Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

Robert Halvarsson of cultural magazine Tidningen Kulturen has reviewed my book Enochian Magic in Theory . You can read the original in Swedish here , but the reviewer was kind enough to translate the review below: 16th century magic today Irish author Frater Yechidah have a strong inclination and interest towards the magical-religious system in modern times referred to as enochian magic. This is evident through Kerubim Press release of the book Enochian Magic in Theory . Through this work Yechidah makes a skilled attempt at laying down the theoretical foundation which is part of the system that came out of 16th century Christian occultism. Namely the work begun by astrologer John Dee and clairvoyant Edward Kelley, and their communication with a number of entities they thought to be angels. Through the 19th century’s occult revival, this body of work and more non-rationalist systems were invented or conjured from the past. In the case of enochian magic this was done la...

Review by Charles Humphries (Published in a forthcoming issue of Behutet Magazine ) Enochian Magic in Theory Dean F. Wilson (a.k.a. Frater Yechidah) Kerubim Press, Copyright Dublin 2012  Trade Paperback, Nonfiction, Magick Reference ISBN: 978-1-908705-03-7 $30.00 US (most websites and retailers) http://kerubimpress.com/enochianmagicintheory/ Dean F. Wilson has offered the first of two of what look to be refreshing and welcome additions to the Enochian Section of any Magician’s library. Meant to be the first of two books, one of Theory and one of Practice, Enochian Magic in Theory is basically a summary of the structure of the extant records of the operations of John Dee and Edward Kelley. There are several accounts of these, with most die-hard enthusiasts having and perusing their own scans of the manuscripts themselves. I myself have spent the better part of two decades going through exactly that process. I know well the mistakes commonly made, the...

Into the Aethyrs of Enochian Magic Review by Samuel Scarborough (Published in Hermetic Virtues , Vol. 5, No. 3) Enochian Magic – whether you are talking about Dee purist, Golden Dawn, or something different, there appears to be no more “sexy” magical system or magical mythos within the Western Mystery Tradition. There is something that just attracts most people in the esoteric community to Enochian magic in one way or another – whether those people are seasoned magicians with years of experience or fresh faced beginners. The latest entry into the field of Enochian magic is Dean F. Wilson’s Enochian Magic in Theory . There are several books on or about Enochian magic at any one time in print and available. Some are sensational books filled with lots of inaccurate material written by people with little or no practical magical experience, especially with Enochian magic. Some of these books are just rehashes of earlier books without much effort on the part of the author...

Peregrin Wildoak's first book, By Names and Images: Bringing the Golden Dawn to Life , is an aptly-titled exploration of the Golden Dawn system of magic from a unique perspective. It delves into the inner workings of the rituals and techniques utilised by the Order and provides an accessible guidebook and manual for working with and within the Golden Dawn tradition. At 371 pages this is a comprehensive text, exploring many of the important teachings of the Order in some detail, with chapters on purification, meditation, divination, aura control, invocation, evocation, inner plane work, and initiation. The material on auras and dramatic invocation is particularly good, showing a wealth of experience and insight in this area. I do not always agree with some of the things Wildoak suggests, such as drawing up the light from the Earth in the Qabalistic Cross, but it is interesting to see another approach to this thriving magical tradition. There are also a couple of Hebrew ...

The Book of the Concourse of the Watchtowers by Sandra Tabatha Cicero presents a new layer to the Golden Dawn's Enochian teachings, revealing the set of Watchtower Tablets that Westcott was working on, and exploring the importance of colour magic within the order. This book details Tabatha's explorations of the Westcott Tablets in considerable detail, providing both the appropriate colours from the order's four colour scales and the relevant sigils for the Tablet of Union squares. The book begins with a brief and lucid introduction to both Enochian magic in general and the Golden Dawn's application of it. A lot of time is then devoted to the use of colour, which the original order considered to be one of the most vital and secret teachings it had. Tabatha then provides colour keys and formulae for painting a set of Westcott Tablets, saving fellow magicians many hours of work. The inclusion of colour plates to show the Watchtowers in their full beauty is ...

More praise for Enochian Magic In Theory : “As the subject of Enochian magick has become more popular among modern occultists, it is no surprise to find new introductory material being offered by those who studied the system in its obscurity.  Enochian Magic in Theory  is a good example of such a resource. Here, students interested in the “Dee-purist” tradition will find simple and straightforward introductions to the various tools and tables, angels and spirits recorded in Dee’s occult journals. Students of the post-Victorian “Neo-Enochian” tradition will find detailed explanations of material (some of it quite obscure) added to the system by the Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley and others. All of this is mixed together with the personal work, theory and experience of the author (and, in some cases, that of his Enochian-based Order, the O.S.D.L.), giving us a rare glimpse into the modern theory and practice of the greater Enochian tradition.”   — Aaro...

The positive reviews for  Enochian Magic In Theory  are already rolling in: “Students of the Western Esoteric Tradition are often presented with an “either/or” approach to Enochian Magic—they are told that they must choose between either the Dee Purist tradition or the Golden Dawn tradition because “one is right and the other is wrong.” In  Enochian Magic in Theory  author Dean F. Wilson takes a refreshingly ecumenical approach, presenting the Enochian system from various viewpoints and removing the unfortunate partisanship that has too often entered into the discussion. Written from the perspective of someone who has considerable experience with Enochian, Wilson’s text is reader-friendly and filled with valuable illustrations that will help students better understand this complex subject. We wholeheartedly recommend  Enochian Magic in Theory  to anyone, beginner or Adept, who seeks a well-rounded, well-researched book on Enochian theurgy.” — Charle...

When starting up an order, temple, coven, or other magical group in the modern world, there usually is not much in the way of resources. Not knowing how to attract other members, build a system of study and ritual, and deal with the inevitable conflicts that occur when more than one person comes together can spell doom for any start-up magical group. One exception to this lack of resources is Nick Farrell's Gathering the Magic , which attempts to give a would-be group leader some of the advice needed to succeed in this endeavour. While John Michael Greer's Inside a Magical Lodge still has much to offer in this regard, Nick's book is a bit more up to date, dealing with the issues that a group in the 21st Century will have to face. The book numbers 188 pages and has a number of chapters dealing with the group itself, the leadership, the practical elements, bringing in new people, conflict and crisis, and then growth or death of the group. These are further divided into short...

Geomancy is probably the least practiced system taught by the Golden Dawn, and I believe the reason for this is how it was and is continuing to be taught. It is made to seem overly complex, like an elaborate mathematical equation, but underneath it all lies a much simpler system, and Earth Divination, Earth Magic by John Michael Greer exposes this simplicity to great effect. This book has two sections, the first covering the divinatory aspects of geomancy, which includes a brief history, an overview of the geomantic figures, the method of casting a chart, and then several methods of reading it. What is noteworthy about this section is that it contains many elements of teaching that are absent from the original GD documents on the subject, particularly in terms of interpreting the figures that have been obtained. The shield chart is also an extremely useful method of obtaining the figures which works in a very common-sense way. The multiple examples given bring the theory a little cl...

Gnosticism has become increasingly popular over recent years, with the publication of the Nag Hammadi library, the even more recent Gospel of Judas, the blockbuster Matrix films, and, of course, the infamous Da Vinci Code book and film, not to mention countless others that slip under the radar of all but those who have “eyes to see”. However, all this popularity has led to a very skewed understanding of what Gnosticism is all about – some people think it was invented by Aleister Crowley, that it was all about Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene, or that it was a single obscure heretical group that didn't last very long. The Gnostics , by Andrew Phillip Smith, is an accessible book that dispels these erroneous views with a thorough introduction to the history, tradition, scriptures, and influence of Gnosticism in all its facets. The book, numbering just under 250 pages, is broad in scope, dealing with nearly all of the Gnostic groups of note from its inception two millenia a...

The history of Rosicrucianism is a bit of a muddled affair, not least of all due to the fact that we don't really know who wrote the two manifestos (barring the likely candidate of Andreae, who wrote the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz ), nor why they were written, nor, indeed, if it was intended as a joke or a subtle social experiment designed to bring about change, propelled by the powerful forces of mystery, secrecy, and intrigue. It is difficult, even in modern times, to separate the myths from the facts, to discern which was the first actual Rosicrucian group from the many that claim its ancient heritage. The Rosicrucians: The History, Mythology, and Rituals of an Esoteric Order , by Christopher McIntosh (author of The Rose Cross and the Age of Reason ) is an excellent attempt at this discernment. The book spans just under 150 pages, which is relatively slim for a scholarly work, but then this is mainly intended as an overview, and is certainly not lacking in depth i...

The history of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn has been dealt with in a number of books, not least of all Ellic Howe’s Magicians of the Golden Dawn . However, as each new scholar approaches the subject or old scholars publish a new book more and more papers, photographs, documents, and letters are published. Revelations of the Golden Dawn , by R. A. Gilbert (a republication of The Golden Dawn Scrapbook ) is just one of these examples, giving a brief look at the history of the Order, replete with some interesting source material. The book itself is 200 pages, with seven chapters, an introduction, and a small index and bibliography. The history itself is not extensive, and only deals with some of the more pivotal moments, but Gilbert himself admits this, stating "it is not intended to be a documentary history of the Order … This book is intended simply to provide an overview of the Order, and to tell its story through the lives and actions (or inactions) of its membe...

"The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was well known for its Equinox Ceremony, and, indeed, for its lack of a Solstice equivalent, which has been a cause of query for many students, both inside and outside the Golden Dawn system. The Equinox & Solstice Ceremonies of the Golden Dawn , by Pat and Chris Zalewski, offers an intriguing title, which may beguile many readers, in light of the above facts." To read the rest of this review, click below: "The Equinox & Solstice Ceremonies of the Golden Dawn" Book Review

"The Zohar is one of the primary sources of Qabalistic material we have, and also the largest, spanning a number of volumes in its various translations. Its teachings penetrate the very fabric of Qabalah, both Jewish and Hermetic, even when not overtly referenced. However, it is also one of the most difficult texts to read and interpret, and thus an introductory book is often needed. A Guide to the Zohar by Arthur Green qualifies as one of the best books to fill this need." To read the rest of this review, click below: "A Guide To The Zohar" Book Review

"The decline in popularity of the lodge system in the last century has impacted heavily upon the magickal community. With the publication of many once secret Order documents most students don't feel the need to partake in the lodge system at all; after all, why travel to a temple when you can do the work in your own living-room? However, this attitude leaves much to be desired, and clearly shows the lack of understanding of why the lodge system existed in the first place. But what are modern students who are not already a member of a surviving lodge to do? That's where Inside A Magical Lodge by John Michael Greer comes in." To read the rest of this review, click below: "Inside A Magical Lodge" Book Review

Another book review for you. This time it's What You Should Know About The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie. You can read it here: "What You Should Know About The Golden Dawn" Book Review

I recently wrote a book review of The Essential Golden Dawn by Chic & Sandra Tabatha Cicero. You can check it out here: "The Essential Golden Dawn" Book Review I will be posting more book reviews over time. If there are any books you would like me to tackle, feel free to leave a comment. If you are an author or publisher and would like me to review your book or a book by one of your authors, also leave a comment to get in contact with me.