Apotheosis

Once again, the Wheel of the Year has turned, and we find ourselves in the newest Leap Year.  Traditionally, the New Year is a time for resolutions and new beginnings.  But Mercury is now in retrograde, and as such is in the midst of its three-week do-si-do across the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp.  So presently, I would argue that it is a more optimal time for introspection and contemplation, so that you would have well-crafted plans to launch around the time the Sun moves into Aquarius.

Perhaps part of your contemplation includes seeking out an esoteric group, organization or Order.  In fact, I have seen a number of inquiries as of late on public forums alluding to exactly that.  Usually, the seeker states their interest in a particular spiritual path, but laments that there are no such groups in his/her area.  Respondents do their best to assist or sympathize, but easy answers are usually at a premium.  Still, I think it is still necessary for the seeker – any seeker – to do one’s level best to help oneself.

When it comes to esoteric Orders, most of my time is spent advising people what to look out for and what to avoid.  Here, I would endeavor instead to advise seekers what to look for and what to do to be successful in their endeavor.

With the ubiquity of the Internet, it is all too easy to jump into social media, ask a question and expect easy answers.  We as a society have all but taken this for granted in the 21st century.  So at risk of sounding trite, I find myself forced to start my consultation with the most basic of questions.


Question #1: “Did you look?” 

When I was first seeking out Golden Dawn Orders in 1997, I had the good fortune of stumbling upon AvatarSearch.  It billed itself as the search engine of the occult Internet.  It folded a dozen years later, but it was the tool that got me to the threshold of the organized Golden Dawn community.

Nowadays, Google is your friend, and many well-known organizations out there will have websites, set up with pages displaying all of their locations.  Setup and hosting of a website is extremely easy and cheap these days, more especially with WordPress, so even the smallest, most isolated group out there can have a public face.

The ease of Internet publicity is a boon for most every esoteric group, but it could also be a stumbling block for seekers as well.  It means that any charlatan can present him/herself as a spiritual guru.  Even some of the larger esoteric groups out there use their websites as a huge marketing ploy instead of a channel for the Light, and they will be more than happy to trumpet their locations world-wide to bring you in.  Remember that spiritual groups identify themselves as esoteric for a reason; they are supposed to value the virtues of privacy, secrecy and proper discretion.


Question #2:  “Did you ask?”

Search engines and social media are a great launching point, but they are not the be-all and end-all.  Your search for a spiritual life is a harbinger of actually living a spiritual life; you get out what you put in and you reap what you sow.  So if you are truly interested in esoteric spiritual groups that are actually spiritual and esoteric, you need to talk to those who are in the know.

Talking to experienced folks online will get you a better feel for spiritual paths and organizations in general.  However, if you are looking for local groups specifically, you will find such communications will give you scattershot results at best.  Besides, even if a person knows about a group, they may not have the relevant contact information at hand (or rather, the authority to divulge that information).

It is important, in this age of the Internet, to not forget the resources in your own neighborhood.  Remember that new age bookstore downtown?  More likely than not, it is struggling to keep its doors open, so go visit it.  Most of them have flyers plastering the walls, and maybe one of them has just the contact information you’re looking for.  If not, get to know the proprietors.  Part of this path is getting to know people of a like mind, is it not?  In fact, I would recommend you find the five closest occult stores nearest you and visit them all.  You will likely find that, by the time you get to the fifth closest, you won’t be within your city limits anymore.  This alone will give you an idea of the strength of the esoteric community around you (or at least its public face, anyways).


Question #3: “Did you do what was asked of you?”

Bear in mind that most any esoteric order with an operational history that goes back decades, or even centuries, is going to be a little “old school”.  Some will require you to fill out an application form, whereas others may ask you to send an inquiry via post with a self-addressed stamped envelope included.  You might be interviewed, or asked to write a short essay about why you would want to join their group.
 
This is another mark of a good esoteric group, because it shows that they are circumspect and their tradition is for the select few.  Dues might come into play, but they are much more interested in your dedication and zeal than your money.  Their tradition is important to them, and they are going to respect it by not only walking the path themselves, but also by bringing in people who are serious about walking it as well.
 
So if you’re not willing to fulfill the requests made of you as a candidate, that’s just an indication to them that you are not going to put in the time and effort in their tradition, and you simply won’t find yourself becoming one of their initiates.   There is a reason why this quest is called the Great Work; it takes a great deal of work to achieve it.  Your spiritual life is too important to TL;DR.


Question #4: “Is your priority enlightenment or convenience?”

So far, I have addressed the “I’m looking to join an esoteric group” part of the goal, and it is true that most seekers will spend most of their time considering what spiritual path seems best for them at the time.  But what is often left glossed over is the “but there are no groups in my area” portion.  When a seeker hits this very common initial obstacle, they will often drop their aims and wander off for something less than ideal but closer to home.

Success in your spiritual journey is more than just picking the right path for you.  It is also about following the right guides and walking the path with the right companions.  Even in this modern day, esotericists are few and far between, and good people are hard to find in any age, so why would you think that you would find them in your own backyard?

When all is said and done, proximity is one of the worst reasons to join an esoteric group.

The fact of the matter is, unless you are extremely lucky, you are going to have to travel to get initiated.  More often than not, you will have to cross borders, whether they be state, province or country.  Many groups have attendance and participation requirements of their members, so you will be expected to travel as such on a somewhat regular basis.  As you progress through your group’s degrees, the pool of members will become shallower, and you will probably need to travel even farther for higher level initiations, perhaps even overseas.

None of this should come as any surprise.  The fanciful notion of the young seeker traveling leagues to find his or her spiritual guru is practically iconic.  Yet when it comes to the seekers of today, few seem to realize that they need to get out of their armchairs in order to go off on a spiritual adventure. 

When you started looking for the Light of Occult Knowledge, what part of that gave you the impression that any of this was meant to be convenient?

Since time immemorial, those esoteric few who hear that call to be more than human go to the Mountain of Initiation for enlightenment.  The Mountain does not come to you.

All this can really be boiled down to one very simple question: "Why?"  Why do you really want to join an esoteric group?  The answer to that simple question should end up being deep and complicated.  This is why the words “KNOW THYSELF” are inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple.  It is important, if not downright incumbent, to be completely honest with yourself as to what truly is compelling you to seek initiation, long before you ever approach the Temple.

You only have one opportunity to take your first step on your spiritual journey.  Make it sure-footed and true.

Esoteric Orders: A Survival Guide
          Section I: How To Find An Esoteric Order

Last Chapter: Section I: Introduction

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Back at the turn of the 19th century, if you wanted to get involved in an esoteric Order, you needed to know somebody. Secret societies were, well, still secret back then, for the most part. On rare occasion, one might see an editorial, or even rarer, an advertisement in a fringe magazine, with contact information through postal mail, if one was lucky.

How much things have changed in a century and a quarter.

When I was initially looking for the Golden Dawn in 1997, I stumbled upon AvatarSearch one night, which billed itself as the search engine for the occult Internet. Although it’s already been gone for a few years, it did a pretty good job in its day. I remember typing in “Golden Dawn” and immediately getting half a dozen solid hits. Before I knew it, it was 3 AM, my eyes were glazed over, and so was my mind from all the information that had been thrown at it. I started out excited, and ended up inundated.  Nearly two decades later, in a World Wide Web where “Google” has become a verb, a newcomer would only get more overwhelmed.

Solid, principled esoteric Orders have to walk an interesting tightrope in the 21st century. Tradition holds that they operate under a veil of secrecy. They have their oaths to preserve and their heritage to protect. Contemporary society, however, almost demands that they present some sort of public presence. This typically rubs raw against Orders’ oaths of secrecy, but it also provides them a powerful benefit, as they also have the responsibility of their egregore to perpetuate. Finding that balance is a difficult exercise, but one that they should not shrink away from, as good Orders are all about proper equilibrium, for their members and themselves.

Because of this, websites of responsible esoteric Orders are going to be predominantly for educational and informational purposes.  If their tradition already has a rich and protracted history, plenty of space will be devoted to it.  If the Order is a variation on a tradition, or an entirely new incarnation, expect there to be some sort of founding statement or manifesto, defining itself and its raison d'être.

Every half-decent website is going to have a fairly sizeable section devoted to resources, including such things as references, articles, images, historical letters, art, news, and event announcements.  Information pertaining to the Order's teachings, even if it has been published for decades, should be significantly excised, simply out of respect to the tradition and its oaths.  However, you can get an idea of the group's mindset and center of attention from the resources they provide.  If their materials adhere closely to their own tradition, you can expect the Order to be focused and devoted to that tradition.  However, if their information spans widely across a number of different doctrines and practices, it could be evidence of a hazy concentration on, or worse, a fundamental lack of understanding of, their own tradition.

Since these sites are primarily about information, and because these Orders are still semi-secret, don’t be surprised if they make it a little difficult to find out anything about how to become a member.  In fact, you should count on it.  You might find a reference on a remote page to a post office box or an email address.  At most, there may be an online form to fill out for serious inquiries only.  Many Orders, including ones with groups, circles or temples world-wide, shy away from publishing their locations.  After all, a good Order is going to, first and foremost, be discreet.

The more dubious Orders out there do not suffer this conundrum.  In this day and age, anyone with a little pocket change and time on their hands can register a domain name and set up a slick website, replete with fluffy bunny affirmations, surrounded by lots of eye candy.  In this sense, the Internet is the “Wild Wild Web” when it comes to trying to make heads or tails of legitimate esoteric Orders.

Those types of groups, more especially the smaller ones, are more than ready to let you know how widespread they are.  The thing is, finding out that an Order has multitudinous temples across the globe really doesn’t tell you much.  When newcomers see the word “temple”, they think of a free-standing building with dozens of people participating.  Truth be told, many of the “temples” out there are a couple people running things out of their spare bedroom, if you’re lucky.

The same goes for any references to membership brought up by the website.  Simply put, the earlier there is mention of the ease, and especially the cost, of joining their Order, the sooner you know what their focus is truly on.  If the information on the main page of the website reads like the script of a bad infomercial, then it is highly likely that they are trying to sell you something.  That’s fine if you’re looking to buy a pentacle necklace, a cool talisman or some other pretty bauble, but we’re talking about the first step on a new spiritual life here.  Think about it.  If a website claims to be the elite Order of its tradition, would it be so indiscriminate of its applicants as to allow anyone with a credit card and a button click to become a member?

Along the same vein, if an Order claims that they have all the tools and tricks to make your newly-founded spiritual life instantly powerful and easy, then they are trying to take you to the cleaners.  There are many reasons why the endeavor is called “The Great Work”.  It’s because it takes a Great deal of Work to achieve it.  Any good writer can give easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for rituals and ceremonies.  Knowledge, however, falls considerably short of gnosis, and won’t get you even near the threshold of understanding or wisdom.  Spiritual growth requires a great deal of personal introspection, admission of hard truths about yourself, and significant psychological change.  There are no short cuts.  You will not hold dominion over your own personal world until you first know thyself.  As above, so below.  As within, so without.

Remember that this is but your very first step in finding the spiritual path that is right for you at this very moment.  Surfing the web is a good opportunity to get a glimpse of what’s available out there.  However, just because certain statements and claims are out there on the Internet, that doesn’t make them true.

If you want to find the right esoteric Order, you are going to need to do more than scratch the surface.  You are going to need to crack the veneer.  There are plenty of people out there, also accessible through the Internet, who have been underneath the candy-coated shell.  You can glean a great deal of valuable information from them, if you next choose to seek them out and engage them properly.

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Next Chapter:  Engaging the Community

Esoteric Orders: A Survival Guide
          Section I: How To Find An Esoteric Order

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You’ve always known you’re a little different.  Going to school was always mentally tough, not because of the coursework, but because you never really fit in.  You always knew when your best friend was having a rough day, because you could feel it in your gut.  You could see things other people couldn’t see, and you couldn’t say anything, because people would laugh and call you crazy.  So you kept it all inside, alone and afraid to tell anyone.  What people called anxiety, you called survival.

Your parents made you go to church every Sunday, but you felt like you didn’t fit in there, either.  Your pastor said that the pentagram is evil and Satanic, but there was always something about it you liked.  There were other things your priest said at church that just didn’t jibe with what you read in the Bible.  You looked up the word “occult” once in the dictionary, because you were taught in Sunday School that the occult was "a tool of the Anti-Christ", but you found out the word comes from the Latin “occultus”, meaning nothing more than “hidden”.  Unlike the masses, you still have your critical thinking skills turned on.

Mythology had always intrigued you, especially the Greek and Egyptian.  There was always something about the tales of Apollo that resonated with you.  You also couldn’t help but notice some parallels with the religion you were brought up with, too.  You’ve wondered what the early church was like.  It couldn’t have been as political and screwed up as it is now, or in the Middle Ages, for that matter.  Besides, you’ve always thought of yourself as more spiritual than religious.  You’ve always felt there was a “Higher Power” out there, whatever he, she or it is.  You never felt or found that connection, however, in church.

So one day, the moment hit you.  You were tired of feeling alone and seeking by yourself, so you decided to look for a group of people who shared the same curiosity, mindset and beliefs that you had.  You weren’t exactly sure what you were looking for, but you were going to look for it anyways.  You talked to a couple of friends, the ones that weren’t muggles, and they had heard whisperings about a group or coven nearby, but nothing that really piqued your interest.  The only other connection you had was the one in the wall that led to the Internet.

There’s a reason why the Web is called World Wide.  You can find anything you want there (and a whole lot more of what you don’t want).  You signed up to a few Yahoo groups, joined a few on Facebook, stumbled upon alt.magick and ran away almost screaming.  You asked a few newbie questions, got chided a bit from the old guard, but also got a referral to a website that apparently is everything you’re looking for.

So you type in the web address, and the browser pulls up a very well-designed, good-looking site.  Obviously, these people know what they’re talking about.  They profess a long-standing history, and are offering to share age-old secrets that will transform your life.  You could be part of a world-wide society of like-minded people for the first time in your life.   They even have training courses through their "online cyber-circle".  All you need to do is click on “Sign Me Up”, send your money through PayPal and you’re in!

And maybe that worked out for you!  There are plenty of esoteric organizations out there with rock-solid teachings, taught by smart, knowledgeable mentors, run by compassionate and wise leaders.  However, there are also plenty of organizations whose members are sycophants, teachers who are charlatans, and leaders who are charismatic poseurs.  Some of these groups suck so much time, energy and money out of their members, and demand such tight control of their lives, that they could be easily classified as cults.  Others are more insidious; they have bright, nurturing teachers, but unwittingly, they are psychological enablers for a horribly toxic chief.  You’ll never see that stuff, though, from the “ooh, shiny” website.

But how does someone, completely new to the scene, who doesn’t know anyone in the esoteric community, know who to trust and who to avoid?  It’s not like you can drop a couple hundred dollars and have an online service do an “occult background check” on someone.  Querying the community just seems to go around in circles.  Ask a dozen people about an Order and you’ll get two dozen opinions, along with a whole lot more confusion than when you started.  In exasperation, you go back to your gut, and that “Sign Me Up” button sure would feel good right about now.

Not so fast.  The Quest for the Great Work is one that lasts a lifetime, no matter when you start.  A lapse in judgment now, regardless of whether it is based in a lack of information or lack of wisdom, can send you on a detour of several years.  Then, when you leave that Order with a pretty website and an easy sign-up button, you will find yourself essentially right back where you started, more battered and bruised, psychologically or otherwise, than you originally were.  At that point, you might even walk away, feeling jaded and tarring the entire community with the same tainted brush.  (And who could blame you, really?)

We, the writers, have taken those detours and suffered those lumps.  We write now so that you don’t fall into the same organizational pits that we did.  We cannot tell you which Order, coven or mentor is right for you, but with this guide, we hope to clue you in on which types of Orders, covens or mentors are wrong for any seeker of the Light.

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Next Chapter:  Orders in the Age of the Internet