Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

290 SELF-INITIATION INTO TIlE GoLDEN DAWN 'TRADITION
Growth is a characteristic of all life. This is especially vital for plants,
because unlike animals, when plants cease to grow they die. And growth in plants
is closely related to movement-in the slow upward search for light. Thus plants
can also serve to teach humans about the search for the Light, for if we turn away
from the divine quest, then our spiritual selves will cease to exist, and we will
truly resemble the empty husks of spent plants.
The student should also take note of the deciduous and perennial plants
that undergo a form of dormancy or apparent death during the cold season and
are "reborn" with the warming winds of Spring, seeking light and air.
Plants have been venerated throughout history because their leaves, petals
and flowers have been the source of various healing ointments, drugs, and visionary
essences. The blossoming flower (especially the lotus and the rose) is a universal
symbol of the creative mystery of life as well as spiritual enlightenment.
The seed of a plant alludes to the potential for life expanding from a tiny germ.
And of course the tree is one of the most essential of all traditional symbols, denoting:
(1) wisdom and spiritual growth, (2) the mind of the Divine and the eternal
life of the cosmos, (3) a connecting link between different worlds, represented by
the different parts of the Tree, and (4) the life of humanity, the lesser cosmos.
Herbalism is the study of the medicinal uses of plants. Herbal magic is the
use of plants to cause change in accordance with Will. Plants, like gemstones and
metals, are associated with specific Powers: Planetary and Elemental. Each one of
these substances has a vibratory rate that aligns it to one particular force or another.
The vibratory rate of herbs, metals, and gems are determined by various factors:
structural form, density, chemical makeup, etc. The Powers found in plants are
ascertained by color, scent, form, habitat and other determinants. Related substances
usually have similar vibratory rates.
The power of herbs is fairly easy to access because their magical energies
are already present within the organic matter of the plants themselves. Herbs can
be used in teas, incenses, sachets, ointments, baths and oils. However, the student
who wishes to make use of herbs in magic must have a thorough knowledge of
the properties of the plants s/he intends to use, because some herbs are poisonous
and should not be ingested or rubbed on the skin. We suggest that the student
obtain Cunningham's Encyclopedia ofMagical Herbs to learn more about the proper
uses of plants in magic.