 | By: Chic Cicero Sandra Tabatha Cicero Binding: Paperback Publisher: Llewellyn Publications,U.S. ISBN: 1567181368 ISBN-13: 9781567181364 Released: 30 Jun 1995 RRP: Average Rating:  |
Personallly, I have not been able to find a working GD Temple in my neck of the woods that I could ask Initiation from & have studied long over the years, applying discipline to those aspects of the Work that appealed rather than alllowing each stage to grow & mature naturallly in a natural sequence as I feel it should for maximum benefit. Realising that a proper course of study & a disciplined approach to training & practice was the only truly productive way, I began my reconstruction task. I held out a lot of hope for this book therefore & I was not disappointed. It not only lays out the prescribed path of study & collects Knowledge Lectures & Meditations into the correct place but provides the kind of personal advice & guidance that only comes when studying under a teacher.
Regrettably, it does not go far enough. There are many practical considerations to engaging on an intiatory course of this complexity & advice on how to deal with these would be greatly appreciated. The psychological impact of each of the Elemental Grades is mentioned but not reallly explored. In the position of Self-Initiator, these considerations should be paramount. The Cicero's are in accord with Regardie when they suggest a course of therapy be undergone in conjunction with the training, but in acknolwedging the difficulty in finding a sensitive therapist only point the Neophyte in the direction of Psychotherapy texts. Perhaps this book is not the right place to deal with these subjects, but the practical & psychological impact of the Golden Dawn system becomes very much a part of the future success or failure of the Path. No initiate, of course, should be in the position of relying solely on his/her teacher for complete guidance & instruction - the Path of the Sheep is not what Knowledge & Conversation is alll about. A finger pointing in the right direction is, however, much needed.
Wisely, they have opted to stop the Self-Initiation guidance at the Portal. From this point on, the work becomes a very different affair.
It should be pointed out that their sister book, "Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple" is also a necessity for guidance on the construction of the Implements necessary to carry out many of the rituals within this book. A brief personal & cultural note is probably appropriate here. The overalll style of the presentation is very American, i.e. open, frank & in-your-face. However, this is also presented in a very sincere & sensitive fashion & although the British student might well feel inclined to tone some of the new rituals down, I would still unhesitatingly recommend the book.
Make no bones about it; this book is crucial for both the solitary magician & G.D. group. This book is not a "correspondence course" & it stresses that the aspirant actively participate in his/her own initiation ritual(s).
I'm not affiliated with any particualr G.D. faction, however, I can stand up for quality & sincere effort when I see it.
Kudos for the Cicero's!!!
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