Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

The symbol of the Golden Dawn is a red calvary cross above a white triangle, often, but not always, shown upon a black background. This is a very evocative image, which means different things to different people, but what does it mean for the Golden Dawn as a whole? The Neophyte Ceremony tells us the following about it: "The Red Cross above the White Triangle is an Image of Him Who was unfolded in the Light." Another section states: "Two contending Forces and one which unites them eternally. Two basal angles of the triangle and one which forms the apex. Such is the origin of Creation - it is the Triad of Life." Z3 refers to "the White Triangle of the Three Supernals formulating in Darkness" and states that the Candidate "may bear that potent and sublime symbol as a link with his Higher Self and as an aid in searching out the forces of the Divine Light" Z1 states: "The Symbols upon the Altar represent the Forces and Manifestation of the Divin...

"... in the natural man, the symbols are unbalanced in strength - some being weaker and some stronger. The effect of the Ceremony is to strengthen the weak, to purify the strong, and so begin to equilibriate them and at the same time make a link between them and the corresponding forces of the Macrocosm." - Z3, The Symbolism of the Admission of the Candidate

There is a continuing lack of understanding regarding the placement of the grades upon the Tree of Life, particularly in terms of their elemental associations. I addressed some of the Golden Dawn reasoning behind the seemingly inconsistent placement of the Air grade of Theoricus in the watery Sephirah of Yesod (Luna) and the Water grade of Practicus in the airy grade of Hod (Mercury) in my article Reconciling An Elemental Inconsistency in Issue 6 of Hemetic Virtues. Here, however, I will highlight another aspect, which sheds light on the placement of the elements with the Sephiroth, or, conversely, sheds light on the choice of colours employed. Let us skip Zelator for now, which is Earth and Malkuth, and focus on the three primary elements of Air, Water, and Fire (Yesod/ Theoricus, Hod/Practicus, and Netzach/Philosophus respectively). The Sephirah of Yesod is coloured violet (or purple) in the Queen Scale (the most commonly employed of the four Colour Scales). The colour of Air is yel...

"But enough has been said, I hope, to show the student not to accept superficially any phase of the Rituals and the teachings, but to subject them to the most exacting scrutiny." - Israel Regardie, Introduction to the 2nd Edition of The Golden Dawn

In the Neophyte Ceremony of the Golden Dawn a total of seven floor officers are required (although one could do without the Sentinel, since he/she doesn't really do much), but as one progresses up the grades one or more of these officers are dropped, until Practicus and Philosophus, when only the three main officers (Hierophant, Hiereus, and Hegemon) are required. One of the reasons for this relates to the grade that can hold the office. For example, a Neophyte can only hold the office of Sentinel. So, in order to prevent Neophytes from seeing Zelator and above, the Sentinel role is dropped. Some people argue that this is not specifically stated, since the Sentinel traditionally sat outside and can continue to do so for the rest of the grades. However, aside from the possibility of them eavesdropping (the natural curiosities of humanity kick in when vague mumblings of barbaric names sound out from the room next door), this would not follow the subsequent system that is applied to t...

In my previous post I commented on the Battery for Theoricus (!!! !!! !!!) as being partly a reference to Saturn. Here's some extra material to support that assertion. The Grade of Theoricus includes the Advancement in the 32nd Path of Tav, to which the planet Saturn is attributed. This is mentioned as a reflection of the Sphere of Saturn, which would lie in Binah, but I also pointed out how Saturn lies on the opposite end of the Hexagram to Luna, the planet of this grade, and thus this is how it is found reflected in Theoricus. Some of the Opening of the 2=9 Grade: "Hierophant: Honoured Hegemon, what path is attached to this Grade? Hegemon: The 32nd Path of Tav. Hierophant: Honoured Hiereus, to what does it allude? Hiereus: To the Universe as composed ofthe Four Elements - to the KERUBIM, the QLIPPOTH and the Astral Plane, and the reflection of the sphere of SATURN."

One aspect of the Opening and Closing of each grade in the Golden Dawn is the Battery of Knocks, which is unique for each one and represents its own magical formula applicable to the energies of that grade. In 0=0 the Battery is !!! (3) or ! ! ! (1 1 1) repeated three times to give three rounds of three, albeit in alternating fashion between the three main officers in the temple, while saying a particular word in the formula, as follows: Hierophant: ! Khabs Hiereus: ! Am Hegemon: ! Pekht Hiereus: ! Konx Hegemon: ! Om Hierophant: ! Pax Hegemon: ! Light Hieropahnt: ! In Hiereus: ! Extension Chic Cicero wrote a short article on the Neophyte Battery as being a representation of the Qamea of Saturn, which definitely makes sense in terms of its 3X3 pattern and the alternation between the three officers. This three-fold pattern clearly references the White Triangle, which is a symbol of the Supernals and the Light therefrom (which is particularly important for this grade), and Saturn is freq...

Many people think that the "lodge system" is dead or dying, and that the Golden Dawn is not as strong as it was in its hey-day, or, indeed, that it too is dying a slow death. I don't believe this to be true. Indeed, while perhaps the lodge system is not as popular as it once was (the decline in Freemasonry being the prime example), the Golden Dawn is thriving, so much so that I wonder if there is a kind of Renaissance occurring. The Golden Dawn today is served by at least half a dozen orders, with another dozen or more that use its magic or are in some way derived from it (for example, the BOTA and SOL). Many of these Orders have a large number of temples around the world, more than the original ever had, and there are more popping up as we speak. Europe and America, in particular, are well-served today. Couple this with a number of new developments and publications that have occurred or are on the horizon. For example, there is the GD magazine Hermetic Virtues , only a f...

Brother B.h.D.A. linked me to a few of his posts ( here and here ) on the subject of magical tools which have raised some additional thoughts. The one I'd like to focus on here is the idea of giving life to an implement. It's not simply employed as eye-candy or a focus-aid, but as a living entity in and of itself, with the power to open and close ceremonies, purify or consecrate initiations, frighten away phantoms, invoke or banish energy, among a myriad of other vitally important tasks. Of course, all of this relies on the magician, but there's no denying that a tool that has seen use by a seasoned magician can easily bring wonders to a ceremony that may otherwise be lacking in a magical spark. The power that can be invested in a tool can be astronomical, and to demonstrate this I'd like to highlight the Opening or Closing by Sceptre than can be employed by a hasty Hierophant. Z1 states: "[The Sceptre] represents [the Hierophant] as touching thereby the Divine ...

Use the physical as a springboard for the spiritual. Use the Night to help you find the Day.