Questions Aspirants Should Ask About the Golden Dawn

by Golden Dawn Imperator

David Griffin

If you have not yet joined the discussion on the Golden Dawn Facebook group, you certainly should. I am there trying to help Self-Initiates and solitary practitioners fill in some of the gaps in their magickal education. You can find the group HERE. One of the interesting discussions participants have started regards the sort of questions aspirants should ask before joining any Golden Dawn order or beginning a serious study of Golden Dawn Magick. I have been keeping a running tally of questions proposed by actual aspirants. Here are the results so far.

Desiree Finkbeiner wrote:

A. About Golden Dawn Magick:

1. Why do this ritual?

2. Will it improve me spiritually?

3. From what authority does this ritual stem?

4. Why is lineage important?

5. When I access energy stream of the ritual, what will happen?

6. If I don't like the results of the ritual, can it be 'undone'? 

7. How will magick affect my energy and actions?

8. How can ritual improve my life?

9. Can it improve the power of my prayers?

B. About which order to join:

10. What are the differences between the GD orders?

11. What if I choose the position of AO?

12. What if I don't?

13. What if I choose the position of X order?

14. What could happen if I become involved in this community?

15. How would it affect my reputation if my name was associated with HOGD?

16. What kind of accusations and judgment might I receive for having an interest in studying magick?

17. Would affiliation with this organization affect my good-standing in other organizations?

18. How genuine are the 'leaders' of this order?

19. What are their intentions? Is there a possibility of hidden agendas by any of these orders?

20. Can I trust my magickal education to this organization?

21. What are the fruits of each order publicly?

Scott Lowther asked:

22. How do I know that occultism (or magick ritual) would not invite something dark, evil or negative into my life?

23. Isn't the practice of magick sinful (in the Judeo Christian sense of sin)?

24. If Golden Dawn is not a religion why is there so much religious rhetoric within the writings and rituals?

Gregory Liatsos asked

25. "What are my obligations to the order, after the initiation?"

Shanti Vinkatesh asked:

C. PURPOSE

26. What is the purpose of this Order?

27. Has this Order clearly stated its purpose? Why not?

28. Has this Order changed its purpose frequently? Recently? Why?

29. Is the purpose of this Order realistic?

30. What is this Order trying to accomplish?

31. Does my purpose match that of this Order?

D. QUESTION or PROBLEM

32. What are the questions I have related to my own spiritual growth?

33. Will this Order answer these questions?

34. What spiritual problems do I experience?

35. Will this Order resolve them?

36. What would I need to know from this Order to ensure they address my spiritual questions and/or problems?

37. What questions or problems does this Order claim to answer or solve?

E. POINT OF VIEW

38. What is my perspective of this Order?

39. What is this Order's perspective of itself?

40. What are other people's perspective of this Order?

41. Are there any other points of view I should consider?

42. Can I trust the points of view I have read? Why?

43. Am I struggling to see this Order from a viewpoint with which I disagree?

F. ASSUMPTIONS

44. What assumptions am I making about this Order?

45. What assumptions does this Order make?

46. How do these assumptions shape my point of view?

47. How do other people's assumptions shape their point of view?

48. What is this Order taking for granted?

49. What am I taking for granted about this Order?

50. For any conclusions I reach, what assumptions lead me to reach those conclusions?

51. Are my assumptions valid?

G. DATA, INFORMATION, and EVIDENCE

52. Is the information provided clear, accurate, and relevant to the issue?

53. Have I gathered enough information?

54. When I reach a conclusion, what evidence is it based upon? 

55. Is it reliable?

56. When provided information, is it relevant to my question or problem?

57. Is the information accurate? How would I know?

H. CONCEPTS and IDEAS

58. What are the key concepts behind this Order? Have they been clearly explained?

59. Are there alternative concepts or definitions of concepts I should consider?

I. CONCLUSIONS and INTERPRETATIONS

60. Am I drawing any conclusions not supported by the evidence?

61. Are the conclusions consistent with each other?

62. Is there another way to interpret the information I have?

63. Are there other conclusions I should consider?

64. Do my conclusions make sense?

J. CONSEQUENCES

65. What are the positive and negative consequences for my conclusions?

66. Have I considered all the consequences?

67. What is the Order implying in its materials?

68. If I decide to join this Order, what might happen?

69. If I decide to NOT join this Order, what might happen?

70. How significant are the consequences of joining or not joining?

K. For Each Question Presented to an Order...

71. Are they being clear?

72. Do I understand their answers?

73. Are their answers accurate?

74. How could you check?

75. Are their answers relevant?

76. How is their answer connected to the question or problem?

77. Is the answer precise?

78. Is it detailed enough?

79. Have they answered in depth? 

80. Does it address the complexity of the question?

81. Is the answer significant?

82. Is the breath of the answer sufficient? 

83. Have they considered different points of view or only their own?

84. Is the answer logical? 

85. Does it make sense?

86. Is the answer fair? 

87. Are the distorting their view of the facts?

88. Finally, do they denigrate anyone else? No spiritual teacher will attack or denigrate another human being."

Jules Hunter asked:

L. Random

89. How do I login to the Virtual Classroom on the HOGD website?

90. Am I at the point where I can listen to these teachings? 

91. Does this GD order advocate the use of the Kybalion, or other literature like this?

92. Will the GD provide me with materials to learn the system of tarot, astrology, Qabalah, or other energetic (magick) systems?

93. Is the solar body the same as the aura?

94. Will I notice a notable change in my behavior or thoughts based on a solar body expansion?

95. Does the GD advocate spiritual doctrines such reincarnation as animals, or in other solar systems?

96. In reference to the Kabbalah (KH), does the Golden Dawn (GD) work with this magic system?

97. If so, what form of it does the GD use?

98. What position does the GD take on the logic of the KH? 99. There are main formats of the KH (Christian, Jewish, Luciferian, Wiccan, Hermetic, etc) of the tree of life.

100. Does the orientation of concepts of the sephiroth matter, or is it simple what you feel works for you, will be the element that will activate the magic in the system?

M. Universal Laws

101. What are the Universal laws that the GD advocates, or considers as true (i.e. law of attraction, law of vibration etc.)?

Is magick simply energy manipulation?

N. Rituals

102. Why do certain rituals?

103. When and where were the rituals in the HOGD fashioned (e.g. the heritage of the rituals)? 

104. What was their basis?

105. Why is this basis important to the HOGD (e.g. purer origins)?

106. Who was the instructor the provided them?

107. What is the validity and reliability of the HOGD rituals? 108. Meaning, can these rituals be applicable to anyone? Is there interreliability and intervalidity between individuals across cultures, societies, religions, and Orders?

109. Are they falsifiable?

110. Are the same Rituals done crosswise of Orders?

O. Different Orders

111. What are the differences between the GD orders; the perspectives, the rituals, the rules, the purposes, etc.?

112. Would affiliation with this organization affect my good-standing in other organizations?

113. What differences are in the other Orders’ intentions or agenda versus HOGD?

114. What are common assumptions made about GD order in general?

115. How have terms or conceptualizations about magick, within GD orders, changed or been refined in different Order over time?

P. HOGD/AO Order

116. What are common assumptions made about this Order?

117. What are this Order’s intentions and agenda? 

118. What is this Order trying to accomplish?

119. Has this Order’s purpose changed over the years, how and why?

120. What are the strengths of this Order?

121. What are its weaknesses?

123. Is the information about Magick provided clear, accurate, and relevant to the issue within this Order?

124. What information will this Order detour from teaching?

125. What are my obligations to the order after the initiation?

126. How much should I know in order to be initiated?

127. What if I don’t have the whole ritual memorized?

128. How do I know when I am ready to progress?

129. Will my progression make me a more viable member of this Order?

Q. Magick and Society

130. How would it affect my reputation if my name was associated with HOGD?

131. What kind of accusations and judgment might I receive for having an interest in studying magick? 

132. And, what ways have shown effective in diverting this judgement tor ridicule?

133. Is talking about HOGD material, or what we have learned allowed?

R. Magick

134. If Golden Dawn is not a religion, why is there so many Judeo-Christian symbols or terms?

These are great questions for ANY spiritual aspirant considering the Golden Dawn to ask. We are up to 134 questions now, one better than the other.

What other questions do YOU think aspirants considering the Golden Dawn should ask themselves? You are invited to join in the discussion on the Golden Dawn Facebook group.

This is just one more way that the Alpha Omega is striving to help Self-Initiates and solitary practitioners of Golden Dawn Magick.

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