Azoth or The Star In The East- Commentary Part 1

"I knew on a very deep level that this was a Sacred Art"

Alchemy is known as the Royal Art. It is an art in the sense that it calls forth both the creative and destructive forces within. It stimulates both the inner and the outer, and gives a greater meaning to that which at first glance may seem worthless or trite. It opens the world like a book to the hungry reader and tells a magnificent tale of worlds outside, within, and surrounding our own. It is Royal or Noble in that it repels any superfulous influence. Its is a path of purity, of higher status for the soul trapped in a muddied world, one that places the crown of immortabilty on anyone who would undergo its trials and blessings. It is spoken of in Greek Myth and in Spiritual Allegory. In fact, I would say that it is the only Art. Truly every spiritual tradition, every system of High Magic, every mystical teaching is only an extension of the process of alchemy The transmutation of the soul from the state of unknowingness and plumbous nature of lead to that of the perfected, incorruptable, and auriferous nature of gold. To elevate oneself from the imperfect to the perfect, to be a vessel which holds the essence of the All, and can with a touch turn other things imperfect into their exhalted counter-parts...that is the nature of the mystical life, the spiritual life. To those who seek the Royal Path I offer a commentary on portions of Azoth or the Star of the East. It's purpose to offer a bridge for your own research and development in the Great Work for you will see that alchemical texts draw from many, many sources and it is the work of the alchemist to delve into each mystery slowly uncovering its source and its meaning, digesting it and making it apart of oneself. And as I am a student always and forever I welcome any commentary from fellow alchemists and mystics alike. May we all move forward together in the Great Work. I hope this short blog is helpful and interesting. I will be off on a spiritual journey for a few weeks time, so this one is short but when I return I shall continue with Part II.

Nosce te Ipsum

Soror FSO

Preface.

In the books of the old physical Mystics, who conducted the experiments of transmutation and investigated the possibility of Nature in the world of metals and minerals, we find frequent reference to an all-permeateing and sublimating principle, which of the many forces deal with or referred to in occult chemistry appears most potent and most universal.

metals and minerals- refers to a more advanced stage of alchemy usually partaken of only after mastery of the

vegetable/herbal realm in which one has completed the "vegetable stone" known as the Minor Opus. This is the process of balancing and purifying the elements within through seperation and recombination. This work corresponds to the work of the Outer Order in the Golden Dawn taking one from Malkuth to the threshold of Tiphareth as well as to the world of Yetzirah and its effects on the astral body. The mineral work corresponds to the permanent psychic changes that are made in Briah, the Inner Order work and the spheres of Tiphareth, Geburah, and Chesed.

all-permeating;all-evading- Azoth is effective in all planes and for all times

sublimating-the spiritualization of matter; purification, the raising of one's vibrational energy. In chemistry this corresponds to the process of transition from a solid to gas with no liquid phase in between. Sublimation begins with the removal of the superfulous so that the purest parts remain possessing only the quality of the spirit, the term sublimation can also refer to the creation of the astral body.

It is the 'essential and final principle of the Great Work; its analogies in the intelligible order are to be found in the Divine Will; it is, allegorically speaking, the hand of God in Nature, and therefore in its symbolical aspect, as the outward sign of a withdrawn and unattainable potency; it has not been inappropriately designated the God of the Sages.

intelligible- denoting the metaphysical ream which is accessible to the intellect as opposed to the world of phenomena accessible only to the five senses. According to Pythagoras there are two worlds the sensible and the intelligible, the latter has the Monad as an originating principle. Plato also expounded on the intelligble world using his "Divided Line" analogy, a quick summery which can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy_of_the_divided_line

This force is the alchemical Azoth, The Catholicon, Magnesia, The Sperm of the World, Mercury, and the "Universal Medicine of Things, endowed with the most intent and concentrated virtue.

Azoth- The Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End, formed from the first and last letters of the hebrew alphabet Aleph-Tav

Catholicon- a remedy for ills

Magnesia-the "white" or "red" magnesia, the "magnet of Jah", the attractive principle of Divine Wisdom. This 'magnet' is also the power of attraction which establishes the orbits of the planets and the astronomical order of the heavens ( we hear this echoed in the Zelator initiation "He has bound Man with the Stars as with a chain. He allures him with Scattered Fragments of the Divine Body in bird and beast and flower, and He laments over him in the Wind and in the Sea and in the birds".\) It is the matter of the Stone. It "yields to nothing but love because generation is her aim and this is never accomplished through violence" The Sperm of the World from which all things are naturally generated, she (Magnesia) is of a middle nature (the Reconciler)

"It contains within itself" says the Book of the Wood of Life, "all other Medicines, as well as the first principle of all other substances, their accidents excluded. Unto this all things are alike; it uncovers every species, and imparts and immense streangth and catholic, central virtue.

catholic- universal

accidents-The nine accidents are quality, quantity, relation,action, passion, time, place, disposition, rainment. Accident was a term used by Pythagoras to describe a quality that was not apart of something's inherent nature (substance). For example a dog is a dog whether it is black or white. Therefore the dog is the substance, and the color is its accident. When the substance and accidents are reconciled together they form the one title, the perfect number, iota (10) (Matt 5:18: Verily I say unto you, till the heaven and earth pass away, one iota, or one title may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass). The iota is associated with the letter Yod-Hand in the hebrew alphabet. It is also associated with Virgo and The Hermit in the Tarot. (refer to the previous reference as Azoth being the hand of God in Nature)

Interview With Sandra Tabatha Cicero

BIO: Sandra “Tabatha” Cicero is an American esoteric author and lecturer, best known for her work in the field of Western Hermeticism. Born in rural Wisconsin in 1959, Cicero graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts in 1982. She has worked as an entertainer, typesetter, editor, commercial artist, a computer graphics illustrator, and a paralegal. She met her husband, Chic Cicero, in the early 1980s when she was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Ciceros are two of the G.H. Chiefs of the contemporary Order of the same name, which claims initiatory lineage to the original Golden Dawn through their mentor, Israel Regardie. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is an international Order with Temples in several countries (www.hermeticgoldendawn.org). Tabatha is also the Supreme Magus (Imperatrix) of the Societas Rosicruciana in America, a Rosicrucian Order that was founded in 1907 (www.sria.org).

Tabatha and Chic have co-authored several successful books on the Golden Dawn, Tarot, Qabalah, and the Western Mystery Tradition including The Essential Golden Dawn, which won a COVR award in 2004 as one of the year's best titles in the field of magic. Together, the Ciceros have edited, annotated and added new material to recent editions of classic magical texts by Israel Regardie including The Middle Pillar, A Garden of Pomegranates, and The Tree of Life. At the encouragement of Israel Regardie she painted The Golden Dawn Magical Tarot.

They are also regular contributors to Hermetic Virtues Magazine (www.hermeticvirtues.org) and on-line store, specializing in hand-crafted Golden Dawn implements.

1. What is it that first got you interested in the Golden Dawn and what was it that made you want to dedicate your life to studying and practicing it?

I have always had a very strong sense of the Divine Presence and a keen interest in comparative religion, the occult, and esoteric subjects of all stripes. In the early 1980s I came across Regardie’s book, The Golden Dawn in a Walden's book store in San Angelo, Texas. It was the blue hard-cover Llewellyn edition. I browsed through the pages and thought to myself, “This is the only book on magic that I will ever need.“ I had $38 in my pocket, and the price was around $37.50. I considered this a good sign. When I looked at the ritual of the Pentagram, I was immediately attracted to the organization of the workings. The invocation of the archangels had me hooked immediately. The very first time I performed the LBRP and visualized the four archangels around me, there was no turning away from the system. I had to know more.

2. Is there one thing you can pick out from your experience with the Golden Dawn that has really impacted your personal growth such as a mystical experience, lesson, magical working etc.?

I'd have to say that, over the course of my esoteric journey, there have been several mystical experiences that have had a profound impact on me. I can honestly say that one of those graceful synchronicities we call "magic" was present at every major event in my life where I came into contact with one of my teachers (being in the right place at the right time, usually through highly convoluted circumstances), so that I could meet some person of great importance to my spiritual quest.

I have never considered myself a particularly psychic person. When I first joined the Golden Dawn in 1983, I was asked what magical motto I wanted to use in the Outer Order. Being a Double Taurus with a rural background, I said "...um... how about Child of Earth?" (This was translated as Felia Telluris.) At the time of my initiation into the Neophyte Grade, I heard the Officers keep referring to me as "Child of Earth." It wasn't until later that I realized they were not referring to my newly adopted magical motto, but rather the generic title of the Neophyte who has started up the path of Initiation. This is exactly what I mean by a "graceful synchronicity" so typical of magic. It was the kind of numinous event that lets a person know when he or she is on the right path.

The most memorable events in my life revolve around the teachers and friends I have had the pleasure of knowing along the way: Israel Regardie, my soul mate Chic Cicero, my Hierophant, and the many wonderful Fratres and Sorores who have shared the journey with me for almost 30 years. It's rare these days that a core group of people in a magical Order can actually remain close friends and magical companions for three decades of ritual work. It is a true honor and privilege.

3. You are well known for your scholarly contributions to the Golden Dawn community. After the years that you have spent studying, writing, and teaching can you tell us what aspects of the Golden Dawn system you feel are most important for a person to learn and study?

If I could name only one aspect of the GD curriculum that I feel is essential, it would have to be the Qabalah. The Qabalah is the single most important area of study for any magician—offering a wealth of information to anyone who examines it in depth. It is the dominant segment of Western occult philosophy, and portions of it permeate Jewish, Christian, Hermetic and Pagan esoteric practice. Regardie said that “the Qabalah is a trustworthy guide, leading to a comprehension of the Universe and one’s own self.” The Qabalistic Tree of Life can be described as a double-helix DNA blueprint of God in the Divine Universe; its pattern exists everywhere. As Magicians we must not only explore the various aspects of the Qabalah, we must also integrate its teachings in our very souls.

4. Is there anything about the Golden Dawn system that you haven't been able to delve into as deeply as you like but are really looking forward to exploring further?

There are always more aspects to the system that could stand further development and examination. At the moment I am busy finishing up a book on Dr. Wynn Westcott's Enochian Tablets. My study of these unique Tablets has lead me into new avenues of exploration into the Golden Dawn Enochian system. It's been an exciting project.

But every aspect of the GD system needs to be explored and meditated upon. It is an endless source of inspiration, knowledge, and ritual work. I don't think it is possible for anyone to say, "I know everything there is to know about the Golden Dawn system of magic." There is always more to be known.

5. Is there still Golden Dawn material that remains unpublished or has not ever been made public? If so, do you think it will be important for those who may have their hands on it to eventually get this information out to the public?

There is still unpublished archival material out there, and I believe Chic and I have seen most of it. Eventually all such materials will be made available to the general public through the proper channels.

But just because something is unpublished doesn't make it somehow better than material that has been published. Some unpublished material just seems stale and dated. It might be useful from a historical perspective to have access to this material, but I believe that some people have placed far too much importance on the acquisition of old papers and far too little focus on what is ultimately important to the Great Work—personal evolution and spiritual growth. If I only had a dime for every time I heard about someone hording old papers or lording their possession of such papers over others, like a child bragging about having the best toys in front of other children. Even worse, there is at least one recent instance of an individual duping people into giving him copies of unpublished documents, allegedly for his own private use, which he then publishes, breaking the trust of people in the esoteric community under totally false pretenses. In any event, I can't think of one instance where owning a bunch of papers makes anyone a better person or a "superior" magician. It's just ridiculous and arrogant.

At the other end of the "paper hoarding" spectrum, you have people who actually destroy rare magical documents so that nobody else can learn from them. That's just so sad.

A living magical tradition takes its guidance from the past, but it must evolve to be relevant to lives of modern-day Initiates. For example, archeologists are always uncovering new information about the ancient world—things that were just not known in the Victorian era. Therefore, our knowledge of ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices may change, and this can influence our modern praxis. We must learn from the past, not become slaves to it. The words of a ritual on a old piece of paper do not come alive—they do not become magic—until we perform and internalize them. If we don't, they remain just "words, words, words."

6. As someone who is involved with publishing books on the Golden Dawn tradition, do you feel there are certain responsibilities to the public that must be remembered by those who would seek to do to the same?

I think it is very important for modern authors to remember that it is absolutely fine to build upon and adapt the traditional teachings of the Golden Dawn to a more modern approach, and even a mixture of different spiritual traditions, so long as the various sources are made perfectly clear to readers. Some people prefer a traditional approach, while others add teachings from various spiritual paths: Theosophy, Thelema, Wicca, etc. So long as these different approaches work within the framework of their respective Orders, and spiritual growth is achieved by the Initiates, who is to say that one way is right and the others wrong?

Do magicians from various groups always have to argue about how many angels will fit on the head of pin?

However, authors have a responsibility to make sure that whatever materials they advocate are clearly identified as to their origins: original GD manuscripts, an spin-off Order, a specific temple within the greater Golden Dawn Tradition, a specific teacher's oral tradition, or the author's own thoughts and adaptations of GD material.

For example: the modern tri-colored Caduceus Wand that many Golden Dawn groups use today differs from the traditional staff used by the original Order and its offshoots. The modern version did not come from Israel Regardie. It was a product of Chic's work in the Isis-Urania Temple in Georgia in the late 1970s. This wand IS the Caduceus of Hermes. To many of us, it is an obvious and logical improvement over a simple colored staff supposed to "represent" the Caduceus of Hermes. The Caduceus of Hermes, with its entwined serpents, is explained in the 2=9 Ritual in the speech describing the Keryx's Lamen. It certainly would have been easier to use the caduceus symbolism in the Lamen rather than to make a full Caduceus staff. However, the word Caduceus is derived from the Greek Kerykeion which means "herald's staff." The word Kerykeion is the origin of the word keryx or "messenger, herald," and the oldest form of the Kerykeion was a rod with two twining serpents at the top in such a way that they resembled horns—this later morphed into what we know as the Mercury symbol. Either the Kerykeion or the full Caduceus form would make a proper "Staff of the Herald" or "Rod of Hermes." In my opinion, a simple tri-colored staff with no serpents attached would be half of the "Herald's Staff," or a portion of the actual "Rod of Hermes," minus the two primary conduits of energy. You could easily hold the Caduceus by the bottom (blue) section of the wand by creating a Caduceus with a longer shaft and smaller serpents. I've seen plenty of perfectly fine adaptations, including a 6" metal caduceus affixed to the top of tri-colored staff.

Is the modern Caduceus Wand of the Golden Dawn as described in Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple traditional? No. Is it better than a traditional painted staff said to "symbolize" a Caduceus Wand? We certainly think so.

In books such as Tarot Talismans, Chic and I try to indicate where we have used traditional Golden Dawn teachings and where we have adapted those teachings for a new approach. It's just a good rule of thumb.

7. The Golden Dawn is obviously a very male dominated tradition...but over the past five to ten years more and more women have been joining. Is there any advice you can give to other women out there about traveling this path?

I'm not so sure that it is fair to say that the Golden Dawn is a "very male dominated tradition." During the heyday of the original Golden Dawn, about one-third of the members were women, and many of them came from the Theosophical Society. The original GD added Eastern Theosophic elements to the GD curriculum in order to attract more women Initiates. There were a number of strong women in positions of power in the original Order: Florence Farr, Annie Horniman, Moina Mathers... These were hardly "shrinking violets." They were excellent role models for today's female Initiates.

Of course there are many more women who choose Wiccan-type groups over ceremonial magic. Why is this? I believe it has to do with both perception and opportunity. People mistakenly assume the Golden Dawn is male-dominated—I've never thought of it that way. As for opportunity, men who are interested in esoteric subjects have traditionally had more opportunity to connect with each-other through Masonic organizations. In contrast, magically-inclined women have had much more opportunity to connect with each other through the neo-pagan community.

In our Order, women make up close to half of the membership. We have been very blessed to have a number of strong women in charge of several temples over the years. From the very beginning of our Order, at least one of the G.H. Chiefs has always been female.

I guess I would tell women who are thinking of exploring the Golden Dawn Tradition to remember that the Neophyte Hall, also called the "Hall of Two Truths" is dedicated to the goddess Maat, goddess of Justice and Truth, and two highest officers in the Hall, Praemonstrator and Imperator, are associated with the sister goddesses Isis and Nephthys.

8. How would you like to see the Golden Dawn tradition grow over the next 100 years? Are there personal goals you have that you would like to see manifest before it gets passed onto the next generation?

I am happy to see the various ways that our Order, as well as other Golden Dawn Orders, are taking the tradition out of the dusty archives and keeping the GD a vibrant, living tradition for seekers of diverse paths. This is vitally important, and it doesn't matter whether the group is considered traditional GD or mixed tradition GD—it must be a living system that is capable of growth and evolution within the context of its own core principles.

Our own Order is very traditional, and yet we are fully willing to make what we consider to be enhancements of the GD system or corrections of errors in the old documents. Take for example the colors of the Hebrew letters on the Minutum Mundum diagram and the Rose from the Golden Dawn’s Rose Cross Lamen. All the old documents from the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina, and the Alpha et Omega state that the King Scale color of the Path of Yod (or Virgo) is Yellow-green. That’s fine, but they also state that the color of the letter Teth (or Leo) is greenish-yellow. That is just wrong. They can’t both be the same color, neither of which is a primary color. Take a look at the Rose—it is a true artist’s color wheel. If you look at the outer petals of the Rose, you can see quite easily that the color of Teth (Leo) has to be pure, primary yellow, otherwise the color wheel doesn’t work.

In another example, we feel that the correct name of the angel of elemental Fire is Ariel ("Lion of God") not Aral. The original GD documents preserved a mistake in Agrippa wherein the names of Ariel and Aral were switched. This age-old confusion is due to the fact that the four rulers of the elements were not recognized as the names of orders of angels: Seraph, Tharsis, Kerub, and Aral (Arel or Erel) are actually the singular forms of Seraphim, Tarshishim, Kerubim, and Erelim.

So even traditional Golden Dawn groups like ours change things when we feel that certain points can be improved upon, while remaining true to the spirit and ethos of the original teachings. As magicians, we shouldn't be so tied to the past that we take "tradition" for gospel, leaving no room for the creative innovation and inspiration that is the very hallmark of magical practice.

8. What do you think is the biggest challenge for a student of the Golden Dawn and what advice do you have for over-coming it?

The biggest challenge by far is to avoid the trap of Ego inflation: Regardie was adamant about this, which was why he suggested that magical students undergo some form of psychotherapy to guard against this phenomenon. We experience something called infantile megalomania in early childhood, when we all believe that we are the very center of the universe—our own wants and needs are paramount to everything else. As we mature, we grow out of this stage of extreme-self-centeredness. However, the practice of magic can sometimes result in the reemergence this mechanism, especially in those who may have an inflated ego to begin with. The practice of magic works to expand the mind’s latent psychic abilities.

Unfortunately some magicians begin to experience delusions of grandeur and messianic tendencies as the infantile megalomania is reactivated. In magic, infantile megalomania (the "I am the New Prophet" syndrome) is very easy to spot—they are the ones always bragging and tooting their own horn, claiming to have all the best magical toys, disparaging other magicians continuously, proclaiming to be the world's single greatest magician, boasting lineage that goes all the way back to Atlantis, etc.—you get the idea.

One of the best ways to overcome ego-inflation is to listen to the advice of your Fratres and Sorores as well as others in the greater GD community: whenever you start to get a swelled head and visions of grandeur, you can be sure that other magicians will step up to the plate and take you down a few notches, as well they should. (It is a bit more difficult when the offending egotist is the head of a temple or Order—in that case the membership may be too blinkered or fearful to let the leader know that he or she is swimming off-course.)

Luckily, most magicians within the GD tradition strive to maintain psychic balance and spiritual equilibrium, which are among the specific goals of the Outer Order work.

9. At some point, if a person studies long enough they may be blessed with serving as a teacher of this tradition. Can you give us some words of wisdom about the nature of teaching this path? Is there anything that we should always keep at the forefront of our minds?

There is an old Zen saying that covers it nicely: "Before enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water." Always remember that your students are your companions on the path of Light. You have something of value to teach them. Be open for those times when they have something to teach you. Never, ever feel that you are superior to anyone else. And be damn certain that you don't begin to treat anyone else as if you were.

10. Do you have any current projects in the works that you would like to share with us? Anything exciting that we can look forward to?

We currently have several irons in the fire: Basics of Magic—The Best of the Golden Dawn Journal: Book II: Qabalah, and Westcott's Enochian Tablets, both published through HOGD Books, will be available sometime next year. Also, look for a new annotated edition of Regardie's The Philosopher's Stone coming from Llewellyn. In addition, we are working on a book/oracle deck on the Qabalah tentatively called The Tree of Wisdom: Experiencing the Magic of the Qabalah, and another book on the Mystery Religions with the working title of Hiera Mysteria: The Sacred Mysteries. A Survey of the Western Mystery Traditions, both Ancient and Modern.

The Essence of The Rosicrucian

A very bright student sent me a ritual earlier this week that she had been working on for me to review. As I was reading through it I came across something I had not thought about in awhile, but which has always been very profound to me. It is often known at "The Confession" or "Negative Confession" which is taken from the "Papyrus if Ani". If you are familiar with Egyptian mythology and especially if you are a student of the Golden Dawn you should be well familiar with The Egyptian Book of The Dead aka the Pert-Em-Hru, which roughly translates to "The Book of Coming Forth By Day".

In it the soul of the deceased, guided by Anubis is brought through the underworld to re-unite with Osiris. Some of you may know of this as an analogy for The Great Work, or Alchemia. As the soul (candidate) is taken through the Duat (underworld) he is brought before Maat, who weighs the heart against the weight of her feather. Should the soul be lighter than the feather than it would be granted eternal life in the Duat and unification with Osiris. If it weigh heavier the soul would be consumed by Ammit a creature depicted with the head of a crocodile, the hind-legs of a hippopotums, and the forequarters of a lion.

The beauty of "The Confession" is that it really expressed the true essence of what it means to be a Rosicrucian. And in return it affirms the connection that Rosicrucianism has with Egypt both alchemically and in spiritual teachings. I believe "The Confession" is one of those rare pieces of human history that represents the true essence of "The Rosicrucian Way" It is by standards such as these that an Adept of the Rose and Cross should seek to live in his life by...by the highest of standards. Presented below is "The Confession".

I hope you will enjoy this, and should you have any suggestions for other texts in this vein please feel free to leave them in the comments section so that myself and others may explore them. I highly recommend "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" by John Climacus and "Rosicrucian Symbols" by Franz Hartmann. The latter has a wonderful chapter on living the Rosicrucian Way.

Nosce te Ipsum

-FSO

"I have destroyed wickedness. I have not done evil to mankind. I have not oppressed the members of my family. I have not wrought evil in place of right and truth. I have no intimacy with worthless men. I have not demanded first consideration. I have not decreed that excessive labor be performed for me. I have not brought forward my name for exaltation or honors. I have not defrauded the oppressed of their property. I have made no man suffer hunger. I have made no one to weep. I have caused no pain to be inflicted upon man or animal. I have not defrauded the temple of their oblations. I have not diminished from the bushel. I have not filched away land. I have not encroached upon the fields of others. I have not added to the weights of the scales to cheat the seller and I have not misread the pointer of the scales to cheat the buyer. I have not kept milk from the mouths of children. I have not turned back the water at the time it should flow. I have not extinguished the fire when it should burn. I have not repulsed God in His Manifestation."

and following this confession we often say...

For I am Osiris triumphant, Even Osiris Onnophris, the Justified One. I am He who is clothed with the body of flesh, yet in whom is the spirit of the Great Unknowable One. I am the Lord of Life, triumphant over death. He who partaketh with me shall rise with me. I am the Manifestor in matter of those whose abode is in the invisible. I am purified; I stand upon the universe, I am the reconciler with the eternal gods, I am the perfector of matter and without me the universe is naught.

Golden Dawn Interview With Nick Farrell Part 2

Salve to all my lovely readers! I hope your days are being blessed with health and happiness. As promised, here is the second part to my interview with Nick Farrell. I hope you have been enjoying his widsom and experience as much as I have. Some of you know that last week I preformed a special prosperity ritual for all of the people who follow my blog . I figure since you are doing so much for me by giving me a sounding board for my thoughts, why not do something for you? Besides, you deserve it! We all need a little extra help right now. Since it was such a blessing for me (and to some of you who e-mailed me about the results you saw) I am going to do some healing work this week. As I do not know all of you personally it is important to "follow" me so I have some reference as to who you are during my ritual. It will be preformed on Friday so if you haven't started following yet or know someone who needs a little extra Light...feel free to spread the word! :) Also, if you have a specific healing request you can e-mail me privately at werisetogether@gmail.com or go to http://www.esotericgoldendawn.com/ouro_healingrequests.htm to have an entire group of Adepti work on you during a special monthly ritual that we preform. Heck...why not do both? And now without further ado...part two of my interview with Nick. ( and Nick if your reading this Bonjourno!)

Nick Farrell Interview Part 2

What are the qualities that you believe define an Adept? How would you describe the differences in the work that an Outer Order member does and the work and Inner Order member does?

An Adept is one who is “most themselves”. The outer order shows them how to become that and does the work on the sphere of sensation that alAlows that state to manifest. A second Order Adept, knowing themselves and their position in the universe, is able to be a conscious co-creator with god and explore inner space.

Is there any type of magic that you particularly enjoy i.e. skrying, Enochian, divination, etc….

I am a big fan of ritual. It is the triple leo side of me I like a good performance.

As far as your personal work is concerned, what do you consider to be the most important thing for you to be focusing on right now?

Last year I was involved in establishing the Magical Order of Aurora Aurea which is a Golden Dawn order. When you do this it is traditional to call yourself an obscenely high grade and do little work for the rest of your life. Although NAM and ZAM grade the Second Order of the GD is all documented there is little work that has been done on the other sub-grades of the 5=6 and the 6=5 and 7=4. It is my idea to develop a system to work myself through those grades and write the material for the second order to develop as I go. The fun is to crack the symbolism of the system and make it more practical.

Do you feel the Golden Dawn has helped you to attain the life that you wanted and to reach the goals that you have set for yourself in life?

Magic has shaped me and my goals and defined most of what I do. If I am happy it is because I have managed to archive a magical goal. So it really your life, if it isn't then you are not a magician. Sure, magic has helped me achieve goals but I am not sure if I would have had those goals if I had not been a magician.


What do you think makes the Golden Dawn unique?

I still think it is the most complete unending system out there.

Some people believe the Golden Dawn can be tailored to anyone, do you believe it is for everyone, or do you think it is really for the niche, ceremonial magician?

Golden Dawn groups divide into three types. There are the tourists who come along for a look. They might be in the group for the rest of their lives but they never 'live' the system. Then there are those who study it and allow it to transform them. Magic becomes their life pattern. Then there are those who are born magicians. These are rarer and usually cause a teacher the most problems. The GD works for all these types and each group should have a balance of them. Most groups are formed from a majority of the first group with a smattering of the second type and if they are lucky one or two real magicians.
But I don't think it is for everyone. The modern golden dawn has made a huge mistake in believing it can be inclusive and that any one can come along and be nurtured up the levels. As a result standards have fallen to the point that people are becoming Adepts without knowing the basics. Orders are said to be successful if they are big rather than how many Adepts their system produces. Real magic does not suffer fools gladly and I think there are too many fools who have floated to the top.

What do you think is the current state of the tradition? How would you describe the climate? Do you think that it is really just a lot of in-fighting as the internet makes it seem, or do you think that the internet does not represent what it really going on in the community as a whole?

I think the Golden Dawn is splitting into three clear factions. The first is those who think they can make money out of it, the second are those who believe it should be run along masonic or religious lines and the third are those who are only interested in the magical side. Magical Golden Dawn groups talk to each other and use the internet to share information. When they argue it is more of a row based on techniques and usually is patched up. The masonic style groups take people through the grades and status is accorded by grade. Such groups are more expansive because the numbers of temples which are under their umbrella equates to their personal status. They are more likely to be concerned with lineage or what they perceive as being the tradition. They get very upset if their status is questioned or threatened. Then there are those who a trying to make money out of the Golden Dawn system who see any one else out their as competition. I would like to think that the Magical Golden Dawn will win, but what is more likely is that they will move the the background, perhaps not even calling themselves Golden Dawn to avoid being drawn into such conflicts. I think it will be harder for those who are searching for a real Golden Dawn group under that name to find a good one.

What is the Magical Order of the Aurora Aurea?

The Magical Order of the Aurora Aurea is a modern expression of the Golden Dawn tradition. It is an international Order with its Headquarters in Rome with Temples forming in Ireland, England, Wales and Slovinia. We also intend to open temples all over the world.
Although it is a traditional secret magical order it operates two public programmes. The first is its correspondence course which places its teachings in the hands of people who would not be able to join a working magical temple. The second are its Anticums which are public rituals and workshops organised by its initiates. While the Order is running, we have yet to go public. It will probably be ready in the next few weeks.
It is orthodox Golden Dawn but its teachings require more practical work in addition to intellectual study. This does not mean that we have put inner order techniques in the outer, but instead have organised a system of study which requires regular practical effort and alchemical changes in personality. We are also interested in the magical layers involved in the initiation rituals. We do not use the cut down versions of the Golden Dawn rituals that were published by Regardie and are the mainstay of modern Golden Dawn groups. Instead we use the same rituals which have been part of the Golden Dawn for more than a century.

Things I'm Digging Right Now

There are just some great Golden Dawn and esoteric resources I am digging right now and I thought I would share :)

Books

The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Hermeticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Ascepius (long title, awesome read)

Marriage As A Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints by David and Mary Ford (in case you didn't know this was possible)

Meditation and The Kabbalah: Aryeh Kaplan (always informative and interesting to go back to)

Golden Dawn Blogs:

Some good, although unfortunatly little know blogs

www.rosicrucian-vault.blogspot.com

www.abiegnus.blogspot.com

www.robertzink.blogspot.com

the last one you may find intriguing as it is written from the perspective of someone who is not within the occult community, but whom met Robert while on a trip to India...and became interested in his life's work. Its nice to hear an outside perspective.

Music:

Beats Antique- if you haven't heard these guys, they are amazing, and will really get those juices flowing to do some magical work

Purification of The Soul Through the Loving Gift of Gratitude

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you were as blessed by the season as I was. Although, I have to admit, as a creature of habit I am more than happy to finally be back into my regular schedule...and I am very exited about this coming year! Did anyone notice that amazing full moon we had on the first?...a beautiful healing moon, full of nurturing energy. My hope for myself, my students, and all my readers is that we all remember everyday how blessed we are (even if the circumstances seem dire), and take that gratitude and share it with others...this is the best way to bring even more blessings into our life.

I was blessed over the holidays to learn a true lesson about gratitude (in retrospect, how appropriate!) and I have come to see that it is a real tool to happiness...one that can be used to bring positivity and healing to any situation. Over the holiday I was in beautiful, sunny California at an an amazing condo on the beach in San Diego, a city which has a million fun things to do. I was really looking forward to having a, fun filled vacation...and what happened? Someone was sick every day I was there. First it was my son, then my mother, then my husband, then my mother in law...it was really a recipe for disaster- a bad mood, and a bad trip just waiting to happen. Whereas in the past I would have let my attachment to my expectations, and my desire to have the trip be a certain way cause me to be disappointed, then irritable, then angry, then just plain worn out from 2 1/2 wks of sickness...I was determined to not let it be so. Recently I have been working very hard to not be attached to my desires, expectations, or material inclinations...and this to me was a great test for that. But, I have to admit that while this has been my goal I wasn't quite sure how to reach it. Was it through control of my thoughts, or by constant testing until it was burned out of me, or through prayer and fasting? What I found through my Christmas ordeal...was that the key was gratitude. No matter what happens, no matter what is taken away...there is still something to be grateful for. And whereas intellectually one may think that by attaching your consciousness toward another material thing would be contrary to the goal...gratitude for the blessings in your life has the alternate effect of going beyond the ego, and taking us away from attachment. I realized the fullness of this concept in the simplest of choices I made while on vacation. My son was sick? How thankful I was that I could watch over him, while to beautiful ocean was outside to soothe me. My husband was ill? How wonderful it was that it didn't happen until he got to CA so I could be with him and see him after a week of being gone. My mother was throwing up? How thankful I was for the time we did get to spend having heart to heart conversations...every time a feeling of hopelessness tried to take over I would combat it with gratitude and thanksgiving to the Divine for all the great things I did receive while there. Even if I didn't get to go surfing, and to the amusement park, and around to take more photographs (I love photography), the small, simple moments were far more meaningful. And although this may seem like a small lesson learned in a small situations...the power of gratitude showed itself to me during a far more difficult time in my life when I was no where near where I am in my consciousness today...when I was truly lost in darkness.

There was a time when I was so wrapped up in my own pain that at one point I couldn't get out of bed. My depression was so debilitating that it culminated in me dropping out of college. One day, as I lay there in bed, thinking about my life, I realized that no one was going to "save" me. No friend or family member was going to come bursting through my door and say "Get up! its time to start living your life!" It was up to me to take the first step to having a fulfilling and happy life. I thought "there are so many people who are happy, what is different for them?" and from somewhere deep inside,(which I now realize was the whisper of my Higher Self) I heard a tiny voice that told me...choice. We all have a choice. The world is the world, and we see it for what we believe it to be. There are just as many "bad" things as there are "good", there are just as many "mean" people as there are "nice"...but we see what we want. I was always flabbergasted when I was out driving, or shopping, or going to school by how rude and inconsiderate people were. But how many people had been nice that I hadn't noticed? Were people maybe extra rude because I was always in a foul mood? On and on my thoughts swirled around in my head, and I went from thinking that I was a victim of a terrible curse to realizing that I had some control over my life, and that maybe my life was a result of who I was inside. So I took that first step, allowing my feet to slide out from the covers and feel the carpet beneath my bed, and I thought "how nice it is to have carpet". Who do you know had been thankful for carpet? But that thought was a start, a new way to look at the world. It was a new way to cultivate an attitude that wasn't so full of darkness and despair; a way that kind of tickled my heart and gave me hope. After all those months it was like a refreshing drink of water given in the desert. So I started to cultivate the attitude of gratitude when I could...of course having a new attitude about life was a challenge to overcome, but now I had a tool. So I counted my blessings- food, shelter, the ability to not have to sleep in a cold street in the winter, health...in the beginning my blessings seemed few, but there was always at least one things that I could be grateful for and over time I realized how great even the smallest one seemed. And now 12 years later, I have so many blessings, family, friends, happiness, healthy, a graduate degree, a beautiful son, and this lesson has come full circle in the smallest of circumstances...an illness over Christmas vacation, and I am made fully aware of its power.

The only way to true happiness is to look outside our small selves to our Higher Self which resides within us and throughout the whole universe...to realize our intimate connection with everything and everyone. The material realm, the material consciousness of the ego strives for more, and is never satisfied always leaving us feeling empty no matter how much we gain. But, when we connect to our Higher Self, we connect to the source of all and thus can never feel empty. We accomplish this by purifying ourselves to our lower natures and exalting our Higher Self. Gratitude is the loving way to purification, for it automatically humbles us and withdraws us from the ego. It fills us with love, hope, and kindness, and causes us to want to share it with others...thus becoming a self-perpetuating gift.

May we be grateful for all that we have this year, and share our blessings with others.

Nosce Te Ipsum

Soror FSO

For information on how to receive training in the Hermetic Arts, and The Golden Dawn please contact me at werisetogether@gmail.com

Litany of Humility

Throughout the week I feel a consistent urge to blog. Surprisingly I have found it to be a wonderful outlet for thoughts that like to incessantly poke at my consciousness...I say surprising because until my foray into the blogosphere I never thought of myself as a writer, and now I see the real joy behind it. Unfortunatly, I do not have the time to keep up with it the way that I wish to so I have come up with a compromise for myself. Instead of taking the hour or so to craft a blog whenever I have an idea to get off my chest, I will do what I do now, and do so when I have the time. But to fulfill my urge I will more frequently post excerpts from books, grimoires, or papers that I am researching at the time (that's what I have to spend the majority of my free time doing, since I teach). This way you can see more often where my brainpower is being focused, and I can feel what I am beginning to understand is a writer's need to release to some degree all the thoughts that swirl around in their head.

Right now I am loving the "Litany of Humility".This Litany is Christ centered, but I believe it can be altered for those who are not studying the Christian Mysteries. I personally have found that practicing humility in the occult sciences is not only necessary for keeping one's head in check when surrounded by such powerful energies, but helps one to become closer to the Divine, and bestows greater power to the magician(something that I will expound upon in a full length blog)

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

I Heart the Golden Dawn!

Compared to my other blogs this one may seem a little bit more informal...the reason being that I would like to express something from my heart and my life experience rather than my intellect.

If one were to judge the Golden Dawn by the internet alone, really, who would join? Seemingly it is one negative comment after another.

But, I would like those people who read my blog to know that my experience of the Golden Dawn and the experience of many, many, other people is one of joy, growth, love, harmony, self-sacrifice, knowledge, gnosis, prosperity, and fulfillment. I am blessed everyday to be apart of this community, and the only time I ever experience negativity is when I get on the internet, and have to read blogs and posts about how someone is a fake, a cheat, or fill in the blank with some slander. Yes, I have witnessed and experienced the frailty of the human condition in this community and in every community I have ever been apart of... work, gym, church, meditation group, family, Golden Dawn, but how many people in this world have actually reached the status of an ascended Master ? Not many, but there are those who are striving for it every day, and I am lucky enough to see it....everyday! 98% of my Golden Dawn experience is amazing.

I am a proud member of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn. I have lived by two large Temples and now I teach at another blossoming one. Because I found the Golden Dawn I am excited to get out of bed every morning. I am excited about life, and I can't wait to share that with my students, teachers, friends, family, and people I meet on the street. Before I found the Golden Dawn I had gone through a variety of traditions seeking the right path for me. When I was finally initiated into the Golden Dawn I saw more positive changes in the time I went from being a Neophyte to a Zelator than in the year I had spent at the yoga ashram meditating 8 hrs a day. Hmmm..if this path doesn't work, and if the Order I am apart of is a farce...well that's one heck of a placebo effect.

I have found this to be a true path of the Light, and I am sorry for those who have to see all this scandelous trash that is being spewed all over the internet as its only representative. Not only am I enjoying the fruits of its teachings and technique, but so are my students, my brethern, and the people whose lives I have found I can touch through the growth I have experienced here.

I am always blessed to be provided with new stories about how effective and inspirational this path is. Right my favorite inspiration is a student I have who came to the EOGD a few months ago. When I first met him he was already a deeply spiritual person, having an intesive practice everyday. But, he had some issues that he just couldn't seem to get past...years ago, he was held hostage for five hours, shot, and then witnessed his abductor commit suicide. Now, I would be comfortable saying that this would be something that few people would be able to get past their entire life. I would also like to say that if anyone were to be able to do it, it would have been him in the state of elevated consciousness he was in when I met him. But, it was a barrier he just couldn't seem to break through and it took the magic of initiation and only two rituals that he learned in the Neophyte grade for him to finally overcome what he said was the worst experience of his entire life. Amazing. This Work is amazing, and when I see people's lives change dramatically everyday I am continually inspired to continue on in this Work.

Seriously, I don't know what other people are doing, but I'm having a great life and I love the Golden Dawn. I talk to a lot of people in and out of my Order everyday...and they are doing great too! According to our forums and the people who show up to our Power Week event, there are about 3000 people world-wide who are having a great Golden Dawn experience. I think most people who are in the Golden Dawn community are having a great time doing magic, being apart of Temples, learning, teaching, communing with Angels, healing. In fact, most people are probably having such a great time...getting on the internet to talk about is probably the last thing they think about. I'm saying that because I was blogging a few times a week at first and then realized I really missed all the magic I was doing. I would gander to say if someone is spending so much time spewing up crap for you to read and get discouraged about...they probably aren't spending enough time having a great time doing magic and leading a fullfilling life....I'm just saying ;)

Nosce te Ipsum