1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

The decline in popularity of the lodge system in the last century has impacted heavily upon the magickal community. With the publication of many once secret Order documents most students don't feel the need to partake in the lodge system at all; after all, why travel to a temple when you can do the work in your own living-room? However, this attitude leaves much to be desired, and clearly shows the lack of understanding of why the lodge system existed in the first place. But what are modern students who are not already a member of a surviving lodge to do? That's where "Inside A Magical Lodge" by John Michael Greer comes in.

This book, while being a decade old, has much to offer the modern student of magick, whether they are a member of a lodge or not, and even if they have no intentions of either making or joining a lodge. However, for those who do intend to make their own lodge, this book is, in my opinion, essential.

The first five chapters cover a broad range of the "fundamentals" of the lodge system, structure, symbolism, magic, and, of course, the alluring and controversial topic of secrecy. The depth and insight with which Greer explores these topics makes this part of the book almost worth the price alone, and is valuable to all students of magick, solo or not.

The next five chapters puts this information into practice in a theoretical lodge, which the author calls the Order of the Athanor, based on alchemical symbolism. While this Order is quite basic in terms of structure and symbolism, these chapters give a good idea of how the rituals, ceremonies, ordinances, and other essential "kit" for an Order and lodge are created and implemented. A ritual of opening and closing (in both an "outer" and "inner" form), a single-degree initiation ceremony, and rituals of institution (founding a lodge and consecrating it appropriately) and installation (the handing over of power to new officers on a rotational basis) are provided, all as part of this fictional order. Then a deeper look at the inner work and applications of these rituals is supplied, in much the same vein as the Z-documents of the Golden Dawn system

Speaking of the Golden Dawn system, it's easy to see that Greer has knowledge of and experience with it, and a student of this system will learn plenty about how and why certain things occur in the course of the initiations (the procedure for opening and closing, for example). The Golden Dawn was created in the heyday of the lodge system, and thus a student

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Book reviews: Inside a Magical Lodge, by John Michael Greer?
We want to hear your view. Write now!