Thursday, February 28, 2013

Astonishing Newsbreaks for Golden Dawn Magicians


by Alpha Omega Imperator
David Griffin

Readers of the Golden Dawn Blog will recall how the Alpha Omega has led the way since 1999 in teaching Ritual Magic to A.O. Initiates already in our H.O.G.D. Outer Order.

The A.O. sees no sense at all in abandoning Outer Order initiates for years without any guidance, training, or support in their practice of the well known Golden Dawn Magick published by Regardie.

The A.O. has taken a lot of heat for this over the years from leaders of other Golden Dawn orders, but I am pleased to announce that our persistence has finally begun to pay off.

This week, Nick Farrell announced that his Magical Order of Aurora Aurea will begin, effective immediately, to also teach G.D. Magick already in his outer order, albeit in a more limited fashion than the A.O. does. This is understandable since, unlike other Golden Dawn orders, the Alpha Omega's primary mission is to make Magicians.

Nick Farrell deserves accolades for his courageous decision to break with the pack, distinguishing the M.O.A.A. as the first Golden Dawn order to follow the A.O.'s lead in making substantial Magical training immediately available to Outer Order initiates, instead of making them wait half a decade for any proper training, feedback, or support. 

At this juncture, it is only a question of time until more and more Golden Dawn orders join with the A.O. and the M.O.A.A. in providing proper Magical training to Outer Order initiates.

Moina  & S.L. McGregor Mathers' "The Rites of Isis"
Alpha Omega Exclusive : Returning Spring 2013!
In yet more astonishing news, other Golden Dawn orders are beginning even to follow the Alpha Omega's lead in providing Ritual Magic training for Golden Dawn Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners.  With our 1,000 Points of Light initiative, the Alpha Omega led the way in bringing Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners more valuable training resources than ever before, including:
Personal Temples: The Alpha Omega continues to encourage Self-Initiates and Solitary Practiioners to create Personal Altars and Temples. We continue to put them on the map for you here on the Golden Dawn blog, and to publish photos of independent Altars and Temples from around the world for you.
Self-Initiation: The A.O. continues to teach how the goal of Golden Dawn Initiation and Magic is to strengthen the energetic body and to awaken the Elemental, Planetary, Zodiacal, and Sephirothic Magical Forces in the "Sphere of Sensation" of aspiring Magicians. We continue to provide the techniques necessary to accomplish this on your own. 
Magical Tools: The A.O. continues to teach how traditional Golden Dawn Magical Tools are created by publishing photographs of tools of Golden Dawn Adepts, including never before seen photos of Israel Regardie's magical implements from the A.O.'s "Golden Dawn Museum." 
Ritual Magic 101 Coaching Webinars: The A.O. continues to bring solid Ritual Magic teaching and coaching to self-taught Magicians all around the world, in a continuing series of live streaming video and audio, international Webinars.
2012-2013 Golden Dawn World Tour: The Alpha Omega continues to make Ritual Magic instruction and coaching - as well as traditional Golden Dawn initiation - available in more and more countries across the globe.
Ritual Magic 101 Workshops: The Alpha Omega continues to bring magical coaching up close and personal in regular Ritual Magic 101 Workshops.
Ritual  Magic 101 Coaching Dojo: The Alpha Omega continues to offer bi-weekly group Ritual Magic practice - dojo style  - with David Griffin at Golden Dawn Dojo near Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ritual Magic 101 Private Coaching: The Alpha Omega continues to offer private Ritual Magic coaching with Golden Dawn Imperator David Griffin both via Skype and in-person at Golden Dawn Dojo.
GoldenDawn.TV: The Alpha Omega continues to offer free Ritual Magic training videos on the Golden Dawn Channel at Youtube. Watch for the Grand Opening of the GoldenDawn.TV website as well, with astonishing new video training aids.
Golden Dawn Radio:: The Alpha Omega continues to offer free training podcasts on the Golden Dawn Channel at Blog Talk Radio.
Traditional Golden Dawn Initiation: The A.O. continues to offer traditional G.D. initiation in our growing international network of traditional Golden Dawn temples.
Amazingly, vast traditional Golden Dawn Magick newly released by the Secret Chiefs will be taught in Golden Dawn Dojo throughout the week at the upcoming International Conclave of Golden Dawn Magicians, April 7-13, 2013 (You can find complete info here).

The Rites of Nephthys also world premiere during the Conclave in anticipation of the return of S.L. and Moina MacGregor Mathers "The Rites of Isis."

You will not want to miss this International Conclave. It will surely be the No. 1 Golden Dawn event of 2013!

You can still register HERE.

In yet more astonishing news, Aaron Leitch, leader of a well known Mystical Order of the Golden Dawn, this week followed the Alpha Omega's lead in offering a Ritual Magick 101-like Workshop in an ongoing Golden Dawn Dojo-like format.

Frater Leitch has additionally announced he will also begin to teach Ritual Magick using the on-line teaching format introduced with the Alpha Omega's "Ritual Magick 101 Coaching Webinars."

I am extremely pleased that Frater Leitch is following the Alpha Omega's lead in providing on-line Ritual Magick training in Webinar format. There is a great need for Magical training for isolated Solitary Practitioners and Self-Initiates around the world - such a need that it is too great for the Alpha Omega to continue to shoulder the entire burden alone.

I am therefore grateful that leaders of even Mystical Golden Dawn orders like Frater Leitch are stepping up to the plate at last to shoulder their fair share of this burden as well.

Nick Farrell's M.O.A.A. adopting the Alpha Omega's method of teaching Ritual Magick to Outer Order Golden Dawn Initiates, together with Aaron Leitch's jumping on the Alpha Omega's Ritual Magick bandwagon, together represent the most significant shift of fault lines in the Golden Dawn community in many years.

The teaching methods the Alpha Omega has pioneered alone for a decade and a half are at last beginning to be adopted by the wider Golden Dawn community. For G.D. Outer Order members, Self-Initiates, and Solitary Practitioners, this is very good news indeed!



Thursday, February 21, 2013

BREAKING NEWS: G.D. Secret Chiefs Unveil New Magick for ALL Golden Dawn Practitioners!


A wonderful thing about the Golden Dawn, is that you do not have to believe in the G.D.'s physical Secret Chiefs for Golden Dawn Magick to work. Since the G.D. is not a religion, it does not at all depend on faith. Just like the Secret Chiefs, the proof of the Golden Dawn lies in the effectiveness of its Magick for spiritual growth and liberation!

The Golden Dawn's physical Secret Chiefs continue,  year after year, to newly release more and more traditional Hermetic and Rosicrucian Magick and teachings for the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn Magical system consequently continues to grow greater and greater in its power to liberate Magicians from spiritual ignorance and enslavement to matter.


Please do not take my word for this. You really ought to experience the liberation and power of the new Magick for yourself - the way Adepts from various orders across the Golden Dawn community did last year at the 2012 International Conclave of Golden Dawn Adepti. (You can read about the 2012 G.D. Conclave here, here, here, here, here, and here).

This is what one Adept who was at last year's 2012 Golden Dawn Conclave says about the Secret Chief's newly released traditional Golden Dawn Magick:
"Following the 2012 Conclave, I was awed by how much more Magick there is in the Golden Dawn than just the stuff Regardie published. Without the traditional G.D. Magick released by the Secret Chiefs in 2012, the old G.D. Magick feels like trying to play a guitar with only 3 strings!"
- V.H. Frater F.P.
Portland, Oregon

The 2012 G.D. Conclave marked a milestone in modern Golden Dawn history, with the first release of major new G.D. Magick for the Inner Orders of all G.D. groups since the 1930s when Israel Regardie published the Golden Dawn Magick first released in the 19th Century.

Only a dead tree stops giving new fruit year after year. What Regardie published was wonderful G.D. material, but it was just the beginning - and not the complete Golden Dawn Magical system. Contrary to popular misunderstanding, the Golden Dawn is not just a cadaver that dead-ends half the way up the Qabalistic Tree of Life with the beginner's Magick Regardie published in the 1930s.

In the same manner that a living tree gives new fruit year after year, the Golden Dawn's physical Secret Chiefs are again this year newly releasing even more traditional Golden Dawn Magick, this time for the Outer Order, which the Alpha Omega will unveil to the world at the upcoming International Conclave of Golden Dawn Magicians (April 7-13) near Las Vegas, Nevada.

And this year the Alpha Omega is inviting even Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners of G.D. Magick - in addition to all Golden Dawn initiates of any grade from any and all Golden Dawn temples and orders! (And yes - we even welcome spies and especially nay-sayers again this year).

You should not take anyone's word about the traditional Golden Dawn Magick being released year after year by the Golden Dawn's physical Secret Chiefs. You should instead come and try out the Magick for yourself at the Conclave!

After all, as a very wise Woman (my Mother) used to say:

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating!"

You can find complete details about the 2013 International Conclave of Golden Dawn Magicians here. You can register for the Conclave by writing us here.

Dozens of Adepts from eight countries shared a full week of great Magick, good food, and travel with wonderful new friends at the 2012 Conclave.

With Outer Order initiates, Self-Initiates, and Solitary Practitioners also coming to the Conclave this year, space is rather limited. There are still a few spots left, so register here now.

Here a few pics from 2012:


Alpha Omega
We make Magicians!

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, undergraduate level Magical training program, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn!"

Don't miss:

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Rites of Isis ...

... Return!

featuring HPS Leslie McQuade Griffin
Alpha Omega presents ...

The Rites of Isis 

Returning Spring 2013!

In loving memory of Alpha Omega Elders
HPS and HP Moina and S.L. MacGregor Mathers

Alpha Omega
Because we make Magicians

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, 
undergraduate level Magical training program
the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn!"


Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Rites of Isis & The Rites of Nephthys: Alpha Omega and the Secret Chiefs Present ...


2013 International Conclave
of Golden Dawn Magicians
(April 7-13, 2013)
In loving memory of Alpha Omega HPS and HP
Moina and S.L. Macgregor Mathers

Alpha Omega and The Secret Chiefs present ...

The Rites of Nephthys
World premiere!
New Moon in Aries, Wednesday, April 10 at 1:55 AM at the
2013 International Conclave of Golden Dawn Magicians
Then don't miss the return of ...
The Rites of Isis

Full Moon in Scorpio, Thursday, April 25 at 11:57 AM
In loving memory of our A.O. Elders ...
Moina and S.L. MacGregor Mathers!

The Rites of Isis were given to Moina and S.L. MacGregor Mathers by the Continental European Secret Chiefs of the Golden Dawn's Third Orde, Hermetic tradition guardians of the ancient Egyptian initiatic mysteries. The Rites of Isis were first performed as public ritual by the Mathers in Paris. 

Today, though the kind of these ancient Egyptian rites by the Secret Chiefs, the Alpha Omega leads the way again and presents the revival of The Rites of Isis and world premiere of The Rites of Nephthys during the first lunation following the Vernal Equinox, 2013. These ancient Egyptian Full Moon and New Moon Rites henceforth serve as a bridge between the Alpha Omega and the greater Pagan community.

These Rites arise from the Egyptian initiatic school as preserved occulted for centuries by Pythagorean and Hermetic orders, having arrived in Europe following the Greek and Roman conquests of Egypt.

Don't miss the world premiere of The Rites of Nephthys at the International Conclave of Golden Dawn Magicians, which is open to ALL Golden Dawn Initiates of ALL Golden Dawn orders, as well as Self-Initiates and Solitary practitioners of the Golden Dawn system of Magic.


The Rites of Isis and The Rites of Nephthys are open to the general public. Welcome!
Your hosts, HPS and HP
Leslie and David McQuade Griffin

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Mystical and Magical Orders of the Golden Dawn


by Alpha Omega Imperator
David Griffin

Recently, Golden Dawn authors have suggested that Golden Dawn offshoots and orders have grown in divergent directions, one "Masonic" and the other "Magical." My own independent research confirms the development of divergence, albeit in a somewhat different direction.

All Golden Dawn offshoots and orders have a Freemasonic structure, since  the Golden Dawn itself is a 19th Century reformulation of the Egyptian mysteries of the earlier Hermetic tradition, re-veiled in the symbols of Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism.

This is by no means the only such reformulation. In the early 17th Century, with the publication the Fama Fraternitatis (1614), the Hermetic tradition was reclothed with the symbols of the nascent Rosicrucian tradition. In the 18th Century, the Hermetic and Rosicruican traditions were again reformulated, this time with the symbols of nascient Freemasonry, finding its most visible expression in the Gold und Rosenkreutz order of 1777 Germany.

Since the Golden Dawn is a Freemasonic and Rosicrucian reformulation of the Egyptian mysteries preserved by the Hermetic tradition, it becomes obvious that to call one order more "Magical" and another more "Massonic" has little meaning regarding the Golden Dawn. A fundamental distinction does exist, however, in different directions in which the Golden Dawn evolved following the 1903 schism.

Immediately following the 1903 schism, William Butler Yeats wrote an article entitled "Is the Golden Dawn to remain a Magical order?" Ever since, a chasm has emerged between those in the Golden Dawn community who gravitate more towards Mysticism and those who gravitate more towards Magick. This has created fundamental differences between one Golden Dawn order and the other, which endure in our Golden Dawn community even until today.

This is natural, since Mysticism and Magick are two quite distinct spiritual paths. The primary difference between Magick and Mysticism lies codified in the actual methods of practice, together with the Mystical or Magical inclinations of the practitioner.

The Mystical path refers to the capacity and will of the practitioner to place oneself in a passive position in relationship to eternal Being and the forces of nature, which the Practitioner begins to invoke and pray to, so they may manifest and enlighten one, thus spiritually uplifting and exalting the practitioner. 

The Magical practitioner, on the other hand, does not place him or herself in a passive state towards natural and Divine forces, but rather in a positive state. Recognizing the Divine Spark inside oneself, the practitioner actively collaborates with Eternal Being rather than waiting for its manifestations.

In Mysticism, the practitioner expects Divinity to manifest itself, and to ascend the staircase that leads from below to on high aided by the Divine hand that takes us and leads us ever upwards.

Magic does not expect this, instead conquering the Inner Planes through one's own effort rather than through Divine aid. Thus, whereas the Mystical approach is one of submission, the Magician instead is a conquerer.

A perfect example of the Magical path may be found in the Mithraic Ritual deposited in Paris, which shows one such practice of divine Ascension of the Magical initiate. While rising towards Divinity to be received like a prodigal Son or Daughter, the practitioner greets the Gods as equals that gradually appear, not fearing them or subjugating oneself before them, but admonishing them and blandishing them with Magical words that open the gates of heaven.

Whereas Magick is based on knowledge, Mysticism is based on on ignorance in the literal sense of "ignoring" or "unknowing." In fact, one of the most important mystical texts in all of Christianity, The Cloud of Unknowing, speaks of making oneself obscure, humble and ignorant before the unmanifest - to remain there, in silence, gradually emptying oneself, while waiting for something or someone (God) to come and fill the void thus created.

Thus two completely different modalities become evident. Whereas the Mystic reflects the Divine light that is poured out upon him, the Magician generates this light, becoming an emitter himself. 

A.E. Waite
The foremost exponent of the Mystical path in the Golden Dawn was Arthur Edward Waite, who completely suppressed Magick in favor of Christian Mysticism in his Fellowship of the Rosy Cross and its Inner Order, the Rosa Rossa et Aureae Crucis (Rectified Rite). Waite's Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, reconstructed in recent years and open only to Christians, today remains the most Mystical order in the Golden Dawn community.

The foremost exponent of the Magical path in the Golden Dawn was the great Mage, S.L. MacGregor Mathers. Mathers understood that the Golden Dawn primarily as a Magical rather than a Mystical tradition. Over time the Magical spiritual path has become more and more pronounced in Mathers' Alpha Omega. The A.O. today remains the most Magical order in the Golden Dawn community.

It should therefore go without saying that, unlike most other Golden Dawn orders - in the Alpha Omega - we do NOT make Mystics.

Alpha Omega
We make Magicians!

In between the Alpha Omega and the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, which most clearly exemplify the diametrically opposed Magical and Mystical Golden Dawn paths, there today exist a host of Golden Dawn orders that lie somewhere in between. Most Golden Dawn orders still teach Magick in their Second Orders, but there nonetheless remain vast differences in their approaches and goals.

There are numerous Golden Dawn orders that have not gone so far as to suppress Magick outright as did the Waite order, yet nonetheless remain quite Mystical in their approach to the Golden Dawn. Such Mystical Golden Dawn orders do not teach Magick at all in their outer order, and provide no guidance or support to their Outer Order initiates who are practicing published Golden Dawn Magick on their own. Mystical Golden Dawn orders view their Outer Order instead as serving primarily to "purge" the personality self, in preparation to receive Mystical illumination from outside the practitioner in their Second Order.

Mystical Golden Dawn orders teach that it is necessary to "loosen the ego" in preparation for Mystical illumination and that the practice of Magick in the Outer Order will stunt what they hold as the necessary purging of the personality and ego. Such methods are identical to the methods of Christian Mystics such as St. John of the Cross and Mother Theresa and other Christian mystics and have been proven effective for centuries for those seeking Mystical illumination. Clearly, aspiring Mystics are best suited for one of the numerous mystically oriented Golden Dawn orders.

That most Mystical Golden Dawn orders have not completely suppressed Magick has led to a very curious situation in the contemporary Golden Dawn community where, even though they use many of the same basic practices, two distinct types of Magick have firmly established themselves.

One type of Magick is rooted in Mysticism, holds the philosophical position that we are all born as sinners, and uses methods like those set forth in "The Cloud of Unknowing" (purgations, humility, "loosening the ego" and waiting for illumination to come from outside).

The other type of Magick is that of the purely Magical spiritual path, as taught and practiced in the Alpha Omega, which proceeds instead through spiritual exaltation, and holds rather a Hermetic philosophical position that we are all children of the Divine; holographic manifestations of the One, which is the entire Universe.

Whereas the Magick of most Golden Dawn orders today is Mystically oriented, passive, and negative (full of purgation, etc.), the Magick of the Alpha Omega is positive, active, and life affirming. Recognizing the Divine Spark inside oneself, the Magical spiritual path actively collaborates with Eternal Being, rather than waiting for its manifestations.

Whereas Mysticism is passive and seeks illumination bestowed through grace from from an outside Divinity, Magick is live-giving and self-illuminating, kindling the Divine spark present inside every Magician to burn brightly, shining like the Sun and Stars.

The wonderful thing about today's Golden Dawn community is that our diversity gives spiritual aspirants a plethora of choices. Aspiring Mystics will find their spiritual quest greatly facilitated in one of the Mystical Golden Dawn orders, where they will find all of the purgation and ego loosening they need to eventually attain Mystical illumination.

Aspiring Magicians, on the other hand, will find all of the training, support, and guidance in all aspects of the Magical spiritual path, immediately upon entering the Alpha Omega's outer order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which is a Magical order and not a Mystical one.

Again, I am not saying the Alpha Omega is the "best" Golden Dawn order, only that we do things differently. it goes without saying that, unlike many Golden Dawn orders - in the Alpha Omega - we do NOT make Mystics.

Alpha Omega
We make Magicians!

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, undergraduate level Magical training program, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn!"

Don't miss:

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Llewellyn-Donald Michael Kraig-Concurrence Kerfuffle

by Golden Dawn Imperator
David Griffin

My recent article  about Astral-only initiation showing the positions of leaders across the spectrum of the Golden Dawn community, seems to have stirred up a bit of a kerfuffel with Donald Michael Kraig. You can read parts one and two of this apparently controversial article here and here.

In the article, I merely pulled together the written positions of leaders across the Golden Dawn community, showing how there is wide consensus about many aspects of claims made by proponents of Astral-only Initiation.

It seems that to some, however, being seen as holding written positions corresponding closely with mine, feels like the moral equivalent of catching cooties in the first grade.

At the heart of the hubbub lies a divergent interpretation of the word  "cooties."  Oops! Sorry. I mean the word "concur."

Trying to keep a scholarly tone, and considering that each of these G.D. leaders' positions is based on many years of independent research, I pointed out in the article how frequently our written positions concur with one another when it comes to Astral-only Initiation.

Donald Michael Kraig, clearly unhappy about this, then wrote here:
"I wish to make it known that unless I specifically say so in writing, I neither concur nor do not concur with any policy in Mr. Griffin's group or any other group. If some individual or group agrees with what I have written, they are concurring with me, and not vice versa. 
In this particular instance, I do not have access to any of Mr. Griffin's documents, beliefs, or policies. I have not requested them. I am not interested in them. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that I concur with Mr. Griffin or his group. Is it possible that I might? It's impossible to say. However at this time it is false to claim that I do."
Sigh.

All I did was to point out that there exist concurrences between our written positions, not that Don and I are having some sort of secret bromance, or even (heaven forbid) that we as persons might occasionally agree about something.

I admit that, at this point, my frustration was such that I was tempted to post a picture of Mit Romney, saying: "I neither concur nor do not concur." 

Instead, I swallowed my pride, extended the olive branch even further, and clarified here my use of the word "concur," even suggesting an alternative nomenclature that Don might find less contentious:

Care Frater Don, 
It sounds like word "concur" may somehow be a bit too strong for you or perhaps has a connotation for you that remains unknown to me.
According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of the word concur is:
verb (concurs, concurring, concurred)
[no object]
• 1 be of the same opinion; agree:
the authors concurred with the majority
[with direct speech]:
‘That’s right,’ the chairman concurred
• (concur with) agree with (a decision or opinion):
we strongly concur with this recommendation
• 2 happen or occur at the same time; coincide:
in tests, cytogenetic determination has been found to concur with enzymatic determination 
It is in this sense and no other that I use the word "concur" in the article. 
Is there another word you would prefer when discussing areas where our writings indicate we have independently reached similar conclusions in our research or we hold similar opinions or beliefs in specific areas? 
Would you prefer the use of “similar opinion” or "similar conclusion" rather than “concur? ”
Respectfully,
David Griffin
I was optimistic that the above clarification would put the entire matter to rest. I had never said to begin with that Don agrees with or endorses me personally. I only pointed out how our written positions demonstrate concurrence about several of the specific claims made by proponents of Astral-only Initiation.

I certainly never wrote that Kraig endorses the Alpha Omega, which no one in the Golden Dawn community would believe anyway, considering that Frater Kraig's Golden Dawn order and the A.O. have a long history of litigation - and even a non-disparagement agreement (paragraph 4 here) prohibiting our even mentioning one another's groups on-line!

I was therefore somewhat surprised when Don instead escalated the hullabaloo, dragging even Llewellyn Publishing into the foofaraw, by writing on the Llewellyn blog here:
"If you read something and agree with what I wrote, it means that you concur or agree with me. It does not mean that I agree with you. I might. I might not. I would have to see everything that you believe and have written before I give my endorsement. Saying that I agree with you just from what I’ve written would require you to read my mind and determine my thoughts. You have no evidence that I in any way agree with you, concur with you, or endorse you. The only accurate thing you can say is that you agree with me."
and
"Unless you see, in writing that is published under my name, that I agree with, support or concur with an individual or group, I neither support nor do not support them."

"Really?"

"Donald Michael Kraig said that?!?
... And on the Llewellyn Blog?!?"
Cooties ... Really ...

At least one thing is certain. It is clear Donald Michael Kraig feels passionate about the word    "cooties."  "concur."

But seriously ...

I sincerely regret Don Kraig is unhappy that he and I fully agree in some areas. However, arguing against those points only divides the Golden Dawn Community rather than brings it together. 

I also regret putting Kraig on the spot for finding common ground between our written positions, but my goal to make Magicians requires finding common ground that unites the Golden Dawn community wherever it is found.

I understand Frater Kraig's political allegiance and respect that he is trying to remain dutiful, but sooner or later, all Golden Dawn leaders must learn to work together or destroy the community.

The Golden Dawn community wants harmony. The time has come for Golden Dawn leaders to focus on what we share in common rather than the differences that divide us.

To do otherwise is to abdicate the great responsibility our students have placed in us.

"All we are saying, is give peace a chance."

Alpha Ωmega Mystery School Livestream