The Golden Dawn Blog: money

by Golden Dawn Imperator

David Griffin

Recently, a reader of the International Golden Dawn Yahoo forum wrote a post implying that it is somehow scandalous or "unspiritual" that the Alpha Omega charges $144 per year enrollment to study in our undergraduate level training program, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

This attitude of entitlement, thinly veiled behind the weird argument that "everything spiritual should be free" is even more prevalent in the Pagan community than it is in the Golden Dawn.

It is important once in a while for leaders in the Golden Dawn community to draw a line in the sand for such irrational thinking. Nick Farrell drew such a line last week, when discussing his considering a return to a teacher-apprentice format (which we have used in the Alpha Omega all along), Nick Farrell wrote here:

"The other side of this is that money will have to change hands. This sort of training would not be for occult tourists and one thing that discourages that sort of behaviour from the student is the fact that they have invested money in it."

- Nick Farrell

I also drew such a line recently on our Yahoo forum posted the following reply that I feel deserves to be cross-posted here as well:

"In reality, the Alpha Omega offers plenty of free or free-will donation based public services, including our International Golden Dawn Yahoo forum, articles on The Golden Dawn Blog, free Webinars on Ritual Magic, and even Ritual Magic personal training around the world with the Golden Dawn World Tour.

Does anyone honestly believe that providing all these services costs NOTHING?

How about operating three informational websites in 8 languages operated on virtual private server space that requires massive bandwidth. We also have a paid programmers, web designers, administrative assistants, etc., in addition to our volunteer staff.

Does anyone really believe that all of this costs NOTHING?

Golden-Dawn.Com houses more complete Golden Dawn free public information than anywhere else on the web, including our vast.
Golden Dawn Reference Library, where you will find hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of books available for FREE download.
Our exclusive Golden Dawn Membership Website contains complete course curriculum materials, tutorials forum, virtual classroom with regular classes, on-line testing, etc.
The Golden Dawn Research Center at Golden-Dawn.Org provides extensive research on the Golden Dawn and related spiritual traditions from top scholars around the world.
Golden-Dawn.Info provides a FAQ and fascinating historical information about the Golden Dawn.
The Golden Dawn Blog provides constant updates, research information, and other essential Golden Dawn topics available nowhere else.
The Golden Dawn Facebook Group provides answers from Adepts about all aspects of the Golden Dawn.
GoldenDawn.TV brings you Golden Dawn Ritual Magic Training videos and live interactive Webinars.
Ritual Magic Webinars in our new, live audio and video streaming Webinar Room.

And all of this is provided as a FREE public service!

Does anyone honestly believe that the above - in addition to operating the world's largest multi-national Golden Dawn order - costs NOTHING?

Our outer order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, is the most thorough college of Ritual Magic anywhere in the world today. We provide course material that would cost hundreds of dollars in books alone to obtain elsewhere. We provide you a proven, thorough, supervised system to learn Ritual Magic with feedback, coaching, and guidance from one of our Adepts as your private tutor.

Begin Rant

ALL OF THE ABOVE is paid for out of extremely meager enrollment ($144 per year), which amount to $12 per month - about the price of a coffee and pastry at Starbucks.

Why is it that people wantonly spend hundreds of dollars on books and many more hundreds of dollars each year on junk food, computer games, and other superfluous things, yet are not willing to spend EVEN THE PRICE OF CUP OF STARBUCKS COFFEE for their spiritual development and their energetic SOUL, complaining instead that everything should be free!?!?!

Why do some people feel their spiritual evolution and the energetic growth of their immortal Soul are so worthless they are not willing to spend one dime on them?

Let's get real here.

Please excuse me for being so blunt, but if anyone honestly believes that their spiritual growth is not worth even the price of a movie, then the HOGD (AO) is DEFINITELY not right for them.

Here in the Golden Dawn, our initiatic resources are far to precious to waste on people not willing to sacrifice anything at all for their spiritual growth.

Extended Rant

As long as I am ranting about money, there are a few things I have been meaning to clear up for a long time.

I am amazed there are still leaders in the Golden Dawn community that provide not a fraction of the free services the Alpha Omega does, yet turn around and accuse other people of trying to get rich by gaining membership!

And these are the same people that publish 10 books on the GD and market them all over the forums!

On the other hand, I publish endless free teachings on the Golden Dawn websites, forums, and blogs and ask nothing in return. I could republish the Ritual Magic Manual and reap a tidy profit. I could write a dozen new books and reap a really good profit (like they do).

Instead, I create materials for members that pay almost nothing per year. Yet, I am accused by others who are themselves profiteering on the Golden Dawn of trying to get rich.

At least I have a "real job."

End Rant

My above rant seems to have sparked a bit of controversy. One reader of the International Golden Dawn Forum over on Yahoo jumped into the discussion and replied:

"Mr. Griffin,

[With total sarcasm in my voice] Why don’t you ask the computer network company why they charge you? Then tell the computer hardware people to ask why Dell wants to be paid for the servers. Dell can then ask why the engineers and assembly people want to be paid. Then the employees can ask why the grocery store wants to be paid. Then the grocery store can ask why the farmers and delivery people want money. The delivery people can ask why GM wants money for their trucks and mechanics want money for fixing them.

It’s just a world of greed!

Here is a solution to avoid the greedy world of money. How about I do something for someone and then they do something for me in return? I could grow corn and give it away to someone who, in return, builds me a house. Then, everybody is giving things away and no money exchanges hands! What? One ear of corn doesn’t equal one house? OK. I will give one ton of corn. What? Where are you to store a ton of corn that will take you 5 years to eat? Hmm. I know, I will give you some special rocks, each of which represents one bushel of corn. When you need more corn, you can exchange a rock for a fresh bushel. In fact, you could trade my special corn rocks to others who want corn for something they have. If we all accept the special rock as representing the value of another product, then we can trade for anything. No money, just people giving things away to each other and keeping track with a simple rock trading system. I AM A GENIUS! (Stop applauding and bowing, it makes me self-conscious.)

You sir are stealing from the community! You see, when you maintain an Order, you have to keep it running day and night, around the world, where at least one time zone is always awake and asking for advice. You have to spend your nights writing blog posts, refining your curriculum, working with your adepts to improve teaching methods, build and maintain your Temple, and go to your real job in between. Not only do you ask too much, I think you sleep too much.

I saw on your blog you are offering to travel anywhere in the world to help establish a temple – for free! You’re a scoundrel!!!! Nothing more.

[End sarcasm]

We have a world of children that do not understand the money system. John Michael Greer has a wonderful book (which he actually charges money for) titled Mystery Teachings from the Living Earth. Within he provides a meditation to take any object and really think about where it came from, step-by-step. That cup of coffee you’re holding?

Trace that back – all the way back. Think of all the lives that touched that cup of coffee. You will find your feeble mind cannot possibly keep track of the journey.

You will need to consider how you got to Starbucks, the car you drove, the clothes you wear, and the money you used to purchase it. And that’s just to get you to Starbucks. What about the car you drove, the roads you drove upon, the gas in your car, the tankers that brought the gas to the station, and so on. Where did the coffee cup come from? How many lives did it take to get it to your local Starbucks? What about the beans, the lid, the chair you sit on while drinking it? The lights that power the Starbucks? All of this should be FREE? WHY????

Yes, some people are writing occult books and making a pretty penny to do it. Bless them. Yes, you are charging to join your Order. Bless you. And, of course, bless Starbucks, the meeting place of choice for people who want to enjoy a $7 drink in comfort while reading your free blog on their $800 iPad using the Starbucks wifi and condemn you for charging to join.