Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

104 SELF-INITlATION IN10 TIlE GoLDEN DAWN 1'RAomoN
both the Banners of the East and West are located in the East. 28 The Enochian
Tablet of Earth is placed in the Northern section of the temple.P In front of the
Tablet should be a platter of salt and a black lamp or candle for Earth. Place the
lamens in accordance with the temple diagram, in the positions of the officerforms.
Place the implements of the officers, the wands, swords, cup and censer,
next to the respective lamens.
As in the previous ritual, all of the Elemental candles should be placed
around the circumference of the room, with a white candle in the East. The lights
on the pillars should be unshaded.
Ritual preparations: As before, it is suggested that the aspirant fast for a
period of 12 hours prior to the ritual. During this time the candidate should prepare
a small piece of paper upon which is written a particular vice or failing that
the aspirant wishes to be rid of. A ritual bath is required after which the aspirant
may put on the black Tau robe and red slippers. The sash will need to be decorated
with the Zelator designs, but it is not to be worn by the candidate at this
time. 3O Place the sash inside the altar. Two diagrams will have to be on hand for
the second part of the ritual. They are the Seven-branched Candlestick and the Table
of Shewbread. (These diagrams can be found in the following pages of this chapter.)
The aspirant must meditate for a certain length of time on a drawing of the
symbol of Earth-an Earth triangle (apex downward) in black. Next s/he must
spend a period of time (20-30 minutes) in a darkened room or antechamber to
the temple seated in quiet meditation while wearing a hoodwink or blindfold.)
The Admission Badge for the grade of Zelator, the Fylfot Cross, should be held in
the right hand throughout this period. A small candle is to be the only source of
light in the room. During this time, darkness and silence are to be maintained. The
aspirant should imagine him/her self under the watch of Anubis of the West.
After this period of time, the hoodwink may be removed. The aspirant may then
enter the temple and begin the ritual.
Upon entering the temple, imagine that you are leaving your physical
body outside as a sentinel to guard the temple, so that your spiritual self has the
freedom to accept initiation.
28 The Banner of the Westis shown in the East to block the energies of the three Paths from entering
into the temple.
29 Instructions on how to make this and the other Enochian Tablets are given in ourbook Secrets ofa
Golden Dawn Temple.
30 The Aspirant should ornament his/her sash to reflect the Zelator grade. In our temple we have
"generic" sashes that candidates may borrow (the Neophyte sash for the beginning of the Zelator
grade, for example). At one point in the ritual the Neophyte sash is removed and the candidate is
invested with his/her own newly embroidered Zelator sash. However, the solitary student can't
afford to make different sashes for different grades. In this case the aspirant will have to forego wearing
a sash at the beginning of the ceremony.