A UK Personal Temple in Kingston Upon Hull

A special word of thanks to all of you who have shared your Personal Altars and Personal Temples with others, by adding them to the map here on the Golden Dawn Blog and to those of you who have shared pictures with others as well. You are a source of inspiration and additional motivation for countless Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners out there.

Today we have a photo to share with you from a Personal Temple from the UK -  from Kingston Upon Hull to be precise, submitted by "J", who writes:

"I am 19 years old and have been a solitary practitioner of the G:D system of magic for around 1 year now. Unfortunately in my city there is not an official Golden Dawn temple but I am however lucky enough to know other G:D practitioners in my city, so establishing a fully fledged temple may indeed be one thing on the horizon in the future. For the time being however this is my personal temple space where I am currently studying the 0:0 grade material."

Personal Temple in Kingston Upon Hull, UK 

Dear "J",

Thank you for sharing photos of your Personal Temple with our readers. Your Temple is very beautiful. Regarding seeding a future Golden Dawn temple, I would suggest you begin by organizing an informal Golden Dawn study group together with the others in your city.

I will visiting our Temple in Dublin, Ireland in coming months. It would be easy to arrange a stop in the UK to provide your group with some formal training and coaching in your magical practice, thus seeding a future Golden Dawn temple in your city.

You are welcome to write me using the "Contact Us" link on the Golden Dawn Website if you like. It makes me very happy to see a young man like you so motivated by the Golden Dawn System of Magic.

It is for people like you that the A.O. created our 1,000 Points of Light Initiative. It is also for people like you that I am traveling so extensively to provide coaching and training to Independent Practitioners of Golden Dawn magic.

Sincerely,

Imperator David Griffin
HOGD, AO,  33, 90, 96

Alpha Omega

We Make Magicians!

In in the Alpha Omega, our primary mission is to provide Western individuals with the tools they need for their spiritual and energetic evolution. As a part of this continuing mission, we are  beginning to unveil several valuable new resources for Independent Practitioners of the Magic of Light.

There are Self-Initiates. There are Solitary Ritual Magic practitioners. There are Golden Dawn initiates in orders that will not teach them Ritual Magic in the outer order. There are Thelemites who would like to practice the Ritual Magic of "Liber O." There are Pagans who would like to properly invoke the forces of the Elements, Planets and Zodiac.

What do all of these people have in common? Except for my Ritual Magic Manual, all of these Independent Practitioners have been pretty much left to their own resources when it comes to their practice of the the Golden Dawn's system of spiritual evolution through the Magic of Light.

Well, that has changed, as of now. Over the next few weeks, the Alpha Omega is taking the lead once again, this time in providing you with one valuable resource after the other in regards to the Independent Practice of the Magic of Light.

Independent practitioners have had my Ritual Magic Manual to assist them in their practice for over a decade already. Most independents, for whatever the reason, prefer not to work in a traditional order structure. Then there is the problem that most Golden Dawn orders other than the Alpha Omega do not provide any magical training at all to Outer Order initiates.

Thus there is a huge body of people out there who have been left until now with little guidance from Golden Dawn Adepts in their independent practice of Ritual Magic. The Alpha Omega is now stepping forward, as a community service, to better meet the needs of Independent Practitioners of the Magic of Light.

As the first step in our "1,000 Points of Light" initiative, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and our parent order, the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega would like to help ignite "1,000 Points of Light" around the world, with the goal of fostering the creation of 1,000 new Personal Altars and Personal Temples.

Creating a Personal Temple will give your magic great power, because you build energy through constant magical practice in the same consecrated space. There are plenty of good resources available on how to create your own personal temple as well as how to craft magical tools. We encourage you to use these resources, together with your own personal creativity, to create your own, unique personal temple.

A Personal Temple does not need to be complicated. Your tools can be Golden Dawn style, Wiccan style, or whatever style suits you. What is important is that you dedicate a sacred space where you can practice Ritual Magic on a regular basis. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

As I mention in the Ritual Magic Manual, if need be, you can practice Golden Dawn magic with nothing other than your index finger! On the other hand, you could craft all of the wands, swords, banners, robes, etc. that make up a full Golden Dawn temple. The choice is yours - and yours alone.

If you would like to do something in between, for Golden Dawn magic, what is most essential is to create an altar space and to place something to represent each of the four elements on it.

Some people use a fan for air, dirt for earth, a cup of water, and a candle for fire. Others like to craft and consecrate classic Golden Dawn magical implements; an air dagger, a fire wand, a water cup, and an earth pantacle, each with the correct sigils and names of power.

Certain Wiccan practitioners prefer to work with a wand for air, an athame for fire, a cup for water, and a pentacle for earth. Other Pagan practitioners reverse the wand and athame, more closely resembling the Golden Dawn arrangement.

Personally, I recommend to begin with the basic components used in the Golden Dawn's magical Eucharist; a red rose for air, a cup of wine, a candle for fire, and bread and salt for Earth.

See ...

"you can set up a Golden Dawn style altar with nothing more than a few things available in most kitchens." - David Griffin, Ritual Magic Manual

What really matters is that you practice magic, then practice, practice, and practice even more. Try to set aside an hour a day for your magical practice if you can.

You will quickly see for yourself how much it helps to have a dedicated space for your magical practice. You do not need an entire room for this, although that would be ideal. When an entire room is not possible, you can always store your altar in a corner of a room, then bring it out when you are ready to practice. With time you will begin to feel a sense of awe, a sense of the sacred, merely by entering into your personal temple space.

Our first goal with this 1,000 Points of Light initiative, is to motivate you to create your own personal temple, and to help individual practitioners to create 1,000 new personal temples around the world. Can you imagine the power for spiritual growth that will be generated by 1,000 new personal temples all around the world?

... And there is no better way to motivate ourselves to create a beautiful personal temple than to share the fruit of our work with others. The Alpha Omega therefore invites you to send us a photograph of your personal temple once it is set up, and we will publish it for you here on the Golden Dawn Blog!

What better way to learn and to gain inspiration from one another?

We invite you to share your Personal Altar or Personal Temple here as well. Just tell us what city you are in, and we will put you on the map!

You can also send us a photo of your personal temple and we will publish it to share it with readers here on The Golden Dawn Blog. (Please try to keep the file size somewhat small. Please also let us know if you would also like your name or motto to appear. Otherwise, we will include only the city).

MAGIC WORKS! Hurricane Downgraded as it Reaches Shore!

UPDATE: 5:00 PM PST
For all of the volunteer Magicians who have been working tirelessly over the past 12 hours to weaken the punch of Hurricane Sandy as she threatens the East Coast, we have good news:

Forecasters say Sandy is no longer a hurricane but is still a dangerous system taking dead aim at New Jersey and Delaware.

Hurricane Sandy Hits Atlantic City, New Jersey

The National Hurricane Center said Monday evening that Sandy is a post-tropical storm and losing strength but still has sustained winds at 85 mph. The eye has almost made landfall. The center says storm surge has reached heights of 12.4 feet at Kings Point, N.Y. Gaining speed and power through the day, the storm knocked out electricity to more than 1.5 million people and figured to upend life for tens of millions more. It clobbered the boarded-up big cities of the Northeast corridor, from Washington and Baltimore to Philadelphia, New York and Boston, with stinging rain and gusts of more than 85 mph.

This does not mean that we can rest easy yet. We need even more Magicians to step up to the plate as some of us are quite exhausted after the magical ordeal of the past 12 hours. We urge you to focus your magical intention on balancing the elements in tropical storm Sandy, diminishing Air and Water and augmenting Earth and Fire.

We have come a long way, but we are not out of the woods yet. Chin up! Wands up! Command the elementals like the Magicians we are! What good is it to be a Magician if we can not help others with our Magic? 

Water and Air retreat, Fire and Earth bring balance and harmony!

As the storm progresses and NYC is out of the woods, we need to refocus our energies on New Jersey and Delaware, who are right now feeling the brunt of the storm.

We have had reports of a good many Magicians joining this effort having finished work today, just in time to replace those of us who are fatigued from fending off the destructive elemental forces of this storm all day. 

Let us now redouble our efforts.

Those who can, please join us in an all night magical vigil tonight until we receive news that the worst of the storm has passed so that our Magic is no longer needed.

Hopefully, by dawn, we can all get some rest!

- David Griffin

RED ALERT: We Need YOUR Wand NOW! Magical Community Mobilizes to Dissipate Hurricane Sandy

.

If you have not done so yet, please read today's magical community-wide "Call to Wands" to face down hurricane Sandy and calm the Magical Forces of Air and Water to mitigate the damage presently being caused by the hurricane. The A.O. has been on the front line if this magical effort since early this morning. Some of us are getting tired. Some need other magicians to relieve them they regain their strength.

Whatever, you are doing. Please drop it and pick up your wand. Magicians of all traditions. Your assistance is urgently needed NOW!

LIVE UPDATE

Sandy Batters the Coast

Hurricane Sandy picked up speed as it raced northwest toward the U.S. coast at 28 miles per hour (45 km per hour) on Monday afternoon, with top sustained winds at 90 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. At 2 p.m. (1800 GMT) the center of the storm was about 110 miles southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey, or 175 miles south-southeast of New York City. Hurricane-force winds were already being recorded on the New Jersey coast. The center of Sandy is expected to make landfall along or just south of the southern New Jersey coast by early evening," NHC forecasters said, adding they expected little change in strength before then.

700,000 are already without power and 1 Million more expected!

Here is a live update from A.O.'s Frater DVP from the front lines of our magical defense against the storm in New York City:

"Greetings from Storm Watch NYC. I finished the prescribed SIRP with air and water banishings. According to the 5pm weather guru, the Eye of Sandy has lost impetus and is breaking up. The weatherman noted it as an interesting turn of events considering that every computer model had the eye in full force until 1am Tuesday morning. Now he claims that the bulk of the storm will only hit hard until about 8pm. In short, NYC will be out of danger sooner than predicted. In summation, I surmise that the collective energies to thwart the Eye in The Storm has been successful for the most part. Yes, balancing Earth and Fire by banishing Air and Water follows the Law of Correspondences and worked like a charm VH Soror SLV. Keep the LVX coming since it's not over yet. BTW: There's a pending disaster with a dangling crane on the 96th floor of a luxury condo ready to fall. Can we thwart that dilemma from happening? Back later for an update."

Flooding Already in some areas

THE CALL TO WANDS!

Please help us spread the word to Ritual Magicians, Shamans, Witches - Magicians of all traditions. The time for magical action is NOW!

MASSIVE RESPONSE

Thank you all who have cast circle already. No matter what order or tradition you belong to, at this very moment, you are part of a vast humanitarian magical movement to face down the Elemental power of this hurricane to mitigate damage as much as is humanly possible. From all around the esoteric community, the response has been massive since the Alpha Omega first put out the "Call to Wands" this morning.

GOLDEN DAWN ORDERS
RAISE WANDS TOGETHER!

I am particularly pleased that Bob Zink is standing with the A.O. in fully mobilizing the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn to face down and dissapate the massive and unprecedented Elemental Force this Hurricane is packing! I have heard numerous reports of Initiates and Adepts from all across the Golden Dawn community joining in this magical effort.

To all of the Magicians already on the front lines facing down the massive Air and Water presently battering the Eastern Seabord:

Hold the line! With every passing hour more and more magicians are adding their wands to this effort. When you get too tired - Rest. Others will hold the line until you are refreshed enough to raise your wand again.

To those just casting their circle:

Balance the Elements. Banish Air and Water and balance them with Earth and Fire. Our goal is to restore Elemental balance and harmony within the storm so it will quickly dissipate.

Let's fight smart. Rest when you need to. Relief is already on the way. This magical effort shall not end until the main force of the storm is fully spent.

Magic is Real!

YOU can make a difference ...

I urge YOU ...

Stand with us!

Protect the Eastern Seabord!

Hold the line, Alpha Omega!

For the ROSE!

- V.H. Soror D.I.A.

V.H. Soror D.I.A. - Facing Down the Storm!

URGENT!! Request for Immediate Magical Aid for the East Coast of the USA

Together - We can make a huge difference!

As hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast, the Alpha Omega has received a call for magical assistance from one of our Fratres in New York City. 

At this time, the Fratres and Sorores of the A.O. have already begun erecting a magical wall of light around New York City. Stand tall and steady, Brothers and Sisters. Concentrate on subduing and calming the Water and Air Elementals.

TO ALL PEOPLE WITHIN THE HURRICANE AREA:

Please remain calm. First aid has arrived and more is on the way. The Alpha Omega is mobilizing our entire order to protect you, and we are putting out a call for magical aid from Magicains of all stripes along the Eastern seabord.

TO ALL PRACTITIONERS OF THE GOLDEN DAWN SYSTEM OF MAGIC:

No matter where you are, you can help. At this time, focusing on protecting New York City, as this is where the call for help originated. I have already begun raising a circle of light around NYC. Other G.D. Magicians have begun raising an outer circle of protection along the entire Eastern seabord. All G.D. Magicians are urged to stand with us in this effort to protect our Brothers and Sisters from the worst effects of the storm.

Magical workings within the storm area itself...

...will have the most immediate effect.

TO ALL GOLDEN DAWN MAGICIANS LOCATED WITHIN THE STORM AREA:

I recommend working with the forces of Air and Water. Begin with a Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram invoking all of the Elements in balanced disposition. Then invoke Bataivah and Raagiosl, the Air and Water Kings drawn from the center of the Enochian Air and Water Watchtower Tablets. Calm the Sylphs of the Air and the Undines of the Water, and with these names command the Air and Water Elementals to retreat and stand down.

TO ALL MAGICIANS OF ANY TRADITION LOCATED WITHIN THE STORM AREA:

You stand at the tip of the spear of our magical campaign to protect and aid the victims of hurricane Sandy. 

No matter which magical tradition you practice, I urge you to stand with the Golden Dawn in aiding the people in the hurricane affected area on the East Coast of the United States.

Regardless of which magical system you use, you are urged to immediately magically intervene using the forces of Air and Water to calm the storm.

Magic is Real!

YOU can make a difference ...

I urge YOU ...

Stand with us!

Protect the Eastern Seabord!

Imperator David Griffin
HOGD AO 33 95

An Open Letter to Bob Zink

"I must admit that the icon of Sideshow Bob is funny. I believe David Griffin came up with this one. Kudo's to David. This one will be hard to top." - Bob Zink

On alt.magick someone recently repubished a letter, allegedly written by Bob Zink to his former girlfriend amid allegations of domestic violence. In response Bob Zink wrote:

"This is again part of the propaganda expressed by David Griffin and several members who were dis-robed by the Chief Adept of the EOGD.  There is no abuse in our Order, it is not tolerated.  Never has there been any civil or criminal investigation of any kind.  This is made up guttersnipe propaganda." - Bob Zink

.. then on his Yahoo group, Bob wrote:

"... A ton of money was spent by David Griffin and Chic Cicero over who has the right to use and control the name Golden Dawn in the U.S. This legal battle lasted for years. It did include me and did not. Let me explain, I was using the Golden Dawn name and doing Golden Dawn magic, and had a Golden Dawn Order years before the trademark was filed by Griffin and Chic.Therefore, a trademark would not affect me from the advice of my attorney. 

In defense of Chic Cicero, he wanted the trademark only to prevent David Griffin who was a fallen member from his Order and dating one of his Chiefs at the time from controlling the entire Golden Dawn. In any event, the battle went all the way to the 9th district court of appeals. This court sided with Chic Cicero and in addition insured that I have the name of Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn." - Bob Zink

Care Frater PDR (Dear Bob) ...

"First off, I (David Griffin) have worked very hard recently to avoid personally attacking you or your Order and we have intentionally blocked posts to our Yahoo forum that attempt to do the same. When facts are presented, we do allow people to present their case but our policy SPECIFICALLY FORBIDS AD HOMINEM ATTACKS ON ANY PERSON (even you!). 

While it is understandable that you want to defend yourself from allegations of abuse made by former EOGD members, you also have a long history of blaming others for your troubles. This has been attested to over and over by former members of your order. Such behavior is neither honorable nor acceptable among spiritual guides of our beloved GD community. Unless you specifically want to start a flame war with me or the AO, I request that you not use my name or that of the AO in any way. 

The Alpha Omega is busy making Magicians. We have no interest in getting involved in your disputes with former members of EOGD.

Next, you are yet again misrepresenting the actual terms of the 2007 Trademark Settlement Agreement. To avoid confusion, I again clarify the relevant facts of the matter:

1. you do not OWN any Golden Dawn trademark; neither for the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, nor for its abbreviation as EOGD, nor in any other manner.

2. In fact, you were NOT in any way a party to that litigation or to the 2007 Trademark Settlement Agreement either. 

3. You are indeed on record as a LICENSEE of the other party of that Settlement Agreement, although the other party has declared before the court that your license is invalid.

4. Thus your statement that you own the trademark, Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn is erroneous and misleading.

5. The agreement is quite clear, however, that our order is the sole and exclusive owner of the trademark:

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, 

outer order of the 

Rosicrucian Order of the Alpha et Omega

... sharing equal rights with the other Party to license the Golden Dawn trademark to third parties not only in the United States, but all over the world.

6. The actual Settlement Agreement is a matter of public record and can be viewed here.

7. When you write:

"In defense of Chic Cicero, he wanted the trademark only to prevent David Griffin who was a fallen member from his Order and dating one of his Chiefs at the time from controlling the entire Golden Dawn." - Bob Zink

This statement is libelous per se. In the interest of truth and to avoid confusion, I again present that actual facts of the matter:

I was indeed involved in the infamous "Pizza Schism" between Cris Monnastre who founded the H.O.G.D., and another party who CRIS MONNASTRE HAD INVITED INTO THE ORDER. The schism occured due to false rumors spread about Ms. Monnastre allegedly "resigning" (which never occured).  

Following Cris Monnastre rightfully EXPELLING the other party, Cris Monnastre regularly appointed me as as the lawful "Imperator Ordinis" of the "Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn", a post which I hold until today with great pride in addition to my other offices.

6. Your above statement is additionally in violation of the non-disparagement clause of the 2007 Settlement Agreement, to which you are bound as a licensee of the other party. 

7. According to United States Trademark and Patent law, your Licensor has an affirmative duty to ensure that all trademark licensees comply with each and every term of the 2007 Settlement agreement.

8. Due to you as Licensee disparaging the A.O. as an order and me personally, your Licensor is presently in breach of the 2007 Settlement Agreement.

In conclusion, I repeat what I wrote earlier to insure there is no misunderstanding:

The mission of the Alpha Omega is to make Magicians. We are fully occupied with this mission and have no interest in getting involved in your disputes with former members of your "Esoteric" Golden Dawn order. The fact that so many left you at once, however, does make a powerful statement in itself.

We will not allow any personal attacks on you or any other person any of our fora, websites or blogs. We will however, not allow ourselves to be made complicit in serious abuses, by not permitting factual reports of instances of alleged abuse.

I again request that you not use my name or that of the AO in any way, as required by the non-disparagement clause of the 2007 Trademark Settlement Agreement.

Regards,

Imperator David Griffin
HOGD AO 33 95

First Free! Ritual Magic Webinar Report

Golden Dawn Imperator
David Griffin

"Today we got off to a great start with the Ritual Magic Coaching Webinar series offered by the Alpha Omega as a free service for Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners of the Golden Dawn and the wider esoteric community.

We had quite a diverse crowd of 47 different participants. In attendance was Professor Paolo Portone from the Center of Ethnohistorical Research in Italy, as well as participants from multiple cities all across the country, from New York to California here in the USA, in addition to participants from Germany, France, Thailand, England, Ireland, Australia, Poland, Latvia, Brazil, Romania, Guatemala, Columbia, as well as Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia in Brazil.

It would appear that the sphere of influence of the Alpha Omega is growing day by day all around the world. We were mostly surprised by the wide diversity of attendees. It seems there is great interest in the Golden Dawn System of Ritual Magic not only in the Golden Dawn community, but also the academic, Pagan, and Thelemic communities as well.

Here is what aspiring Magicians who attended had to say after the Webinar:

"This webinar was amazing! Thank you so much LeS for setting up such a wonderfully thought-provoking and enlightening session for all magicians to attend. Sadly I had to leave only after an hour." - Frater LUA 

"Thank you for this Webinar! It was really great experience to feel community spirit and also learn illuminating and the most practical suggestions how to use Ritual Magick in everydays life. Attendendence was so active that it was even hard to follow your teaching sometimes:-), but the overall experience was just GREAT!! Thank you once more." - Soror M.S.M.

Immanuel Kant

During the Webinar, we discussed a number of fundamental subjects, beginning with the importance of transmuting our inner world for the success of Practical Magic in the outer, to difficulties one participant was having in daily life, to a discussion of whether the Magical Forces are subjectively or objectively real. For this discussion I touched briefly on the Epistemology of both Immanuel Kant and Karl Popper.

Karl Popper

We covered several important fundamentals of Ritual Magic from the point of view of Hermetic Science, illustrated using practical issues raised by the group. For example, I illustrated several key fundamentals of Practical Magic, in replying to one participant how to use Ritual Magic in order to quit smoking more easily and effectively.

As promised, we have sent out free electronic copies of the Ritual Magic Manual to all participants who requested one.

There was, however, one sour note during the Webinar. Although there is not supposed to be a cap, our Chat Room software today would not allow more than 25 participants in at a time. Therefore, a dozen or so participants were forced to lurk and were only able to post questions as other participants left the Webinar.

I have therefore agreed to teach and extra Webinar in English next Sunday, November 4 at 12:00 PM PST. Please note that this is the day when daylight savings time ends in the USA, so you will want to note this in calculating the time change. 

If today's Webinar was indication, you will want to log into the Chat Room of the Golden Dawn Blog early, to guarantee you get a seat next time around!

Sincerely,

Imperator David Griffin
HOGD, AO, 33, 95

NEW! In-Person Training and Local Support for Aspiring Magicians Around the World!

In the Alpha Omega, we are concerned about the need for face-to-face training and personal support in Ritual Magic. With our 1,000 Points of Light initiative, the A.O. inaugurates new world-wide resources for Independent Practitioners and local groups of aspiring Magicians.

Of course, we continue to provide initiation and training for Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn initiates and members at our traditional Golden Dawn Temples. 2012 is also the 10th Anniversary of the Alpha Omega providing on-line Magic education for students at a distance in our multi-language members' websites as well.

We must face reality though. The A.O.'s beginners' level First Order, the H.O.G.D., is not only the world's most thorough school of Ritual Magic, but it is also the most demanding.

Before H.O.G.D. initiates may graduate and apply for admission to our Second Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, they must first have completely mastered everything other G.D. orders offer their most advanced Adepts.

In the R.R. et A.C., our Adepts practice post-graduate level Magic revealed by the Secret Chiefs at the International Conclave of Golden Dawn Adepti last March. The Magic of the A.O.'s Third Order, our Ph.D. level curriculum, includes, for example, Alchemical Magic and Hermetic Internal Alchemy.

Alpha Omega ...
... the Oxford of Golden Dawn Magic.

We don't hand out grades ...
We make Magicians!

But how can the Alpha Omega meet the needs of aspiring Magicians who are not yet ready for such a serious magical commitment as the H.O.G.D. involves?

Alpha Omega's "1,000 Points of Light Initiative" is an innovative program, providing support and magical training for Independent Practitioners and groups around the world.

We began by encouraging you to create a personal temple, even if it is only an altar in the beginning. We next encouraged you to share photographs of your personal altars and temples, so you may further inspire one another. We then created a map of personal temples around the world, so that Independent Practitioners can see that they are not alone.

There are, however, several important needs remaining to be fulfilled:

What about coaching and support for Independent Practitioners?

To meet this need, the A.O. now offers Ritual Magic coaching in Webinar format. Our pilot program offers free coaching sessions in 8 languages. The first session, in English, is scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 27 at 12:00 PM PDT in the Blog Chat Room here on The Golden Dawn Blog. You are warmly invited to attend!

What about training and coaching in person?

When it comes to Ritual Magic, there are limitations about what can be effectively taught at a distance. This is why, unlike other Golden Dawn orders, H.O.G.D. members are required prior to graduation to complete all Golden Dawn initiations, physically present with a trained Hierophant in a fully chartered, traditional Golden Dawn temple.

This still does not address the need, however, for local support and in-person training for Independent Practitioners and local groups of aspiring magicians around the world. An interesting discussion arose about this recently on the H.O.G.D. Yahoo Forum, where I was asked what the minimum requirements are to create a Golden Dawn Sanctuary. As part of my answer, I offered to come and assist local groups develop into full fledged Golden Dawn Sanctuaries.

This led to one of our readers, "Hilda," asking me:

"Wow! Is that offer for anyone who gets a group started?"

This led to brainstorming in the A.O.'s College of the Adepti about how we can better meet the need for local support and in-person training - not only for people wanting to form a local Golden Dawn Sanctuary - but also for Independent Practitioners and other aspiring Magicians around the world, still working outside of a traditional Golden Dawn order.

This led to the Alpha Omega creating yet another innovative resource as part of our 1,000 Points of Light Initiative. I am proud today to make the following announcement as part of the Alpha Omega's ongoing commitment to make Magicians:

"I am willing to visit, provide coaching, support, and face to face training in local areas all around the world - and not just for local groups - but for Self-Initiates, Independent Practitioners, and other aspiring Magicians as well ...

I am in the fortunate position that my career leaves me free to dedicate myself full time to the Golden Dawn half a year - which this year begins today.

Having worked as an international tour director for three full decades, I am used to an intensive travel schedule - and my wife and fellow Adept, V.H. Soror D.I.A., also has wheels for feet - so she doesn't get upset about being on the road with me for months on end.

The A.O. is exploring ways to finance necessary travel expenses to provide badly needed local support, without putting undue burden on already overextended A.O. resources. I would gladly finance travel to provide local support myself, but contrary to rumor, I am not independently wealthy.

One good way to cover travel expenses involved in providing local support for aspiring Magicians - would be to give a public lecture on Friday night, followed by a training and coaching session on Saturday. Reasonable fees for these services ought to be able to offset costs. Any local assistance or organizational support to help defer costs would, of course, be much appreciated. 

"As a matter of fact, as long as I am there, I am even willing to provide Golden Dawn initiation to qualified aspirants ...

I remain utterly committed to the Alpha Omega's mission to make Magicians ...

So committed, in fact, I am willing to travel for months on end - from city to city - and country to country - to provide the support necessary to make Magicians.

What if I am a member of a different Order ...

... but would love to discover the unique differences of the A.O.?

Real Magic transcends sectrarianism!

I am open to visit, teach, and do magic with any existing working groups that want to feel for themselves if there is a difference between doing real Magic and acting like a Magician. I will, of course, keep your confidentiality.

In Magical practice, what you do is not nearly as vital as how it’s done. If people have participated in Ritual Magic or initiation in the past but never really felt a change, they will be in for a surprise – Magic Works! It is not just great costumes and funny words.

This is an opportunity to meet me and and to discover for yourself who I really am - beyond how I am portrayed by other Orders or their representatives.

In the Alpha Omega, we make Magicians who arrive at their own conclusions based on personal experience and evaluation of results.

Sincerely,

Golden Dawn Imperator - David Griffin

FREE! Ritual Magic Coaching Webinar, Saturday 10/27/12 at 12:00 PM PDT

Golden Dawn Imperator
David Griffin

"This is a reminder I will teach a free Ritual Magic Webinar in the Blog Chat Room here on the Golden Dawn Blog, this Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT.

To celebrate the inauguration of this new program for Independent Practitioners and groups, sincere aspiring Magicians who attend the Webinar, can also request a free electronic copy of the Ritual Magic Manual.

When you create your Blog Chat login handle, make sure you include a valid email address if you want to receive the Manual!

Practice Magic - or Be a Magician?

"In my family, grades aren't important.

It's what you learn that counts." - Bart Simpson

Alpha Omega ...

We Make Magicians!

SPIRITUAL LINEAGE: Common Ground With Nick Farrell

by David Griffin

Nick Farrell recently wrote:

"I was also aware that my former teacher David Goddard had been teaching material ... which he described as a system of Angel Magic which pre-dated John Dee was was more reliable because "it did not come through a tainted scryer like Edward Kelly." He also claimed he was one of the few in an ancient line of Angelic initiators who had the right to teach it."

In the past, Nick Farrell has argued that lineage has no value in spiritual traditions. I was encouraged reading his latest post where he acknowledges the importance of his teacher, David Goddard, toward his own spiritual growth.

Since we at the Alpha Omega have always held a strong belief in working from a tradition (lineage), it's good to finally see some common ground with Mr. Farrell, even if he may not have intended it!

A London, UK Personal Temple (1,000 Points of Light Personal Temples Initiative)

Here is a photo of a Personal Temple recently sent to us from London, UK:

Thank you for sharing!

The Alpha Omega invites YOU as well to put your temple on the map by either commenting here or mailing us. Even better, send us a photo of your Personal Temple, to share with other Independent Practitioners around the world. We are all enriched by such sharing.

Here is what another of our readers recently wrote about the 1,000 Points of Light initiative:

"Thank you Alpha et Omega for this wonderful initiative. Finally, self-initiates can look forward to support. I can't wait for the Webinar" - Ralph Brooks, London, UK

Be sure not to miss the FREE! Ritual Magic Webinars in English, beginning on October 27 at 12:00 PM PDT in the chat room of the Golden Dawn Blog. I will personally host the Webinar, and will be available to answer your questions about your Independent Practice of Ritual Magic, offer tips, corrections, etc.

Sincerely,

Imperator David Griffin
HOGD, AO, 33, 90, 96

"Enochian Magic:" (1,000 Points of Light Initiative)

by Golden Dawn Imperator

David Griffin

Golden Dawn Imperator
David Griffin

"An Alpha Omega Magician recently told me there is a lot of new information available on the Enochian Magic system, and that she had heard that the general consensus is that what the G.D. did with it is not 'traditional'.

What Golden Dawn founder, the great Mage, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, did was to take certain basics of the original Enochian system of John Dee, and integrate it into the Golden Dawn System of Ritual Magic, together with Qabalah, Egyptian God Forms, etc.

Golden Dawn Imperator
S.L MacGregor Mathers

Sadly, however, Mathers only managed to accomplish this integration for Golden Dawn Elemental Magic prior to his unexpected death in a flu epidemic.

The Ritual Magic Manual is an fundamental Golden Dawn breakthrough, since after consulting all of the original Dee manuscripts (which I obtained in photocopy from the British Museum), I managed to complete the same line of synthesis Mathers had begun, but for Planetary and Zodiacal magic.

Why practice Golden Dawn Ritual Magic?

"To become a Magician!"

The challenges I faced in this process as well as how I overcame them, is all carefully documented in Appendix 4 of The Ritual Magic Manual, beginning on page 621. This study is called "The Book of the Concourse of Planetary and Zodiacal Forces," which I first published in 1999. Due to its fundamental importance, I have since made this groundbreaking study available for free download here.

Without going into too much detail, the biggest problem with integrating Enochian Planetary magic into the Golden Dawn system was solved by my discovery of a hitherto unnoticed parallel between the planetary arrangement in John Dee's "De Heptarchia Mystica" and the planetary arrangement inside the Golden Dawn's Vault of the Adepti.

All of the correct colors of the Sigillum Dei Aemeth as a Golden Dawn Planetary Tablet of Union follow from this discovery, as illustrated below. Please note that other Golden Dawn authors have since copied my colored Sigillum Dei Aemeth, but without the proper colors and without crediting me for this discovery. Such errors can be highly dangerous if inadvertently used magically. Any coloring arrangement for the Sigillum other than the one below is arbitrary and should not be used as a Golden Dawn Planetary Tablet of Union.

The original Golden Dawn Planetary Tablet of Union, which is illustrated below, is entirely based on the Golden Dawn's Vault of the Adepti, as is thoroughly explained in my "Book of the Concourse of Planetary and Zodiacal Forces" (1999). That the Golden Dawn's Planetary Tablet of Union (shown below) can be used safely and effectively in Planetary Magic, has been verified by countless Magicians in practice over the past 12 years.

Sigillum Dei Aemeth- The Golden Dawn's Planetary Tablet of Union

(Colored According to the Vault of the Adepti)

The Good news is you don't need to master all of the material in my "Book of the Concourse of the Planetary and Zodiacal Forces" to practice Golden Dawn Planetary and Zodiacal Enochian Magic!

The Golden Dawn's Enochian Venus Tablet

You will find all of the Golden Dawn's correct Enochian Planetary Tablets, as well as the Enochian Zodiacal Tablet, in color illustrations in The Ritual Magic Manual. You will also find complete Enochian Planetary and Zodiacal magic integrated into all of the Planetary and Zodiacal rituals - in a user-friendly, step-by-step format - integrated using S.L. MacGregor Mathers precise ,original lines of synthesis, as is traditional in the Golden Dawn.

Dr. John Dee

Returning to the initial question, which prompted this discussion, the answer is that John Dee also wrote plenty of details regarding how to practice the Enochian system in a manner completely different than what Mathers did with the Dee material. This is largely presented in a usable format by Geoffrey James in "The Enochian Magick of Dr. John Dee: The Most Powerful System of Magick in its Original, Unexpurgated Form"

For those wishing to practice pre-Golden Dawn Enochian Magic, this book may be used as a grimoire in its own right. I have worked this system with great success for many years.

Remember, there are plenty of knock offs and Golden Dawn rehashes out there, but there is still only one Ritual Magic Manual! ...

... The only place you will find complete Golden Dawn Planetary and Zodiacal magic fully unveiled.

The Ritual Magic Manual

If you would like personal coaching in your Ritual Magic practice, you will not want to miss the FREE Webinar I will be teaching on Saturday, October 27, at 12:00 PM PDT in the Blogchat here on The Golden Dawn Blog.

In order to better help Self Initiates and Solitary Practitioners, I will also be giving away a free electronic copy of the Ritual Magic Manual to all sincere, aspiring Magicians who participate in this groundbreaking Webinar.

Sincerely,

Golden Dawn Imperator
David Griffin

Alpha Omega

We Make Magicians!