Changes

Initially this blog was aiming to share my thoughts and experiences as a solitary practitoner of the Golden Dawn tradition. However, in the meantime the worlds have changed. That means the outer world, as we all experience it, my own personal "world" and finally also the GD world as we or better I knew it.

The first I do not need to decsribe to you as I do not need wo write about the obvious.  As for the second, I already wrote about that in my last post(s). My spiritual world views somewhat crashed and I am still dealing with the aftermath. However, I have chosen a different path that gives me more freedom and relates more to my general views and understanding of things. It also is more linked to me and the traditions I see myself ultimately belonging to. By ultimately I want to point out that as much as I do cannot claim for a direct link (since for some people linage is everthing, and if you do not have one, you create one irrespective of how obscure the link is) but there is a link by where I most likely come from and the land I am born on and feel related to. Now I need to point out that this statement is free from any blood and honor context at all. Due to lack of prof, it rather is a statement of feeling and choice. I may write more about this at a later point but this is not the place.

At last, also the world of the Golden Dawn has changed a lot. A lot of the blogs and with that the people I was following have gone. Some of these people meant a lot to me in the way of spiritual inspiration and in a way as being teachers, supporters, advisers and listerers of my confusions on the path within the jont GD Tradition we are/were devoted to. I am sure that this was somewhat announced but I missed it due to my long absence. Even Google was not helpful in finding them and although I also have not been on FB for years, I am sure they have been dissapeared from there as well.

However, we all know the world and everthign related to it is going in cycles. And so we just have reached another point in the ever ongoing live.

One of the good things though is that at least my material world has significantly changed as well which made a lot of things easyer. Who ever tells you that material things do not matter either is using that mantra in order not to freak out because they have no material security or have a lot of material security and with that lost contact to earth. We are all depending on material things as we have to feed ourselfs and our families as well as provide for shelter, education and you name what.

So there we are. A new beginning? Well, maybe not because I rather see it as changes that occured, taking another path or road from the ongoing never ending main street. But that road will always have intersections leading back linking the current path with the main one that is not a past one as it is always there continuing. Life does not end but goes on, so do our experiences. The present becomes past while the future becomes present but nothing is lost.

Having said all that, also this blog will change. It will more reflect my experiences outside of the GD though I never completely left that Tradition. This is where I started and the teachings are still valid. However my link to it has weakened for now and so I will shift the focus of this blog. I have thought about changing its name as well but at least at this point I refrain from doing so in case someone still receives messages when a new post is published, remembers this name and trys to find me and also finally because I could not come up with a good alternative name.

If you read this and if you have done so before I would be glad if you leave a short comment saying hi.

Now I am getting another cup of tea and will write my first magic related post since years.

Wishing you all well specifically in these crazy times.

In LVX
Arcad (A name that I may have to rethink too...)

Self Initiation and the Golden Dawn

I created this blog not only but also for the solitary student who is looking into the studying of the occult in general by using the GD tradition in special, when joining an existing GD Order or group is not possible for whatever factual or personal reason. At this point I can not teach anything but expressing my thoughts and showing my experiences on that path. I am however not dogmatic about being solitary. For the time being I have some factual and some personal reasons but I truly wish to be able to join in real temple work sooner or later (rather sooner).



Having said this, the path of a solitary practitioner is difficult. Finding your way through the published material. Figuring which system is best for you. One shouodl note that there are various ideas about how self initiation is supposed to happen , which rituals should or could be used and the like. There also is a lot of discussion about the possibility, the acceptance and even the existence of self initiation and also astral initiation in the first place. I do not want to repeat all this, one may research on the usual well known GD forums and websites. However, I am glad that initiates of GD orders seem to accept the fact that self initiation can have some value and can be a way to work with(in) the GD tradition. Of course no one should confuse self initiation with real initiation and should call himself a member of a specific GD order. However after self initiation you are a member of the greater GD community and Tradition. Regarding this and also for having some valuable guidance, if self initiation is your way into the GD tradition, on how to structure the work, I want to recommend Sincerus Renatus’ latest post Golden Dawn and self initiation. Within that post he suggests some very helpful structure for the studying and practice of the different grades and levels.

He also suggests to keep the work “clean” meaning clean from other non GD work. This is an important aspect while working on or with self initiation. I have to admit that I have used other, non GD rituals now and then – depending on the purpose. However, I do not mix the systems and their rituals while working and I would recommend to stick to the “pure” GD while working with the grades. You may have some single rituals you like in your daily practice, like some daily or solar adorations, some balancing meditation etc. Using these independently and out of the GD ritual context may not harm. However, there will be the question of the necessity at some point since the grade work will provide for everything you need.

In L.V.X.

Arcad

Introduction

I start this blog to write about my work and efforts as a Solitary Self Initiating Magus in the Golden Dawn Tradition. This will not be a full diary or journal but I want to use this to write about my experiences, efforts and struggling as well as to straighten out my thoughts. I also hope to receive assistance from fellow sisters and brothers in the Great Work within and outside of any lodges and orders. I have seen quite some great sites which offered advise and so I hope that these offers were not just empty words.

I have chosen to be a solitary practitioner mainly because of a lack of choice. There is no real near by temple of the Golden Dawn I could join and although I would have preferred to work within a group, it seems that I have to stick to myself. I am having friends on the same path and so I am not without any company there. However, I hope to find some more company here.

I have been studying the Great Mysteries for a while now. I have read a lot and I also have taken some online courses. I am serious in my devotion for the Great Work. I am not a Thelemite although I include some of the Thelemite rituals and of course texts into my work. However, I focus on the Golden Dawn tradition because first, it seems that most systems are at least to some extend based on the Golden Dawn teachings and second because the GD teachings appeal to me most. Therefore I truly regret that I have to work solitary. This also alowes me to go on my own pace because right now, family and professional obligations take a great deal of my time and I do indeed find it difficult to maintain a daily routine.

May I be allowed to leave some words about the war between the GD orders and the question of linage. From an outfielder’s perspective this seems to be a useless war, a waste of time and energy. In one post somewhere I read that the seeking student obviously would be looking for the true, the original GD. Well in a way this is true. I do not want any kind of a pseudo GD group which is only using the GD label to make money but not offering any true, serious, real content. But then every serious seeker should be able to judge about the quality of the offer he is looking at. If someone believes that he/she can buy the GD wisdom for only 99.99 including a special offer for eternal life if you order now, well then maybe he/she does not deserve better. However, it is obvious that in our modern time, also the occult and esoteric studies are by fact business. So all this fighting about linage and being the true and real, original and therefore better order looks – to the outsider – also like a fight about shares of the esoteric market. As far as I am concerned, I am indeed confused about this because I would not know how to judge here. The wording used by not only one side here, just the way things are phrased, – can set of people. One should think that within the esoteric community in general but certainly between the same minded groups, tolerance should be more common than amongst other people, not only because we have to deal with a lot of intolerance. The opposite seems to be the case. The fight about the possession of the real and final truth is omnipresent. Finally, and again from my point of view as an outsider, all the involved orders/groups have some legitimate linage. At the end of the day, all go back to the same roots, the original founders. Just that the split created different arms of the same tree. For me it is even difficult to see the difference in the teachings. I am sure there are some, but I do not know how vital they are. I am not sure that they are as vital as for example in Christianity, where it may make a bigger difference whether you believe that the bread and wine are actually transforming into the true and real flesh and blood of Christ or just representing blood and flesh. Or the question whether your true and honest faith in Jesus is already bringing salvation or whether you are already are doomed by the sole fact of being born and need to performs as many good acts as possible to be able to only hope for salvation. That fact is, most people do not really care about some of these differences and other’s are weirded out by it.

Unity? I am not qualified to advise on this. But one thought I may be allowed to mention: I assume that there can be no unity in the way of being under one roof with one chief. Such an idea seems to be rather illusionary. What about one roof but remaining with the individual orders/groups maybe with a synod held on regular occasions attended by the chiefs discussing the differences and finding compromises, agreements or whatever. At the end of the day and at the very least there should be a peaceful co-existence since indeed you (and we non organized self initiated (non-members)) are all sisters and brothers in the same aim and in the same tradition!

in L.V.X.
Fra. Arcad - S.L.