Hermetic Virtues Magazine - Issue 5 - Hermetic Virtues

Summer Solstice 2008
Volume II, Edition 1
In this edition
By the Holy Light of the Sun: 2

The Magical Workings of the Crom-
lech Temple
by Charles “Chic” Cicero
Who founded this mysterious order
and what did it stand for?
The Sun 17
by Harry Wendrich
A new painting of the Tarot trump.
Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of 19
Life
by Donald Michael Kraig
Could these Tantric deities be assigned
to the Sephiroth?
Kingdom Come: Real Life Divination 35

by Melissa Seims and Nick Farrell
They say real life is stranger than fic-
tion—.how it can also be used for divi-
nation.
The Elements and their Arrange- 41
ments: a Ritual Explanation
by Tim Walley
Dear Readers, A look at the way the elements are
assigned in several Golden Dawn ritual
The wheel of the seasons turns inexorably and we have reached the point of maximum settings
light in the northern hemisphere, while in the southern half of our Earth people are Blood from a Stone: Alchemical 52
looking forward to the days beginning to lengthen again. Globally viewed, even these Processes in the 0=0
extremes are in balance. by Melissa Seims
A behind-the-scenes look at the Neo-
Let us do what we can to remain poised in the middle as we seek our path towards phyte ritual and what is cooking al-
greater knowledge and wisdom but let us never forget that we are all in this together chemically during it.
and remember those who are less fortunate than we and are facing the results of Magical Workings of the Dragon 57
natural catastrophies, health problems …………………... Court Order
by Ian Cowburn
We wish you all the blessings of the Solstice, however and wherever you mark it, and A chivalric order in turbulent times.
in the coming months as we move on towards Equinox. A Ritual of the Eucharist in the 78
In Light, Neophyte Hall—Outer Order version
by Jayne Gibson
Your Hermetic Virtues Team
Page 2
Hermetic Virtues
By the Holy Light of the Sun:

The Magical Workings of the Cromlech Temple
by Charles “Chic” Cicero
(Note: This lecture was delivered at the 120th Anniversary of the Golden Dawn
in London)
Much of the workings of the original Golden Dawn have been revealed to the public
through various publications. One important element that has not been unveiled is the
workings of the Cromlech temple. However, the Cromlech temple was only one of a
handful of working temples of the order, whose full name was the Holy Order of the Sun.
One of the reasons why so little is known of the practices of the Cromlech temple, is be-
cause of the extreme secrecy in which the Sun Order operated. Very little of the Sun Or-
der material has ever been published. Francis King published a small selection of the or-
der’s papers in his books on Astral Projection, Magic and Alchemy and Ritual Magic in
England. King describes the Sun Order as a hybrid temple between members of the Al-
pha et Omega and some Anglican clergymen, who “had no previous contact with any
organization giving ritual initiation.”(1) King’s description does not give an accurate pic-
ture of the order, or its importance in the Golden Dawn tradition. It now seems clear that
the Sun order—especially the Cromlech temple—had a very large role to play in the overall
development of the Golden Dawn tradition, only a few years after the Golden Dawn itself
had been founded.(2)
The exact origins of the Cromlech temple are unclear. It is believed that Cromlech was
founded sometime around 1892 by the same individuals who were to found the Amen-
Ra Temple in 1893. It is also believed that Cromlech, or rather the Sun Order, was an in-
The exact origins dependent side order to the Golden Dawn, which had been founded only four years ear-
of the Cromlech lier.
temple are un-
clear. It is be-
And it also seems clear that while the Sun Order did indeed include some Anglican cler-
lieved that Crom-
gymen among its ranks, it drew its membership exclusively from the highest Adept
lech was founded
grades of the Golden Dawn, the Alpha et Omega, and the Stella Matutina. One of the
around 1892 by
requirements for admission was that a Frater or Soror had to have reached the grade of
the Amen-Ra Tem-
ple in Edinburgh
5=6 at the very least in the GD, the A+O or the Stella Matutina. This should come as no
as an independent
surprise, since the early leaders of the Sun Order were John Brodie-Innes and Robert Fel-
side order to the kin, two men who would later become the respective heads of the Golden Dawn’s spin-
Golden Dawn. off Orders, the Alpha et Omega and the Stella Matutina.
Brodie-Innes
John William Brodie-Innes was a respected attorney from Edinburgh. He founded the
Golden Dawn's Amen-Ra temple in Edinburgh.
Of Scottish ancestry, Brodie-Innes was born in England, on March 10, 1848, in Kent
where his father was a vicar.
He went to school in England and Germany and received a BA degree in Mathematics

from Cambridge in 1872. He went on to study law and was called to the English Bar in
1876. (3) He moved to Edinburgh in 1887 and learned Scottish law but he maintained his
English practice and went back and forth to London. This made it possible for him to join
both the Scottish Lodge of the Theosophical Society and the Isis-Urania Temple of the
Golden Dawn in London.
(1) King, Francis. Modern Ritual Magic: The Rise of Occultism, page 135.
(2) “The Working of the Cromlech Temple,” by Anthony Fuller. A Lecture delivered at the 1998
International Golden Dawn Conference in Bayonne, NJ.
(3) The Golden Dawn’s Scottish Scion,” by Robert A. Gilbert. Published in The Scotsman:
http://heritage.scotsman.com/myths/The-Golden-Dawns-Scottish-scion.2635615.jp
Volume 2, I s s u e 1 Page 3

(continued)
The focus of the Theosophical Society was Eastern

Mysticism and occult theory. Brodie-Innes helped to
found the Scottish branch of the society in order to
maintain its independence from the London lodges
and to preserve its focus on esoteric Christianity. (4) He
wrote several papers for theosophical journals. In
1892, the year that the Cromlech temple was
founded, Brodie-Innes became a Chancellor of the
Episcopal Church—but it was also the year he wrote
and published The True Church of Christ (1892), a
book that ran opposite to the doctrines of the Episco-
pal Church. (5)
In London, Brodie-Innes joined the Isis-Urania temple

in August of 1890, taking the motto Sub Spe ("Under
hope") and advanced quickly through the grades until
April of 1893, when he received the grade of Adeptus
Minor in the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, the
Golden Dawn’s second order. By 1894, he and his
wife had founded a new temple, Amen-Ra, at Edin-
burgh, with Brodie-Innes as Imperator. (6)
As one of the heads of the Scottish Theosophical Society, Brodie-Innes had a lot of inter-
est in Eastern forms of magic and mysticism. It appears that he was responsible for writ- What is impor-
ing many of the Tatva papers used by the Golden Dawn. (7) Thus, he is very likely respon- tant to our dis-
sible for the Eastern terminology that appears in the teachings of the Sun Order. One cussion is that
paper he wrote, entitled “A Note on the Seven Principles”, was widely issued not only to these two men—
members of the Sun Order, but also to ordinary members of both the Stella Matutina and Brodie-Innes
the Alpha et Omega. and Felkin—
were also the
After the break-up of the Golden Dawn in 1903, Brodie-Innes and Dr. Robert Felkin be-
heads and foun-
came two of the Chiefs of the Stella Matutina. What is important to our discussion is that
ders of the Holy
these two men—Brodie-Innes and Felkin—were also the heads and founders of the Holy
Order of the Sun. They also channeled or went by the names of Frater Shemesh and Order of the
Frater Hakim. Sun.
Around 1912 or 1913, Brodie-Innes quit the Stella Matutina and joined MacGregor Math-
ers’ Order of the Alpha et Omega. He had the distinction of being the only member of
the original Golden Dawn who became Mathers’ successor in both Orders. But, just like
when Dr. Westcott resigned from the Golden Dawn, the bonds between members of the
Golden Dawn, the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega were often only slightly
frayed rather than completely severed.
(4) Gilbert. The Sorcerer and His Apprentice, 10.

(5) Ibid.
(6) Ibid.
(7) “The Working of the Cromlech Temple” by Anthony Fuller. A Lecture delivered at the 1998
Page 4
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
The links between the Cromlech temple and the Golden Dawn, the Stella Matutina and
the Alpha et Omega were, in fact, considerable. Brodie-Innes sent Westcott several
Cromlech papers. After the Golden Dawn imploded in 1903, members of both off-shoot
groups, the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega, were very active in the Cromlech
temple. A letter written by Felkin to Mrs. Stoddart dated July 21, 1903, confirms that Mac-
Gregor Mathers joined the Cromlech temple. (8)
There is also much evidence to suggest that the Alpha et Omega used material from
Cromlech in its curriculum. Many papers of the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega
were originally Sun Order papers. (9) And several Sun Order papers had Alpha et Omega
labels on their covers. The Holy Order of the Sun appears to have been one group were
senior Adepts of both the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega could still work to-
gether on their common goals.
One document I have seen is a list of Cromlech papers compiled for the order. Next to
the title of each paper, it describes whether the paper in question was strictly intended
for the Sun Order, or whether it could also be circulated to the various grades of the Al-
pha et Omega and the Stella Matutina. (10) It has been suggested that both the Stella
Matutina and the Alpha et Omega considered the highest grades of the Sun Order to be
the “Third Order” of the Golden Dawn. (11)
After the Golden Dr. Robert Felkin

Dawn imploded The other founder of the Sun Order, Dr. Robert Felkin, was a
in 1903, mem- physician, a medical missionary, and explorer who wrote
bers of both off- several books on Central Africa. He was also appointed In-
shoot groups, spector of the Australian colleges of the SRIA by Westcott.
the Stella
Matutina and Felkin joined the Scottish branch of the Theosophical Society
the Alpha et
in Edinburgh in 1886. In 1894, he joined the Amen-Ra Tem-
ple of the Golden Dawn under the leadership of Brodie-
Omega, were
Innes. His magical motto in the Outer Order was Finem
very active in
Respice (“Have regard to the end”).
the Cromlech
temple. His Inner Order motto (taken at his initiation into the 5=6 in
1896, was Aur Mem Mearab (“Light, Water, West”).(12) This
motto may have been influenced by his work with the Holy
Order of the Sun.
In 1903, Felkin and Brodie-Innes founded the Stella Matutina upon the ashes of the
Golden Dawn. Felkin later founded a temple of the Stella Matutina in Havelock North,
New Zealand in 1912. The temple was in a building created for Felkin by a famous New
Zealand architect, and the house itself was named Whare Ra, or “House of the Sun.”
(8) Ibid.
(9) Ibid.
(10) Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(11) Ibid.
(12) Darcy Kuntz, The Golden Dawn Source Book, 189.

(continued)
Dr. Felkin has received a considerable amount of disrespect both from historians and
modern-day Golden Dawn practitioners alike. This is partly due to Felkin’s passion for
channeling invisible masters, as well as his unfortunate choice of a crazy person by the
name of Mrs. Christina Stoddart to run the Amoun temple of the Stella Matutina in Lon-
don after Felkin left for New Zealand. (Mrs. Stoddart’s tell-all book about her experience
with occultism entitled Light-Bearers of Darkness is a treasure-chest of paranoid schizo-
phrenia.) Another reason is that Felkin was not satisfied with the allegory of the Tomb of
Christian Rosencreutz—in 1912 he set out on a quest to find the physical Tomb of CRC
and the “Real” historical Rosicrucians. Naturally, he found neither, although he did find
Rudolph Steiner’s version of the Rosicrucians. (13)
Felkin was a prolific founder of temples and orders. In 1916, he chartered three temples
of the Stella Matutina, including the Hermes temple in Bristol, the Secret College in Lon-
don, and Merlin lodge in London. That same year he founded two other orders in New
Zealand. One was an Anglican order of spiritual healers known as the Guild of St. Raph-
ael, whose membership was largely drawn from the Stella Matutina. The other was the
Order of the Table Round, (14) a neo-Arthurian, mystical and chivalric order brought to
New Zealand by Felkin. (15)
From around 1902 to 1913, Felkin sought guidance from Inner Planes Contacts known
as the Sun Masters. It is almost certain that these Inner Sun Masters were none other
than the Sun Order. (16) Felkin, writing as Frater Hakim, was deeply involved with the
Cromlech temple for at least a decade before leaving for New Zealand. In addition to
the Edinburgh
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the Stella Matutina under Felkin worked with the
and New Zea-
same Third Order “Secret Chiefs” as did the Holy Order of the Sun.
land temples,
Felkin’s involvement with the Sun Order ended after he moved to New Zealand. After he the Holy Order
left, the Sun Order was controlled by Brodie-Innes until his death in 1923, when Dr. Car- of the Sun also
negie-Dickson, under the name of Frater Amenti, took the order’s reins during the 1930s had a temple in
and 40s. Carnegie-Dickson also worked with the Alpha et Omega and the Hermes tem- London, the
ple of the Stella Matutina in Bristol. (17) Beacon Temple.
There may have
After Carnegie-Dickson’s death in 1954, his wife succeeded him in all his official roles in also been a tem-
the various orders. She passed her lineage on to Charles Renn in 1963. Renn and his ple in Bristol.
wife moved to New Zealand, where they established the Ioana temple of the Holy Order
of the Sun. (18) Many members of Whare Ra ended up joining this temple. The name
“Ioana” meant “God’s Cave.” (19)
In addition to the Edinburgh and New Zealand temples, the Holy Order of the Sun also
had a temple in London, the Beacon Temple. (20) There may have also been a temple in
Bristol, the site of many important connections between the Sun Order, the Stella
Matutina and the Alpha et Omega.
(13) Gilbert. The Golden Dawn, 74.

(14) Ordo Tabulae Rotundae.
(15) Edney, Ken. “Dr. Robert William Felkin and the S.R.I.A.” From the website of the Felkin College
of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, Napier, New Zealand.
(16) “The Working of the Cromlech Temple” by Anthony Fuller. A Lecture delivered at the 1998
(17) Ibid.
(18) “Sun Order Temple Warrant (1963),” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(19) “A Letter from Mrs. Carnegie-Dickson to Charles Renn (1963),” Cromlech Archives, Private Col-
lection.
(20) Ibid.
Page 6
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
Orthodox Christianity?
One of the common myths surrounding the
Sun Order was that only orthodox Christians
were allowed into its ranks. The teachings of
the order were certainly very heavily steeped
in Christian mysticism and symbolism; much
more so than the Golden Dawn. Further-
more, a belief and acceptance in the divinity
of Jesus Christ was definitely expected of its
members, as evidenced by the oaths that can-
didates were expected to take, especially in
the second grade and beyond. However, the
Christian teachings of the group were essen-
tially Gnostic. For example, the doctrine of reincarnation, condemned by the orthodox
church for centuries, was fully and completely embraced by the founders of Cromlech.
Advancement into the higher grades required a profession of the Christian faith but the
Order taught that there are many paths to God. As one paper states: “Very easy it is to
say—‘My way is the only way,—walk ye in it.’ Very hard it is to see the way that lies before
another and to aid him to walk in the path that the Master has traced before him—much
easier to force him to walk in thy path. Much easier, but not the Master’s method. For-
bid him not because he walketh not with you. [….] ’Feed my lambs,’ said the Master, not
“Thou art asked to
see His Hand every-
drive them into your own favorite pasture.” (21)
where—to recognize
that faiths thou “Thou art asked to see His Hand everywhere—to recognize that faiths thou callest hea-
callest heathen may
have a knowledge of then may have a knowledge of Him. That there are grains of Truth everywhere…”(22)
Him. That there are
grains of Truth every-
where…”(
The Sun Order contained an ecumenical mixture of teachings that emphasized the Uni-
versal Truths behind the world’s great religions. Its teachings drew from traditions as di-
The Sun Order con- verse as Qabalah, South American religions, Zoroastrianism, Druidism, Mithraism, the
tained an ecumenical
Grail mysteries, Celtic religion, and the Eastern mysticism of the Hindus. The Rosicrucian
mixture of teachings
that emphasized the mysteries were constantly referred to. The Sun Order worked an esoteric form of Christi-
Universal Truths anity, grafted to a ritual structure containing ideas and symbolism from several of the well
behind the world’s -known and lesser known religions.
great religions.
One Sun Order ritual that shows this fusion of pantheons was entitled “Beltane 1915: The
Secret of Michael and Satan, and Invocation of Persephone.” And, as if that title wasn’t
enough of a mixed tradition, this ritual was performed by three Officers: the Arch-druid,
the Naga of Water, and the Naga of Fire. As with many of the Cromlech temple’s rituals
and papers, this Beltane ritual was also used in the Stella Matutina.
The Gnostic Christianity of the Sun Order was perhaps one reason why Felkin, in his
quest to find the “real” historical Rosicrucians, was so drawn to the teachings of Rudolph
Steiner and his followers. For both groups, the Divine Being of Jesus Christ was central to
all religions, regardless of the name by which He is known in each religion.
(21) Printed in Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic, 134–140.

(22) Ibid.

(continued)
Purpose
What was the purpose behind the Holy Order of the Sun and what goals did it hope to
accomplish? Essentially, its goals were the same as those of the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn. It endeavored to instruct those few, worthy candidates who were called
to the hidden mysteries. Its members sought to explore the Universal Truths behind all
religions. They also sought Union with the Ultimate Divine Spiritual Source of the Uni-
verse. While the Golden Dawn referred to this Spiritual Union as “the Completion of the
Great Work,” the Sun Order referred to it as “The Quest for the Ruby at the Heart of the
Rose.” (23)
Like the ancient Gnostics, they sought liberation from the bondage of the physical. To
achieve these goals, they used meditation, ritual, spiritual exercises and disciplines.
Some have called their techniques “quasi-magical” or mystical, rather than magical.
However, many of their rituals contained the same type of purification and consecration
rites as did the Golden Dawn. In my opinion, their heavy use of clairvoyance, astral visu-
alization, and other types of astral workings, places their work firmly in the magical tradi-
tion.
Grade Structure
The Sun Order was composed of three orders or grades. Members of all three grades
were known as Companions: There was a bit of confusion, however, with regard to
additional names of First Order members, who were sometimes called Neophytes and It endeavored to
sometimes called Probationers. It is also interesting and amusing that a woman initiate instruct those few,
was not called “Soror,” but rather a “Fratrix.” worthy candidates
who were called to
the hidden myster-
The three orders/grades were:
ies. Its members
Neophtyes (Companions of the 1st Grade) sought to explore
Companions (Companions of the 2nd Grade, and Rank of the First Five) the Universal
Druid Rank (those who had taken on the roles of Arch-Druid and/or Nagas) Truths behind all
religions. They also
Unlike the Golden Dawn, no exams were required for advancement to the next grade. sought Union with
When the Adepts felt that a Companion had absorbed the teachings and was ready for the Ultimate Divine
advancement, they initiated him into the next grade. However, the structure of the Sun Spiritual Source of
Order initiation rituals was very similar to the Golden Dawn’s. the Universe.
The Sun Order valued their secrecy to such an extent, that much of their teachings were
passed on privately, between teacher and student. A paper describing the work of the
Order tells us that no Companion was permitted to know more than his immediate Su-
perior. In addition, no one in a particular temple was to have knowledge of any other
temple, except by reputation. Each temple was maintained separately in “absolute isola-
tion.” (24)
(23) “The Book of the Advancement from the 1st to the 2nd Grade (1894),” Cromlech Archives,
Private Collection.
(24) “Some Notes on the Constitution and Rule of the Order of the Sun (1902),” Cromlech Ar-
chives, Private Collection.
Page 8
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
The order was described as consisting of two parts, the Permanent and the Temporary.
The Permanent branch of the order was said to have existed in some form or fashion
since the beginning of recorded history and its members were said to include members in
physical form (in the lower grades), as well as non-physical members in the higher grades.
(This is not so different from the teachings of the Golden Dawn’s Adeptus Minor cere-
mony, which states that the True Order of the Rose Cross includes even Angels and Arch-
angels.) The Temporary branch of the Sun Order was said to be the outer, physical tem-
ples of the Order. Five officers were required to administer a temple. (25)
The Hall
The Initiation Hall was known as the Shrine of Mithra. Rituals often invoked the Light of
Ahura Mazda—the Zoroastrian name for the Supreme Deity—whom the Sun Order con-
sidered to be the Vehicle and Image of the Supreme Deity, who teaches and purifies by
Fire. They also invoked the Benediction of Mithra, the Zoroastrian Sun God, which the
order called the Lord of Wide Pastures. (26) At one point the Companion learns that
Mithra is simply another name by which they recognized “the Good Shepherd who is the
Master, even Christ.” (27)
Elsewhere, we learn that Christian Companions should translate the title ‘the Supreme’ as
‘The Ineffable Divine Word.” They were also encouraged to translate the Logos, or Ahura
Mazda as: ‘Christ, the Light of the Word,”—and “Mithra, Lord of Wide Pastures’ as ‘Christ,
the Good Shepherd,’ as well as the ‘Sun of Righteousness, with Healing in His Wings.” (28)
Christian Com-
panions ... were
also encouraged
The Officers
to translate the
The Cromlech Temple had five officers or Celebrants who were often called the First Five.
Logos, or Ahura
The names of these officers were: Metatron, Neshamah(29), Raphael, Anael, and Agni.
Mazda as: ‘Christ,
However, a paper entitled “The Full Explanation of the Ritual of Initiation by Five” states
the Light of the that four of these officers sometimes went by different titles in other temples. There were
Word,”—and also two other, senior officers known as the Naga of Fire and Naga of Water. Thus, four
“Mithra, Lord of officers had Qabalistic names and three had Hindu names. Altogether, the Mystical
Wide Pastures’ Seven Officers were said to represent the Seven Principles of Eastern Mysticism, in addi-
as ‘Christ, the tion to several other mystical correspondences.
Good Shepherd’
1. Of the officers known as the First Five, Metatron was the Initiator, and was called
the Vehicle and Countenance of El Shaddai and the representative of the Inner
Chiefs. This officer was named after the highest Archangel and the male Kerub of
the Ark of the Covenant. In certain rituals he also symbolized the element of Spirit.
2. Neshamah was the second officer, who sometimes acts in the capacity of Acolyte.
He is named after the highest faculty of the Soul and the link between the Spirit
and the Body. This celebrant was also said to represent the Kama Rupa of the
Seven Principles—the astral “body of desire” or passions. In some rituals he also
served as the Officer of Fire.
(25) Ibid.
.
(26) “Order of the Ritual of the Initiation by Five (1894),” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection
Private Collection.
(28) “The Full Explanation of the Ritual of Initiation By Five (1897),” Cromlech Archives, Private Col-
lection.
(29) Sometimes spelled “Neschamah” or “Neschama.”

(continued)
3. The third officer was Raphael, named after the Archangel of the Sun. In the Sun
Order he was the Messenger of the Gods as well as Lightning, which was said to
be the Vehicle of Zeus. (30) He was said to represent the ideals of the order, astral
form and, in the Seven Eastern Principles, the Linga Sharira or the “etheric body.”
Raphael also served as the Celebrant of Air.
4. The Fourth Officer was Anael, the Angel of Love and of Light, or (as she is known
to Golden Dawn students), the Archangel of the planet Venus. She is the force
that binds the Universe together. In the Sun Order, she was said to represent the
Solar Prana, or life-force of the sun, as well as the force of the Five Tattvas. She
also sometimes served as the Celebrant of Water.
5. The final officer is Agni, named after the Hindu god of Fire and Light. In the Sun
Order, this officer represented the Spirit of Fire and the Sthula Shirira or “physical
body” of the Seven Principles. This officer occasionally served as the Celebrant of
Earth.
Of course all of these Officers had numerous other attributions and symbolism which
was gradually unveiled to the Companions in the Higher grades.
As for the initiations into the First and Second Grades: the First Five oOfficers performed
short preliminary rites known as Linking the Sacred Pentagram and Linking the Mystic
Pentagram. During the initiation ceremonies, there were also dramatic and impressive An interesting
moments involving flaming staffs. With sponges attached to the tips of their staffs, the and unique magi-
officers would dip them into a bowl of “spirit” (or alcohol) and then light them from the cal tool used by
central altar flame. (These rituals were obviously not meant for clumsy people.) the Sun Order
was called the
Sacred Quipus,
Regalia and based on an
Regalia for the officers varied with the grade being performed but generally it included a ancient Incan
robe, a red cloak and a stole in the appropriate colour. The headdress included a head- device The Qui-
band or strophium of red and white twisted cloth, with the image of the Sun attached to pus of the Incas
it. was a system of
coloured and
White linen was attached to this, completely covering the top, sides and back of the knotted cords.
head, somewhat like a nemyss. A form of the Rose Cross, was suspended from a red
ribbon hung from the officer’s neck. (31)
The Sacred Quipus

A most interesting and unique magical tool used by the Sun Order was known as the
Sacred Quipus, which was based on an ancient Incan device from South America. The
Quipus of the Incan civilization was a system of coloured and knotted cords, used to
store large amounts of information important to their culture and civilization. In ancient
times, these multi-coloured cords, known as “talking knots,” were used for counting, for
keeping track of resources such as livestock, to track important events, agreements, time-
keeping and for sending messages. Small cords with knots in them were attached to a
main band. The colour of the cord, its place, its size and the knots in it, all had signifi-
cance to the record or the message.
(30) “A Brief Note of the Symbols in the Temple at the Initiation Ritual,” Cromlech Archives, Private
Collection.
(31) Appendix of “The Book of the Advancement from the 1st to the 2nd Grade (1894),” Crom-
lech Archives, Private Collection.
Page 10
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
The Sacred Quipus, known as the Sacred Badge of the Or-

der, was given to each new Companion at their admission
into the First Grade. It was constructed of seven coloured
threads bound together at one end. The seven threads
were in the seven colours of the rainbow. The complete
significance of the colours was not explained to the Com-
panion until much later in his development.
But the Quipus was a very versatile tool. For meditation,

the Adept was told to lay the Quipus on the table and
place a finger to each thread, while meditating on the ideas
they represented, finishing with a short invocation. (32) This
use of the implement was not unlike the Catholic rosary.
Holding the Quipus by certain threads, or arranging the
threads in a certain manner, resulted in specific grade signs
by which the Companions could recognize each other. In
the First Grade ritual, the Quipus was called “the instrument
and means of the silent language whereby our Adepts can
communicate one with another.” (33)
Colour Symbolism
Colour played an important role in every ritual. The Sun Order claimed to have its own
In the First unique Colour Scale called the Sacramental Scale. It was claimed that this was one of the
Grade ritual, the four “Rosicrucian Scales”—an obvious reference to the Colour Scales of the Golden Dawn.
Quipus was The highly secretive Sacramental Colour Scale was said to be the Spiritual summation of
called “the in- the other four, in the same manner that the Spirit point of the pentagram completes the
strument and elemental points. (34)
means of the
silent language The order’s teachings on colour are outlined in a brief paper entitled “The Scriptural Sym-
whereby our
bolism of Colours and Stones.” This document touched on some of the scientific aspects
of Light as it separates into different bands of colour when seen through a prism. But the
Adepts can com-
paper mainly examines the colour symbolism of gemstones listed in the Bible. (35)
municate one
with another.
(32) “Symbolism of the Sacred Quipus,” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection. Some of this informa-
tion is also found in Francis King’s book, Astral Projection, Magic, and Alchemy.
(33) “Order of the Ritual of the Initiation by Five (1894),” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(34) “A Brief Note of the Symbols in the Temple at the Initiation Ritual,” Cromlech Archives, Private
Collection.
(35) “The Scriptural Symbolism of Colours and Stones,” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.

(continued)
The Golden Ark

The Golden Ark, a representa-
tion of the Ark of the Cove-
nant, was a crucial part of the
temple furnishing. It was al-
ways present at any ceremo-
nial working and was not to
be opened except by the offi-
cers of Metatron and
Neshamah. There was a spe-
cial ritual which consecrated
the Ark as a talisman. (36) At
one point the Five Officers
each placed a magical symbol
inside the Ark. Every object
placed inside the Ark was con-
secrated as a talisman. A great deal of importance and reverence was given to the
Golden Ark—so much so that if the Ark was touched or even unveiled in an improper
fashion, it had to be re-consecrated. The Golden Ark, required to be present in any cere-
mony of the Order, was said to be a symbol of the “Spirit of the Eternal Feminine.” (37)
The Three Veils A great deal of

Veils were another important element of symbolism. The initiation ceremonies included importance and
three veils—two that were actual veils—and one piece of temple equipment known as reverence was
“the Veil.” This was a complicated structure, composed of different coloured chords,
given to the
golden bars and pieces of cloth. In the First Grade Initiation Ceremony, the Mystery of
Golden Ark—so
the Veil is explained at length to the Candidates.
much so that if
the Ark was
Other important pieces of temple furnishings included the Seven-branched candlestick
and various Rose Crosses. touched or even
unveiled in an
Initiation and Ritual in the Order of the Sun had many aspects that were very similar in improper fash-
style to the Golden Dawn. Aspirants received certain secret teachings: including grade ion, it had to be
signs, mystic titles, secret words and symbols, Hebrew letters, Kerubic signs, and mystic re-consecrated.
numbers. Like the Golden Dawn, the Sun Order emphasized the importance of colour
symbolism.
The Equinox
Like the Golden Dawn, the Sun Order does not appear to have performed a Solstice Rit-
ual. However, it did have a short ceremony called “The General Office of Benediction.”
This ritual was performed after a Lodge of Instruction where Beltane had been cele-
brated, or as a preface to the “Equinox Season.” This ceremony covered the periods
“from the Winter Solstice to the Vernal Equinox” and “from the Vernal Equinox to the
Summer Solstice” (38) but it is basically a ritual of the Spring Equinox.
(36) “The Order of the Consecration of the Ark (1894),” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
Private Collection.
(38) “The General Office of Benediction,” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
Page 12
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
The Sun Order also had its own elaborate Equinox Ceremony called “The Ritual of the
Festival of the Equinox, The Benediction of Flowers and the Invocation of the Elemental
Spirits.” The invocations to the Elemental Kings in this ritual are similar in tone to the Ele-
mental Prayers written by Eliphas Levi which were included in the Elemental Grade cere-
monies of the Golden Dawn. In 1915, the Cromlech Temple performed a special version
of this ritual—employing unique regalia, including a Bishop’s Mitre and a green Shiryan(40)
or type of tabard, embroidered with symbols.
One of the most consistent ritual props used in the order’s workings and especially in all
of its seasonal rituals, were flowers—flower arrangements in specific types, colours and
numbers were always used.
What is striking about the Festival of the Equinox, however, was the emphasis placed
upon the Divine Feminine—especially in a Solar oOrder on a Solar holiday.
The “Mystic Negative Influence of Astarte, of Isis, of Aphrodite, and of Our Blessed Lady,”
was first invoked into the temple from the West, so that their influence would blend in the
central altar—with the influence of the positive Solar influence of the East. Then came the
invocation of the Holy Trinity and the Incarnate Word. The balance between the positive
and negative energies—symbolized by the Shrine of Mithra in the East and the Western
Altar of the Eternal Mother—formed an essential aspect of the order’s teachings. Within
the Hall, the Solar East was the direction of all Positive Activity, while the Mystic West was
the direction of all Negative Reflection.
Now the Adept
habitually looks
thus at the things The Mystic Negative Vision
within his sight. One important area of the order’s teaching involved cultivating the practice of the Mystic
He knows when Negative Vision. This resembled the concept of detachment(40) in the philosophy of
it is wise and Yoga, which the Eastern mystics practice in order to liberate themselves from the cycle of
right that he life and death.
should be af-
fected, and other- The order described two types of vision—Positive Vision and Negative Vision. Positive Vi-
wise he does not sion was described as the manner in which the average person viewed everything in his
permit himself to sight—relating everything to himself and his own ego. Negative Vision, on the other
be affected. hand:
“…makes no impression on us. The passing show passes before our eyes
merely as might the pictures of a cinematograph. It interests us, it may excite
us to a certain extent. It may teach us lessons, but does not affect us further
than this. Now the Adept habitually looks thus at the things within his sight.
He knows when it is wise and right that he should be affected, and other-
wise he does not permit himself to be affected.
(40) The Yogic concept of vairagya. This is a Sanskrit term used that roughly translates as detach-
ment, dispassion, or renunciation toward all that is temporary. It alludes to renunciation from
both the pains and pleasures of the material world. It is the strongest attachment to that
which is eternal.
(41) An excerpt from a paper entitled “Concerning the Positive and Negative Vision (1920)” printed
in Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic, 138–139.

(continued)
“If it is right that he should be affected, he can at will produce the positive
sight and see the thing in relation to himself—calling in him for action or
sympathy or whatsoever is right and wise. With this negative sight he sees
not only the passing show, but he sees the reasons and moving causes be-
hind, and can often discern the good and seeming evil, the angels working
behind what appears to be diabolic. I mean he can actually see the one as
clearly as the other, though both are to some extent dreamy and insubstan-
tial. His wisdom here is therefore truer and he rejoices where with the posi-
tive sight he might grieve, or be indignant or nauseated.” (41)
An exercise for cultivating the negative vision was to be practiced regularly until the
Companion became skilled at it. The same principle was applied to the other senses
with similar exercises. This was called “negativing the senses” and it was a technique to
strengthen the aura against outside interference.
The Adept who progressed in these techniques was said to feel a sense of pride in his
own ability at first—but when the negative vision became better developed and the
Adept was able to use either Positive or Negative Vision at will, in perfect equilibrium, he
also realized that he was not superior to the average man. And this, too, was an impor-
tant aspect of the teaching. (42)
The aura papers

The Aura Papers cover a variety of
In the second grade of the order, Companions were given documents which were teachings, includ-
ing material on the
known as the aura papers, although Initiates did not receive all of them at once. These Tattvas, influencing
were a series of over 50 documents that often covered Golden Dawn teachings but car- others, healing,
ried them into new directions, or pushed their ideas to further heights. higher astrology,
advanced teach-
ings for the Grade
Now the Adept habitually looks thus at the things within his sight. He knows when it is of 7=4 and sexual
wise and right that he should be effected, and otherwise he does not permit himself to energy. As a
be effected. Included within the aura papers were several exercises for vitalizing, con- whole, the aura
papers explain how
trolling, and purifying the aura, which was considered to be of major importance in the the adept sees and
Sun Order’s teachings. influences the
world around him.
The aura papers cover a variety of teachings, including material on the Tattvas, influenc-
ing others, healing, higher astrology, advanced teachings for the Grade of 7=4 and sex-
ual energy. As a whole, the aura papers explain how the adept sees and influences the
world around him.
The topic of sex magic has been bandied about with a great deal of stupidity in Internet
chat rooms lately. Many documents in the aura papers deal with sex in the aura. Much
of the information deals with the role of sexual energy, polarity workings, the manipula-
tion of sexual symbols within the aura and the astral effects—both positive and nega-
tive—of mutual, physical attraction between two auras.
(42) “Concerning the Positive and Negative Vision (Copied 1920),” Cromlech Archives, Private
Collection.
Page 14
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
One paper discusses the dangers involved when physical sex creates an astral body than
can be inhabited by a spirit. (43) Some of this material may well be the source of the dis-
pute between Moina Mathers and Paul Foster Case. They may also be the source of
Moina’s dispute with Dion Fortune, when she accused Fortune of revealing sexual teach-
ings of the higher grades in her book The Esoteric Philosophy of Love and Marriage.
It should be noted that the Sun Order had a tolerant attitude toward sex. No form of sex-
ual expression was condemned, as one paper makes clear in the following passage:
“Thou shouldst call nothing common or unclean. That man or woman who
seeks a good or fancied good, be it what it may, even if it be merely sensual
lust (which to him or her seems the best thing), is all unknown to himself or
herself seeking the Master; the soul is young, the ideal is low and primitive,
but nevertheless it is an ideal—by degrees other ideals will be substituted for
the lower ones.[…] Nothing is common or unclean—the sacrifice he asks of
thee is the sacrifice of thy prejudices, thy limitations, in order that thou may-
est feed his sheep, above all his lambs.”
Several of the the aura papers deal with what the Sun Order called the “higher astrol-
ogy,”—teachings that were originally issued to Theoricus Adeptus Minors in the Golden
Dawn and later in the Adeptus Major grade (in those groups and temples that pushed
the 5=6 sub-grade materials into the higher grades).
One such paper These include the so-called Dragon Formulas that were explained in a paper by MacGre-
describes how the
Adeptus Major grade,
gor Mathers called “The Law of the Convoluted Revolution of the Forces Symbolized by
like Adeptus Minor, is the Four Aces Round the Northern Pole.” In the aura papers, this material, combined
composed of sub- with ideas on star charts and the Kundalini, was presented within the context of the hu-
grades of Neophyte man aura.
Adeptus Major, Zela-
tor Adeptus Major
and so on. There is a
Some of the aura papers were only given to those Companions deemed ready to receive
good deal of useful them. These included a series of papers dealing with the Exempt Adept grade of 7=4.
information on how One such paper describes how the Adeptus Major grade, like the Adeptus Minor grade, is
the Exempt Adept composed of sub-grades of Neophyte Adeptus Major, Zelator Adeptus Major and so on.
comes to realize his (45)
There is a good deal of useful information on how the Exempt Adept comes to realize
grade and deals with
the world. his grade and how he deals with the world.
Although there were references to a Third Degree of Druid rank in the Sun Order, as well
as order teachings for that higher degree, there doesn’t seem to be any ritual of initiation
into the third degree. The reason for this may be explained in a paper dealing with the
Exempt Adept grade, where it states that no one can initiate another into that grade, that
the fact of an initiate’s ascension thereto is simply recognized by the aspirant and those of
his companions who are of the grade. (46)
(43) “Aura 23: Concerning Sex On the Aura, Some further Sections Adapted from the “Book of
Creation and the Aura, Regarding the Formation of a Certain Class of Astral Bodies (Copied
1927),” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(44) Printed in Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic, 134–140.
(45) Aura 31, Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(46) Ibid.

(continued)
Some of the Aura Papers deal with the faculty of Clairaudience—hearing as well as see-
ing on the Astral. One such paper has the amusing title of “Clairaudience on the Aura
and therewith How to Get a Fairy.” (47) This paper focused on communicating with the
elemental spirits.
A couple of documents define what is the practice of magic, or rather, “magical action.”
One paper tells us that “magical action” is nothing more than the extension of the ordi-
nary processes of daily life—and that these processes are accomplished through the con-
trol of the aura. We are told that if a person can know and control his own aura, and
manipulate the symbols within his aura, then he can do anything. (48)
We are also told that the Magician has an astral body which he can control as easily as
he can move his fingers, and that it is this manipulation of the astral, not magical for-
mula, which produces magical effects. (49) Paraphrasing from the New Testament, the
paper validates magical action with the words of Christ, from the Book of Mark 11, 23-
24: “That whosoever …shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass;
he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
In another paper we are told that the practice of alchemy, as well as the methods used
in magical grimoires, can be carried out physically and materially, but the real secret of
these practices lies within the relationship of the dual polarity of the aura and the subtle
manipulation of the astral energies. (50) Thus, rather than viewing the practice of magic
as running opposite to the mystical path, the Sun Order appears to have viewed both
magic and mysticism as aspects of aura working on the astral. This is entirely in keeping The membership
with the view of the modern day Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. of the Sun Order
was composed
In closing, some have considered the Cromlech temple to be an interesting side order to entirely of senior
the Golden Dawn: a curiosity, but nothing more than a group of Anglican clergyman members of the
experimenting with their own unique mix of mysticism and magic. Golden Dawn,
the Alpha et
This view is most certainly not supported by the fact that the membership of the Sun
Omega and the
Order was composed entirely of senior members of the Golden Dawn, the Alpha et
Stella Matutina.
Omega and the Stella Matutina. Others have put forth the bold idea that the Sun Order
was in fact the Third Order of the Golden Dawn. Where is the truth? Perhaps the real
truth lies somewhere in the middle. Regardless, the Sun Order was an elegant order
that was important to the Golden Dawn tradition.

(49) “On Magical Action As Elucidated by the Aura,” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(50) Aura 38, “Some Further Notes on the Dual Aura,” Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.
(51) “meet”
Page 16
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
And with this, I will close with a paragraph from a Second Grade Paper and with the sin-
cere hope that the current owner of the Cromlech private collection may decide some
day to share this material all true seekers:
“If thou desirest, O Companion, ask any questions upon this teaching. Let no
part be dark unto thee. Those who guide the Order deem it a privilege and
a service for the Lord of Hosts, to answer all questions relating to the teach-
ing of the Order. Woe only to those who will not ask but yet condemn that
which they do not understand.” (52)
Copyright © 2008 Charles “Chic” Cicero
Sources:
Cicero. The Essential Golden Dawn.

Those who guide Cromlech Temple Private Archives.
the Order deem it Fuller, Anthony. “The Working of the Cromlech Temple” A Lecture delivered at the 1998
a privilege and a International Golden Dawn Conference in Bayonne, NJ.
service for the Lord Gilbert, R.A.: The Golden Dawn: Twilight of the Magicians.
of Hosts, to answer
--- The Golden Dawn Scrapbook
all questions relat-
---“The Golden Dawn’s Scottish Scion” published in The Scotsman:
ing to the teaching
of the Order. Woe
http://heritage.scotsman.com/myths/The-Golden-Dawns-Scottish-scion.2635615.jp
only to those who
--- The Sorcerer and His Apprentice: Unknown Writings of S.L. MacGregor Mathers and
will not ask but yet J.W. Brodie-Innes.
condemn that Howe, Elic. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn.
which they do not King, Francis. Astral Projection, Magic and Alchemy, and Ritual Magic in England.
understand. --- Modern Ritual Magic
Kuntz, Darcy. The Golden Dawn Source Book.
(52) King, Astral Projection, Magic, and Alchemy, 232.

The Sun
by Harry Wendrich
From the HorusHathor Temple GD Tarot deck, researched by Nick Farrell and painted by
Harry and Nicola Wendrich of Wendrich artHouse.
The Sun, Key 19, Sol, Resh
It is no surprise
that most chil-
dren, when
asked to pull a
Tarot card, will
pull the Sun
card. It encapsu-
lates the ener-
gies of love and
innocence.
Page 18
Hermetic Virtues
The Sun
(continued)
It is no surprise that most children, when asked to pull a Tarot card, will pull the Sun
card. It encapsulates the energies of love and innocence.
This Nineteenth Key of the Tarot connects Yesod to Hod, and is used in the Practicus
ritual. The Hebrew letter attributed is resh, which represents the head.
In our Sun card, we have attempted to portray the idea of the sun’s light being a mani-
festation of an invisible light. The yods in this card represent a fire triangle, the yods be-
ing a broken magnetic field of the fire element within the Divine Light, which is then
connected to the smaller triangles of the wall. The downward pointing triangles, being
in the physical, represent the twelve constellations, but the upward facing triangles rep-
resent the element within the Divine Light, the larger triangles being Air, the orange
being Water, and the smallest triangles being Earth. This parallels the Golden Dawn
symbolism of the wall being made from the rubble of the Tower, which is divided into
the twelve zodiacal signs and decantes, etc., where matter enters the realm of Time,
which is a kind of bridge between matter and anti-matter.
From these are spread out the 22 archetypes, which again begin to form the four ele-
ments on a different level – on the right, water; on the left, earth; in the middle, air. The
fire element as light then becomes the lower part of the two children, beginning to crys-
tallize or become encapsulated in flesh. The upper part of their bodies is the outward
manifestation of the soul with its yearnings to return to the Divine Light, to which the
children are pointing, via the caduceus.
Crowley says of the children, “They represent the next stage which is to be attained by
For divination: mankind, in which complete freedom is alike the cause and result of the new access of
Reflection of our Solar energy upon the Earth.” (Book of Thoth, p.114)
soul’s essence;
love; freedom; For divination: Reflection of our soul’s essence; love; freedom; friendships; creative en-
friendships; deavours; riches on the physical; spiritual purity.
creative endeav-
ours; riches on
the physical;
spiritual purity.
The HorusHathor Tarot Deck is a work in progress, researched by Nick Farrell and
painted by Harry and Nicola Wendrich. Completed cards are viewable at the Tarot Gal-
lery of www.wendricharthouse.com
Copyright © 2008 Harry Wendich

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

by Donald Michael Kraig
Prologue
In a previous article for this journal(1) I proposed a common bond between the ancient
Tantrics and the earliest of Kabalists. For those who did not see it, by Tantra I am not re-
ferring to the practices of modern Neo-Tantrics who have a major focus on sexuality, but
rather to the Tantrics (or more accurately, Proto-Tantrics) and their complete Pagan spiri-
tual system that existed before modern Vedic (i.e., supposedly sourcing themselves to the
books collectively known as the Vedas) Hinduism.
This concept, that the ancient Tantrics pre-dated Hinduism, flies in the face of many au-
thorities. These authorities have an attitude based on the belief that the ancient, uncivi-
lized, dark-skinned inhabitants of India were invaded by tall, light-skinned, superior people
from the North known as “Aryans” about 1500 B.C.E. and that it was this race of people
who brought civilization into India.
The major problem with this Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) is that
there is no archeological evidence to support it. In fact, the the-
ory was concocted by one man, (Friedrich) Max Müller (1823–
1900). He, like others of his time, was amazed that Western lan-
guages and Sanskrit seemed to have many similarities. He, and
others, with absolutely no evidence to sup-
port it, came to the conclusion that there
must have been a single language (now
called Indo-European) spoken by a race of
people he called the Aryans. Further, since
dark-skinned people couldn’t have been The oldest spiri-
civilized, they must have come from another tual book of the
area. He gave the invasion the date of Hindus, the Rig
around 1500 B.C.E. only because he believed Veda, has accu-
the Anglican Archbishop James Ussher’s (1581–1656) claim that the rate astrological
biblical creation took place on the eve of October 23 [R.A.W. is no observations
doubt happy with that date!], 4004 B.C.E. Since, to Müller, nothing
that date back
could have happened before that, he proposed this invasion and
over 6,000
gave it a later date.
years.
If this sounds racist to you, it absolutely was—and remains so to this day. The oldest spiri-
tual book of the Hindus, the Rig Veda, has accurate astrological observations that date
back over 6,000 years. Only with modern computers has examining the accuracy of such
observations become practical. Since the Indian people of 1,000 B.C.E. didn’t have com-
puters to determine such ancient planetary positions, the most logical conclusion
(following the concept of Occam’s Razor) is that someone recorded the positions of the
stars and planets at that time, indicating a highly evolved science of astrological observa-
tion.
Other difficulties in supporting the AIT come in the fact that these supposed Vedic Aryans
wrote voluminously. They wrote the Vedas. They wrote the massive Mahabharata of
which the famous Bhagavad Gita is but a tiny part. And yet, in spite of all these writings,
there is no recording whatsoever, not even one word, about life before and during the
supposed invasion. Further, the term ‘Aryan’ simply means (originally) a noble or honour-
able person. The fact is, ‘Aryan’ did not define a race, it defined a religious and possibly a
socioeconomic class.
(1) Ancient Sources of the Kabalah, edition #2, Autumnal Equinox 2007
Page 20
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
The racism of the concept, as it is popularly known, was useful to the British and their
belief that taking care of (and exploiting) non-industrialized cultures was the “white
man’s burden.” Claiming that the original rulers of a unified India were light-skinned
foreigners supposedly made it easer for the British to control the Indian part of their em-
pire as they, the British, were also light-skinned foreigners and thus should be accepted.
This concept of races and racism, unfortunately, was also adopted by many occultists,
including Madame Blavatsky, and was later adopted by the Nazis. It has been
“denazified” today, but remains a major part of the study of India in what is known as
“Indology,” a supposed science invented by Müller.
Unfortunately, the AIT remains popular today, even in India. After India’s liberation from
Great Britain, many of its leaders were influenced by Karl Marx, who believed that noth-
ing of value had ever come out of India.
Sir Julian Huxley, a famous biologist in the first half of the 20th century, wrote in 1939,
“In England and America the phrase ‘Aryan race’ has quite ceased to be used by writers
with scientific knowledge, though it appears occasionally in political and propagandist
literature” (quoted in Sarasvati River and the Vedic Civilizations by N.S. Rajaram). And in
2003, the geneticist T. Kvisild (and others in The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers
Persist Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations in the “American Journal of Human
Genetics”) came to the conclusion that there had been no significant input into the
gene pool of India from foreign sources for at least 10,000 years. Even the BBC (http://
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/history_4.shtml) acknowledged that
Sir Julian Huxley
wrote, “In Eng-
the AIT was a racist concept used to encourage native Indians to accept the British Raj.
land and America
With all of these racist leanings, is it any wonder that popularized Western concepts of
the phrase ‘Aryan
Indian spirituality ended up getting much wrong?
race’ has quite
ceased to be used
by writers with The Tree of Life
scientific know- Perhaps the most iconic image of the Kabalah
ledge, though it is found in the Tree of Life. The concept of
appears occasion- the Tree was first described, although not
ally in political pictured, in the Sefer Yetzirah, which dates
and propagandist back to at least the 3rd or 4th century C.E. and
literature”. possibly as early as the 1st century C.E. There
have been several variations on the image of
the Tree, with the earliest version being a set
of ten concentric circles. The currently most
used version was the one adopted by the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, al-
though it may not have been the most popu-
lar version at the time. The adoption of it,
however, and the influence of members of
the Order, and people influenced by mem-
bers of that Order, has resulted in its popular-
ity and modern day acceptance.
Crowley attempted setting up correspon-

dences for the Hindu deities on the Tree of
Life. It’s found in column XXII of his 777 and
listed as a “Small selection of Hindu Deities.”
What it is, however, is a bizarre mesh of
guesswork indicating a lack of any under-

(continued)
standing of the Hindu pantheons, a strange inclusion from someone as well read and
researched as Crowley usually was. This is further indicated by the total lack of any end-
notes which added research information and clarity to many of the other columnar list-
ings.
But perhaps we should not be so hard on Crowley for this, as I doubt if many could have
made a simple and direct listing of the Hindu deities on the Tree of Life for a simple rea-
son: there are actually several pantheons and subsets of Hindu deities and you would
need a book, not a column, to place them on the Tree of Life. Indeed, even though most
people consider Hinduism to be polytheistic, it has more appropriately been labeled a
monotheistic religion with thousands of gods. It would be impossible to fit them all onto
the Tree.
Many people in the West are familiar with the Greek Titans. They were (with apologies to
Lovecraft) Elder Gods who were eventually overthrown by the Olympian deities. It would
be inaccurate to list the Greek deities on the Tree of Life and throw in both the Titans and
Olympians on the Tree in one listing, as they were separate pantheons. Well, actually
Crowley does blend them, too, in column XXXIV, so perhaps he is not as astute in these
areas as we might normally credit him.
Recently, on an internet forum, someone stated that a particular planet was “placed in” a
particular Sephira on the Tree of Life. I had to object to this. Such a comment turns the
Tree from a model or representation into a physical place. Certainly, it is common lan- One of the enor-
guage to say that a planet is in a Sephira, but it is more accurate to say that the planet mous values of the
corresponds with that Sephira. One of the enormous values of the Tree of Life is that by Tree of Life is that
viewing the relationships in the model (the Tree) we can better understand the relation- by viewing the
ships between other things that correspond with the model. However, it is still just a relationships in
model. One that is valuable and operative, but a map nonetheless. And as the saying the model (the
goes, “the map is not the territory.” The map merely guides us through the territory. Tree) we can bet-
ter understand
So perhaps, with the popular understanding of the deities of the Greek pantheons of the the relationships
Titans and Olympians, during Crowley’s time, his listings were quite valid. Similarly, his between other
listings of Hindu deities may have been valuable for understanding those deities with the things that corre-
understandings of his times. Therefore, to denounce Crowley’s listings as being inaccu- spond with the
rate, without taking into account the popular knowledge of his time, is literary decon- model.
struction (after the style of Jacques Derrida) at its most politically correct and its historical
worst.
Still, if we accept that what Crowley posited in 777 was accurate for his time, and we as-
sume that accurate knowledge of Hindu (and Greek) pantheons is far more accurate to-
day than during his time, that does not mean we must keep only to what Crowley wrote.
Indeed, to merely repeat the beliefs of someone we admire without analyzing them is
nothing more than hero worship, and although I’m inclined to think Crowley would have
enjoyed that from the masses, I’m also inclined to believe that he would prefer to work
with people who take his work as a starting point rather than an ending point.
Rather than debating the validity of Crowley’s entries for the Hindu gods either for his
time or our time, I prefer to look at it from a current perspective, including using the Tree
of Life as a model for understanding rather than a Decalogue fixed in stone by the finger
of God. In Liber Al, Crowley (or Aiwas) wrote, “Let success be your proof.” Indeed, that is
what we should do.
Page 22
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
The Hindu/Tantric Concept of the Divine

According to most Hindus, everything that comes from the spiritual side of India evolved
out of the Vedas. Indeed, Tantra, to the Vedics, like Buddhism, evolved as a response to
Vedic Hinduism. When it comes to Tantra, specifically, there are literally no books that
appear earlier than the second millennium, C.E. But Tantrics have always maintained
that their tradition was an oral one. The defining feature of an oral tradition is that it
would not be written. Since a lack of evidence is not evi-
dence of lack, a lack of written evidence does not prove that
Tantra did not precede Vedic Hinduism. Indeed, many of the
rituals found in the Rig Veda seem to be a part of Tantra far
more than Hinduism. For example, temples in India to major
deities of the Vedas such as Indra, Dyaus, Mitra, and Varuna
are few and far between, while temples to the Tantric deities,
including Shiva and Durga abound. One of the earliest im-
ages of Shiva, or “Proto-Shiva,” is found on the Pashupati Seal.
Pashupati (Lord of Animals) is one of the titles/names of
Shiva. The seal is from the Harrapan culture which vanished
before the supposed Aryan Invasion.
As I wrote earlier, Hinduism (and the Tantric religion) are monotheistic but with thou-
sands of deities. The ultimate, transcendent deity is known as Brahman (not to be con-
fused with the later creator deity, Brahma). Brahman is beyond description. Brahman
The ultimate, should not be called “He” or “She,” but only by name, or by descriptions (such as “the
transcendent Godhead”) or perhaps as “It.”
deity is known as
Brahman . Brah- All of the other deities are nothing more than manifestations of Brahman. For example,
man is beyond Brahma is the creator aspect of Brahman. Vishnu the preserver aspect of Brahman.
description and Shiva is the “destroyer” (or more accurately, the transformer) aspect of Brahman. A typi-
should not be cal way to describe this would be to imagine an enormous diamond, a gem so large you
called “He” or could only see one facet at a time. One facet might be Shiva. Another facet Durga. An-
“She,” but only by other Parvati. Another Vishnu. Another Krishna. But they are all just a part of the entire
name, or by de- diamond and do not even exist separately from the diamond. In this analogy, the full
scriptions (such as diamond is Brahman.
“the Godhead”) or
perhaps as “It.” There are several different ways of looking at the Hindu pantheon. For example, relat-
ing to the Tree of Life, Brahman might refer to Kether, Shiva to Chochma, and Durga,
Shiva’s consort, would correspond to Binah. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate
to refer to the energetic aspect of Durga, Shakti, as corresponding to Binah.
Vishnu traditionally has ten manifestations or Avatars, of which Krishna is the most fa-
mous. In the West, primarily due to the ubiquitous influence of ISKCON (the “Hare Krish-
nas”), Krishna is primarily known as a deity similar in many ways to Jesus (indeed, some
writers have contended that the stories of Jesus are modeled on those of Krishna), and
followers are frequently celibate. In areas such as India having a longer history with
Krishna, he is actually known as an erotic deity. One of the famous stories about Krishna
is how he made numerous copies of himself so they could “dally” with a bunch of milk-
maids. And even Freud could easily see the symbolism of the long, straight, rigid flute
Krishna carries.
Be that as it may, Krishna is more closely related (at least popularly) to Vedic Hinduism,
and for this article the focus is on the Tantric (or Proto-tantric) spiritual entities. As Rafael
Patai pointed out in The Jewish Mind, there are so many similarities between the Ka-
balah and the earlier Tantric (or Proto-Tantric) beliefs, that one is inclined to think that

(continued)
Tantric spirituality influenced the Kabalah (although Patai couldn’t—or wouldn’t—prove it).
There is a traditional form of archetypal female—Shakti—energy that evolves into ten

forms, idealized as ten goddesses, making it ideal as one Tantric set of correspondences to
the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. They are collectively known as the Ten Great Powers or
Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses. In Sanskrit, they are called the Dasa (ten) Mahavidyas
(Great Wisdoms). As they are seen to evolve, it would seem that, in some way, they
should match the evolution of the Sephiroth following the path of the Lightning Bolt (i.e.,
going numerically from 1–10) if, as Kabalists claim, the Tree of Life can be representative
of virtually all aspects or groupings in the universe. In this article we’ll see how, or if, this
works. Certainly if it works, it would give more evidence (well, at least of smoke if not
flame) of direct links between Tantra and the Kabalah.
The Dasa Mahavidyas
They are collec-

tively known as
It is quite fascinating how there is this powerful, ten-fold representation of the powers of the Ten Great
the Goddess within the Tantric pantheons. Usually, we hear about the Hindu gods and Powers or Ten
their consorts. To my mind that’s rather sexist—those consorts are goddesses and every Great Wisdom
bit as important, or even more so, than many of the gods. To make them into an after- Goddesses. In
thought—they’re just consorts and not all that important—is a policy I believe should be
Sanskrit, they are
abandoned.
called the Dasa
(ten) Mahavid-
Certainly this demeaning of the goddesses is not any part of Tantra. One of the most
yas (Great Wis-
popular images of Kali shows her standing with a foot on Shiva. She wears a belt of sev-
ered heads (indicating that she can help to get rid of egotism and the sense that we are doms).
separated from the rest of the universe). All of the heads are males.
In some of the great Tantric texts, women are highly honoured. The Kaulavali Tantra says
that all women should be seen as manifestations of the Great Goddess. The Nila Tantra
says it would be better to abandon your parents, your guru, and even the gods and god-
desses rather than insult a woman. The Yoni Tantra even gives specific directions for hon-
ouring a woman by having her represent the Goddess in a ritual.
While Durga is the strong form of the Goddess matching Shiva (Kali is even more power-
ful), the sweet version of his mate is Parvati. Parvati is a goddess of the harvest and a pro-
tector of women. Always depicted as beautiful, she is also a goddess of love and lust. In
fact, her matings with Shiva at times becomes so wild and intense, that the entire universe
shakes, frightening even the rest of the gods and goddesses. This is no meek and mild
“little lady.” She can appear calm and discreet, but behind closed doors with Shiva, she is
a wild woman who revels in her power.
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(continued)
That means, at times, she and Shiva could become overpowered by their emotions and
feelings. There is a Bengali account of her calling Shiva, irresponsible, dope smoking,
and incapable of looking after himself. After one fight, Shiva threatened to leave. So
Parvati made ten different forms of herself to guard each of the directions: the four cardi-
nal points, the cross quarters, above and below. As a result, no matter which direction
he turned, there was a form of Parvati. Each of the ten would block his way by reveal-
ing important spiritual truths (which is why they are called “wisdom goddesses”). They
are ten fundamental aspects of the ultimate cosmic mother goddess.
Parvati created them one at a time. Each has different qualities, appearances, associa-
tions (correspondences), and a name. All but one have an associated male deity, but an
in-depth discussion of this is beyond the scope of this article. I should also add that they
each have a planetary attribution, but these attributions include astrological associa-
tions, including the Lunar Nodes, that don’t fit into the Kabalistic Tree schema, so those
particular aspects of the goddesses won’t apply in this correspondence match up with
the Tree of Life.
Kali
The first of the ten is Kali. Each of the ten has a two-
dimensional image known as a yantra. Hers consists of five
concentric downward-pointing triangles, surrounded by
three concentric circles, around with is a ring of eight sym-
By better under- bolic lotus petals, another circle, and finally an outer
standing a deity, we “square,” which actually has outcroppings on each of its
better understand sides. In the West, we are likely to think of a yantra as a sym-
ourselves and our bol representing the goddess. The word “yantra” is actually
place in the uni-
Sanskrit for “machine” or “device.” However, and this is im-
verse. Perhaps no
portant to know, the Tantric interpretation is that this is not a
form of wisdom can
be a higher form of
symbol at all. A yantra is the goddess in a linear form. As
worship. This gives
such, it is worthy of not just great honour, but of actual worship. Some may think that
new meaning to worshiping geometric images is a silly, archaic concept. But since deity is everywhere,
the words over the why not in a linear diagram?
ancient temples,
“Know thyself.” How should we worship Kali and the other Dasa Mahavidyas? If you have ever seen a
real Hindu or Tantric ritual (puja), you may have seen such things as giving flowers, milk,
clothes, or waving a flame in front of an image of the goddess or god. These techniques
are a good way to start. But the ultimate form is not to do something with, for, or to the
deity, but to understand that you and the deity are not separate, are not two different
things. Such a form of devotion can be experienced and performed any time and any-
where.
But why do this? Very simply, worship of this sort leads to knowledge of the deity. By
better understanding a deity, we better understand ourselves and our place in the uni-
verse. Perhaps no form of wisdom can be a higher form of worship. This gives new
meaning to the words over the ancient temples, “Know thyself.”
The name “Kali” is derived from a word that means “time” and “blackness.” She is im-
aged as having dark blue or black skin. The colour white reflects all wavelengths of light
while black absorbs them all. Thus, it could be said that Kali has absorbed within Her
the potential of everything. To my mind, this certainly is an appropriate correspondence
for Kether at the top of the Tree of Life.

(continued)
Since we humans are not eternal (“eternal” originally did not mean “lives forever,” it
meant “is outside of time”), we experience everything through time. To do that, we must
have life and the energy that allows life to continue. Thus, as “time,” Kali is also the life
force energy. Kether, too, is the beginning of energy as manifest in the lightning bolt that
descends the Tree of Life.
All things that live have certain qualities. Specifically, they are born, mature, and die. Kali
has been called the “Goddess of Yogic Transformation.” But the transformations in life,
alchemic in their nature, include such concepts as putrefaction and destruction/change.
Such things can be terrifying to us, so the image of Kali is that of a terrifying woman. Per-
haps she is most terrifying to men because she is totally in her power. That amazing, un-
stoppable, undifferentiated power makes her appropriate as a correspondence with Ke-
ther.
To mentally focus or meditate on Kali as Kether, either visualize her yan-

tra or her image. Kali is usually shown as being black or blue in colour.
Around her neck is a mala, a set of 108 prayer beads. Instead of beads,
however, they are human skulls, indicating all of the problems she has
slain. Her skirt is of human arms. Her own arms show her carrying
things such as Shiva’s trident, a flaming bowl, a curved sword, and a
head that she has just removed with the sword. Transformation, in-
deed. Some versions show her making gestures (mudras) that indicate
her giving favours and dispelling fear. Tara does not offer
direct deliverance.
She willingly pro-
Tara vides the wisdom
The second Mahavidya is Tara, who is also an important Bud- that allows us to
dhist goddess, perhaps the most important. Her yantra is save ourselves. As
made of a single downward-pointing triangle, surrounded by such, she is a per-
a circle, ringed by eight lotus petals, and surrounded by the fect representative
“square.” of Chochma, wis-
dom. Another of
Her name means “deliverer” or “saviour,” making the wisdom her titles, appropri-
she shares seem to be more appropriate to Tifereth, the Se- ately, is “The Sav-
phira to which deliverers and saviours usually correspond, ing Word.”
rather than to Chochma. The key to understanding this,
however, is by focusing on what and how Tara is a saviour-
ess. She is not a redeemer in the sense of a Jesus. Rather, she delivers and saves knowl-
edge and wisdom. She does not offer direct deliverance. She willingly provides the wis-
dom that allows us to save ourselves. As such, she is a perfect representative of Cho-
chma, wisdom. Another of her titles, appropriately, is “The Saving Word.”
Just as Kali is pure, undifferentiated energy, Tara brings some order to that energy. For
Tara is the power of the incoming and outgoing breath, the power that allows us to con-
trol universal life energy or Prana. The first sound we make, the sound of the breath, is
also sacred. It automatically forms “ham” on the inhalation and “sah” on the exhalation.
This forms the sacred mantra of “hamsa,” the Divine Swan, or the equally famous “So-
aham.”
Thus, it is from Tara that there comes sound, with sound comes words, with words comes
communication, with communication comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes
wisdom: Chochma.
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(continued)
In Tibetan Buddhism, Tara is worshipped as the manifestation of

compassion.
To meditate on Tara as Chochma, you can focus on her yantra or

on her image. Tara, as an evolution of Kali, is deep blue in colour,
albeit not as dark as Kali. Also like Kali, she has matted hair, indi-
cating that she has used energy in the passion of love. She has a
garland of human heads, indicating the wisdom she will offer
and has several serpents for ornaments, indicating that her con-
sort is Shiva. Again like Kali, Tara is often depicted dancing on a
corpse, indicating her focus on the spiritual rather than the physi-
cal. She has four arms and carries a sword or head chopper and
a scissors, as well as a severed head. These indicate that she can
help you remove your egotism that prevents you from accepting the wisdom she offers.
The scissors, specifically, indicates that she cuts away the attachments that keep you
from finding happiness. She also holds a lotus. The lotus grows up from the muck at the
bottom of a lake to produce a magnificent flower. It represents the potential of the soul.
Tripura Sundari
Tripura Sundari is also known as Lalita, she who plays. Her
yantra is the famous Sri Yantra. At the center is a point or
Unfortunately, too bindu. Surrounding that are nine interlocking triangles, a
many people are circle on which are eight symbolic lotus petals, outside of
caught up in just which is another circle with sixteen lotus petals, around
one of the worlds, which are three circles and the outer “square.”
the physical, to
understand where She is known as “The Beauty of the Three Worlds” (mental,
the beauty really physical, spiritual). The beauty results from the light of the
comes from and vibratory energy that comes through her, and through all
that the very con- things. By understanding the source of her beauty we are
cept of “beauty” is better able to understand and find the beauty that exists in all things. Thus, Tripura
dependent solely
Sundari certainly corresponds with the Sephira Binah, Understanding.
on our personal
perceptions.
Unfortunately, too many people are caught up in just one of the worlds, the physical, to
understand where the beauty really comes from and that the very concept of “beauty” is
dependent solely on our personal perceptions. Hence, the beauty in other things can
only be appreciated and understood when we appreciate and understand the beauty
within ourselves. It comes from our own, inner light that is charged by universal energy
from Tara/Chochma. When we see beauty, we are seeing a reflection of ourselves. As
above, so below.
The mother goddess also corresponds to Binah, and She who Plays is a mother goddess.
She invites our playing and love, but we most often fail to understand and get caught
up in the physical world, finding ourselves locked in suffering and sorrow. From her,
though, we get the understanding that such things are misunderstandings of reality
and only temporary at most. She awakens the joy in our lives, and awakens us to the
bliss that is really the basis of all things.

(continued)
There is an entire mode of working with the Sri Yantra that is be-
yond the scope of this article. For focus and meditation you can
use that yantra, or her image which is that of a young girl of six-
teen. So she is also known just as “sixteen” (Sodashi) or as “The
Young Girl” (Bala). She combines the power of Kali with the
knowledge of Tara and her own blissful self from her spiritual un-
derstandings. Visually, she is a young girl sitting on a lotus which
itself is on the body of Shiva. Shiva is lying on a wide throne. She
holds a bow made of sugarcane. Its arrows are the personification
of sweetness. She is gorgeous and beautiful.
Bhuvaneshvari
She is the “Queen of the Universe,” and her yantra consists of
a circled hexagram surrounded by a ring of eight lotus petals,
another circle, and a ring of eight more lotus petals, sur-
rounded by the “square.” She is the true mother of all worlds,
the cosmic womb. Kali is time, Bhuvaneshvari is space, into
which all things manifest.
Chhinnamasta is
To worship this divine mother promotes a broader vision of
seen to be the
the universe than narrow sects and physical differences. She
helps us transcend concepts of nationality, race, gender, re- power of sacrifice
ligion, class, etc. In short, she allows us to manifest the un- and courage.
derstanding of Tripura Sundari, allowing us to have perfect mercy for all. Being a willing
sacrifice, even
Thus, the fourth of the Mahavidyas, Bhuvaneshvari, corresponds ideally with the fourth when you know
Sephira, Hesed, or Mercy. that you will get
something better,
Another name for Bhuvaneshvari is “Maya,” the goddess of illusion. Her dance makes requires a great
those who have not achieved understanding become locked in meaningless prejudices. deal of courage
But with understanding we see her for what she is, just doing her part in the larger dance and She has it.
of reality. Thus, we find here Divine Love that gives everything and everyone the space to
be just what it/they are.
As with the other Mahavidyas, you can meditate on her yantra or her image. The image
of Bhuvaneshvari is as beautiful as Sundari, but her skin is the color of the rising sun, filled
with reds, oranges, and yellows merged in power. She has flowing black hair, her lips are
red and full. She has a crescent moon on her head and she possesses three eyes. The
central eye relates to the “third eye” which opens with understanding. Two of her four
hands hold a noose to trap illusions and carry them away from you, and a goad to drive
you on a spiritual path. Her other hands hold positions (mudras) indicating the granting
of favours (fingertips down, showing the palm) and the dispelling of fears (fingertips up,
again showing the palm).
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(continued)
She is also said to have a slim waist and beautiful, firm breasts
smeared with the scents of sandal paste and saffron. Her arms
are made for embracing. While this becomes overtly sexual, it
is important to remember that she is the Queen of the physical
Universe and the created world. This harkens back to Tantric
thought which does not view the physical world as something
terrible, a place to leave, or a “veil of woe.” Rather, it is a won-
derful place of joy and bliss. With the gift of seeing through
the Maya she lets us completely appreciate the world she has
created, including all of its beauty.
Chhinnamasta
The Yantra of Chhinnamasta is a single, downward-pointing
triangle surrounded by three circles, another triangle, an-
other circle, eight lotus petals and the outer “square.” If you
think Kali was frightening, you haven’t met Chhinnamasta!
The name itself means “a severed head” and her image is that
of a naked woman who has cut off her own head (it gets
Chhinnamasta worse!).
is seen to be the
power of sacri-
She holds the severed head in one of her hands. From her
fice and cour-
neck are spurting streams of blood. Out of the mouth of the
age. Being a
willing sacrifice, severed head is stretched a long tongue. It seems to be ec-
even when you statically drinking one of the streams of her own blood.
know that you
will get some- There is something very strange with this image (well, beside the obvious). The appear-
thing better, ance on the face of Chhinnamasta is not one of horror, terror or pain. She seems to be
requires a great happy or even in a state of bliss. This reminds me very strongly of the image of the
deal of courage Hanged Man in the Tarot.
and she has it.
The Hanged Man is shown hanging by his ankle, not his throat, He is blissful, even
though items are falling, or have fallen, from his pockets. He is a willing sacrifice, giving
up something in order to be open to something even better. It’s the letting go of the old
to make way for the new.
Similarly, Chhinnamasta is seen to be the power of sacrifice and courage. Being a will-
ing sacrifice, even when you know that you will get something better, requires a great
deal of courage and Chhinnamasta has it.
If we do not give things up when it is time, nature decrees that we will suffer. Many ani-
mals sacrifice their winter coats for lighter summer coats. It’s the giving up of one thing
for another. If you don’t sacrifice what you need to give up, you will suffer. That’s sim-
ply the way it is, even though it may seem like a severe punishment. As such, Chhinna-
masta is indeed a perfect correspondence for the fifth Sephira, Geburah or Severity.
Use either her yantra or her image for meditation on her in Geburah. As with the previ-
ous forms of the Mahavidyas, her body is that of a sixteen-year-old adorned with a gar-
land of severed heads. The age, of course, is symbolic and not meant to represent a pe-
dophile’s dream—assuming pedophiles are also into headless victims.

(continued)
Her age relates to the cycles of the moon, the period of days
from full to new and from new to full.
Her large, firm breasts are covered with lotus petals and her
hair is matted and spread out to look like bolts of lightning. At
her feet are the bodies of Kama, the God of love, and Rati, his
consort, who are entwined in intercourse. This symbolizes the
sexual and kundalini energy that Chhinnamasta embodies.
Bhairavi
The yantra of Bhairavi consists of nine concentric triangles
with a single point down. Around the nine is a circle, a ring
of eight lotus petals, another circle and the outer “square."
Bhairavi is known as the Warrior Goddess. So the obvious

question is how can a goddess known to have the power of
death be associated with Tifereth, which is usually associated … if you mum-
with resurrection deities? The answer is that although she
ble a few special
does represent Divine wrath and anger, it is specifically fo-
words, demons
cused against impurities that are within us. So inwardly, she
helps us destroy problems that keep us from spiritual evolu- will jump out of
tion. Externally, she gives the strength and insight that allows us to defeat anything rang- the ground to
ing from “bad vibes” to people who work against our spiritual well being on our individ- do your bidding.
ual paths to enlightenment. So in a very real sense, Bhairavi helps give us rebirth and res- Were this true,
urrection as we quit the dark and seek the day. every book on
magick in the
The Christian Bible uses the concept of the Word to represent Christ, the resurrection de- U.S. would be
ity. In John I:I it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and banned under
the Word was God.” If, however, we look at this strictly from the wording (no pun in- the Patriot Act.
tended), it is clear that the concept of words and speech are important to the notion of
creation. Certainly in magick—as in the practice of a “spell”—this is very true.
However, this has resulted in the misconception of magick, as used in so many novels,
films and even comic books, that if you mumble a few special words, demons will jump
out of the ground to do your bidding. Were this true, every book on magick in the U.S.
would be banned under the Patriot Act. Obviously, there is far more than just speaking
the words. They must be backed with some sort of power or energy.
Bhairavi is not only a warrior goddess. She also is the goddess of the power of speech
that is filled with raw, potential energy (i.e., possesses the element of Fire). It is said that
She can use her empowered words to eliminate all opposition (to spiritual evolution).
One of the best-known forms of Bhairavi as a warrior is that of Durga. Durga is imaged as
riding a lion, a symbol of the Fire element. Astride the lion she carries and uses her weap-
ons to save us from all difficulties and blockages to our personal spiritual growth. These
blockages can be our own internal demons, but they can also include external forces
such as disease and death.
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(continued)
She may not be able to eliminate those outer forces, but she
can help change our understanding of them so we learn from
them rather than merely suffer from them. She is also seen as
the ultimate warrior goddess, Chandi, the destroyer of opposi-
tion. Chandi would assist Kali in the destruction of demons.
[Note: some writers switch the order of Chhinnamasta and

Bhairavi in the evolution of the Dasa Mahavidyas. The order
presented here is the one given in the classic text known as
the Todala Tantra.]
If you don’t use Her yantra for meditation/concentration on

Bhairavi/Tiphereth, focus on her image. As usual, she is very
beautiful. Her head has a garland of flowers, she is smeared
with red paste, although her skin already is said to look like the
red rays of 1,000 suns. She has three eyes and a beautiful face
with the type of smile that slowly appears. She wears white
gems and while two of her four hands show the mudras for
giving favours and dispelling fears, her other hands hold milk,
which nurtures our bodies, and a book, which nurtures our
mind.
Dhumavati is the
oldest of the Ma-
havidyas. She is a Dhumavati
Grandmother The seventh Mahavidya is Dhumavati, corresponding with the
goddess, giving seventh Sephira, Netzach, or Victory. Her yantra consists of a
honour and re- point, surrounded by a circle, surrounded by a ring of eight
spect to the wis- lotus petals, surrounded by another circle on which is a ring of
dom that comes sixteen lotus petals enclosed in the outer “square.”
with age. To
have lived this Dhumavati is the oldest of the Mahavidyas. She is a Grand-
long, she has mother goddess, giving honour and respect to the wisdom
overcome all of that comes with age. To have lived this long, she has over-
her failures come all of her failures, which are now chalked up as knowl-
edge she can share, and lives as a victor in life, making her a
perfect goddess to correspond with Netzach.
The word “dhuma” means “smoke,” and her name means that she is composed of
smoke. So her nature is to obscure things. How, then, can she share her long lifetime of
earned wisdom? Because when you obscure one thing you reveal another. When you
obscure superficial desires, you reveal inner needs and can develop goals. Those superfi-
cial desires can take your focus away from your true spiritual goals and keep you from
victory. Her obscuration actually helps you to focus and achieve your goals.
The other nine Mahavidyas have consorts. Dhumavati, however, is the Widow Goddess.
This means she is pure, feminine energy with no aspect of the masculine. How, then,
can she fit on the masculine pillar of the Tree of Life?
Nothing in our physical world is purely male or female, positive or negative, electric, or
magnetic, yang or yin, etc. Everything is blended. As part of this metaphor, in most
Western teachings, the masculine/positive/electric concept represents pure energy. The
feminine/negative/magnetic concept represents pure form.

(continued)
In Tantric traditions, the opposite is true. The female is

considered pure energy while the male is considered
pure form. There is a saying that goes, “Shiva is a corpse
without Shakti,” that exemplifies this concept.
So although Dhumavati is a goddess without any aspect

of the masculine, she also represents pure, undifferenti-
ated energy that matches the concept of the masculine
energy of the right pillar on the Tree of Life.
Use Her yantra or her image for concentration and/or

meditation. She is usually shown as an old woman, tall
and very thin, the color of smoke. She is wrinkled and
unattractive, with long, uneven teeth—several of which
are missing. Her hair is a matted mess. Picture Kali as an
old woman. She wears old, dirty clothes (taken from a
corpse in a cremation ground) that don’t hide her sag-
ging breasts. In one hand she holds a winnowing basket that is used to separate grain
from the grain’s husks by tossing it in the air. It represents the ability to separate what is
bad and unusable from what is good and practical. She rides in a type of chariot or cart
that has a crow, a symbol of death on it. She is seen to be sad, quarrelsome, angry, and
associated with ignorance. Can you get past those blockages to find your spiritual way?
To look at the
evolution of the
Bagalamukhi Mahavidyas, con-
The yantra of this eighth of the Mahavidyas has a downward sider the concept
pointing triangle within a hexagram. Around this is a circle of sound (Tara)
with eight lotus petals on it. Surrounding this is another circle made manifest as
with sixteen lotus petals. Outside of this is the so-called speech (Bhairavi)
“square.” that becomes so
ultimately, stun-
When pure, undifferentiated sound (represented by Tara) be- ningly powerful
comes manifest as light, Tara becomes Bagalamukhi. This light (as Bagalamukhi)
is stunning, effulgent, ultimately powerful and glorious, mak- that it silences all
ing Bagalamukhi a wonderful goddess to correspond with the others.
eighth Sephira, Hod, which means “glory.” To look at the evolution of the Mahavidyas,
consider the concept of sound (Tara) made manifest as speech (Bhairavi) that becomes so
ultimately, stunningly powerful (as Bagalamukhi) that it silences all others. She represents
the hypnotic powers of the goddess that instantaneously stops others in their tracks.
Symbolically she helps you quiet that voice which constantly goes on in your head and
allows the inner voice from your higher self to come through.
Whenever you have to debate others, or simply present your position to others, Bagala-
mukhi is the goddess to call on for support. Sometimes, that “other” person is an aspect
of yourself that keeps you from your spiritual path.
Because of this stunning, hypnotic power, Bagalamukhi can be considered an “inverter.”

If people would speak against you she turns their speech into silence. She shows their
“knowledge” for the ignorance it truly is. She makes the powerful powerless and turns
your defeats into victories; your opponent’s victories into defeats.
Page 32
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
Meditate or focus your devotion on her yantra or her image to

gain her graces. Her colour, like that of Hod in the Queen
Scale, is yellow. Her skin is yellow and so is her clothing. She
wears trinkets that are yellow and has yellow flowers in her
hair. She sits on a throne made of the yellow metal, gold.
Around Her throne are red lotuses. With one hand she is
reaching out to grab the tongue of her foe. With her other
hand she holds a mace so after she has him by the tongue she
can smack him on the head.
Matangi
Matangi’s yantra has a downward pointing triangle at the
center, around which is a circle on which are eight lotus pet-
als. This is surrounded by another circle with eight larger lo-
tus petals. This is then surrounded by a circle with sixteen
lotus petals and closed in by the “square.”
Matangi is the
Matangi is the goddess of articulating inner knowledge and is
colour of dark,
therefore the goddess of art, music, and dance, very similar to
green emeralds,
Brahma’s consort, Saraswati. Both play a veena, a stringed
like the colour of
musical instrument that is about four feet long. Both are sym-
the deep sea.
bolized by rain clouds, thunder, and rivers. However, Matangi
She has three
is focused toward inner knowledge and bestows talent and
eyes and is said
expertise where Saraswati offers commonplace learnings. She
to be radiant, like
rules the ordinary while Matangi rules the extraordinary. Ma-
the moon, show-
tangi shares in the transformative power of Kali and Shiva. She
ing a relationship
is also the goddess of teaching and counseling.
with the ninth
Sephira, Yesod. Matangi is the colour of dark, green emeralds, like the colour of
the deep sea. She has three eyes and is said to be radiant, like
the moon, showing a relationship with the ninth Sephira, Ye-
sod. She carries weapons that are used to fascinate and sub-
due her enemies. She has a parrot in her hands representing
speech and the fact that humans are unique because of our
broad and innate natural ability to speak. Her throne is cov-
ered, or perhaps made of gems with symbolism of a lion. You
can use this image or her yantra for focus and/or meditation.
She is “the giver of results.”

(continued)
Kamala
The tenth of the Dasa Mahavidyas is Kamala or Kamalatmika,
the Lotus Goddess of Delight and the power of perfect happi-
ness. Her yantra is a point surrounded by a circle ringed by
eight lotus petals. This is surrounded by a hexagram around
which is a circle and eight larger lotus petals, bounded by the
“square.”
The fact that she is related to happiness and delight seems to

go against the concept that the tenth Sephira, Malkuth, is re-
lated to our physical plane and the Earth. However, as I
wrote earlier, this “harkens back to Tantric thought which
does not view the physical world as something terrible, a place to leave, or a “veil of
woe.” Rather, it is a wonderful place of joy and bliss.” Thus, Kamala is an ideal correspon-
dence to Malkuth.
Kamala is a Sanskrit word for lotus. In this she is like the goddess of the lotus, Lakshmi,
the consort of Vishnu the preserver deity. Lakshmi is also the goddess of wealth, beauty
and love. Some say she is Lakshmi, but she is never shown with Vishnu, so there are dif-
ferences. She is not dominated by Vishnu as is Lakshmi. She is independent.
Kamala, as ruler of love, beauty, and bliss, is also similar to Tripura Sundari, but Sundari
deals with a more subtle form of love, beauty and bliss, based on a positive self-image.
Kamala will aid
Kamala deals with the outer form of beauty as a manifestation of the inner. It’s a subtle you in whatever
difference, but it is there. Because of the focus on the outer, Kamala is directly related to you wish to do
the Earth (and Malkuth) as the Earth contains the full physical manifestation of the Di- and helps you to
vine. achieve your
goals. This is not
Kamala will aid you in whatever you wish to do and helps you to achieve your goals. This for spiritual goals,
is not for spiritual goals, but for worldly ones: financial success and security, notoriety, but for worldly
family and loved ones, etc. However, these goals should be outward manifestations of ones: financial
your spiritual life and not merely temporary desires based on supposed needs or wants success and secu-
caused by attachments, egotistical desires, or even what could be considered neurotic rity, notoriety,
desires. family and loved
ones, etc.
As with the other Mahavidyas, you can meditate on her yan-
tra or on her image. Kamala is beautiful, and her skin tone is
the yellow of Bagalamukhi combined with the browns of
Earth, yielding a golden tone. She is shown wearing beauti-
ful silks and has a crown of gems. Two of her hands form the
mudras of granting favours and eliminating fears. Four pure
white elephants—the largest animals on land—bathe her by
pouring jars of water or the Earth’s nectars over her. In her
other hands she holds lotus flowers, representative of life and
fertility on the physical plane. She stands on a lotus herself.
You can meditate/focus on this image or on her yantra to see
her wisdom and favours.
Page 34
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
Well, there you have it. Associations of one small but important section of the Tantric and
Hindu pantheons that seem to evolve just as the Sephiroth evolve from the Ain Soph.
Are these accurate attributions? I imagine some will say “yes,” others will say “no,” others
will denounce this for daring to say that Crowley was wrong and spend hours showing
this analysis is false.
Are these correspondences between the Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life accurate?
The truth is, I don’t know. If you do research on the Mahavidyas you will find much more
information as the myths and legends of these goddesses evolved over the centuries. I
present these correspondences as a possibility that should certainly be explored. Dion
Fortune wrote that there is no room for authority in occultism. By this she meant that
occultism is an experimental science. Just because an authority, no matter who it is,
writes something, doesn’t make it so. In each generation we need to determine the truth
of what went before. If we don’t, occultism becomes as dead as the bones of our ances-
tors.
Copyright © 2008 Donald Michael Kraig

In each gen-
eration we
need to deter-
mine the truth
of what went
before. If we
don’t, occult-
ism becomes as
dead as the
bones of our
ancestors.
Kingdom Come:
Real Life Divination
by Melissa Seims and Nick Farrell
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new
eyes." Marcel Proust
Kabbalists will tell you that what you see around you is but a final reflection of God inter-
acting down the four levels of creation. The Divine has an idea, which is a perfected sym-
bol. This creates activity and flows down the levels like a river to the sea, gaining more
momentum and more solidity until it manifests as the world we see around us. Emana-
tions of true reality come rushing down the tree, pushing all before them in their ques-
tion for manifestation and realisation. All that ever is and all that will ever be already ex-
ists. It is just about finding the correct channel, to bring it down to Earth. That is where
humanity comes in. All the time, new ideas are being hatched through our own powers
of creativity and imagination. Some find their way to birth whilst others are lost for a
while in the morass of anonymity. We are, perhaps paradoxically, both a conduit for and
a product of this process.
Everything before you started as a symbol, progressed into a dream, was realised by
someone or something and finally became the solid world we see around us. It is the
path of the magician to work with symbols and these can be traced back to their source
until they reveal a primal reality behind them. This means that matter is belief's shadow, a
thought is re-enforced concrete and a dream is stronger than steel.
This knowledge is recognised, at least unconsciously, by the advertising industry. They

... matter is be-
give you a symbol with the goal of getting your to dream their dreams. We are so bom-
barded with marketing images and symbols that we are becoming immune to them. But lief's shadow, a
never doubt that they are still working their magic on us, at a subconscious level, to drive thought is re-
us back to the dream, where if you buy that shampoo, you will be transported to exotic enforced con-
beaches. crete and a
dream is
Some brands' ‘magic’ will go as far as openly preying on your insecurities, making you stronger than
think that there really is no way that woman is going to look at you unless you have their steel.
aftershave. If your car breaks down, rather than be stuck for hours whilst your fellow hu-
man beings jeer and laugh at your misfortune, all you need to do is join the Automobile
Association, they’ll be your real helpful friend … so long as you pay them in cash, the cur-
rency of the material world's demon soul. This is far removed from the real currency of
the soul, the essence of our being, which is what you are when you are often being de-
cidedly un-cool; those moments of spiritual connection when your brand of jeans matters
not one iota.
It is unsurprising that many fall prey to popular advertising images and rely on such illu-
sions to prop up their lives. Indeed, if we weren't so easily affected by symbols within our
immediate surroundings, to the point that they become our desires, then advertising
would not exist. Advertisers often use the power of fear to encourage us to hand over
our power and our choices to them. This results in our own individuality being ham-
mered into a pine box where no one will see your unique way of being, expressing and
seeing.
Page 36
Hermetic Virtues
Kingdom Come:
(continued)
In a world where devoted fans gather under sacred Golden Arches for their Big Macs, it
seems clear that too much magic is being performed by the wrong people, advocates of
the Nephilim.(1) By itself, this ‘magic’ is not inherently evil and manipulative, it is the way it
is applied, the intent behind it. Slogan writers and advertising executives may use its
force to get you to part with your hard earned money, but true artists use it to create
something more resonant and meaningful through the stroke of a brush, the ethereal
words of a good poem or the dream of the fairytale. All art is about manipulating your
emotions, true art, magic, should give you access to emotional power independent of
others’ ulterior motives. Emotions are also the language of your Higher Self which is al-
ways trying to whisper your divine Will to you, if it can just get your attention.
Everything around us is a manifesta-

tion of this creative process, whether
that’s the grandeur of the Trevi
Fountain or the eye-sore of the Mil-
lennium Dome. All these ideas made
manifest, feed directly into modern
culture and society and create all the
symbols in our lives. In this seem-
ingly anarchic universe that is con-
stantly vomiting symbols at us and
through us, we can chose to be
more proactive, to use the process in
If you are hav- our favour in an act of divinatory
ing a problem magic based on ‘real life’. Using this we can glimpse into the mind of ‘God’. All you need
or want to try to do is make the decision to look at the world around you in a different way.
and see what
lies ahead, go When you perform a traditional divination in an open and altered state of consciousness,
for a walk and
you consciously look for some answers in the symbols you are using. This usually occurs
make the con-
when you are in some sort of heightened emotional state and your human failings doubt
scious decision
the intensity of the message that your Higher Self is trying to convey to you. If you have
to look at the
tarot cards you will decide which symbols are correct for the reading. What happens if
universe unrav-
we apply the same rules to the universe that is around us? We know our reality is a result
elling around
you ...
of the outpouring of the mind of ‘God’ – what if we try to read it as if it were a set of tarot
cards?
If you are having a problem or want to try and see what lies ahead, go for a walk and
make the conscious decision to look at the universe unravelling around you, as opposed
to being just a passive subject and a reaction to it.
Formulate your question in your head and give it a time period. Mentally invoke the An-
gel Heru, or call upon your own Higher Self for guidance. Then say something like “by
the time I get to the shops 10 minutes away, something will have occurred on my path
that will provide me with some insight about whether or not to quit my troublesome
job”. Instead of worrying over the myriad of possibilities in any situation concerning
one’s livelihood, you are throwing it out to the Universe and in doing so, allowing your-
self to become a more effective channel for your own divine Will.
(1) In Hebrew, ‘nephilim’ translates to “those causing others to fall”.

Kingdom Come:
(continued)
It may be that in this case, your eye is drawn to

some leaves dancing about in a gust of wind;
something that under normal circumstances, you
would have barely noticed. It could be surmised
that the leaves are telling you that it is time to
turn over a new leaf, to change your job. By
opening up to the possibility of receiving divine
answers in this way, you have enabled your
Higher Self to more effectively communicate to
you in the same way that occurs when reading
tarot cards or using any other divination process.
But rather than using someone else’s symbolic system, you are using your own and by
choosing to interact with the world around you, you are closer to the mind of ‘God’, for it
is more clearly reflected there than anywhere else.
Another example of this principle in action can be seen in the case of two star-crossed
lovers whom life has decreed are unable to be together by virtue of the fact that they are
both married to other people. On an illicit drive one day, they decide to throw it out to
fate and the Gods, to divine real life in order to find out what would happen to them if
they followed the overwhelming emotional impulses that typify such situations. They
turn left into a road and find their way blocked by a dustbin lorry collecting the recycling.
The lorry has a badge on the front, it is an eagle a symbol that is often seen as being a
messenger of the Gods and a go-between for your Higher Self. The lovers had to pull
The head is there
over to the side of the road and wait patiently for the lorry to pass them by. As it did,
they noticed the word ‘together’ on the side of the van. Real life seemed to be saying to to serve the
them that there would be a delay whilst baggage was being recycled but that it would heart and the
ultimately work out and they would be together. Higher Self, not
the other way
This 'reading' could be interpreted in another way, for example it may have been saying round. The heart
that all they are doing is repeating and recycling past habits. But it is how they chose to is the seat of the
read the symbol that is the most important thing. It has to feel right, the first emotional spirit and as such
response usually indicates a connection to the power of the Higher Self, don’t let the has much better
head try to rationalise things too much and let matters of the mundane snap at your access to your
heels. Be the fool who is also the innocent magician. The head is there to serve the heart spiritual self,
and the Higher Self, not the other way round. The heart is the seat of the spirit and as than the head.
such has much better access to your spiritual self, than the head.
This is why emotional situations so often taunt us with their seeming intangibility of feel-
ings that seem to come from somewhere ‘up there’. Often defying logic, they frustrate us
in the process but their transformative power invites you to visit transcendence – and it
often has teeth.
Humans often struggle with the threat of change when the past is known and the future
is undetermined. Our societies are built on the concept of some sort of stability, a home,
a married life, a regular job. The ‘Powers that Be’ like to know where you live, what you
do for a living, how many children you have and whether you buy anything that could
be used in an act of trendy terrorism. They don’t want you to be the magician; they pac-
ify you with organised religion, which also requires that the access to your own divinity is
through their chosen spiritual front-man.
When you had that heated argument with you girlfriend last week, emotions ran high
and Beelzebub's barbs were creeping their way into being through your heightened
emotional state. This is a manifestation of a negative force channelled by a foul mood
Page 38
Hermetic Virtues
Kingdom Come:
(continued)
because your Higher Self is trying to tell you that there is something wrong in your rela-
tionship that needs to be looked at. It may be that you are destined to split up, or that
you need this jolt in order to work things out and grow as an individual. Jump in the car,
go for a drive. Maybe your eye will be drawn to the slogan, ‘It’s the Real thing’, the
‘Genuine Article’, or maybe it’s a ‘Marlboro Moment’ and its time ‘to take a break, have a
Kit-Kat’. Use the images, instead of letting them use you. It is only through moments like
this that you can take those advertising symbols that are battering you, like a Mars bar in
a Scottish chip shop and turning into something really toxic. Symbols that are normally
designed to make you buy something pointless can help you understand your life. A Kit-
Kat advert might be telling you that you really do need to take a break and stop working
so hard. A car advert might be telling you that, although the path seems confused,
'taking the long way home' will eventually get you there.
Let us have a look at some other examples. Troubled by thoughts of his new girlfriend,
who he thought had been acting a bit weird of late, Toby decided to go for a drive in a
bid to clear his head and to get some perspective. It was then that he saw a cat spraying
up the side of his new car. Toby, who loved his feline friends, thought the cat was a pro-
tective aspect of the Goddess Bast. “The Goddess of the home looks like she really wants
a nice home life with me. All this weirdness is really her marking her territory to make
sure that I am in the picture”, he thought.
It is, however, also important to realise that everyone has their own symbolic language,
It is, however, based on their path through life. One man's rose is another's thorn. A stray dog in the
also important
path will be a symbol of doom to a person who is terrified of them, but a sign of compan-
ionship to those who grew up with a faithful hound. That’s the thing with symbols, some
to realise that are fairly universal, but others depend on personal experience and can take on new and
everyone has radically different meanings from the conventional ones.
their own sym-
bolic language, Another similar technique is divination by Spam. You can use annoying eMails, which
based on their promise you longer erections and multiple orgasms, to understand your life direction. If
path through you are stuck behind a PC a lot of the time, this is an easy way to get your answers. For-
mulate your question and check your inbox. Often these spam eMails have peculiar sen-
life. One man's
tences, stories or words in them to make them appear like they are real messages. You
rose is an- should also check the bogus name and eMail address of the senders. Somewhere in the
other's thorn. text there will be an answer.
Working magic and receiving insight through electrical items is an interesting phenome-
non. MP3 players, set to random, will sometimes synchronistically play a song, which,
when combined with your real life circumstances, merge the evocative creativity inherent
in music with the reality of life to give you an aural experience that really moves you.
With this marriage there can be a cacophonous realisation which creates a type of spiri-
tual experience that brings with it a new layer of understanding and certainty.
Helena P. Blavatsky wrote in Isis Unveiled: “The corner-stone of magic is an intimate prac-
tical knowledge of magnetism and electricity, their qualities, correlations, and potencies.
Especially necessary is a familiarity with their effects in and upon the
animal kingdom and man...To sum up all in a few words, Magic is spiri-
tual Wisdom; nature the material ally, pupil and servant of the magi-
cian.”
Divination by real life is not new. The ancients used to use something
like it all the time. The idea of looking for omens has been passed
down to us in many different superstitions, ranging from saluting sin-
gle magpies, to being careful about black cats crossing your path.
Kingdom Come:
(continued)
One of the most famous methods, used by the Romans, was

divination by flights of birds. Using this technique in a Golden
Dawn setting is not difficult and can be surprisingly accurate.
Go to a site where you have a clear view to the skies of the North, South, East and West.
Perform a lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram and call upon the Angel Heru, who is
the Angel of the Golden Dawn and is set over secret wisdom, to unveil to you the answer
to your question through the flights of birds. Then turn around clockwise until you see a
bird in the sky. If you don't see any after turning around three times then the answer
cannot be revealed to you yet.
Birds in the East mean good fortune in terms of what the questioner wants. If there are
birds in the South, this means that good fortune is starting to ebb away but is strong at
the present in terms of the question. Birds in the West mean bad fortune. If there are
birds in the North then bad fortune will start to improve.
The numbers of birds are important. The greater the number, the more 'power' and
weight that quarter has. So, if you see four birds in the south, and ten in the north that Note then the
would mean that although all seems to be falling away, things will get better soon. direction that
the birds you
Note then the direction that the birds you have seen are
have seen are moving towards. This is the moving to-
direction that the fates are moving. Birds wards. This is
that start in the North, moving to the East
the direction
show that a bleak situation will get better,
that the fates
while the same birds moving towards the
North will indicate that while things seem are moving.
to be getting better, they will soon be-
come still more bleak. If several stay still or
go in an opposite direction from others
then it indicates that there are several
courses that a man may follow. He
should go to-
wards the point
where the
greater number of birds travelled, even if this should take him
to the North or West.
Two or more flocks of birds coming together is a sign that many

forces shall be marshalled to bring about a matter for good or
for ill.
Birds that fly overhead indicate that the matter will soon be resolved. Sounds of birds,
either coming from the direction you are looking, or from another direction, should also
be taken into account as if you were watching that quarter.
Different species of birds mean different things:
Page 40
Hermetic Virtues
Kingdom Come:
(continued)
Blackbirds: secrets
Cranes: stillness, birth and death
Crows: death, war, magic
Ducks: dreams, communication, flexibility.
Eagles: the forces of Spirit
Geese: war, defence, the Astral
Gulls: the forces of Earth
Hawks: meditation followed by action
Magpies: theft, writing and law
Owls (by day): ill omen, spirits of the dead
Pigeons: stupidity, adaptability and love.
Rooks: wisdom
Sparrows and tits: industry and work
Starlings: groups, dramas, mimicry
Swallows: travel and journeys
Swans: love, commitment, silence
Birds rising suddenly from a tree or landing upon one indicate something connected with
the meaning of that tree, i.e. an oak would mean Saturn. Everything should be inter-
preted in the order that it happens.
One person who used this particular system was the last member of the Druidic Order of
Pendragon, Colin Robertson.(2) In his book he used an example of asking a question
about his wife who was ill. He looked up to the East, South and West, there was nothing.
By reading the In the North a flock of starlings were flying to the East. A group of seven sparrows rose
signs around
up from an old yew tree and in the distance he heard the quacking of a duck. He inter-
preted this as:
you, it is as if
you are asking
"My wife is getting better and indeed the only reason that she is not com-
the Universe to pletely better is that after such a long time being unwell she is used to it. She
talk to you. needs to get more activity and to become more interested in life again. We
need to talk about this issue."
What this method of divination calls you to be is active in your search for answers. You
don’t just wait for those moments of glaring synchronicities to happen, for your ‘God’ to
show you the right way. By reading the signs around you, it is as if you are asking the
Universe to talk to you. One of the scary things is that if you open yourself up to this sort
of thing, it generally does do just that and the results are far more humorous than any-
thing you will find in the bottom of a tea cup.
Copyright © 2008 Melissa Seims and Nick Farrell
(2) See The Druidic Order of Pendragon, by Colin Robertson, Thoth Publications
The Elements and their Arrangements

A Ritual Explanation
by Tim Walley
During the month of September 2007, the discussions in our study group revolved
around the Elements. One question that came to mind was: why are the Elements ar-
ranged and placed the way they are in ritual and teachings? This caused me to reflect
more deeply on the symbols of the Pentagram, Hexagram, Fylfot Cross and a few oth-
ers. As I reflected on it, my attention was drawn to how these symbols are used in
Golden Dawn ritual. Some amazing answers from various people were given on why
they believed the elements were arranged in their various methods based on their
magical practice and beliefs.
One remarkable young man in the study group presented his explanations that sparked
me to look at something and remember a few things. He stated: “Elemental correspon-
dences work on different levels and have varying degrees of efficiency. Basically, if it
works for you, then go with it. No matter which direction you assign to an element, it
will work, for all the elements are in each direction at all times. That being said, certain
elements will be more dominant depending on different variables. I think that the vari-
ables do in descending order of spheres of influence: personal, local, regional and astro-
nomical (astrological).” He went on to explain what each of those four meant to him.
One word he used struck me the most:

astronomical/astrological. It made me
remember that the Ritual of the Penta-
gram and its elemental arrangements
are based on the fixed signs of the zo-
diac. Then I remembered that the Rit- What I present
ual of the Hexagram had an arrange- to you, is simply
ment as well. So I asked another my opinion con-
Frater: “What is the zodiac arrange- cerning why the
ment of the Hexagram Ritual?” He elements are
replied, after looking it up: “They are placed in the
cardinal”. With that information, I directions they
went on a search. What I present to
are in for ritual
you, is simply my opinion concerning
purposes, based
why the elements are placed in the
directions they are in for ritual pur- on the Golden
poses, based on the Golden Dawn Dawn system.
system. This essay is not in any way a
discussion on the actual rituals of the
Pentagram or the Hexagram. If you
wish for further information on those rituals you can find it in The Golden Dawn by Re-
gardie on pages 280-299, which is where some of my opinion is based.
Let’s begin with what Israel Regardie stated:
“And because the Hexagram is the Signet Star of the Macrocosm or Greater
World, therefore it is to be employed in all the invocations of the Forces of
the Sephiroth: though the Signet Star of the Pentagram represents their
operation in the Luna World, in the Elements and in Man.”(1)
In my opinion, this phrase found in the Ritual of the Hexagram is saying that the Hexa-
gram is a representation of the Solar World and the Pentagram is a representation of the
Lunar World in terms of operations and influences. Accordingly, there also is a different
arrangement of the elements in these ritual or Worlds of influence.
(1) Regardie, The Golden Dawn, p. 293.

Page 42
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
THE RITUAL OF THE HEXAGRAM

For the purpose of this essay I will be limiting my explanations to only the Lesser Ritual of
the Hexagram. My intent is to show the elements are arranged differently per World/
stage of operations and it is based on astrological reasons. Again, this is not a discussion
on the rituals themselves.
In the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram, we have a different arrangement of the
elements. They are Fire in the east, Earth in the south, Air in the west, and Water in the
North. This is a different arrangement than what is normally practiced or taught in a lot
of magical belief systems.
This arrangement is actually equivalent to the cardinal signs of the zodiac. That is Aries/
Fire in the East, Capricorn/Earth in the South, Libra/Air in the West, and Cancer/Water in
the North. The cardinal signs are those zodiac signs which rule the change of seasons or
their beginning. Aries is Spring, Cancer is Summer, Libra is Fall, and Capricorn is Winter.
In the Lesser
Banishing Ritual
of the Hexa-
gram, we have a
different ar-
rangement of
the elements.
They are actually
equivalent to the
cardinal signs of
the zodiac.
When one does this ritual, the Hexagrams are always drawn by the rule of invoke, trace
in the direction of the sun’s movement or clockwise. To banish, go the opposite way or
counterclockwise. Again in the teachings of the Ritual of the Hexagram, the elements are
in place by where they are located in the zodiac, not the physical directions of the Earth.

(continued)
One of the main physical symbols always expressed in any belief or culture was the Sun.
In my opinion, the Ritual of the Hexagram is a physical expression of the Solar Opera-
tions or the Sun. In terms of the Emerald Tablet verse four, I see the Hexagram ritual as
“Its father is the Sun”. This would put the Hexagram, in one way of looking at it, as a
physical expression of “the Above”.
As I have been researching for this essay, I found that the elemental arrangements also
take on a new arrangement in a linear form. Later on I will explain it and another
Golden Dawn ritual that shows this. For now, the Hexagram, and in terms of linear ar-
rangement, becomes the element of Fire. Another thing that came to mind and I still
seek confirmation on, is that the Hexagram Ritual could also be a representation of the
Kabbalistic World of Atziluth and could be represented by the Hebrew letter of the Tet-
ragrammaton, YOD.
THE RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM

The Ritual of the Pentagram is perhaps one of the most known, used, misused and mis-
understood rituals in Golden Dawn teachings. Again let me say, for this essay, I am dis-
cussing the elements and their arrangement in the rituals. As I am referring to the Ritual
of the Pentagram or the Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram, I am not referring to the
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram or Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. As
the LBRP/LIRP is not a ritual dealing with the elements. The Supreme Ritual of the Penta- For the Pentagram
gram, both in its invoking and banishing modes, are in fact elemental. The key ingredi- ritual, according to
ent to it is the use of Spirit in its active and passive forms. I will leave off from discussing the above prem-
it since it is not the purpose of this essay. One of the first rituals one is taught when be- ise, we can see it
ginning in the Golden Dawn teachings is the LBRP. The actual first ritual is in fact the now becoming the
Qabalistic Cross or QC, which I believe is so commonplace that many students of the Lunar World. In
Golden Dawn, in my opinion, take it for granted. There will be more to follow on the my opinion what
QC later in this essay. then comes to
follow from the
Again going back to what Regardie wrote in The Golden Dawn: Emerald Tablet
verse four is: “its
“And because the Hexagram is the Signet Star of the Macrocosm or Greater mother is the
World, therefore it is to be employed in all the invocations of the Forces of Moon”.
the Sephiroth: though the Signet Star of the Pentagram represents their
operation in the Luna World, in the Elements and in Man”. (2)
In this phrase I see, as stated above, the Hexagram and being a representation of the
Solar World and the elements arranged accordingly. For the Pentagram ritual, accord-
ing to the above premise, we can see it now becoming the Lunar World. In my opinion
what then comes to follow from the Emerald Tablet verse four is: “its mother is the
Moon”.
Anyone who has been taught the Pentagram ritual knows the elemental arrangements
as: East is Air, South is Fire, West is Water, and Earth is North. This is even found in the
teachings of Neo-pagan practices. Most practitioners probably could not tell you why
they are arranged the way they are, just as I could not up until a few days ago. The ele-
ments arranged in the Ritual of the Pentagram are in fact placed by the Kerubic or fixed
signs of the zodiac.
(2) Ibid.
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Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
I see the Ritual of

the Pentagram
taking on the ele-
ment of Water.
For my further
speculation about
its possible Kabbal-
istic World assign-
ment, I would say
it would be the
Briatic World of The Kerubic signs are the signs that govern the middle month of each season, meaning
Ideals and Creation they are the heart of each season. The Kerubic or fixed signs are: Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
in physical expres- and Taurus. In the Pentagram Ritual they are arranged as: Air/Aquarius/East, Leo/Fire/
sion. South, Scorpio/Water/West, and Taurus/Earth/North.
As I stated before, there seems to be a linear arrangement appearing and I see the Ritual
of the Pentagram taking on the element of Water. For my further speculation about its
possible Kabbalistic World assignment, I would say it would be the Briatic World of Ideals
and Creation in physical expression and under the letter of HEH.
In Regardie’s The Golden Dawn there is explanation at the beginning of the Ritual of the
Pentagram and the elements dealing with their being ruled by the Name of Yeheshuah,
or YHShVH. Although this may appear on the surface to have nothing to do with astro-
logical placement of the elements in the Pentagram Ritual, it in fact does. To me it is refer-
ring to the Above, in the Hexagram Ritual, the Sun or the Logos appearing and descend-
ing into the Lunar World for its influences. It’s a connecting link from the cardinal signs of
the Hexagram to the Kerubic/fixed signs in the Pentagram.
How? From The Complete System of the Golden Dawn in the Ritual of the Pentagram it
states:
“The elements vibrate between the Cardinal points for they have not an un-

(continued)
changeable abode therein, though they are allotted to the Four Quarters in
their invocation in the Ceremonies of the First Order. This attribution is de-
rived from the nature of the winds. For the Easterly wind is of the Nature of
Air more especially. The South Wind bringeth into action the nature of Fire.
West winds bring with them moisture and rain. North winds are cold and
dry like Earth. The S.W. wind is violent and explosive -- the mingling of the
contrary elements of Fire and Water. The N.W. and S.W. winds are more
harmonious, uniting the influence of the two active and passive elements.
Yet their natural position in the Zodiac is: Fire in the East, Earth in South, Air
in West, and Water in the North. Therefore they vibrate: Air between West
and East. Fire between East and South. Water between North and West.
Earth between South and North. Spirit also vibrateth between the Height
and Depth. So that, if thou invokest, it is better to look towards the position
of the winds, since the Earth, ever whirling on her poles, is more subject to
their influence. But if thou wilt go in the Spirit Vision unto their abode, it is
better for thee to take their position in the Zodiac.” (3)
What this is talking about, in my opinion, is the actual level here upon the physical plane
after it has descended from above. Let us not forget that in magical work, there are lev-
els of influence always at work such as its ascending and descending abilities found in
the phrase “as above, so below” and of course in Cause and Effect. Separating these
layers of influences is a task in itself and trying to express it comes to be a work all by
itself. Just as in this essay expressing what I have found that the astrological is the basis I have used the
of elemental direction and assignment in ritual has become more of the work than the cardinal and the
research, as limited as it is. fixed signs and
shown their ar-
I am glad to include the above statement on the four winds. It brings up a question. I rangement in
have used the cardinal and the fixed signs and shown their arrangement in ritual. The ritual. The ques-
question should be one that revolves around “what about the mutable/common signs tion should be
of the zodiac?” Well, that leads me to the next outer order Golden Dawn ritual. one that revolves
around “what
about the muta-
THE QABALISTIC CROSS ble/common
signs of the zo-
This rite is always used in the Golden Dawn work to begin and close a ritual, usually for diac?”
the purpose of maintaining balance and harmony within the practitioner before and
after the magical work. Sometimes it is discussed as activating the Sephiroth of Kether,
Malkuth, Geburah, Chesed and Tiphareth in the aura of the magician. More learned
minds and higher levels of adepts in the Golden Dawn have discussed this. Again I’m
not discussing the rituals themselves but the elements arranged based on astrological
reasons.
Is there an astrological arrangement in the Qabalistic Cross? I believe there is. What
appears to me to be happening from an astrological point of view is that the mutable
signs are now making their appearance in this ritual.
The mutable/common signs are Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini and Virgo. They rule the clos-
ing month of each season and the completion of the work of a season while awaiting
the cardinal signs to take over for the beginning or transition of the next season.
(3) Regardie, The Complete Golden System of Magick, Volume Four, p. 13.
Page 46
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
Their arrangement in the Qabalistic Cross appears to me as Up, Down, Left, and Right,
making the QC a bridge to the Solar World, connecting it to the Lunar World, before
bringing it down to the physical world. Their arrangements would be this: Atah/
Kether/Gemini/Air/up, Malkuth/Malkuth/Earth/Virgo/down, Ve- Geburah/Geburah/
Fire/Sagittarius/right, Ve-Gedulah/Chesed/Water/Pisces/left.
In the Pentagram Ritual I included the statement about the Four Winds, to me this is
those winds and their influence descending and beginning to make manifestation to
the physical plane. In the Emerald Tablet verse four this is described as “and the Wind
carries it in its belly”. For its linear arrangement it appears to take on the element of
Air below Water. For my speculation on the Kabbalistic World assigned, I would place
it in Yetzirah, the world of formation and under the Letter of VAU, in its physical ex-
pression.
Their arrange-
ment in the Qa-
balistic Cross ap-
pears to me as Up,
Down, Left, and
Right, making the
QC a bridge to the
Solar World, con-
necting it to the
Lunar World, be-
fore bringing it
down to the
physical world.

(continued)
THE HERMETIC CROSS, FYLFOT, OR THE SWASTIKA
The Hermetic
Cross, which is
called Fylfot, Ham-
mer of Thor, and
Swastika, is
formed of 17
squares out of 25
lesser squares.
These 17 repre-
sent the Sun, the
four Elements, and
Above is a symbol, the Fylfot or Hermetic Cross, found in the teachings of the Golden the Twelve Signs
Dawn that helped me a lot in expressing what I was seeing with these rituals and how I of the Zodiac
came up with further understanding on how to place these rituals and figure out why
the elements are arranged based on the astrological signs.
First, let us look at what is the teaching of the Hermetic Cross in the Golden Dawn sys-
tem. From the Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition by Chic and Tabatha
Cicero, during the Zelator 1=10 ceremony:
“The Hermetic Cross, which is called Fylfot, Hammer of Thor, and Swastika,
is formed of 17 squares out of 25 lesser squares. These 17 represent the
Sun, the four Elements, and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac.” (4)
In the Grade work assigned to the Zelator, on page 197 of the above-mentioned book,
the Hermetic Cross is explained thus:
(4) Cicero, Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition, p. 117.

Page 48
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
“The symbol of the Sun is at the center of the cross at the point of still-
ness, while the Zodiacal Signs divided into the four Triplicities make up
the arms of the cross. The Cardinal Signs all begin at the center of the
cross, followed by the Fixed and Mutable Signs. The Arms terminate with
the Elemental symbols of each Triplicity. The whole cross represents the
center of the universe giving rise to the celestial Signs, which then formu-
late the Elements of the physical world. Since the Fylfot is originally
formed out of twenty-five squares, this cross also has an affinity with Fire.
Twenty-five is the number of squares forming the Qamea or magical
square of Mars. According to J.E. Cirlot (A Dictionary of Symbols), all the
words for “cross” (crux, cruz, crowz, croaz, krois, krouz) have a common
etymological basis in –ak, -ur,or-os, signifying the “Light of the Great
Fire.” (This is also one reason why the lamen of the Dadouchos consists
of this symbol.) The Fylfot Cross is a symbol of an equal-armed cross with
four arms appearing to rotate in the same direction around a central axis.
During the Iron Age the Swastika represented the supreme deity. In the
Middle Ages, the general interpretation of the figure was that it symbol-
ized movement and the power of the Sun. This cross also signifies the
action of the origin of the universe. In addition, the Fylfot is a symbol
attributed to the first Sephirah, Kether. Here it represents the four latent
(Primal) Elements whose energies are united in Kether, activated by the
Primum Mobile or First Whirlings. These energies are finally differentiated
into the four base Elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth upon reaching
To me this sen- the level of Malkuth on the Tree. The Fylfot Cross, given to the candidate
tence expresses in the Zelator grade, points out a close relationship that exists between
verse four of the Kether and Malkuth.”
Emerald Tablet
and shows the This sentence, from the above statement: “The Fylfot Cross, given to the candidate in the
descending Zelator grade, points out a close relationship that exists between Kether and Malkuth”, is
processes from where I am coming from in explaining how this symbol, to me, explains these rituals and
the above to the their elemental arrangements. To me this sentence expresses verse four of the Emerald
below of the Tablet and shows the descending processes from the above to the below of the rituals as
rituals as physi- physical expressions of this process. Starting in the Above with the cardinal signs and the
cal expressions
Elements arranged accordingly by their first appearance as expressed by the ritual of the
Hexagram and becoming the Solar World and then moving into the Lunar World and the
of this process.
fixed signs and the ritual of the Pentagram. Next it needs to be connected to have an
effect on the physical by showing itself as the Up, Down, Left and Right in the mutable
signs and the elemental arrangement found within the practitioner. The ending arms of
the Hermetic Cross, to me, is showing the elements arranged by whatever the final mani-
festation becomes after the work is completed.
With that in mind, the Emerald Tablet verse four appears as this:
“Its father is the Sun” (cardinal signs/Ritual of the Hexagram, Solar

World)
“Its mother is the Moon” (fixed signs/Ritual of the Pentagram, Lunar
World)
“The Wind carries it in its belly” (mutable signs/Qabalistic Cross, the bridge
or will of the magician)
“Its nurse is the Earth” (final manifestation/goal or completion of
the Work)

(continued)
Its father is the

Sun, Iis mother is
the Moon, the
Wind carries it in
its belly, its
nurse is the
Earth.
Page 50
Hermetic Virtues

(continued)
LINEAR ARRANGEMENT OF THE ELEMENTS
As I began to look
at the elements
with regard to
how they are
placed in these
rituals, a linear
arrangement be-
gan to unfold. It
is speculation on
my part and I am
working to find
confirmation on
it. As I began to look at the elements with regard to how they are placed in these rituals, a
linear arrangement began to unfold. It is speculation on my part and I am working to
find confirmation on it. Basically it goes as you will find it in the above diagram.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
From what I have found, I believe that the elements have been placed the way they are,
based on each culture and belief system from times past, on their teachings, myths and
legends concerning the night sky and how it relates to their geographical, location, politi-
cal and daily life. I do think that based on that, the elements are going to be arranged
differently based on which belief or magical system you use and what is taught in those
systems concerning astrology.
Currently, most magical societies and Neo-pagan groups use the arrangement based on
the Golden Dawn. Hopefully my insight on to what they are in these three rituals of the
Golden Dawn help will help others to find more insight into the elements. For me it has
been a learning experience in finding a reason for the elemental arrangements.

(continued)
One thing I did find in Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy was the assignment
of the Archangels’ Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel as the Archangels of the Four
Winds, which states:
“There are also four princes of the angels, which are set over the four
winds, and over the four parts of the world, whereof Michael is set over the
eastern wind; Raphael over the western; Gabriel over the northern; Nariel,
who by some is called Uriel, is over the southern.” (5)
In this statement I would love to claim it belongs in the mutable signs, but I can’t. The
first reason the assignments place these Archangels by the cardinal signs. The second,
these Archangels are also arranged by the fixed signs in the Invocation of the Archan-
gels done after the LBRP. I think I will leave off on this note, hoping it has provoked
more thought into the elements and their arrangements.
Pax et LVX.
Copyright © 2008 Tim Walley
The archangels
are arranged by
the cardinal
signs in the
Hexagram ritual
and by the Keru-
bic signs in the
LBRP/LIRP.
Bibliography:
Agrippa, Henry Cornelius. Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Edited and Annotated by
Donald Tyson. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA: Llewellyn Publications, 1997.
Cicero, Chic & Sandra Tabatha. Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition. St. Paul,
Minnesota, USA: Llewellyn Publications, 1998.
Regardie, F. Israel. The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic. Phoenix, Arizona, USA:
Falcon Press, 1984.
______________. Golden Dawn. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA: Llewellyn Publications, 1992.
(5) Agrippa. Three Books of Occult Philosophy, p. 257.

Page 52
Hermetic Virtues
Blood From a Stone:

Alchemical Processes in the 0=0
by Melissa Seims
The alchemical process is a method for self knowledge that the soul under-
goes far outside its realm of existence. Mary Anne Atwood
In The Beginning
The Golden Dawn‘s Neophyte 0=0 ritual can be viewed as a summary of the candidate's
entire work in the outer order. This ritual can be looked at in many ways, but in this
article we are going to look at it from the viewpoint of spiritual alchemy. There is a cer-
tain amount of disagreement amongst alchemists and alchemical texts about in how
many stages and in what order these processes occur. The most popular and earlier ver-
sions seem to be based on four stages, commencing with the Nigredo (blackening), fol-
lowed by the Albedo (whitening), Citrinitas (yellowing) and the final stage, Rubedo
(reddening). Whether by accident or design, these seem to be a fitting arrangement for
the 0=0 ritual.
Nigredo
The candidate starts off in the Nigredo (melanosis) state, hoodwinked, for the Mother of
Darkness has blinded them with her hair and the Father of Darkness has hidden them
under his wings. The candidate’s soul is in a post-fall state; the stone that has been re-
jected, the unrefined prima materia. As such, the candidate is in a state of putrefaction
and in need of earthly purification and consecration to help him or her with the journey
The candidate through the underworld to a personal realisation of divinity and its individualisation.
starts off in the
Nigredo state, The Keryx opens the door to admit the candidate. As holder of the Caduceus, the tool of
hoodwinked ….. Hermes, he is the Mercurial force acting on the candidate’s unrefined state and is instru-
The candidate’s mental in the first stage of their personal transmutation.
soul is in a post-
fall state; the Alchemically speaking, this stage is
stone that has about putrefaction, death and decay.
been rejected, In old alchemical texts this phase was
the unrefined often represented by a bird, usually a
prima materia. raven or a crow, descending into dark-
ness. Psychologically speaking, it has
been compared to a dark night of the
soul, a confrontation with Jung’s idea
of the shadow self. This process is as-
sociated with the transformative
planet Saturn and could explain why
the neophyte grade is opened utilising
knocks in the order given by the planetary square of Saturn if it was laid over the 0=0 tem-
ple floor plan.(1)
In keeping with the morbid undertones of this stage, decapitation is also associated with
it and symbolises the separation of access to ones Higher Self. This helps to explain why,
during the taking of the Oath of Silence, which happens immediately after the candi-
date’s initial admittance, they are threatened with decapitation by the Hiereus when he
lays the Geburic sword against the candidate’s Daath centre, located at the back of their
neck. This suggests the severance of access to the spiritual realms of Kether, Chokmah
and Binah.
(1) See ‘The Battery of Knocks – A personal insight’ by Chic Cicero
http://www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/Documents/Essays/Knocks.htm
Blood from a Stone:

(continued)
Following the oath, the candidate is placed in the North, the place of darkness and for-
getfulness. The Hierophant speaks on behalf of the candidate and appeals to his undy-
ing soul to walk this path of putrefaction with the lamp of hidden knowledge to guide
him.
As mentioned earlier, psychologically this state can manifest as depression (the dark
night of the soul) and defensiveness and it is not unusual for the candidate to experi-
ence these emotions at this point in the ritual. I have seen candidates who have chosen
to undergo this experience, physically try to fight off the Keryx’s challenges, such is their
state of confusion and soul’s isolation. Yet, if you can feed the soul's seed which lies
waiting to unfurl in the darkness, by daring to look at the issues behind these emotional
states, then the albedo stage can commence. Thus the candidate is taken to the throne
of the Heireus where they are told that fear is failure, after which they are ushered on-
wards. It is far too late to go back, they have surrendered themselves to the Golden
Dawn system and she is a harsh mistress, who will poke you with the pointy sticks of
your own creation.
Albedo
With the removal of the hoodwink the candidate, the wanderer in the darkness of the
Nigredo state, is called to the living beauty and gentle light of the Yesodic lunar God-
dess, whose lambent glow is caused by her reflection of the blinding Sun. They have
symbolically been shown that they need to face their fears and to become aware of
The Albedo stage
their own true nature, to take responsibility for the burgeoning and nurturing of the
incorporates the
seed of their soul. The hoodwink is removed and they are taken to the east of the altar,
alchemical stage of
the location of Yesod and the three paths of Shin, Tau and Koph, which together form
‘sublimato’, refer-
the rainbow bridge, illuminated by the lunar light that hallmarks the Albedo stage. ring to the separat-
ing out of the
The psychologist Carl Jung equated the Albedo (leukosis) stage with the contrasexual soul’s essence from
soul that is given the name Anima for men and Animus for women. Jung considered it the murkier, mud-
to be the phase where an insight into one’s shadow-side could be achieved; the realisa- died waters of
tion that one is no longer at the complete mercy of one’s own demons. human fallibility,
psychological com-
Images traditionally associated with this stage include Venus/Aphrodite, the white dove plexes and mun-
or swan, the White Queen and baptism by ‘living water’ that pours from the womb of dane existence.
creation. This holds the essence of the divinity that is in all of us, but that sometimes
takes some literal soul-searching to find. The Albedo stage incorporates the alchemical
stage of ‘sublimato’, referring to the separating out of the soul’s essence from the murk-
ier, muddied waters of human fallibility, psychological complexes and mundane exis-
tence. It is the recognition of a soul
that has substance but is lacking in the
life blood of the later alchemical stage
of Rubedo.
Page 54
Hermetic Virtues
Blood from a Stone:

(continued)
Citrinitas
Sometimes referred to as xanthosis, this
stage refers to the transmutation of sil-
ver into gold, the ‘yellowing of the lunar
conscientiousness’. It is often repre-
sented by an eagle winging its way to-
wards the Sun.
The candidate is now taken to stand

between the pillars that symbolise Hod
and Netzach. They are facing East,
standing on the 27th path of The Tower,
the tarot key that represents the falling away of earthly illusions. Thus they are now able
to glimpse their own Tiphareth consciousness. It is the daybreak of one's soul seed which
is now erupting through the earth and reaching for the light, heralding the citrinitas
stage. The Hierophant declares that the fourth and final consecration is to take place,
after which the candidate is invested with the sash of the neophyte, that aptly symbolises
the light dawning in the darkness.
At this point in the ceremony, the Hierophant astrally places the Godform of the candi-
date’s higher self over the top of the new neophyte. Meanwhile the two pillars are psy-
chically overlain with the images of the Goddesses Isis and Nephthys, who stretch forth
their wings over the candidate, who is standing between the pillars with arms out-
Jung equated stretched to either side in the position of Osiris slain. This is the moment when the body
the Citrinitas of Osiris is bought to life again, in other words the candidate has risen with their Higher
stage with the
Self connected to them and thus the final circumambulation commences, which rein-
forces the symbolism of the rising of the solar light in the candidate.
wise man or wise
woman, some-
Jung equated this stage with the wise man or wise woman, someone who had accumu-
one who had
lated knowledge and awareness of something greater. They are the realised Magician, a
accumulated
wizard of the Gandalf variety who often advises noble souls on quests for holy grails and
knowledge and magic wands.
awareness of
something
greater. Rubedo
The final stage is referred to as Rubedo (iosis), the reddening and relates to the blending
of the soul with one’s Higher Self or Tiphareth consciousness. Some may see this as akin
to the idealised concept of Christ consciousness or expect to see it in an Adept. This is
misleading, for the maintenance of Tiphareth consciousness whilst in the earthly body
can lead to insanity. We reach for the red rose of rubedo, we can even pluck it and share
its scent with others, but whilst in Malkuth we still have to live in the body of an ass. Any-
one who has experienced this can hold it no better than someone can hold water run-
ning through their hands. If anyone tells you otherwise, you should immediately run a
mile.
Following the Hierophant and Hiereus’ exhortations to the Neophyte about the symbols
and officers of the temple, after their Sphere of Sensation has been ripped apart, purified,
consecrated four times and then reassembled, there is a final point in the ceremony
which relates to the Rubedo stage. This is the alchemical change which involves the mix-
ing of the Venus and Mars Fluids.(2)
(2) The AO documents featured in ‘King Over The Water’ by Farrell-Seims, to be published in au-
tumn 2008 by Thoth, refers to the two liquids as the fluids of Venus and Mars.
Blood from a Stone:

(continued)
Originally the alchemical change involved a ten percent solution of iron perchloride and
a one percent solution of potassium sulphocyanide.(3) The former was known as the
Venus fluid and sometimes the ‘elixir of Gold’. It was used as a blood-purifying tonic and
a panacea against venereal diseases (diseases of Venus). A solution was also commer-
cially used to etch copper, the metal of Venus.
Potassium sulphocyanide was used to detect iron, the metal of Mars and may help to
explain why it was referred to as the Mars fluid. Its addition to the iron perchloride cre-
ates a reddening, Rubedo. The redness caused by the interaction between these two
chemicals was well known and was employed in photography to impart a red hue to
prints. It was also used in nineteenth century theatrical magic where these two clear
fluids were dramatically combined to make ‘blood’ when shock-value was required.
Whilst the mixing of these fluids occur, the candidate is told by the Keryx that within the
clear fluid there lie ‘elements bearing the semblance of blood, even as within the mind
and the brain of the initiate lie concealed the Divine Secrets of the Hidden Knowledge.’
The Keryx then reminds the Neophyte how easily this blood, this Hidden Knowledge,
can be spilt, the body broken, with a guaranteed trip back to square one. This echoes
and reinforces the Oath of Silence and warns the candidate that they contain the seed
of their own destruction and if they fail or abandon the process, access to the spiritual
realms and their own Higher Self could be removed.
This stage is also practical. The candidate is given a visual symbol that from two clear
fluids 'blood' is created. It is subliminally suggesting that their own blood, or life force,
Rubedo marks
can be transformed by the Great Work. This symbol is built into their sphere of sensa-
the transmuta-
tion and assists in its own realisation over time.
tion of the soul’s
The mixing of the fire of Mars with the passion of Venus essence into
marks the creation of something new. It is the consuma- something
tion, the conjunctio of the Venusian White Queen with greater – the
the fire of the Red King. It marks the transmutation of true realisation
the soul’s essence into something greater – the true reali- and actualisa-
sation and actualisation of divinity within oneself. More tion of divinity
than one European Magical Order used similar ideas within oneself.
based on polarity, to test the Stone at the Rubedo stage.
Jung equated this stage with the union of one’s anima

and animus and the creation of wholeness. It is fitting
that the Keryx, the Mercurial mediator, is the one present
whilst this operation is performed. Furthermore the
Keryx is representative of the hermaphrodite Hermes,
composed of male and female, Mars and Venus.
Alchemy of the Officers

This four-fold alchemical pattern can be extended to the three main officers and is seen
in the colour of the tabards that they wear. The Hiereus, with his black tabard, repre-
sents the process of putrefaction. His station in the West is the ‘Place of the Guardian
against the Multitudes that sleep through the Light and awaken at the Twilight.’ If you
overlay the Tree of Life over the 0=0 temple layout, the Heireus is in Malkuth, the Earth
from which all physical life is born and is ultimately returned.
(3) Ibid
Page 56
Hermetic Virtues
Blood from a Stone:

(continued)
The Hegemon, with her white tabard, is connected with the Albedo and Citrinitas stages.
On the Tree of Life, her station between the pillars connects to lunar Yesod (Albedo). As
stated in the Neophyte temple opening ritual, she leads the candidate on ‘the Path that
conducts from Darkness (Nigredo) to Light.’ When she gives the new Neophyte their
sash, which symbolises their awakening, she is embodying the Citrinitas stage with its first
glimmer of light that heralds the impending Solar Dawn.
The Hierophant, with his red tabard, is the Rubedo phase. He is the ‘Guardian of the
Dawning Sun’ and as such embodies the alchemical process of fermentation which gives
new life to a substance, resurrects it. In the 0=0 opening, the Hierophant declares that his
red robe represents the uncreated and created fire, the essence of Geburah (Mars) and
Netzach (Venus) which meet in Tiphareth and create the Reddening. His station equates
roughly to Tiphareth consciousness, Solar light and the source of higher spiritual illumina-
tion.
Throughout the 0=0, the candidate has symbolically been shown the alchemical proc-
esses that must be mastered. The rough, unhewn stone must be refined and turned into
the perfection of the quintessence of their own soul. Their journey through the Outer
Order should help them discover their divine illustriousness, as their soul burns its way
from seed to blooming rose on the cross of sacrifice.
Copyright © 2008 Melissa Seims

Throughout the
0=0, the candi-
date has symboli-
cally been shown
the alchemical
processes that
must be mas-
tered. The
rough, unhewn
stone must be
refined and
turned into the
perfection of the
quintessence of
their own soul.
Thanks to Nick Farrell and a certain German unknown adept of our acquaintance.
Sigmund of Luxemburg
and the Court of the Dragon Order
by Ian Cowburn
“We are as ignorant of the meaning of dragons, as we are of the meaning

of the universe.” Jorge Luis Borges
The Order of the Dragon (German "Drachenorden" and Latin

"Societatis draconistrarum") was ostensibly an institution similar to
other chivalric orders of the time, modelled on the Order of St George
of Serbia created by the king of Hungary, Charles Robert of Anjou
(1308-1342) in 1318, whose statute from 1326 requires “the protec-
tion of the king from any danger or plot against him”. It was also mod-
elled on the Order of the Lizard of Royal (Polish) Prussia (1397) created
by the Jagellon King Ladislas, who had but recently converted from
paganism. The Dragon Court was created on 12th December 1408 by
the king of Hungary, Sigmund of Luxemburg (before he was elected
The initial badge
Holy Roman Emperor) and his second queen Barbara of Cille. Out- of the order
wardly, its aim was that of “gaining protection for the royal family”.
This order has been the subject of much discussion, some of an extremely outlandish
nature, whether concerning its true purpose, or whether it was an esoteric vehicle and
has accumulated much legendary baggage. We may conveniently examine the order,
first politically and then esoterically, so that we might gain some clearer idea of its true
nature and objectives.
This order has
been the subject of
Biography of Sigmund
much discussion,
Sigmund of Luxemburg (born Prague 28th June, 1368 –
some of an ex-
died Znaim December 9th, 1437, buried in the Cathedral
tremely outlandish
of Grosswardein) was Holy Roman Emperor for four years nature, whether
from 1433 until 1437. He was also one of the longest rul- concerning its true
ing Kings of Hungary, reigning for fifty years from 1386 to purpose, or
1437. Like most other rulers of his time, he held a number whether it was an
of other titles: Margrave of Brandenburg after his father esoteric vehicle
(1378-1395 and 1411-1415); Margrave of Neumark and and has accumu-
Lausitz 1396-1402; elected King of the Romans 14th Sep- lated much legen-
tember 1410, crowned at Aachen 8th November 1414 dary baggage.
and recognised as Echevin of the Sainte-Vehme; suc-
ceeded as King of Bohemia after his brother 28th July
1410, crowned at Prague 27th July 1420; on the same day,
succeeded as Duke of Luxemburg and Count of Chiny
after his uncle; crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown
of Lombardy at Milan, 25th November 1431 and crowned
Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation at Rome 31st
Sigmund of Luxemburg, Echevin
of the Sainte Vehme and Grand May 1433.
Master of the Order of the
Dragon Born in Nuremberg, Sigmund was a son of the Emperor
and king of Bohemia, Charles IV, the “Priest-King” of Lux-
emburg and Elizabeth of Pomerania. In 1374 he was betrothed to Mary, eldest surviving
daughter of King Louis I the Great of Anjou, King of Hungary and Poland, who intended
Mary to succeed him in the kingdom of Poland with her future husband, as was the cus-
tom of the time. Sent to the Angevin court in Hungary, Sigmund entirely assimilated his
adopted country’s heritage.
Page 58
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
In 1381, he was sent to Cracow by his eldest brother and guardian, king Wenzel IV of
Bohemia, to learn Polish and to become acquainted with the land and its people. King
Wenzel also gave him the land of Neumark to facilitate communication between Bran-
denburg and Poland.
Because of his taste for intrigue, Sigmund was expelled from Poland, which was then
given to Mary's younger sister Saint Jadwiga of Poland, who had married the pagan
Jageilo of Lithuania. When an opposing candidate for the Hungarian throne appeared,
Sigmund fled, leaving his wife Mary and her mother, widow of King Louis, Elisabeth of
Bosnia (Elizabeta Kotromanic) at the mercy of conspirators. Years of civil war followed.
At the death of her father in 1382, his betrothed, Mary, became Queen of Hungary in her
own right, and Sigmund married her in 1385. She was, however, captured in 1386 (the
result of a plan laid by Sigmund himself) by the rebellious Horvath family. His mother-in-
law, Elizabeth of Bosnia, who was captured at the same time, was strangled by Sigmund's
men in January 1387. Mary was rescued with the aid of the Venetians in June 1387 and
she never forgave him for the death of her mother; subsequently they lived separate lives
and had separate households. She died in 1395 in a suspicious horse accident whilst
pregnant.
In the meantime, Sigmund arranged his own coronation as king of Hungary on 31 March
1387 and, having raised money by pledging Brandenburg to his cousin Jobst, Margrave
of Moravia (1388), he was engaged for the next nine years in a ceaseless struggle for the
At the death of possession of this unstable throne. The powerful Garay family was with him but in the
her father in 1382, southern provinces between the Save and the Drave, the Horvaths with the support of
his betrothed, the Bosnian king Stjepan Tvrtko I, self-proclaimed King of Croatia 1390-1 and Mary's ma-
Mary, became ternal uncle, proclaimed as their king Ladislas of Anjou, king of Naples, son of the mur-
Queen of Hungary
dered Hungarian king, Charles II of Anjou and brother of Louis. Not until 1395 did Miklos
in her own right,
Garay succeed in suppressing the Horvaths.
and Sigmund mar-
ried her in 1385.
She was, however,
In 1389 Sigmund had been obliged to defend the boundaries of
captured in 1386
his kingdom against the Turks, as in this year Sultan Murad I had
(the result of a overthrown the Serbs in the battle of Kosovo (Plain of the Black-
plan laid by Sig- birds). In 1396 he led the combined armies of Christendom
mund himself). against them, as they had extended their dominion to the banks
of the Danube. This crusade preached by Pope Boniface IX at-
tracted nobles who flocked to the royal standard and were rein-
forced by volunteers from most of Europe, the most important
contingent being that of the French led by John, duke of Nevers,
son of Philip II, duke of Burgundy. Sigmund set out with 90,000
men and a flotilla of 70 galleys and camped before the fortress of
Nicopolis. Sultan Bayezid I (son of Murad) raised his siege of Con-
stantinople and, at the head of 140,000 men, completely de-
feated the Christian forces there, between 25th and 28th Septem- Murad I
ber 1396.
Sigmund now aimed to secure the succession in Germany and Bohemia and was recog-
nized by his childless step-brother, Wenzel IV, as vicar-general of the Empire. He was un-
able to support Wenzel when he was deposed at Oberlahnstein in 1400 and Rupert III,
Elector Palatine of the Rhine, was elected German king in his stead.
(continued)
Sigmund per-
sonally led an
army of almost
Europe c. 1400
50,000
"crusaders"
During these years he was also involved in a second war with Ladislas of Naples; on his against the
return to Hungary in 1401 he was imprisoned and twice deposed. This struggle in its Croats and Bos-
turn led to a war with the Republic of Venice, as Ladislas before departing to his own
nians, which
land, had sold the Dalmatian cities to the Venetians for 100,000 ducats. In 1401 Sig-
culminated in
mund assisted a rising against Wenzel, during the course of which the German and Bo-
hemian king was made a prisoner and Sigmund ruled Bohemia for nineteen months. 1408 with the
He released Wenzel in 1403. Battle of Dobor .
In about 1406 he married his first wife Mary's cousin Barbara of Cille, born 1392, died
1451 (of which more later) – nicknamed the "Messalina of Germany" because she was
accused of adultery and intrigue – daughter of Hermann II of Ortenburg-Cille, Count of
Krain (the modern Slovenia) and his wife Anna, Countess of (Ungern-) Sternberg.
Hermann's mother Katarina Kotromanic and Mary's mother Queen Elizabeta were sis-
ters. Barbara’s sister Anna was the second wife of Ladislas Jageilo, the new King of Po-
land. Through her father, Barbara could trace her descent not only to the Styrian lords
of Cille and the Kotromanic of Bosnia but also to the Nemanjic kings of Serbia and to
King Stephen V of Hungary.
Sigmund personally led an army of almost 50,000 "crusaders" against the Croats and
Bosnians, which culminated in 1408 with the Battle of Dobor and a massacre of about
200 noble families, many of them victors of numerous battles against the Ottomans. He
conceived the Order of the Dragon after this victory, although it was formally an-
nounced only in 1418.
Page 60
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
After the death of German king Rupert in 1410, Sigmund – ignoring the claims of his step-
brother Wenzel – was elected as successor by three of the electors on 10th September
1410 but he was opposed by his cousin Jobst of Moravia, who had been elected by four
electors in a different election on 1st October. Jobst's death 18th January, 1411 removed
this conflict and Sigmund was again elected King on 21st July 1411. His coronation was
deferred until 8th November 1414, when it took place at Aix-la-Chapelle.
On a number of occasions, and in 1410 in particular,

Sigmund allied himself with the Teutonic Knights of
Prussia and the Baltic states against the recently con-
verted Jagellons, Ladislas of Poland and Vytovtas of
Lithuania. However, he was opposed by most of the
noblemen led by his (and Ladislas’) father-in-law
Hermann II of Cille, and was restrained from partici-
pating in the alliance of twenty-two western rulers
(including the Pope) against Poland in the decisive
Battle of Tannenberg in July of that year. It may be
mentioned here that most of the Polish kings are Sigmund was prevented from attacking
known to have been interested in one or another of the Poles at Tannenberg by Hermann
the hermetic sciences. For example, Ladislaus II (1434 of Cille
-1444) practiced crystallomancy and his manuscript
handbook of it is preserved in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The last king of the Jagel-
lon dynasty, Sigmund August, was noted for his interest in alchemy and magic. He had
Sigmund also granted one of the greatest libraries in Europe, a major part of which was connected with her-
control of the Margra-
vate of Brandenburg to
metica. In his will he ordered that some cases of books and manuscripts should be burnt
Frederick I of Hohen- after his death, which was duly carried out.
zollern, Burggrave of
Nuremberg to which
he added the electoral
In 1412-23 Sigmund campaigned against the Venetians in Italy. The king took advantage
dignity and the office of the difficulties of Antipope John XXIII to obtain a promise that a council should be
of imperial high chan- called to Constance in 1414 to settle the Western Schism. He took a leading part in the
cellor. This event made
the Hohenzollern
deliberations of this assembly and during the sessions made a journey through France,
family one of the most the Netherlands, England and Burgundy in an attempt to secure the abdication of the
important in Germany three rival popes. On the occasion of this voyage he obtained the relics of St. Maurice of
and would lead to the
establishment of Prus-
Agaune, the patron saint of Burgundy, for his Hungarian kingdom (see below). The
sia. council ended in 1418, solving the Schism and – of great consequence to Sigmund's fu-
ture career – having the Czech religious reformer, Jan Hus, burned at the stake for heresy
in July 1415. The complicity of Sigmund in the death of Hus is a matter of controversy.
He had granted him a safe-conduct and protested against his imprisonment; and the re-
former was burned during his absence.
It was also at this Council that a cardinal ventured to correct Sigmund’s Latin (he had con-
strued the word schisma as feminine rather than neuter). To this Sigmund famously re-
plied: “Ego sum rex Romanus et super grammaticam“ ("I am the King of the Romans and
am superior to rules of grammar").
At the time of the Turkish advance, Henry of Bolingbroke, the future King Henry IV of
England, had come to investigate the possibilities of a war of defence and had an inter-
view with King Sigmund. Sigmund, after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, went to Eng-
land with his Hungarian noblemen and a large escort. Henry lavishly entertained the Em-
peror and had him enrolled in the Order of the Garter. Sigmund in turn inducted Henry
into the Order of the Dragon. He left England four months later, having signed the
Treaty of Canterbury, acknowledging English claims to France.
(continued)
Sigmund also granted control of the Margravate of Brandenburg (which he had re-
ceived back after Jobst's death) to Frederick I of Hohenzollern, Burggrave of Nuremberg
(1415) to which he added the electoral dignity and the office of imperial high chancel-
lor. This event made the Hohenzollern family one of the most important in Germany
and would lead to the establishment of Prussia.
In 1419 the death of Wenzel IV left Sigmund titular king of Bohemia but he had to wait
for seventeen years before the Czechs would acknowledge him. Entrusting the govern-
ment of Bohemia to Sophia of Bavaria, Wenzel’s widow, he returned to Hungary.
The Bohemians, who distrusted him as the betrayer of Hus, were

soon in arms and the flame was fanned when Sigmund declared
his intention of prosecuting the war against heretics. The king
sought to re-establish order by severer measures but, as this
method failed, Pope Martin V at Sigmund's request proclaimed
another crusade. Three campaigns against the Hussites ended in
disaster. Ziska's peasant Hussite army was victorious on 1st No-
vember 1420, at Vysegrad and also on 8th January 1422, at
Deutsch Brod. The king, unable to obtain support from the Ger-
man princes, was powerless in Bohemia. His attempts at the diet
of Nuremberg in 1422 to raise a mercenary army were foiled by
the resistance of the towns and in 1424 the electors, among
Jan Hus whom was Sigmund's former ally, Frederick I of Hohenzollern, He died in De-
c. 1372- 6th July1414 sought to strengthen their own authority at the expense of the cember 1437 at
king. Although the scheme failed, the danger to Germany from Znaim and was
the Hussites led to the Union of Bingen, which virtually deprived Sigmund of the leader- buried in Gross-
ship of the war and the headship of Germany. wardein cathe-
dral. By his sec-
ond wife, Barbara
In 1431 he went to Milan where on 25th November he received the Iron Crown, after of Cille, he left an
which he remained for some time at Siena, negotiating for his coronation as Emperor by only daughter,
Pope Eugenius IV, who also officially approved the statutes of the Dragon Order. He Elisabeth. As he
was crowned at Rome on 31st May 1433, and after obtaining his demands from the left no sons, the
senior house of
Pope returned to Bohemia, where he was recognized as king in 1436, though his power
Luxembourg be-
was little more than nominal. Quarrels between the moderate Calixtines and the radical came extinct on
Taborites helped along the negotiations with the Hussites. By the so-called Compact of his death.
Prague the council brought the Hussite movement back to lines compatible with the
authority of the Church. The only concession was the granting of the cup (calixtus) to
lay communion. At the Diet of Iglau in 1436, Sigmund was finally acknowledged as
ruler of Bohemia.
He died in December 1437 at Znaim and was buried in Grosswardein cathedral. By his
second wife, Barbara of Cille, he left an only daughter, Elisabeth, who was married to
Albrecht V of Habsburg, archduke of Austria (later German king as Albrecht II) whom
Sigmund named as his successor. As he left no sons, the senior house of Luxembourg
became extinct on his death.
The Public Face of the Order of the Dragon

In the fourteenth century, many kings founded their own orders of knights to support
their thrones. A famous example is the Order of the Garter in England, to which we
shall return. Unlike the military orders of the Templars, the Teutonic Knights, or the Hos-
pitallers of St John, these orders were secular in nature.
Page 62
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
After his decisive victory in Bosnia in 1408, Sigmund and his second wife Barbara of Cille
decided to found their own order. It was highly unusual at that time to have a woman as
co-founder of any such body. Also unusual is that she personally took an active part in its
ceremonies and meetings. However, in this context it is now generally recognised that
the Middle Ages ended during the fourteenth century and are separated from the mod-
ern period by two centuries of transition which correspond to the flowering of the Renais-
sance and of its political and cultural conceptions. This is particularly evident in the his-
tory of east central Europe, where the congressional, family pact-oriented system of the
Luxemburgs and Jagellons set the pattern of these two hundred years. The Angevin root
of both families’ inheritance shaped this system.
According to the Order’s statute, elaborated by the chancellor of the Hungarian court,
Eberhard, Bishop of Oradea (which survives in a copy dated 1707 at Budapest University
and was published in a Hungarian edition in 1841), the Order of the Dragon required its
initiates to defend the Cross and to do battle against its enemies, principally the Turks and
Hussites symbolised by the ancient Dragons (Draconis tortuosi), with the help of St.
George, as well as protecting Sigmund and the other members from their enemies. On
13th December 1418, after the Council of Constance and ten years after the first creation,
the charter for the Order was publicly announced. The original Order comprised twenty-
four members of the nobility, who we shall examine shortly. Immediately after being es-
tablished in 1408, it also served as a model for the creation in 1409 of the Spanish order
of Calatrava.
Bogomils, like the As an example of the bond of mutual defence anticipated among the members of the
Waldensians, Dragon Order, in 1412 the Duke of Spalato, Hrovje Vukcic of Bosnia requested aid from
Hussites and Lol- Barbara of Cille specifically on the basis of his membership in the Dragon Order. He peti-
lards, de- tioned her, “Advertat Serenitas Vestra quomodo ego existo in Societate Dracorum.” How-
emphasized the ever, the Turks overwhelmed Bosnia by 1413 and Bosnia ceased to be under Hungarian
role of the priests authority. From that time forward the Bosnians, who were persecuted as Bogomil or
and church riches Patarene heretics by both the Orthodox Serbs and Croatian Catholics, readily converted
and ceremonial in large numbers to Islam, a religion that seemed closer to their own. Bogomils, like the
and instead put Waldensians, Hussites and Lollards, de-emphasized the role of the priests and church
emphasis on liv- riches and ceremonial and instead put emphasis on living a life of moral rectitude. We
ing a life of moral may again cite Count Hrovje Vukcic, who also described the order as a "pagan rite", to
rectitude. which we shall return. So the order can not always be viewed as the fighter of heresy
that is generally adopted.
In 1431, before leaving for Italy, Sigmund summoned to his birthplace, the city of Nurem-
berg, a number of princes and vassals that he considered useful for alliances. These were
also initiated into the Order of the Dragon, as a second circle. One of these was Wlad
Basarab (father of Wlad the Impaler), a claimant for the principality of Walachia (now part
of modern Romania), who was at the time serving in Szegesvar/Schassburg as frontier
commander guarding the mountain passes into Transylvania from Walachia from enemy
incursions, as the Teutonic Knights had done earlier. Whilst at Nuremberg, Wlad also re-
ceived Sigmund's pledge to support his claim to the throne of Walachia.
The Order of the Dragon adopted as its symbol in 1408 the image of a circular dragon
with its tail coiled around its neck. On its back, from the base of its neck to its tail, was the
red cross of St George on the background of a silver field. With the expansion of the or-
der, other symbols were adopted, all variations on the theme of dragon and cross. For
example, one class of the order used a dragon being strangled with a cross draped across
its back; another presents a cross perpendicular to a coiled-up dragon with the inscrip-
tions, vertically "O quam misericors est Deus" ("Oh, how merciful God is") and horizontally
(continued)
"Justus et pacens" ("Justifiably and peacefully"). Other emblems of the order included a
necklace and a seal, each with a variant form of the dragon motif. More on these sym-
bols later.
This circular dragon, strangled by its own tail, is represented on the coat-of-arms of many
noble families of the Hungarian kingdom, the descendants of knights who were part of
the order during the reign of Sigmund. In Transylvania, it also appears in the coats-of-
arms of the families Bathory, Bocskay, Bethlen, Szathmary, Rakoczy and others, even
though the order had lost its importance after the death of Sigmund in 1437 and appar-
ently disappeared with the demise of the members who had been admitted by him.
The Order was recently “revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and
Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern, claimant to the
imperial throne of Germany, in His formal capacity as the de jure Holy
Roman Emperor Charles VIII, on the 1st of August, 2001. His Imperial
Highness formally assumed the position of Sovereign Grand Master of
The Order of the Defeated Dragon and Supreme Dragon Knight Univer-
sal”.
Members of the Order

The original members of the order were the twenty-one barons who signed its charter The original
in 1408, plus Sigmund himself, his second wife Barbara and daughter Elizabeth, al- members of the
though some say 24 members plus the two women. Several online or printed sources order were the
give lists of these members but all are incomplete and do not tally exactly – the lists are
twenty-one bar-
given as “selected” or “some of”. Some give a list of “Grand Masters”, with Sigmund as
ons who signed
the Second. Here is a consolidated, enumerated list of the known, or published, first
its charter in
group of the members of 1408, with some notes:
1408, plus Sig-
1. Sigmund of Luxembourg, (2nd Grand Master), d. 1437 mund himself,
2. Barbara of Cille, his wife, d 1451 (?, see below) his second wife
3. Elizabeth of Luxemburg, his daughter, d 1442 Barbara and
4. Despot Stefan Lazarevic of Zeta (Montenegro), surviving member of the daughter Eliza-
Order of St George (1st Grand Master), (c. 1370-1427); married 1405 Helena beth.
Gattiluso of the Latin Principality of Lesbos. His sister Helena married
Nicholas Garay.
5. Hermann II of Ortenburg-Cille, Count of Krain, father of Barbara, d. 1435
6. Archduke Ernest of Habsburg-Styria, d. 1424. He married Cymburga of Ma-
zovia.
7. Christopher III, Duke of Bavaria and King of Denmark, Norway and
Sweden d. 1448
8. King Ladislas I Jageilo of Poland d. 1444
9. Grand Prince Vitovtas of Lithuania, cousin of Ladislas d. 1430
10. Pipo of Ozora , Ban of Severin, d. 1426
11. Jacob I Lackffy, Voivode of Transylvania (1409-1416)
12. Albrecht II of Habsburg (3rd Grand Master), d. 1439
13. Nicholas II Garay (1367-1433) Ban of Soli (modern Tuzla), Slavonia,
Croatia and Dalmatia. He also ruled the Srem, Bacska, Banat and The "tengri"
Baranya regions. He was married firstly to Helena Lazarevic, sister of symbol of the
pagan
Prince Lazar of Zeta and then to Anna of Cille. His sister Dorothea Lithuanian
married Nicholas Frankepan, also Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia. branch of the
Order
Page 64
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
14. Stibor of Stibericz, Master of the Court, Count of Nyitra, administrator of the
Archdiocese of Esztergom and the bishopric of Eger (1405), Voivode of Tran-
sylvania 1395-1401, 1409-1414.
15. Hrvoje Vukcic of Bosnia, Duke of Dolnji-Kraji, Ban of Dalmatia and Croatia,
Duke of Split, d.1416 ; married Jelena Nelipic.
No other names can be found in available references. It will be noticed that several of the
first, “inner”, group were dead before the second induction of 1431. I propose the follow-
ing as highly likely to have been also members of the Order.
16. Jobst of Moravia d. 1438

17. Przemysl of Troppau d. 1433
18. Johan II the Iron of Silesia – Jagerndorff, d. 1424
19. Nicholas Frankepan, Count of Veglia, Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia,
d.1432 ; married Dorothea Garay, his aunt by marriage was Cath-
erine Carrara, daughter of Francesco, Duke of Padua
20. Henry V of England d. 1422
Henry V
Which still leaves us with at least two members non-identified ; the princes of Mecklen-
burg-Wendland must surely be likely candidates.
Listed inductees from the second group of 1431, creating a two-class system (with few
being inducted into the superior, Inner Court one):
Ladislas II of Habsburg, King of Bohemia and Hungary d. 1447

It will be noticed
that several of King Alfonso V of Aragon and Sicily (enemy of Sigmund’s enemy Ladislas of An-
the first, “inner”, jou-Naples) d. 1458
group were
James II de la Cerda of Urgel, inheritor of the “parallel” de la Cerda line, d. 1437
dead before the
second induc- John the False, Grand Master of the Order of Avis, King of Portugal, brother in
tion of 1431. law of Henry V of England, d. 1433
Beatrice de Souza, his illegitimate daughter by Maria Telles, a Sepharadic sorcer-
ess, d. 1439 ; the Portuguese “Barbara of Cille” ; she married Thomas FitzAlan, Earl
of Arundel, perhaps another candidate, brother in law of the Thomas de Mow-
bray mentioned below.
Eric-Bogislav of Pomerania, the famous “Pirate – King” of the North, d. 1459
Francis II of Carrara, Podestà of Padua, brother in law of Miklos Garay, inheritor of
the Ghibelline della Scalas
Francesco Barbaro (1398–1454), an important Venetian humanist
Oswald von Wolkenstein, the last of the Minnesangers (born 1376 or 1377 in
Schöneck Castle in Pustertal, South Tyrol ; died 2nd August 1445 in Merano)
“Thomas” de Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk
(Note : this is incorrect, in 1431 the Duke of Norfolk was John V de Mowbray, 2nd
Duke of Norfolk 1424-32, 5th Earl of Nottingham 1405, and not Thomas de Mow-
bray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, 2nd Earl of Nottingham (1365-1399 – dukedom forfeit
1399), married to Elisabeth of Arundel, or Thomas de Mowbray, 4th Earl of Not-
tingham (1385-1405).
(continued)
John Hunyadi, Voivode of Transylvania 1441-1448 and regent of Hungary (4th

Grand Master) d. 1456
Wlad II Dracul, Voivode of Transylvania 1431, Prince of Walachia 1436-46
Wlad III the Impaler (Vlad “Tepes” or Vlad Dracula), son of Wlad II, Prince of
Walachia 1448-76.
Here are some names from later ages mentioned in one source, where obviously there is
a will to make the order appear as continuing after Sigmund:
Ivan III "The Great", Grand Duke of Russia, 1462-1505 (“High Protector of the
Order”)
Andrew Bathory (Grand Master), Cardinal-Bishop of Ermelland in Polish Prussia
1589-99, Prince of Transylvania 1593-1604
Gabriel Bethlen (Grand Master), Prince of Transylvania 1610-29
Jan Sobieski, King of Poland, 1674-96 (Grand Master)
Prince Dmitri Cantemir, Despot of Moldavia 1693-1711, (Grand Master), died in
prison in Russia 1723
Peter the Great , Tzar of Russia 1691-1725, (Grand Master), whose second wife,
the Empress Catherine I, was Marta Skavonskaya, another Jewish sorceress.
Some Lesser-Known Members
Pipo of Ozora (Filippo Scolari, Lo Scolari or Pippo Spano in Ital-

ian, Philip Madzharin, Philip the Magyar in Bulgarian epic songs ;
1369-December 1426), son of a poor Florentine merchant, was
one of Sigmund’s most successful generals, confidants and strate-
gists.
First mentioned in 1382, he entered the service of Sigmund's

treasury and was awarded the castle of Simonsthurn. Further
services to the Crown, such as providing resources to fight the
Ottomans, led to his appointment as administrator of all gold
mines in the kingdom. Present in Bosnia, during the Hungarian
nobles' rebellion and Bosnian invasion, Pipo subdued the main
leaders of the revolt.
He took part in the Crusade of September 1396 at Nicopolis and,

unlike most on the Christian side, managed to flee after the de- Filippo Scolari
feat with the king and some nobles who sailed away up the Da-
nube. He married Barbara, daughter and heir of Andrew of Ozora, in 1398.
While in Vienna, he was made Count of Temesvár. In this capacity, he initiated the
building of the Hungarian border castle system to contain Ottoman aggression ; he also
confronted the Serbian and Bosnian armies of Tvrtko II that had been besieging Sebe-
nico, gaining back parts of Bosnia.
Page 66
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
In 1408, Pipo became Ban of Severin and member of the Order of the Dragon, by that
time, he had become powerful wealthy. In 1410, Sigismund sent him to persuade the
Italian city-states to cut off their links with Naples: he travelled in great pomp to his native
Florence, then to Ferrara to meet Niccolò III of Este. In August, he was received by the
Pisan Antipope John XXIII. In September in Venice, Pipo is said to have backed a conspir-
acy.
As part of the anti-Venetian campaign of 1411, Lo Scolari entered Friuli at the head of an
army, conquered Aquileia and in December, he took Udine and several fortresses in Ro-
magna, then Vittorio Veneto – capturing a high official from the Barbarigo family. In
January 1412, the renewed attack ensured Pipo a supply of high-ranking Venetian prison-
ers, whom he ordered mutilated to avenge a Hungarian killed by the enemy.
He suffered minor defeats against the Malatesta armies and the war remained undecided
well into 1413. Pipo intended to besiege Padua in January but he couldn't maintain his
army on the spot and moved towards the Brenta, in Cartigliano and Marostica, leading an
unsuccessful attack on Vicenza. Further failures provoked his retreat to Friuli and then to
Hungary, in February. This outcome made Venetian accounts imply a settlement with the
Most Serene Republic and even the mythical execution of Pipo as revenge on the part of
the King (he supposedly had molten gold poured down his throat).
Pipo took part in the proceedings of the Council of Constance, where Sigmund charged
him with guarding John XXIII – however the Antipope managed to flee. In 1415, he wit-
nessed Jan Hus' execution in Constance.
He fought the Turks again in 1417 in Walachia, in 1418 near Belgrade and in 1419 in
Bosnia ; Sigmund awarded him Orsova. He was called to Bohemia, where he tusselled
with the Hussite insurrection from 1420, being severely beaten by Jan Zizka at Deutsch
Brod in January 1422.
The rumour that Pipo had been killed in Bohemia led to an Ottoman attack in Walachia
against his protegé Prince Dan II. Prompted by requests from Stefan Lazarevic, he moved
into Serbia and won a large-scale battle. However, he also suffered a stroke and re-
mained impaired, being carried away to Peterwardein.
He was buried in Stuhlweissenburg, by the tombs of the Hungarian Kings. His funeral
was attended by Sigmund himself.
Oswald of Wolkenstein (born 1376 or 1377 in Schöneck Cas-

tle in the Pustertal, Tyrol ; died 2nd August 1445 in Merano) was
one of the last of the troubadours (minnesänger), a composer
and diplomat. In the latter capacity he travelled through all of
Europe, even to Georgia.
He was one of the most important composers of the early Ger-

man Renaissance ; there are three main themes in his work :
voyages, God and brothels.
Oswald spent his youth in the Trostburg, today still an imposing

castle near Waldbruck, south of Brixen. Walter von der Vogel-
weide, the most famous minnesanger, is said to have lived
nearby. Oswald von Wolkenstein lost one eye during a carnival
at the Trostburg. War service took him to France, Spain, Italy Oswald of Wolkenstein
(continued)
and even as far as the Nordic and Slavic countries and to Asia. About 1400 he returned
home because of his father's death. The three brothers Mickel, Oswald and Lienhardt
shared the inheritance in 1407 and from then on Oswald tried to extend his own do-
mains, mainly by force and at the expense of others. From 1415 he was in the service of
Sigmund, who took him to the Council of Constance (where he played an important
part) and on various diplomatic missions. Between 1421 and 1427 he was involved in a
series of bitter quarrels with other landowners -- his wild and lawless behaviour led to his
being twice arrested and imprisoned. From 1430 to 1432 he was again involved with
politics and attended the Council of Basle, thereafter he retired to his estates and gave
up writing music and poetry.
He was buried in the monastery of Neustift (north of Brixen) to which he gave consider-
able support during his lifetime.
Francesco Barbaro (1398–1454) was a humanist in Venice of noble family. He was the
son of Candiano Barbaro and a student at the University of Padua. Early in his career,
he translated Greek texts into Latin. He was elected to the Venetian Senate in 1419 and
wrote De re uxoria, inspired from ancient Latin and Greek works. The family's country
home, Villa Barbaro, was dedicated to him by Daniele Barbaro and Marcantonio Bar-
baro. While governor of the city of Brescia, he attained a great reputation in his defence
of the city against the forces of the Duke of Milan. He later served as ambassador to Mi-
lan and Mantua, eventually becoming ambassador to Sigmund who inducted him into
the Order of the Dragon in 1431, while also bestowing on him the right to use the dou-
ble-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire. He is buried in the Basilica di Santa Maria
Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice.
Stibor of Stiboricz was an aristocrat of Polish origin, a close friend of King Sigmund of
Hungary who appointed him to several offices during his reign. Stibor was the Voivode
of Transylvania (1395-1401, 1409-1414). He descended from a noble family whose pos-
sessions were located around Bromberg in Greater Poland. He arrived in Hungary dur-
ing the reign of King Louis I, who was also King of Poland (1370-1382). Following the
king's death, the Dowager Queen Elisabeth, who governed the two kingdoms in the
name of his daughters, made Stibor the governor of Cujavia in Poland in 1383. Around
this time, Stibor became the close friend of Sigmund of Brandenburg (the future king
and emperor), the fiancé of Queen Mary of Hungary.
Sigmund appointed Stibor as his Master of the Court and, following his coronation in
1387, he entrusted Stibor with the government of Galicia and granted him the ius indi-
genatus (the right to hold offices) and the Counties of Pressburg, Trentsin and Nitra. He
led the negotiations with the Teutonic Knights who bought the Neumark (in the Mar-
graviate of Brandenburg) from King Sigmund in 1402.
In the first months of 1403, some nobles, lead by the Archbishop John Kanizsai, offered
the crown to King Ladislas of Naples against Sigmund. Stibor recruited mercenaries, in-
vaded the north-western parts of the kingom and defeated the rebels' troops. The par-
ties made an agreement under which the rebels accepted the king's rule and they were
granted a royal pardon (29 October 1403). Shortly afterwards, the king appointed him
to govern the possessions of the Archdiocese of Esztergom and the Diocese of Eger
(1405).
In 1407, he fought in Bosnia and was among the first members of the Order of the
Dragon.
In May 1410, King Sigmund entrusted him and the Palatine Nicholas I Garay to mediate
Page 68
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
between the Teutonic Knights and King Ladislas II of Poland. When the negotiations
failed and the war broke out, Stibor lead the Hungarian armies against Poland but his
troops had to retreat. At the end of 1411, he was one of the leaders of King Sigmund's
troops fighting against Venice in Friuli.
The Signs and Symbols of the Order

The symbol of the pioneer Order of St George of Serbia was a red
cross on a silver field with a black mantle. Sigmund and Barbara’s
Order of the Dragon adopted as its symbol in 1408 the image of a
circular dragon with its tail coiled around its neck. On its back, from
the base of its neck to its tail, was the red cross of St George on the
same silver field. This represented the destruction of the order's ene-
mies symbolized by the ancient dragon (Draconis Tortuosi) killed by
St. George. This original insignia was used along with a black man-
tle bearing a red cross design on the centre, back and front, while a
gold dragon brooch was worn upon braid on the left shoulder. The
nobles were explicitly required to “wear and bear the sign or image
An example of
of the dragon curled up in the form of a circle” resting on the red
cross, “just in the same way that those who fight under the banner the cape insignia.
of the glorious martyr St. George are accustomed to wear a red
cross on a white field”.
The dragon is an old Scythian symbol for the 'Opposer' or 'Other God'. The patriarch's
Over the five staff of the Armenian Church has two dragon heads for its top, going back to the first pa-
millenia of the triarch. Armenia is filled with "Dragon Stones", large pillars with a dragon skin carved on
dragon's exis- them. According to the medieval encyclopaedist, Isidore of Seville, the "serpens" is a
tence in art, its
visual appear-
dragon that lives on land. In early heraldry the dragon is depicted as a serpent with the
ance has trans- wings of a swan.
formed greatly.
Even within the Over the five millenia of the dragon's existence in art, its visual appearance has trans-
order it was de- formed greatly. Even within the order it was depicted differently. Sometimes it was repre-
picted differ- sented having the head of a vulture, other times with the body of a snake and finally, a
ently. bat-winged creature. Its strength was believed to be in its head and tail and from the fifth
century, dragons became known as symbols for the Demon. Therefore, the order's em-
blem of the dragon strangling itself was interpreted as the defeat of evil, usually with the
emblem having three twists of its tail around the neck – a reference to Christianity's Trinity
of God.
The dragon of the order was apparently not seen as an evil element during the fifteenth
century but a positive symbol of knighthood. The dragon choking itself with its own tail,
which in heraldry and iconography represented the defeated Demon, apparently be-
comes the common symbol for eternity, the Ourobouros, the dragon devouring its own
tail in the pattern of eternal return.
With the expansion of the order in 1431, other symbols were adopted, all
variations on the theme of the dragon and the cross. The first class of the
Order used the strangled dragon with the cross draped across its back,
which from the late fifteenth century bore many family coats-of-arms, an-
other class presents a cross perpendicular to a coiled-up dragon with the
inscriptions "O quam misericors est Deus" (vertical) and "Justus et
pacens" (horizontal). Other emblems of the order included a necklace and The smaller
a seal, each with a variant form of the dragon motif. badge for the
necklace or
sash.
(continued)
Some members wore their emblem on a sash, as depicted in the 1432 portrait of Oswald
von Wolkenstein. High-ranking members also wore a necklace of two gold chains
joined by another symbol of the order, a Hungarian cross above the coiled dragon. This
medallion was buried with the member at death. These members also had a seal depict-
ing a dragon with a huge body, canted wings, only two feet, a free tail and a small
Greek cross on the chest. Sigmund himself introduced this seal in 1433, one of the last
seals he had made as a Roman-German Emperor.
A complex system of coloured robes and secret insignia was instituted for members. For
example, sometimes a green robe (symbolising the dragon) was to be worn over a red
robe (symbolising the blood of martyrs). While costumes and rites varied according to
custom and the calendar, the dragon symbol remained constant. The order's official
dress was a black cape over a red garment to be worn only on Fridays or during the
commemoration of the Passion.
The order adopted the traditional three-tier degree system to which Sigmund appended
three separate representations of the Ouroboros emblem for the distinct ranks of the
Court.
King Sigmund bestowed upon Wlad, prince of Walachia, official membership in the In-
ner Court of the order. Wlad was the possessor of the Order necklace, the Hungarian
double cross, instead of the Latin cross, the dragon is illustrated on the reverse of the six
silver and bronze coins that were minted by Wlad at Sighisoara in Transylvania and is
similar to the dragon in Paolo Uccello’s painting of St. George and the dragon and the The order
coat-of-arms from the bishop’s palace built by Wlad at Curtea de Arges. He adopted the adopted the
dragon from the seal as his personal coat-of-arms, carved from stone, representing the traditional three-
victorious dragon attacking a lion, illustrating Psalm 90: "You will step on lions and on tier degree sys-
tem to which
vipers and walk over lion cubs and snakes". This same image was carved on the pedi- Sigmund ap-
ment of the Villa Barbaro, two sets of figures walking over dragon-headed snakes. pended three
separate repre-
sentations of the
Sigmund and Burgundy; the Legend of the Forest Ouroboros em-
The Duchy of Luxemburg, home of Sigmund’s family, was in the heart of the Ar-Duenna, blem for the
distinct ranks of
or Forest of Diana, nowadays the Ardenne. He himself was named after Sigmund of the Court.
Cleves, the mythological Germanic hero. The traditions of Old Burgundy tell us of the
first Sigmund and his wife Siglind and their son Sigfried, of the Ring tales. The Burgun-
der were a sub-group of the Goths, who left Skaney for the island that bears their name
in the Baltic today (Burgundarholm = Bornholm) around 200 CE, at about the same time
as the Langobards and the Engeln crossed into Slesvig-Holstein.
The Burgundar (the name means “dwellers in the fortified places”) moved south to the
coast of Pomerania with the Vandals, another Gothic sub-group, and gradually “sought
Odinn” through the Harzwald to settle in what is now Franconia around 350 CE. Their
first recognised “kriegsfuhrer” (leader in war) was Chilpica (died 407) who was recog-
nised by the fading Roman authority on the Rhine as “Rex” of Worms. This incipient
foederatus state quickly allied itself with the neighbouring princelets feeding from the
corpse of Rome; his son Gondahar (died 436) married a woman of the Ripware
(“riverbank dweller”) Franks; his grandsons Gondieuch (converted to Arianism) and Chil-
peric (a Frankish name) were assimilated into the empty shell of Roman administration
by being recognised by Syagrius, the Arthur-type figure of northern Gaul, as, respec-
tively, Magister Militum (= Marshall of the Army) and Patricius (= Army Commander), in
the face of the threat from Attila (the “Etzel” of the Nibelungenlied). They lost out, how-
ever, and fled to the other side of the Limes, where their (first) Kingdom of Burgundy fell
to Frankish (and Catholic) imperialism in 532.
Page 70
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
Chilpica’s daughter Hild married Sigfried, or at least a Sigfried, son of someone known to
the chroniclers (notably Gregory of Tours) as Sigmund of Xanten.
Xanten was a Roman garrison town near to present-day Cleves, just on the Dutch border
with Germany on the Rhine. To call him thus is immediately to identify him with a Ger-
man who has already taken up a foederatus contract with Rome and is garrisoning the
Rhine, by this time in more or less total autonomy.
In later local tradition, the line of the Wildgrafen of Cleves is said to descend from him, as
is the line that produced Reginar of the Long Neck (ultimately Dukes of Lorraine). These
territories are immediately adjacent to Luxemburg.
What distinguishes these families is this: thick bristly hairs along the spine, just like a Wild
Boar – the very same animal that is the totem of the Ardenne forest. Henry VIII Tudor’s
fifth wife, Anne of Cleves, purportedly carried this hairy spine, which is one reason she
got sent back (and not executed, being from the Outland).
The boar is sacred to Ar-Duenna or Diana. This link is identical with the association be-
tween the World Tree as the Elf Princess of the Pleiades and Samael the Serpent or
Dragon who embraces her. Essentially the symbols of the Boar and the Dragon are inter-
changeable, especially as the Ardenne is also the home of the Wouivre, or Green Ser-
pent….
The Egregore of the
Dragon proceeds
from the Old Pole, The Esoteric Root of the Dragon Order
the Red Star of
Astarot (the “Tail of The founding myth of Hungary relates that Erzin-
the Dragon”), via dur of the Onungar chased the White Hart of the
the House of Rurik Forest over the Carpathians into Transylvania (the
and the Varangs, to
the de Hauteville Erd-Elv) and married the Elf Daughter of the Land.
Normans of Sicily The Stag of the World Egg raises the axis of the
and the Angevin World Tree, the Wouivre, the Green Serpent… In a
heritage of Hun-
gary, where it joins reflection of many other Eurasian founding myths,
with the Boar heri- the Essence of the Daughter of the Land was min-
tage of the Ar- gled with the mortar that built the first Heim-Ring.
denne in the person
of Sigmund. This figure of the Daughter of the Land is related
to “She whose embrace is death (= passage)”: in
Transylvania she is the Stregoi (compare with the
stregha, originally from Styria…), in Greece she is An example of the Scythian root-
the Lamia ; in Persia, Arabia and Israel she is Lilith, legend of the Draco.
and she is 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci', of Keats'
poem of the same name. The Tengri cult of Siberia and the Altai names her “Umai”, the
Ice Princess radiating the “spark of life”, incarnate in the chief wife or dowager mother of
the Khagan: for Sigmund she is Barbara of Cille, who we shall come to shortly.
The swan-winged Stregoi of the Balkans represent both Valkyrie and Werewolf. Elf maid-
ens portrayed as swans on the waters of starlight-bathed lakes who enthrall the onlooker
and “captivate” his soul forever: he becomes “Yfverboren”, born (again) of the Elf, after
the fashion of the Dakinis, who ravish the chakras, or Sekhmet, who “radiates” between
the horns of the White Hart. One remembers the portrayal of the Dragon as swan-
winged on some of the seals of the Order. The Egregore of the Dragon proceeds from
the Old Pole, the Red Star of Astarot (the “Tail of the Dragon”), via the House of Rurik and
the Varangs, to the de Hauteville Normans of Sicily and the Angevin heritage of Hungary,
where it joins with the Boar heritage of the Ardenne in the person of Sigmund.
(continued)
He was undoubtedly aware of this when he brought the relics of St. Maurice of Agaune
to Hungary in 1414; named from the Old Burgunder Sigmund and inheritor of the Lux-
emburg tradition, he would know that St Maurice was not only the patron of the Welf,
or Guelf (=”Wolf”) armies (as a soldier of the Theban legion, the sacred battalion of Dio-
nysus), but also of the Burgundian metal workers (in Hebrew, Burgundy is the “land of
metalworking”). We should also remember the green colour of the Dragon, as in the
cape, and that Elias Artist is the “Green King”, like el-Khidr and that the Elf of the High
Places rules the Cabiri, the metal-workers, whose runes echo the architecture of the for-
est …. “draw sounds, and speak them back”. The radiant heart of the Ark of the Cove-
nant is also a Green Serpent… We approach here the “soul” of alchemy….
The World Tree of the Varangers is coiled about at its base by the serpent-dragon. At its
roots there is a pool, in which lives the Salmon of Knowledge. This is the Elf Maiden, the
ritual quarry of the Wild Hunt and thus "the fish of the pool", we are put in mind of the
Zerubabbel grade of the Royal Arch: “wine, women, or kings: which is the greatest?”.
Sabine of Steinbach, daughter of the Grand Master of the Stonemasons, carved the stat-
ues of the Cathedral of Strassburg.
Historically, the winged Orobouros with a pendant cross was the symbol of Innana, or
Venus. The grove of the Swan Maidens is the lair of the Repha'im or Rapha Elohim,
named after Raphael who corresponds to the Atu “Aeon”. We are reminded that when
the Grail appears as a 'stone', as in the works of the minnesänger Wolfram von Eschen-
bach, it is presented on a green silk cloth, which reasserts the link between the stone
and the emerald of Venus. The subsequent
founding of the
Order of the Gar-
The colour green in alchemy is the Benedicta Viriditas, the colour of the Holy Spirit or ter by Edward III,
Sophia, the wisdom gained by the hero who, on completing the "quest for the Grail", is to be followed in
awarded the Green Cloak or Greenmantle, that is he “becomes” Elias Artist, or el Khidr, 1397 by the re-
or St. George…. emergence of
the Dragon
Court under King
The water in which the swan maidens swim is the "sea of Binah" and they are thus the
Sigmund, had
daughters of understanding, seven in number and thus represent the Pleiades, the both orders us-
daughters of Atlas who were pursued by Orion in an ancient form of the Wild Hunt. ing the Orobou-
The Yfverboren of Transylvania were the result of the mating between the queen of the rus as their em-
mountain elfs and the king Erzindur of the Kurgans, come from the plains. blems.
The Order of the Garter

In England, during the 1300s this maiden was to be found as the 'Fair Maid of Kent', the
Countess of Salisbury who, at a ball in Calais was said to have let slip her garter, which
King Edward III retrieved hastily and, lifting it into the air, pronounced "Honi Soit Qui Mal
Y Pense" ("shame upon him who thinks evil upon it”). Why would the King threaten the
assembly in connection with their possible attitude towards an item of women's dress?
There would be no point unless the item had a dangerous connotation attached to it...
The garter was a lace belt worn around the top of the left thigh, a representation of the
serpent eating its own tail. The garter was a symbol of the Orobourus, the serpent who,
in consuming itself, has become a Dragon.
The subsequent founding of the Order of the Garter by Edward III, to be followed in
1408 by the re-emergence of the Dragon Court under King Sigmund, had both orders
using the Orobourus as their emblems.
Page 72
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
A Ritual Exercise for the Dragon Court

One may use the framework we have been exploring for several
distinct ritual purposes. One could imagine that the stated objec-
tive, “defense of the King’s person”, could well fit with the Hall of
Ma’at, where the egregore HRU would be the King. One could also
explore the presence of Barbara of Cille, her daughter Elisabeth, or
that of Beatrice de Souza, in what was traditionally an exclusively
male domain. Here is an exercise in Forest Lore involving the mem-
bers of the order, as is appropriate to the Burgundian avatar that
presided over Sigmund.
The magic of Abramelin was discovered in Venice, so let us take

that place as the centre of our Grove, and identify it with Elias, el-
Khidr, St. George. This is highly appropriate, as Venetian legend Sigmund, Alt-
has it that el-Khidr, in the guise of a wearied aristocrat clad in green Burgunder, Ar-
velvet, crosses Venice at midnight, to refresh the city’s pact with the Duennis, Yfverboren
sea by St Mark’s.
Around this centre, we may trace segments of a circle, or a table, or a forest clearing, to
the number of twelve; remember, 24 initial members, so perhaps, “double, white-black”
representation? In any case, these twelve “significators”, depending on their geographi-
cal position, may then assume the traditional symbolic qualities of these positions. We
may also identify them with forest essences, according to their attributes. Proceeding
from the North, here is the Grove Arrangement of the Dragon Court:
The magic of
Abramelin was N: Christopher of Denmark, Eric-Bogislaw of Pomerania: the pine tree, the
discovered in Red Star, the Ship of the White Ice
Venice, so let us NNE: Ladislas Jageilo, Vytovtas of Lithuania: the birch tree, the Green Mantle
take that place of the Forest
as the centre of NEE: Andrew Bathory, Gabriel Bethlen of Transylvania/Erd-Elv: the rowan
our Grove, and ash, the Yellow Plains of the Wolf of Tengri
identify it with
E: Pipo of Ozora, Jakob Lackffi of Transylvania/Banat: the willow tree, the
Elias, el-Khidr,
St. George.
Gold of the Grass-Green hills
SEE: Stephen Lazarevic, Stephen Nemanja of Diocleja: the chestnut tree, the
Brown Double Eagle
SSE: Hermann of Cille, Vuksic of Bosnia: the yew tree, the Black Stone
S: Ernest and Albrecht of Habsburg: the larch tree, the Russet Flame of the
Habsburg Lady
SSW: Alfonso of Aragon, James of La Cerda: the acacia tree, the Sea Blue of
the Key of Ormus
SWW: John of Aviz, Beatrice de Souza: the cypress tree, the Dark Blue of the
Tomar Lance
W: Sigmund of Luxemburg, Barbara of Cille: the oak tree, the Grey Smoke
of the Chard Coal Burners, the Sword of St. Maurice
NWW: Henry V of England, Thomas de Mowbray: the elm tree, the Red
Ragged Staff of Arden
NNW: Oswald of Wolkenstein, Elizabeth of Luxemburg: the lime tree, the Em-
erald Green of the Cup in the Swan Labyrinth
(continued)
Barbara of Cille, Sigmund’s Black Queen

Barbara of Cille (c. 1390/1395-11th July 1451) was known as the Mes-
salina of Germany. We have seen above that she was the daughter of
Herman II, Count of Cille and his wife Anna, Countess of (Ungern-)
Sternberg.
Barbara gave birth to a daughter, Elisabeth, Sigmund's only surviving

issue and heiress, who married Albrecht of Habsburg, Archduke of
Austria. She is one of the ancestresses of modern European royal
families, her blood flowing in the veins of most of today's dynasties.
Barbara's father Hermann II, as the father-in-law of both feuding Sig-

mund and Jageilo, played a crucial role before the Battle of Tannen-
berg by helping to prevent Sigmund, who was in alliance with the
Barbara of Cille Teutonic Knights, from attacking Jagieilo. Jageilo and his Lithuanian
and Varangian allies defeated the Teutonic Knights, who led the ar-
mies provided by 22 western states, including the Pope.
Barbara was the object of Sigmund’s involvement with the magic of Abramelin the
mage, published in various editions since Samuel Mathers. It was based upon a manu-
script with the title:
"The Sacred Magic that God gave to Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon and to
other prophets, which taught the Real Divine Science, given from Abraham, Barbara was the
son of Simon, to his son Lamech, translated from the Hebrew in Venice, in object of Sig-
1458". mund’s involve-
ment with the
The book describes a magical ceremony by which it is said to be possible to force the
magic of Abra-
soul of a dying person to re-enter the body. The author, Abraham, who claims to have
received his instructions from Abramelin the Magician, first stresses the fact that such an melin the mage,
operation should never be carried out for frivolous purposes, but may only be used if published in
there is no other option, after which he casually remarks: "I have only done this twice in various editions
my whole life, for the Duke of Saxony, and for a lady who was much beloved by the em- since Samuel
peror Sigmund." Mathers.
We learn that the book is based on a manuscript that is supposed to be kept in the Bib-
liothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris. This manuscript is said to have been copied from an older
manuscript that can (or could) be found in the Marciana Library in Venice. The original
author is reputed to have been the famous cabalist Eléazar ben Judah of Worms, who is
said to have lived from around 1165 to about 1230.
As mentioned above, Abraham confesses to have performed this necromantic rite to

"restore a semblance of life" in a “lady that was much loved by the Emperor Sigmund”.
The French editor of the book, Robert Ambelain, postulates this woman to be Barbara of
Cille, who is commonly held to have died in Graz, Styria, in 1451.
There is another reference to this. In a book in French called "Le Culte du Vampire au-
jourd'hui", by Jean-Paul Bourre, there is a chapter called "La vallée des immortels". This
describes how the author and his friend Nathalie travelled to Transylvania in order to
perform a necromantic ceremony through which they claim to have raised the "undead"
Barbara of Cille…..
Page 74
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
As to Barbara, most sources agree that she was born some time around 1390 and she is
generally said to have died, not in Graz as Robert Ambelain has it, but in Melnik, in Bohe-
mia, on 11th July 1451. It could, however, be that Ambelain refers to her "first death".
These dates fit with the publication date of the Abramelin book.
The puzzling feature is that Barbara of Cille did not apparently die until 1451. The Em-
peror Sigmund died in 1437. This would mean that Abraham's necromantic ceremony
must have taken place in or before 1437, which would imply (supposing that the dates
are correct) that the “undead” Barbara must have lived at least 14 years after her "first
death". Abraham refers to his accomplishment as "restoring a semblance of life".
There is a work in Italian which extensively covers Barbara of Cille’s story, by Franco
Pezzini :"Cercando Carmilla - la leggenda della donna vampira".
The latest, definitive version of the Abramelin work is called "Buch Abramelin" published
in 2001 by Editions Araki in Leipzig. Its author, George Dehn, has compared all the differ-
ent Abramelin manuscripts that he could find.
Some sources would indicate that Abraham was indeed known to Sigmund and was re-
warded for "special services" to the Emperor. Barbara goes by the name of "Crna Kraljica"
or the "Black Queen" in her own country of Cille and has locally the reputation of having
been an alchemist and sorceress.
The latest, defini-
A note by Peter Haining in his work The Dracula Centenary Book reads as follows: “Upper
tive version of
the Abramelin Styria, 1451. At Graz in the mountainous regions of Upper Styria, now a province of Aus-
work is called tria, lived Barbara of Cille, a beautiful woman much loved by Sigmund of Hungary. When
"Buch Abramelin" close to death, she was apparently saved by the use of a secret ritual devised by Abra-
published in melin the Mage, but as result was condemned forever. The woman was the inspiration
2001 by Editions for Carmilla, the masterpiece about a female vampire by the Irish author, Joseph Sheridan,
Araki in Leipzig.
Its author, LeFanu”.
George Dehn,
has compared all During the spring of the year 1414 Barbara was at the
the different coronation of her husband Sigmund as Holy Roman Em-
Abramelin manu- peror. She then journeyed to Constance to take part in the
scripts that he
Council held there, along with many others we have men-
could find.
tioned above.
Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini accused Bar- bara

Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini accused Barbara of adultery in
his De viris illustribus and the historian Widemann names
the knight Johann von Wallenrode as her illicit lover.
When Sigismund returned to Prague on 28th August 1437,

the Hussites were causing immense political problems for
him, as we have seen. Unfortunately he became ill and
died in December of that year. His heir, the Hapsburg
Archduke of Austria, Albrecht, who feared the power of
Barbara, captured her and transferred her to Pressburg
Barbara and Sigmund at the
(today Bratislava in Slovakia). In retaliation Barbara shifted
Council of Constance
to active support of the Hussites, especially their aspira-
tions for independence. George of Podiebrad emerged as the champion of the Hussite
cause and was subsequently condemned by Pope Pius II. Barbara worked behind the
scenes to support Podiebrad and oppose Albrecht the Hapsburg from seizing the throne.
(continued)
Albrecht faced an infamous peasant uprising in Transylvania in 1437, which he brutally

smashed but there were smouldering Hussite rebels still in Bohemia and large opposi-
tion to his reign by Hungarian magnates. However, he died of dysentery in Vienna two
years later, on 17th October 1439.
Albrecht’s widow, Elizabeth of Luxemburg, daughter of Barbara who

was still alive, fought for power. Her relative Ulric, head of the Cilli clan
and son-in-law to the despot of Serbia, George Brankovic, gave ardent
support. Elizabeth let it be known that Albrecht had already impreg-
nated her with a child but there were those who doubted her claim.
On 23rd February 1440 the child was born and was given the appropri-
ate name Ladislas Postumus, since he was born after his father’s death.
Barbara of Cilli continued to support the right of Ladislas to rule over
both Hungary and Bohemia. However, she lost to the Hapsburgs in her
bid to set up a separate Hungarian-Polish state free of Hapsburg control.
She lived the last ten years of her life in virtual exile at Melnik in Bohemia
Elizabeth of under the protection of George of Podiebrad. When she died (for the
Luxemburg second time?) in 1451, Podiebrad had her body taken from Melnik to
Prague for solemn interment with the kings of Bohemia within the for-
tress of the St. Wenzel Church in Prague, in the St Vitus Dom chapel. However, in the
West she had already acquired an unsavoury reputation, which led to her being
branded as a kind of lesbian vampire due to Hapsburg-inspired attempts to besmirch her Barbara lived in the
name. manner of the com-
ing Italian Renais-
But during a time when royalty in Europe could barely sign their names, Barbara knew sance with emphasis
upon individual
German, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, Latin and some Polish. She lived in the manner of
freedom. She ap-
the coming Italian Renaissance with emphasis upon individual freedom. In fact, she appears to have been
pears to have been an early example of an emancipated woman, who frightened her an early example of
male contemporaries and led to her nefarious reputation as a lesbian vampire. an emancipated
woman, who fright-
ened her male con-
temporaries and led
A Note on the Teutonic Knights to her nefarious
The Teutonic Knights adopted as patron Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and also honoured reputation as a les-
Saint George, the patron of chivalry and knighthood. The Order’s properties extended bian vampire.
from Styria, through Thuringia, Hesse, Franconia, Bavaria and the Tyrol, with houses in
Prague and Vienna. There were also outposts in the Eastern Latin Empire, notably in
Greece and in Transylvania. The order’s estates ultimately extended as far as the Nether-
lands in the north west of the Empire, south west to France, Switzerland, further south
in Spain and Sicily and east to Prussia and Livonia.
Sicily had been ruled by Saracens until the arrival of the Norman conquerors under the
de Hauteville family but the collapse of this dynasty led to their replacement by the Ger-
man Hohenstaufens. The first Teutonic hospital, of Saint Thomas, was confirmed by the
Emperor Henry VI in 1197 and, in the same year, the Emperor and Empress granted the
knights their request for possession of the Church of Santa Trinità in Palermo.
The Teutonic knights first established themselves in eastern Europe after King Andrew of
Hungary invited the knights to establish themselves in Transylvania. The warlike
Cumans, who were also plaguing the Byzantine Empire to the south, were a constant
threat and the Hungarians hoped that the knights would provide a buttress against
their attacks. Bran Castle (German: Turzburg; Hungarian: Turcsvar) in the immediate
vicinity of Braşov (also known as Kronstadt, Krunen or Brassó) in Romania, is nowadays
a national monument and landmark.
Page 76
Hermetic Virtues
(continued)
Commonly known as Dracula's Castle, Bran Castle was originally built as a stronghold by
the Teutonic Knights in 1212. The first documentary attestation of Bran Castle is the act
issued by Louis I of Hungary on 19th November 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt, or
Krunen as they called it, the privilege of building the citadel.
In 1217 Pope Honorius III proclaimed a crusade against the Baltic pagans. Duke Conrad
of Mazovia had been invaded by them and, desperate for assistance, asked the Teutonic
knights to come to his aid. He promised them possession of Culm and Dobrzyn, which
they accepted with the provision that the knights could retain any
Baltic territories that the order captured. The Emperor's grant of
Princely rank in the "Golden Bull" of Rimini offered the knights sov-
ereignty of any lands they captured as immediate fiefs of the Em-
pire. The campaign to exterminate the pagan tribes of Prussia
lasted only fifty years, the consolidation of their power in north-
eastern Europe lasted for one hundred and sixty years before the
Jagiellons began to repulse them. This crusading enterprise suc-
ceeded only at a terrible cost, above all to the native pagan popula-
tions.
The amalgamation with the Knights of the Sword (or Knights of

Christ as they were sometimes called) in 1237 proved of consider-
able value. The Knights of the Sword were a smaller but very pow-
erful military brotherhood based in Livonia. They had originally Hermann v. Salza, 4th
been subject to the authority of the Archbishop of Riga but, with Grand Master of the
In 1217 Pope the capture of Curland, Livonia and Estonia, which they ruled as Teutonic Knights (1209-
Honorius III pro- 1239) in order regalia.
sovereign states, they were effectively independent. The disastrous
claimed a cru- nd
sade against the defeat they suffered at the Battle of Sauler on 22 September 1236, when they lost about
Baltic pagans. ... one third of their knights, including their Master, left them in an uncertain situation. The
This crusading solution, union with the Teutonic Order, ensured their survival and henceforth they had
enterprise suc- the status of a semi-autonomous province. The new Master of Livonia, a senior Teutonic
ceeded only at a Commander, now became a provincial Master in the Teutonic Order and the knights of
terrible cost, the combined body adopted the Teutonic insignia.
above all to the
native pagan
populations. The earliest Livonian knights had come mostly from south Germany but after joining with
the Teutonic Order, the Livonian knights increasingly came from areas in which the Teu-
tonic knights had a substantial presence, principally Westphalia, where the Sainte Vehme
had been established in reaction to the breakdown of Imperial power.
In 1291, following the loss of Acre and the fall of the Latin Kingdom, the knights retreated
first to Cyprus and then to Venice, where they recruited a group of Italian knights at their
commandery of Santa Trinità.
Following the union of Lithuania and Poland, the Teutonic knights soon forfeited the sup-
port of the Church and neighbouring Princes. Conflicts with the Archbishop of Riga had
bedevilled relations with the Church over the previous half-century, these divisions were
accentuated with the order's crusading mission reduced to ensuring the conversion of
the pagan populations under their rule. The conversion of Lithuania's rulers gained the
latter the support of the Papacy, who ordered the knights to reach a settlement. The or-
der now ruled a vast area but was resented by much of the native population and feared
by its neighbours.
The Lithuanians and Poles prepared to renew the struggle. Despite attempted interven-
tions by the Luxemburg Kings of Bohemia and Hungary, Jageilo and Vytovtas were able
to amass a vast force of about 160,000 men. These included Russians, Samogitians and
(continued)
Hungarian, Silesian and Bohemian mercenaries along with the forces of the Duke of
Mecklenburg and the Pomeranian Dukes. The knights, on the other hand, with only
83,000 men were outnumbered two to one. Despite this handicap, the outcome of the
engagement at what is known as the battle of Tannenberg on 15th July 1410 was by no
means certain. Early in the conflict the knights made great advances, destroying the
right wing of the Lithuanian forces but they were gradually beaten back. When the
Grand Master, Ulric von Jungingen, was killed in the centre of the melée, the fight was
lost. In addition to their leader, they lost two hundred knights and forty thousand sol-
diers including the Grand Commander, Conrad von Liechtenstein, the Marshal, Friedrich
von Wallenrode and many commanders and officers, while the Poles lost sixty thousand
dead.
The Order might have been destroyed entirely had it not been for the Commander of
Schwetz, Heinrich Reuss von Plauen, who had been charged with the defence of Pom-
erania and now moved rapidly to bolster the defences at Marienburg. He was quickly
elected Vice-Grand Master and, thanks to his preparations, the fortress was saved.
Plauen was now elected Grand Master and, at the Isle of Thorn, concluded a treaty with
the King of Poland on 1st February 1411, ratified by Papal Bull a year later.
Finally, by the treaty of Thorn of 19th October 1466 between the order and Poland, the
knights agreed to surrender Culm, their first Prussian possession, along with Ermelland,
Pomerelia (including Danzig) and the order's headquarters at the fortress of Marienburg
(now Malbork in Poland). Although they retained some sixty towns and fortresses, the
Grand Master had to recognize the Polish King as his feudal overlord and do homage The knights’
therefore, although the Emperor, nominal overlord of Prussia and superior of the Grand power was fatally
Master as a Prince of the Empire, was not consulted. In return the Grand Master was compromised
recognized as a Prince and councillor of the Crown of Poland. The Grand Master ac- and disappeared
knowledged Papal authority in spiritual matters but by promising that no part of the forever when the
treaty could be annulled by the Pope he was in breach of canon law as the superior of a last Grand Master
religious order and therefore subject to the Holy See. of the Teutonic
Knights, Albert of
The knights’ power was now fatally compromised and disappeared forever when the Hohenzollern,
last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Albert of Hohenzollern, turned protestant in turned protestant
1525 and secularised Prussia; in 1567, the Sword Brothers followed suit when their last in 1525 and secu-
Grand Master, Gottfried Kettler, did the same and became Duke of Curland (now part of larised Prussia.
the modern Baltic state of Latvia).
Copyright © 2008 Ian Cowburn
Bibliography
Constantin Rezachevici, "From the Order of the Dragon to Dracula." Journal of Dracula
Studies (Number 1, 1999), pp 3-7.
Anon. “The Dragon Sovereignty.” The Imperial and Royal Dragon Court and Order,
1996.
Haining, Peter. The Dracula Centenary Book. London: Souvenir Press, 1987.
Nethercot, Arthur, “Coleridge’s ‘Christabel’ and Le Fanu’s ‘Carmilla’.” Modern Philology
47 (August 1949): 32-38.
Piccolomini, Aeneas Silvius. Opera Omnia. Basil, 1551. 81-143.
Russell, Sharon. “The Influence of Dracula on the Lesbian Vampire Film.” Journal of Drac-
ula Studies 1 (1999): 23-32.
Page 78
Hermetic Virtues
A Ritual of the Eucharist in the Neophyte Hall

Outer Order Version
by Jayne Gibson
Officers
Hierophant (in the East)
Hiereus (in the West)
Hegemon (between the Pillars, facing West)
Keryx (in the S.W.)
Stolistes (in the North)
Dadouchos (in the South)
Temple Arrangement
∗ The temple is arranged as in the Neophyte grade.
∗ Pillars are East of Cubical Altar
∗ Cubical Altar in center of the Hall
∗ Cross above Triangle in the center of the Cubical Altar.
∗ Repast – Rose/Air (East), Candle Flame/Fire (South), Cup of Wine/Water
(West), Bread & Salt/Earth (North) on the Cubical Altar.
∗ A sacrifice (which is in the form of a short prayer, written by each member,
dealing with an aspect of themselves they wish to banish) is placed at indi-
vidual stations.
∗ Cup of Water at Stolistes Station.
∗ At the Dadouchos station is a small plate and red candle as well as incense
sticks (lit).
∗ Censer with charcoal (unlit) on the Southern Altar of the Hall.
∗ Frankincense by the censer on Southern Altar.
OPENING
Hierophant gives one knock. Keryx moves to the NE.
KERYX: Hekas, hekas, este bebeloi! Far, far from this sacred place be the profane!
Keryx returns to Station in SW.
HIEROPHANT: Frater/soror Hiereus banish the hall with the Lesser Banishing Ritual
of the Pentagram.
Hiereus performs the LBRP.
HIEROPHANT: rises with knock.

Fratres et sorores of the _____________ temple of the ______________
Order of the Golden Dawn assist me to open the Hall of the Neo-
phytes.
All rise.
HIEROPHANT: Frater/soror Keryx see that the hall is properly guarded.
KERYX: goes to door and knocks, returns knock and says:

Very honoured Hierophant, the hall is properly guarded.
Keryx stays by the door.


Outer Order Version
(continued)
HIEROPHANT: Honoured Hiereus guard the hither side of the portal and assure
yourself that all present have beheld the Golden Dawn.
HIEREUS: (Hiereus advances to the entry of the temple, beside the Keryx)
Fratres et Sorores of the _______________ temple give the signs of the
Neophyte.
Members give Neophyte signs towards the altar.

Hiereus returns signs towards the Altar.
HIEREUS: Very Honoured Hierophant all present have been so honoured.
Keryx and Hiereus return deosil to places.

Hierophant gives Neophyte projection sign towards the West.
HIEROPHANT: Let the number of officers in this degree be proclaimed once again,
that the powers whose images they are may be reawakened in the
spheres of those present and in the sphere of this order. For by
names and images are all powers awakened and reawakened.
Hierophant gives the Sign of Silence.
HIEROPHANT: Honoured Hiereus, how many chief officers are there in this grade?
HIEREUS: There are three chief officers; the Hierophant, Hiereus and Hegemon.
HIEROPHANT: Is there any peculiarity in these names?
HIEREUS: They all commence with the letter "H."
HIEROPHANT: And of what is this letter a symbol?
HIEREUS: Of life, because the letter "H" is our mode of representing the ancient
Greek aspirate or breathing and breath is evidence of life.
HIEROPHANT: How many lesser officers are there?
HIEREUS: There are three besides the sentinel: Keryx, Stolistes and Dadouchos.
The Phylax guards the portal of the hall and has a sword in his hand
to keep out intruders.
HIEROPHANT: Frater/Soror Stolistes and Frater/Soror Dadouchos, I command you to

purify and consecrate the Hall with Water and Fire.
Consecration and purification of the Hall. Both Stolistes and Dadouchos give the projec-
tion sign of the Neophyte before picking up the censer and cup.
Stolistes moves to East, with Dadouchos balancing in the West as Stolistes begins. Da-
douchos always balances Stolistes as Stolistes passes round the Hall.
Dadouchos begins consecration upon arriving in the East and the Stolistes always bal-
ances the Dadouchos as Dadouchos moves round the Hall.
STOLISTES: Upon reaching the East, Stolistes will announce, holding the Cup on high:
I purify with Water.
Page 80
Hermetic Virtues

Outer Order Version
(continued)
Stolistes will balance Dadouchos as s/he rounds the temple until Dadouchos finishes in
the East and while holding the censer on high, announces:
DADOUCHOS: I consecrate with Fire.
Both return to place and give Sign of Silence.
HIEROPHANT: Let the Mystic Circumambulation take place in the pathway of Light.
Hierophant remains on dais with sceptre and Banner of East, stands in Sign of Cross.
Keryx goes to NE, followed by Hegemon, Hiereus, Stolistes and Dadouchos. Circum-
ambulation is commenced with members giving Projection Sign in the direction traveled
upon each passing the East. Hiereus drops out as soon as s/he reaches his/her throne
and holds up Sword and Banner of West, standing in the Sign of the Cross Hegemon
returns to station after two rotations, stands in Sign of Cross, facing West All remaining
members circumambulate thrice and return to stations.
HIEROPHANT: The Mystic Circumambulation is accomplished. Let us adore the Lord

of the Universe and Spaces.
All face East.
ALL: (Neophyte projection sign after each stanza)

Holy art Thou Lord of the Universe!
Holy art Thou Whom Nature hath not formed!
Holy art Thou the Vast and the Mighty One!
Lord of the Light and of the Darkness. (Sign of Silence)
HIEROPHANT: Frater/Soror Keryx, in the Name of the Lord of the Universe, I com-
mand you to announce that I have opened the Hall of the Neophytes.
KERYX: Keryx, with Lamp and Wand, goes to NE and announces:

In the Name of the Lord of the Universe, who works in silence and
whom naught but silence can express, I declare that the Sun has
arisen and the shadows flee away. Returns to place.
Hierophant knocks, Hiereus knocks and Hegemon knocks.
HIEROPHANT: w Khabs
HIEREUS: w Am
HEGEMON: w Pekt
HIEREUS: w Konx
HEGEMON: w Om
HIEROPHANT: w Pax
HEGEMON: w Light
HIEROPHANT: w In

Outer Order Version
(continued)
HIEREUS: w Extension!
All make Signs towards altar.
Keryx removes the representations of the elements from the altar to their respective
quarters but leaves Cross and the Triangle upon the Altar.
THE SACRIFICE , PURIFICATION AND OFFERING

Dadouchos places the censer on the Cubical Altar, to the East of the Cross and Triangle,
and lights the charcoal. Dadouchos then places the Frankincense by the Censer. Re-
turns to place.
Hierophant stands and faces the East. All members stand and face East.
HIEROPHANT: Divine Light and Love! Creator of humanity and the manifest world,
we praise Thee and we bless Thee. How precious is your Presence!
Hence the children of Earth take refuge in the Shadow of Your
Wings. O Divine Spirit, mystic Source of Love who dwells in the
hearts of humanity and also in the secret soul of the Universe, we
open Kether unto Thee (members begin Qabalistic Cross by alighting Ke-
ther above the head and then touching the brow); we open Malkuth unto
Thee(members continue QC by pointing to Malkuth, the feet, and alighting
Malkuth); we open Tiphareth unto Thee (members now touch heart center
and alight Tiphareth); through Power (members now touch right shoulder)
and Love (members now touch left shoulder) we aspire unto Thee
(members again touch the heart with both hands as if in prayer) that the influx
of Thy Divine Light may be established in this Temple.
ALL: So mote it be!
The Hierophant now directs the temple in a Qabalistic Cross to balance the Middle Pillar
LVX over the body. All members are seated.
THE SACRIFICE
Dadouchos takes up the plate and red candle and places the plate on the triangle on
the Cubical Altar and the red candle beside it. Dadouchos returns to place.
HIEROPHANT: Honoured Hiereus, what is implied by the concept of sacrifice within

the magical tradition?
HIEREUS: This concept relates to the sacrificing of the lower aspects of the hu-
man personality, that the Nephesh may be controlled by the purified
Ruach in order that human consciousness may openly receive the
influence of the Supernals.
HIEROPHANT: Honoured Hegemon, how is this achieved?
HEGEMON: By training the awareness through the art of magic: through ritual,
meditation, and deliberate living – deliberate living requires the ma-
Page 82
Hermetic Virtues

Outer Order Version
(continued)
gician to choose his or her actions and reactions rather than to have
them chosen by the force of the unconscious mind.
Hegemon moves chair to the SE.
The Hierophant, with written prayer of sacrifice, descends the dais to the Eastern side of
the Altar and blesses the cauldron or plate and candle with a circled Cross.
HIEROPHANT: Let each member come forward, one by one, and make symbolic sacri-
fice of the lower self that through such actions the Light of the Super-
nals may illumine our minds.
The Hierophant holds up his/her written prayer and states:
HIEROPHANT: Thou Who givest substance to the Universe; from Whom all things
proceed, and to Whom all things shall return, with this hallowed sacri-
fice unveil to me Thy Light, hidden in the Darkness, that I may come to
Faith through Understanding. (Places written prayer in flame of red can-
dle and then places burning prayer in dish.) Through the burning of this
prayer, I sacrifice my lower nature within this flame.
The Hierophant turns the colour of the MP to a deep red glow, visualizing the purifying
fire permeating the body.
Hierophant returns to place.
***Hiereus comes with written sacrifice to the West of the Cubical Altar, faces the Hiero-
phant. Re-ignites the Middle Pillar in the imagination.
HIEREUS: Thou Who givest substance to the Universe; from Whom all things
proceed, and to Whom all things shall return, with this hallowed sacri-
fice unveil to me Thy Light, hidden in the Darkness, that I may come to
Faith through Understanding (places written prayer flame of red candle
and then places burning prayer on plate). Through the burning of this
prayer, I sacrifice my lower nature within this Flame. The Hiereus turns
the colour of the MP to a deep red glow, visualizing the purifying fire per-
meating the body. Hiereus returns to place. ***
The preceding section (noted by ***) will be repeated with the rest of the officers in this
order: Hegemon, Keryx, Stolistes and Dadouchos.
Dadouchos comes forward and removes the cauldron and the red candle, placing them
back on the Southern Altar.
THE PURIFICATION
The Stolistes takes up the cup and places it on the triangle and cross on the Cubical Altar.
Returns to place.
HIEROPHANT: Frater/Soror Stolistes what is implied by the concept of cleansing and

purification after sacrifice?

Outer Order Version
(continued)
STOLISTES: That through the act of sacrifice, the human vessel is, in a way, emp-
tied and this empty vessel must be cleansed before the influx of the
Light can be received.
HIEROPHANT: Frater/Soror Dadouchos, how is this exemplified in the Neophyte

ritual?
DADOUCHOS: The sacrifice is mirrored in the Opening of the Neophyte Grade by

the performance of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and
the purification is mirrored by the subsequent purification and conse-
cration of the temple space.
The Hierophant descends the dais and stands before the Cubical Altar, facing West.
Makes a blessing circled Cross over the Cup of Water.
HIEROPHANT: Just as thy sacrifices were consumed in the Cauldron of Fire, so shall
we be purified by the waters for this is the symbol of the Waters of
Creation. Draw water from the living spring, because it has been
opened to thee. Fair it is, and pure, and gives rest to the Soul.
Giver of Life to all life, Root of all things, wash me clean; heal my
wounds. Thou art True Life, Luminous, Wonderful, awakening the
soul from its primal sleep. Dips finger into cup and makes a cross on the
forehead. I am made pure by the Living Waters. Hierophant turns the
MP to a blue, liquid light which permeates the physical body.
*** The Hiereus comes forward and stands to the West of the Cubical Altar, facing East.
HIEREUS: Just as my sacrifice was consumed in the Cauldron of Fire, so shall I

be purified by the Waters for this is the symbol of the Waters of Crea-
tion. I shall draw water from the Living Spring, because it has been
opened to me. Fair it is, and pure, and gives rest to the soul.
Giver of Life to all life, Root of all things, wash me clean; heal my
wounds. Thou art True Life, Luminous, Wonderful, awakening the
soul from its primal sleep. Hiereus dips finger into Cup and makes a
cross on the forehead. I am made pure by the Living Waters. Hiereus
turns the MP to a blue, liquid light which permeates the physical body.
Hiereus returns to place. ***
Each member repeats the above (the section between the ***) in order of: Hegemon,
Keryx, Stolistes and Dadouchos. All return to place when done with MP visualization.
THE OFFERING
Page 84
Hermetic Virtues

Outer Order Version
(continued)
HIEROPHANT: The Fiery sacrifice of what is not Divine within us harmonizes us with
the Light. This sacrifice leads the way to our purification. Frater/Soror
Keryx, what should follow the sacrifice and purification?
KERYX: Having been reconciled through sacrifice and then purified, the act of
prayer appropriately follows because true prayer cannot be offered
until harmony with the Light has been established. Therefore the of-
fering of incense is symbolic of the spiritual nature of prayer ascend-
ing through the Gates of Malkuth to the Heavens. The offering of in-
cense is therefore an accompaniment to sacrifice and purification,and
a sign of reverence and honour.
Hierophant descends to the East of the Cubical Altar, facing West. Hierophant blesses the
censer with a Circled Cross.
HIEROPHANT: Spirit of my soul, born of Life’s Breath, the evolving movement of the
Light, I call to Thee from within and without. Dance through my be-
ing with beauty and mirth and enlighten me that I may be fertile
ground for the Divine Light. Sprinkles incense into the censer. Accept
from me this fine incense and as the smoke of this offering rises
through the gates, so also may my prayers arise and ascend to the
heights. Hierophant turns the MP to a brilliant golden Light which perme-
ates the body.
*** The Hiereus comes forward and stands to the West of the Cubical Altar, facing East.
HIEREUS: Spirit of my soul, born of Life’s Breath, the evolving movement of the
Light, I call to Thee from within and without. Dance through my be-
ing with beauty and mirth, and enlighten me that I may be fertile
ground for the Divine Light. Sprinkles incense into the censer. Accept
from me this fine incense, and as the smoke of this offering rises
through the gates, so also may my prayers arise and ascend to the
heights.
Hiereus turns the MP to a brilliant golden Light which permeates the body. Hiereus re-
turns to place. ***
Each member repeats the above (the section between the ***) in order of: Hegemon,
Keryx, Stolistes and Dadouchos. All return to places when done.
THE REPAST AS A REPRESENTATION OF THE DIVINE WORD


Outer Order Version
(continued)
All Officers are seated as in the Opening, Hegemon returning to between the Pillars,
facing West.
HIEROPHANT: In the ceremony of the Neophyte, you will notice that there is some-
thing which is call the Repast, or the Eucharist, and this repast is
made up of the symbols of the four elements. In the Opening of the
Neophyte Hall, the Repast is together as one unit upon the Cubical
Altar. After the Opening, this Repast is then separated to the Four
Quarters and is not brought back together again until the Neophyte
has completed the process of the initiation. This is very symbolic.
The Repast, as the Four Elements, has many meanings, but most im-
portantly it symbolizes, when united together again on the altar, the
Purified Adam, or purified humanity, referred to under the name of
Osiris in the Outer Order.
HIEREUS: When united, the Repast alludes to the complete balance and unifi-
cation of the Four Elements of the human psyche, which on a mun-
dane level can refer to the will, the emotions, the mind, and the
body. However, on another level, these elements also represent the
Spirit (Fire), the Soul (Water), the Mind or Consciousness (Air), and
the Temple of the Divine Light, which is the human body (Earth).
HEGEMON: In turn you can again relate the Elements to the physical world, be-
cause the Four Elements in Malkuth are the building blocks of the
manifest universe. You shall find that the universe is continually cre-
ated by the Divine Light, by Whom it came into existence and by
Whom it is maintained. The instrument by which the Universe is
built is the Creative Word and the matter or substance of the uni-
verse is composed of the Four Elements.
KERYX: The relationship between Divine Light and the Word is simple -- it is
Creation. The Light Divine is known only through the Word, the
Source of existence and Spiritual Light in manifestation. So, not only
is the Divine Light the Source of Life, but it is also the Word that pro-
vides the creative dynamism behind everything that is manifest.
STOLISTES: The Word is the essence of life and consciousness, itself present
within every living thing. The Divine Light, the Divine Father and
Mother, has given birth to all souls by means of the Word, the crea-
tive life force.
DADOUCHOS: But the source of the Word is immeasurable, since it dwells within
the Immeasurable One. It is the Light dwelling in the Darkness; the
Light that resides in silence and mystery.
THE CHARGING OF THE EUCHARIST

Page 86
Hermetic Virtues

Outer Order Version
(continued)
Hegemon stands at the Eastern side of the Cubical Altar. Keryx, with lamp, goes to the
South and stands to the left of the Dadouchos. Dadouchos stands and takes up the re-
past red candle on the Southern Altar. Dadouchos makes Fire invoking triangle over the
flame. All members softly vibrate EHEIEH. Dadouchos and Keryx circumambulate the
temple once deosil, starting from the South.
KERYX: (going before the Dadouchos and lighting the way through the darkness)
And when, after all the phantoms have been banished, thou shalt see
that holy and formless Fire, that Fire which darts and flashes through
the hidden depths of the Universe. Hear thou the Voice of Fire!
After passing the South a second time, the Keryx drops out and goes to station and the
Dadouchos goes to the West of the Cubical Altar, facing East. Placing the candle back on
the Southern Quarter of the altar says:
DADOUCHOS Fire as the Word is the source of life, for life is the hidden Light in hu-
manity. It is the spiritual light at the heart of everything that exists --
The Light that Shineth in Darkness, though the Darkness comprehen-
deth it not.
The Hegemon makes Fire invoking triangle over the candle, drawing the sign of Leo in
the triangle.
HEGEMON: (vibrating while drawing Fire invoking triangle) YHVH TZABAOTH
Dadouchos returns to place. Keryx goes and stands to the left of the Hiereus. Hiereus
stands and takes up the cup. Makes Water invoking triangle over the cup. Members vi-
brate softly ELOHIM TZABAOTH. From the West, the Hiereus and Keryx circumambu-
late the Temple once deosil.
KERYX: (walking ahead of the Hiereus and lighting the way with lamp) So there-
fore first, the Priest who governeth the works of Fire must sprinkle
with the Waters of the Loud and Resounding Sea. Hear thou the
voice of Water!
After passing the South, the Keryx drops out and returns to station in the SW. Hiereus
goes to the West and then advances to the West of the Cubical Altar. Places cup on the
Western Quarter.
HIEREUS: Water as the Word has been called the Water of Life or the Living Wa-
ter. For to the spiritual desert of the Soul, the Living Water brings Life
-- it is the current of the Creative Word flowing outward into manifes-
tation. For although one may seek the Divine Light in church and
temple, in reality It is within, in the precious inner Water of Spirituality,
which is the human soul containing the Light of Spirit.
Hegemon makes the invoking Water triangle and draws the Head of the Eagle within the
triangle.
HEGEMON: (vibrating while drawing Water invoking triangle) ELOHIM TZA-

BAOTH

Outer Order Version
(continued)
Hiereus returns to place. Keryx now goes to the East and stands to the left of the Hiero-
phant, facing West. The Hierophant takes up the Rose and makes an Air invoking trian-
gle over it. Members softly vibrate SHADDAI EL CHAI. Hierophant and Keryx circum-
ambulates once deosil.
KERYX: (going before the Hierophant and lighting the way) Such a Fire existeth,
extending through the rushings of Air, or even a Fire formless
whence cometh the image of a Voice, abounding, revolving, whirling
forth, crying aloud. Hear thou the Voice of Air!
After passing the East for a second time, the Keryx returns to place in the SW. The Hiero-
phant takes the rose back to the East of the Cubical Altar and places it on the Eastern
Quarter.
HIEROPHANT: The Word is also called the Breath of Life because it is the most life-
giving thing in creation, and Divine Light is the source of all life. Just
as physical life cannot exist without air or breath, the essence of life,
which is consciousness, cannot exist without the Word. It was by the
breath of Spirit into the human soul that consciousness came into
being. But the breath as the Word is not physical breath, but the in-
fusion of the Spirit within the soul, which creates the mind.
Hegemon makes the Air invoking triangle and draws within that the sign of Aquarius.
HEGEMON: (vibrating while drawing Air invoking triangle) SHADDAI EL CHAI
Hierophant returns to place. The Keryx now goes and stands to the left of the Stolistes.
Stolistes takes up the bread and salt and makes an Earth invoking triangle over it. Mem-
bers vibrate softly ADONAI HA-ARETZ . Keryx and Stolistes circumambulate the hall
once deosil.
KERYX: (walking ahead of the Stolistes and lighting the way through the darkness
with the lamp) For the Creator formed the universe with mighty
hands that the world might be visible and not seem ethereal. Hear
thou the voice of Earth!
When passing the North for the second time, the Keryx returns to place in the SW. The
Stolistes takes the bread to the West of the Cubical Altar and places it on the Northern
Quarter.
STOLISTES: The Word as bread has been called the Bread of Life, for without Its
continual sustenance, physical life would cease. In other words, the
bread which the Divine gives to feed the soul is the Word -- it is the
nourishment from Spirit, and they that come into contact with It shall
have an inner experience of the eternal, and they will realize their
own innate immortality. Hence the phrase, “I am the Living Bread
which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they
shall live forever.”
Hegemon makes the Earth Invoking Triangle and places within that the Sign of Taurus.
HEGEMON: (vibrating while drawing Earth invoking triangle) ADONAI HA-

ARETZ
Page 88
Hermetic Virtues

Outer Order Version
(continued)
Stolistes returns to place. Hegemon sits.
HIEROPHANT: Fire, Water, Air and Earth – through the Four Worlds floweth the ele-
ments of creation. All of these are used as metaphors for the Divine
Word or Logos.
HEGEMON: Water brings life to the desert and Fire brings essential heat and light
to physical existence. Bread maintains the life of the body, and Air is
required for the continuation of all physical life. That is why the crea-
tive power or Logos (the Word) is often referred to as Living Fire, Liv-
ing Water, the Breath of Life, and the Bread of Life. The Word is the
creative current or archetypal model from which everything proceeds.
Thus, before you on the altar (motions to Cubical Altar) is the image of
the Word, which in turn reveals humanity to itself, for from this model
was humanity created.
All members stand and face East.
HIEROPHANT: In the Divine Name YHVH, we ask Thee to protect this consecrated
temple from the profane and the unbalanced! Grant unto us the
strength, the love and the knowledge to be worthy vessels for the sa-
cred mysteries! Anoint us with the pure White Brilliance of the Light
Divine!
Members perform the Qabalistic Cross together. All are seated.
HIEROPHANT: Now I want you to close your eyes and relax, breathing deeply.
(pause)
See with the mind’s eye, behind the veil in the East, a bright white
Light, gentle and scintillating a soft glow. (pause)
Now see this glow begin to part the veil and extend into the vall,
down the center to the West at the station of the Hiereus. (pause)
See the Light move up the West to the station of the Hegemon.
(pause)
See the Light now split in two and shoot out to the stations of the Sto-
listes and the Dadouchos. (pause)
This Light is now formed in a cross, uniting all the Quarters in the cen-
ter. (pause)
Visualize this Light, feel Its presence within you, lighting again your
Middle Pillar centers. (pause)
Now see this Light begin to circumambulate the hall, connecting all
the members to the Light at the center of the hall, in perfect equilib-
rium. (pause)
Keep your eyes closed and hold this visualization, letting the pure es-
sence of White Light bathe you in a cleansing of Spirit. (pause)
Now begin to change your aura from bright White Light into the col-
ours of the Elements of the Repast – from white, to red, to blue, to yel-
low, to black and back again to white. (pause)
Fluctuate the colours throughout your aura. (pause)
While in this consciousness, try to perceive the power of the Divine
Word as represented by the Eucharist of the Four Elements.

Outer Order Version
(continued)
All members are allowed to sit for a moment in contemplation of the Eucharist.
HIEROPHANT: Now I would like you to draw your consciousness back into your Ti-
phareth center at your heart. (pause)
Center it there in complete balance. (Pause)
Now open your eyes and remember what you have seen and per-
ceived, keeping this idea in consciousness as you receive the Repast.
THE SERVING OF THE EUCHARIST

Hierophant descends from the dais and stands to the East of the Cubical Altar, facing
West.
HIEROPHANT: (makes cross over the candle) O Divine Fire, source of Light and life,
awaken all present here this day to the Divine Light within, that we
may pierce the veil of darkness and behold the Golden Light wherein
Osiris dwells.
HIEROPHANT: (makes cross over the cup) O Divine Water, peace-giver and mediator
of a purified consciousness, create in us a clean heart and an aware-
ness of Divine Love; and as a symbol of baptism, grant it the power to
aid our spiritual rebirth.
HIEROPHANT: (makes a cross over the rose) O Divine Air, breath of life, the Ruach Elo-
him which moved across the face of the Water, illuminate our minds
in our search for the hidden Light that we may come to know Thee,
the only true self.
HIEROPHANT: (makes a cross over the bread) O Divine Earth, whose presence gives
nourishment to the soul, unveil Thyself in glory, be Thou the Word
made manifest among us.
HIEROPHANT: Come forth, all you who have performed this rite and be reconciled and
reunited as One.
The Hiereus comes to the West of the Cubical Altar. The Hierophant gives the Repast to
the Hiereus in order of the Four Worlds (Fire, Water, Air, Earth).
The Hierophant serves the rest of the members in this order: Hegemon, Stolistes, Da-
douchos, and then the Keryx. When the Keryx is finished, he/she says:
KERYX: It is finished!
Keryx returns to place.
HIEROPHANT: It is the pairing of spirit and soul which brings about mind and the
mind generates the body. This is a great mystery and the more one
grows spiritually, the more one understands that spirit is rooted in
the Earth, because material form is the veil which hides, though at
the same time reveals, the life essence.
Page 90
Hermetic Virtues

Outer Order Version
(continued)
HIEREUS: The Mysteries of the Eucharist relate to the word as creative power in
manifestation, the joining of the macrocosm to the microcosm. Rites
of union are an invitation to realign consciousness, to restore the link
between the Divine and the human soul.
HEGEMON: We have an opportunity to aid in this restoration, for in the Eucharist

are all parts re-united, Divine to mortal and mortal to Divine. For the
Repast represents a mystery of the Divine in relationship with human-
ity or the reconciliation of above and below.
Hierophant stands and faces East. All members stand and face East.
HIEROPHANT: Oh Thou Whom nature hath not formed;

Oh Thou Who didst in reason constitute the things that are;
Oh Thou Whom naught but silence can express;
Look with favour upon us;
Grant that we may labour in high things.
Accept our pure offerings from heart and soul stretched up to Thee.
Let us become faithful Fratres and Sorores to the thy glory of Thy
Name and Thy Legacy.
THE CLOSING
All members sit.
Keryx advances to the NE and says:
KERUX: Hekas, hekas, este bebeloi! Far, far from this place be the profane!
Keryx returns to place.
Hierophant stands and faces West.
HIEROPHANT: Let the Hall be cleansed by Water and Fire!
The hall is purified and consecrated as in the opening.
HIEROPHANT: Let us perform the reverse circumambulation and remit this Light to its
due place, in the Sanctuary of the Supernals.
Reverse circumambulation (same as opening circumambulation, but starting from the

White Pillar instead of the Black Pillar and walking widdershins or counter-clockwise). All
members return to places as in the opening.
ALL: (facing East) Holy art Thou Lord of the Universe (projection sign)
Holy art Thou Whom Nature Hath Not Formed (projection sign)
Holy art Thou the Vast and the Mighty One (projection sign)
Lord of the Light and of the Darkness (sign of silence)
HIEROPHANT: (Facing East) I now release any spirits that may have been imprisoned by
this ceremony. Go in peace to your abodes and habitations and may the
blessings of YHVH be upon you now and forever more. But may the in-

Outer Order Version
(continued)
dwelling Spirit always reside with us in our hearts, in our minds, and in
our souls, until we once again stand before The Presence, in the Abode of
Eternal Light.
Hierophant knocks, Hiereus knocks and Hegemon knocks.
HIEROPHANT: w Khabs
HIEREUS: w Am
HEGEMON: w Pekt
HIEREUS: w Konx
HEGEMON: w Om
HIEROPHANT: w Pax
HEGEMON: w Light
HIEROPHANT: w In
HIEREUS: w Extension!
All make Signs towards altar.
HIEROPHANT: Knocks. By the power and authority of this Scepter of Power, I now
declare this Temple duly closed.
Copyright © 2008 Jayne Gibson

Hermetic Virtues Once again we would like to thank the authors who generously submitted such
eMail: info@hermeticvirtues.org
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Summer Solstice 2008

Volume II, Edition 1

By the Holy Light of the Sun: 2

Kingdom Come: Real Life Divination 35

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

He went to school in England and Germany and received a BA degree in Mathematics

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

The focus of the Theosophical Society was Eastern

In London, Brodie-Innes joined the Isis-Urania temple

(4) Gilbert. The Sorcerer and His Apprentice, 10.

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

After the Golden Dr. Robert Felkin

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

(13) Gilbert. The Golden Dawn, 74.

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

(21) Printed in Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic, 134–140.

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

The Sacred Quipus

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

The Sacred Quipus, known as the Sacred Badge of the Or-

But the Quipus was a very versatile tool. For meditation,

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

The Golden Ark

The Three Veils A great deal of

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

The aura papers

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

(47) Aura 33, Cromlech Archives, Private Collection.

By the Holy Light of the Sun:

Copyright © 2008 Charles “Chic” Cicero

Cicero. The Essential Golden Dawn.

(52) King, Astral Projection, Magic, and Alchemy, 232.

The Sun, Key 19, Sol, Resh

Copyright © 2008 Harry Wendich

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Crowley attempted setting up correspon-

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

The Hindu/Tantric Concept of the Divine

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

There is a traditional form of archetypal female—Shakti—energy that evolves into ten

The Dasa Mahavidyas

They are collec-

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

To mentally focus or meditate on Kali as Kether, either visualize her yan-

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

In Tibetan Buddhism, Tara is worshipped as the manifestation of

To meditate on Tara as Chochma, you can focus on her yantra or

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

Bhairavi is known as the Warrior Goddess. So the obvious

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

[Note: some writers switch the order of Chhinnamasta and

If you don’t use Her yantra for meditation/concentration on

Dasa Mahavidyas and the Tree of Life

In Tantric traditions, the opposite is true. The female is

So although Dhumavati is a goddess without any aspect