Suggested book list for upcoming Golden Dawn study course 2025 (Inner and Outer Order) Back to my RC retirement

Here is the suggested opening reading list for those taking part in the upcoming study program for both Outer and Inner Order of Bast Temple Fall 2025 Golden Dawn course.

The Egyptian Book of the Dead--or Coming Into the Light.

Our preferred edition is the 1890 facsimile edition . . . the secret RC Mathers version.

Consider this book as a correspondence course for Outer Order members.

If we have to consult one of the Hermetic rituals, here is our Holy Bible of GD texts.

But let us not forget our origin story . . . our real birth story . . . down to the studs.

The Holy Cipher--could you read a secret love message sent to you? No? Bad GDer!

Your classmate Anubis says that he is not going to do any of the reading.

Yeah, some people have memorized this like a Wiccan magical script--horrors!!!

It is a good news, bad news situation. 

What do you want to hear first? Good news? Or bad? Well, given that they are the same . . . . on Day C, it was with great sadness that Past Hierophant Morgana Draconis as "From Egypt to Jerusalem" (my much hated by David Cherubim Thelemic Golden Dawn Neophyte motto--which I am digging out for signing this horror of an Inner Order study) will be leading remotely a combination Outer and Inner Order study Hermetic GD class.

Notes will be posted to this otherwise useless blog . . . it's original purpose gone now that Khari has decided that events should have off-and-on scheduling; How do you print up the yearly business cards, and take them to the occult shops for marketing, if you have to be able to recall them at a moment's notice to delay (or outright cancel) an event because other organization in her mind takes priority over her husband's business chances . . . I am not angry . . . I just lost my business . . . again . . . I have lost count . . . why did I give MTO my blessing for his shop? Because I could not run mine, my own way, that's why. Anyways . . . back to GD business; speaking of schedule, posts will be irregular in date. 

Because I will be posting as I finish off the installments of the course.

Basically, these blog posts will be an Open Letter to the Master of a Very Expensive Inner Order Course that I invested in. Twice. And would go back in a third time, if a class of ZAMs waited me to go back in. His course is worth the investment; I enjoy being a friend.

ZAM? Zelator Adept Minor.

Let's pretend that you are Dharma from the FBI. Assigned fresh by Donald Judas Trump to watch my blog because I made a bad joke once about the thing on the top of his head.

At some point, my Trump hate got me Scottish treason charges.

Before I started this blog, well, really before I was forced by Khari to go to college, I was somebody. An angry person. With a FBI file. Because I was setting myself up to be like the lovely couple in the middle there--leaders of an esoteric order, with a ministry license for tax purposes, collecting money for an ever-expanding correspondence course. Scammers.

Great Gherkin, Kitchen Sink, and Marijuana Martin do not like being called criminals. 

One went for a trademark over to corner a market that existed since 1888 . . . another committed credit card fraud on every one he got his hands on . . . the last one tells his local members to buy their weed from him, or else . . . not criminals . . . Order Heads. 

None of them added a damn thing to the tradition--yet all have leeched the system. 

Everyone is playing the same game. 

Do the math.

Everyone looks at OTO. They have about a thousand members worldwide annually. Some members drop out; some members come in--but there are thousands paying dues. 

Or so, it looks like.

By appearance, by what I have heard as estimates, the three biggest Hermetic Golden Dawn Orders at the height of the Trademark War, each had Three-Hundred apiece . . . add in some loose change, there is only a thousand Golden Dawners paying dues. 

The Trademark War was driven by the idea that a single person, owning the trademark, could funnel all thousand members though their payment funnel.

Do the math.

A thousand member paying a hundred and twenty dollars a years minus twenty in expenses, plus a ministry license to avoid taxes, "We fight a spiritual war!," and no matter how we do the math, it seems to the confidence artist, that it's a damn fine living.

Problem is that Golden Dawn students have always accepted name changes.

Thelema. 

Golden Dawn did not want to publish. Aliester Crowley did. Hermetic Golden Dawn survives in the historical record because of the pirate Crowley. My energetic transmission, my magical lineage in part goes though Crowley. The other part of my healed RC/Thelemic/Hermetic "Oh my god--is that BOTA?" lineage, which came about though Master Cherubim, goes Israel Regardie, another script pirate. Again, history.

These are my aunt's sources for ceremonial magick. Gerald Gardner tells us that witches and ceremonial magicians are supposed to be working side by side. Golden Dawn and Wicca--side by side--allies. Not bitter enemies. Tell that to any Hermetic teacher, I dare. 

They will take your money; they do not want to honestly respect your beliefs--become a Christian, if you want to join the Rosicrucian Inner Order . . . and that's that.

Instead of "A RC Brother shall clothe himself in the garb of the locals."

As the person who took the oath of Chief Adept on Day C, I do believe that means that if I being true to being a member of the Rosy Cross, that I try to see it from my Sister's POV.

Sometimes I spend time with Fox Goddesses.

Back to the Grade structure of a basic Golden Dawn group. 

Whatever I am writing, a group ritual script for an Egyptian style Golden Dawn lodge, the Grade system will still based on the one given to us by the creator of the Cipher Manuscript. Whoever they were. But the Cipher is the Outline--the Programmer's Notes.

Yeah, I described the Cipher Manuscript as "programmer notes" to Khari, one day. It stuck. That's exactly what they are. Does it offend you that esoteric schools are programs?

We will be using the Cipher Manuscript as our Historical Document, for what the Programmer thought what was Important. If the student is unable to locate a copy, or busy with work--I am looking at you, Single Witch Mom--don't worry; I quote a lot.

I am more concerned that you get a good copy of the Book of the Dead. And in our case, we are going to read the whole scroll back to front, front to back, Golden Dawn style. 

More on that, but first, the Grades of a standard mystery school.

My friend MTO used to say that I put too much Wicca into my GD.

Outer Order

Neophyte (0=0): First step on the mysteries--can you do a Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram?

Zelator (1=10): Earth Grade--will you be whining about how you lack money?

Theoricus (2=9): Air Grade--car key . . . cell phones . . . why am I here? 

Practicus (3=8): Water Grade--then suddenly at three in the morning, I was crying--help.

Philosophus (4=7): Fire Grade--sudden ambition to be a road rage video, don't be.

Portal--Bridge between Inner and Outer: Let's see if we can glue you back together. 

Inner Order

Adept Minor (5=6): Some people will pretend to study magick; others will scream often.

Adept Major (6=5): If the goddess has not messed you up enough, have some star magick.

Adept Exempt (7=4): Best part of the system is that some of us get to become hermits.

Capstone Order

Magister Templi (8=3): Sadly, some people are cast into the role of terror suspects.

Magus (9=2): In the Hermetic Golden Dawn, we claim that these people do not exist.

Ipsissimus (10=1): Truth is at the top of every "True GD Order," there is a Prophet.

Blame Blogger for this H flashback, not me.

To make things even more interesting for the person writing the lessons . . . 

Or is it to make sure that the person can keep those paychecks for ghostwriting coming in, month after month, like a cheap Hooters waitress without having to maintain your tits? Blame Blogger. Or PBS. It's not my fault, Dharma--I want that in my file. 

Anyways, the Adept Minor Grade is itself divided into subgrades because there is an optional track in the Golden Dawn system where you study the system in detail.

Adept Minor Subgrades and their symbols

NAM--Neophyte Adept Minor . . . no tools built at all . . . no lamen . . . no sword . . . sad.

ZAM--Zelator Adept Minor: Elemental tools made, rose cross, sword obtained . . . work?

ThAM--Theoricus Adept Minor: Ring and disk, never finished making mine. 

PrAM--Practicus Adept Minor: Can't remember symbol . . . eligible to wear it, I am. 

PhAM--Philosophus Adept Minor

AAM--Adept Adept Minor

Are the Adept Major and Extempt Grades also subgraded? They could be. I am 6=5. In one system. In another, I am a 9=2. Depends on how many rituals that they want to put you though. If your mystery school is not writing new material, it's because someone's lazy. 

And what we are going to be doing is generating new material for both Hermetic and Egyptian versions of the systems. Perhaps also the Thelemic branch. 

The idea is to go back to the Studs of the system--the Cipher, as well as those parts that a Very Expensive Inner Order Course considers the highlights of the initiation rituals of the mystery school. For those who want the highlights, consult Pat Zalewski for laughs. 

Part of this is about my obligation as Past Hierophant to train Khari as the new Hierophant. She is a ZAM; therefore, I have to at least start her training. Says the oath. 

Whether Khari continues her studies after ZAM is completely on her . . . I just write.

And guard an archive from two rounds of that Very Expensive Course. 

I was a retake. 

First round, I was with Mark Imhotep back in the SOM days (Santaury of Maat).

Second time, I did it with MTO, a Freemason, who was a lodge initiate brother of mine. He went on to run an occult shop in Lakewood (Something Alchemy), initiated many into Inner Order--thank you--I had no Vault of the Adepts--he dropped out . . . money, I think.

Me, I was a sex worker. I have a whole series of stories just to pay for that course. Or at least, the reading. I am not saying that occult books are expensive. But they are. 

Which is why I am automatically going to write up a masterpiece at the end of the 2025 study season to enlighten the Hermetic Golden Dawn world. To accompany the Sold on Etsy course (it's cleaner on my banking). Because I am a librarian. I don't like students.

Yeah, it's a Post Office Only course. 

If I get no students . . . I can live with that. 

Because I am a sex worker. 

Seriously, do the math. 

Who makes more money . . . your average Golden Dawn writer?

Or Miss Erotica Writer?

Yeah, how do you think I afford occult books and Very Expensive Courses?

My good looks and charm? Promises to give back to the Golden Dawn Tradition? Being friends with the instructor? Seriously, no--I am a sex worker; you, too, need to work. 

Even Fairy Tale Witch Girl brought a text book, yah!