Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

166 SELF-INITIATION INIO 1HE GoLDEN DAWN 1'RADmoN
ornamented with the Aquarius symbol. The root word kam indicates the desire
for assimilation.
AMNITZIEL &M~~~~z:lM): Archangel of Pisces. Angel of the month of February.
Amnitziel can be envisioned in robes of red-violet (or blue) ornamented with the
Pisces symbol.c
SECTION 6: Correspondences of Earth
1 = 10 grade of Zelator is attributed to the Element of Earth.
Earth symbolizes the stable, grounded part of the psyche. It is
the Element of corporeal nature and physical manifestation.
Earth is feminine, receptive, solid, and nurturing. The color
'9The
given for Earth is black, the cardinal point is North. (Review all
information on the Element of Earth given in Chapter One.)
The study of gemstones and minerals is some of the work to be undertaken
by the Zelator. Stones were very useful to the ancients, serving as weapons,
structural fortifications, markers, monuments, talismans, and even as necessary
implements for creating fire. The early philosophers taught that the four Elements
were present in the physiology of the human body; Fire corresponded to body
heat, Water to the various body fluids, Air to the gases, and Earth to bones and
flesh. Thus the stones and rocks themselves were symbolic of the bones of the gods
in archaic worship. Stone worship, practiced all over the world, was probably the
earliest type of religious expression known to humanity. The great monoliths
erected by the ancients were venerated because of their agelessness and ability to
resist the forces of decay and destruction that so plagued biological beings. These
stones symbolized strength, unity and the very dwelling place of the eternal forces.
The material body of all things came to be represented as a rock. Eventually
this symbolism evolved into the shape of a cube or pedestal, while the Spirit or
essence of all things came to be symbolized by carved figures which surmounted
the pedestal. Thus were the first altars and stone images of the gods created.
Gemstones and minerals also play an important role in the art of physical
Alchemy. By definition, minerals are "a naturally occurring homogenous substance
formed by inorganic processes and having a definite and limited range of
physical properties, and a molecular structure usually expressed in crystalline
form." In more general terms, minerals are "inorganic materials especially as distinguished
from animal or vegetable matter." Minerals are the building blocks of
the Earth's crust and of the very bedrock of the Planet.
To the Alchemist, there are three kingdoms or principalities: (1) vegetable,
(2) animal, and (3) mineral. Each kingdom has its own essence. All three are
evolved from the same original source, but each manifests under different vibrations
in its respective realm. The vegetable kingdom has the lowest vibratory rate,
while the mineral kingdom has the highest. Humanity is the highest part of the
middle (animal) kingdom, which holds the balance between all three kingdoms.
Thus humanity can partake of either the higher or lower kingdoms to its benefit
through the art of Alchemy.