Self-Initiation Into the Golden Dawn Tradition

by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero

a review by John Gilbert

Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero is an excellent book for the solitary magick practitioner and the person wanting to follow the teachings of the Golden Dawn without joining an expensive Temple and attending regular meetings.

Everything you need to get started is explained in this book. The ceremonies are fairly easy to memorize but could be done by using 3x5 cards or tape recordings in your own voice. In the opinion of this reviewer, you might also have a copy of The Essential Golden Dawn by the same authors. This second book explains how to make the tools and Temple implements you might find useful. The more deeply you intend to copy the Golden Dawn, the more you'll need this second book.

Temple initiations are suggested by most Temples as being the only effective way of doing the work in the Astral plane. In this reviewer's experience, self-initiation is every bit as effective as Temple initiation for most people. If you're one of those people who feel you need others to assist you with your initiation, Temple initiations may be better for you. On the other hand, by pulling together a small group of like-minded people you could help each other become initiated. All initiations are self-initiations in the final analysis. Some people gain more from them than others.

It's not the initiation but what you do with the information you learn during and following initiation that really matters anyway. If all you do is the initiations and the least amount of work required to advance, you'll not more forward on your spiritual journey as quickly as you could. If you dedicate yourself to learning the materials and practicing the skills, you'll advance far more quickly than others. This is true no matter how you receive your initiation.

This book is recommended for all students of the Golden Dawn and for those wishing to follow the initiatic journey established by the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn. This tradition continues under the auspices of several Golden Dawn organizations including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Holy Order of the Golden Dawn and the Magical Order of the Golden Dawn. Candidates in the Magical Order of the Golden Dawn are encouraged by that Order to read this book.

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