Thelemic Golden Dawn

If one decides on an initiatory path, choosing an order is a serious decision. I dabbled in western Qabalah for more than a decade before I decided to pursue it on a practical level. I've always had a tremendous respect for the Golden Dawn as a crucible for the modern Western Hermetic Tradition. Yet, I'd read more Crowley than any other mystic, and Crowley's works always had a very no-nonsense approach to the occult, separating the essential, the essence of the matter, from the ornamental.

When I felt it was time to seek initiation with an order, I began my research. I visited some sites and chat rooms for the Golden Dawn. What I found was a sophomoric battle between Golden Dawn Orders, as to which one was the "true" Golden Dawn. There's the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Authentic Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, and so on. There seemed to be a raging battle as to who was in contact with the Secret Chiefs of the order, and much name calling to boot. It felt like a trip back to high school, and it turned me off to the GD. Of course, the TGD makes it's it's own claims to GD heritage, but there is there is nothing to prove, defend, or convince. Do what thou wilt...

I'd once checked out a B.O.T.A. meeting in N.Y.C., Case's Book of tokens deserves much respect, but the impression I got from that meeting was of pretensions occultists, who discussed the Tarot on a fairly academic level and had a very high and holy air about them. I don't know if it was NYC, the people I happened to speak with, or maybe I was seeing it with the wrong eyes, but it didn't resonate with me. Then there's the O.T.O.

Besides the Book of the Law, Crowley's main contribution and the focus his order, the O.T.O, is a combination of Eastern Tantric practices, Western Hermeticism, and Thelema. The sexual component of the O.T.O didn't really appeal to me, and would have certainly interfered with my engagement to my fiance. I have a lot of respect for the O.T.O., and will eventually attend a Gnostic Mass at the Denver Temple, but the O.T.O. was not my Order.

Despite the OTO's appeal, the Law of Liberty always spoke to me, even if some of the passages in the Book of the Law do tend to go against my grain. The central commandment, Do what thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law, Love is the Law, Love under Will, truly reasonates with my being, and Thelemites must all come to their own interpretation of, and relationship with the Book of the Law. I began to seach for a Golden Dawn style Order, which followed the Law of the New Aeon, and sure enough there was the TGD. All of the rituals were published on the website, you could self-initiate, or contact a Sanctuary for a formal initiation. There were no membership fees, and the brother who turned out to be the head of my sanctuary was friendly, helpful and always available. No pretension, no slight of hand, and everything was on the table. The second I found the TGD, it all clicked and the pieces fell into place. I felt immediately at home with the system, the order, and my mentor.

I don't mean to say anything bad about other orders. My experiences are mine and I do not pretend they are "truth" on any objective level. I may have caught some at a bad time, but my experiences did lead me to my order. All we have to trust is our own inner voice, we must listen to it and go where our Will leads us. Every man and woman is a star... 93 93/93

The word of sin is restriction. O Man! Refuse not thy wife, if she will! O Lover, if thou wilt, depart! There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse. Accursed! Accursed be it to the Aeons! Hell.

Let it be that state of manyhood bound and loathing. So with thy all; thou hast no right but to do thy will.

Do that, and no other shall say nay.

Liber AL Vel Legis, I: 41-43