Table Of ContentLlewellyn's Golden Dawn Series
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The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites
and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order of
THEGOLDEN
DAWN
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as revealed by
ISRAEL REGARDIE
The 6th Edition, Revised and Enlarged
Complete in One Volume with New Comprehensive Index
THE GOLDEN DAWN
"Howbeit we know after a time there will now be a general reformation,
both of divine and human things, according to our desire and the
expectation of others; for it is fitting that before the rising of the Sun
there should appear and break forth Aurora, or some clearness or
divine light in the sky. And so, in the meantime, some few, which shall
give their names, may join together, thereby to increase the number
and respect of our Fraternity, and make a happy and wished for
beginning of our Philosophical Canons, prescribed to us by our
Brother R.C., and be partakers with us of our treasures (which can
never fail or be wasted) in all humility and love, to be eased of this
world's labours, and not walk so blindly in the knowledge of the
wonderful works of God."
FAMA FRATERNITATIS, (1614)
FOREWORD AND APPRECIATION
Just about 100 years ago (in 1887) we had the beginnings of The Hermetic Order
of the Golden Dawn. It was then that (according to history and "myth") Dr. William
Westcott discovered a cipher manuscript that led to the founding of an English branch
of Die Goldene Dammerung in 1888.
It was this Golden Dawn that attractedsome of the most talented personalities of
the time - including W. 8. Yeats, Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, Florence
Farr, Annie Horniman, A. E. Waite, S. L. MacGregor Mathers, Dion Fortune and Aleis-
ter Crowley. And it was this Golden Dawn that itself provided a NEW DAWN for
"occultism" in the early 20th century.
In the early 1900s, the original Order began to fragment. First Crowley pub-
lished many of the G.D. rituals in The Equinox and left to form his own order, the A.A.,
in 1905. The original Isis-Urania Temple expelled Mathers, and then - as The Stella
Matutina -
under the direction of Waite, put more emphasis on mysticism than had
the original G.D. Later Dion Fortune broke off from this Temple to form her own
Inner Light group.
It was as a member of the Stella Matutina that Israel Regardie first published a
nearly complete set of the rituals and teachings in 1937-40 as the first edition of this
present work. Later he sold the copyrights for this and most of his other books at that
time to the Aries Press, and I purchased them in 1968 and brought out the second edi-
tion, with new material from Regardie, in 1969.
As Sam Webster points out in the Epilogue to this fifth edition, this book has been
the foundation for much of the "occult revival" of the last half of the twentieth cen-
tury. It has provided resource materials for Wicca, the New Paganism, various magi-
cal groups, and for tens of thousands of serious students.
And as Cris Monnastre points out in her Introduction, it is now beginning to pro-
vide a structure into which modern psychology can flow to bring about a solution to
the present world crisis which demands a dramatic expansion of consciousness and
of the 'tools' of awareness.
It is the actual "structured"experience of magic - whether it be attained through
group or solitary work - that is vital to the accelerated evolution of human con-
sciousness beyond present limitations, and to the expansion of human awareness
from communal to global dimensions. And it is this that is essential to avoida~ce of
nuclear rw3r and to the restor~tion of Nature to the environment and of humanity
lo Nature.
The Golden Dawn is a curriculum of study, a workbook to the Great Work, and
Cris Monnastre has provided guidelines to the practical approach to the Work. I can-
not emphasize enough the importance of personal work, for it is that - whether
undertaken alone or with a group - that is important. Only personal work can
accomplish true initiation.
And The Golden Dawn is a valid curriculum for personal work even for those
associated with other than Golden Dawn groups or systems of magical study. One of
the great messages of the New Age is that of eclecticism -
if it works, use it! There are
many other valuable and valid resources for our evolution, and in this time of "quick-
ening", all are pertinent. But it is a personal and regular program of meditation that
brings order to what otherwise might prove chaotic. Such a program, combined with
the simple magical exercises of "The Middle Pillar" and "Banishing Ritual of the Pen-
tagram", and the keeping of a journal will initiate your own journey to the Light!
I want to give special appreciation to the writers who have added important
materials to this new edition, but I also want to give personal appreciation to Israel
Regardie for having recognized in 1937 that the "time for secrecy" was over. The
twentieth century is a time in which the knowledge of the past has to be brought for-
ward and integrated into a new "common sense" upon which a new humanity
can be built.
Once, years ago, when I first talked about buying the Golden Dawn copyrights
from the Aries Press, another occult writer made a statement to the effect that no one
could "own" this knowledge -for it all came originally from God! I think that concept
describes exactly what we are dealing with: true Spiritual Technology, Treat it as
such!
Throughout this edition we have retained the original pagination so that referen-
ces to the original four volume edition could still be identified. I have made correc-
tions to the original where they were needed, but unless important to the readers'
perception I have not made changes to the style. In addition, I am very much indebted
to Cris Monnastre, MaDhyan Anupassana, George Wilson, Hal Sundt and Sam
Webster for their help and their contributions. In most cases these are identified by
initials, along with my own, in footnotes.
And it is with a great deal of pleasure that I announce that Cris Monnastre has
been instrumental in bringing together these, and other G.D. practitioners, who will
be producing a future series of "Golden Dawn Manuals" to develop individual
techniques and exercises for study and use.
Carl Llewellyn Weschcke
St. Paul, July 10, 1986
About the Contributors
Cris Monnastre, born April 2,1946, is currently finishing a doctoral program in psy-
chology with a specialty in clinical psychology. She is a therapist in the Eos Angeles
area and combines traditional therapy with Golden Dawn techniques. She is a poet,
musician, and composer, and lives with her two sons, Aaron and Adam. She is
interested in inquiries regarding Golden Dawn work and therapy. Please address let-
ters to her care of Llewellyn Publications.
Hal Sundt, born August 14, 1950, B.A. in History presently working on Master's
thesis regarding the Gnostic influence on Jacob Boehme and the Rosicricians. Has
been studying/working with Golden Dawn groups for 12 years.
Sam Webster, 25, B.A. in English. A student of symbolism and consciousness. He is a
practitioner of Thelemic Magick and affiliated with several branches of the O.T.O. and
other Thelemic groups. During 1983-84 he traveled to study with magickal prac-
titioners scattered around the country. Presently he is involved in generating grimoires
for Egyptian and Thelemic Magicks. As a poet and storyteller, he attends festivals and
gatherings to share his art.
George Wilson, 39, B.A. Philosophy, B.S. Nursing. Professionally was an RN with a
psychiatric specialty. Recently retired to devote full time to occult studies. A student
of mysticism for 20 years, "Kabbalah led to G.D. Obtained The Golden Dawn in 1970
and this was the focus of occult interests from that time on." Currently engaged in
projects focusing on Color Scales, the Outer Order rituals, and the generation of
Magic Squares.
Ma Dhyan Anupassana, aka Suzan Wilson, born August 26, 1954, Sannyasin of
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, has studied Eastern Religion at San Diego State University
and practiced various occult systems since 1972. Also a student and teacher of
Iyengar Yoga. She is married to George Wilson. They have three sons and plan to
emigrate to New Zealand as soon as possible where they will continue personal
magickal work, writing, and teaching yoga.
Carl L Weschcke, born September 10, 1930, B.S. in Business Administration, work
toward doctorate in Philosophy, D. Ph. Mag. (Honorary), Certificate in Clinical Hyp-
nosis. Lifelong student of the occult, starting with Theosophy, several years of work
with Crowley materials and as a correspondence student with the Society of the Inner
Light, study of Jungian psychology and yoga. High Priest in Wicca, and Administrator
General Aurum Solis. President of Llewellyn Publications since 1960.
David Godwin, born in 1939 in Dallas, Texas, is a long-time student of esoteric lore.
Learned and knowledgeable about cabalistic practices, he has successfully mastered
them and written a classic treatise on the subject entitled Galwink Cabalistic Encyclopedia.
Out of print for several years, popular demand dictated that it be reprinted. It is now
available again with new additions and information, from Llewellyn Publications.
Godwin has worked as a manual laborer, a newspaper reporter, an editor for a petro-
chemical magazine, a technical editor for two NASA contractors during the Apollo
missions, a typesetter, a free-lance writer and a practicing astrologer. He has never
been to a writers'workshop, owns no cats, and is entirely ignorant of the martial arts.
Godwin believes in maintaining the open-minded, balanced attitude advocated by
the middle path of cabalism.
Donald Tyson of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was born in 1954. His work on the sigils drawn
from the planetary kameas (magic squares) has been incorporated into this printing
of The Golden Dawn and is presented in depth in an appendix to his annotated version
of The Three Books of Occult Philosophy of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, forthcoming
from Llewellyn.
Tyson is the author of many books and articles on such subjects as the philosophy of
magic (The New Magus), the history and use of runes (Rune Magic), and the occult
revival in the Renaissance. He is the creator and designer of the RuneMagic cards and
rune dice as well as a new system of runic astrology. A regular contributor to the Pallas
Society News and the Llewellyn Magickal Almanac, his articles occasionally appear in Fate
and other periodicals dedicated to Neo-Paganism and the modern occult tradition.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Normally speaking, "a book is a book.. . is a book and no advice has to
given about how it is used.
This book is different, for several reasons, and you will find advice on how to
use it in the introductions by Cris Monnastre and Israel Regardie. Because it
is a big book, and because it is both a text for study and a guide to practice as
well as an encyclopedic reference work, you will use it many different
ways.
In the Table of Contents, we have listed the major rituals in italics for easier
location, and we have provided an extensive listing of the illustrations and
tables to be make reference use easier and faster. Hopefully, in a subsequent
edition, we will be able to provide a comprehensive index.
Page Numbers. There are two sets of them: those referring to this edition will
be found at the top outer margin, or at the bottom center. Those that refer to
the original four-volume edition may be found bracketed at the left margin to
indicate approximately the location of the page break in the text. At the top of
the page will be found reference to the original Volume and Book numbers. It
is hoped in this way that references to the original edition found in other
works may be easily located.
Corrections and Additions. Any book of this size can be expected to have some
errors. We have corrected all those in the original edition that we could
locate, and have subjected this edition to several proof-readings. Yet, we
know that some will continue to be found. It is our hope that readers will
consider this book so important that they will send us notes of such further
corrections that we may make in future editions. We have also made some
additions in the form of short introductions to some of the sections and as
footnotes to the text where we felt clarification was needed.
Future Work. The Golden Dawn is a complete system of Ceremonial Magic.
Within the system may be found the basic technologies of spiritual develop-
ment and their practical application. Future books and tapes in this series will
simplify and expand these techniques, including the initiatory rituals, for
greater ease of study and use.
Lodges and Study Groups. The Golden Dawn system is not dependent on
a£filiation with any group proclaiming itself as "Golden Dawn" or "Rosicrucian".
Nor, even though the initiatory rituals describe a lodge system, is group
practice necessary for their enactment. All magic must ultimately take place
in the psyche of the student. There are existing Golden Dawn Lodges, and
Lodges and Study Groups of other organizations teaching ceremonial magic.
Often the most practical way to make contact with a group is by placing an
advertisement in a local New Age or Occult tabloid or magazine.
xii
Introduction
To The Fifth Edition
"Inheritor of a Dying World, we call thee to the
Living Beauty. Wanderer in the Wild Darkness, we
call thee to the Gentle Light. Long hast thou
dwelt in Darkness - Quit the Night and seek the Day."
With these poetic and deeply symbolic words, the three principal officers in the
Neophyte Grade ceremony ritually bring the candidate into the Order of the Golden
Dawn as well as to the Light. This is not unlike Edinger's explanation in Ego and
Archetype of the circular development of the ego-Self axis of which the anima may be
the bridge. The "Night" is the unconscious, and the "Day" increased consciousness.
Edinger refers to an alternating process of ego-Self separation and ego-Self union as a
spiral-like psychological development throughout all of life. Whereas this is natural
to the human condition, the system of the Golden Dawn acts as a precise catalytic agent
which accelerates this growth toward Soul much as a "hot house" or "grow light" influen-
ces the quality and development of plant growth. One may ask why the necessity for
"acceleration." Considering the world's current political arena and that we are no
longer, in a deeper reality, separate nations but a worldwide community, as much
"consciousness"as possible is gravely necessary unto the very survival of our planet.
Additionally, what with pervasive technological implementation, we also must estab-
lish and maintain connection with the instinctual, transpersonal, and powerfully
"rooted"experience of the deeper layers of the unconscious. And for this, the Golden
Dawn provides its wonderous reservoir of symbol, sacrament, and ceremonial.
It is important to establish that Israel Regardie did not look upon the Golden
Dawn system as an abstruse or interesting "occult" oddity of the turn of this last cen-
tury. In his initial introduction for the first publication of this book in the late nineteen
thirties he writes, "It is for this reason that I hold that the Golden Dawn magic, the
technique of initiation, is of supreme and inestimable importance to mankind at large.
In it the work of academic psychology may 5nd a logical conclusion and fruition, so
that it may develop further its own particular contribution to modern life and culture.
For this psycho-magical technique of ceremonial initiation indicates the solution of
the 'anima' problem. 'Arise! Shine! For thy light is come!' " And Regardie unreser-
vedly maintained this position until his death in 1985.
Thinking through and fully understanding the usage of such terms as "occult" or
"magic" apart from their historically negative or even lurid connotations is fun-
damental. The association of these words with "black" magic or Satanism has uniform-
ly been the result of hysteria, narcissistic theatrics, capitalization by the media, or
psychosis. To truly explore the "dark arts" (or in other words, apprehend the arche-
type of the shadow) through systematic ritual work demands not only extraordinary
knowledge, discipline, and training, but a great deal of plain hard work toward which
would-be dabblers never seem inclined. For any of us to integrate our "darkerl'side is
a lifelong and necessary process, buf a process which yields toward a more fullness of Self.
As Edinger comments, "All these aspects of the rejected shadow are equated with the
'King,' which means psychologically that acceptance of the shadow and compassion
xvii
for the inferior manare equivalent to acceptance of the Self."The masses have projec-
ted (and not integrated) their shadow from the witch burnings of Salem to con-
gressional hearings on censorship of lyrics in rock music. The"occu1t"means nothing
more than the study of what is "hidden" beyond the perception of the five senses.
Electricity could be construed as an "occult"force, and indeed to primitive man (as it
manifested as an electrical storm) who partook of the mysterious since this was
beyond the bounds of the ordinary. But electricity is no longer a "magical" force, for
modern man has understood and harnessed it. So too, there are other forces beyond
electricity and even nuclear power awaiting their further discovery and definition by
man. And as Crowley articulated, "magic"means creating change through conscious-
ness at will. The alchemist preceded the chemist, the astrologer the astronomer. And
the Magician is a threshold to an inner frontier which encompasses the limitless possibilities of
the manifested and unknown universe as being contained, dormant, but inevitably actualized
"within" the psyche.
There is no better explanation of the structure, function, and basic concepts of
the Golden Dawn system than in Regardie's introduction to the original edition of
this book contained herein. This extensive and clarifying narrative demands reread-
ing again and again. The Golden Dawn is a "system" of discovering, dialoguing, and
even negotiating with the collective unconscious and is not a religion, philosophy or
even a cult. As the candidate is about to take the obligation of the Neophyte, the
Hierophant assures him or her that, "There is nothing contrary to your civil, moral, or
religious duties in this Obligation." Furthermore, the Hierophant reminds the can-
didate to respect all religions, for each contains a spark of the divine.
The key theme in both the Neophyte Grade and the ritual of Adeptus Minor is
that of being brought to the Light. This Light is also referred to as L.V.X. In the introduc-
tion to Volumes 111 and IV of The Golden Dawn, Regardie's excellent analysis of the
keyword (I.N.R.I.) and subsequent gematric correspondences and conclusions will
bear fruit from continued study and meditation regarding this Light. But a true "se-
cret" of the entire system is that this Light is not a metaphysical or philosophically
speculative construct meaning grace, spirituality, or healing (although the Light does
bring all of these) but is an ACTUAL FORCE which although independent of egoic man can
be generated by man through the use of his consciousness to bring about CHANGE AT
WILL!
Although the so-called "new" physics has begun to come closer with any variety
of theoretical models for this "force," the brilliant work of Fred Alan Wolf in such
books as Star Wave has come closest to explaining L.V.X. and the paradigmatic raison
d'etre for not only what the Golden Dawn is based upon, but why it "works"!
Wolf's work echoes Regardie's intuitive leap of fifty years ago when Regardie felt
(as in the above quotation) that psychology would find its "logical conclusion and
fruition" within the Golden Dawn system! Although Wolf makes no reference to the
Golden Dawn or L.V.X. per se, he has dealt a death knell to a classical physics model of
psychological theory while a quantum mechanics model has been astoundingly and
secretly kerneled within the profound symbology and initiatory technique of the
Golden Dawn system for countless years! To quote Wolf, "It is my dream that quan-
tum physics will bridge the gap between science and mysticism. As such it must lead
thinkers and researchers to a new view of human behavior. B.F. Skinner was not so
wrong in attempting to deal with behavior scientifically, but he was the Newton of
behaviorists. We now search for the Einstein and the Bohr of human behavior to
develop the quantum model of human beings."
L.V.X. is generated in a number of ways and these are through ceremonial magic,
the Middle Pillar technique, the Vibratory Formula of the Middle Pillar, and the
Opening by Watchtower. Although Regardie published a progressive ritualuse of the
Opening by Watchtower in Ceremonial Magic, I would advise the beginning student to
leave this particular ceremony strictly alone until he or she felt well within the
initiatory containment and safety of the Second Order either through personal work
xviii
or within an initiatory group. (Later in this introduction I will offer suggestions for
the individual to plan a safe and successful approach to this Work overall.) This
Light knows no moral or conscionable dictate. (Fire can bum your hand as surely as
cook your favorite recipe!) But this is the "holy and formless fire" which either man-
ifests in our external environment through the screen of our disciplined and CON-
SCIOUS image making (Crowley gave great emphasis to developing the
concentrated image making aspect of consciousness) as well as through the auto-
matic UNCONSCIOUS complexes of our personalities. And hence Regardie
insisted upon some form of psychotherapeutic work once the unconscious had been
activated by the ritual work since it was unlikely that the Neophyte had yet even
knowledge of the possibility of control of image building with consciousness and
what effect this could have on the personal life, let alone the discipline to imple-
ment it. The Neophyte was equally unlikely to be aware of the "sleeping dogs" (to
use a phrase of Blavatsky's) or unconscious complexes of the personality and how
those unknown parts of ourselves influence our lives.
This brings us to a discussion of "initiation." Initiation means "beginning" and
if performed effectively, brings the candidate to an entirely new threshold and
phase of experience. Initiation in itself does not bring "happiness" or "wishes come
true." It is a starting point for difficult personal work ahead, and once the symbols
are activated within the sphere of the candidate, it can mean many months, even
years of difficult inward personal labor from one Grade to the next. The INNER
completion of a ritual Grade does in fact bring a new awareness, more personal free-
dom from automatic parts of oneself, increased control over conscious image build-
ing, and a greater power, but with most of us this is usually hard won and painful.
As to who is capable of initiating, the question of "succession" or "lineage" or the
"transfer of power" has been debated for years regarding its pros and cons. Ulti-
mately, the only person who can truly initiate another is one who has not only done
the work pertaining to the particular Grade, but for the complete Order into which
he or she initiates someone else. Unless the totality of the symbols is within the
sphere of sensation of the initiator, little will be activated within the candidate and
the ritual will be shallow the theatrics. As Jung wrote in a foreword to a book of
Michael Fordham's "The treatment of the transference reveals in a pitiless light
what the healing agent really is: it is the degree to which the analyst himself can
cope with his own psychic problems." Just as the analyst can no more guide an
analysand through territory he or she never struggled with or confronted within
him or herself, so too the initiator's effectiveness rests upon how well he or she has
built the "Temple not made with hands" within his or her own psyche.
In the late 1960s, the seeds of my destiny were actively fertilized toward what I
much later understood as my personal "dance" with the unconscious, the process of
magical initiation, the Golden Dawn system, and the Western Mystery Tradition. In
the earlier part of 1969, I had had a brief, albeit intoxicating, exposure to Jungian
analysis in San Francisco. In the latter part of 1969, by way of a powerful and
unusual synchronicity, I had been told about a Los Angeles organization called
Builders of the Adytum which had been founded by Paul Foster Case (who I was to
much later find out had been a participant in a Golden Dawn Temple of the earlier
1900s). It took a full year for these connections to ripen before I embarked upon
Case's excellent correspondence lessons in a committed way. His work introduced
me to an exciting and enriching world of the symbolism of Tarot, Qabalah, and
basic ritual. These lessons provided me with a solid foundation which has played a
significant part in my magical career ever since.
In that first year, I had a profound sense of a sudden major change of conscious-
ness which manifested as frequent mystical-like experiences and a daily and perva-
sive "feeling" of numinosity regarding my experience of life around and within me.
As I look back on my early journal entries during this year, on the surface they
appear naive, almost child-like as to the extent of a new found trust in the transper-
sonal and a "sweetness" and joy with life. This was not unlike what Regardie had
referred to in The Eye And The Triangle as the "awakening" which comes unbidden and
cannot be determined by good works, conscious wishes, or the best of intentions. My
former way of experiencing life was over and behind me. I had truly become a fresh
inquisitive Child of the Universe. I enjoyed this upwelling type of experience almost
daily for at least a year as an infant enjoys suckling the warm nourishing breast. But
the Child was to grow into greater consciousness and Light, and although the Child
leads with delight, sparkle, and vivaciousness; responsibility, hard work, and even
the pain of struggle and loss are inevitable once psychic contact with the gods pre-
sents the challenge toward further consciousness and inner growth beyond the safety
of womb, new birth and breast.
In the fall of 1971, I had "accidentally" noticed a copy of Llewellyn's then current
edition of Regardie's The Golden Dawn in a bookstore. I perused these books with a
combination of awe, confusion, and reverence. The material was abstruse, and I
remember while looking through its pages that I had a fleeting moment of fear (an
Alice falling down the rabbit hole!!) as well as a sense of recognition, and realization
that this information would thoroughly upset my current constructs of viewing life.
My "rational" side felt ready for a fall! I left the books remaining on the store
shelf!
Over the next several weeks, Regardie's writing became intensely more visible
to me through any variety of additional "accidents." In early October, without my
-
-
requesting, a stranger spbntaneously gave me Regardie's tklephone number and
encouraged me to contact him. I spoke with Reaardie for the first time on October 9,
1971. I &ote in my journal simpli that day "I seek Initiation." I wrote further, "How
sweet the Rose." I had virtually no idea at the time how powerful these simple words,
their meaning, and the images they engendered were to become for me over the next
15 years! On the evening of October 20, 1971 I had had my most powerful and
perhaps last mystical experience of this earlier period. While meditating on the Tarot
Trump, "The Hermit," I was aware of a separate "consciousness" other than my own
which I sensed clearly communicating the following via an inner awareness: "Come!
Join Me at the Summit, and we shall watch the Dawn come upon us before others
even know the Hour of Awakening is at hand. Run! Hurry! So that you too might sing
with Me and rejoice in the Morning Light!" Two days later I sat opposite Regardie in
his office in Studio City, California. I was 25 years of age, and I knew absolutely noth-
ing about the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn!
I knew that Regardie had been practicing as a Reichian therapist at that time and
my initial meeting with him was for purposes of introducing myself, inquiring about
Reichian technique, and exploring with him why he felt psychotherapy was of such
importance along with a magical regimen. I was too shy to venture any serious ques-
tions about the nature of magic, and the few I hinted toward he avoided completely.
Midway through my time with him, he had me read aloud from Light On The Path by
Mabel ~ollins.'klthbu~h
a lengthy passage, it is well worth quotinihere since it givis
the student the first inkling of the personal Genius or more poetically, the Holy Guar-
dian Angel.
Stand aside in the coming baffle, and though thou fightest be not thou the warrior. Look for
the warrior and let him fight in thee. Take his orders for baffle and obey them. Obey him not as
though he were ageneral, but as though he were thyself and his spoken words were the utterance
of thy secretdesires; for he is thyself, yet infinitely wiserandstrongerthan thyself. Lookfor him,
else in the fever and hurry of the fight thou mayest pass him; and he will not know thee unless
thou knowest him. If thy cry reach his listeningear then will hefight in thee andfill thedull void
within. And if this is so, then canst thougo through thefight cool and unwearied, standingaside
and letting him baffle for thee. Then it will be impossible for thee to strike one blow amiss. But if
thou look not for him, if thou pass him by, then there is no safeguard for thee. Thy brain will reel,
XX
hard work, and even
remaining on the store
I :
X ! quoting here since it gives
r
.re poetically, theHoly Guar-
:
rr not thou the warrior. Look for
2nd obey them. Obey him not as
._i r %ken words were the utterance
.-.ntger
than thyself. Look for him,
-
id he will not know thee unless
-;
lght in thee andfill thedull void
. -.>: and unwearied, standingaside
-
--if to strike one blow amiss. But if
~
<
~
~
r
d
forthee. Thy brain will reel,
thy heartgrow uncertain, and in thedust of the battlefield thy sight and senses will fail, and thou
wilt not know thy friends from thy emenies.
He is thyself, yet thou artfinite and liable to error. He is eternal and is sure. He is eternal
truth. When once he has entered thee and become thy warrior, he will never utterly desert thee,
and at the day of the great peace he will become one with fhee.
I entered into Reichian therapy with Regardie for a period of approximately two
years. Apart from Reich's method of therapy, he also incorporated some basic prana-
yama yoga techniques and chiropractic adjustments. But he also occasionally worked
at activating one chakra located below my breastbone and above my solar plexus
which on the Tree of Life would correspond to Tiphareth. Within a brief time, I felt the
"streamings" referred to by Reich in his writings and others who have experienced
this kind of therapeutic work. But the experience of this particular chakra being
activated was beyond description! On one occasion I experienced an actual glowing,
pulsating sphere within the center of my body which felt like an electrified tennis
ball!
Years later, however, I am convinced that this kind of occurrence was not just the
result of Regardie's success as a good Reichian therapist, but also due to many years of
his own dedicated work with the Middle Pillar technique which he frequently
referred to as the "sine qua non" of all magical work. In other words, Regardie was
able, by a kind of process of induction, to begin to open me up to the entrance of
powerful healing creative energy from profoundly deep reservoirs of the uncon-
scious (and in the absence of verbal therapy!). Wilhelm Reich had called this energy
"orgone" and, in his opinion, it is what numberless generations before revered and
worshipped as "God." A Jungian may call this Soul, Self, or "meaning" depending
upon individual interpretation. Or a Freudian may relate to this phenomenon as a
release of libido. But the Magician calls this experience and influx of energy L.V.X. and
with proper training and dedication, is able to release it him or herself WITHOUT
THE AID OF AN OUTSIDE PERSON OR AGENCY!
Regardie had a phenomenal ability in generating this kind of energy quickly and
efficiently. However, once in 1982 he confided to me that if any person worked the
Middle Pillar technique twice daily for a significant period of time, that the same
result would eventually occur. If this daily work were combined with sustained relax-
ation and prolonged rhythmic deep breathing, one could, in effect, become one's OWN
"Hierophant"and trust that one's personal Genius would guide one within the pure
intention of sincere effort.
Several months into my therapeutic work with Regardie, he one day suddenly
placed a copy of Crowley's The Holy Books in my hands. I had read very little of
Crowley at that time. He asked me to open the book at random and suggested that by
doing so, I mught have a more conscious sense of my "Dharma" or destiny. I opened
to the Path of Tav, the Path of Saturn, the Astral plane, and the Path of the uncon-
scious. My "dance" with the inner life, the nonrational and unconscious life has
blessedly unfolded ever since!
My therapy with Regardie ended in 1974 and for the next two years we were
occasionally in contact with each other. I then moved out of the Los Angeles area, and
we maintained a correspondence for several years. Throughout this time, he still con-
tinued to be reticent regarding any discussion of magical matters. In 1979, while I was
experiencing anxiety and an acute depression, he suggested I begin working the
Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram daily for a full year and in complete silence during
that time. The tide had turned, and this was my true entry into practical magic!
In 1981, Regardie gave me a gift of approximately 200 pieces of his lifelong magi-
cal paraphernalia and equipment which is currently in a bank vault and will even-
tually be sent as a gift to the Warburg Institute in London, England for preservation
and future generations to appreciate and experience. At this same time, Regardie had
also made a gft of his practical alchemical equipment to another friend. He had se-
cretly maintained an alchemical laboratory in a garage adjacent his house for nearly 10
xxi
years! Although Regardie's earlier conceptions pertaining to the "Stone of the
Wise" reflected that the alchemical process was one of spiritual transformation,
in the latter years before he died he changed his thinking and did believe in an
actual "philosopher's stone." He had told me about such a Stone where one took
off slight shavings with a sharp knife and mixed them with a small amount of
white wine to be ingested daily. He also had several physicists and mathemati-
cians around the country quietly working toward a scientific solution of the
"Stone of the Wise." This was not an aging man's fantasy attempting to defy
death's inevitability. Metaphorically, this was a Leonardo DaVinci who was
making "intuitive drawings" of his conception of the "flying machine"!
Between 1981 and 1983, I studied magic under Regardie in his home and per-
sonal Temple in Sedona, Arizona. Hundreds of hours of personal instruction, stim-
ulating conversation, practical ritual, magical drill, and warm companionship
replaced his reticence of discussing magical topics ten years before! This time with
him had been a period of true asylum for me, and experiencing the pristine though
primitive atmosphere of his home in Sedona with its "red rock landscapes and
quiet lifestyle contributed to the romantic conception of the "magical retirement."
In the summer of 1983, Regardie and I traveled to Fiji, Australia and New
Zealand for magical as well as personal reasons. His magical career had turned full
circle with his re-connection with the Felkin's legacy in New Zealand, and power-
ful feelings and memories were stirred within him with a disquieting poignancy.
He had once remarked that the "giants" of magic had all died, and while in New
Zealand reflected upon who would continue on with the work he had so carefully
helped to preserve over the past fifty years. In New Zealand, I purchased a novel by
Mary Renault, which I read on the tedious plane ride. Its title proved to be predic-
tive. When Regardie and I returned to the United States, I was never to see him
again. He died two years later. The novel I read was entitled The King Must Die.
Regardie's work and legacy is that he established a bridge from the Victorian
magicians to the modem day inquiring student. But the crucial question is how
does that student approach and benefit from this vast and complex wealth of sym-
bology and ritual without the aid of a guide or the support of a working group.
And more importantly, how does the Golden Dawn system successfully make a
"difference" in the individual's usual way of experiencing life. I am convinced
that by working assiduously, or as Crowley would say "Work. . . Work blindly,
foolishly, misguidedly, it doesn't matter in the end. Work in itself has absolute
virtue" is an essential attitude to be taken toward this work. And hard work it is!
I know of two women who intuitively decided to perform the Neophyte cere-
mony, imagining the roles of the officers while acting as Neophyte. Although
they had no duly installed Hierophant presiding, and may not have understood
the magical formulae underlying their action at the time, the results were remark-
able in terms of their individual magical growth and eventually being linked
with an active Temple.
Upon approaching this book, I would make the following suggestions. For
the first several weeks, read Regardie's introduction to the original
edition contained herein. I would suggest several careful readings since
this gives the student an overview of the history, structure, and function
of not only the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn but of the Great Work itself.
Allow this material to settle deeply into consciousness by reflecting, meditating,
or associating any variety of images or ideas to it. Then I would suggest reading
the First Knowledge Lecture and then immediately begin the task of memorizing
the Hebrew alphabet and its correspondences, both found within the First
I
Knowledge lecture. Within this system, the Hebrew alphabet has no connotation
I
of religion or sect. Its letters are considered "generic" and "holy" symbols-pow-
erful doorways into the inner world-and are not associated with dogma or eso-
I
I
teric religious organization. A convenient way of memorizing these letters is to
I
place them on "flash" cards, not unlike what we have all become acquainted
i
xxii
I
i
-
-- rh a small amount of
,-- :
1, arm companionship
T-=.
before! This time with
z .-ng the pristine though
.-,:
rock" landscapes and
-L career had turned full
51, Zealand, and power-
:
isquieting poignancy.
r2d nze King Must Die.
:-:dge from the Victorian
K- I-7g life. I am convinced
G; 11-ork. . . Work blindly,
I rh in itself has absolute
zrk. And hard work it is!
:<rorm the Neophyte cere-
F
r :
?rentually being linked
&e - lowing suggestions. For
c-
:
-ition to the original
- 5 careful readings since
-.
structure, and function
: -. of the Great Work itself.
-- 7~ reflecting, meditating,
- ,l I would suggest reading
:rn the task of memorizing
found within the First
i -.?abet has no connotation
,_ a 1 il "holy" symbols-pow-
2,-1.1ated with dogma or eso-
mr r =~arizing
these letters is to
ri - 2 . 2 all become acquainted
with in elementary school or in foreign language courses as a means of acquiring
vocabulary.
The next step is to acquire a notebook of some kind and begin a magical journal
which must be kept daily, even if it is only to quickly jot down that no work was
accomplished on a given day or that one was ill. I have heard so many excuses
throughout the years that journal keeping is cumbersome, purposeless, or simply not
convenient, but the journal is essential. Not only is it a means of keeping track of one's
progress, but it becomes the means for an active dialogue with the h e r world and
one's unconscious. The way in which a journal is kept can be as varied as is appro-
priate to any one personality, but apart from the date and time and a record of one's
magical work; dreams, fantasies, body sensations, events of the day, synchronicities,
astrological aspects and transits, and spontaneous imagery can all be incorporated at
the choice of the student.
At this point, I would suggest the student make a full year's commitment to per-
forming the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram twice a day. And this should be done
with a vow to silence, meaning that one does not discuss one's personal work with
friends, even if they be of likernindedness. The purpose of this is to begin building
with "thought," that is, by paying "attention" to a particular system of symbols they
are then "built" within the "sphere of sensation" or aura much as a sculptor creates
with clay. The Astral Light as termed by French occultist Eliphas Levi (Louis Al-
phonse Constant) is malleable by FOCUSED and CONCENTRATED thought! The
symbols thus created within the aura act as doorways for healing, inspiration, protec-
tion, and guidance and prevent emotional and psychological contagion. How many
of us have felt depleted by being around a depressed person or otherwise influenced
by a negative environment.
Using the description of this ritual in the First Knowledge lecture as a guide, with
right hand at full extension straight ahead, the Banishing Pentagram begins just
opposite the left hip tracing a large inverted 'Y" down to the right hip crossing up to
and outwards from the left shoulder, over to the right shoulder, and then most impor-
tantly reconnectingat the starting point. The dagger is never lowered and also traces a
circle connecting each pentagram. The tracing is imagined as blue flame flecked with
gold, not unlike a gas flame. The four archangels are imagined as towering figures
which bring a refreshing Air from the East, cleansing Water from the West, purifying
Fire from the South, and Earth as a stabilizer in perseverance from the North. The
ritual is performed without expecting results, change, or power, but quietly per-
severed in for a full year while carefully noting how it affects the personality and outer
life. Ideally, the ritual should be performed in the same location apart from the gaze of
others, and if possible, in a place set apart from day to day interference.
At this point, I would then suggest the student read the Neophyte Ritual slowly,
carefully, and contemplatively over the period of at least a month while still maintain-
ing daily devotion to the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and persevering in the
memorization work discussed above. It is within this ritual that are the formulae for
future practical magical operations as well as it being the engine whereby the can-
didate is brought to the Light. The importance of this ritual cannot be emphasized
enough, not only in its content, but in the movements and identities of the officers as
well as a kind of "glamour" that is created by a number of the speeches. Although the
style of writing is at times oblique, this is not only a ritual to be understood in terms of
its content, but to be additionally "experienced" devoid of rational explanation of
content! And the writing style facilitates this greatly. Toward the end of this month,
the student may wish to add the Neovhvte meditation which also is contained within
the ~ i r s t
~ n o w i e d ~ e
lecture. ~lthoug'h ~ e ~ a r d i e
was never
attracted to or
impressed by these simple meditations at the end of each Knowledge Lecture, I have
-
found them of immense value.
This then is a suggested schema for approaching each of the elemental rituals
and Knowledge Lectures in the Outer Order that follow the Neophyte Ritual. The
xxiii
elemental rituals have been criticized from a variety of courts as to their superfi-
ciality or continued maintenance of Victorian occult "claptrap." Nothing could be
further from the truth! Anyone who would make such allegations has not expe-
rienced these rituals in full Temple again and again and seen their worth, stimu-
lating possibility and enduring freshness. If the student would persevere slowly
and with discipline in the above for at least six months, a very firm foundation
would be laid indeed! At that point, a study of the Inner Order rituals and the
material of Books Four, Five, and Six will not only be easier to comprehend, but
a fertile inner "soil" within the psyche will have been well prepared for the plant-
ing of powerful inner life generating seeds. At this point the student should
begin to pay persistent attention to the " Z documents, appreciating that a life-
time will never exhaust their amazing wealth of possibilities and inspiration.
Finally, echoing Regardie's earlier warning, and a fair warning it is, the Enochi-
an system of magic should be left strictly alone until one has left no other stone
unturned in this book to the point where every correspondence is memorized,
every technique understood, and every ritual experienced.
The above suggestions presuppose that the student will be working alone,
and working alone can be a very effective way to approach one's Holy Guardian
Angel or personal Genius through attention to this inner awareness, inspiration,
and guidance. The "Right" persons or situation will automatically be available
for the individual as he or she is ready for them, as in the often quoted occult
aphorism, paraphrased: when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. SO
there should be a relaxed attitude toward persisting in the work and knowing
that one is guided in spite of oneself! However, the student may eventually be
brought into contact with a group and the following are important issues to
reflect upon. ALL groups have a hierarchy or "pecking" order even if this may be
heatedly denied by the group. Regardie felt that the Golden Dawn system was
particularly effective in activating the darker or unknown parts of each member.
While this may be true, it has been my observation that ANY group (be it even
most benign and well-intentioned in its purpose) still grapples with projections
of all kinds and ultimately with the issue of POWER! A talented and creative
professor of mine once commented to me several years ago that the next great
frontier for psychological research (beyond the current fascination with sex
roles) was power! Participation in group effort automatically calls for multiple
parental and sibling projections and each person's genetic material comes into
play. The student's only safeguard in these situations is "consciousness," which
is not easily come by! Regardie felt the only way for these conflicts to be worked
through was for the individual to be in psychotherapy in tandem with magical
work. His adamant insistence upon this is something to be seriously examined.
While driving back to his home from Flagstaff, Arizona one day through a
tentative drizzling rain, Regardie had confided to me that it had taken him about
seven years to recover from his breach with Crowley. At some point, Dion For-
tune had offered him rest and asylum in her country home in the neighborhood
of Glastonbury in England. There the younger Regardie went to heal and plan
his life further. Fortune was fascinated by this "new" brand of self-exploration
called Freudian "analysis" and even went so far as to engage in being (what was
then called) a "lay" analyst. This term meant that the analyst was not bound by
the training, educational, or licensure restrictions which were adopted in the
United States sometime after World War 11, but instead studied privately under
a mentor who more often than not was one's own analyst. I would speculate that
Fortune was a significant influence on Regardie at that time in terms of aiding
him toward a different kind of explanation of the chaos and abandonment he
had been experiencing up to that point as well as helping him to forage an
expanded understanding of the future direction of his life within the contain-
ment of his interests in magic and mysticism.
Regardie experienced Jungian analysis in London and Reichian therapy later in
New York City. While he maintained a profound respect for Jung's theoretical con-
cepts, he felt that Reichian technique was infinitely more effective than free associa-
xxiv
; 5 rs their superfi-
r '.;?thing could be
, .. 1 ~ 3
has not expe-
jii-i- :-.sir worth, stimu-
~ b . I - 1 zersevere slowly
. .5rm foundation
.
T 1
:
:
rituals and the
.I_- r : xmprehend, but
- = _ ,_ed for the plant-
;:
- %? student should
,_
- .,,iating that a life-
- I x ~ s
and inspiration.
,
-. -7% it is, the Enochi-
- - ~i :eft no other stone
I - l n c e is memorized,
-
- -
-
~ .. . .
....
