn to the dual deities expressing sexual polarity in creation, the God and the Goddess. The former expresses the Solar and the latter the Lunar qualities and energies in the macrocosm (world) and in the microcosm (man). I prefer not to give these two deities any names, as they are true archetypes which cannot really be reduced to anyone single pantheon, but I must confess that in this instance I have recently found myself being pulled toward Oriental Saivism and the tantric Shakti cults; the interplay between Siva and Shakti resonates in my being as expressing a both sublime and profound, as well as concrete, spiritual truth with strong Alchemical connotations.

So what am I in the final analysis? To be honest, I have no idea, and please don’t put a label upon me. There is no religion today which clearly can express my current believes. It’s like in my political views; I wish that every citizen could be given a total of five votes to distribute amongst several parties as no one particular expresses all my opinions. The same thing with my spiritual beliefs; on my altar you will find a picture of the crucified Christ, as well as Siva and Shakti united in ecstasy! Don’t you dare to call me a Christian, for God’s sake! Don’t even contemplate to label me as a pagan, or else..!

Siva and Shakti

But personal belief systems isn’t the actual issue at hand here. Even the main character in this drama, Prof. Hutton, refuses to reveal his religious beliefs, “if any”. Oh, I have to make yet another confession before I proceed; I haven’t actually read Triumph of the Moon. Neither have I read Trials of the Moon. Why? I don’t bother doing it to be honest. I have more important issues to deal with; there is only 24 hours in one day, minus 6 hours (or less) of sleep. But I do have read Mr. Griffin’s entertaining rebuttals and also the previous debates between him and Mr. Eckstein or Mr. Wildoak. I have also read the latest interview that Caroline Tully made with Prof. Hutton, followed by Mr. Griffin’s rebuttal. So I believe I’m entitled to an opinion, although flawed and meagrely educated it may be.

In my alchemical studies, both theoretical of the Oriental Tantra (mainly through the book The Alchemical Body by David Gordon White) and practical of the Occidental Alchemy (through the guidance of my Alchemical Masters), I have finally come to realize that there exists a direct lineal transmission from ancient Shamanism down to the modern practice of Alchemy. Tantra emerged from the Kapalikas, the cremation ground ascetics and their ecstatic worship of Siva and Shakti, a form of worship that shares much in common with what we today regard as being shamanic. Now, I have also been informed by my teachers that Hermetic Alchemy has a basis in ancient goddess worshipping Shamanism. This Occidental tradition has many similarities, at least superficially, with the Tantrik Kapalikas, as its devotees worship the God as well as the Goddess in a straight forward manner.

Kapalika ascetic

The funny thing is that last weekend I attended a pagan conference in my hometown Gothenburg, where I held a lecture on Golden Dawn god-form magic. During that conference I listened to a highly illuminating lecture held by the Wiccan Priestess Caroline Levander, who talked about her religion as a mystery tradition. When she spoke of the great two deities of Wicca, the God and Goddess, shivers almost went through my spine in recognition. I remember thinking, “how alchemical” all this sounded. Thus I dare to say that even in Wicca we find shamanic traces going back to the ancient worshipping of the Great Mother Goddess.

The God and Goddess

Thus here is my main contestation of Prof. Hutton’s whole thesis, that there are no continuous and surviving elements in between modern European paganism and that of the ancient or pre-Christian religions. How should we define “Paganism”? Could Shamanism be properly labelled as “Pagan”? Today, in Neo-Paganism we surely find Witchcraft and Shamanism within the same fold; on the said conference last weekend I also participated in a shamanic drumming session. But is it possible to compare ancient Paganism, such as the Greek and Egyptian religions, with Shamanism? To answer this we must problematize the use of the term “Paganism”. In truth this originally Latin word, as well as its English equivalent “Heathen” or the Italian word “Stregheria” was coined by Christians in a degradory way. So traditional Stregherians, if we may call them such, prefer to use their ancient name l'Arte Eccelsa.

The Stregherian Arch Priestess

Diana del Bosco Sacro

It is better to refer to these old religions as “ancient” or perhaps even “pre-Christian”. Shamanism surely enough is both ancient and pre-Christian, as is l'Arte Eccelsa. The interesting part here is that in many of these ancient mystery religions of Rome, Greece and Egypt, we could find ecstatic practices which evokes Shamanism, if we would dare to look closely enough. With l'Arte Eccelsa this relation between ancient Roman Paganism and Shamanism surely is established, or so I have been informed by its initiates. So, perhaps in Prof. Hutton’s native country there are no longer any surviving elements of Shamanism, but in Europe you will find evidences of a living and continuous shamanic tradition, not only in Italy. “Where else?” you might ask. Let me tell you.

In my own country we have the Sami people and their shamanic Wizards, called “Noaidievuohta” or “Noaidi” for short. One of my associates some decades ago found himself badly bruised with broken bones somewhere near the Finnish border, in the middle of a vast wilderness. He eventually passed out after crawling for several hours and when he woke up he found himself in a Sami goahti or hut (similar to the North-American tipi). The only thing he remembers from this episode is that some kind of a medicine man made a series of rituals over him. A week later he could leave the hut being miraculously healed; would it not had been for his encounter with a Noaidi, he is convinced that he wouldn’t be alive today. I trust this man and his anecdotal story.

A Sami Noaidi

A year ago, on a party with some Thelemites, I met a nice woman who was an ethnic Sami. She told me about the Shamans of her people – the Noaidi – that these were working very secretly but had continued the old religion of the Sami in an unbroken lineage since the dawn of her culture. The real tragedy in all of this is that most Sami people nowadays are Christian and abhors the old animistic religious beliefs and the ways of the Shamans. That is the greatest reason for the continuous seclusion of the practicing Noaidi, the persecution of their own people. This phenomenon is the main reason for us not finding these traditions today in Christianised Europe, both in Scandinavia and in Italy. Imagine a practicing witchcraft working out in the open right in the very heartland of the Catholic faith and the home of the Vatican! You couldn’t without serious peril, at least not until quite recently.

Noaidi ritual drum

Only today has the l'Arte Eccelsa emerged in a non-distorted, non-American and non-reconstructionist form, not being afraid of being burned at the stake or imprisoned for life in a dungeon. I only wish that my own brethren in Sweden and neighbouring countries (the Sami people occupies an area in the far North stretching from Russian Kola Peninsula in the East to Norway in the West, approximating to a total of 100.000 individuals) could find the same courage; but their shame is to great as of yet I’m afraid.

The Sami people

So, this is my biggest problem with Prof. Hutton and his reconstructionist stance on modern paganism. He doesn’t seem to acknowledge the shamanic component fully, or at least there is some ambivalence in his words. Let me quote him briefly from Caroline Tully’s interview:

…I acknowledged that Carlo [Ginzburg]’s use of shamanism, as an interpretative framework for the beliefs that underpinned the early modern witch trials, drew useful attention to linkages and similarities across Europe. I also felt, however, that it obscured major regional differences in ancient conceptions of the supernatural which explained important variations in the trials, such as why it was mainly women who were accused in most places but mainly men in some, why some areas experienced intense witch-hunts and other none, and so forth.

So, if Prof. Hutton in fact does acknowledge Shamanism as a model for a greater understanding of European Paganism, why has he failed at least to see the still living Pagan traditions in Scandinavia? Is it perhaps because he finds it difficult to “kill his darlings”? It makes me wonder what actually transpires inside of his head, what truly motivates him in his quest. We all have our conscious or unconscious agendas and paradigms, of which we have difficulties in seeing outside of the box, so to speak. If they are unconscious, the more difficult to loose the blinkers.

Another thing I would like to bring up in this context is how we should define a living tradition of Paganism? What is a living tradition? Does it have to have its own congregation and followers, an ecclesial chaste, or could it had survived through different forms, and even being assimilated into (and thus formed) local Christian practices and beliefs?

I don’t know how big Celtic folklore is in Britain today, but I know for a fact that in Sweden there are obvious traces of the old Norse religion and even more of old folk magical practices. Our peculiar way of celebrating Christmas, to take but one example. I won’t go into details but it has been confirmed by ethnography that even one century ago Christmas – which is called Jul (as in Yule) in Swedish – as a celebration took overtly pagan forms. We also have the supposedly “Christian” celebration of “Lucia” (supposedly a Catholic woman Saint from Italy) on December 13th, which has strong local pagan origins and undertones.

The pagan Yule Goat, a standard feature
in Swedish Christmas decoration

Lastly we have the “unique” Swedish celebration of Summer Solstice, which is one of the most celebrated holidays in Sweden and that has retained almost all of its original pagan expressions, lacking typical Christian dilutions, albeit much restrained as compared with the old ways which involved orgies of free sex. All of this points to the fact that many old pagan practices have survived in popular folklore and even through annual festivals.

A typical Summer Solstice celebration in Sweden

My wife, who has a past as a Neo-Asatro practitioner, has told me that in Island (which today is mostly notorious for its erupting volcanoes), the only country in Scandinavia which never did prohibit the old religion, the Norse folklore is very explicit even though the Asatro movement has even more recent origins than Wicca. Thus in an environment as this, it is feasible to conclude that a “reconstruction” of an old religion isn’t such a hard feat as the link to the actual ancient and pre-Christian religion isn’t wholly severed and may be yet seen in disguised forms.

Another quite funny observation regarding the Neo-Asatro movement in Scandinavia is that it has taken quite shamanistic forms called Seid, involving singing and chanting, and a shamanic style divination tool using the runes, etc. This again expresses a very ecstatic form of Paganism, proving that Shamanism truly must be regarded as being the very foundation of all so-called “paganistic” expressions.

Asatro practitioners in Sweden

But let us return to Finland again. In the minds of many Swedes, the “land of 1000 lakes” is an even more mysterious site that airs heathendom and naturalistic folk magic. In my personal study of 18th Century Swedish Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry, most prominently in Kjell Lekeby’s essential tome Gustaviansk Mystik, there are several references to Finish mages and oracles. Some of them visited the Capital of Sweden, Stockholm, and practiced as nature-healers and divinators. In the minds of Swedish occultists of the late 18th Century, Finland was filled to the brim with wizards and shamans that inspired awe in Swedish aristocracy (who spend their leisure time dabbling with occultism). One of the most powerful Swedish occultist during this time, Gustaf Björnram, was supposedly initiated into some form of Finnish shamanic magical tradition. He taught one of the Swedish royalties in the art of magic, who was later crowned as Carl XIII, in particular necromantic sorcery.

The Swedish Freemasonic King Carl XIII

Finland has also today the largest collection of folklore and old pre-Christian poems, gathered during the last two Centuries, mainly drawing from Karelian traditions. The biggest bulk of these poems in fact consists of magical spells and charms. A collection of those sources found its way in to Elias Lönnröth’s anthology Kalevala, wich has served somewhat as a “Holy Book” for Finnish neo-pagans, but also later recognized by theosophists and anthroposophists. One Pekka Ervast, who was an theosophist and Freemason, created a new masonic blue degrees rite based upon Kalevala for his own organisation called Ruusu-Risti (Rose-Cross). However, all of this is just a quite recent re-creation of a supposed original Finnish religion with strong romantic-nationalistic sentiments.

A scene from the ‘Kalevala’

In the wake of the 13th Century Christian crusade, waged by the Swedish states man Birger Jarl, all practice of ancient Finnish traditions became prohibited. But in an effort of survival the old pagan ways and deities merged and became corresponding with Christian Catholic and other Christian saints, reminiscent of Voodoo and Hoodoo. However, although it does seem, according to my Finnish neo-pagan friends, that the old Finnish folk religion has died out in its pure form as a continuous tradition in all practical respects, they don’t argue against the possibility that there still may be eldery nature-healers and folk magician still practicing the old arts in some remote villages. The recounts among Swedish magicians in late 18th Century with a reference to a living folk magical (and perhaps even pagan) Finnish tradition is significant and must be taken to account in the overall picture.

My point in all of this is that if we are to find any possible traces of an original pagan religion and magical tradition in Europe, we should not only look towards Italy but also do research in the farthest Northern and Eastern part of Europe, in Scandinavia and in Russia. But this requires more than academic scholarly research; this requires a different type of science than Prof. Hutton represents. Thus we come to my main argument, epitomized in a interesting detail I found in the Hutton-interview where the good Professor is addressing the oral tradition and scholarly considerations, which is next to nil. Let me quote the pertinent part in the following:

I have no interest in contesting the claims of modern Pagans to represent a secretly surviving tradition, as long as the practitioners do not attack me or offer any actual historical evidence for scrutiny. If they do neither, then they are effectively standing outside history and are not the concern of a historian.

Here it is obvious that Prof. Hutton has a blind spot about the size of a lunar eclipse. He reduces his academic research only to “history”. This makes it obvious for me that “history” isn’t about truth at all, it is a species of reconstruction by it self only based on documented evidence and research made in private collections and libraries. Hasn’t it ever occurred to Prof. Hutton that in early and “primitive” forms of Paganism the oral transmission probably was the totality of that tradition?

As an example, the Indian Kapalikas doesn’t rely on any texts, as in the later form Tantras (the Tantric source texts), etc. Hadn’t it been for the fact that the official religion in India in fact is Pagan, we probably wouldn’t be able do any research on the Kapalikan cult.

The reason why it’s so hard for us to be able to make good studies of any surviving traditional pre-Christian religions, is because of the fierceful and vehement Christian persecution and the witches trials. Prof. Hutton however asserts all over his interview that the witches burned at the stakes during the inquisitions in fact weren’t representatives of the old Pagan religions; Prof. Hutton argues that most of them witches would have been treated as the plague also by the pre-Christian clergy. Here he fails to recognize that in many religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic, there has always been a division between (a) state sanctioned or official magic performed by the priesthood of that religion, and (b) unofficial or non-sanctioned folk magic praciced by natural healers, such as described in Richard Cavendish book A history of magic. Thus I cannot stop wondering how many old wise women and men practicing shamanic folk magic and natural healing, helping their neighbours in need, actually died in that process? Many I believe. More than we can imagine.

A Witch casting her circle

In a similar vein Prof. Hutton won’t find any documents that proves the existence of Sami Noaidi in some library. But does it mean that Noaidis actually doesn’t exist? Of course not! There exists an academic field called anthropology which could remedy the limited world view of Prof. Hutton. But that would entail him actually coming to Sweden and seeking out a real Noaidi, something that takes perseverance and stamina. In a best case scenario he would have to become initiated into the shamanic practice itself. Calos Castaneda and his books about Don Juan Matus, the Yaqui Shaman, is a well known example of this. What European paganism needs is its own “Carlos Castaneda” visiting Italy, Scandinavia and Russia.

S∴R∴

Evocation: a matter of the Microcosm or the Macrocosm?

o

What follows may bee seen as a follow up to my discussion on evocation that I initiated when reviewing Nineveh Shadrach’s excellent translation of the foremost Arabic solomonic grimoire. For the last years there seems to be a revival of the grimoire tradition, which often has taken an extremely traditionalistic point of view. The “traditional” view on evocation regards it solely as affecting real and objective external spirits, that has no connection whatsoever to the Magician himself; they shun upon psychological explanations as proposed by more modern Magicians who use a psychoanalytic or Jungian explanation of evocation. There are also people in between these two extreme categories, some leaning more towards one of these perspectives or paradigms.

Frater Argent belongs to this last category focusing more upon the “traditional” point of view and what follows is actually the fruit of a recent discussion that I exchanged with him over at his excellent blog StreetMagick. My own position has until now been somewhere in between but leaning more towards the modern in this particular case, the psychological approach. This has been due to the fact that I have been trained in Ceremonial Magic by David Griffin, who seemingly represent the psychological school of magic started off by Israel Regardie, and transmitted from the latter to the former through Cris Monnastre. This was carried out through the traditional teacher and student relationship, a form of teaching that by nature has a tendency to attach itself onto the pupil and stick with him or her.

One fruit of this “guru-chela” relationship resulted in the article on the initiatory process of the Golden Dawn entitled Israel Regardie, Initiaton, and Psychotherapy, which has excerted a huge influence on me. When I wrote my own BA thesis it revolved around transpersonal psychology and in it I quoted pertinent parts from Israel Regardie’s My Rosicrucian Adventure, in which he proposes that the Qlippoth represents archetypal powers assaulting the initiate through the process of initiation. Another monumental work for me, in shaping this subjective world view, was David Griffin’s magnificent tome, The Ritual Magic Manual, which presents an entirely psychological perspective on magical evocation.

Quite recently I completed my training as a psychotherapist in a field that belongs to the psychoanalytic school, which of course has had a somewhat nostalgic effect, as it were, on my original belief system. But I have always, since I started with my occult studies, believed in a objective magical or spiritual reality as well. Thus I have never really believed in Carl Gustav Jung’s theory that our spiritual self is only part of our neurological brain structure. And I do not today, nor have I ever in the past, adhered to Lon Milo DuQuette’s really amusing and equally misleading axiom “It’s All in Your Head … You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is”.

That said, I have always placed my focus on the internal workings of the Magician, of the Operator, of the Alchemist, etc., in the Great Work. Thus even if I in fact have believed, and still do believe, in real demons or Qlippoth, I have preferred to focus upon finding and rooting out my own equivalent personal demons in my unconscious or subconscious mind. In a likewise manner I have regarded Magic to be primarily a species of occult or esoteric psychology, quite prompted by the works of that great occult teacher Paul Foster Case, or rather how I have interpreted him in the past. I referred to and quoted from Case a lot in my BA thesis as well, more than I did Regardie as a matter of fact, or any one else for that matter (with one exception).

This, I believe, constitutes a natural phase in the life of an initiate, to investigate onself. Both Freud and the Hierophants of ancient Greek mysteries followed the adage of Gnothi Seauton or “Man, know thyself”. But over time, as the process proceeds the initiate slowly starts to reflect upon and observe nature outside of himself; “Man, knowing nature you will know yourself”. This has also happened to me, especially in the last years of my training, again prompted by my teacher David Griffin. Today I know for a fact that magic is definitely not only reduced to a species of psychology of an esoteric kind; it is also and more so a science of energetics and evolution of the physical self as well. When we become really conscious of our body and the energetic currents that flow through it, we also naturally become conscious or observant of their correspondences in the outer world as well.

Thus today I no longer lay any emphasis on the intrapersonal and subjective self, as it may have seemed that I did in my previously mentioned review of Mr. Shadrach’s book. Today I acknowledge the importance of the objective forces on an equal status with the subjective ones. Thus I very much agree that spirits and demons have a real and objective existence outside of us. But contrary to the purely traditionalist view I don’t regard the subjective and the objective perspective on this as necessarily mutually exclusive.

I don’t even agree that what is normally viewed as “traditional” in this respect is actually traditional in the truest sense, at least not according to the Hermetic tradition. In my humble opinion, to be truly traditionally Hermetic we must employ its original perspective of the relation between the macrocosm and the microcosm. Thus, while I agree with the normally perceived “traditional” view, on the existence of real and outside demons and spirits, we must on the other hand not forget that whatever is in the macrocosm also is reflected in the microcosm.

Thus we host a legion of demons (in) ourselves that constitutes part of ourselves. In a psychological perspective these demons feed (on) our complexes (aggregations of though-emotions), or constitutes parts or the whole of any of them, but they also constitute unbalanced energetic aggregations of the Sphere of Sensation itself. So I am myself still convinced that traditional evocation methods works fine in also projecting these repressed complexes and unbalanced energies of the Sphere of Sensation out into the Triangle of Art.

The Triangle of Art

That being said, what should optimally occur in evocation is also the summoning of the macrocosmic equivalent. There is a perfectly good reason why people in the middle ages believed (and still in some catholic countries believes) that real and external demons instigated or tempted them to commit sin. Real and objective demons are attracted to and feed on the unbalanced emotions and behaviour of humans as they love these energies being radiated from our Sphere (it’s like they spot our heat signature with thermal sights); there is a rapport between the corresponding macrocosmic and microcosmic Qlippoth.

One could argue that natural man stands in greater union with the “devil” (meaning the realm of the Qlippoth), or with nature’s baseness, than he does with God (the realm of the divine) or nature’s finer forces. The most efficient magical technique to detach ourselves from these Qlippothic powers in ourselves and in nature is to evoke them. Thus both our own subjective demon as well as the objective demon should optimally merge in the Triangle. In this way we both gain consciousness of and integrate the demon of our own personality, placing it under the Will of our Genius, and at the same time raise the spark of that macrocosmic Qlippah back to its divine origin.

Faust summoning Mephistofeles

In my opinion, this also occurs in ordinary invocations as well. When we invoke a Force, say an Element or Planet, we both activate that archetypal part of ourselves internally in(to) our Sphere of Sensation, and at the same time invoke the macrocosmic equivalent externally into our Sphere as well; the circumference of our Sphere forms the point of interconnection between the “cosms” through symbol. In this way we in stages merge our own microcosmic Sphere with the macrocosmic Sphere. Theurgy is about union, not only between the “spiritual” side of ourself with our “material”, or mind and body, but also between the microcosm (inner) and the macrocosm (outer).

That’s why we shouldn’t loose sight of the fact that there also exists microcosmic equivalents of these objective forces, angelic as well as demonic. This is especially the case when working with the archetypal forces of the Elements, Planets, Zodiac (the 72 Quinants) and Sephiroth; there are both angelic and qlippotic (demonic) entities attached to these.

I have the same view on evocation as I have with invocation, the theurgic perspective. If we are to unite ourselves with the macrocosm we also must prepare ourselves to merge with the ugly aspects as well; in this last respect may I refer the reader to my recent essay on the subject of the Divine Evil. Through evocation we place these unbalanced forces under divine dominion, being part of the Tikkun ha-Olam (the restoration of the world). Restoring the world we also restore ourselves, and vice versa.

Now, “traditionalist” grimoire magicians argue against the relative recency of the psychological perspective on magic, that it doesn’t reflect the living traditions. I cannot argue with that; yes, sure, the psychological perspective is very recent. But this doesn’t disqualify it. Being trained in the psychodynamic / psychoanalytic school myself, I of course find it particularly interesting and through my own research I have found Sigmund Freud’s theories to be quite Lurianic as to their nature. While Jung’s Analytical Psychology more reflects the Christian Gnostic and Hermetic worldview, as seen through the lens of the modern academic psychiatrist or psychologist, Freud’s Psychoanalysis on the other hand more expresses that of the Jewish Qabalah.

But if someone would dare to state that this is all that there is to evocation or the nature of the Qlippoth, I would say that this surely is a sign of ignorance and lack of real experience, in the same way that C.G. Jung interpreted Alchemical symbolism as the projections of the archetypes, which is extremely reductionary at the same time as it is interesting.

So, my own position in all of this is somewhere in the middle between traditionalist grimoire magic and the school as represented by Mr. Griffin’s book The Ritual Magic Manual; I’m sitting on the fence and saying that both are correct. If one believes in only one of these perspectives, I would dare to say that it represents a half truth, although I would also say that the subjective position is the most delusional of them. I know however that Mr. Griffin believes in the objective existence of the demons as well.

In our discussion Frater Argent emphasised the importance of evoking the macrocosm as much as possible and projecting as little of oneself as one can into the Triangle of Art, meaning that one should let the macrocosmic entity taking precedence. In fact I agree with him, if it actually means that in this way one’s subjective (microcosmic) self aligns more to the objective (macrocosmic), resulting in a greater rapport or connection to the whole.

In the final analysis however, if one wants to merge one’s microcosm with the macrocosm one have to open up oneself to it. In invocation this is easily done as one simply opens up one’s Sphere of Sensation and let these forces in. But in evocation, binding the demon to the Triangle of Art (which is outside of one’s Sphere by the very definition) one have to meet the objective force half way, as it were, sending one’s own demon into the triangle as well.

S∴R∴

Introducing the Magical Tie

o

I just got this influx of genius today that I want to share with you. From personal experience, working energetically with my alchemical partner (Soror Mystica), I have verified that the Seven Internal Planets or Metals (i.e. the Chakras of the Tantric Yogis) in fact actually are formed as (lotus) flowers, or perhaps as funnels or horns. As can bee seen on the following illustration each energy wheel (Chakra) emerges from the spine (in which it is rooted), as with a stem, out to the front of the body to open up its petals on the surface of the energetic or etheric body.

The Chakras according to C.W. Leadbeater

This reminded me of something that Pat Zalewski once stated in his Golden Dawn Ritual Commentaries book, that the Adepts of the Whare Ra (of Havelock North, New Zeeland) believed that the tail of the Nemyss actually protected the Chakras from possession (or was it from a premature raising of the Kundalini?). According to this protocol, developed in one of the finest magical schools that occult history ever have encountered, the instructions as for the tail of the Nemyss was to make it long enough sufficient for it to protect the entire spine from the head down to the base of the spine. Some Adepts supposedly also inserted a Talisman into the tail of the Nemyss to enhance its protective powers against the evil mischief making of Oomo-Shatan-Apophis.

However, these good Adepts missed the important point that the Chakras in fact are predominately directed and thus most vulnerable to the front of the body. Therefore the Chakras emit as well as receive energy for the most part through their opened up flowers or funnels. Thus the back is actually not that particularly vulnerable; alas they left their Chakras unprotected through this grave error!

But let us not be alarmed my good and dear readers; I have finally solved this problem today.

Therefore, Fratres and Sorores, here ye all that I, Frater Sincerus Renatus, and on this important day in the history of the Magic of Light, introduce to you the… Magical Tie!

Through this major breakthrough in Theurgy I have finally solved the riddle of magical power obsession and ego inflation, and saved the various Golden Dawn Orders from future megalomanic leaders and un-fraternal infighting. No longer will you be subjected to any unnecessary dangers of possession or obsession by the Coiling Serpent and Seven-headed Red Dragon. Through the regular use of the Magical Tie, in both you personal magical workings and participation in Temple, you will be able to safely walk the straight and narrow pathway to your personal God or Divine Genius. And meeting a fellow Rosicrucian on the street you will both be able to recognize yourselves as to your high standing through this easily recognized signature, making redundant any secret handshakes and pass-words!

Beware of Oomo-Shatan-Apophis!

Just make sure, for optimal efficiency (and the recognition factor), and this must be emphasised, that the Magical Tie has to have black and white stripes (though Adepts are permitted to wear yellow and white) and especially that it reaches down to the groin. Make also sure that it is of the broad variety, or wide as possible, covering your Planetary energy wheels upon the breast and abdomen properly. Or else it will loose its protective power and shielding abilities! Also refrain from using any synthetic material; only use the traditional materials, such as silk or linen. To enhance its protective faculties it is permissible to insert a Talisman consecrated to Mars as well.

The correct application of the Magical Tie

Don’t forget to write down your personal magical experiences and anecdotes, and post them on the comments section on this blog. And furthermore also never forget who first told you about this essential magical implement, which is the true Stone of the Wise that will grant you perfect health and happiness, Summum Bonum!

S∴R∴

The question of Divine Evil: Dualism and the Golden Dawn – Part Two

o

I would like to share with you some of my thoughts that have been raised in recent discussions, following my pervious essay on this matter, and in particular on the subject of “evil” versus “good”. I would agree with the standard Golden Dawn definition that “evil” may be regarded simply as “unbalance” or lack of equilibrium. Thus the only difference between a “good” order and an “evil” one lays in the whole, not in its parts. When you view the corresponding part of both a “good” and an “evil” system of arrangement you will see the same innate nature in both, in the sense of being two sides of the same coin. It is when you regard the whole system that you will notice a difference; the “good” system is the world of harmoniously working and integrated Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, while the “evil” system shows differentiation, disassociation, disharmony and chaos in its corresponding Qlippoth. But is has to be remembered that both the Sephiroth and the Qlippoth share the same innate nature, which has its origin in the Divine. Thus, if there is an evil, this is also part of God. The Qabalah is quite clear on this subject.

There is lot of symbolism in the Golden Dawn ritual and teachings that refer to a primal or primordial chaos, which is associated with the Kings of Edom, while the King of Israel symbolizes the orderly cosmos. Thus in the Golden Dawn ritual corresponding to the 4°=7° Grade of Philosophus we find the following sentence:

Ere the Eternal instituted the Formation, Beginning and End existed not. Therefore, before Him, he expanded a certain Veil, and therein has instituted the Primal Kings. And these are the Kings who reigned in Edom before there reigned a King over Israel but they subsisted not. When the Earth was formless and void; behold this is the reign of Edom; and when Creation was established, lo this is the reign of Israel. And the Wars of Titanic Force in the Chaos of Creation, lo these are the Wars between them.

These Kings of Edom are also associated with the primordial Serpent or Dragon Force, which evokes both the image of the great Mother Goddess Tiamat from the Babylonian Enûma Eliš and also the Dragon from the Revelation of St. John. Thus in the Stella Matutina (the later derivative of the Golden Dawn) ritual corresponding to the Grade of Portal we find the following words:

The Realm of Chaos and of Ancient Night, ere ever the Aeons [Sephiroth] were, when there was neither Heaven or Earth, nor was there any Sea, when naught was, save the Shape Unluminous, formless and void. To and fro in the Deeps, swayed the coils of the Dragon with 8 Heads and 11 Horns. Eleven were the curses of Mount Ebal, eleven the Rulers of the Qlippoth, and at their head were the Dual Contending Forces.

Another Golden Dawn symbol of the force which brings order to the primordial chaos is Thoth, the god of wisdom, magic, mathematics and of architecture. In the Book of the Voice of Thoth (Ritual “Z”) we find the following opening sentence:

The Speech in the Silence; The Words Against the Son of Night; The Voice of Thoth before the Universe in the presence of the Eternal Gods; The Formulae of Knowledge; The Wisdom of Breath; The Radix of Vibration; The Shaking of the Invisible; The Rolling Asunder of the Darkness; The Becoming Visible of Matter; The Piercing of the Coils of the Stooping Dragon; The Breaking forth of the Light; All these are in the Knowledge of Thoth.

Thus what we have here is an implication that “evil” precedes “good”, that creation is good while the primordial state of non-creation or un-creation is seen as evil. Thus the Qlippoth (Evil Demons) as manifest in our World of Matter and Action seeks annihilation; the drive towards total destruction. It may be compared to the Freudian death drive seeking extinction and a return to the womb versus the life instinct urging us forward towards individuation.

Here it is interesting to seek out the etymology of the word “annihilation” which have its origin in the Latin root nihil or “nothing”. Thus a literal translation of the word annihilation is “to make into nothing”. In the Holy Qabalah we have the so-called “Three Negative Veils of existence”, which precedes creation, represented as the primordial Ain (“No-Thing”), which leads into the Ain-Soph (“Without Limit”) and lastly into Ain-Soph Aur (“Limitless Light”), before the emanation of the monad or Kether (“Crown”). Thus the primordial Chaos may be seen here as the equivalent of the Qabalistic concept of Ain or No-Thing.

Now, what I am about to say may be outrageous to some individuals and perhaps even blasphemous to others. I understand the controversial nature of this doctrine as it has taken many years for my conditioned Christian mind to accept and integrate the following message: If we are to follow the way of the antinomian Qabalah of the Golden Dawn into its logical conclusion, we also have to deal with the fact that the very innate and purest essence of Godhead or the ALL shares a basic “urge” in common with the Qlippoth of Matter, i.e. that of maintaining non-existance, all encompassing darkness and unluminous void.

The Sabbathian doctrine or philosophy speaks of this and has created a concept called the “thoughtless light”, residing in the primordial Ain-Soph, which tries to prevent creation or existance. But we have to remember that the Sabbathian doctrine also states that on the level of the Ain-Soph, which represents the next stage in the process of creation after Ain, there is also created the ambivalence in the “mind” of the Goodhead, represented as a contest between the “thoughtful light” versus the “thoughtless light”. Thus we see here the manifestation of both the willing and unwilling nature of Godhead, which later manifests as the “evil” left-hand emanation and the “good” right-hand emanation of God as symbolized by the two Pillars upon the Tree of Life, all according to the Sabbathian doctrine which permeates the Golden Dawn Tradition.

The Fallen World in the Abyss of Serpents

Through the Fall of the World and of Man an Abyss of Serpents were created below the Garden of Eden, creating the World of Action or Assiah as we know it, but also the World of the Qlippoth. Thus, according to the Sabbathian Qabalah, this explains how we perceive our World as differentiated (i.e. unbalanced) and base. But it has to be remembered that this lack of balance exists both in the Macrocosm (World) as well as in the Microcosm (Man). Thus, according to teachings of the Golden Dawn, we all have our own “Evil Persona” to deal with, symbolized in the Hall of Neophytes as Oomo-Shatan-Apophis. But this force is not contrary to the Divine nature or things.

Thus let us not forget that Satan (according to The Book of Job) is one of the Sons of God; indeed he does the dirty (albeit divine) handiwork of God. As we can see from the above quotations from Golden Dawn formulae this “satanic” or “luciferian” urge is an innate part of God, not at all his opposite or opponent as taught in the Christian Church. Until we as spiritual seekers deal with this fact we will never gain true illumination or become as God.

Oomo-Shatan-Apophis

Many spiritual seekers, such as the traditional Gnostic followers, look upon the World and all they are able to see is Evil manifesting in every part of worldly existence, while the Divine is seen as being held apart from it in some transcendent and exalted existence. Thus, to become as God they seek to escape from the body and hurl themselves into the purely spiritual. But this concept is a fallacy as all of existence is part of God, and ultimately good, albeit in a fallen state in our World of Action. So, if you want to become truly as God you have to be both transcendent and immanent at the same time, i.e. be conscious of your Spirit, Soul and Body simultaneously.

I have an fundamentally Alchemical (Hermetic-Tantric) outlook on this, which always involves “matter” as well as “spirit”. It is of course possible to experience pure spiritual states or planes, and that aspect of spiritual work also has its merit, but to be able to brake the cycles of reincarnation I truly believe that you have to integrate your inner essence with your manifest outer self; i.e. learn to master the matter. Only then may you become consciously immortal – i.e. partake of the immortal nature of God – and become a real co-creator. Even if your most terrestrial or base husk eventually must die, this doesn’t mean that a purified part of your Elemental and material body may not survive death. It can according to the Master Alchemists and that of the Dzogchen and Tantric masters.

It may seem to us that our body “traps” our soul, but this is only because it is yet in a fallen state. With our body being “trapped” (note the quotation marks) I mean that our Soul is limited and restricted in its expressions – in the normal case – while working through the body. This I and many alchemist before me, both in the Orient and Occident, hold may be remedied on the level of the physical, as well as in the astral, mental, etc. It has to be remembered that in Ceremonial Magic one must use all Four Elemental Weapons, also the Magical Pentacle or Disc; the principle of Magical Manifestation.

Earth Pentacle

Alchemy aims at purifying the body, emancipating it, for it to become “alchemical”; Tantrikas calls it (the end product) the “Diamond Body”, Dzogchenpas the “Rainbow Body” and Hermeticists the “Solar Body of Light”. Yogis and Tantrikas believes it’s possible to become emancipated from sickness, as well as render the body immortal and able to take flight, etc. This is also the Hermetic position. As I mentioned earlier, I do believe in the ability and worth in pursuing also purely “spiritual” exercises, apart from the body. However I also believe that the difference of opinion between Alchemists and Gnostics lays in equating the Self with “spirituality”. Surely enough, the Self is beyond the body, but with my emphasis upon the body I’m not pursuing any materialistic philosophy. No, contrary to materialism I regard both my Self and Body as equally Holy.

Is the Great Mother or Goddess of Nature any less important than the Great Father or God of the Heavens? No, its only “fallen” and may be raised to its former glory and union with its Divine Consort. Thus my perspective on the body is purely spiritual; it is the vessel or cup of my Spirit or Self. It is through my body that the Divine Spirit finds expression; with my Alchemy and Theurgy I’m simply trying to make it a better vehicle or expression for the Divine. Let us raise the Goddess!

Read the third part of this essay here.

S∴R∴

The importance and significance of lineage and tradition

o

A couple of weeks ago I answered a query on the necessity of secrecy and lineage, in particular the one claimed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Outer Order of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega®. The querent asked if the mysteries aren’t written upon the face of nature for those with eyes to see to discern? He also asked if higher states of consciousness, truth, understanding, and ancient wisdom are within the sole repository of one group and its untraceable (not susceptible to objective verification) lineage?

My answer to this was the following, interpolated with some notes that came to my mind while preparing this post: Cosmic consciousness and Union with the ALL, as well as Immortality, is the birthright of every human. But there exists a particular set of techniques that may facilitate this birthright better than the slow and normal processes of Nature. These techniques, which mimics the way of Mother Nature but at the same time enhances it, constitutes a tradition and thus a lineage. Lineage, passed from a true initiator to the initiate, also confers direct changes of consciousness; this should be the case in all genuine initiation, also that of the Golden Dawn in the Outer, although changes in the latter are more subtle compared to initiations of a higher degree or arc.

Note: This fact is the reason why almost all of the yogic and tantric Far Eastern brethren emphasise the significance of correct lineage, tracing it back to some mythical figure or demi-god in the ancient past. The first thing that finds the newly initiated student is the narrative of the chain of past masters. Especially made mandalas containing a list of these (see image at the head for an example) are provided to the student to meditate upon to adjust his mind to the mindset of past masters and egregore. The Sufi orders of the Near Eastern brethren places equal emphasis on lineage; the student becomes humbled by the fact that by the hand placed upon him by his initiator he feels the grip of all the past masters back to Mohammed himself. In continental Europe a similar concept of lineage is a natural part of the Lodge culture in the different Martinist and Rosicrucian bodies.

This scorn against the notion regarding importance placed in lineage is a quite recent phenomenon and may almost be entirely restricted to the Anglo-Saxon domain or English speaking nations, although not if you trace your history further back than to the 1960’s when the old books by Aleister Crowley and Israel Regardie were repulished and widely circulated, serving as the source for the establishment of new Golden Dawn Temples without any trace back in history. Thus today it is politically incorrect in the Golden Dawn Community to claim any lineage whatsoever, because of this situation, and any such suggestions immediately becomes ridiculed by the reconstructionalist cohort.

But I must emphasize that there exist several different traditions (although they are not that different in essence, only in culture and language) which are probably equally effective, both in the West and the East. The particular tradition that the H.O.G.D./A+O teaches in its higest Grades is part of the Western Hermetic Alchemical Tradition, which has many similarities with Hindu and Tibetan Tantra and Daoist Internal Alchemy; there are some differences but many similarities – they are all part of the Alchemical Tradition. But Cosmic Consciousness and Union with the ALL, and perhaps even conscious Immortality, may be achieve by other means as well, such as contemplative mysticism and Theurgy. However, those who have experienced the true Alchemical Tradition (both Occidental and Oriental) knows that its formulae of energetic manipulation and transmutative powers of matter are second to none.

Note: Furthermore there exists several different European bodies within the Hermetic tradition of the Occident that do possess these mysteries, or at least parts of it. But in the Golden Dawn Community these higher and traditional teachings are extremely rare, with some few exceptions, not because it’s not accessible to them but because most teachers and leaders with an reconstructionalist bent aren’t at all intersted in it or even doesn’t believe it exists; they are suffering from a blind spot.

So in the final analysis, the querent in part was right that the mysteries of the ALL talks to us all through Nature. But I hold that there also exists man made formulae, based upon millennia of experience amongst a long chain of initiates, and highly evolved teachers which can provide a species of “short cut” to experiencing states of consciousness which are the innate part of Nature. This formulae are conferred through lineage, both in the Occident as well as in the Orient.

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