10.

An Aquarian Mystery School -The

House of Life
The reason that the occultist seeks his inspiration in the remote past is
because the nearer the source, the purer the stream. The wisdom of the
initiates is not so much a body of doctrine that has been built up by
experimental research, each worker handing on the fruits of his studies to
his successors, as in large part a revelation received from sources other
than those to which humanity normally has access.

Dion Fortune, The Headwaters of Occultism

It is very clear that DF anticipated dynamic change in the structure of society and in
the structure of Mystery school; these changes might best be described as Aquarian by nature:
inclusive, holistic, person centred, and emergent from the grass roots upwards rather than
superimposed from the top downwards. The emergence of the nineteenth century mystery
schools was necessarily for the few and this selective environment matched the limited
interest in all things esoteric. Since then, there has been a revolution, a much-needed spiritual
renaissance aided in large part by the internet. However, this dissemination should not bring a
dissolution of principles lost in the broader thrust of New Age spirituality. DF made her
views clear. She established the principles required of an occult student, laid out the pathway
and its stages, and defined the container of the school as an interface with the Inner Planes.
Her words of wisdom have lost none of their power to inspire and initiate. This work is
dedicated not merely to her memory but also to her legacy which lives on. She extended an
invitation to enter into the tradition of western esotericism and this is the invitation offered
here. In keeping with the spirit of our times, an Aquarian Mystery School must reflect the
Aquarian values that she saw emerging in her lifetime. Accordingly, a new template, non-
hierarchical, inclusive and organic is hereby offered. Here is a school fully in the tradition of
the Mysteries yet aligned to a new template whereby the participants co-create the
development of the school. This is a radical movement away from the hierarchical forms
necessary in the past and this new template is in keeping with the incoming Aquarian ethos.
There is no ‘teacher’ within this school but rather a presentation of ‘teachings’ which are
expressed in the curriculum of the school in alignment with both the Hermetic and Kemetic
traditions.

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 The foundational template for this new model is the aptly named the Flower of Life –
a symbol of organic growth. This image can be seen carved in the Osirion at Abydos – a
sacred space based on the cosmic processes of growth through renewal and rebirth under the
aegis of the green faced divinity Asar. The sequence of growth can be applied to the founding
and organization of a group dedicated to the same purpose.

The starting point is the circle. This is a profound image that Pythagoras called the Monad, it
represents the divine seed of inspiration. The second image is that of the Vesica Piscis
(meaning a fish bladder) or mandorla (meaning an almond). This shape is also called, the
Mother of Form since key geometric figures are generated through the intersection of the two
circles. This stage represents the transition of an idea into manifestation. In actuality, this
represents the stage wherein the divine is emerging in the life of an individual complemented
by the desire to share with others. The sequential images finally unfolds into the Flower of
Life, formed by six circles intersecting equally with the first and from this a five petalled star-
flower emerges. The sequence may represent 6 persons equally engaging with the central
point of emergence which represents the Divine Seed within the group. The completed
Flower represents the harmonious relationship between 6 persons coming together to give
birth to the star-secret, the mystical connection with all existence. The completed flower is
always open to continuous growth, it might be seen as a single cell in a vast organism. This
symbol therefore provides a foundational template for a small group of persons to share and
partake of the Divine Seed always present at the centre, a point of potentiality within the
pleroma, a word meaning fullness. The notion of cellular growth provides for an unlimited
number of small groups focused on one aspect of a multilevel experience. Each person is free
to establish a house according to their own light and the organic nature of the model brings
growth and relationship through both simplicity and complexity in unity.

The Flower of Life is found on the wall of the Osirion thereby

embracing the Kemetic tradition.
Additionally, the same symbol
embraces the Tree of Life and the
Hermetic tradition. This symbol

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perfectly represents your invitation into the ever-open door of the mystery tradition. The
growth implicit in the model fulfills the promise of the Monad which is the Divine Seed.

It is the purpose of the mystery tradition to deepen, enrich and expand the quality of
life as experienced by its practitioners. DF wrote about this heightened and intensified
connection with life as an inexhaustible source. This might be contrasted to the common
experience of life which is predominantly materialistic in perspective and limited in vision. In
the novels her characters invariably recognise the moment of renewing power following
directly upon a ceremonial event. In the book Moon Magic, the main character Rupert
Malcom discovers this sense of connection. ‘‘Then he felt the levels coalesce; that which had
previously been known as purely physical he felt to be spiritual as well. The force was rising
from the spinal to the cerebral and passing out of the province of physiology. Then he felt it
lift again and pass out beyond the province of psychology into that which lies beyond. A
vision of starry spheres seemed all around him. The room had faded…………………..The
straight run-through of power had blown clear all the obstructions and blockages and tangles
in his nature just as a choked channel is cleared by a force-pump. From level to level the
power had risen and cleared the channel as it went. he was a man utterly re-made. How and
by what he could not say. He only knew that exhausted and at peace, he was ready to sing
with the morning stars as soon as his strength came back to him, and that his mind had the
crystal lucidity of sunlit space.’’ 2 In the tale of The Winged Bull, the character Ted
Murchison also undergoes a personal transformation. ‘‘When Murchison awoke in the
morning, he knew that something had been done to him. What it was he could not have said.
It was as if tight cords that bound him body and soul had been released. There was a
joyousness and freedom in the air instead of the despondency and isolation that usually beset
him.’’ Following this he is asked whether he dreamt and of course he did. ‘‘He could still feel
the glorious sensation of that dream, the sense of swift movement and flight.’’ He describes
the dream. “I dreamt I was riding,” he said, “riding a remarkably fine beast and travelling at a
great rate. I was riding over downs, or sand-dunes, near the sea.’’
“What manner of horse was it you were riding?”
‘‘It was a magnificent beast. That is all I know. The thing that chiefly struck me was
the sense of movement. Flight through space. It was a glorious sensation. Like being set free.
I can’t describe it.’’3 Elsewhere in the book the character of Brangwyn describes the
dynamics of ritual as a means of getting in touch with the spiritual forces that built the

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universe in order to be part of its evolving life. He likens the role of two participants to the
positive and negative poles of a battery, generating current.
“What sort of current?”
“An intensification of life on all its levels.”

The ancient Egyptian House of Life, the Per Ankh depicts an enclosure surrounding
an ankh. The ankh has become a familiar symbol though its original
meaning has been blurred by spurious sexual symbolism. It is most clearly
derived from the thoracic spine of the bull, they key of life bestows power
in life. 5 The ankh is frequently shown being offered to the nose. As a
person might savour the perfume of a rose, so the Key of Life is inhaled
on an in-breath as pneuma the divine breath of the gods. The word
inspiration has taken on a commonly understood meaning, but precisely
understood it means ‘to breathe in,’ just as respiration means ‘to breathe out.’ To be inspired
is to be filled with the powers of life, just as the sailing ship needs the power of the wind for
momentum and travel. The sequence of breathing in and out is a complete cycle; life begins
with the first independent breath and ceases with as the last breath expires. Becoming
conscious of the breath is the first meditative exercise in many spiritual systems. Breathing in
the life-giving inspiration of the ankh is to inhale the breath of life as a divine gift. The Per
Ankh was a place of learning under the aegis of Djehuty-Thoth, the embodiment of all
knowledge. All scribes were in his retinue.

Let us praise Thoth, the exact plummet of the balance,

from whom evil flees,
who accepts him who avoids evil,
the Vizier who gives judgement,
who vanquishes crime,
who recalls all that is forgotten,
the remembrancer of time and eternity,
who proclaims the hours of the night,
whose words abide for ever.
Hymn to Thoth, by Horemheb the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty

Another hymn to Thoth was inscribed in the tomb of Petosiris, the High Priest of Thoth at
Hermopolis. It speaks of his gifts to humanity and life dedicated in his service:
O my twice-great master Thoth,
the only God who has no equal,
who sees and hears whomsoever passes,

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 who knows whomsoever is drawing near,
with the knowledge of everything that happens!
You have made my heart walk upon your waters,
He who walks on your road will never stumble.
O people living on this Earth, and those yet to be born
Ye who come to this mountainy ye who see this tomb and pass by it
Come, I will guide you on the road of life,
you will sail with a favourable wind, without accidents,
and you will arrive at the abode of the city of generations.
The road of the man who obeys Thoth is straight.
happy is he whose heart urges him to follow it!
To walk on the road of God is to be filled with light,
great are the advantages gained by those who discipline themselves to follow it.
It is a monument raised by them on this Earth,
that those who follow the paths of God,
those who cling to the ways of God,
spend all their lives in joy, gathering riches without equal.
Thoth, the God of knowledge, rewards every act according to its own merit.
As you act so shall you be treated
To speak a good word is to build a monument.
Happiness is to be found in observing Ma’at
The West beyond the horizon is the dwelling place
for he who has not transgressed the law,
happy is who reaches there!
Nobody can reach there unless their hearts have conformed exactly to the law.
Down there is no distinction between rich and poor,
unless it is in the favour of he who is found to be righteous
when weighted in the scales of justice before the master of eternity.

It is to the Master of Eternity that a present generation of esoteric students may turn
for inspiration and teaching. The Hermetic current is rooted in Kemetic Egypt and
specifically in The House of Life under the aegis of Lord Thoth as a cultural reservoir of
magic and medicine, the power of the word, the scribal tradition, and the house of
knowledge. Mike Stavish of the Institute for Hermetic Studies presents Hermeticism as a
valuable and viable template for our time. ‘‘Hermeticism is the basis for the experimental,
positivistic, humanistic, and spiritually enriching worldview that forms the basis for Western
society and civilization. For Westerners interested in spirituality Hermeticism is the natural
choice for those seeking something connected to their culture and daily experience.’’ 6
Antoine Faivre rhetorically asks, ‘‘What then, in the second half of our century, is Hermes’s
place, or what are the conditions for his return? The Renaissance has done a great deal,
especially by the study of the Hermetica, to keep alive the presence of the god with the

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caduceus, but what is happening today? 7 In common with Mike Stavish of the Hermetic
Institute, Faivre sees a valuable place for the Hermetic current in our present time. ‘‘The risk
that our age must take, if it wishes to see the birth of a hew humanism, consists of relearning
the place of myth and mystery in our lives and in our field of knowledge. This task was
undertaken by the authors of the Hermetica, who mythologized the cosmos; by those of the
Renaissance, an age that corresponded to a powerful remythologization.’’ He continues ‘‘If
Hermeticism today has a role to play, it is that of demystifying, so as to remythify. To regain
the sense of myth, whether within the framework of a constituted religion or outside it, is also
to learn or relearn how to "read." What a beautiful lesson so many of the thinkers of the
Renaissance teach us, those who knew how to read the book of the world, of Man and of
theophanies! They had understood that language starts with reading and passes through it-the
reading of myths, of anthropos and of the cosmos.’’8 He finally concludes, ‘‘Magia
understood as a search for the unity of Man with Nature, teaches us that as an active manner
of being and having, rather than a sort of method of manipulation. What one calls tradition is
not a sort of immutable depository, an invariable doctrinal body, but a perpetual rebirth. The
tragedy of culture occurs when everything is perceived in the form of an empty and abstract
concept. This could well be our tragedy.’’9 If tragedy is to be avoided, the call to rebirth must
be heard and understood and this may only happen through the effort and engagement of
individuals.

Accordingly, this contemporary House of Life is founded upon the following Six Principles
and Five Lights:
 Divine inspiration - the birth-right of all people everywhere.
 Self-realization - the innate drive for self-understanding.
 Meditation - the means of awakening consciousness.
 Transformation - the organic and dynamic process of being and becoming.
 Co-creation - the power to consciously serve life.
 Initiation - the alignment of the personal with the divine.

 Celebration - the joy of the soul.

 Identification - the awareness of the soul.
 Connection - the purpose of the soul.
 Dedication - the passion of the soul.
 Illumination - the light of the soul.

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 You are invited to enter the living stream of Western
esotericism as a Companion in the House of Life. This Mystery
School of Divine Partnership is rooted in Kemetic Sacred
Science, its succeeding Hermetic transmission and presently
under the guiding inspiration of Isis Aquariana, the feminine
wisdom of the age coming into being. She appeared in vision in
2014 and then again in 2015. She has made Her entrance as a
Shining Woman walking among us. She brings a chalice of
Starlight and Her crown is made from Every Gem of the Earth.
As She Walks so drops of Starlight spill upon the ground and wherever heaven and earth
meet so a fragrant and unknown scent arises. Breathe deeply and this new perfume will fill
you - breathe in inspiration, communication, expectation, regeneration, breathe out isolation,
separation, regimentation, stagnation. Call Her Name and She will come at the instant
offering you a drop of the Elixir of Everlastingness. Here is the seed of this Aquarian
Mystery School echoing DF’s invitation, ‘‘All who care to join in this work are invited to
participate.’’ This image was painted by the soul-artist Ninotchka Cooper.
At her behest, the school takes a radically new template as its foundation. Based on
the organic principles of sacred geometry, it emerges from a single seed and will develop into
an interconnected organic unity to enfold the dynamics of multiplicity, duality, and polarity.
It does not follow a hierarchical template which belongs to the Piscean mindset. Instead, the
School is continually emerging from a central divine seed as a plant grows from its centre
outwards or as the ripples that spread from a stone dropped into water; growth manifests from
the central point and radiates outwards. These natural and organic images inspire a radically
new conceptual infrastructure reminiscent of the description of the divine as ‘‘an infinite
sphere, whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.’’ Each Companion
simultaneously represents a central point and is placed in a dynamic relationship to all others
and to the unity of the school. The House of Life is non-hierarchical and dynamically
emergent, just as the forms of nature appear to be both constant yet continuously remade. The
School welcomes the expertise and talents of all Companions and values sharing, connection,
and co-operation as important Aquarian principles.

Creating the Eidos - The Key of Life

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Find yourself standing in a small courtyard set amid a vast complex of sacred buildings.
Ahead of you is a small low building, which is reached by an inclined ramp of stone. The
entrance to the building is flanked by two obelisks, one to each side of the open doorway. The
first is inscribed with the figure of ibis-headed Thoth and the second with Horus, the hawk
headed divinity.
Make your way towards the open entrance. As you place your feet upon the path, you see that
an ankh has been inscribed into the stone beneath your feet. You step upon the extended
handle of the Key of Life and the loop of the ankh fills the space at the threshold. As you
approach the threshold, be aware that every step has meaning, for it carries you closer
towards the House of Life. You pause as you stand at the open doorway and contemplate your
motive and intentions at this time. When you are ready to take the next step, proceed across
the threshold and enter the domain of the Per Ankh.
All is not as you had expected. Immediately you have stepped into the realm of Nuit, and
entered into her body of stars. The sight is overwhelming and without limit. At the edge of
your vision a point of light appears, quite different from all other lights. As if magnetized,
your soul-vision is captured, and the eyes of the soul awaken. As if from nowhere a figure
takes form and emerges into appearance. In feminine form, the divine life within eternity
becomes present taking a likeness that you recognize as a goddess. Before your eyes, in the
form of a woman, the divine is present. She wears a crown of gems shining with light. Her face is
radiant and lovely. Great compassion flows from her eyes with gentleness. In one hand she holds a
chalice streaming with starlight, in the other she holds an ankh of light shining with radiance. In a
simple gesture, she extends the ankh and your step forward to receive the fragrance of life. Breathe
deeply. Let this perfume fill you with the gifts of the spirit - wonderment and the seed of wisdom, this
is the Elixir of Everlastingness.

Your eyes close to embrace the moment of communion and the passing of time is without
meaning. When you choose to use the eyes of the mind, you will be returned to the threshold
from where you first stepped. Daylight and physical life are ahead in a single step, you have
shared in the Breath of Isis, this is your gift of becoming.

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