PART 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO ESOTERIC GROUPS
Most people interested in the esoteric have a belief that there is a Hogwarts
or an Invisible College – a secretive coven or hidden society with mysterious
secrets and powerful initiations. The late great Francis King, a renowned occult
writer, once said that an occultist needs a group like a politician needs a
party. You can do some wonderful things as an independent candidate, but if
you have the backing of a party you can do so much more.
Finding groups has become easier over the past 30 years with the wider distribution
of esoteric information, particularly on the Internet. While no Hogwarts or
Invisible College has made itself known, esoteric groups exist all over the
world and joining a group has become part of many people’s spiritual path.
Since the number and accessibility of esoteric groups is on the rise, potential
group members have a wider variety of groups to choose from, and the option
to move from one group to another until they find a spiritual home.
However, some people, after many years of trial and error, turn away from groups
and happily carry on by themselves. Some successful magicians and witches go
through their entire magical lives without joining a group or school.
So which is your path? To answer that question, you must first strip away the
myths that have accumulated around esoteric orders and see what they really
are.
What is a group?
An esoteric group is any gathering of people working toward a goal of mastering
techniques that will raise the consciousness of individual group members. Groups
provide collective security for people walking the esoteric path. People in
the esoteric world are mostly what writer Colin Wilson dubbed “outsiders,”
meaning that they are not in the mainstream of society. They are unusual people
with extraordinary belief patterns. By coming together, they are reassured by
the fact there are others like them. They feel this proves that they are not
as weird as they thought.
Like clubs, different esoteric groups fulfil different needs. It is important
to decide what you want from an esoteric group before seeking one out.
Groups can be broadly divided into three categories: Hermetic, nature, and
mystical. Hermetic groups focus on structure, ordered ritual, and thinking.
Nature groups are more about feeling, and have looser structures. Mystical groups
are rare, as the path of the mystic is a lonely one; however they can be a mixture
of the two others.
PART 2: A SHORT HISTORY OF ESOTERIC GROUPS
At the turn of the 20th century, magical groups were divided into two different
types: schools and Orders.
A school presents a system of magic – usually gently introducing you
to different ideas – and then lets you practice on your own. Occasionally
small groups will meet to perform rites, but for the most part students are
left to their own devices. The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn is a school
that, aside from initiations, does not do much in the way of magic. Once you
have learned a tradition from a school, you are expected to work it largely
on your own.
An Order is a network of groups that performs rituals utilizing the same traditions
or magical languages. Order members meet in temples or lodges, which are similar
to franchises; they have the same basic structure as the larger Order, but exercise
a degree of autonomy in their own region and for their own members. Sometimes
it’s possible for disaffected members to appeal lodge decisions to the
central authority.
In the past 100 years, new types of groups have emerged that defy this system
of classification. The first is the “outer court” lecture. This
system of public meetings became a forum in which lightweight esoteric subjects
were discussed. Although these meetings were ends to themselves, their real
function was for esoteric groups to meet potential candidates. They were also
a good place for leaders of different groups to meet and swap notes.
Similar to the outer court lecture is the Sunday church service. This bizarre
marriage of occult and Christianity came about when some of the bigger groups
realised that they would qualify for tax exemptions if they held a regular “church
service.” An Order called Builders of the Adytum holds a “cabbalistic
church service” which is used to introduce newcomers to the Order before
exposing them to more complex rites.
The past 50 years have seen the lines between school and Order blur in a way
that would have been unthinkable 100 years ago. Some Orders now run teaching
programs, and some schools now have varied magical programs. Even the modern
version of the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn – the Hermetic Order
of the Golden Dawn – now works magic in the middle of its outer order
workings. In the early days, the outer order would have simply heard a lecture
or read a few announcements.
Under Gerald Gardner, Wiccan groups were more religious and less instructional.
During this era, they would have fit into the Order category. But modern Wiccan
groups provide instruction to novices and also do regular ritual work. They
are one of the modern hybrids.
Looking at the structures described above, you may decide that you will not
get what you need from a group. If you dislike, or lack the time to do regular
work, you will not benefit from a school. Many schools even acknowledge this
fact. One school I know of expects a 90% drop out rate in the first year. Schools
tend to give you lots of homework! Orders require regular attendance, and it
might not be possible for you to get to every meeting. Belonging to an Order
takes dedication, particularly if you live far from the temple or lodge. I know
of one person who drives seven hours every month to get to a meeting.
PART 3: THE PROS AND CONS OF VARIOUS GROUP STRUCTURES
When you are investigating a group, you should ask about its structure and
who makes the decisions. Structure – particularly in the more hierarchical
groups – might cause you some difficulty, unless you are the type of person
who can accept things without question. Some groups believe that they can function
in a collective anarchy. While this sounds good, psychological group theory
suggests that a natural leader will still emerge. Each structure has its good
and bad points, and if you join an esoteric group you should be aware of what
they are.
Guru-led groups
A guru is someone who, by merit of his or her experience and knowledge, becomes
the natural leader of a group. Gurus teach, make decisions on behalf of the
group, and group members compete for the chance to bask in the guru’s
attention. The guru delegates tasks and honors in accordance with his or her
whims. The guru provides the group with a sense of continuity. Teaching is consistent
in the sense that it comes from the same source. The guru can become an almost
messianic figure for the group to work with. This is appealing to students who
are seeking a father or mother figure that may be lacking in their lives.
However, if power corrupts then esoteric absolute power corrupts that little
bit more. In political terms, a guru is a dictator. Guru-based groups are most
dangerous to the leader. With so much control, gurus can start to believe that
they are gods on earth – especially as this system fosters that belief
in students.
Democratic groups
Some guru-based groups are aware of the problems inherent in the guru system,
and try to mitigate their leader’s power by holding yearly elections.
Leadership positions in the organization are determined by voting at an annual
meeting. The advantage of this system is that gives group members some measure
of control over who runs their group. It also means that leaders who perform
poorly can be voted out. Everyone has a say in running the group, and nothing
happens without the blessing of the majority.
But democracy – which, in this context, is essentially a popularity contest
– rarely works in an esoteric group where unpopular decisions about group
members may have to be made. A democratic group can fall to bitter infighting
unless a strong leader emerges who completely understands the “will of
the people.”
Priest and priestess-led groups
This structure is common when magical partners set up a group to support their
work. Some Wiccan covens are led by a priest and priestess. In theory, one person
can mitigate the power of the other. If one leader is set his ways, then group
members can approach the other leader for a second opinion that carries weight.
However, if a priest and priestess disagree, they can effectively neutralise
themselves. As a result, decision-making is stalled or even stopped altogether.
Additionally, priest and priestess often have a personal relationship, or a
magical one that amounts to the same thing. Because of this, personal spats
and domestic arguments can influence their effectiveness in running the group.
The Round Table
In this structure, the leader is a “king” or “queen”
figure. This person is usually the most experienced member of the group, or
the most natural teacher. This leader has the final say on everything, but is
expected to rule by the consensus of the rest of the group. The Round Table
structure has the advantage that group members feel they have a say in most
decisions. Communication is usually good, as the king or queen is often called
on to justify his/her decision in the face of the group.
But for this structure to work effectively, the king or queen needs to have
people management skills, and needs to be able to organize a consensus. Many
teachers or leaders find this difficult, as the skills of a chairperson may
not come as naturally to them. Additionally, the king or queen can still run
the group like a guru or dictator and dismiss the Round Table meetings as confirmations
of decisions they have already made.
The Golden Dawn’s leadership structure
Theoretically, Golden Dawn groups have three chiefs. All three are initially
appointed by an outside organisation. The best teacher becomes the Praemonstrator,
the best administrator becomes the Cancellerious, and the best ruler becomes
the Imperator. All three have equal power. Decisions about and within the group
are made swiftly because each chief has control in their area of expertise.
If all three chiefs are strong, it is impossible for one to have total control.
When power is balanced, one chief can be fired by the other two if he or she
becomes somehow unfit. But if one chief is much stronger than the other two,
this system essentially reverts to a guru system where the other chiefs hold
power in name only.
PART 4: DISPELLING THE MYTHS
Unique occult teachings?
If the only reason you are thinking of joining a group is to access secret teachings,
think again. There are no schools or orders in the world that can teach you
how to be superhuman, or how to wave your wand and turn someone into a pig.
Most schools and Orders teach subjects and rituals that you could study on your
own in books, or research on the Internet.
What a school or Order does provide is a symbolic alphabet that will help you
understand spiritual experiences, and the discipline to help you adopt it. For
example, a group might force you to learn colors that represent planets or spiritual
states. After a while, you will associate the color blue with Jupiter. One night
you might have a dream of an angel dressed in blue, and you would automatically
know that whatever the angel is up to will be connected to Jupiter.
The advantage of a group is that it presents you with a system of symbolism.
However, you could teach yourself the same system of symbolism if you were so
minded.
The myth of initiations
Some groups practice ritual initiation. In theory, these rites of passage are
supposed to open a pathway for the initiate to progress within the framework
of the group. Initiation means “a beginning,” it does not mean an
attainment.
During initiation, an initiate is sometimes asked to envision what a higher
spiritual level is like. But more often, an initiation rite involves planting
a symbol in the initiate’s aura so that they can experience it later.
Such initiations are emotionally powerful, and are often effective spiritual
experiences. However, experienced members will not be able to open spiritual
doors for a student if he or she is not ready.
Many schools and Orders perform ritual initiations long before their initiates
have developed the spiritual maturity to understand the state they have been
symbolically rewarded. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, it is possible
to pass through the first five initiations in two and a half years. Some groups
will even put you through the rituals in a weekend! But if you examine what
those initiations are supposed to represent, you will see that you are looking
at a lifetime’s work (if you are lucky).
To be fair, most good groups will tell you that these initiations only provide
you with symbols of those spiritual states that you can use later.
Beware of groups that use initiation to make their group leaders appear more
godlike, or to assert control over dissident group members. This posturing stems
from the mistaken belief that the initiator must be a powerful being –
and that the initiator has the right to refuse the gift of initiation to anyone
he or she deems unworthy. It is true that the initiator must be aware of what
he or she is doing, because merely performing a rite of initiation will not
in itself do the job. But this has nothing to do with the leader appearing godlike.
Making the initiation “take” – so that the traditions of
the group become ongoing part of the candidate's life – is the real purpose
of these rites. This has nothing to do with the initiator; it is purely the
job of the initiated. True initiation does not need a ritual or an initiator.
It can happen spontaneously in the heart and mind of the person on the path.
As the Golden Dawn neophyte ritual says: “God alone is our Light and the
Bestower of Perfect Wisdom. No mortal power can do more than bring you to the
Pathway of that Wisdom, which he could, if it so pleased him, put into the heart
of a child.”
Mysterious secret chiefs and inner-plane adepts
An esoteric group differs from an ordinary club or organization in that it has
to be open for business on the astral and spiritual levels. Some groups miss
this point, and as a result fail to do much more than form an amateur dramatics
club.
In the 19th century, esoteric groups influenced by Theosophy took this principle
of multiple plane workings further. They claimed that true esoteric schools
had a special inner-plane adept or secret chief that mediated power from secret
sources to the group. These inner-plane adepts were magicians who died but were
so good at living they no longer needed to reincarnate. They lived in the spiritual
realm basking in the light of God (or the God and Goddess), and helped groups
achieve great cosmic purposes. They did this by activating themselves on the
astral, and acting as a channel for the special groups they selected. Such groups
were flavored with the adept's power and became “contacted.” Some
modern groups still market themselves as being “contacted” and dismiss
other supposedly lesser groups as “uncontacted.”
Personally, I don’t think it makes the slightest difference if a group
includes an inner-plane adept, but some groups think it important. Before you
commit to joining a group, find out if it includes an inner-plane adept. Consider
whether you believe in super-beings that direct the fate of magical groups.
If you are comfortable with this concept, there are plenty of groups to join
who promote it. But if you find that you don’t believe in inner-plane
adepts, there are also groups that do not believe that being “contacted”
is important or necessary.
The right to initiate
In your search, you might come across groups that claim theirs is the only legitimate
version of a certain tradition. Groups of this kind often claim they have a
charter that gives them the right to initiate others in this particular tradition.
You may safely ignore such claims, as they do not add anything to the spiritual
abilities of the group.
The idea of lineage comes from the old Masonic groups. Their traditions stated
that groups were not legitimate unless they had correct lineage and a proper
charter issued to them from someone who had a high enough grade. The Masons
got this idea from the Christian church. The church claimed that its priests
had the right to do their job because Christ had placed his hands on (blessed)
his apostles, who had placed their hands on those who became the priests of
the new church. This formed an unbroken psychic link from Christ to present-day
priests.
Some modern esoteric groups claim lineage from older groups, although few of
these claims survive any scholarly scrutiny. Even if there were evidence of
such links, there is no guarantee that such a psychic link is desirable. While
Victorian esoteric teaching is fairly timeless, the social structure and moral
codes of the period have little to offer the 21st century magician or Wiccan.
Forming a psychic link with a 19th century group could foster outdated ideas
rather than empowering a modern working group.
If a group is doing its esoteric work correctly using an older tradition, it
has a right to initiate new members because the divine agrees to manifest through
the group. If God or the Goddess does not want to initiate someone, no group
will be able to do so.
The truth about grades and titles
Another thing to consider is whether or not to join a group that uses grades
and titles as a method of assessing progress. The idea of grading members of
occult schools has been popular for centuries. Grading originates with medieval
craft guilds – a system in which a worker entered a trade as an apprentice
to an expert, and progressed to the level of journeyman after gaining considerable
experience. Finally, after many years of work, the journeyman became a master
and had the freedom to practice his skills without help.
An adapted version of this system has since become part of most esoteric schools,
from Wicca to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. There are usually three
degrees, with each symbolising the work that you are needed to learn:
First degree: At this level, you learn the symbolic language of your esoteric
group. Most groups teach simple rituals to beginners at this level. These rituals
allow newcomers to experience the powers they will be working with after they’ve
attained higher degrees. This degree focuses on what you see in the earth plane.
Some groups ask you to work with the physical body, while others approach each
of the four elements. In this degree, you have experiences that help integrate
energies into your consciousness.
Second degree: At this level, you start to apply the basic information that
you have learned in the first degree. In some schools, you will begin looking
for your personal contact; in others, you are working to meet your Holy Guardian
Angel. In some groups, you also work on balancing the elemental energies you
experienced in the first degree by using the fifth element – that of spirit.
In this degree, you are preparing your personality and soul for the deeper experiences
of the third degree.
Third degree: At this level, you are an expert of your group’s tradition.
Usually, you have earned this degree when you have met and formed a direct relationship
with your Higher Self. In groups that use contacts, forming a relationship with
your Higher Self begins when you agree to work with a particular inner-plane
master. In others, you can start to work directly with your Higher Self. In
Wicca, a person who has eared the third degree can become a high priest or priestess
of a coven of his or her own.
Every group that uses degrees has variations on this theme. There is often
an outer grade that you must pass through before you reach the first degree.
Not all groups work with a degree system, and you must decide if it is a system
that you want to be a part of your spiritual path.
Can groups actually do more powerful magic?
If a group has real expertise, it can do much more than an individual. You are
likely to see more magical and spiritual fireworks working with an esoteric
group than you would working by yourself. But just as going to church every
Sunday does not make you a good Christian, your esoteric spiritual path is still
dependent on the work you do alone. Esoteric schools and groups should give
you lots of homework, and only by doing that homework will you tap into the
personal spiritual development a group can offer.
PART 5: FACTORS TO CONSIDER
The fundamental problem with groups
Since members of esoteric groups are human beings, the groups often suffer from
members’ mortal fallibilities. The work of bringing people to the light
creates shadow; in working with angels, our personal demons are evoked. A knitting
club may not have these sorts of problems because its members are unlikely to
become identified with divine energies. In an esoteric group this confusion
is more common.
Many of these problems arise because occult groups are run and populated by
“outsiders.” These outsiders are not – as they would like
you to believe – special or more powerful than anyone else. They are merely
people on the path, just like you.
Some esoteric groups are still locked in the structures and beliefs of the
Piscean age. This was an era when students were encouraged to play the role
of the good sheep looking for the shepherd. This idea’s time is past,
which is why many occult groups are failing. Groups that fail to help people
develop as individuals, or make them lose sight of their own divinity are doomed
to collapse. Esoteric groups should be producing people who can stand as powerful
individuals, capable of bringing about change in their own lives and in the
lives of others.
Some groups have become comfortable wombs where there is no emphasis on seeking
and meeting challenges. For this reason, be wary of groups that are too “nice”
and “fluffy” or appear conflict-free. If a group is pushing its
members to work, the group will force change and individualisation. Becoming
an individual is painful, both to the person experiencing it and those around
them.
What is the alternative?
It is only within the past 300 years that group work has really been an option
for practitioners of the Western Mystery Tradition. Before that, a person interested
in the esoteric would study under someone who is already a working magician.
Now we have books and e-mail, which enable people to follow a path without
joining a group. There are some drawbacks to walking the path of the solo magician
or Wiccan. Solitaries do not benefit from the guidance of someone more experienced
in spiritual matters, and have no one to keep their sense of self-importance
in check.
Walking the esoteric path requires personal discipline. Some believe it is
much easier to develop this sort of discipline with the guidance of a group.
However there are frequent cases of the-grass-is-always-greener syndrome; some
solo magicians believe they would be better off in a group, while group members
sometimes think they would be better off in another group or working alone!
What should you do?
To determine if joining an esoteric group is right for you, ask yourself these
questions:
- Do you need or want it, or are you just romanticising what it can do for
you?
- Will you take it seriously, while still seeing it for what it really is?
- And, finally, would you ever join a group that would accept you as a member?
If you are happy on your spiritual path without joining a group, continue walking
that path.
Otherwise – forewarned of the potential pitfalls – start looking
for a group that matches your needs and interests. Ask questions and try out
a few groups until you find one that matches your own philosophy. Once you find
this group, be prepared to stick to it for at least three years. This amount
of time will give you the chance to fully absorb and evaluate the symbolism,
techniques, and beliefs of your group’s tradition. If you are truly suited
to the group you’ve chosen, you will find that group work will become
a cornerstone of your esoteric work.
| Authors
Details: Nick Farrell
Nick Farrell (United Kingdom) has been a ceremonial magician since he was 17.
Born in England and raised in New Zealand, he was initiated into Builders of
the Adytum (BOTA), and is currently an initiate of the Esoteric Order of the
Golden Dawn and one of its branch orders, the Order of the Table Round. He now
runs a temple in the tradition of Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, lectures
and runs workshops throughout the world. He has contributed to Quest, Liongate,
and Round Merlin's Table magazines and Chic and Tabatha Cicero's Hermetic Journal.
He is currently working on books on magical psychology, earth magic and ritual
magic. Nick has a career in news journalism and magazine writing. After more
than 15 years working for daily and local newspapers, he is now a full time
writer and editor, working for many UK computing and Internet magazines he also
advises companies on media relations. |
|
