Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

Introduction
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The First Order consists of the grades from Neophyte through Philosophus.
The grade of Neophyte is a probationary period which is not assigned a
Sephirah on the Tree of Life. The grades from Zelator through Philosophus are
known as the Elemental grades and are each attributed to one of the four Elements
(Fire, Water, Air, Earth). Advancement through the grades of the First or Outer
Order is designed to convey to the student an understanding of the four Elemental
principles of nature. But, more importantly, the student must learn to realize
and balance these four Elements as indispensable ingredients of his/her ownpsychological
and spiritual make-up. Weonce read a criticism of the Golden Dawnby
an author who claimed that the G:.D:. taught its members to try to control the
Elements in the outer world rather than controlling the Elements within. He
couldn't have been more wrong. Equilibrating the Elemental components within
is the primary goal of the Outer grades. The key objective of the First Order could
be summed up in the phrase "learn to balance."
The Portal grade is another probationary period between the First and Second
Orders. During this initiation, the candidate is introduced to the fifth and final
Element of Spirit, thus completing the component parts of his/her Elemental constitution.
The Portal is the final initiation ceremony that we will present in this
book. Although Israel Regardie suggested that the Outer Order ceremonies could
be converted over into self-initiation rituals, he was convinced that to do so with
the Adeptus Minor Ceremonywas impossible. (See The Complete Golden Dawn SystemofMagic,
page 10.)Initiation into the Second Order grades (starting withAdeptus
Minor) still requires an authentic initiator and a physical Vault of the Adepti.
However we agree with Regardie in his belief that continued and persistent repetition
of the Openingby Watchtower Ceremony over a long period of time can result
in the acceptance of the performer as an Adept in the astral realms.
The various grades of the Order also correspond (in a general way) to the
various stages of an initiate's life.The Outer Order grades fittingly correspond to the
aspirant in his/her twenties. The minimum ideal age for Adeptus Minor would be
around twenty-five to thirty, because a distinctive change of consciousness occurs
when full adulthood is entered. Itis difficultto conceiveof a twenty-year-old Adept,
unless the person is absolutely extraordinary, because at that age the student has
simply not lived long enough to have gained the practical experiences of life. The
grade of Adeptus Major would be most appropriate for someone from the age of
forty to fifty, mature enough to have acquired some of life's scars-an experienced
leader, warrior, and magician. Adeptus Exemptus is the highest grade of the Order
and is to be ideally conferred upon someone who exemplifiesthe old and wise master
magician-a person who has perfected his/her magical workings in this lifetime,?
Keep in mind thatthese ages are given as suggested archetypal ages. They are
not necessarily the actual ages of initiates in those specificgrades.
9 In the Golden Dawn, the Adeptus Minor grade was divided into the sub-grades of NeophyteAdeptus
Minor, Zelator Adeptus Minor, Theoricus Adeptus Minor, PracticusAdeptus Minor, and PhilosophusAdeptus
Minor. The curriculum for these grades was extensive and required a minimumof six
years to complete. (Tosay nothing of the time required in the grade of 6°=5 0 !) The Stella Matutina
simplified the curriculum so that the studies for the higher grades of Adeptus Major and Adeptus