Making a Self-initiation Ceremony

[Samuel]

It has been some time since I have read the ciceros book, and had somehow thought that theywere suggesting all of the Lamens be painted in black and white.
Why do they suggest that the visualized images of the officers be in black and white?

The primary reason is for ease of visualization. Learning to build up the images of the Officer Godforms is one of those difficult tasks, so the easier the better. There are also specific energies associated with the godforms, particularly when in their appropriate colors, and I think that the Ciceros were using the black and white images as basic forms for general energies relating to the officer role.

Of course meditating on the images of the godfoms (either in color or black and white) is a help to connecting to the energies associated with the officers. Same for their lamens, regalia, and implements. This can be a plus for doing self-initiation.

In LVX,
Samuel

[aeternitas]

Of course meditating on the images of the godfoms (either in color or black and white) is a help to connecting to the energies associated with the officers. Same for their lamens, regalia, and implements. This can be a plus for doing self-initiation.

I agree with that as well. I also,think the god forms are one of the most difficult of things for the Neophyte to comprehend. There is also a lot of confusion about things such as the correct colors attributed to the god forms, the correct names as understood by modern Egyptology etc.

[Samuel]

While "Modern" Egyptology is fine, it may not exactly fit in with connecting with the GD current. The god names could of course be compared and studied -perhaps deriving some insights.

If a person were going to use the GD godforms for SI work, then I think they should be used as is - no modification, and of course the use of the godforms necessitates the use of the proper lamens in SI work. One of the reasons that the Ciceros include both in their method.

In LVX,
Samuel

[Sincerus Renatus]

Carete Fratres et Sorores,

In my opinion self-initiation may never be made to be a substitution for Real Temple Initiation. But it is the second best option if you want to spiritually emulate states of consciousness which approximate that of Temple Initiation.

I believe the approach to perform the actual initiation ceremonies from Regardie's books solitary is a bad way to approach this. Even though G.D. initiation rituals may be performed by less officers than the required per the ritual instructions, and thus modified to suit the numer of Officers, it aways must at least have a initiator for it to be a real Temple Initiation. Thus in classical G.D. (and R+C) initiation, the initiate needs the initiatior (the "other").

But this aside, there is lot a solitary magician can do to approach the G.D. current.

With self-initiation I would recommend a simple approach:

1. Invokation of the forces attributed to the Sephiroth in succession.

2. This is to be combined with pathworkings in a similar style of the one's presented in Ashcroft-Nowicki's The Shining Paths, but re-written to better incorporate the journey made by the candidate through each path of the G.D. Vital ritual components from the actual initiation ceremonies may (and should) be integrated with this, for example a solitary version of the openings and closings of the Grades, and some important (but simplified) movements done to emulate the ritual drama of the initiation ritual. But the emphasis should be made on the astral vision and inner journey.

The combined use of ritual invocation and this kind of path working rituals may create a spiritual environment which may elevate the soul to a level approximating what is supposed to happen in an Real Temple Initiation. In rare instances it may even make someone a "Practicus" or "Adeptus Minor", but perhaps not valid in a Order context. If you want peer recognition, traditional Temple initiation is the only way to go.

But there is more to Temple initiation than mere peer recognition. But that is another story worth of its own thread.

In Licht, Leben und Liebe
S:.R:.

[Sincerus Renatus]

An Initiation must meet three criteria to be considered successful. There must be a physical component which causes a physical reaction with the Candidate, there must be an astral component that also has an astral reaction or effect on the Candidate, and finally there needs to be an Etheric element which has an effect upon the Candidate. At no time in the use of the Opening of the Watchtower do all three of these take place - even over a long period of time.

How very true. But these three criteria is also at work in all forms of Ceremonial Magic and Theurgy (or at least should). There is the physical movement and direct manipulation of nerve current and prana, then there is the energetic manipulation of the etherical double or Sphere of Sensation, and then there is the emotional and spiritual (i.e. astral) impact. In ritual magic, of which initiation is a part, the focus lies in the physical and energetic bodies (Sphere of Sensation) and in the transmission of magical current, but also has a profound spiritual and emotion effect because of this current and especially the ritual drama.

Thus in self-initiation you have to combine ritual magic and energy manipuation with inner visionary work.

In Licht, Leben und Liebe
S:.R:.

[Sincerus Renatus]

And even if we were to accept the Opening by Watchtower in place of the elemental grades, what would you do for Neophyte? And what about Portal and Adeptus Minor, etc?

I belive that even Regardie didn't believe it was possible to self-initiate into the 5=6.

I have yet to see anyone here say self-initiation is impossible or invalid - what is being said is that your approach to it simply will not work. It might make a magician, but it won't make a GD initiate.

I don't believe it's possible to become a G.D. initiate simply by self-initiation. The G.D. tradition sets its own criteria of who is considered to be initiate and who is not. It plainly says that you need a initiator to become initiated. Compare with Freemasonry. You will never become a Freemason just by performing the Blue Lodge grades solo.

However, you may become a Golden Dawn Magician, i.e. a Ceremonial Magician who works within the Golden Dawn tradition.

In Licht, Leben und Liebe
S:.R:.

[non sum qualis eram]

I don't believe it's possible to become a G.D. initiate simply by self-initiation. The G.D. tradition sets its own criteria of who is considered to be initiate and who is not. It plainly says that you need a initiator to become initiated. Compare with Freemasonry. You will never become a Freemason just by performing the Blue Lodge grades solo.

However, you may become a Golden Dawn Magician, i.e. a Ceremonial Magician who works within the Golden Dawn tradition.

In Licht, Leben und Liebe
S:.R:.

I agree with this. It really makes sense that you won't be part of a lodge system without being part of that lodge.
And I also agree with the last statement about being a Magician working in the G.D. current or at least working in the G.D. tradition.

[Sincerus Renatus]

Carete Fratres et Sorores,

Regarding Regardie's recommendation to use the Watchtower Ritual as a substitute to the Elemental Grades, I agree that it was a bad recommendation, but in my opinion not because of the actual Elemental forces being invoked toghether per se but because of the innate 5=6 nature of that ritual. So properly speaking the Watchtower Ritual may be regarded to be a self initiation ritual into the 5=6 more than to the Elemental Grades. For the Elemental Grades self-initiations I would recommend the use of the Greater Pentagram Rituals (meaning the use of the individual Pentagrams from the Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram) as these are used by the Hierophant. Even if the actual use of these Pentagrams used to be reserved for the Adepti Minori, the self-initiate must take the role of the Hierophant himself, hence he must himself perform them.

Also, to ingrain and activate (in the Sphre of Sensation) the different diagrams used throughout the rituals one should regularily meditate upon them.

Still i hold that performance of these Pentagram Rituals and meditation on diagrams doesn't make you a G.D. initiate. It however may make you a initiate of the Sephirah according to the Rosicrucian system of initiation according to the Tree of Life which would make the self-initiate the equivalent of that Grade held by a G.D. initiate. That is not so bad in my opinion. Why should one even consider to be or call himself a G.D. initite if no being initiated by the G.D.?

A last observation. Who in the G.D. cannot (or mustn't) be a self-initiate to properly activate the current? I mean, even if you have the privilige to be a member of a G.D. Temple, going through all initiations in the traditional fashion, this won't necessarily make you a part of a Grade spiritually speaking just like that. It takes hard work on your own to reach a Grade. Initiation means "to start", i.e. to initiate a process of unfoldment. To properly unfold the initiate has to work with spiritual excercises and rituals himself. I hold that in a optimal situation to belong to a Grade means that a process is alive which has been initiatied by the advancement ceremony and ends with becoming attained of that Grade (by individual hard work) just prior to taking your next advancement.

In Licht, Leben und Liebe
S:.R:.

[Frater Yechidah]

How very true. But these three criteria is also at work in all forms of Ceremonial Magic and Theurgy (or at least should). There is the physical movement and direct manipulation of nerve current and prana, then there is the energetic manipulation of the etherical double or Sphere of Sensation, and then there is the emotional and spiritual (i.e. astral) impact. In ritual magic, of which initiation is a part, the focus lies in the physical and energetic bodies (Sphere of Sensation) and in the transmission of magical current, but also has a profound spiritual and emotion effect because of this current and especially the ritual drama.

Thus in self-initiation you have to combine ritual magic and energy manipuation with inner visionary work.

In Licht, Leben und Liebe
S:.R:.

Yes, but that really does exclude the suggestion made by Aeternitas to go through the ritual purely on the astral without the physical counterparts.

And, of course, you can't LRP your way to Adeptus Minor (or higher), even though that also contains a physical counterpart. There's much more going on in the initiations than that, so all of these things need to be included in a self-initiatory version. The problem is that it's very difficult for a self-initiate to devise the material they need that might be as close as possible to the "real thing" - it would be much more likely to be successful if a current Adept devised it for them. This is one of the reasons why options like those given by the Ciceros and Greer are more viable.

LVX,
Dean.

[Frater Yechidah]

I don't believe it's possible to become a G.D. initiate simply by self-initiation. The G.D. tradition sets its own criteria of who is considered to be initiate and who is not. It plainly says that you need a initiator to become initiated. Compare with Freemasonry. You will never become a Freemason just by performing the Blue Lodge grades solo.

However, you may become a Golden Dawn Magician, i.e. a Ceremonial Magician who works within the Golden Dawn tradition

Yes, because the GD began as an Order as opposed to a "movement" and required physical initiation into it. This practice is continued today, even though there are now multiple Orders to choose from. You cannot self-initiate into an Order. "Initiation" into the tradition is viable, however, and is the subject of this discussion, even if many GDers would qualify the use of the term "initiate" in this regard.

LVX,
Dean.