Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

300 SELF-INITIATION INTO THE GoLDEN DAWN TRADmON
THE PURIFYING BREATH
This simple exercise is an extension of the rhythmic breath and should be
employed at the end of all meditations.
Take a deep full breath and hold itin for a few seconds. Then pucker the lips, leaving
only a narrow opening in the mouth. Exhale the air strongly through the
mouth, gradually and slowly forcing the air out through the small opening in the
lips until all the air is gone.
Relax for a moment while maintaining the balance of the air, then repeat. This will
impel an automatic rebound of the chest whenever the exhalation of breath is completed
in this fashion. Repeat this technique over a long period of time until it can be
executed easy and without discomfort.e
MIND AWARENESS
The Sephirah of Yesod is attributed to the third Qabalistic world of Yetzirah, the
formative World of primordial Air. This is the world of the astral plane and of subconscious
images. In the Theoricus grade, the student is encouraged to raise the
level of awareness from the body to the mind. The exercise employed for this purpose
is a form of "free association" used by psychotherapists. It is performed by
simply letting the mind wander as it may without obstruction.
Set a predetermined amount of time for the session beforehand and use an alarm
clock or timer. (Twenty minutes or half an hour is appropriate.) At the end of the
practice, stop immediately so that discipline is maintained.
Sit comfortably in a straight chair with a pillow for the back of the head. Keep the
back straight, knees together, eyes closed, and hands in the lap. A tape recorder
should be set up ahead of time to record the entire session.
Sitting in the position described above, calmly articulate any thought, idea, memory
or feeling that happens to arise, into the microphone. Speak indiscriminately,
without planning what to say next. At the end of the session, play back what has
been recorded.
This practice will give the student a good idea of the hidden contents within the
psyche. Some of it may seem shocking to the student who has not always been
mentally "honest" with him/her self. The student may experience the opening of