Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

DUBLIN, IRELAND – Kerubim Press, independent publisher of occult books, officially announces its existence today, giving the esoteric community a valuable array of texts on topics ranging from ceremonial magic to paganism. Kerubim Press authors deliver thoroughly researched topics presented in an accessible, yet scholarly format and/or easy to follow guidelines for practical magical work. Books are published in both a limited hardcover edition of 100 signed and numbered copies, standard paperbacks for a more affordable budget, and multiple ebook formats for the revolutionary digital book age, which Kerubim Press plans to be major mover in. The first two books in Kerubim Press' lineup are Nick Farrell's  King Over The Water  and Dean F. Wilson's  Enochian Magic In Theory , both scheduled for release in February 2012. Pre-orders for the special limited edition of each will be available before release. Pricing has yet to be decided. - (Temporary artwor...

Tarot enthusiast and esoteric scholar Mary K. Greer (author of Women of the Golden Dawn ) posted an interesting blog on the original Waite artwork for his order, the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross (FRC), which was a derivative of the Holy Order of the Golden Dawn, itself a derivative of the original GD (with many of the more mystically inclined people joining it). A book featuring the original artwork in full colour, along with Waite's commentaries, should be out before the end of the year, according to Greer. Check out her post , as there's some interesting information there. Golden Dawn scholar Tony Fuller responded to the revelations with: "It may be a little bit of a misnomer to say that are ‘discovered’. There are coloured versions of these cards/Keys (including a large version) which are in constant use by the FRC Order in London and elsewhere. The FRC has continued, almost without interruption since Waite established it. The coloured versions are even mor...

When magicians are first introduced to geomancy the geomantic figures can seem a little daunting, difficult to recognise, and hard to interpret. However, there are some good ways to view the figures that make them easier to remember and understand. Puer (boy) has a relatively easy image to remember: a sword. This is a very masculine symbol and helps relate it to both the meaning of the figure and the planet associated with it (Mars). However, there is another image linked with this that I found through John Michael Greer's work: "a male figure with exaggerated testicles". This is quite a strong image that reveals the meaning without question, and it also makes sense when taken in context of Puella . The aggressive nature of the sword also ties in with Aries, who was a god of battle  and particularly focused on weaponry. Amissio  (loss) is an interesting one, as it looks like an upside down bag, which lets the coins fall out. This can be related to the earthy aspect...

I'd like to officially announce the website of the Dublin Temple of the Golden Dawn. The Dublin Temple was established in 2009 and has operated quietly since then, but I think it's time now to formally announce its existence to the world so that magicians in Ireland can benefit from another option to the magical consortium here. Check out the website here .

Jupiter Wall of Magical Order of Aurora Aurea Vault Initiation in the Inner Order takes place within the illustrious and mysterious Vault of the Adepts, a Golden Dawn recreation of the mythical resting place of Christian Rosenkreuz. At first glance at the walls of the Vault it might look like a seemingly random series of mystical symbols, including Hebrew letters, astrological glyphs, and alchemical icons. However, it's really a simple and logical array of some of the most potent forces we deal with as magicians. First, let's deal with the Hebrew letters, which are found within squares with a border. These are the first letters of the names of the Sephiroth, and their placement mirrors that on the Tree of Life. So, the square in the centre of the second line contains Kaph for Kether, the two on the line below are Beth for Binah and Cheth for Chokmah, and so on. Above the Kaph square is the symbol for Spirit, which is a fairly common sense placement, given the position of ...

In Part One we covered the often confused issue of vowels in the Hebrew language. Now let's look at some similarly confusing letters that have multiple sounds, along with resolving some confusions over doubled up letters in the English transliteration. We'll save prepositions for a future post. Division of Letters Hebrew has 22 letters, but these are split into three different groups: Mothers, Doubles, and Simples (or Singles), which we learn in the Third Knowledge Lecture.  The Mother Letters are Aleph, Mem, and Shin, relating to the three primary elemental forces. The term 'mother' for these is appropriate since all other forces are born from these elements. The Double Letters are Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh, Resh, Tav. These relate to the seven planets. The Simple or Single Letters are the remaining twelve letters: Heh, Vav, Zayin, Cheth, Teth, Yod, Lamed, Nun, Samekh, Ayin, Tzaddi, Qoph. The terms 'Mother' and 'Simple' are fairly common sen...

Hebrew is a difficult language for English speakers to grasp initially, as it works very differently, particularly with its lack of vowels. However, there are a number of 'rules of thumb' that can help people considerably with it. The Holy Tongue The first thing to note is that Hebrew ( Ibrith or Ivrith -  ע ב ר י ת ) was intended as a holy language from the start, called by many the Leshon ha-Qodesh ( ל ש ו ן  ה ק ו ד ש ) , the Tongue of Holiness. It was a language studied by Rabbis and held in great reverence, so much so that it became part of the philosophical and religious teachings of the Jews. It's very different to other languages that we might use in magic, such as Latin and Greek, as it was never intended to be spoken in everyday life. Some people objected to the idea of the language being used in mainstream society in Israel towards the end of the 19th Century, but it is now a spoken language in addition to being used for religious purposes. Vowels Hebrew h...

Hebrew is one of the first things people learn when they initiate into the Golden Dawn, and it crops up consistently throughout all the grades. The problem is many people never look beyond a cursory knowledge of it and take the Knowledge Lectures at face value, but there are many errors in them and various other books that continue to this day. Sandra Tabatha Cicero covered some of these in an  excellent blog post last week, but another one I came across recently was the spelling of Haniel with an extra Aleph. Regardie's book shows the spelling as HANIAL ( ה א נ י א ל ), but in the Tanakh, where the name originates, it is spelled HNIAL ( ה נ י א ל ). Generally speaking Alephs are not needed to mark a vowel in the middle of a word, but many people have a habit of putting an Aleph anywhere they see an 'a'. Aleph is not a vowel, it's a silent consonant that acts as a place-holder for a vowel (for example, at the beginning of a word) or as a glottal stop.  A particul...

As initiates progress through the Outer Order a number of obstacles can get in their way, which can distract them from the Work and slow or stall their progress. Just as some people try to rush through the grades, others might become stuck in their current grade and end up with too much of that element. The problem is particularly apparent in the grades of Practicus and Philosophus, which relate to the elements of Water and Fire respectively. These two elements are the extremes and these grades are not on the Middle Pillar, like Zelator and Theoricus, so they are intrinsically more imbalanced. Dwelling too long in these grades, in particular, but also in any of the other grades, can create an extreme over-abundance and imbalance of that element in a person, to the point of it being potentially dangerous. The paths leading to these Sephiroth, and certain other parts of the Golden Dawn system, attempt to mitigate the intense imbalance of these grades, but ultimately ...

One of the things I encounter frequently on forums and through emails are requests for information about local temples which prospective candidates can approach. Often these requests are coupled with complaints about there being no Golden Dawn presence in their area. So, start your own temple. If you think about it, all of the existing temples today were started when someone took some initiative. They got a few people together and made their own temple. Some even formed their own order, others joined an existing order, and others yet decided to remain independent. It's easier than you'd think. Simply get a few like-minded people together in your area or country, start a study group, and let it develop from there. Some people might not want it to become more formal, in which case you could employ a study group as a kind of outer court to the temple, but ultimately if you want to get things going you have to take some risks. You cannot wait for the Golden Dawn, or any traditio...

My Ritual of Tiqqun is in the latest issue of Hermetic Virtues , but the Introduction was left out, so here it is in full for those who might find it useful explaining a bit about what the ritual is all about: Tiqqun (or Tikkun ) is one of the pivotal teachings of the Qabalah, receiving a lot of attention in the original Jewish writings, but it has often been forgotten or barely explored in the Hermetic tradition, despite it being a vital aspect of theory and practice. Tiqqun means “Restoration” or “Repairing” and is often coupled with the word Olam , referring to the Restoration of the World. This has a particular importance in the Lurianic tradition, where the teaching on the Breaking of the Vessels includes directions on employing prayer and ritual to restore the Tree to its former glory. A particular focus is the state of Malkuth as a “pendulum” Sephirah, having fallen from its previous position much higher in the Tree. Now it borders on the Qlippoth, in some ways being the c...

A special Ritual Edition of Hermetic Virtues is out and it includes quite a few interesting rituals (and some other articles), including a little something from yours truly. My introduction was left out, so you can check that out here instead. The contents for the latest issue are: + Outer Order Ritual of the Seven-Branched Candlestick by Sandra Tabatha Cicero + The Magician by Harry Wendrich + Lycanthropy in the Golden Dawn Tradition by John Michael Greer + The Golden Dawn Bornless Invocation by Aaron Leitch + Opening the Temple in Malkuth First Part - Opening Malkuth by Jayne Gibson + Practice Ritual for opening the Elemental Grades in the Outer by Frater A.M. + The unpublished original GD method of consecrating a sword by Nick Farrell + Scrying Mirror Consecration Ritual by Samuel Scarborough + The Three Courts of the Seven Sisters; into the Vault of Enoch by Frater L + Ritual of Tiqqun by Dean Wilson Check it out at the Hermetic Vir...

There are two ways people can get psychic abilities. They're born with them or they develop them. Some have natural psychic abilities and also develop them further, while others block out any inkling of a sixth sense that might hint that there is more to life than the physical. The problem for those with natural psychic abilities is that it can be extremely difficult to control them. They are not a skill that has been learned, but something that just is and just happens . Some, through their struggle, learn to control their abilities, while others find them slipping out of their hands at every grasp. Developed psychic abilities, on the other hand, usually bring a level of control, depending on how gradually they are developed, how much work the student is putting in, and what system they are using. In fact, it's less of an "ability" and more of a skill, a tool that can be taken up when needed and locked back in its box when not. This is important, because sometimes...

Sandra Tabatha Cicero has joined the Golden Dawn blogosphere, launching a blog for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (HOGD), which can be found here . Tabatha is one of the Chief Adepts of the HOGD and is also Supreme Magus of the Societas Rosicruciana in America. She has co-written and co-edited a number of books with her husband, Chic Cicero, and has written a number of excellent articles on the Golden Dawn and other topics of interest to Golden Dawn magicians. Check out her blog and welcome her to the blogosphere. She hasn't posted much yet, but there's a sample from her Westcott's Enochian Tablets article from Hermetic Virtues  and some thoughts on Osirification which provide some interesting reading.

In February of this year Nick Farrell, the head of the Magical Order of Aurora Aurea , released Mathers' Last Secret: The Rituals & Teachings of the Alpha et Omega . The book caused a stir among many people and groups. Some were pleased to see more unpublished documents shared with the wider public, while others saw it as a further profanation of the Golden Dawn system. It's technically the second book in a three part series, with the first originally intended to be published by Thoth Publications a few years ago. It's almost guaranteed that the other two books will cause further controversy within Golden Dawn circles, but they provide some valuable information about the Alpha et Omega, the order that Mathers established when the original GD split.

The air is everywhere, all around us. Yet it is only when we concentrate it within a vessel, within the lungs, that there is life. Therefore we must take that which is spread here and there, from all ends of the Universe, and channel it into a vehicle through which we might come alive and bring life to our magical goals. The enactment of Magic is the exhalation of the breath which leads to Form, but it must be preceded by an inhalation, which sculpts our aspirations in Yesod before they reach fruition in Malkuth. This is why Aleph, the breath, begins the Hebrew alphabet, and why Beth follows, for the birth of Gimel cannot occur if the divine breath is not channelled into the house. Only with the union of Force and Form can anything truly be achieved. This relates to Flying Roll No. V , because the Imagination is the Air, ever-present yet lacking in direction. The Will is necessary to guide it, to make the Jack of All Trades a Master.

Issue 16 of Hermetic Virtues has been released, containing the following excellent articles: + Westcott’s Enochian Tablets by Sandra Tabatha Cicero + The Hermit by Harry Wendrich + There is No Part of Me Which is Not of the Gods by Nick Farrell + Mathers’ Last Secret: A Review by Samuel Scarborough + The First Degree Tracing Board – A Comparative RitualDiscussion by Timothy Walley + Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts: A Review by Samuel Scarborough + Raising the Serpent in the Western Mystery Tradition Part III: The Great Work by Harry Wendrich +Revelation of the Holy Guardian Angel by Jayne Gibson To obtain a copy, click here .