by Frater L.A.

Created on: March 19, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

The Golden Dawn is the rising of Sol on the horizon of the soul, and the illumination and alchemical transformation of the various lower parts of the psyche. The Divine Genius or Augueides taking its rightful place as center of the solar system that is a human life. For initiates of the Golden Dawn this illumination was associated with the grade of Adeptus Minor and the Cabbalistic Sphere of Tiphereth. After the inculcation of the Arbamelin material this process was referred to as the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, but described the same experience, but now with specific instructions on the how of attainment.

After leaving the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley did much to aid in the spread of occult philosophy and Golden Dawn type teachings. Though more focused on his own ideology, Thelema, Crowley suggested that there were in fact other methods by which one could invoke the HGA, going as far as to produce a written invocation as an example of what a serious student could do. This was important in changing attitudes about this process and resulted in many practitioners adopting a more liberal perspective on the event. Basically, Crowley suggested that the operation was very personal, even going as far as to say that no adept should reveal to another the method whereby he invoked his own angel, each magician having devised his own protocol.

This process follows the alchemical formula of Solve et Coagula, that is to say dissolving and re-coagulating. The adept is expected to break himself into his constituent parts, examining them each one at a time and illuminating them with the light of scrutiny. Traditionally these constituent parts of the self were symbolized by the four elements which are also attributed to the four lower spheres of the Cabalistic Tree of Life; earth (physical), air(intellectual), fire(will) and water(emotional). The lower grades of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn being each associated with one of these elements. These are, after having been deeply explored one by one, sacrificed in the Phoenix Pyre of aspiration. Or in other words, they are submitted to the rule of the higher spiritual principle of man, the fifth element of spirit, or the sun of Tiphereth. The would-be Adept then focuses his will and aspiration towards invoking this principle, or Holy Guardian Angel. In Crowley's Thelemic version, this also entails learning the purpose for which one has incarnated, or ones Own True Will.

It is expected that after

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