WHEN LIFE MIMICS ART: Sideshow Bob's Facebook Coup

It is no secret that Bob Zink has wanted to get rid of me for decades. I had heard the ugly rumors many times before - like allegations of Bob organizing Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn members to perform Goetic, black magical operations against me order-wide back in the 1990s.

Then there was the infamous "watermelon" ritual where, according to former EOGD members, they consecrated a watermelon like a voodoo doll, to affect me by sympathetic magick, then took turns stabbing it with a magick sword.

Another story involved the 1994 evening that Robert Zink and I dined together in Cris Monnastre's home. According to former EOGD members, Bob Zink called an emergency temple meeting later that night, telling everyone that:

"over dinner the evil David Griffin had worked black magic on poor Bob with his malefic Mars ring."

Sideshow Bob Zink

I indeed own a magick ring of pure gold for each planet (see the slide show below this post) and actually did wear my Mars ring that night. I never dreamed it would set off such paranoia in Bob though.

Then there was the former EOGD member who wrote to me earlier this year apologizing for having spied on me in the 1990s, allegedly also at Bob's behest.

Sideshow Bob's Facebook Revenge

Until last Fall, I had a thriving social network with 4,723 Facebook friends. Then suddenly - Poof! - my profile and my entire Facebook social network were gone! Facebook had permanently disabled my profile - and cut me off from my entire social network - without any warning or explanation whatsoever. I appealed the decision, but to no avail. It was not until this week that the mystery of what had actually happened to my Facebook profile was finally solved. I should have known from the beginning that the destruction of my social network on Facebook was no mere accident.

The Facebook mystery was finally solved this week, when a disgruntled EOGD member sent me numerous posts about my Facebook profile from the esotericgoldendawn private members' forum on Yahoo. Certain of these letters - reproduced below - reveal how my Facebook profile - and my social network of 4,723 friends - did not simply disappear, but were carefully and deliberately sabotaged by Bob Zink orchestrating a group of EOGD members and their friends to "block spam" me on Facebook.

Esotericgoldendawn Members Yahoo Forum
Subject: Special Attention to all Brethren of the Golden Dawn
September 25, 2009
Greetings in Light,
This is a public announcement to warn members of David Griffin; a self proclaimed leader of a pseudo-organization that is an off-shoot of the reconstructionist Golden Dawn of C... It is important to know that no Golden Organizations to include C..., Zalewski, and OSOGD recognize his fanatic authority.
This individual has cost our Order thousands of dollars in legal fees, threatened members of our order, and continues to prove himself to be a danagerous and unstable fanatic bent on owning the Golden Dawn tradition. As a magician he stands as an example of dark sorcery and evil magic.
That is why we encourage you to disassociat with him in all venues; especially this most recent attempt to friend Order Brethren to his Facebook account. This is a warning not to friend David Griffin and if you mistakely already have to de-friend and block him immediately.
Your Servant in Light
GH Frater PDR (Robert Zink)
770

Esotericgoldendawn Members Yahoo Forum
Subject: Magical links and David Griffin

September 25, 2009

Brethren,

One of the reasons we ask you to not friend David Griffin on facebook is that because he has been hostile to our Order and to myself and other, and because he has attacked our Order over and over again, and because he is bent on being the only Golden Dawn group and has cost C... and our Order thousands and thousands of dollars, and because neither our Order, nor  C.., nor Pat Zaleswki nor Tommy Westlund his first Chief in Sweeden, nor any other GD group reconize him as nothing more than a mischief makers in our GD community, 

YOU RUN A RISK of of allowing him to create a MAGICAL BOND with you and that bond certainly will not be helpful in your spritual or magcial development.

But wait, there is more to this saga, his connection to you as a friend on facebook creates a ray to our Order, this we cannot allow. It is important that you not accept the friend request from David Griffin and if you have, you need to cut it, for yourself, for your Order, for justice.

Your brother in the great work,

G.H. Frater P.D.R. (Robert Zink)

770

Esotericgoldendawn Members Yahoo Forum

Subject: David Griffin @ FB ~ how to use your privacy settings to block & other advice

September 25, 2009

Ave Sorors and Fraters;

Go to "settings", there you will find "privacy", scroll down, put his name in your BLOCK list, when you do so, a list of various David Griffin's comes up, he's the first one, you'll note his sash in his photo. Click ^him^, and he will be blocked.

Another suggestion, if you've friends who have befriended him, email them at FB and ask them to de-friend him and block him. If for any reason they won't, tell them you'll have to de-friend them as his energy won't be tolerated. Hope this helps,
R. 770

I won't waste time refuting Bob Zink's paranoid portrayal of the "evil David Griffin" in these letters. Bob was clearly demonizing me, in order to manipulate EOGD members and their friends to "block spam" me on Facebook - a dastardly, yet deadly effective way of getting someone's Facebook profile permanently disabled. Five days after this "block spam" attack, on October 1, 2009 - Poof! My entire Facebook social network - and all contact with many of my 4,723 friends - vanished forever. No explanation. No recourse. Just poof! - gone.

An Open Letter To My Lost Facebook Friends

My dear 4,723 former Facebook friends,

Thank you for your friendship, support, and encouragement over the years on Facebook. I really enjoyed my interaction with you and our substantial discussions about Hermetic Inner Alchemy and other aspects of the Golden Dawn. Thanks again for your many valuable contributions to these discussions.

I apologize for for losing contact with so many of you following the sudden and unexpected disappearance of my Facebook profile. When Facebook disabled my page without warning or explanation last October, I had no way to reach most of you even to tell you what had happened. In fact, it was a mystery to me as well - until now that is.
I never in a million years dreamed that my social network had secretly been sabotaged in one of Sideshow Bob's dastardly schemes!
As public figure, I guess I should expect certain losses like this, particularly with a competitor like Bob Zink around. Destroying my Facebook social network was the most successful plot Sideshow Bob has come up with yet.  In fact, I can  see him gleefully rubbing his hands and laughing maniacally while reading this.

Well, congratulations Bob! One of your hair-brained schemes finally worked. In fact, it worked so well that my 4,723 former friends from my Facebook social network you destroyed and I would like to send you this special "way to go, Bob!"

Sincerely,

David Griffin

Greetings From Paris & Peace In The Golden Dawn Community

Brothers and Sisters of the Golden Dawn,

Greetings from Paris, France, home of the Ahathoor Temple No. 7, founded by S.L. MacGregor Mathers in 1892, the Grand Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn!

Over the last week I have not had much time to observe what has been happening on the Internet, as I have been here in Paris, France, where I presided over an International Conclave of the College of the Adepti of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega, hosted by the Ahathoor Temple No. 7, Grand Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and Mother Temple of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega.
These events hosted by Ahathoor Temple No. 7 were extremely well attended, marvelous experiences; with Golden Dawn Adepts and Initiates in attendance from France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, the UK, Spain, Sweden, Canada, and the USA. I will blog more about the Ahathoor Temple Equinox ritual and all of the other exciting events once I get back to the USA. (I will have plenty of photos to share with you from the Ahathoor Temple and events here in Paris as well).

Needless to say, I have been away from the Internet for nearly a week. Looking at the net this morning has not been a pleasant experience. The defamatory anonymous websites that have plagued the Golden Dawn community for decades have now spread to the Blogosphere. I guess this was to be expected following the olive branch offered by the HOGD/AO on the Vernal Equinox.

There are obviously forces and people that want the ENTIRE Golden Dawn community and tradition to look bad. These forces will clearly stop at nothing to stir continuing strife between the Golden Dawn orders and temples.

Two new ANONYMOUS BLOGS, one attacking Robert Zink and the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, and another attacking the HOGD/AO and myself have appeared in the Blogosphere over the last week.

Despite EOGD's continuing harsh criticism of HOGD/AO and its leaders on the EOGD blog, the HOGD/AO and I nonetheless stand firmly by our Brothers and Sisters in the EOGD in condemning all anonymous defamation of both of our orders, whether on anonymous websites or blogs.

This continuing anonymous defamation of both our orders further underscores the need for unparalleled cooperation between Golden Dawn orders, and particularly the need for HOGD/AO and the EOGD to build better relations with each other.

The first and most difficult task before us it to build multilateral trust.

This will not be an easy task, as is evidenced by the buzz in the Blogosphere since our Vernal Equinox announcement.

For example, Morgan Drake Eckstein of Bast Temple in Denver wrote on his Gleanings From the Dawn blog:

Given the history of the Golden Dawn community, I am leery of any olive branch that is held out. For the matter, I am leery of the statement that we must never have another witch war. I would love to see the occult community get along with one another. But on the day it happens, Ha-Satan will skating to work and Hel, his Northern counterpart (sort-of), will inherit a tropical paradise. I doubt that I am alone in being paraniod. While I have yet to consult with my fellow Bast Temple members about the latest development in the Golden Dawn saga, I am sure that a vote of caution will result.

Morgan: Given the history of legal actions and negative marketing between Golden Dawn orders, your caution is very wise. We are cautious as well, and frankly, many HOGD/AO Senior Adepts are so mistrustful that they advise me against pursuing the cause of peace any further. Still, the initiative to improve relations between Golden Dawn orders is very real, and has already been backed up by actions on both sides, although admittedly small ones, rather than mere words or empty posturing. Beginning at the Vernal Equinox, the HOGD/AO unilaterally took the first steps. Not only did we publish our Equinox blog message, but HOGD/AO also unilaterally took the step of refusing to approve any posts critical of any other Golden Dawn orders, temples, or leaders on our Yahoo forum. This was an important gesture of good faith on our part.

In return, HOGD/AO asked Robert Zink and the EOGD to respond in kind and no longer approve any posts critical of any other Golden Dawn orders, groups, or temples, including our own. To their great credit, all negative posts attacking our order and its leaders ceased to be approved on the EOGD Yahoo forum thereafter. This positive action by Robert Zink and the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn should not be overlooked and is to be highly and exceptionally commended.

The cessation of the publishing of posts critical of both EOGD and HOGD/AO on their mutual Yahoo fora is an extremely important step in the right direction. Indeed, history may bear witness to this was an important turning point in the history of the Golden Dawn.

Admittedly, however, this is not enough. There still remains plenty offensive and inappropriate content criticizing other Golden Dawn orders on the websites of several Golden Dawn orders or their members.

I propose that ALL of the Golden Dawn orders next move simultaneously and MULTILATERALLY to remove all objectionable content from our respective websites as well as from the websites of our members. The HOGD/AO will obviously not do this alone or unilaterally, as Senior Adepts of HOGD/AO argue that Robert Zink and the EOGD would merely use this to attempt to gain an unfair business and marketing advantage.

The mistrust of numerous of HOGD/AO's Senior Adepts has been reinforced by recent posting on the EOGD blog at golden-dawn.blogspot.com where the EOGD members continue to post weblogs critical of our order that attempt to blame everything on the HOGD/AO and myself and that do not take any responsibility for the objectionable material still remaining on the EOGD operated websites, etc.

To be quite frank with you, there are members of the HOGD/AO who caution me that I should not trust Robert Zink and EOGD at all. They argue that Robert Zink does not want peace under any circumstances. They argue that EOGD will never take down the objectionable material from the EOGD websites because Mr. Zink uses this material to gain an unfair marketing advantage by trying to scare people away from HOGD/AO. These same HOGD/AO members also argue that Robert Zink needs conflict with the HOGD/AO because he needs an enemy to unite his order.

I am certain that, in light of the above, you can understand that the HOGD/AO will obviously not remove objectionable material alone or unilaterally.

I, however, am willing to take a chance and to give Robert Zink and the EOGD the benefit of the doubt. The time has come for us to build more and more trust.

I propose that all Golden Dawn orders next move simultaneously and multilaterally to remove all objectionable content from our respective websites as well as from the websites of our members.

As I mentioned before, trust must be built. The mutual cessation of approval of hostile posts on both the EOGD and HOGD/AO Yahoo Fora has helped a lot. There is no doubt about this. However, there is a great deal more remaining to be done.

Here is material that HOGD/AO deems inappropriate and would like to see removed:

A. From EOGD websites and Yahoo fora:

1. "The Truth about the Golden Dawn and a Few Dangerous Megalomaniacs!" (http://www.esotericgoldendawn.com/tradition_truthseries_megalomaniacs.htm)
3. http:// www. esotericgoldendawn.com/ouro_officialresponse.htm
and at:
4. http:// www. golden-dawn.org/bkrev_ritualmagicmanual.htm
5. "Beware! No Sex Magick in the Golden Dawn!" (http:// www. esotericgoldendawn.com/tradition_sexmagic.htm)
6. The 1432 posts remaining in the archives of the EOGD Yahoo! forum that are hostile towards HOGD/AO and its leaders.

(It should be noted that, while some of the above material does not mention our order or its leaders by name, it is clear in conjunction with anonymously published material to whom they are referring).

B. From the website operated by Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn member, Nagasiva Yronwood's website:
1. http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/occultism/griffinbio.txt
2. All pages from from the osogd.org site linking to the above.

C. Finally, the inappropriate page on the website operated by Aaron Leitch, member of the board of another Golden Dawn order and in clear violation of previous agreements at:
1. http://kheph777.tripod.com/rev_rmm.html

In return, HOGD/AO pledges likewise to remove all objectionably perceived material from our own websites and forum on an EQUAL and QUID PRO QUO basis. I formally request that leaders of Golden Dawn orders email me at Chief.Adept@Golden-Dawn.Com to discuss what material they would like to see removed from our websites, etc.

Many HOGD/AO members believe that Robert Zink will NEVER remove the above listed objectionable material the aforementioned reasons. They even caution me against continuing this initiative, as they believe that Mr. Zink and EOGD will merely try to use even this against our order. They believe that in response to this blog, they will merely attack us again on the EOGD blog, try to justify the objectionable content on their website, and to go on blaming everything on us while refusing to take any responsibility for their own objectionable material.

I disagree.

Robert Zink and the EOGD have already gained a little of my trust by doing the right thing once. They have since the Equinox ceased all publication of hostile posts on their Yahoo forum. Therefore, against the advice of senior members of HOGD/AO, I remain willing to give Mr. Zink and the EOGD every benefit of the doubt.

The anonymously published defamatory websites and blogs attacking EOGD as well as HOGD/AO (or any other Golden Dawn order or leaders) are harming the ENTIRE Golden Dawn community and tradition.

The only way to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all is for the ENTIRE Golden Dawn community to abandon blaming one another, set aside our differences, and take a united stand against the defamation, no matter who it is directed at!

Therefore, contrary to the belief of Senior members of HOGD/AO, I do not believe that Robert Zink needs an enemy so desperately that he would rather let the entire Golden Dawn community suffer just to go on trying to DEMONIZE the HOGD/AO or myself.

In fact, I believe the opposite. I believe that EOGD and Robert Zink are serious in wanting peace. I believe that their Pow Wow initiative was serious and that they still are serious about wanting peace now. I do not believe that this was just all empty posturing from them.

I also believe that Robert Zink and the EOGD will abandon trying to blame everything on HOGD/AO and will instead help us to end the defamation in every direction.

In short, I believe that Robert Zink and the EOGD will do the right thing.

Sub Umbra Alarum Tuarum, Yeheshua
David Griffin
G.H. Frater Lux Ex Septentrionis
Imperator Ordinis, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Chief Adept, R.R. et A.C.
Archon Basileus, Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega

"Ex Deo Nascimur.
In Yeheshua Morimur.
Per Sanctum Spiritum Reviviscimus"

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes, The Hermetic Tradition & The Golden Dawn

The Hermetic Tradition arises from the blend of Egyptian and Greek cultures in Ptolemaic Egypt - has its earliest roots in the astronomical, spiritual traditions of Sumeria - then from Chaldea and Egypt to Europe with the Greek and Roman empires.

Since 2,000 years ago, Hermetic Science has taught a triad of spiritual practices - called the Trivium Hermeticum - Astrology, Theurgy (Magick), and Alchemy - that together comprise a powerful system of energetic evolution known as the Royal Art of Solar Ascension.

The Hermetic Arts are still very much alive and well today.

The famous Freemason and scholar, Kenneth MacKenzie, was initiated into the Hermetic Arts by Hungarian Count Apponyi around 1850 in Austria.

MacKenzie later coded certain materials from Apponyi into the famous Cypher Manuscripts, which were later used by S.L. MacGregor Mathers, W.Wynn Wescott, and Robert Woodman to found the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

One essential document of the Hermetic Tradition is the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. Its importance dates back to the medieval and Renaissance period, when a translation was made into Latin from Arabic. Interpretations or renditions were made public by many notable figures such as Roger Bacon, Isaac Newton, Albertus Magnus, and Trimethius.

The Golden Dawn, of course, integrated the Emerald Tablet of Hermes into its core teachings. Due to its popularity, the Emerald Tablet of Hermes has been quoted by many modern authors in North America. They believed that it was so valuable because it contained the teachings for the achievement of the aims of the alchemists.

It didn’t take long for the Emerald Tablet of Hermes to enter the lexicon of the everyday New Age speakers. Parts of the the New Age community has come to believe that the Emerald Tablet of Hermes has to do with New Age notions like the Law of Attraction or Astral Initiation. This is unsupported by the facts.

There are those in the New Age community claim the Emerald Tablet is 10,000 years old. This is highly unlikely as that would be nearly 7,000 years before the pyramids were built - nearly 3,000 years before even the beginning of culture in Sumeria! The cryptic nature of the lines of the Emerald Tablet make it easy for fanciful theories to be spread as though they were facts.

This is why I was pleased to see that finally a valid translation of the original has surfaced with authentic keys to its cipher. The oldest known copy of the Emerald Tablet dates back to a manuscript attributed to Apolonius of Tyana that was translated into Arabic in the early 9th century. It was finalized by the Caliphate al-Ma’mun (813-33).

According to Apollonius of Tyana, he found the Emerald Tablets of Hermes in a catacomb in his city. You can read the full story here.

Scholars have seen parallel between this book and the Syriac Book of Treasures written by Job Odessa. Interestingly enough, Apollonius claimed the tablet was written in Syriac. He has also discussed in his book some of the mysteries of The Emerald Tablet of Hermes as it relates to Talismanic magic and spiritual transformation.

Every student of the Golden Dawn should invest some time studying this new information on the Emerald Tablet of Hermes if they are serious about initiation into the mysteries or practicing Hermetic Magic or Alchemy.

Sub Umbra Alarum Tuarum, Yeheshua
David Griffin
G.H. Frater Lux Ex Septentrionis
Imperator Ordinis, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Chief Adept, R.R. et A.C.
Archon Basileus, Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega

"Ex Deo Nascimur.
In Yeheshua Morimur.
Per Sanctum Spiritum Reviviscimus"