Attention: You do not need to have any astral projection skills to receive a complete spiritual initiation into the Golden Dawn. |
The answer to your question is found in a document upon which virtually the entire magical system of the West is based on. This document is called the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. You may read the entire tablet on-line, but in essence it states that "the things below are a reflection of the things above," and vice-versa.
Essentially, all magical operations take advantage of this principal stated in the Emerald Tablet. The magician or Qabalist raises him/herself up to the highest state possible and plants the seed in the higher world that will eventually bear fruit in the physical world.
From this Qabalistic point of view, the magician creates images in the world of Briah (Creation) under the authority of Atziluth (Emnation, the highest and most spiritual). Within a short period of time the images empowered in this more quintessent world will take on shape, form and dimension in the lower worlds of Yetzirah (Formation) and Assiah (Action).
Astral Initiation works on the same sound premise. It is not a substitute for a good, well-run physical temple and initiation. If you live in all but a handful of cities in the world and do not have the financial ability to visit a physical temple site, however, then Correspondence Membership and Astral Initiation is the most effective tool for the initiation process into the Classical Golden Dawn.
HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS
A physical initiation date is selected at the Grand Temple or Mother Temple, the Temple of Isis, Mighty Mother #12 in Southern California. The candidate for initiation into the worldwide fraternity of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn has already filled out an application and signed a copy of the Neophyte Oath.
The application is submitted after review by the Outer Order Temple Chiefs then handed to the Chiefs of the Second Order for final approval. If approved, the Chiefs of the Second Order fill out a dispensation for Initiation and the date for the Astral Initiation is set.
The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn ® maintains a beautiful and well-organized Grand Temple. Every six months new officers are selected. These officers, under the direction of the Hierophant, will now have the serious and solemn task of Initiating the candidate on an astral basis that will bear fruit in the physical world.
There are definite tell-tale signs of significance that take place in the candidates life after an Initiation. Although too numerous to elaborate on in this article, they range from a tremendous influx of spiritual energy to increased insight and power to create life more in keeping with ones' true desires. After years of performing hundreds and hundreds of astral Initiations and physical Initiations here at the Mother Temple, I assure you beyond any doubt that a member who lives thousands of miles away will and does experience the same tell-tale signs of complete and true Initiation as his or her counterpart who is fortunate to live near a Temple and physically attend and walk through it. In this respect and all others a long distance Correspondence Member is held in the same regard as a Temple Member. There is no difference.
These priceless currents of spiritual light are designed to aid the candidate unto the higher and empower the candidate with Self-Mastery which cannot be expressed in words or pictures. They can only be handed to the candidate as a valuable and precious gift through the solemn process of Initiation. In the tradition of our more ancient Fraters and Sorors of Eleusis and Ancient Egypt, & the Historic G.D. of 1888, the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn ® even today in our modern world is the vehicle for raising in the sacred and ancient rites of initiation in the Western Mystery tradition.
The Order realizes that Physical Initiation is the preferred choice.
There are several reasons for this:
The Order has a policy that Astral Initiation will not be performed on any candidate within 100 miles of a physical temple. They must attend physically. In addition, every Adeptus Minor in the Order has gone through the 0=0, 1=10 and Portal initiations physically before undergoing the 5=6 ceremony.
In a perfect world every small town, every region of the world would have an authorized Golden Dawn Temple. Everyone who desires to be initiated into the True Golden Dawn system of 1888 that is eligible could simply drive down the street and undergo initiation at the local temple. We think this is a reasonable goal for the future of the Mysteries. As members work through the grades and evolve into Adepthood and open teaching Sanctuaries and Temples, the goal of providing a permanent vehicle and fraternity dedicated to the Higher Aspirations of the Soul will be a reality. Study groups are forming all over the world. (Currently the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn ® has membership in countries around the world and almost every state in the U.S.) Soon many of these active study groups will become official teaching Sanctuaries and later full operational Temples. The dreams of early Adepts such as S. L. MacGregor Mathers, W. Wynn Westcott, and others is manifesting into reality: A world-wide Western Mystery School in service to the Higher Aspirations of the Soul.
To become a member of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, visit our membership info page and fill out a membership application to apply.
