Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

In the modern Golden Dawn community, it is commonly believed that the Sentinel is not present after the 0=0 (or, in some cases, after the 1=10), but there is a significant body of evidence that shows that this was not the case in the original Order, that, in fact, the Sentinel stood outside the door of the Hall for all grades of the Outer Order. Before we explore this evidence, let us consider some of the reasons why the Sentinel "dropping out" has become the status quo: 1. The vast majority of ritual scripts, including the redacted Stella Matutina texts printed in Regardie's book, do not mention the Sentinel in 1=10 and above. In most cases, when the Kerux or Hegemon is asked to check if the Hall is properly guarded, the rubrics simply say "Done," "Does so," "This is done," "Having done so," or something equally vague. In some cases, no rubric is given at all. 2. There is an established pattern of officers dropping out...

As a lodge-based system, the Golden Dawn is essentially crafted within the framework of Freemasonry, with an additional layer of magic placed upon those foundations. These Masonic roots are not hard to find, with everything from the officer structure to the grip, step and passwords of the grades stemming from earlier tradition. Some of these elements have an obvious function, where their symbolic purpose and magical application was explained in detail. Others may appear to have no purpose at all, which has led to some modern magicians calling for them to be axed from the rituals. The Past Hierophant is the classic example of this. On the surface, the Past Hierophant appears to do very little. He or she sits to the left of the Hierophant on the dais, watching the proceedings, contributing to the visualisations and inner workings of the ritual. One important duty of the Past Hierophant is to build up the godform of Aroueris upon the Hierophant when he or she is moving (for t...

"I am the Knowledge of my Name."  — Thunder, Perfect Mind In the Golden Dawn the magical motto is not just a fancy name or title, but a representation of the spiritual and magical goals of the magician. It is, in many ways, the first magical act performed by the Candidate, consecrating themselves towards a given purpose, redirecting their life as they see fit. The motto therefore carries a lot of power, particularly when employed regularly in ritual work, where it becomes the very embodiment of the magical persona of the initiate. On entering the temple, Bob is no longer Bob, but Frater Whatever, and if he really chose that as his motto we would expect to see disinterest and apathy become a central focus and defining factor in his life. So, with so much wrapped up in our magical name, should we keep it secret or let the whole world know? There are varying schools of thought on this, none of which are right or wrong, and ultimately the choice to share you...

The Hiereus (Greek for "Priest") is the sacrificial priest, the Guardian of the Sacred Mysteries, and the Master of Darkness; he is also called Fortitude by "the Unhappy", and is represented by the god-form Hoor (Horus). His station is on the Throne of the West, symbolic of the increase of Darkness and the decrease of Light. His duties are to guard the Gateway of the West, which is the Place of the Guardian against the Multitudes (Qlippoth) that sleep through the Light and awaken in the Twilight, and also to watch over the reception of the Candidate and the lesser officers in the doing of their work. He wears a black mantle/tabard, symbolising the Darkness that was upon the Face of the Waters, with a white cross on the left breast; and a red collar with a lamen depicting a white Triangle on a black background. He carries the Sword of Judgement, and the Banner of the West, otherwise known as the Banner of the Evening Twilight. The feminine form of Hiereus is Hierei...

The Hegemon (Greek for "Guide" or "Leader") is the spiritual guide of the Candidate, representative of his or her Higher Self. He is represented by the god-form Thme (Themis/Maat). His station is between the Two Pillars of Hermes and Solomon, which is the Place of Balanced Power, and he is, therefore, the reconciler between Light and Darkness. His duties are to watch over the Gateway of the Hidden Knowledge and the preparation of the Candidate, and to assist in their reception into the Order. He wears a white mantle/tabard, symbolising purity, with a red cross on the left breast; and a black collar with a lamen depicting a black Cross on a white background. He carries a Miter-headed Scepter, symbolising religion which guides and regulates life, and his Office symbolises the higher aspirations of the soul which should guide its action. The feminine form of Hegemon is Hegemone , but Hegemon is often used in practice for both sexes.

The Keryx (Greek for "Herald") is the Watcher Within. He is represented by the god-form Anoup empeIebet (Anubis of the East), and is the counterpart of the Phylax, the Watcher Without. His station is within the portal of the Hall, and his duties are to see that the furniture of the Hall is properly arranged at the Opening, to guard the inner side of the portal, to admit the Fratres and Sorores, to watch over the reception of the Candidate, and to make all reports and announcements. He is also charged with leading all Mystic Circumambulations with the Ever-burning Lamp of the Guardian of the Mysteries. He wears a black collar with a lamen depicting a white Caduceus on a black background, and carries the Red Lamp, symbolic of the Hidden Knowledge, and the Caduceus Wand, symbolic of its directing power. The feminine form of Keryx is Kerykissa , but Keryx is often used in practice for both sexes.

The Stolistes (Greek for "Preparer") is the Purifier of the Temple, its members, and its candidates. He is represented by the god-form Auramoouth (Mut), and his station is in the North of the Temple, symbolising Cold and Moisture, which is the Place of the Guardian of the Cauldron and the Well of Water. He is charged with the task of preparing the Robes, Collars, and Insignia of the Officers for the Opening. He wears a black collar with a lamen depicting a white Cup on a black background, and carries the Cup of Lustral Waters. He bears a special relationship with the Dadouchos in the Temple. The feminine form of Stolistes is also Stolistes .

Traditionally the Officers in a GD ceremony were required to be of at least a certain grade, and thus these Officers would be dropped from subsequent initiations (such as the Sentinel, being a Neophyte, being dropped from Zelator onwards) to ensure that such an Officer would not be employed in an initiation above their own grade. The traditional grade requirements for holding office are: Sentinel - Neophyte Stolistes and Dadouchos - Zelator Keryx - Theoricus Hegemon - Practicus Hiereus - Philosophus Hierophant - Adeptus Minor (usually ZAM) For some interesting alternative perspectives on the suggested or required grade of the Officers in an initiation, check out this post by Morgan Drake Eckstein .

The Dadouchos (Greek for "Torch-bearer") is the Consecrator of the Temple, its members, and its candidates. He is represented by the god-form Thaum-Esh-Neith (Neith), and his station is in the South of the Temple, symbolising Heat and Dryness, which is the Place of the Guardian of the Lake of Fire and the Burning Bush. He is charged with the task of preparing the Lamps and Fires of the Temple for the Opening, and to watch over the Censer and the Incense for the duration of the ceremony. He wears a black collar with a lamen depicting a white Fylfot Cross on a black background, and carries the Censer of Incense. He bears a special relationship with the Stolistes in the Temple. The feminine form of Dadouchos is Dadouche , but Dadouchos is often used in practice for both sexes.

The Phylax (Greek for "Guard" or "Sentinel") is the Watcher Without, the guardian of the temple. He is represented by the god-form Anoup emp Emenet (Anubis of the West) and is the counterpart of the Keryx, the Watcher Within. His station is without the Portal of the Hall, and it is his duty to keep out intruders, which is represented by the Sword he carries. He is also charged with preparing the candidate, and wears a black collar with a lamen depicting a white eye on a black background, indicative of the ever watchful gaze of Anubis of the West. The feminine form of Phylax is Phylakissa , but Phylax is often used in practice for both sexes.

There are numerous Offices to be held in Golden Dawn rituals, particularly in the early grades, where, for example, 11 people must hold Office for a Neophyte ceremony (the 7 floor officers and the 4 dais officers [technically the Hierophant has a place on the dais and floor]). This number becomes less as each grade passes by, with only a handful of Adepts dealing with the higher grade initiations. Below are listed the "floor officers" (i.e. those who actively partake in the initiations) that most will be familiar with, along with a short description of their overall roll. Chief Officers Hierophant - Initiating priest Hiereus - Sacrificial priest Hegemon - Spiritual guide Lesser Officers inside the Temple Keryx - Herald and Watcher Within Stolistes - Preparer and purifier Dadouchos - Torch-bearer and consecrator Lesser Officers outside the Temple Phylax - Sentinel and Watcher Without

One of the key passages of the Neophyte ceremony is that said by the Hiereus: "Fear is failure [and the forerunner of failure]" (the bracketed part is only employed by certain groups). "Therefore, be without fear", we are told. I would like to explore some of these elements of fear that a Neophyte might face. Firstly there is the fear of magic, spirits, and the "occult" in general. To fear such is to cause the journey to cease before it is begun. Fear is a natural human emotion, true enough, but we are to become "more than human", and to do so we must not fear the tools of our growth, which are the occult. To do so would mean that we leave the path, having failed our mission, giving in to the wiles of the ego, and never progressing within the Order. Secondly there is the fear of change. Magic is, as Crowley put it, change in conformity with Will. Initiation, if successful, causes the beginnings of change. This can be hectic and seemingly catastro...

One of the frequent questions I see from applicants or would-be applicants to Golden Dawn Orders is whether or not one can be Pagan and also be a member of the Order. Working within the G.'.D.'. system I find it hard to see why this is such a common question, as there seems to be a bit of a myth that G.'.D.'. material contradicts Pagan teachings or beliefs. However, in trying to put myself in other people's shoes in order to understand the question fully (and thereby hopefully provide a satisfactory answer), I decided to compile this post. The first thing that must be addressed is the very real presence of Christian symbolism within the Order. There are numerous references to Christ, sometimes in veiled format as Osiris, and the Adeptus Minor grade (and the entire Inner Order of the R.R. et A.C.) are overtly Christian in symbolism. This has been classified by many, including myself, as Rosicrucian and Gnostic, but even the casual observor of either tradition will be...

"Wearing red socks or shoes helps remind us to ground our bodies. Because red is a grounding color, seeing red on your feet throughout the day will serve as a reminder to bring your attention back to the physical body. This is especially helpful if you tend to ignore your lower extremities. By consciously focusing on the color red at your feet you will be energetically distributing your energies downwards, anchoring your energies to the earth, thus creating a better balance within yourself. Isn't it interesting that the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz story was wearing ruby red slippers? She got grounded when a house fell upon her while she was flying through the air. It was also the magical tapping of the red slippers together that brought Dorothy back home to Kansas." The above passage, from About.com is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly it highlights the link with the energies of the earth, which is a focus of the Outer Order, being centred in...

The LRP (Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram), in both its invoking and banishing forms, is the primary ritual employed by Golden Dawn magicians and comprised almost the entirety of traditional Outer Order magic (the rest being left for Portal and Inner Order). It was given to the newly initiated Neophyte 120 years ago, and is probably the most commonly used ritual in the magical community today, utilised by thousands inside and outside the Golden Dawn sphere. But what exactly does it do ? "It invokes or banishes," is the simple and limited answer, but this only explores one aspect of the ritual; and even if we were to merely explore this, what does it invoke or banish, and how? First, let us look at the pentagram itself, the signet-star of the ritual. It is a star of five points ( penta = five), which is most often depicted as referring to the four elements (Earth, Air, Water, Fire) and the quintessence, the fifth "element" of Spirit. Spirit is dominant when the pentag...

A little understood part of the Neophyte ceremony involves the Invisible Stations of the 42 Assessors, who related to the 42 parts of the Negative Confession attributed to Ma'at in the 125th Chapter of the Egyptian Book of the Dead (used extensively for the Neophyte grade). There are many different versions of this Negative Confession, where the soul confesses what sins they have not committed, and their heart is then weighed against the feather of Ma'at, to be granted eternal life should they not be weighed down by sin, or be cast into the mouth of a waiting demon if they fail. Although it is nigh impossible for any of us to ever really be able to make such a Negative Confession with utmost honesty (for surely we err on one matter at the very least [for example, number 8]), it's an important principle to explore in terms of the 42 Assessors of the Neophyte Hall. The following translation is from E.A. Wallis Budge: The Negative Confession 1. Hail, Strider, coming forth fr...