On the Work of the Practicus

From the series “On the Work of the Grades” – reflections on the path of the Candidate through the Grades The work of the Practicus bears fruit when the student learns to see clearly into the waters of their own nature. In the Water of Hod, emotion must be transcended and transformed.  Emotion often precedesContinue reading “On the Work of the Practicus”

On the Work of the Philosophus

From the series “On the Work of the Grades” – reflections on the path of the Candidate through the Grades The journey through the Outer Grades mirrors Nature’s own slow evolution and awakening. From mineral to plant, from plant to animal, from animal to man: each stage adds motion, perception, and thought just as aContinue reading “On the Work of the Philosophus”

The Temple Diagrams

When I first began my Work, I relied on old Whare Ra copies of the rituals to study the Temple “Tablets” or diagrams. These old rituals were produced on a jelly copy process that left the images slightly blurred, sometimes obscuring important details in the diagrams. These were copies of the diagrams shown to CandidatesContinue reading “The Temple Diagrams”

Legitimacy and Lineage in the Golden Dawn

Much has been written and argued about the “legitimacy” or “lineage” of modern Golden Dawn temples. The subject is often presented as if there were a single, unbroken line back to 1888, which one can simply trace and thereby claim authority. The reality is far more nuanced. The Golden Dawn fractured in 1900, just 12Continue reading “Legitimacy and Lineage in the Golden Dawn”

The Ritual of the Sanctification of Daath

This ritual is a natural conclusion to the three previous discourses I have made – Reflections on the Threefold Path, The Kabbalistic Divisions of the Soul, and HVH and Daath – Further Speculation. Read those first to gain the theory behind this praxis. At the time of writing the first piece, I had no particularContinue reading “The Ritual of the Sanctification of Daath”

HVH and Daath – Further Speculation

Following my previous post, The Kabbalistic Divisions of the Soul, we now turn to a more veiled domain—Daath. Neither a Sephira in the classical sense nor a mere conceptual void, Daath represents the liminal chamber through which the Adeptus Exemptus must pass on the ascent toward the Supernal Triad. It is, in the language ofContinue reading “HVH and Daath – Further Speculation”

Scent in Golden Dawn Work

Scent doesn’t get much attention in modern occult discourse. It’s either left to the realm of aesthetics or reduced to a token puff of incense at the start of ritual. But within the older initiatory systems, including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, scent was far from incidental. The Order certainly used incense toContinue reading “Scent in Golden Dawn Work”

Why the Secrecy?

Frank Salt, or rather Fiat Lux, wrote many papers for his students as he carefully laid the foundation for the continuation of the Order, into which he was originally initiated in 1936.  He had been Hierophant, Chief Adept and Demonstrator (Praemonstrator) in what is generally considered the longest and most successful of the old “GoldenContinue reading “Why the Secrecy?”

Addressing the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram

Members of the 5=6 Grade of Adeptus Minor receive a lengthy manuscript on the advanced use of the Pentagram called Ritual B.  In this manuscript, the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram is described thus (abridged); “Invoking, for use in the morning, in general and un-important occasions, invocations and operations.” “Banishing, for use at night, toContinue reading “Addressing the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram”