Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

Introduction
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to take place, the Lower Personality must be reoriented and realigned with the
aspirations of the Higher Self. This requires a total shift in outlook and a singleminded
devotion for the Divine Union. It also requires self-sacrifice on the part
of the Lower Personality-the part of the psyche which is ruled by the principles
of "me first" and "I want." To the average secular person, sacrificing the needs of
the Lower Personality seems foolish, but the submission of the Lower to the
Higher Divine Self truly results in the attainment of something which is far more
satisfying and durable than momentary wants and desires.
The act of initiation is of prime importance to spiritual growth and personal
evolution. As the Personality is gradually taught through magical studies, and
moved into an alignment with the Higher Self through purification and ritual
work, the Divine Light begins to permeate the aura (the sphere of sensation) of the
individual. The seed that an initiation plants within the soul of the magician is a
perpetual one that will remain intact throughout many different incarnations,
growing stronger as the person rediscovers his/her psychic abilities with each new
life cycle. None of this mystical knowledge is ever lost when an initiate undergoes
physical death; it is recovered at the appropriate time in the next incarnation, and
the process of mystical growth continues from the point where it left off. Spiritual
evolution can take many life cycles to fully complete. The ultimate goal of an initiate
undergoing this progression lifetime after lifetime is total and perfect union
with the Divine Self, which frees him/her from the karmic wheel and the need to
incarnate further into a physical body. At this pinnacle of spiritual attainment, the
initiate has the choice of remaining in the glory of the Godhead or returning to
physical form in order to teach and help other initiates who are "less evolved."
Spiritual growth is an essential step in human evolution. In the not-so-distant
past, animal species that failed to evolve in order to meet the challenges of a
changing environment died out. Humanity, too, needs to evolve in order to confront
the difficult challenges of a world which is experiencing great ecological
threats, a skyrocketing population explosion, and rampant violence committed
against human beings in the name of race, religion, and resources. As the primary
cause of all these problems, it is humanity's obligation to evolve spiritually and
wisely, in order to correct them. If we as a species fail to evolve in this fashion,
then we truly run the risk of extinction.
Failure to achieve an initiation on whatever level in any given spiritual path
or current is usually due to the unwillingness of the individual to sacrifice the petty
needs and wants of the Lower Personality for that which is Higher. The Personality
and its attendant mental archetypes are quite comfortable in the mundane
world and will often put up a fight when threatened with change-intensifying
their needs and desires in order to distract the initiate from the spiritual path. The
Higher Powers who keep guard over certain magical currents can also placeobstacles
(both mental and physical) directly in the path of the student, not merely to
discourage, but to test the mettle of the would-be initiate. (In a materialistic society,
the pocketbook of the student is a favorite target of these guardians.) Those students
who quickly crumble under the weight of such deterrents will inevitably fail,
while those who bear the burden with tenacity and fortitude will triumph in the