Golden Dawn Blog by Frater Yechidah

Each Equinox a new Pass Word is chosen, acting as a means to distinguish members from those who have demitted, resigned, or been expelled. It also acts as a link with the Solar Light, as per Mathers' explanation in Ritual Z3.  More than this, however, I would argue it is, as it were, a form of motto for the Order for the half-year period in question, and since the motto is intended to represent one's "higher occult aim or aspirations," the Pass Word can thus be seen to represent the highest occult aim or aspirations of the Order for that Equinoctial period. Its use, then, in addition to bringing into action the link with the Solar Light, is a form of invocation of the forces cognizant with the word chosen. A simple, yet powerful, formula. Groups bearing the GD moniker today likely use all manner of Pass Words, depending on what is important to them and their leaders, either chosen directly (with intent) or through some mystical means (such as the Ring and Disk of ThAM...

Volume 3 of the Golden Dawn journal series The Light Extended is out now, published by Kerubim Press.  Get your copy on Amazon CONTENTS - Preface by Tony Fuller - On Tracing Signs in the Golden Dawn Tradition by Samuel Scarborough - Self Isolation in the Golden Dawn Tradition by Alex Sumner - Nephthys: A Suggested Patron Goddess for the 6=5 Grade by Jayne Gibson - Commentaries on the Stella Matutina Grade Meditations by Jaime Paul Lamb - Practicus Astrology: The Meaning of the Hylech and Anareta by Frater Manu Forti - The 76 Names of Metatron by J.P.F. - Protheus: On the Assumption of the Forms of the Eternal Gods by Adam P. Forrest - How the Golden Dawn Hath Travelled and the Gods Within by Soror DPF - S.L. Mathers and the Rosicrucian Order of the Alpha et Omega by Darcy Küntz - Tarot Workings in the Golden Dawn: Some Practical Notes on the Opening of the Key by Frater Yechidah - The Gnome: A Retelling of the Popular German Story by the Brothers Grimm Retold by Frater YShY PRAIS...

As a traditionalist myself, I have sometimes been accused of "fundamentalism" or similar hyperbolic slurs, but this stems from a massive misunderstanding of what it means to be a traditionalist in the GD sense. It does not mean living in the past or merely re-enacting history, but actually working first and foremost with the historical material, as is (unaltered and corrected from the mountain of errors, including errors of omission, that have accrued over the years), and then using that material as the foundation to expand upon and develop, while being mindful that "innovations" should not contradict the essence (or even, at times, the rule) of the material that has come before, knowing that all aspects are deeply interwoven, and alterations to one will have consequences for the whole. In this sense, then, traditionalism is about being open enough, diligent enough, and humble enough, to learn what is actually there, before assuming one's personal ideas or revel...

Volume 2 of the new Golden Dawn journal series The Light Extended is out now, published by Kerubim Press.      CONTENTS - The Evil Triangle: The Role of the Inverted Triangle in the Golden Dawn by Frater Yechidah  - The Equilibration of the Four Winds by Samuel Scarborough - The Vibration of the Divine Name by John Michael Greer - On the Lunar Occultation of Venus And Planetary Integration Through the Hermetic Arts by Jaime Paul Lamb - Greek Gods in the Golden Dawn by Soror DPF - The Four Elements and Their Implements by Jayne Gibson - Ma‘aśeh Bere’shith: A Jewish Treatise on the Heavens, Earths, and Hells Translated and Introduced by J. P. Feliciano - As Within, So Without: A Golden Dawn Perspective on the Relationship Between Divinity and Humanity by Chic Cicero and S. Tabatha Cicero - The MacGyver Golden Dawn Temple by Frater D - Astrological Dignities From the Neophyte Knowledge Lecture by Frater Manu Forti - On the Rose and Cross on the Membership Roll by Frate...

Kerubim Press is publishing a new journal on the teachings of the Order of the Golden Dawn, with contributions from many big names in the esoteric community.   CONTENTS How the Mighty Have Fallen: A Golden Dawn Perspective on the Fallen Angels, Goetic Spirits, and the Qlippoth by Chic Cicero and S. Tabatha Cicero The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram: The Foundational Ritual of the Golden Dawn Tradition by Samuel Scarborough The Lord of the Universe by Frater YShY Private Ritual for Influencing a Person for Good: or to Correct Evil Habits (Stella Matutina) with an Introduction by Tony Fuller Theurgy and the Body of Light by Jayne Gibson On the 42 Assessors of the Hall of the Two Truths: A Supplemental Z Libellus on the Enterer of the Threshold for the Study and Practice of the Adepta Major by Adam P. Forrest Ἑκάς ἑκάς ἐστε βέβηλοι (Hekas Hekas Este Bebeloi) by Soror DPF Skrying in Theory & Practice by Alex Sumner Thelema and the Golden Dawn: Spattin...

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...

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,...

“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...

"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...

"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