Good News For Self Initiates And Solitary Practitioners
"Absolutely!"
Like learning any new hobby, learning ritual magic is something anyone can begin at home with a good book, perseverance, and practice. But, like learning a sport, to get good requires an effective coach. Some people may want to hire a good coach from day one to avoid developing bad habits and a steep learning curve. In contrast, some are not sure if they are ready for that level of commitment and are willing to tackle the challenge alone until they are convinced it's right for them.
Either way, you will have to find a few good resources to start you out. You may be asking yourself a few questions. Have I made the right choice in choosing Ritual Magic? Did I pick the "best" book to guide me through the process? Will I end up creating bad habits that set me back later? Who can I trust with questions as I progress? How will I know if I am really doing it right? Most importantly, you might be asking if self-initiation is really possible.
"Let me share with you my own story in facing this problem over the last two decades..."
"If you would have asked me about Self-Initiation eighteen years ago, when Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Praemonstratrix, Cris Monnastre, first appointed me HOGD Imperator, I would have told you: "Self-Initiation is as impossible as self-psychotherapy."
My understanding of the Golden Dawn has evolved a great deal over the past two decades, however, especially after establishing contact with the Secret Chiefs of the Golden Dawn's Third Order in 2002.
Back in my early years as Golden Dawn Imperator, my opinion of Self-Initiation was greatly colored by what was then touted as Self-Initiation, yet whose methods more closely resembled New Age guided fantasy than any Golden Dawn spiritual practice.
There is, of course, nothing "wrong" with New Age guided fantasy - as far as it goes. Let us remain mindful, however, that the Golden Dawn tradition is MAGICAL rather than New Age.
After 18 years as Golden Dawn Imperator, I remain convinced the absolute best way to create a magician is with traditional Golden Dawn initiation - with the Initiate physically present together with a fully trained Hierophant in a physical Golden Dawn temple.
This is because...
"A good Hierophant can awaken the magical Forces in your energetic body FOR you...... since these Forces are fully active in the Hierophant's own energetic body already."
Self Initiation books - with working methods more closely resembling New Age guided fantasy than Golden Dawn spritual practice - have contributed to a popular misunderstanding of the true nature of Golden Dawn spritual work. Golden Dawn spiritual practice traditionally uses Ritual Magic and Alchemy rather than New Age methods.
Why go beyond New Age guided fantasy and channelling?
"To become a Magician!"
Traditional Golden Dawn initiation is about the magical awakening of the LVX current in one's energetic body as well as the awakening and balancing of the Magical Forces of the Elements, Planets, and Zodiac.
What is the significance of awakening Magical Forces?
"It is what a Magician does!"
In the Golden Dawn's outer order, Earth is awakened in the energetic body in the Zelator grade, Air in Theoricus, Water in Practicus, and Fire in Philosophus. The force of Spirit is then awakened in the Portal grade, before these 5 fully awakened magical elements are balanced and equilibrated in the energetic body of the initiate.
Is it possible to accomplish this on one's own with Ritual Magic?
"Definitey!..."
But - it is also possible to ride a bicycle from San Francisco to New York! - Then again - Why ride a bike, when you can take an airplane and arrive at your destination in only a few hours instead of weeks?
Why initiate through a Hierophant rather than Self Initiation?
"To become a Magician easier and faster!"
Why try to reinvent the wheel with Solitary Practice of Ritual Magic? The Alpha Omega is not just about "Beginning"...
IN THE ALPHA OMEGA...
"WE MAKE MAGICIANS!"
To "begin" is clearly possible on your own, but "to finish" requires help. No matter how talented, every professional has a coach or teacher. What resonates with me is that Ritual Magic can be mastered by any actor, but our goal is not to simply perform a ritual - it is to be a magician. Actors convincingly portray soldiers, surgeons, therapists, and great heroes of all kinds. However, they have not BECOME these people, they only portray them.
All portrayal is not bad either - not by any means. This is the path of "fake it until you make it." If I act like a surgeon while I learn to become a real surgeon, in the end I will BE a surgeon. In contrast, if I act like a surgeon but never learn medical science, I am just an actor. Now, as long as I know I am an actor there is no harm done.
The danger is when I start to believe I am one simply because I can portray one so well that people cannot tell the difference (until I am in the operating room, that is!). My fear of Self-Initiation is someone can portray a magician without ever really becoming one. If someone learns to portray a magician perfectly, they may trick themselves and waste a lifetime living a delusion. The real question is:
"What do YOU want?
... To just do Ritual Magic...
... or do you want to be a Magician?"
Sadly, at the beginning of the 21st Century, there are still not enough Golden Dawn temples to provide traditional initiation for all aspiring magicians who seek it. Moreover, as I mentioned earlier, there are people who are just not sure if they are ready for that level of commitment and are willing to tackle the challenge alone until they are convinced it's right for them.
This is why the Alpha Omega recently launched our 1,000 Points of Light Initiative, to make Magicians - by providing guidance, corrections, etc. for Ritual Magic practice in a series of live Webinars - and by encouraging people to create their own Personal Temple altars and spaces.
This is also why I wrote the Ritual Magic Manual...
The Ritual Magic Manual fills an essential need for would be Golden Dawn magicians by providing everything you need for the magical component of Self-Initiation on your own, in a complete - step by step - user-friendly format.
In the Ritual Magic Manual, you will find all of the pentagrams, hexagrams, Egyptian God Forms, Enochian and Qabalistic names sigils and names of power, flashing colors, etc. - all in one place!
Why do Ritual Magic?
"It is the method of the Magician!"
The Ritual Magic Manual contains not only the Elemental invocations necessary for the successful magical completion of the Golden Dawn's outer order. Additionally, ALL of the magical Forces of the Planets, the Zodiac, and the Qabalistic Sephiroth are included as well, each using a complete, traditional Golden Dawn Ritual invocation.
Here is what some Magicians who have worked with the Ritual Magic Manual are saying:"THE RITUAL MAGIC MANUAL IS PACKED WITH ALL THE RITUALS PRACTICED BY THE MAGICAL ORDER. IF YOU HAVE THIS BOOK ALONG WITH DONALD M. KRAIG'S - MODERN MAGICK, THEN YOU ARE OFF IN SELF INITIATION." - IXUS RADION "SELF-INITIATES WILL FIND THE MAGICAL TRAINING YOU NEED HERE. "SOLITARIES WILL FIND NO MORE THOROUGH A REFERENCE MANUAL. PAGANS WILL FIND THE GOLDEN DAWN'S "BOOK OF SHADOWS." THELEMITES WILL FIND 'LIBER O' ON STEROIDS." - FRATER WA "EVERYTHING NEEDED TO COMPLETE GD BASIC MAGICAL TRAINING IS BETWEEN THESE COVERS - WITH SOME VITAL EXTENSIONS OF THE ENOCHIAN WORK TOO... PRONUNCIATION GUIDES, 12 ZODIACAL KINGS, COLOUR AND THE SIGILLUM, ETC. - "AD ASTRA "AS TO THE OVERALL ACCURACY OF NAMES AND SIGILS IN THIS BOOK, GRIFFIN NOTES THE INSTANCES WHERE HE CORRECTS (OR DEVIATES FROM) ESTABLISHED SOURCES: EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE (MUCH-NEEDED) REVISIONS TO THE HEBREW SPELLINGS OF THE QLIPOTHIC HIERARCHY GIVEN IN CROWLEY'S 777." - DAVID L. SMITHSINCE THE ALPHA OMEGA IS OUT TO MAKE MAGICIANS WITH OUR 1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT INITIATIVE - I WILL PERSONALLY be providing Ritual Magic coaching - without charge - during our first scheduled Webinar in English, on Saturday, October 27, at 12:00 PM PDT, here in the chat room of The Golden Dawn Blog.
I am also concerned about how expensive the Ritual Magic Manual has become. With scalpers asking insane prices reaching 1,000 for a new hard bound copy, the Manual has moved beyond the financial reach of many aspiring magicians today.
In the Alpha Omega, we reward Magicians who demonstrate merit. Therefore, I will be giving a complementary electronic copy of The Ritual Magic Manual to all sincere, aspiring Magicians who attend the Ritual Magic Webinar on October 27.
"See you at the Webinar!"
