Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

Issue 10 of Hermetic Virtues has been released, containing the following excellent articles: + Words of Power by Nick Farrell + Death, another new Tarot trump by Harry Wendrich + The Cross and the Triangle in the Golden Dawn by Frater Yechidah + The Alchemy and Spirituality of Magick by Donald Michael Kraig + Fragmentary Aspects of Philosophy, Occult and Academic, in which the Truth of Reincarnation is Ably Discussed by Dr. Israel Regardie, edited by Sandra Tabatha Cicero + Elemental Quarter Altars by Samuel Scarborough + An Alternate Method of Prayer: the Middle Pillar as a Group Working by James Wasserman + Hildbold of Schwangau, Schwanstein and the Order of the Knights of the Swan by Ian Cowburn + An Invocation of Hod by Samuel Scarborough To obtain a copy, click here . For a very small sample of my article on the Cross and Triangle, click here .

The topic of fraternity has recently come up, and it is such an important issue that it deserves some special attention. Fraternity is the cornerstone of all organisations, especially those which deal with the occult. It is one of the primary reasons any of us join an Order (or any community) in the first place. To be fraternal is to treat others as a Brother or Sister, and, while this means to do so in the spiritual sense, we need to examine the biological aspect to understand exactly how it works. A physical brother or sister may, for example, be annoying, insulting, or any other denigratory term one wishes to apply; however, they are still one's flesh and blood and a certain platonic love is extended (or should be) even at the worst of times, while the closeness that can occur between biological siblings is a testament to the fraternal bonds that can be formed in the best of times. So should it be for us spiritual siblings. Thus a basic civility and compassion is required, often...

A new poem of mine on the Hebrew letter Zayin has just been published in the latest issue of JWMT. You can read it here: Zayin by Dean F. Wilson

The latest issue of the Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition has just gone live, focusing on the Tarot. As one can expect from a system that has been largely used and contributed to by the Order there are two articles there dealing with the Golden Dawn's rendition of the Tarot. The Tarot of the Golden Dawn by Joseph Gurney Creating a Golden Dawn Tarot by Nick Farrell

[Edit 2012: I should point out that further research, contemplation, and discussion has led me to believe my prior views on sashes held by officers was wrong. The documents themselves make it clear that they were worn by officers in the original ritual, and many of my other points can be easily argued against. I leave the post intact for the sake of the debate, but I recommend any group wishing to follow the traditional Golden Dawn system keep the sashes for officers.] In a recent discussion with Nick Farrell on his blog the topic of officers wearing grade sashes in ritual came up. Both he and I are of the opinion that these should not be worn when holding an office, for a number of reasons: They can be impractical. An officer has enough to wear with a robe, tabard/cloak, collar and lamen, and so forth. Adding a sash to the mix only makes things more cumbersome. The Initiate may be, for practical reasons, of a lower grade than the office requires. For example, there may not ...

Performance of ritual, especially in a group setting, requires a number of things, but one of the most important (and yet frequently overlooked) aspects is the ability to act out the role in a way that creates an impression on all present. This requires firstly that the officer read their part with vigour, not simply a dull recitation. They are no longer Frater "Bob" but Frater Hierophant, for example, and represent forces greater than the physical enactment of the ritual makes apparent. Thus a certain ability to perform is required and one of the most vital aspects of this performance is how each part of the ritual is read. Too many times I encounter barely audible voices of officers or a reading as if the ritual was the most boring thing on earth. It is not boring, and it should not be made to appear that way by a monotonous tone. Z3 gives explicit instructions on how a ritual is to be read and performed: "The Ritual should be read in a loud, clear, stern and solemn v...