Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

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SELF-INITIATIONINtO THE GoLDEN DAWN 'fRAomoN
prerequisites for advancement into the Golden DawnTradition. Initiation byitself
is pointless without the repeated practice of ritual techniques and individual ceremonial
work. Likewise, performance of advanced Golden Dawn rituals, such as
the consecration of Elemental weapons without the knowledge of certain fundamentals
such as the Hebrew Alphabet, is similar to constructing a building without
first pouring a foundation-the project is likely to collapse. All three aspects of
the G:.D:. system must be undertaken equally in order for the system to work
the way that it was intended to work.
There is no need for us to present a history of the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn here, since that subject has already been covered at length by various
authors. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn by Ellie Howe, The Golden Dawn:
Twilight oftheMagicians by R.A. Gilbert, Sword ofWisdom by Ithell Colquhoun, and
RitualMagic in England by Francis King should all be consulted for the light that
they shed on the history of the G:.D:. and its various offshoots. The history of the
modem incarnation of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn has been succinctly
covered in the Epilogue of our book Secrets ofa Golden Dawn Temple. This
book will concentrate instead upon the techniques that are essential for the solitary
student to be able to initiate him/her self into the Golden Dawn's current of
magic from Neophyte through the Portal grade, providing a complete curriculum
of study for the Outer Order grades.
Self-initiation into the G:. D:. current of magic has been a subject of much
speculation and discussion. However very little practical information has been presented
upon the subject. Israel Regardie was a vocal champion of the idea that a
studentcould initiate him/her self through the grades of the Golden Dawn. He put
forth the opinion that by repeated performance of such rituals as the Opening by
Watchtower and the Middle Pillar Exercise,the aspiring magician could effectively
be considered an initiate of the G:.D:. current. (Note: These rituals are provided in
Chapter Six of this book.) However, he also stated thatthis hinged upon the student's
own persistence, hard work and determination. The responsibility for spiritual
progress is placed squarely on the shoulders of the student. There is only one
person to blame ifindolence keeps spiritual growth from occurring.
The need for Self-initiation is born out of the fact that it is not always possible
for prospective students to live in an area that is close to an officiallyrecognized
initiatory temple. Especially here in the U.S.,students have often had to spend a lot
of money on transportation to an official temple in order to receive an initiation.
Since there is a total of no less than seven initiation ceremonies required to become
an Adeptus Minor, it is easy to see how expensive the process of traveling to a temple
can become. This has led to various magical groups offering correspondence
courses and astral initiation by proxy. However, these too are often highly expensive
undertakings which do not address the solitary student's basic need to monitor
his/her own psychic growth in a meaningful and spiritually fulfilling manner.
(Some groups evenbestow instant Adepthood with virtually no Outer Order training
whatsoever; for a fee, almost anyone can get a certificate proclaiming one to be
an Adeptus Minor [or even an Adeptus Exemptus!]. The spiritual value of grades
obtained in such a manner is, of course, highly questionable.)