Planetary Associations of the GD Hall Officers

I just mentioned in a posting that I did on the Golden Dawn Group yahoo forum that I once read that each of the Neophyte officers could be associated with a planetary energy. For anyone who does not know the list, or does not own The Equinox & Solstice Ceremonies of the Golden Dawn by Pat & Chris Zaleski, here is the list:

Hierophant: Sun
Hegemon: Moon
Hiereus: Mars
Kerux: Mercury
Stolistes: Jupiter
Dadouchos: Venus
Sentinel: Saturn

Selected Definitions from the Zealot’s Dictionary

Golden Dawn: An esoteric Order that was both formed in 1888 and predates the Victorian Era. Its rituals and instructions are both at the pinnacle of spiritual purity and the rock bottom of black magic. The writings detailing the Order both completely reveal and obscure every important fact concerning the Great Work of the Order; especially suspect are documents meant for the eyes of its own members, none of which can be trusted. The system is ruled by four hundred Secret Chiefs, also known as the Third Order of Curly Fries; all of them are liars and deceivers and always tell the truth; none of the Secret Chiefs allow themselves to be known by more than one lunatic at a time, who they authorize to ruin and destroy a select group of rivals while fleecing their own for beer and taco money in their name; furthermore each Secret Chief insists that they are the One and Only True Secret Chief. The Order has been completely destroyed (1900, 1901, 1904, 1909, 1913, 1937, 1978, 1984, 1994, 1999, and yesterday) and continues to survive until this day. The best advice that a Zealot can follow about the Order, besides welding their wallet shut, is to read none of the writers who use or reveal any of its system of buggery, nor compose or recite any love poetry to any of its members, and always cross the street as soon as you notice one of its members walking down the avenue towards you.

Black Magic: Any magic that employs techniques that you have not mastered to manifest goals that you find morally repulsive. In general, any magic practiced by a rival magician.

White Magic: The act of attempting to change the universe by just thinking loving thoughts at it, generally ineffective against any problem or creature larger than a ladybug.

Rocky Mountain Wiccan Temple on hiatus

Yesterday, I recieved an announcement from the Rocky Mountain Wiccan Temple; it said:

The Rocky Mountain Wiccan Temple is supending all activities untill further notice. We apologize for any inconvenence and hope to have activities resume soon--The RMWT Council.

The news was sad (sort of--I wasn't involved highly in the group), but hardly unexpected. Awhile back (on their yahoo group), they talked about some of the problems plaguing the group. Being an experienced group member, their hiatus is no surprise to me.

It is much like the hiatius that Bast Temple has slipped into; there is no real surprise there either. Though there is a difference, I suspect that Bast Temple will survive its hiatus; I am not so sure that RMWT will.

The root problem that the RMWT was suffering from, one I am very familiar with, is a general lack of members, especially ones that contribute (either though money or effort). It is a common problem in esoteric/pagan/wiccan circles; a few people (normally those who started the group) get stuck with supporting it with both money and work--no one else ever steps up and the group eventually disappears as the creators of the group run out of energy and resources.

A few groups have managed to sidestep this problem; or at least in the short term, they have. One is Hearthstone Community Church (though they are short of rent money lately as their turnout has dropped), "the Open Full Moon Folk."

Bast Temple has managed to sidestep this problem occasionally. We have survived one hiatus already, and will survive the current one (not yet officially a hiatus, if we manage to meet this summer, then it is not a hiatus). Bast Temple is merely suffering a membership shortage. As soon as there are enough people who consider Bast Temple the better option (and for some people, the other two Golden Dawn groups will not be acceptable), we will resume operations. In the meantime, there is a lot on the Chief Adept/Hierophant's deck, including writing course material, that needs to be done.

The root of our membership problem is half economical and half personality. Being scattered all over the state, gas prices have hurt the lodge. The correspondence course is becoming more and more a necessity. As for the personality problem, lodges are like families, except that you can leave if you end up arguing with someone constantly. (Actually, I would prefer people to argue rather than just leaving.)

The notice from the Rocky Mountain Wiccan Temple reminded me of Bast Temple's problems; but at least, I know that Bast Temple's problems are temporary. I am not so sure about the RMWT's.

Atonement for the Church’s history of anti-Semitism

Prayer: Atonement for the Church’s history of anti-Semitism

We realize now that many, many centuries of blindness have dimmed our eyes, so that we no longer see the beauty of Thy Chosen People and no longer recognize in their faces the features of our first-born brother. We realize that our brows are branded with the mark of Cain. Centuries long has Abel lain in blood and tears, because we had forgotten Thy love. Forgive us the curse which we unjustly laid on the name of the Jews. Forgive us that, with our curse, we crucified Thee a second time.
---Pope John XXIII