The Inner Order of the Golden Dawn

 My opinions about the Inner Order of the Golden Dawn

Achievement or Appointment?

The Inner Order beyond the 5=6 (Adept) grade is the powerhouse of the World. It is the contact space of the Higher Influence over the rest of the humanity. In the psyche, progress on the path in the Inner Order corresponds to merging with the Archetypes of the unconscious. What the Initiate can demand from the Higher Genius during contact with Him is by definition just the sustenance of the meditation. One can only pretend to have any mundane desires while in the presence of Him. Therefore, there is no straightforward method of Black Magic whereby the Initiate uses his elevated consciousness to satisfy his Lower Desires. This could only be possible if the elevated consciousness is achieved through unnatural effort. Then, as a reward and encouragement for spirituality, the Higher Genius might show benediction. That would actually be a pleasant way to reject the aspirant until he steers his spirituality into more existential questions. As it appears, Black Magic is self-inflicted stagnation. I don't have sufficient experience to say if the possibility of Black Magic is presented to the Initiate each time he endeavours in the Higher Paths. More interesting is the question of how to distinguish between Archetypal and Black Magical desires. On the path of wisdom, one supposes that the Initiate will experience pleasure, too. Hence, it is important to know which pleasures are legitimate and which others are stagnation. There is also the question of whether Black Magic serves to fulfil some unmet needs from the aspirant's past. If that is so, the Initiate should only expect minor magical achievements until real magic takes over. The other possibility is that the Serpent will trick the aspirant each time he climbs high enough on the Path. By the time the Initiate has grown to forget some infantile urges, the Serpent starts manoeuvring to give them a new breath, hence pull the Initiate downwards. The Fall is an ecstatic but wasteful experience. The Soul cannot shift gears easily afterwards. Is the Initiate required to gain full control of this process of Fall and Redemption? 

Is Cameo in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' a model for the Higher Intelligence that leads the aspirant in the Inner Order? (source: https://geektyrant.com/news/stan-lees-cameo-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-pretty-much-confirms-a-popular-fan-theory)

Black Magic as it stands is a defeat at the claws of the Serpent. The Fall is an essential part of being human. The question is; should The Fall be a wisdom bringing accident or a controlled process? Is the Initiate required to master the process of Falling and Redemption, or can he choose to move straight on the Path? In my opinion, it all boils down to the question what awaits the Initiate on the Path. If the Archetypes thereby aroused on the Path are somehow incompatible with the actual World, the Master may choose to exchange his Astral material with a lower version with better transaction prospects. This is analogous to a trader which brings large golden coins with him to his city, but exchanges them with common silver coins as the locals are accustomed to that. From this perspective, Black Magic is a secondary Initiation that will keep the aspirant occupied with minor profits until it becomes more sustainable to erect the Archetypes. From 'until', it should be understood several lifetimes. In our age of modern technology and society, we see far fewer aspirants that succeed in Black Magic. My take in this subject is that the Archetypes are becoming suitable in our age. Hence, we can observe that the Serpent is not an adversary in its radical sense, but serves the purpose of the Higher Genius as a balancing force. This is also in agreement with my hypothesis that the Serpent is actually the incarnation of the highest Intelligences in the Chaos domain which extends Intelligence to the realm of darkness. By projecting the Agency in Himself to the Chaos, the Higher Genius achieves Absolute Love that is balanced by the Serpent. Hence, the mundane Ego and universal Mind are both aspects of the once-unified God. 

From what we can gather, the Initiation to the Inner Order is strictly appointment. If there is an appointment, there is no test by the Serpent. If there is an open place, there is no Fall. Then, the  aspirant is forced to come to terms with the nature of his appointment. Until Adepthood, desires determine the Man. After the 5=6 Initiation, submission determines the desires of the aspirant. The aspirant stays pure and makes progress on the path insofar as he identifies only with the sanctioned desires dictated by the Higher Intelligence. Surrendering the ego on the path leading to Adeptus grade was achieved by taming and resisting desires. These desires belong to the Baal drama of the World. Baal is the Face of the Serpent. It is the channel of communication from both Chaos and Absolute Love. When the Initiate is appointed to the Inner Order, his attempts to maintain a mundane ego repeatedly crashes a wall. Mundane desires can no longer define the aspirant. His new identity in the hierarchy of Light requires him to submit to the Higher Will and follow new desires on the path. His reaction-identity formed in order to fight or release Baal urges has now transformed to Create and satisfy desires as required by the Higher Will.