Various notes
WORK AREA and INTERNAL RESEARCH NOTES - not for publication
Note 4 - Edgar Cayce on human races and polygenism
Introduction
Edgar Cayce, in his trance readings, discussed polygenism, a theory which became quite controversial and discredited. It is an example of where Cayce is ridiculed by skeptics as fake and pseudoscience.
Polygenism (from 'poly-genesis') is a theory of human origins which posits the view that humans are of different origins (polygenesis), in contrast with monogenism which posits a single origin of humanity. Biblical polygenism are (non-mainstream) theological interpretations of the Book of Genesis considering pre-Adamite or co-Adamite origin of certain races (on the basis of interpretation of eg 1:26-28, 2:7, 4:14-17), whereas scientific polygenism attempted to find a taxonomic basis for different human races.
Edgar Cayce's readings seemed to (paraphrased here, check exact text of readings) say five races (white, black, red, brown, and yellow) were created separately and simultaneously on different parts of Earth, and also included beings on non-Earthly origin. Also, that soul-entities intermingled with animals on Earth.
Reference extracts
Some info on readings below. Please note this information is for preliminary indicative purposes and was not checked or validated. For more info see the official Edgar Cayce archives or the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.)).
- 1932-11-17 - reading 364-13: suggests that human entities existed before the appearance of Adam, indicating a belief in pre-Adamic human existence. Simultaneous emergence of different human races.
- 1932-07-01 - reading 5748-6: the five races were created separately and simultaneously in different parts of the world.
- reading 900-227: emergence of distinct races, emphasizing their unique origins and characteristics.
- reading 470-35: elaborates on the spiritual and physical evolution of these races, indicating distinct paths of development.
- 1932-04-28 - reading 364-10: development of different civilizations corresponding to the various races (suggesting simultaneous but separate advancements).
1932-11-17- reading 364-13
(Q) Are the places designated for the beginning of the five races correct?
(A) As we find, these are changed, in that: Those in the Gobi, the yellow. The white — rather in the Carpathians than India, though this is the change to which they are made. The red, of course, in the Atlantean and in the American. The brown in the Andean. The black in the plain and the Sudan, or in African.
(Q) Where was the Carpathian region?
(A) Aarat.
(Q) Where is the location? Is it on the map today?
(A) Southern part of Europe and Russia, and Persia and that land. Caucasian mountains.
(Q) Why was the number five selected for the projection of the five races?
(A) This, as we find, is that element which represents man in his physical form, and the attributes to which he may become conscious from the elemental or spiritual to the physical consciousness . . .
(Q) Did the appearance of what became the five races occur simultaneously?
(A) Occurred at once.
(Q) Describe the earth’s surface at the period of the appearance of the five projections.
(A) This has been given. In the first, or that known as the beginning, or in the Caucasian and Carpathian, or the Garden of Eden, in that land which lies now much in the desert, yet much in mountain and much in the rolling lands there. The extreme northern portions were then the southern portions, or the Polar Regions were then turned to where they occupied more of the tropical and semi-tropical regions; hence it would be hard to discern or disseminate the change. The Nile entered into the Atlantic Ocean. What is now the Sahara was an inhabited land and very fertile. What is now the central portion of this country, or the Mississippi basin, was then all in the ocean; only the plateau was existent, or the regions that are now portions of Nevada, Utah and Arizona formed the greater part of what we know as the United States. That along the Atlantic board formed the outer portion then, or the lowlands of Atlantis. The Andean, or the Pacific coast of South America, occupied then the extreme western portion of Lemuria. The Urals and the northern regions of same were turned into a tropical land. The desert in the Mongolian land was then the fertile portion. This may enable you to form some concept of the status of the earth’s representations at that time! The oceans were then turned about; they no longer bear their names, yet from whence obtained they their names? What is the legend, even, as to their names?
(Q) Are the following the correct places? Atlantean, the red.
(A) Atlantean and American, the red race.
(Q) Upper Africa for the black?
(A) Or what would be known now as the more western portion of Upper Egypt for the black. You see, with the changes — when there came the uprisings in the Atlantean land, and the sojourning southward — with the turning of the axis, the white and yellow races came more into that portion of Egypt, India, Persia and Arabia.
(Q) There was no original projection in upper India?
(A) This was a portion rather of the white and the yellow as represented. Let these represent the attributes of the physical, or the senses and what forms they take, rather than calling them white, black, yellow, red and green, etc. What do they signify in the sensing? Sight, vision – white. Feeling – red. Black – gratifying of appetites in the senses. Yellow – mingling in the hearing. What is the law of the peoples that these represent? Their basic thoughts run to those elements!
Commentary
The intention of this note was and is to provide a positioning for the discussion of polygenism, and trying to resolve the dichotomy or apparent contradictions. To do this correctly would require the exact text of the relevant readings.
However what is described here appears consistent or can be interpreted to be consistent with information described by Rudolf Steiner and Helena Blavatsky, and the following information on this site :
- Human races, and a.o.
- Schema FMC00.454: different geographical location of human races
- Lemurian epoch on the (start of the) descent of human souls onto Earth
- Schema FMC00.457 (theosophical view of descent in Lemurian epoch) and Schema FMC00.457A (references Rudolf Steiner lectures)
- Schema FMC00.480 - re "that soul-entities intermingled with animals on Earth"
Further reading:
- Lytle Robinson: 'Edgar Cayce's Origin and Destiny of Man' (1972) - freely available in PDF on archive.org
005 - Seraphim of Sarov
Seraphim of Sarov, saint and also known as Seraphim Sarovsky (1754-1833), was a russian monk, mystic and spiritual teacher and one of the most renowned monastic figures in Russian Orthodox history. He primarily lived in the Sarov Monastery ( located in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast or Tambov region of Russia - some 450 km East of Moscow).
Biographical notes
- He took the religious name Seraphim on entering the Monastery of Sarov in 1777 aged 17 and taking monestic vows in 1786 (statement tbc). After ordination to the priesthood in 1793, he withdrew as a solitary to a forest hut near the monastery for a life in solitude and confinement.
- Seraphim lived as a hermit (=separately from society for religious reasons) in a small hut in the woods for 25 years. While in solitude, St. Seraphim welcomed everyone who visited him. He led an extreme ascetic life in the woods. It is stated that he only ate bread from the monastery and vegetables.
- For every day he lived, St. Seraphim only sought a life of intense and personal devotion to God. He’s attributed to wearing peasant clothing, a crucifix around his neck, and having his hands over his chest. Perhaps one of his most remarkable devotions, deemed a miracle by the Eastern Orthodox Church, was when he spent 1000 consecutive nights and days on a rock, kneeling with his hands upraised in prayer.
- At one time, he was said to have eaten only grass for three years. While chopping wood one day, Seraphim was attacked by a gang of thieves hoping to steal money from him. Unfortunately, they found nothing of value with him except the icon of the Virgin Mary. They severely beat him up and left him dead. Seraphim spent five months recovering in the monastery, after which he returned to the woods. He remained hunched for the rest of his life.
- After 25 years, in 1815, after a spiritual encounter he attributed to the blessed virgin Mary, seraphim returned to the monastery to help the pilgrims and he returned to an active, pastoral ministry in Sarov.
- Seraphim’s spiritual doctrine centred on a program of contemplative prayer directed toward mystical experience. He was original in extending to laypersons the traditional monastic method of contemplation, which included self-denial to combat vices and meditative methods toward ecstatic prayer. Seraphim maintained that prayer was not limited to the cloistered mystic but was within the capacity of any Christian.
- He was acclaimed a saint by the Russian Orthodox church in 1903 and proposed as a standard for spirituality.
- other notes:
- He was reputed to discern the thoughts and problems of people who visited him before they voiced out words.
Quotes
“A sign of spiritual life is the immersion of a person within himself and the hidden workings within his heart.”
“Bear sorrows for the sake of the heavenly kingdom. Without sorrow, there is no salvation. The kingdom of God awaits those who have patiently endured. And all the glory of the world is nothing in comparison.”
Reference extracts
1954 - Margarita Woloschin in 'The Green Snake: Life Memories'
Notes
- Margarita Woloschin(1882-1973) was born Sabaschnikov and first met Rudolf Steiner in 1905 (at a lecture in Zurich) and later accompanied him on lecture tours and became a eurythmist, performing in Steiner's mystery dramas in 1913. When construction of the Goetheanum began, she was invited to help paint the interior. In 1924, she settled in Stuttgart, where she remained active in painting and various anthroposophic activities.
- The Green Snake is her autobiography, first published in 1954 in DE as 'Die grüne Schlange', then in 2010 in EN.
- Told from the perspective of anthroposophic artist Margarita Woloschin, this is a first-hand account of her privileged upbringing in Russia and her subsequent life. In lyrical, evocative prose, she relates her vivid recollections of Moscow and rural Russia at the end of the nineteenth century, as well as her meetings with the Russian intellectual elite, including Tolstoy, and the impressions they made upon her. Woloschin also describes her extensive travels throughout Europe and her marriage to the journalist-poet Max Voloshin. Woloschin recounts, too, her part in the introduction of anthroposophy into Russia, her involvement in the construction of the original Goetheanum in Dornach. The author's narrative is interspersed with her personal memories of Rudolf Steiner and the struggle for meaning in her turbulent life. Set against the background of the approaching Bolshevik Revolution, this haunting, historical memoir is witness to a fascinating and inspirational life.
.
In the context of her asking how to approach writing a biography of Seraphim of Sarov
In 1912, a group of Russian Old Believers contacted the Moscow publishing house "Spiritual Knowledge" expressing a desire to receive a book about the holy starets Seraphim, free from the unctuousness characteristic of ordinary Orthodox synodal publications. The publishing house passed this order on to me.
In my next conversation with Rudolf Steiner, I asked him about this person who was so significant for Russia, whose presence was still vividly felt in the people's consciousness. Saint Seraphim died only in 1833. It was still possible to meet people who knew him. The stories about his words and deeds, especially about the healings that took place after his death right up to our time, were not fiction. It can be said that his image cast its light on the Russia of my time.
Rudolf Steiner knew everything about him and said: "Saint Seraphim is one of the greatest individuals. But in this incarnation he acted not through thought. One must look closely at his deeds. Go to where he lived, then you yourself will feel how to write about him.”
So, my father and I went to the Sarov Monastery ...
1912-09-27 - Margarita Woloschin
Diary, Notebook 3, 27 September 1912
[Steiner said that] this Individuality should be treated without the bounds of the Church. He is an image of the future. But he didn't know with the intellect, because intellect is connected with the physical body, while in Russia the physical is separate, the spiritual is separate, and there is no connection yet. He had a Russian body and could not contain within it the entire scope of his spiritual knowledge.
Discussion Notes
Premise
Rudolf Steiner's quote "in Russia the physical is separate, the spiritual is separate, and there is no connection yet" is remarkable in context what he states about Seraphim of Sarov. This individuality could not work (have his impact) through thinking and the intellect through his russian physical body, because he had a russian body (and was located in or worked in russia).
1/ By extrapolation we may think of Steiner's commentaries of other important russian-slavic souls such as Tolstoj and Soloviev.
For example on the latter in 1912-02-09-GA130, see KRI - Karmic Relationships Individualities#1912-02-09-GA130
Anyone who is sensitive to influences from contemporaries living a great distance away, would, at that time, have been aware of something raying out from a certain personality, which was not altogether harmonious.
When the new century dawned, however, these influences became harmonious. What had happened? I will tell you the reason for this.
On the 12th August 1900 Soloviev had died — a man far too little appreciated or understood. The influences of his ether body radiated far and wide, but although Soloviev was a great philosopher, in his case the development of the soul was in advance of that of the head, the intellect; he was a great and splendid thinker, but his conscious philosophy was of far less significance than that which he bore in his soul. Up to the time of his death the head was a hindering factor and so, as an occult influence, he had an inharmonious effect.
But when he was dead and the ether body, separated from the brain, rayed out in the ether world, he was liberated from the restrictions caused by his thinking, and the rays of his influence shone out with wonderful brilliance and power.
2/ And in the Folk souls lectures, the distinction is made of the different folks as related - and this is the interesting part - as related to geography and timing. See the Aspects on that page, Schemas FMC00.618 and FMC00.619.
3/ Another lateral thought goes to hesychasm, one can compare the life of mystics such as Joseph the Hesychast (1897-1959) to that of Seraphim of Sarov (1754-1833).
Working hypothesis could be, based on the above, that the path for these souls has to go not through the intellect but through feeling .. pushing that, to what this could mean .. one comes to contemplative prayer - as in the lives of Joseph the Hesychast, Seraphim of Sarov, and orthodox traditions (oa Mount Athos). A very different approach to initiation, and one may think of the similarity with european mystics in the middle ages and the Christian initiation path (see middle column on Schema FMC00.322).
4/ Last, we also read with Rudolf Steiner that on occasions he mentioned that the time was not ripe yet for certain individualities to incarnate, because they could not find a suitable body .. yet.
Also, that the consciousness of the advanced Individuality (and its self-consciousness during incarnation) are fully dependent of the body, see eg from
the consciousness of our self is also dependent on the laws of our body. We are never fully conscious of our spirit, but only to the extent that the laws of our present embodiment allow.
Quotes to be added, but from memory was this not said in the case of
- the adept who would bring the Father impulse ( Christ on Old Sun#1905-10-25-GA093A but not this quote)
- Mani
.
Furthermore, the following quotes from 1909 add context,
quotes taken from: Descent influencing generations to incarnation#Finding a suitable physical body
1909-01-26-GA107
Some souls have acquired great strength in the course of previous incarnations. A soul of this nature has to incarnate in the most suitable body possible, though it will not be absolutely suitable. Yet this soul might be strong enough more or less to overcome everything not suited to it, though this is not necessarily always the case.
1909-11-09-GA117
Even if a being were to come down to the Earth out of the highest, even the very highest, divine worlds, and were to incarnate in an unsuitable physical organism, such a being could make use of that body only to the extent to which it was actually capable of being an instrument.
1909-12-07-GA117
matter how highly developed an individuality is, if it descends into an unsuitable body because it cannot find a suitable one, this individuality cannot express his or her soul-spiritual faculties because it lacks the necessary physical instruments.
and furthermore along the same lines a different variant or version of the following (as the second sentence below is out of context in thix context - see full quote Descent influencing generations to incarnation#1907-05-28-GA099) may apply to the slavic/russian folk spirit and the Individualities above
1907-05-28-GA099
A folk spirit is as real to the eye of the seer as our soul that is incarnate in our body. A whole people, although it has not a common physical body, has a common astral body and the rudiments of a common etheric body.
...
[from context of mis-adaptation of soul and physical body during pre-life vision before incarnation]
Such a human being cannot make right use of his brain because he is not properly incarnate in it. He can only use his physical instrument aright when he allows himself to be born into it in the full and proper sense.
Further reading and references
unqualified:
- Valentin Stepashkin: a Russian historian extensive 2018 research/book
- Nikolas Motovilov’s diary (Seraphim’s acquaintance and student; source should be approached with caution because Motovilov seemingly was heavily tempted and paranoid, prone to fancies?)
004 - Hesychasm
Hesychasm, in Eastern Christianity, type of monastic life in which practitioners seek divine quietness (Greek hēsychia) through the contemplation of God in uninterrupted prayer. Such prayer, involving the entire human being—soul, mind, and body—is often called “pure,” or “intellectual,” prayer or the Jesus Prayer.
St. Joseph Hesychast
Joseph the Hesychast (1897-1959) was a Greek Orthodox monk and elder who led a small group of monks at Mount Athos.
See eg documentary 'Mount Athos, St. Joseph Hesychast'.
003 - DRAFT notes WIP for new section
Rawn Clark's experiential cosmology based on Gra Tree <-> intellectual Body of Knowledge of theosophy and anthroposophy
shows what is possible with advanced capabilities
mapping structures purely experientially, exploring and describing
spiritual hierarchies or beings 'missing', not appearing
however could be deduced as being implicit to raising to level of consciousness
all understandeable or better acceptable feasible
spiritual hierarchies - teachings last centuries and since Dionysus approx 600 BC first written down, also by Masters (bodhisattvas) as in Steiner's lecture cycles, see
- 1908-GA102 - The Influence of Spiritual Beings on Man
- 1909-GA110 - The Spiritual Hierarchies - Their Reflection in the Physical World
- 1910-06-GA121 - The Mission of Folk-Souls
- 1912-04-GA136 - The Spiritual Beings in the Heavenly Bodies and in the Kingdoms of Nature
Overview of the spiritual hierarchies#Coverage overview in Rudolf Steiner's GA
Golden Chain, complexity of influences, paths (and gates?)
Tree of Life, symbol of third cultural age (Egypt, Moses) around 1500-1300 BC, we are now 3500 years later .. still valid
Daskalos#Note 1 - Symbol of Life and origin of the Hebrew Tree of Life
symbol as used in 'Rawn's cosmology' map of consciousness and universe <-> the whole of anthroposophy or theosophy .. which has roots in ancient indian teachings and esoteric christianity .. but which uses a 'modern' that is intellectual conceptual language. It uses a knowledge representation consisting of dimensions and concepts. In spiritual experience all this is more a fluid experience, not so delineated.
Logical the same truth is being talked about and represented in language of symbols, concepts.
What does it serve, actually?
As a foundation for a spiritual worldview, ànd a map.
Not a scholar at all, no interest. Advanced magician however, definitely working with higher spirit world energies, and 'understanding' clairvoyance, but maybe/probably (assumption) not focusing on clairvoyance or research of akashic records.
This is about linking models A and B .. as they both talk about the experience of the spiritual world. By trustworthy sources.
002 - Golden Dawn
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is a spiritual and occult organization that was founded in 1887 in London, England.
Key founders were:
- William Robert Woodman (1828-1891)
- William Wynn Westcott (1848-1925)
- Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854-1918)
. Other famous members:
- A. E. Waite (1857–1942)
- Aleister Crowley (1875–1947)
.
Golden Dawn and Kabbalah: The Golden Dawn integrated elements of Kabbalistic mysticism into its teachings, adapting and combining it with Western esoteric traditions, Hermeticism, astrology, alchemy, and ceremonial magic. Much of its Kabbalistic teachings were drawn from earlier sources, including Jewish Kabbalah, Christian mysticism, and Renaissance magic. Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, in particular, was instrumental in systematizing and presenting this synthesis within the order.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn fragmented into several daughter organisations incl. Stella Matutina (Regardie), Alpha et Omega (Macgregor Mathers), Isis-Urania Temple (A. E. Waite), and others. At the basis lie a revolt of London initiates against the then-head of the Order MacGregor Mathers in 1900.
001 - The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri
Introduction
Rawn Clark has been instrumental (and much beloved and admired) in the community of Franz Bardon's system of initiation, as a result of his unique work in support through his A Bardon Companion V1 (in 2002) and V2, his abardoncompanion website (started in 2001), videos, and tireless courteous support in forums answering questions.
Nevertheless some people have spread some 'bad press'. Examples are posts on the amazon.com forums for Rawn Clark's books, seemingly all by one or two people in 2015.
This has given rise to research and discussions about the origins of Clark's work besides the Bardon system of initiation.
Clark was very much a specialist of the Tree of Life, whereas the Bardon system does not use this at all.
- Center of Stillness, Healing, Magic and Self-Knowledge: Original Articles & Audio Transcripts
- The 231 Gates of Initiation: & The 32 Paths of Wisdom Tarot (2012 update of work of 2002 and 2005)
- Sometime around the middle of 1998, during my work with the original Eight Temples Meditation Project, I “discovered” that both the Western Hermetic and Hebrew Tree of Life symbols held within them exactly 230 geometric shapes of a certain nature. Along with this discovery came the realization that these 230 shapes, plus the Tree as a whole, held a direct correlation to the 231 “Gates” mentioned in the Sepher Yetzirah and throughout Kabbalistic literature. So I began drawing these “231 Gates” by hand on paper... And as I drew, I explored... The following couple of years were spent in extensive exploration of all these Gates and eventually in 2002 I published “Book 231” online. At the same time, I created the “32 Paths of Wisdom Tarot” and wrote an article titled “The 32 Paths of Wisdom” which was published in the Autumn 2002 Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition. The main theme of this article was to illustrate the differences between the Western Hermetic and Hebrew versions of the Tree of Life and present the Hebrew Tree in the context of a Western Hermetic path of initiation. And then, in 2005, the “32 Paths of Wisdom” article and Tarot were integrated with the 231 Gates of the Hebrew Tree and I digitally published “The 231 Gates of Initiation” for the first time online. This present edition in paperback differs quite a bit from the 2005 digital edition. First of all, my understanding of the Tree of Life has deepened considerably since 2002, especially my understanding of how and why the planets are attributed to the Hebrew Letters. As a result, some of the planetary attributions have been corrected in this version. Secondly, I have removed 99% of the Hebrew words and substituted their English equivalents in an effort to make the Tree symbol much more accessible.
- The Eight Temples Meditation Project
- Permutations of the Tree: The 182 Gates of the Gra Tree of Life (2012)
Hence we find a mixture of ancient Jewish traditions and rituals in Clark's work, eg
- The Magic of IHVH-ADNI (2002)
- This is the magic of combining IHVH with ADNI as I know it and practice it. I learned this magic from one whose name will forever be unspoken. In 1998 he writes After 10 years of practice, I have been granted the words to tell you of this sacred magic. But instead of telling it as I learned it, I will tell it as I have come to understand it -- I will tell it with my own words and in my own way.
- The Book of Aries (2022) about the magic of the Kethric Brilliance of Adonai Light
- Adonai? "A Jew reading aloud from the Torah will never vocalize YHVH. Instead, the word Adonai (ADNI = "lord") is substituted. Later renderings of YHVH, such as the Christian Jehovah or the modern Yaweh, are merely inaccurate conveniences of intellectual language and have no true power."
Questions discussed include:
- why should anyone committed to Bardon's system of initiation need or even care about hebrew and/or the Tree of Life. It is totally not needed, even though Clark himself took that route (and of course he was very free to do so!)
- why is Clark's work include pointers to very jewish-hebrew tradition like IHVH-ADNI and Adonai? One may assume he learned about these techniques and became very advanced in them. But should one mix this with the pure modern western path laid out by Bardon?
Notes
- the TMO group was started by Clark in 2005 to explore the possibilities of working TMO in grpup context; for which he also made magical tools like the Integrator and the Communicator (see 'Rawnmade' (2023))
- bio info:
- from abardoncompanion:
- I began pursuing Bardon's system of Hermetic initiation at the age of 25 and became involved in online forums a dozen years later. I then spent the next 13 years answering Bardon-related questions online. :)
- early publications: 'levels of self' (1995) article referencing Ordo Lux Kethri, 'Unlocking the hebrew sequence of formation' and 'A path to understanding' (1997)
- from abardoncompanion:
Extracts from research
Rawn Clark (Fra. A.L.M.) - The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri
in Caduceus - The Hermetic Quarterly (Spring, 1996; Vol. 2, No. 1)
Introduction
The Rousing of the Citadels (RC) is a practical technique used within the Ordo Lux Kethri 1. It was born out of the Golden Dawn’s “Middle Pillar Exercise”2 and has since evolved to a point where it diverges greatly from it and is now considerably more complex.
Its first use within the O.L.K. was as an induction to a series of guided path and sphere workings 3. The RC form was very simple and, like the “Middle Pillar Exercise”, employed the sephiroth and paths of the Middle Pillar only. It differed however, in that its focus was Daath and the enveloping of one’s being in the Lavender Aethyr-Light for purposes of skrying.
The RC practice expanded as experience indicated and now incorporates all the sephiroth and paths. Within the O.L.K., it has come to replace the “Middle Pillar Exercise” and “Qabbalistic Cross”4 entirely. RC is an integral part of nearly every aspect of current O.L.K. technique.
Philosophy
To best understand the RC practice, we must begin with some of the basic assumptions, or philosophy, which form its foundations.
The symbol structure employed is traditional, non-christianized, Qabbalah 5. These symbols consist of several levels: anthropomorphic deity-forms and beings; color; sound; ideas or thought-forms; and most importantly, the emotional responses that these images evoke within the Qabbalist. The RC focuses these energies within the bodies (mental, astral and physical) of the practitioner and integrates them through the medium of these very same emotional responses.
Following the philosophy of “as above, so below; as below, so above” (of the Macrocosm’s reflection within the microcosm, etc.), these energies within the practitioner’s microcosm resonate with those of the Macrocosm, allowing genuine contact and interaction between the two. These experiences of contact and the relationships they engender, cause the experience to continually deepen with practice.
It is through genuine experiences with the intelligences contacted by these powerful symbols that their energies are fully integrated into the practitioner’s bodies, eventually becoming readily accessible faculties and powers. Furthermore, the practice of RC itself, employs and thereby strengthens, all of the subtle senses.
Posts in alt.magick
1997-12-27
Even the now deceased Chief of the Ordo Lux Kethri was expelled from a (now defunct) branch of the Aurum Solis. Let me tell you the truth about magickal Orders. All of the "Adepti" were expelled some place or other, and then started their own. According to Dion Fortune, that is how magickal Orders propagate.
1998-01-26
The Order which was derived from Michael Albion MacDonald is known as the Ordo Lux Kethri, or Order of the Kethric Light. Interestingly, MacDonald claimed to be in possession of the Grade of 7=4, and he is also known to have been in contact while in London with a certain english occultist who was a member of the Secret College of S.R.I.A. and who had also received this Grade of 7=4 in the Hermes Temple of the Stella Matutina in Bristol. However, MacDonald never informed me of the source of his 7=4 Grade, only that he made the claim to it. (I am unable to give the name of the english occultist in question, as he objects to having his name posted on the internet. ... I am in possession of certain of MacDonald's magickal papers connected with the Grade of Z.A.M.
and
Michael MacDonald resembled in appearance at least one published photograph of Mathers (the one where Mathers is wearing a military uniform). MacDonald was absolutely convinced that he was Mathers come back. At one junture, he referred to certain circumstances as "the most trouble that he had had since the Horos affair." Unfortunately, MacDonald is now deceased. It appears, however, that he had at least one relative who had been a member of the original HOGD.
1999-04-17
Sar Draconis
in alt.magick internet forum
The Ordo Lux Kethri, also known as the Order of the Kethric Light, was founded in 1982 by April Schadler Bishop and Michael Albion MacDonald of the Artisans of Light. The structure of the order, which considers itself a fraternal order, is similar to the Rosicrucian one.
Michael Albion MacDonald, who claims the Grade of 7=4, was an associate of David SARD in England, one of the last Chiefs of the Stella Matutina Temple in Bristol (Hermes Temple), and who worked as librarian in charge of the manuscripts collections of the British Library at the British Museum at a time when MacDonald was a daily visitor for over a year.
Members of O.'.L.'.K.'. study kabbalah, alchemy, Hermetic meditation, including the techniques of visualization and astral travel of Franz Bardon, as well as ritual magick.
The Ordo Lux Kethri was a reincarnation of a previous Order of the same name founded by Richard C. Gorhem, in which both Michael Albion MacDonald and April Schadler Bishop had been adept initiates. Alas, Richard Gorhem met his demise on a lonely stretch of highway 1 south of San Francisco, which caved in to the beech below because of intense rains. Michael Albion MacDonald and April Schadler Bishop ressurected the Order in the ensuing years.
MacDonald brought an intense focus on Solomonic magick and Solomonic evocation, demonstrating to initiated members the actual evocation to visible appearance of the Solomonic spirits. Some photographs demonstrating some of these ceremonies are thought to still survive in Order archives. MacDonald made numerous copies of magickal manuscripts of all kinds; his rendition of the Solomonic Theurgia is thought to be one of the best of its kind.
In an ensuing post, I shall shortly quote directly from an Order paper, as it was issued to Initiates circa 1984.
Note: Sar Draconis said to correspond to Robert Word aka Sar Draconis, aka Ainsuph
Robert Word's implausibility on matters related to the Soc Ros in America (18 years ago)
Readers of this forum should note some relevant issues when considering Robert Word (Sar Draconis) recent attacks on the Soc Ros in America and its Imperatrix, Soror Maria Babwasingh. It is a (minor) footnote to occult history that Mr Word has had a long and tempestuous relationship with SRIAmerica, mostly founded around his desire to attain entry to the higher degrees and inner councils of that group. At its nadir, Mr Word's conduct was of such a nature that the SRIAmerica had to take the unusual step of seeking an injunction, preventing Mr Word from approaching or attempting to gain access to the group's temples. One must also consider Mr Word's earlier attempts to gain access to the inner sanctum of another Order, this one teaching the wisdom of Paul Foster Case. Whereas his partner was accepted into that group's inner order, Mr Word was deemed to lack sufficient occult maturity to be accepted, and the ensuing tantrum was of a similar magnitude. That the officers of that group had foresight and judgement in their assessment is clear, witness Mr Word's ongoing conduct here on alt.magick, even many years later. His addled missives here reflect a mind as tea-stained and
questionable as a false Desmond Bourke charter. Regrettable, indeed. Hell hath no fury like a puffer scorned, one must suppose.Jean
2004-10-31
Dear Devin,
...
> (and anyone else who might know), <<
🙂 Since I'm the last living member of the O.L.K., I doubt there's anyone else who would know. 😉
> In your article "Levels of Self," you mention the two models of the "self" : the Zoharic (GD-style) and the one used by Ordo Lux Kethri. Most of the info out there seems to be derived from the Zoharic model. My question is, do you know where I can find out more about where O.L.K's model comes from? <<
It was a group effort by the chief members of the Order, myself included, to render the GD/Zoharic model a bit more practical and fitting with our core philosophy/dogma. I was the one who suggested the titles but the division was a matter of consensus. All of us involved had a background of GD, Kabbalah and Bardon specifically.
> You seem to use it more in your writings and descriptions than the Zoharic. <<
🙂 Yes.
> It also tends to resonate much better :) <<
Cool. 🙂
My best to you,
🙂 Rawn Clark
31 Oct 2004
rawnclark@...
2018-01-21 and 2019-02-21 someone informing in the forum after: Michael Albion Macdonald (approx. 1961-1990)
Way back in the dawn of time (1979), I graduated from high school with Michael, and we were friends. I'm afraid we lost touch quickly--I moved back to Canada and of course there was no Internet or cheap long-distance. And, well, we were 18-year-old guys, not writing a lot of letters.
I see from old posts (1999) in this group that he passed away in 1989. Posters at the time were using handles "Sar Draconis" and "Charla J. Williams". Apparently he had published "Secret of Secrets" and "Nigromancia" through the now defunct Heptangle Press, if that helps ring any inklings.
...
In long ago threads here, Sar Draconis and a few others mentioned a Michael Albion Macdonald. I went to high school in Palo Alto in the 1970s, and had a friend and classmate named Michael Macdonald . After high school graduation, I moved back to Canada and we lost touch. I have been unable to locate him since, and it wasn't until I came across a letter he'd written me in about 1980 signed "Michael-Albion Prentice Macdonald" that I was able to even find these references.
He was into the occult, and since Sar Draconis wrote: "MacDonald died at a prematurely young age some seven years ago as a result of complications attending a chronic illness. His memorial service and funeral in Palo, Alto California were attended by old friends and magickal students." ...I'm thinking this might have been him.
... Does anyone have any further details? Does the age seem right - sounds like he passed in 1990, so he would have been 29 or so? If so, I think between name, location, and interest in the occult, it seems likely to have been him - how many "Michael Albion Macdonald"s can there have been?!
Amazon reviews of Rawn Clark books
In Nov 2015 one or two people M.S and AD posted 1-star negative review of Rawn Clark's books. These are the only negative reviews ever, all Clark's work has extensive positive reviews. So clearly someone wanted to attack, charge back, or ventilate frustration and bad energy on Clark for some reason.
Not that there is maybe much or any substance to the contents of what is written, but maybe points made have some truth in them and so are an interesting perspective of which very little to nothing is heard otherwise.
2015-11-06
one
Bardon clearly said in his Own books " this is the system without a guru, no one can offer to the student more than this book". So I wonder why anyone write commentary on system of the self initiation. Mr. Clark claim he "finished" all Bardon books. Well also Mr. Clark said that he united with being called Sowantha and saw this being as his own master (this being took form of men who was his master in wiccan coven). So it is again clear that Mr. Clark do not united with Divine Providence as Bardon suggest but with Sowantha (whatever it is), and it is clear that Mr. Clark go trough initiation with a master (started in wiccan coven). So how it is possible for him to advise in system without a master? For me as I spent (or waste) many years on Mr. Clark work it is very weird, also Mr. Clark offers rituals ( like magic TMO) and claim their "divine origin". And again Bardon in his books said that serious student will not make rituals made by another person. So again why Mr. Clark suggest that we all should do that. There are many question to be answered, but I strongly feel it is something deeply wrong with all this, as I practice what Mr. Clark suggest for 10 years and I know now it was a waste of time and energy.
One can find a few reference in this book to Ordo Lux Kethri. And in few places Mr. Clark admit to be part of this order, but nothing more is known. So there are many secrets of origin of all this rituals and knowledge. Rawn Clark name in this Order was Frater A.L.M ( as can be found in his article The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri). It is clear that Mr. Clark initiation was/is path with guru and secret organisations.
And the quotation from Rawn Clark article " The Rousing of the Citadels of Ordo Lux Kethri" will speak for itself :
"Many of the initiation rites of the O.L.K. involve a projection of energy, directed by the initiator, into the candidate’s bodies . In the First Degree Rite of Initiation, for example, the initiator performs the RC, while at the same time igniting the spheres and paths within the candidate’s bodies through a projection of energy.
In the absence of a teacher, the RC, when combined with the “231 Gates” and its implied path and sphere workings, can serve as a system of self-initiation."
What can be found about Ordo Lux Kethri is just few facts like it was fund by April Schadler Bishop and Michael Albion MacDonald, of the Builders of the Adytum and according to dr. Joseph W. Schnapp member of Church Of The Guiding Light Michael Alibion MacDonald took his life years ago and is author of rare book called "Secret of Secrets: The Unwritten Mysteries of Esoteric Qabbalah".
At the end I need to say that I spent 3000 euro on Radiator made by Rawn Clark, 750 euro on Gatemaker, than I felt so grateful to him I gave him 2000 on his trip to USA. And as I look back I do not know why I financed a person I know mostly from books. For me it is all very weird and threatening.
two
This book claims to be a commentary with some additional techniques to the Franz Bardon's 3 books: Initiation Into Hermetics, Practice of Magical Evocation and Key to the True Quabbalah. Since Mr. Bardon clearly expressed that his books do not need any additional teachers, techniques and most important of all - are complete on their own, writing additional "commentaries" and "explanations" is showing a great lack of understanding on Mr.Clark's side.
It is worth mentioning, that Bardon's original works are meant for self-initiation. While Mr. Clark may have done some of the exercises presented therein, he however went a totally different path himself, being guided by his teachers and the Order of the Kethric Light he was a member of.
Members of O.'.L.'.K.'. study kabbalah, alchemy, Hermetic meditation, including the techniques of visualization and astral travel of Franz Bardon, as well as ritual magick.
It is within this order he received the ritual "Rousing of the Citadels" (RC that later became TMO), the path working of 231 Gates, Levels of Self and many other teachings he claims to be the author of (or rather he omits the true origins of those works).
To my eyes, if someone tries to hide his true magical background for so many years, it is something to think about...
Also, most of the philosophies presented in this commentary are simple copy-paste from Dion Fortune and other Golden Dawn/OTO/AA traditions, with some minor adjustments. Not worth the money and time.
2015-11-08
three
As we can know from one of the first articles of author called " The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri " Rawn Clark learn kabbalah from Ordo Lux Kethri. So first let see what this Order is/ are.
[follows a literal copy of the 1999 post above]
The Ordo Lux Kethri, also known as the Order of the Kethric Light, was founded in 1982 by April Schadler Bishop and Michael Albion MacDonald of the Artisans of Light. The structure of the order, which considers itself a fraternal order, is similar to the Rosicrucian one. Michael Albion MacDonald, who claims the Grade of 7=4, was an associate of David SARD in England, one of the last Chiefs of the Stella Matutina Temple in Bristol (Hermes Temple), and who worked as librarian in charge of the manuscripts collections of the British Library at the British Museum at a time when MacDonald was a daily visitor for over a year. Members of O.'.L.'.K.'. study kabbalah, alchemy, Hermetic meditation, including the techniques of visualization and astral travel of Franz Bardon, as well as ritual magick. The Ordo Lux Kethri was a reincarnation of a previous Order of the same name founded by Richard C. Gorhem, in which both Michael Albion MacDonald and April Schadler Bishop had been adept initiates. Alas,Richard Gorhem met his demise on a lonely stretch of highway 1 south of San Francisco, which caved in to the beech below because of intense rains. Michael Albion MacDonald and April Schadler Bishop ressurected the Order in the ensuing years.
[continued]
This is short history of the Order author was/is the member. Now we can look closer to Oath one have to make in Ordo Lux Kethri :
OATH
I SWEAR:
That I shall in All Ways act as a catalyst for the enlightenment of my Brethren.
That I shall pursue actively my study in the Art with devotion and dillegence (sic) .
That I will guard with my life the secrets of this Order, and never share them with the profane or the immagure.
That I will trust the Judgement of the Adepti above any other, and hold their writ as Law.
That I shall never permit any destructive emotions to enter into my thinking when I act within this Order.
By the Sword and Stave of the Masters, and by the Impervious Brillianceof the Kethric Light. AMEN.
Thus was the Oath administered to members of the Order of the Kethric Light.
So in the first page of this book, one will see big photo of author, with explanation that Mr. Clark want to see who is reading the book. So it is all starting weird. Before buying think it over do You really want be part of some ritual of unknown origin.
four
To comment this book, best is to show the relation author has with himself
"For my rawn-Individual to achieve a genuine understanding, I must needs receive information decipherable by, and relevant to, my Individual experience. It seems that this can only be accomplished one Individual to another, and so I-Sowantha speaks with me-rawn through the Individual of my former teacher.
I-rawn learn many things from my old friend, and when I look upon his face and hear his words, it is like conversing with completely familiar kin, so intimate is our knowledge of each other. We are like two mirrors reflecting each other, amplifying our Individual differences infinitely, yet by that very infinity we reveal our commonality. We revel in our commonality, and with equal élan, celebrate our differences. We are kin not by blood but by that inner spark which we share, whose relatedness is revealed only just now, here in the Greaters' realm".
Here we see what can happen to Us if we take "map of consciousness " from Order Lux Ketheri (author is member of this organisation) You to need imagine Your dead master to talk to Your conscience. As the words sounds beautiful the goal of this book is part of The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri ritual.
231 gates means for this Order "In the O.L.K., traditional sphere and path working has been replaced by what the Order terms “The 231 Gates of Initiation”. This system sees the sephiroth as the levels of initiation, while the 38 paths of the “Complete” array along with their regular geometries of triangles, quadrangles, pentangles, and hexangles, constitute the Gates of initiation."
The goal of the RC ritual and book is "ASSUMPTION OF GOD/DESS-FORM:
The O.L.K. sees this as the highest form of magic.
Its approach is based upon the work of Franz Bardon, so it stresses a connection with a god/dess-form that far surpasses mere assumption of a symbolic image.
RC has proved very valuable in the early stages of the long assumption process. It allows quick access to any chosen level, but more importantly, it incorporates the energies of the chosen god/dess-form’s level into one’s bodies. This encourages and quickens the journey to the aspirant’s genuine merging with a god/dess-form."
So this will (without You knowing) plug You in into astral-mental body of ritual of secret organisation. I would be careful.
five
This book uses strange symbols and words to connect you with the energy of some magical Order of the Kethric Light under the pretext of teaching you kabbalah.
Mr. Clark was a member of this O.L.K. order under the name of Frater A.L.M. Members of O.'.L.'.K.'. study kabbalah, alchemy, Hermetic meditation, including the techniques of visualization and astral travel of Franz Bardon, as well as ritual magick.
This book delivers you the teaching of this order in a form of meditations that bind your energy body to the Order's energy egregore. This especially takes place during the Gedulah ritual, where you build the "body of light", which clearly resembles the process of initiation into the Ordo Lux Kethri as explained by Mr. Clark in his article "The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri".
This process makes you a battery of energy to be used by this organisation.
six
This book uses strange symbols and words to connect you with the energy of some magical Order of the Kethric Light under the pretext of teaching you kabbalah.
Mr. Clark was a member of this O.L.K. order under the name of Frater A.L.M. Members of O.'.L.'.K.'. study kabbalah, alchemy, Hermetic meditation, including the techniques of visualization and astral travel of Franz Bardon, as well as ritual magick.
This book delivers you the teaching of this order in a form of meditations that bind your energy body to the Order's energy egregore. This especially takes place during the Gedulah ritual, where you build the "body of light", which clearly resembles the process of initiation into the Ordo Lux Kethri as explained by Mr. Clark in his article "The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri".
This process makes you a battery of energy to be used by this organisation.
seven
The TMO ritual presented here is actually a revision of "The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri", a ritual created by the magical order the author has been a part of (under the name of Frater A.L.M.).
The self-healing archaeous is nothing more than Jacobson relaxation techniques mixed with Franz Bardon's teachings presented in Initiation into Hermetics.
The rest of the book is either insignificant or presents a very subjective point of view.
Rawn Clark claims to be a student of Franz Bardon. Mr. Bardon himself claimed that there is an innate danger when dealing with rituals created by someone else. Even when they work, you may not know the real price you're paying.
eight
Mr.Clark claims to have "discovered" the 231 gates in 1998, while in his own article from 1996 titled "The Rousing of the Citadels of the Ordo Lux Kethri" he claims that 231 gates of initiation have been used by his own magical order already for many years. We have the right to demand an answer: Was Mr. Clark lying for all those years? I hope not. But the questions of his own authenticity do remain.
Commentary & Conclusions
From the information above:
- The Ordo Lux Kethri, also known as the Order of the Kethric Light, was founded in 1982 by April Schadler Bishop and Michael Albion MacDonald of the Artisans of Light.
- Michael Albion MacDonald (approx. 1961-1990) died at young age in 1989-1990
- Rawn Clark (1958-2024) was indeed part of the Ordo Lux Kethri, so he did pass a secret oath, and wrote as Fra. A.L.M. about 'The Rousing of the Citadels' ritual in 1996.
- other biographical info: started IIH aged 25 in 1983, became involved in online forums approx. 1995 with Bardon related Q&A until 2008
- In 1998 Clark writes first about the magic of IHVH-ADNI, stating he has been practicing it for 10 years, so since 1988 (aged 30)
- In 'Rawnmade' he writes that in his mid 30s he felt a lack of worship in his magical practice and joined a Wiccan coven - so around age 35 this was approx. 1993
- earliest publications are 1995-96-97 (aged 37-39) and fully geared on hebrew sequence of formation, tree of life, etc.
- The last few years of his life were remarkable, as he was able to create the Golems, and write a number of final books (not counting 'love letter to a dying world' in 2019)
- in 2022 Clark published 'Companions Along The Way: A Workbook for IIH Steps One to Ten', writing: I published my first commentary on Franz Bardon’s "Initiation Into Hermetics" twenty years ago and ten years ago I published an entirely new commentary on IIH. Now, another ten years later, it’s time for yet another venture into discussing IIH. What you have before you has been adapted from a series of ten videos I recorded from August 8th through the 31st, of 2021.
- also in 2022 the 'Book of Aries', a culmination of a life working with this system of high magic
- and finally in 2024 the 'Book of Taurus', a synthesis of his life's work on the Tree of Life
In conclusion
- There is the Rawn Clark known post 2001 and the 'A Bardon Companion' V1 book and website and upto his death in 2024, with 29 years supporting the Bardon system of initiation, especially IIH, between 1995 and 2024, and 20 years of A Bardon Companion between 2001 and 2022.
- And there is the Rawn Clark of the period 1983 to 2000, formative years between 25 and 42 .. with a 'life before', before becoming a public figure.
- Rawn Clark was not only in support of Bardon's system, he was an initiate with broad magical interests and so also adept in the Tree of Life, also someone crafting magical tools for like 40 years. He also explored with the TMO group, and made a unique contribution with the magic of essential meaning of the Book of Aries.
- He was sincere, humble, and courteous in supporting people, making him much beloved. For those who want to focus on the Bardon system of initiation, there is absolutely no need to get into Rawn Clark's other work like the Tree of Life or the Book of Aries. And maybe one should clearly separate them and not get mixed up.
Various notes
- Michael Albion MacDonald: 'Secret of Secrets: The Unwritten Mysteries of Esoteric Qabbalah' (1986)
- another ritual: 'Ritual of the Covenant' Aurifer, S. I. (or in FR “Le Rite de l’Alliance”) appears in the EN translation by Piers A. Vaughan of 'The practical Kabbalah' (1951) by Robert Ambelain (1907-1997), whereby he writes "This was not referenced in the original Index of R. Ambelain, but is included here"
The Ritual below has been created by us, drawing upon the “Clavicles” and being inspired by the instruction given by Lenain in his work “Kabbalistic Science” (Amiens,1823). It is perfectly within the specific secret tradition of the “Elus-Cohen”, since it aims to establish firstly a spiritual contact and then a material one, between one of the great Angels of the “Name of Seventy-Two Letters” and the Operator. This contact is implicitly included in the secret teachings of Martinez de Pasqually, and explicitly required in the great “Invocation of Reconciliation”, of which a manuscript copy in Saint- Martin’s own hand is lodged in the Library of Lyons. The “Secret Teachings of Martinez de Pasqually”, a work by Franz von Baader, translated from the German by René Philippon (Chacornac, ed. Paris, 1900), tells us that “…Martinez de Pasqually restored the fasts of the Ancient Covenant for his disciples…”. This “Covenant” was that concluded by Moses, Aaron and the seventy elders of Israel, in the name of the Jewish people, with one of the “Elohim”. This is why the Ark was called the “Ark of Testimony”, or the “Ark of the Covenant”, for it contained the true witness to the divine manifestation. In faithful witness to this covenant, Israel has continued to commemorate the day when it concluded this veritable “pact” at each new moon. The purpose of this Ritual is to realize at an individual level what was done on a collective level five thousand years ago. Regular holders of the Elus-Cohen lineage are in possession, depending on their grade, of the lineage of the Levites, of that of the Cohenim, indeed of that of the Judges (according to Philippon). And so nothing stands in the way of this ‘microcosmic’ revival of the greatest theurgic Work known in the history of Humanity.
Semantic MediaWiki
Semantic MediaWiki provides a storage for semantic data, data explore tools and a bunch of pre-defined printout formats. All are made in a very generic way to be universal (as all wikis have different data). "Intuitive" interfaces to your particular data must be created, they can't arrive just in the box.
www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:User_manual
The Special:Ask is NOT for users. On Special:Ask you can:
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Example
Below animated example of such a workflow (with a bit of a strange output format).
Displaying GIFS
example animated spirals
example 2
Output SMW example worldcloud
