TheThreeGrades

MostmodernoccultistsdrawontheteachingsoftheGoldenDawnanditsvariouslater reformationsfortheirsymbolicstructure.TheOrdersbasicallyconsistoftengradesordegrees, dividedintothreegroupsasfollows:

TheOrderoftheSilverStar
Ipsissimus10=1 Magus9=2 MagisterTempli8=3

TheOrderoftheRoseCross
AdeptusExemptus7=4 AdeptusMajor6=5 AdeptusMinor5=6

TheOrderoftheGoldenDawn
Philosophus4=7 Practicus3=8 Zelator3=9 Neophyte1=10 ThegeneralcharacteroftheseGradesandtheattributesofeachareindicatedbytheir correspondenceswiththeTreeofLife.Liber777isawealthofinformationonthese correspondences. FromKetherandtheIpsissimus,throughthespherestoMalkuthandtheNeophyte,thischainis consideredtobeunbrokenthroughtheages. InthethreefolddivisionoftheGreatOrders,wefindamapofthethreeOrdealsofinitiation.The doorwaytoeachoftheOrdealsistheGradeattheentrancetothecorrespondingOrder. TheNeophyteGradeopenstheOrderoftheGoldenDawninaprocessofpurificationand consecration,findingyourplaceinthephysicalworldandanalyzingthevariouselementsofyour manifestation.Itcontainsthefollowingoath,thatencapsulatestheintentionsoftheOuterOrder: IsolemnlypromisetoperseverewithcourageanddeterminationinthelaborsoftheDivine Science,evenasIshallperseverewithcourageanddeterminationthroughthisCeremonywhich istheirImageandIwillnotdebasemymysticalknowledgeinthelaborofEvilMagicatany

timeorunderanytemptation IntheOuterOrderonebeginstolearnthebasicsofQabalah.ThetwelvesignsoftheZodiac, thesevenplanetsandthethreeactiveelementsandtheirrelationshipandplacementonthe TreeofLifeasamagicalalphabet.BeforeonemayreadhisnameintheWhiteStone,onemust beabletoread. TheGradeofAdeptusMinorritualopenstheOrderoftheRoseCrossinaprocessofdevotion, acomingtorealizethenatureofthedivineassistanceavailableinachievingtheGreatWork.The essenceoftheGoldenDawnmagicalworkiscontainedinthefollowingclausefromthe obligationintheGoldenDawnAdeptusMinorritual: IfurtherpromiseandswearthatwithDivinePermissionIwill,fromthisdayforward,apply myselftotheGreatWorkwhichis,topurifyandexaltmySpiritualNaturesothatwiththe DivineAidImayatlengthattaintobemorethanhuman,andthusgraduallyraiseandunite myselftomyHigherandDivineGenius,andthatinthiseventIwillnotabusethegreatpower entrustedtome. Thisistheessentialworkofeveryman.Unachieved,manisananimal,consciousofhis calamityandincapableofrepairingit.Achieved,heisthecoheirofGods,aLordofLight, consciousofhisconsecratedcourse.Itsfulfillmentispointedtoineveryimportantphaseofthe GreatWork.Neverlosesightofthisoneclause,andthegoaltowhichitrefers. CrowleyskewedthisobligationasseekingandacquiringtheKnowledgeandConversationof theHolyGuardianAngel.ThephrasefirstappearedinMcGregorMatherstranslationofThe SacredMagicofAbramelintheMage. TheGradeofMagisterTempliopenstheOrderoftheSilverStarinaprocessofunion,the perfectannihilationofthatpersonalitywhichlimitsandoppressesthetrueself. LetslookattheOathofaMagisterTempli,alsoreferredtoastheOathoftheAbyss: IsweartointerpreteveryphenomenaasaparticulardealingofGodwithmysoul. TheunderstandingoftheMagisterTempliisfreefrominternalcontradictionorexternal obscurity.HiswordistocomprehendtheexistingUniverseinaccordancewithhisownMind.He istheMasteroftheLawofSorrow. AnypersonpossessestherighttoclaimtheGradeofMagisterTemplibytakingtheOathofthe Grade.Todosoisthemostsublimeandawfulresponsibility,andanunworthypersonwhodoes soincursthemostterrificpenaltiesbyhispresumption. BeforebecomingaMagisterTempliallphenomenastillspringfromGod,butonesimplyfailsto

interpretthemasadealingofGodwiththeirsoul.Theoccasionalpeakeventischargedwith meaninganddivineintent,whilemostoftheirlivesaredevoidofanydeeppersonalsignificance. BySwearingtheOathoftheAbyssoneentersauniversewherescienceandlogicareatbest arbitrary.ThetrueimplicationsofthiscanonlybeseenbyaMagisterTempli. Thesetasksarenotalwaysaccomplishedinthegivenorder.OnemaybeaMagisterTempliin everywayandyetlacksomequalitypeculiartotheZelator.notechnicalfailurecouldnecessarily preventonefromaccomplishingtheGreatWork.Incarnationitselfimpliesthechanceofattaining UnionwiththeHigherDivineSelf,andannihilationoftheEgo. Howcanworthinesstoaccomplishthesetasksbegauged?MostmagicalOrderswouldhave youbelievethatbybindingyourselftotheirchainofcommandandworkingtheirsystemof GradesoncomestobeworthyoftheOrdeals. IfeelthatanyonewhounderstandsthetaskscansweartheseOathsandbegintheprocessof Trueinitiationandanyonewhowouldtellyoudifferentlyisundertheinfluenceofsomeother powerthanthemselvesorGod. byJoelLove