The Eternal Neophyte

I love being a Neophyte.

Simply because I have the opportunity to look blankly at people and then encouraging them and others around me to expound their knowledge and display their skills and experience, which is, and will always be, a whole lot deeper and experiential than I possess right now.

Not because I think I am a bad occultist or enjoy putting myself down, but because I am truly blessed to be in an Order that consists of individuals who have spent a considerable part of their lives not only as Golden Dawn people, but generally engaged in Magic and Occult studies. None of them have really sat me down and 'explained' how awesome they are to me. I didn't receive a dossier on each member with their qualifications, lineages and "power levels". There is no required reading list of their books or publications. I have had to talk to other members of the Order and infer from conversations the depth and breadth of their skill and experience. I have had to be in rituals, have deep experiences and magical experiences to try to understand their skills and expertise. I actually am really intimidated by some of the members of my Order, as well as their associates and other work they do. For example; one of my co-members is a 30 year plus leader of their community, one is an internationally recognised authority on the Golden Dawn and yet another is an internationally derided pagan troll!

They are nothing but generous with their time and thoughts, the things I have brought to the table will hopefully help their practice and build our Golden Dawn Order up and promote it's stability and longevity.

I have approximately 16 years of occult experience (not sure how much I have really, this is a guess and discounts everything up till the age of 21, teen angst and all that. From 21, I was more systematic). As an occultist I started with reading and exploring religious thought outside my Catholic upbringing, working with Saints and eventually entering into Freemasonry and finally initiation into occult orders. I have been a Freemason for over 14 years and I am now in the sad position of seeing many of my amazing mentors and Brothers passing to the Grand Lodge above. While they may not have been interested in Esoteric Freemasonry as far as I knew (they may have been, but were probably more discrete than I) but they gave me a firm foundation on which to build my magical practice.

Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth; Faith, Hope and Charity; Beauty, Strength and Wisdom.

???? ??? ????

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah"...."GASP"


"Wait, you're serious?"


"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH"


"I just, wow, that is... wow..."

What is this dry bone?

I had a wonderful conversation with my wife the other day while we were driving on a family holiday to the beautiful Southern Coast here in Western Australia. The long distances between towns really allows for in depth conversations and exploration of concepts.

This conversation was primarily about what the heck I have been up to with the Magical Order I have joined. My wife is fairly open minded about things and while I am subjected to oaths of secrecy around some of the stuff we do, I was able to describe the general goals of the Order, what is Initiation (that was a long conversation!) and what I have been getting out of it.

Coming out of this discussion was the question on whether I preferred doing Golden Dawn things, or Freemasonry... I answered without hesitation and quite passionately that the GD work was by far the most fulfilling and important to me and my interest in Freemasonry has declined significantly since I have started being a GD person. "Why" was the next question... I have come up with the following:

• While Freemasonry has given me a symbolic language that I have internalised and is part of my being, it feels almost as if the symbolism of the Golden Dawn has replaced the Masonic meanings
• The Golden Dawn utilises and builds on the foundation of Freemasonry well and show a lifelong relationship with Lodge workings and rituals by its Founders
• Freemasonry does not have the 'life' that exists in the Golden Dawn. For example: if I suggested to the senior officers of the Lodge (Master and Wardens) that they should envisage themselves as the legendary figure associated with their office and assume their form (assuming Godforms in Golden Dawn practice), I would be considered batshit crazy
• Lack of connection to HaShem other than empty prayers and references in the ritual. Mechanical and often without feeling; this leads in to;
• Brothers knowing the ritual word perfect, but not knowing the ritual internally, making it part of their being and giving it passion, empty words and sounding like empty promises
• Northern Hemisphere practice with no interest in local conditions. Lodges are hermetically sealed against the local Land and place in space and time
• The Golden Dawn feels more than Freemasonry, there is a much wider range of ritual undertaken, the schema or design of the rituals and how they work together and separately over time and within each other is really special and interesting to research (note. While the other Degrees can also be considered in this light, there is little occult knowledge to be found in them today in Western Australian Freemasonry, this is my personal experience and opinion, which may not reflect others reality
• The members of my Golden Dawn Order understand my desire to unify with HaShem, the drive to the Divine that may be the background goal of Freemasonry, but is not a foremost in the minds of the practitioners of the Rite. 

While I will keep my membership of Freemasonry current and pay my dues, happily, promptly and without an ounce of negative emotion. I feel I may be finally, after all of these years, moving out of Freemasonry and fully into the Golden Dawn.

I will continue to explore my Continental, Sub Rosa Masonic Rite, but 'Blue Lodge' Freemasonry of the Western Australian Constitution has lost my heart.

B"H
Pax,

MvdV

The "New Testament" as fan fiction... A discussion...

Please Note: This is going to be a controversial post and needs to be examined in the context of someone who has a lot of respect for Jesus and his followers (except for those ones, you know who I'm talking about!) and is not trying to bash Christianity or has an agenda against it. It is merely an opportunity to examine the role of appreciation, love of and commitment to the Tanakh ("Old Testament") by Jesus and his Disciples. It is also about identifying and respecting the primacy of the Tanakh to the creation, maintenance and existence of the Jesus movement, then Christianity.

This opinion piece is purely my own perspective, it is not, nor ever will be, linked with any of the organisations I am a member of/related to/affiliated with.

'It is very easy to take a cynical approach to both 'fan fiction' and the Gospels, I try not to take that approach in life. As someone who has worked in and around the Education system for 15 years it is an easy modality to fall into. It is just as easy for people who have changed their religious path to be cynical and highlight the negatives of their former paramour. I would like to approach fan fiction as a genuinely interesting phenomenon. In the modern context, fan fiction is responsible for things such as '50 Shades' and the ongoing Star Trek and Star Wars universes on multiple platforms (gaming, film, fiction, television etc). While many would say that this approach limits imagination and chokes the creation of new ideas; it can be considered an opportunity to use the bare bones of a system to build a new and interesting world, both familiar and new.

In the religious context, this is a challenging world view. Generally, Judaism has significant issues with both the claims and teachings of Christianity. The unity of HaShem cannot be challenged in any way, his uniqueness and 'HaShemness' (to use a terrible descriptor) is a core belief of Judaism throughout the ages ("Behold Yisrael, the Lord is One"). The idea that HaShem is three, and was once a Human is demeaning and insulting to HaShem and Yisrael. Also non negotiable is the fact that Jesus, sorry to say this, was not Moshiach (the Messiah). The Jews have not ingathered to Jerusalem, the Nations have not fallen down and praised Israel; and many of the signs and miracles that are requisite for Moshiach's arrival, are nowhere to be seen. That is, unless you have the ability to look at the Tanakh and retrofit things into it in the form of a "New Testament"... hmmmmm

Much like the Fan Fiction writer looks at a narrative arc and places their own ideas into the existing timeline, the writers of the Gospels and Paul (Saul) had the material to work with and the desire to see their narrative inserted into the Tanakh's context.

Paul was a Greek speaking Jew before his conversion and did not meet Jesus before his Crucifixion. He had an ecstatic vision (which blinded him) while walking on the road to Damascus and he changed from being an ardent oppressor of the 'Jesus Movement' to a passionate supporter of his opinion of what the 'Jesus Movement' was. He squabbled and outright worked against the leadership of the movement based in Jerusalem; James and the other 'physical Apostles' who had followed Jesus before his Crucifixion. Reza, in his exploration of the topic of the Historical Jesus titled 'Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth', strongly identifies the core differences between those who knew Jesus when he was alive, and those after he died. The 'living' apostles were often uneducated men and women, mostly from the Galilee, who understood Jesus's mission in a purely Jewish way. They based themselves in Jerusalem and awaited his immanent arrival there for final Judgement. This group was ultimately destroyed by the Roman destruction of the Temple and depopulation of Jerusalem in 70CE.

The members of the movement who moved around the Diaspora communities, like Paul, were more likely to be Greek speaking and often literate, educated individuals, familiar with the current Greek thoughts flowing around the Empire. If they were slaves or non-citizens, then the chances are that they would have been influenced by their previous ritual lives and experienced a complete paradigm shift. The focus of Christianity on the inner life over outer expressions of their religion, is one that had significant difficulty within the polytheist structure that supported and gave the nutritious teat to Roman society.




I'm posting this now because I'vebeen working on it for 2 years and I cannot be fu#@ed finishing it off. Enjoy if you do etc etc etc

Pax

MvdV

Elie Wiesel Ancestor Work

Stolen from 'Rare View' Blog, sorry Dusiznie!

While by no stretch of the imagination is a first generation, white, lower middle class, Catholic son of a Forgotten Australian and a Dutchwoman from the eastern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia a descendant of the tower of literature that is Elie Wiesel. I would like to remember his pivotal contribution to the examination of the Human Soul that is an outgrowth of his Nobel Prize winning autobiography, "Night". I will work to remember him in my deeds as a Shoah Educator, passionate advocate for Civil and Religious Rights and future Gur.

Vale Elie Wiesel, ancestor.

In memory of his work and the delicious irony that is an American War Office Propaganda film;

"Don't Be a Sucker" was posted by The Magpie Mason recently, and sits perfectly.
Once we are divided, we fall.

I close with the sobering knowledge that over 33,000 Western Australians voted for the Right Wing, Xenophobic 'One Nation' Party in this weekends Senate election; the fourth largest primary vote in the State...

Re-approaching the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram

 

(This is an ironic post. A group I am a member of just did a training session on the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram last week. I started this post in March, 2016).

My personal religious views have changed over the last few years; with this is mind I have decided to re-approach my magical work with my new religious point of view consciously part of the procedure. This has been both confronting and illuminating to my growth.

This post is bitsy and relies on expressing things that are difficult to express. The post is a whole, to be read as parts and whole (if that made sense to you, then the post will work for you).

In particular I have found the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram (LRP) to be a very powerful study of the changes to my magical process. In particular, the power of the names being invoked, my deeper understanding of Hebrew (still terrible though!) and the role that the Spheres, Angels and humans are to play in the Universe as Hashem has decided. The LRP names the forces that are to be invoked and are involved in the ritual. They are not really forces per say, but are part of, and an expression of, Hashem's will to align the universe with Hashem's will.

When pronouncing the Hebrew names of the Archangels; the El at the end of each name is particularly important. El refers to Hashem and denotes the role that each Archangel plays in maintaining creation in alignment with Hashem's will. The flow from this understanding is key to implementing the pentagrams in their side of the ritual space. The first sound of the name is their designation and reason for creation. You link the names of the Archangels to the name of Hashem that is allocated to that direction.

The LRP has an elemental focus that contains an allocation of the cardinal directions with the four Archangels and builds within their forms symbols of the elements. This indicates the importance of working with the elements within Malkuth. The elements make up and are essential to Malkuth as part and whole. Malkuth should not be disdained, but accepted as part of the whole.

Separation of the Archangels from Hashem is impossible, identifying the Archangels as Hashem is impossible, the six rayed star is key...

This is a complex issue, the LRP cannot be ignored for it's importance and relevance to practice. I can see why it was the only magic that members of the original Golden Dawn practised for years in some cases.

Pax,

MvdV

Magic in being Mystical

Hasidism is not traditional Judaism as recorded in the Torah.

It is a system created by the Hasidic revolution that swept across Eastern Europe due to the inspirational and almost Messianic efforts of the Baal Shem Tov, Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760). It was born in a time when Judaism in Eastern Europe was at a low spiritual ebb and needed mystical support.

Ongoing pogroms (Cossack Uprisings 1648-1654) in Russia and violent unrest in Poland, the invasion of the Ottoman Empire of 1672-76 and the ongoing conflict over large areas of Poland by the Russian Empire lead to a chaotic and dangerous time for minorities in Eastern Europe. The influence of local strongmen and vast military campaigns tore up the contract of normality that had existed in Jewish Eastern Europe for over 100 years.

At the same time as this physical danger, spiritually rocking the Jewish world was the failed Messiah and apostasy of Sabbetai Zevi; the Messianic and eventually anti-Jewish movement of Jacob Franks and conflict between different schools of thought over Kabbalah and mysticism during the 17th and 18th Centuries. All of this lead to a chaotic and spiritually draining time for Yisrael in Eastern Europe.

Hasidism is at its core a Ashkenazim movement; as the rest of Yisrael did not experience the same pressures and situations. It is the result of the unique conditions, culture, language and experiences. The most obvious thing that non-Hasidic Jews point out as the difference between Orthodoxy and Hasidism is the role of the Rabbi, or Rebbe as he (always a he!) is called in Yiddish. These men are almost revered as living links to Hashem and provide spiritual, financial, personal and all types of advice to their followers.

One of the core lessons and skills of the Tzaddik's was the telling of profound and intensely deep lessons within the provision of stories. Stories of the activities of the Rebbes, stories of miracles they had performed, lesson they had given and conflicts with the sins of Yisrael. These stories are told, retold and examined for their spiritual and religious lessons. I am currently taking a course in the stories of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov run by his Hasidism. Many of these stories are very complex, many are simple. Some of them can even be as short as a few sentences or chapters in length. I have a number of collected sayings in my library and I'll often spend a lot of time reading through them, trying to find the core of their teachings.

By spending time with the Rebbe's and trying to reconstruct their lives and teachings we are projected into a time where Torah became part of everyday life. Instead of the complex theological and dry debates of the establishment, Hasidism gave ordinary uneducated and poor Jews the opportunity to engage in the bringing of Mosiach and the end of suffering on Earth. Hasidism emphasised the presence of Hashem in the everyday. Simple daily chores and actions became mystical when imbued with the theories and mystical attitudes of the Rebbes, recalling Hashem and dedicating everything to contemplating Hashem. The act of working a field or another trade were thus filled with a mystical power that connected the Jew to Hashem and his plan for the world. Charity was a key, in thought and deed, Joy was another and was the watchword of many Hasids. By joyously following the Halakha and rulings of their Rebbe; Hasids were able to cleave to Hashem in a mystical, almost magical relationship that gave them hope and purpose in life. The presence of Kabbalah and other magical formulas were inherent to the Hassidic way of life. Rebbe's were capable of great miracles, could ascend to the Holy Seat and beg on behalf of lost Jewish souls. They could identify souls that had returned to Earth to fulfil a certain role or perform an act that was essential to Hashem's plan. Rebbe's could open the gates of Heaven to allow the blessings of Hashem to descend on their congregations. They could say a word to an individual and change their whole life journey and purpose. They were magical because of their intense cleaving to Hashem and understanding of his plan and Creation. Many of the miracles that Rebbes and their followers have attributed to them can be moved into and likened to ceremonial magic. Rituals, prayers, working with aspects of creation that are behind the scenes, linked to specific ceremonial dates, festivals and astronomical events. Their miraculous relationship can be linked to that intricate life long commitment to trying to focus all of their acts to Hashem and giving thanks for ALL situations no matter whether they are good or bad, feast or famine.

Modern Rebbe's are not always considered in the same way as the original Rebbes as many scholars track a decline in the quality of Rebbes equal to the increase in quantity of Rebbes over time. Stratification, splits, conflict and an increasing authoritarian approach by some Rebbes has caused a decline in the overall appreciation of Hasidic life by non-Hasidic Jews; but this is not necessarily true for all Hasidic Dynasties (and many of them are dynasties with formal Courts similar to autocratic rulers of the 'old country). There are still true Tzaddik's building their communities links to Hashem and being real leaders of Hasidic thought.

My favourite story collection is a relatively new text of Hasidic tales from the Shoah (the Holocaust) and how the faith and miraculous works of Tzaddik's managed to help carry and support many of the Hasidic believers through this event. Some of the greatest stories (in my opinion) are about Yisrael Spira z'l the Bluzhever Rebbe. He observed such great power amongst Jews in the camps that he had to tell their stories as testaments to their lives and belief. He was a true Tzaddik.

The Baal Shem Tov, the Arizal, DovBer, Nachman of Breslov, the Angel there are hundreds of individuals with amazing lives and relationships with Hashem.

Also, a modern approach to this idea is examined in Radzyn which is an amazing combination of art, animation, storytelling and mysticism staged at the start of WW2 and the Shoah. Please, visit this site and explore. The stories of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in any form are too amazing to ignore, especially the annotated versions available through the Breslov Institute.

Please, please, please spend the time to explore these amazing individuals and their stories.


Pax

MvdV

Hasids got me trippin'!

When I was a younger man, my father told me (in between swigs of his 16th beer of the evening) that I should always try to cut out the middleman. It's probably one of the very few good pieces of advice he ever gave me, it took me a long time to realise this particular gem but now; I'm a regular at our local fruit wholesalers, buy in bulk from friends and I can be found at warehouse sales every now and then.

The same can be said for my spiritual journey. It has taken me years to get to where I am now. I've spent that time looking, exploring and investigating. But returning to the Source over time.
There has never really been a time where I have not acknowledged and believed in who I now refer to as Hashem.

My Masonry has given me a great foundation (ha) in symbolism, ritual and seeing the power (Hashem) behind what we physically see. It has opened me up to occult thought and brought me to some amazing depths and horrific highs.

My magical journey has been guided by my contact with individuals and non-individuals as well as the steady rhythm of Masonry in the background. I have turned more to the Golden Dawn system of magic as it relies heavily on the Jewish thought pattern and religious thinking. The Cabbalistic Cross and the LBRP/LIRP carry aspects of the Mincha (afternoon prayers) and Psalm magic is literally 70% of the contents of the Siddur (Jewish Prayer book). While this may be due to the appropriation of Hebrew as a magical language due to the nature of Hebrew itself (numerology and the symbolism of every letter); Iit may have more to do with a saying that the sages gave us: There are 70 facets to Torah. This means that every chapter, every verse, every sentence, every word and every letter can be viewed and explored in 70 different ways. With this multitude of ideas and occult ways of thinking, Judaism offers a surprising amount of territory to explore.

I have been delving into the sayings, stories and lives of the Rebbe's of the Hasidic revolution in the 1700's to today. The Hassidic movement changed the focus of Judaism away from the legalistic and complex wrangling between scholars to something that would appeal to the Jew of the street. There was a renewed focus on putting Hashem before you in all things, from doing your day job, eating, talking playing suffering and rejoycing. They also added in a massive dose of Mysticism and Kabbalistic teachings as well as a helping of practical self help and care for Yisrael; all Jews no matter who they where and where they were on the road towards Hashem.

This is an indication of where my magic is going and has made significant impacts on my ritual and areas of interest.

The most interesting thing that I have found is that the sayings and stories of the Rebbe's possess something that is eternal and ineffable. One of  the introductions to their stories begins with this statement; "These stories are not necessarily true, but no one could ever agree that they were false".

I'll finish this quick update with the final words of Zusha z'l.

The story is told of Zusha, the great Chassidic master, who lay crying on his deathbed. His students asked him, "Rebbe, why are you so sad? After all the mitzvahs and good deeds you have done, you will surely get a great reward in heaven!"
"I'm afraid!" said Zusha. "Because when I get to heaven, I know God's not going to ask me 'Why weren't you more like Moses?' or 'Why weren't you more like King David?' But I'm afraid that God will ask 'Zusha, why weren't you more like Zusha?' And then what will I say?!"

Pax

MvdV

Is it on your side?

Torah, read it.

Well I have been dealing with some pretty significant things over the last few months. I apologise for the lack of posts (my 2 wonderful followers!) but I have been struggling with the only eternal issue that matters (at least to me) the drive towards the divine.

My intense time overseas at the start of the year; at the heart of humanities holiness; while dealing with the most destructive period of time in history has raised significant doubts in my fight to become closer to the divine.

I have embraced a stronger relationship with G-d, by which I mean the G-d of Abraham and Issac, Moses and Samuel. I have been reading the Torah daily, arguing with my more knowledgable friends and attempting to get to Shule when I can. I have found the words of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Abraham Kook and the Psalms to be where my heart is focussed these days. This has not really changed my approach to my Masonic system; the removal of the Saints John from my liturgy has not really been a problem. I have not replaced them with a Torah equivalent, I am waiting to see what manifests through my research and meditation on the issue.

I am not 'going Jew', even though I have been asked that in recent history (said like it was a bad thing? I'm pretty sure it's not a bad thing). I am a Noahide. I take the seven commandments to Adam and Noah from G-d as my guide. I contemplate the Unity of G-d and the majesty of his unity. I revere the mystical connection between my creator and I through prayer, ritual and action. I have discovered a stronger link between my Masonic system and my faith now. It feels as though I have swept away a whole facade that got in the way of my interaction with my system and G-d.

I love it and life is better for it.

Pax

MvdV

Walking Away From the Big JC

Well,

I've been a busy boy over the last 6 months. I realise I haven't written anything in a while, this is mostly because of the business of family life, having to work and trying to maintain my personal practice. While I usually try to commit some of my thoughts into writing at least once every three weeks, well it's been really hard keeping up with my previous schedule.

So, I sit here with my (truly awful) lukewarm cup of tea in a post winter cold room (chilly tiles=cold feet) trying to shake a sense of despondency. I have been spending a lot of my time reading through some of my earlier notes and a massive change has occurred in my personal magical practice, it has been a slow thing, but viewed over the long term it is a significant shift. While I have always worked within a Christian framework (it is the culture I have grown up in, live in and to a great extent, think in) I have been finding more and more of my personal religious beliefs moving away from the Christian-ness of its past. If something leaves and creates a vacuum, something will come in to fill that space to ensure it is full. What is the replacement? I haven't quite figured that out. I have been focusing on Hebrew and my daily practice so far.

I have the feeling that this change in my feelings comes from a few different things.

1. My travels around the place and some time I spent in Jerusalem
2. My initiation into a new order and the changes it has wrought
3. The normal stresses and everyday pressures that influence thought and interactions
4. Doing some Biblical work and coming away unconvinced 

I have encountered some major flaws in my previous understanding and I have found that I have been unable to find the glue to put my knowledge back together. I have been unable to make the same leaps I used to, and I have found that no matter where I look and who I speak to to discuss the issue I am unable to get back to my previous mindset.

I have been exploring the Noahide Laws and B'nai Noach and regularly spend time reading through Torah and discussing Torah and Talmud with my Jewish friends, I may actually be trending towards Judaism as a future life path.

Anyway, enough for now. I've had a big day discussing the role of Jesus as the Passover offering with my students...

Pax,

MvdV

Simple is as simple does

One of the problems with Magical Orders and Magicians is we constantly desire more knowledge. Generally I believe enquiry is a good thing, but often I find myself not achieving mastery of a skill before moving on to something more complex. This is, in my opinion, a symptom of our current state of generational affairs and an issue which will cause many problems in the future. I can use the example of the original Golden Dawn order as a great example. Minimal Magic in the beginning, minimal magic in the middle, some more at the top, but not much more.

Mastery of a skill is essential to evolve and incorporate that skill into your 'normal' sphere of experience. Using Martial Arts as an example, the grooving of action in certain situations is an essential part of training. Working to step a certain way, move your body a certain way or respond appropriately to aggression need to be experience over and over again. Repetitive, mind numbingly repetitively occurring actions. Step, block punch, step, block punch, step, block punch. Finally the reaction becomes normal and part of the way you react and interact with/to the world.

Magic should be this way too. I don't care if you just did a powerful grimoire based evocation of the seventeenth demon of the outer gap using Selibus the Heretics fourth method. Is the BRP and the Middle Column part of your existence. Do you know intimately the basics? Can you perform the Cabalistic Cross correctly with evocations and inner work fully aligned? Does the Hebrew sing to you? Is it part of your existing mind? Can you elevate yourself using these simple tools? Is it a snap to drop into your meditative/magical state?

If you can, then, you, are, awesome!

If you cannot, well, maybe drop all that other "higher" magic and BECOME magical in the everyday using basics that alter you. Magic is not a weekend only thing. It is 24/7, 365 trying to become more than the lame meatbag yu used to be. Yes. It is hard graft, but hey, it is more than worth it.

Pax,

MvdV

Everyday I'm Sigilin'

With the advent of new technology, we, as magicians need to take advantage of the new opportunities that face us. Instead of dealing only with the age old methods, we can advance our skills forward using things that are common to our society as well as those that remain from the old.

Technology, knowledge, wealth systems, social structure, transportation (of goods and individuals), availability of tech and raw materials. All of these things allow us to attempt to improve our magical practice.

Smartphones are cool, they are also a possible source of magical operations and actions. music, images, communication and also, as I'd like to discuss today, practical actions. I inherited a Samsung Galaxy 3 due to a lost and found situation and I have been enjoying it more and more. One of the things I have recently been using in a magical context is the lock function. The Galaxy enables you to use a 3x3 connect the dots code grid which allows for a variety of simple or complex diagrams to unlock the phone. Chaos types should be aware of the possibilities within a 3x3 grid, especially since it is possible to multiple contacts on points.

The opportunities are pretty good for us to appropriate simple things like this into our daily practice. Every time I unlock my phone, I reactivate and interact with my chosen symbol. Any more ideas for daily magical use?

Pax

MvdV

The Structure of Freemasonry

I truly hate this picture...

This is a difficult topic.

One persons fringe is another's centre and working within an area that is shrouded in mystery, like Freemasonry, can be especially difficult to understand for people who do not have a working understanding of the relationships between organisations.

The purpose of this post is to try to work on improving the readers understanding of 'recognition' and the relationship between 'Masonic', 'Appendant Bodies' and 'Quasi-Masonic/ Fringe Orders'.

'Lodge Masonry'

First it is essential to emphasis (again and again) that there is no degree higher in Freemasonry than the 3rd, the Master Mason. There is rank and recognition of experience in the form of the Past Master who has been the Master of a Lodge. In some constitutions there is a 'Board of Installed Masters' which is convened at the Installation of a Master in the Chair of a Lodge, but this is not an additional Degree in the Masonic sense. I will be using the designation Lodge Freemasonry and Grand Lodge Freemasonry to identify "Blue Lodge", "ordinary Freemasonry". ( I know I have been using lots of quotation marks, it makes it easier, so sorry).

Usually 'mainstream' Lodge Freemasonry is decided by recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England. This is the easiest and most visible sigh of Lodge Masonry normality. The Grand Lodge of Western Australia for example is recognised by the UGLE and enjoys recognition from all of the bodies around the world that also find themselves in a positive relationship with the UGLE. There are exceptions and there is an alternate group of Grand Lodges arranged around the Grand Orient of France (yes this is simplistic and grossly reduced to mud map status, but this is not an academic paper, it's a blog). Many of these Grand Lodges do not require a belief in God or may accept women members. This means they are not 'recognised' by the UGLE due to these differences. This system is not perfect for example, in my opinion, the Grand Orient of Italy has been poorly treated by the UGLE and many of the 'Regular' Grand Lodges. The GOI still adheres to all of the Ancient Landmarks but were de-recognised in the 1980's due to the P2 scandal and associated issues.

These Grand bodies oversee the activities of Lodges and give them their legitimacy with a Warrant and Constitution.

'Appendant Bodies'

Any other Degree received by a Freemason is usually from what is called an Appendant Body. Membership of these organisations usually have certain Masonic prerequisites, such as being a Master Mason or a Past Master for instance.

It is VITAL to understand that the rank achieved in the Appendant Bodies has NO IMPACT OR INFLUENCE in Lodge Freemasonry. A Grand Officer in an Appendant Body has no rank in Grand Lodge created by the Appendant Body rank (obviously they may have Grand Rank they have earned through service to the Lodge and Grand Lodge) and are considered to be ordinary general members of the Lodge. Other members of their Lodge who are members of the Appendant Body that they have received the high rank in may treat them with more respect, but it depends on the individual.

Now the vaunted 33rd Degree that conspiracy theorists are so fond of spruiking as the 'secret masters' of Freemasonry with the 'real secrets' have no real pull or influence in Lodge Freemasonry. Their 33rd degree is in the Antient and Accepted Scottish Rite and only influences members of that Appendant Order and usually only at their meetings. A 33rd could tell me what to do in Lodge Freemasonry, and if I outranked him I could ignore the instruction, but at an AASR meeting, I'd be following his reasonable request.

Masonic and Appendant Body ranks only work in relation to Masonic and Appendant Body activities. I would not expect to be told by a superior to sell my house or do certain activities outside of the Masonic or Appendant Body sphere. I would be more than happy to follow his instruction on a ritual matter, how to walk or where to stand during a degree for example.

There are many Appendant Bodies to be found in the Masonic sphere, anything from Secret Masters to Masonic Knights Templar, and the rank that they achieve is only relevant to that organisation. Some of the organisations are very different to Lodge Freemasonry in that they restrict membership to certain faiths. Christian Orders are prevalent in the Appendant Orders and some Orders restrict membership to Trinitarian Christians. I am a member of one such Appendant Order and I feel it fits the Degree work and the purpose of the Appendant Order to remain as such.

'Quasi/Fringe Masonry'

This brings me to 'Quasi/Fringe Masonry' (QFM). This includes organisations that may ignore the traditional prerequisites for Freemasons to be Men and believe in G-d. These orders are such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Co-Masonry, Feminine Freemasonry and countless other Organisations working under the radar. Many of these organisations have a mystical or magical focus and may contain both sexes for balance. These are unusual and may head too far into the occult for normal everyday members of Freemasonry. I am not saying they are wrong, just not right for everyone. Often these organisation have a specific religious focus and may have specific magical/esoteric/occult goals.

Feminine Freemasonry and Co-Masonry allow female and male members and only women to participate in Masonic Activity.

This is only a brief sketch to ensure that I get the major points across.
1. There is no higher degree in Lodge Masonry than the Third, or Master Mason Degree
2. Appendant Bodies may be recognised by Lodge Masonry and linked to it via mutual membership, but they have no official influence on each other.
3. Mystical, Magical and mixed gender is not 'normal' for mainstream Freemasonry.

Pax

MvdV

2014

The start to this year has been an experience.

I have done some massive travel, made significant changes to my practice and finally gotten to the dentist to get that root canal done. My jaw hurts, my family is happier with me and I have a bit more direction in my career focus.

Magically things have been pretty much on the back burner. While I did/am taking part in Peregrin's working to enhance understanding towards refugee's, that has been about it. I performed some workings while travelling taking advantage of the environment I was in with some nice results, but it was minor and an almost subliminal working.

I had some great experiences on my trip that have given me a new direction for my religious path which I will be unfolding over the next few months and then putting a few insights up here.

Masonically it has been quiet as we break for the summer months and do not start back until March. I have also been waiting on initiation into another order with a more esoteric focus, which I am very excited about.

Other than that, not much has been happening.

Contemplation

Carl McColman has been making some great blogs about Contemplation and its purpose in our "modern" world. This ties in nicely with the topics I have been covering with my work colleagues.

Get on it, check it out, start from the beginning @

http://www.carlmccolman.com/2013/09/26/the-archbishop-and-the-community-theologian/

Pax,
MvdV

Simple Masonic Magical Structure

Image pinched from Scarborough Lodge #1214 website www.scarboroughlodge.co.uk

Have a room, orientated East -West (can be symbolically orientated, merely think of the directions set in your mind)

Have a central table/altar on which is placed

• A Volume of Sacred Law of your choice
• Compass (nautical or builders)
• Builders square

Have a kneeling stool or cushion in front of the table/altar

A chair in the 'East'

Start from the West of the table facing East and perform your opening ritual of choice. I use a ritual based on the opening of a Regular Lodge (Western Australian Constitution) plus some other Order material I find matches up.

I also use incense and candles within the ritual as well as a 20 minute meditation in the Emblems of Mortality/Chamber of Reflection before the ritual proper begins.

Once the area is cleared, you can commence.

Identify your goal: I usually work for wisdom, understanding, stability and fraternity. The desired outcome must match up with the spirit of Freemasonry, (Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth) or else your asking the wrong system. If you want power and shit, try a system that aims for that, Freemasonry has earthly power, but only through achieving its true goals (Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth) and the love of Wisdom.

I draw a Tracing Board on the floor in the East of the Table/Altar (I use a movable board for this) using Masonic Symbolism based on the goals of the ritual and within the framework of Masonic Ideals.

Perambulate the table/altar three times, kneel before the table/altar in the West facing East and invoke the name of your deity (I use Masonic names, I would suggest you do too GAU, GGU or TMH) 

"Oh TMH, may you place blessings on this your humble servant in this request. May you give me an increase of Faith, Hope and Charity so as I might further your Greatness and the reflected greatness of this Order. As the Moon reflects the majesty of the Solar body, may I/we become lights in the Darkness"

Open the VSL at your preferred passage, selected before hand to resonate with your intentions. Place the tools on the VSL (as represented in Masonic symbolism) and read the Verse that you need for the ritual.

Rise, perambulate three times and finish in the East (technically it is three &1/2 perambulations) use the Grand Royal Sign three times giving "All Glory to TMH".

Sit in your chair and visualise the power coming down into you as per the Kabbala and associated rituals, (use your own research here peeps, I'm not going to make it too easy for you). Link your power with that of the VSL as a conduit to TMH, joining within you and blending the two streams, creating a greater amount of energy than that you or the VSL can generate on your own. (Multiple individuals in this ritual obviously join in the power raising)

Visualise your goal, I tend to vocalise at this point and use a variety of ritual passages and stories from various rites I am a member of to express my goal and focus in on the intent beyond/behind the ritual.


When you have finished your work, finalise the conduit, close the ritual the way that you like, linked to the opening and reflecting on Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Confirm you adherence to your God/s and secure the secrets you have been engaged in.

Erase the Tracing Board using water.

Bless the space and the participants.

Blow out the candles and tidy up. Do not leave the room set up and go for a cuppa tea straight away, clean it up and remove it all as soon as you finish.

Bless the space a second time, then go have your party pies and sausage rolls and high fives all round.


Yes I know this is simple, yes it is easy, that is why I put it up here, nothing revolutionary or mind blowing, just an easy ritual to help engage with Masonic Symbolism.

Pax.

MvdV

Depression and Magic

The correlation between my depression and my magical practice are pretty clear and concise.

The more depressed I am and more triggers are pulled, the less magic I do.

I guess it has something to do with the nature of depression, as an illness depression stops motivation, reduces efficiency, creativity and motivation to achieve goals. All of these things are vital to a magical system.

As I am currently on a down cycle and having to work against the tide, my magical system and practice has taken a beating. But the system itself is the solution and I intend (alongside mainstream Western Medical solutions) to use ceremonial magic to correct my balance and get back on track. We'll see where I end up this time around.

I have been immersing myself in Jung's 'Red Book' which comes in a readers version if you are short of change, like me, and it has been useful for instruction and giving me ideas for operations and ceremonial goals. Biblical work with the Apocropha and Torah have been useful, especially the Book of Tobit, which if you are a Rose Croix Mason, you should be familiar with.

I will be travelling to Jerusalem in December and I cannot wait to be in that place, visit those places and do the things I can. I have been connecting with the Old Testament and attempting to get to the heart of why this YHVH chose who it did and how they reacted to Him. Never really a fan of the New Testament, the recycling of the OldTestament yet denying its validity always rang false with me. I don't mind the shift and love the role of Christ. I just would prefer a bit more respect for Jesus' historical, cultural and central identity.

I thorough recommend the Chumash with Rashi and the Daily Torah available from Chabad.org as tools towards understanding. Remember, the Torah has 70 facets, not just one!

Pax

MvdV

Lives of the Saints

I have been working with a system recently that is based on the 'Catholic' system of worship.

By Catholic, I mean the literal translation of the word to "Universal" and I use this idea as the basis of my system.

A sense of Universal acceptance of all and attempting to reconcile myself to follow the "Path" (path is a poor word for the feeling I am trying to convey and that term makes me a bit sad on the inside, much like the "Journey" reality television participants talk about) that is part of my role in the universe. The feeling is linked to compassions, grace, 'being in the now' (the Taoist ideal of Wu Wei) and the servant role emphasised in the Christian Tradition. Universal belonging and acceptance of the vastness of that that is me and not me.

Many of the outcomes of this magical system have been identifying links, intuition, opportunities, self-actualisation blinks allied with unfolding a greater identifying of the greater skein of life. Appreciating doors to opportunities and taking some, rejecting others and maybe even creeping through the occasional window I may not have seen through earlier.

By utilising meditation of the Christian tradition (yes it exists and I have a bit of info on it if you want) with the mystical lives of the saints and proto-saints of the places where Christianity and other traditions mixed and mingled (Ireland, Spain etc). These saints are focused on because of the nebulous nature of their stories, we know there are gaps and blending in their realities. There is ambiguity about their existence and relationship with pre-Christian deities/worship systems. I also incorporate some symbols from Afro-Caribbean systems, because of their use of Traditional Roman Catholic symbols.

This magical work is based on ambiguity and the unknown. It is pretty much the opposite of the Masonic Work I usually undertake, but a change is as good as a holiday!

Pax

MvdV

Waite for it....

LXXIV

"That truth is at the bottom of a well is with some people a sufficient justification for allowing it to remain there..."

LVI

"The expression of the greater truths may be possible without cynicism, but the sardonic mood is inevitable..."

XCI
"A surface of commonplace often enables a man of genius to escape observation..."

III
"The last lesson of a liberal education is that, at least in the ordinary course, there is nothing that matters..."


A.E. Waite,
Steps to the Crown

While he may be difficult to read due to his approach to prose. Waite remains one of the luminaries of the Modern Western Tradition.

The above is from a book of aphorisms he presented which I would commend to you as something to enjoy and re-read over the years...

Pax,

MvdV

Post- Presentation Post

Well, it went surprisingly well.

It was actually received quite well, and in the spirit it was offered.

I used a 'Catholic' emphasis that allowed a lot of members of staff to think that it was acceptable within the Catholic context. I used Catholic and Eastern examples and Saints to emphasise how 'mainstream' Christian contemplation on the word of God is.

If you would like an outline of what I presented, please feel free to contact me via this site/Google+ and I'll forward it too you.

In other interesting things, I came across this site today while doing some google-fu on "Magical Schema".

http://witching.org

A great Meta-Data project on early Witchcraft in England.

Pax

MvdV