Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

Introduction
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initiates. The teachings of the modem day Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn,
established by Israel Regardie, have also evolved and adapted to meet the needs
of today's students; and new information on Egyptian magic, Coptic magic and
more, continues to be discovered by archeologists and magicians-information
that was simply not available in MacGregor Mathers' day.
One such modem change in Golden Dawn instruction is the teaching of
Geomancy in the Earth grade of Zelator, rather than in the Water grade of Practicus
where it was taught a century ago," Another change is the re-introduction of basic
Astrology into the Outer Order. The formal teaching of Astrology was at one time
dropped from the Order, since it was then felt that the student could find ample
information on the subject from sources outside the Golden Dawn. Although such
reasoning is quite true, we have nonetheless seen fit to add this basic information
back into the Outer Order curriculum, because it becomes all too easy for students
to skip over information that they are not presented with up front.
Oftentimes students come into our Order with previous knowledge of
advanced ritual work from the back of Regardie's The Golden Dawn. Inevitably
they advance through the grades and discover that through the discipline of the
traditional Outer Order curriculum, they experience completely new insights concerning
the Golden Dawn that they never imagined beforehand.
This brings us to the idea of "legitimacy." Does a student who is working
alone need to be a member of a legitimate initiatory temple of the Hermetic Order
of the Golden Dawn? The answer is no. Whether or not one is a member of an officially
recognized temple has no bearing on his/her spiritual and magical growth.
With the Golden Dawn's curriculum and most of its important papers already
published, the tools for advancement into the G:.D:. current are already at the
aspirant's fingertips. It is possible today for the student to become his/her own
initiator. Any individual or group that claims sole ownership of the Hermetic Tradition
or claims to be the official "Grand High Muckety-Muck of the World" is
doing occult students a great disservice byblowing off a good deal of hot air. The
same is true for anyone who claims to know magical "secrets" that can only be
bought for a high price. The student needs to use discretion and put some measure
of trust in his/her own latent spiritual abilities. Questions of the legitimacy
or heredity of a magical group can in fact get in the way of spiritual progress if a
student becomes more interested in buying or otherwise obtaining a magical
meritbadge from a recognized group, rather than securing union with one's Holy
Guardian Angel. Empty gestures and hollow proclamations of high degrees and
titles mean little or nothing to one's own Higher Self. The intent and determination
to achieve union with the Divine is the only important consideration in
advancing to the path of an initiate. And to do this, one need not be a member of
any recognized magical group.
What is a magical tradition or current? This is a concept which may hold different
meanings for different people. Here we will refer to the current of the
Golden Dawn as a specific stream of energy that has empowered the Western
S The practice of Geomancy or "Earth Divination" is more appropriate to the grade of Zelator.