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Showing posts from 2016

Why is Yesod Air and Hod Water?

A common query among those working the Golden Dawn system is why the Sephirah Yesod (and Theoricus) is attributed to Air instead of Water (after all, it is linked with the Moon, which affects the tides), and why the Sephirah Hod (and Practicus) is attributed to Water (when it is also assigned to the more intellectual, or airy, planet of Mercury). It almost seems like it's reversed, an apparent elemental inconsistency. There are several reasons for why the Elements are assigned to their particular Sephiroth and Grades . A few of the factors are as follows: 1. There is a Qabalistic principle (see the Sepher Yetzirah ) that Air is the reconciler between Fire and Water, and so neither Water nor Fire can be attributed to any Sephirah on the central pillar. They alternate sides, while Air takes the central balancing point between them. 2. The Elements of the Grades are assigned based on the Tetragrammaton: Yod (Fire), Heh (Water), Vav (Air), Heh Final (Earth). Since we work ou...

Testing Spirits

One of the biggest issues in magic is the threat of self-delusion, or delusion by exterior forces (spirits, etc.), making testing a vital requirement. This is emphasised time and time again in Golden Dawn material, with a variety of methods given. I devoted a chapter to this in my recently published book Enochian Magic in Practice , including a slew of techniques, from challenges Dee himself used, to the "utility belt" of tests that Mathers and Westcott supplied. For now, however, I want to look at how the 5=6 Ceremony guides us on this matter. If we look at the Obligation taken by an Adeptus Minor, the tenth clause, relating to Malkuth, states the following: "Finally, if in my travels, I should meet a stranger who professes to be a member of the Rosicrucian Order, I will examine him with care before acknowledging him to be so." This is sound advice on a mundane level, but it also (like all clauses of the Obligation) has a magical application: that,...

Aaron Leitch on Enochian Magic in Practice

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“Picking up where Enochian Magic in Theory left off, this new volume explores the practical aspects of the Enochian tradition, such as prayer and devotion, skrying and astral vision, communicating with angels, interpretation of visions and symbols, the importance of the Enochian ritual tools, the making of Enochian talismans, angelic evocation, and more. Frater Yechidah also provides us with some example rituals—such as openings for both the Sigillum Dei Aemeth and the Great Table, the invocation of Heptarchic and Watchtower angels, skrying the Aethyrs/Parts of the Earth, and several sample records of astral visionary experiences. The author even explores the rarely-mentioned Gebofal operation—the opening of the 48 Gates of Heaven. “As he did in the first volume, Frater Yechidah has overcome the decades of contention between Dee-purist and post-Golden Dawn Enochian tradition, choosing instead to draw from both sides of the fence. He covers material found only in Dee's ori...

Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero on Enochian Magic in Practice

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"In recent years it has become fashionable for those who follow the 'Dee Purist' Tradition to dismiss the Golden Dawn's contribution to the Enochian System of Magic. However, as Frater Yechidah reminds us, 'the changes or innovations the Golden Dawn made were clearly made with intent, and were largely based on precedences within the Dee diaries themselves.' Enochian Magic in Practice clearly explodes the myth that Golden Dawn Enochian Magic begins and ends with the Elemental Watchtowers. In this sequel to Enochian Magic in Theory , the author examines portions of Dee's diaries with the eyes of an experienced practitioner and decodes their sometimes cryptic meanings. This book builds upon the previous work and provides readers with an effective system for practical Enochian ritual magic that yields results. Highly recommended for anyone who seeks an in-depth, working knowledge of the Angelic System." — Charles "Chic" Cicero and San...

Darcy Küntz on Enochian Magic in Practice

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"This book is one of the most concise and detailed books on the practical application of Dr. John Dee’s magical system. Frater Yechidah skillfully combines many of Dee’s original practices with the techniques from the original manuscripts of the Order of the Golden Dawn to produce a truly practical manual. Any Adept studying Enochian Magic should have this book as a guide through which this complex world of Enochian Magic is fully explained." — Darcy Küntz,  editor of The Enochian Experiments of the Golden Dawn

Attribution of Golden Dawn Flying Rolls

It is perhaps well-known today that much of the published corpus of Golden Dawn material contains errors and altered text, some minor, some much more significant. It is likely less well-known that there are some issues with the attribution of documents. I outline two examples from the Flying Rolls below. Flying Roll XI, on Clairvoyance , is rightly attributed to Mathers, but the actual wording of it comes from Westcott, as we can see in this full title and attribution: Flying Roll XI "Clairvoyance" A MS in the words and language of G.H. Fra. N.O.M. written out from his Notes of a lecture delivered extempore By the G.H. Frater D.D.C.F. 7=4 Chief Adept of England [added in pencil: by NOM. March 1893] We see from the above that Mathers gave his lecture "extempore," which means without preparation, and Westcott took notes of this, before assembling them into this Flying Roll. This is important, because the content is from Mathers, but the...

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