Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

Here is another of my poems published in the Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition just under a year ago. For those with a knowledge of the Qabalah, it should make perfect sense. The Sound Of Sandals by Dean F. Wilson

One of the most common misconceptions about the Golden Dawn is that everyone who has attained the grade of Adeptus Minor or above is somehow perfect or automatically enlightened. Many people have an inflated (and very erroneous) conception of what adepthood actually means, assuming that it results in the people in question having no ego (as if they could physically live within one), oozing love, kindness, and compassion, never getting angry or showing weakness, frailty, or fallibility, and always giving good, solid advice. And they're wrong. Firstly, receiving a grade or initiation doesn't automatically confer anything . It can begin a process where certain desirable changes occur and traits are gained, but it doesn't always do this (it depends on the ability of the initiating team and the openness and willingness of the candidate to engage fully with the path and the teachings it offers). Initiation is part of a process, and there's plenty more to do before the i...

One of the most common accusations levelled at Enochian is that it causes illness in those who use it (see Case's arguments and my rebuttals here ). However, many people do not realise that this can also occur in the Qabalah, particularly in the higher paths and Sephiroth, although the Qabalah has many more built-in safeguards and tends to have a more balanced energy compared to that of Enochian. That said, however, let's look at some of the magical reasons for why illness might occur: overkill of energy (Enochian is the number one factor in this, which is why I suggest using other means if possible); lack of fortification of the body, physical and astral (i.e. not enough exercise, sleep, good diet, etc., and lack of strengthening of the aura through invoking and banishing); the necessary removal of negative energy from the body as part of the cleansing process prior to, after, or during an initiatory experience; poor handling of forces, entities, etc., which result in overbala...

"It has been suggested more than once by magical writers that the initiation of a candidate is like the consecration of a talisman: something passive and unfocused is given shape, direction, and energy." John Michael Greer, Inside A Magical Lodge

One of my magical "pet peeves" is the replacement in some traditions of YHVH Eloah va-Da'ath with IAO for the Tiphareth sphere of the Middle Pillar Ritual. There are multiple reasons for this: 1) Laziness. People seem to think that the Hebrew form is too long, and thus vibrating it is more difficult. I've used it for years without any difficulty. Just spend slightly less time with each syllable and you'll be fine. 2) Many people seem to dislike that the Hebrew name is similar to that used for the Da'ath sphere: YHVH ELOHIM , and some others actually think that, because the word Da'ath is mentioned here, it should instead be used for Da'ath. This comes from a complete lack of understanding of the Tree of Life and the God-Names attributed to the Sephiroth. YHVH Eloah va-Da'ath is the God-Name of Tiphareth. Full stop. 3) IAO is Gnostic, and is more Greek than Hebrew (although it isn't really any language at all). Using four Hebrew name...

In keeping with the nature of my previous posts on the Hebrew alphabet, I'd like to offer a link to a poem of mine I wrote around a year ago on the letter Aleph. It was originally published in Issue 2 of Hidden Spirit , a small esoteric magazine here in Ireland, and then republished online in the Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition (recommended). You can check it out here: Aleph by Dean F. Wilson For those who've read my previous post, the poem should make a lot more sense. I also have another poem on the letter Teth, but I'll save that for when we get to that letter. It's my intent to ultimately write a poem for each letter - much easier said than done!

Aleph (pronounced Ah-lef ) is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It, therefore, has a gematria value of 1, and often you will see an Aleph used as this number in various texts. Its Hebrew spelling is Aleph Lamed Peh sophith (Peh Final), as displayed in the image above. This word, when spelled out, means "Ox", and comes from the Pheonician pictograph for the letter A, which is almost like an inverted Roman A, with both the lower lines representing the horns of the Ox. The gematria of this full word is 831 when counting the value of the Peh Final (Aleph=1, Lamed=30, Peh Final=800) or 111 when counting the value of the last letter as a regular Peh (Peh=80). To draw the letter, draw the diagonal line first, then the uppermost leg (which looks like a Yod) and then the bottom leg (which also looks like a Yod). Note that the lines connecting these Yods to the central diagonal line should not meet, but rather the left one should be higher than the right (consult the image abov...

The Hebrew alphabet (or Aleph-Beth ) is one of the first things a member of the Golden Dawn was taught, and for good reason. The use of Hebrew in Golden Dawn work, from the LBRP to the Shem ha-Mephoresh , warrants that all students have at least a basic understanding of the alphabet. Indeed, the further you explore the Qabalah, the more you will begin to realise just how vital a knowledge of Hebrew actually is. The ancient Qabalists use it abundantly, not merely as the language they wrote in, but as a language of allegory, pun, and the deep and complex workings of gematria. Its prominence in the Sepher Yetzirah alone is clearly indicative of this. I am strong advocate for having a deep knowledge and understanding of the mysteries of the Hebrew language, and, in particular, its alphabet. Given this, I will be offering some insights into the mysteries of each letter over a multitude of posts to come, starting with Aleph . They will not include all the mysteries, for that would, if possi...

There is a recent debate in Golden Dawn circles on Case, the BOTA, and Enochian, so I decided I'd post what I wrote on the matter for my old Order around a year ago (which can also be found at EvocationMagic.com): Many of you know that Paul Foster Case had a certain dislike and suspicion of Enochian Magick, ultimately omitting every case of it from the G.'.D.'. rituals and ceremonies that were adopted into his own Order. He raises some valuable points, which I'd like to discuss with you here, but first I'll share a copy of two letters he sent to Israel Regardie regarding Enochian (and other aspects of the G.'.D.'. system). Letter 1 Letter 2 Now, let's address the main issues that Paul Foster Case raised against Enochian in his letters: 1. That it emanated so largely from Kelly This is an awful reason to doubt the authenticity and efficacy of a magickal system. Firstly, much of the dark things we know of Kelley are rumours. There is no real evidence or ac...

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...