Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

Many people wonder why the various names used in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram were chosen over other alternatives, particularly when it comes to a name like AGLA, a notariqon of Atah Gibor leh-Olam Adonai ("Thou art mighty forever, O Lord."), which appears to have largely been selected because it has four letters. It is not difficult to understand the idea that since there are four directions, and thus there must be four names, that this motif would be continued in the formation of the names themselves. It is, after all, a continuation of the mystery of YHVH, the first name employed. But there is another reason that these must be four-letter names. If we look at the Hebrew names for the four directions, we have the following: Mazrach (מזרח) for East, Darom (דרום) for South, Ma'arav (מערב) for West, and Tzaphon (צפון) for North. The astute student will immediately notice that these are all four-letter names. Thus the most resonant names for the four...

Peregrin Wildoak , author of By Names & Images: Bringing the Golden Dawn to Life , posted an excellent summary of the inner workings of GD temples, showing how GD techniques differ from Masonic-style workings to create a truly magical tradition. This is one of the best articles on this subject and will benefit any Golden Dawn magician, whether they are a solitary worker or belong to a temple. Check it out here.

Students of the Golden Dawn system are required to learn the Knowledge Lectures to pass their exam. The information in these is valuable, but it is, in all honesty, relatively scant. Someone with a good memory could easily cram this into their mind within a day or two and then regurgitate it onto their exam paper. Initiates are also expected to learn key parts of their initiation ritual, including the roles of officers, their godforms, how many divisions the ritual is made into, and so forth. This is probably the more difficult part, but could also be learned in a relatively short period of time. There are also a number of side lectures that are given out in each grade, most of which provide valuable information, yet many of which are extremely dated and somewhat limited in scope. Modern orders usually expand upon these, either by literally editing the papers or by adding new ones of their own. All of this, along with the required daily ritual and practical work, ...

One of the keys to a successful ritual is the use of emotion. If the prayers and invocations are read in a dreary, boring way it will have little effect upon you or those around you. Good acting depends on emotion and it can cause significant changes in us and how we perceive the world. Emotion is the Force with which we fill the Form of magic. It is the Will that directs and guides, activating and bringing to life the Imagination. It is what makes godforms come to life and charges our talismans, including the Candidate in an initiation ceremony. It is, in essence, what makes it all work, what turns the cogs of the magical universe. Buried emotion can be a particularly powerful treasure trove that can be channelled for a productive end in magic. Ignored and unattended it is like a nuclear bomb waiting to go off, but it does not have to be this grim. If it is tapped into and directed towards a magical goal it can become like a nuclear power station, providing immense amounts of...

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 recent post by Morgan Drake-Eckstein on the test and grade examinations used by various Golden Dawn orders (itself a response to Fr. AIT's blog on the same topic, now removed) got me thinking about this aspect of Golden Dawn work. There are two extremes possible with examinations. They can be upheld very strictly, in an almost academic way, or they can be ignored altogether, as Annie Horniman discovered when she rejoined the Order after Westcott (the man who did much of the administrative work) had left. I don't think either approach is a good one, though I am more likely to lean towards the former than the latter. You see, the problem with examinations is that they tend to be entirely intellectual, and, while this is an important aspect of our work, it is not the most important, nor the only part. Some element of practical work and testing on such is vital, as is a general inquiry as to how the grade energies have affected the initiate, if at all; afterall, if we end up the...

Frequently I am reminded of the importance of how we deliver our lines during ritual. In addition to the points made in my previous post there is the matter of how we pronounce different words in the ritual. I do not mean that we need to employ a certain accent or correct imperfections in our general pronunciation (though such corrections may also help), but more that we pronounce the words with the sound that represents the meaning behind them. For example, if the word "whisper" appears in the text, it should be whispered. There should be a softness, a sound of a breeze billowing through the Hall, as if sounded by some ethereal voice. In contrast the word "cry" should be cried aloud, forceful and full of emotion. The word "roar" should be roared (not to say that you let everyone in the city hear, but that you encapsulate the sound of a roar within a smaller setting). It helps, therefore, to spend some time considering the sounds that each word makes and ...

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...

"Do not be too quick to force a spiritual technique to make sense; otherwise, you may, out of ignorance, modify it into powerlessness." - Lyam Christopher Thomas

I don't have the time. I'm not in the mood. I'll do it later. These are but a few of the more obvious excuses that we come up with for not doing things, particularly our magical work (though it applies to all areas of our lives). When we embark on our spiritual quest, or attempt to advance to the next level, our ego panics; how is it going to retain its seat of power if you engage contact with the Higher Self or attempt progress that will diminish selfishness and a limited mindset? So it fights you. And it has to fight, because this could be a life or death matter for it, or, more likely, the toppling of a false king from his throne. The Tower of Babel and the Kings of Edom. Excuses are one of the ego's greatest tricks. They can be very insidious and convincing, and as you adapt to combat them, so too does the ego adapt its repertoire of excuses so that they become more complex and subtle. Suddenly you think that you're the one who originated with the thought...