The Essential Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic

by Chic Cicero, Sandra Tabatha Cicero

The Golden Dawn is one of the most influential and respected systems of magic in the world. Over a century old, the teachings of this once-secret society are considered the capstone of the Western Esoteric Tradition. Yet many of the available books on the subject are too complex or overwhelming for readers just beginning to explore alternative spiritual paths.

The Essential Golden Dawn is for those who simply want to find out what the Golden Dawn is and what it has to offer. Written by recognized experts on the topic, this introduction to High Magic is both straightforward and succinct. It explores the origins of Hermeticism and the Western Esoteric Tradition, as well as the rich history of the Golden Dawn and its founders. This guide explains the laws of magic and magical philosophy, describes different areas of magical knowledge that a Golden Dawn magician can expect to learn, and presents basic rituals for the novice.

If you have been curious about the Golden Dawn, but intimidated by its scope, this concise guide will shed light on this powerful system of practical magic and spiritual growth.

COVR Award 2nd Runner-Up

Genres: Occult, Spirituality, Magick, Witchcraft, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Natasha Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Golden Dawn is not for the faint hearted - even this primer on the tradition. It is endlessly fascinating and provides a lifetime of study, if it is your cup of tea. This book provides a very good introductory look at the order, its traditions, and its basic history. It would be the perfect book to read if you are trying to answer the question "Is the Golden Dawn path of scholarship for me?"

Because - path of scholarship it is. The Golden Dawn is like the Ph.D. of magical schools. Initiates are required to know so much about so many branches of metaphysical study. It honestly makes much of Wicca look like kindergarden. Well, that's not quite right, because it's quite unfair to compare the two traditions - Wicca can be very touchy feely and often can be "make it up as you go along" (I'm not criticizing Wicca for this, it is often a very freeing way to work and it certainly is appealing to many people, myself included).

The Golden Dawn relies on study and scholarship, research and memorization. The path is confusing to a lot of pagans because it honors the Guardian Angels and uses a lot of Hebrew. The "Christian" tone can be offputting to some people if they've had a bad experience with Christianity in the past. (It's not Christianity though, it's Kabbalah. Some people don't want anything to do with any of the Abrahamic religions no matter what.) However, for people who thrive on scholarship or are Kabbalists or Christian mystics, the Golden Dawn might literally be a godsend.

This book is an excellent introduction. By the end, you should have a very good idea about whether you want to dive further in or just say "wow, that's where all our [pagan] ritual formats come from" and move on. If you are bored to tears by this book, you probably don't mesh with the Golden Dawn, because the other books by the Ciceros are written in the same style, and Regardie is much drier.

Even if you aren't interested in becoming a GD practitioner, the history section of this book is well worth the read. The fin de siecle time period when all these metaphysical organizations were forming is fascinating. Modern Wicca, the Theosophical Society, the GD, and many other occult groups came from this intellectual movement, and it explains a lot about how these metaphysical trends arose. The Ciceros do a good job of portraying the struggles and personalities in a clear light, not just through rose colored glasses. It shows that the leaders of the Golden Dawn were brilliant, but flawed humans. (The book "Women of the Golden Dawn" by Mary Greer is fantastic if you like reading about this history.)

The other very useful portion of this book was the excellent explanation of the Rituals of the Pentagrams and the Middle Pillar. I don't care who you are, if you are working in the occult, these rituals are very effective in helping you progress along your spiritual path. By reading the Ciceros' explanation, I realized that some of the things I was doing for the LBRP were not quite right.

The Ciceros are THE forefront of the Golden Dawn in modern America, they know what they are talking about, and you can't find a better introduction to this magical system.

[Constantinos Nterziotis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Essential Golden Dawn is the best book a beginner can read on the subject. It is also the best for someone who wonders if this tradition is good for him. I can say that it is the best introduction to the subject.

The book is written by the very famous adepts and pioneers of the Golden Dawn revival, the Ciceros, in a plain, easy and well-structured way. Its intent is to present and not analyse, the system of the Golden Dawn, the history of the order, the influences of the system, the grades, the basic occult sciences that it teaches and what someone could expect to learn or gain at any level. There is also basic information on how magick works, what is medieval magick, renaissance magick, theurgy and lastly, what is the Golden Dawn magic. There are also good advice and excerpts from the Golden Dawn material that helps document their views. As for the practical aspects, there is a brief description of the LRP, the Middle Pillar, invocations and the basic structure of a Golden Dawn ritual. In the last chapter, there is good information on self-initiation, ego-inflammation, and the path of the true initiate.

This isn't a book for rituals, but it will provide a good theoretical base to know about the system, what has to offer, what to expect and how to proceed. It is a small and concise book, which means that the information is zipped in the paragraphs. So, the reader who has no idea on the Golden Dawn he won't understand it completely. He has to search a lot of things online and it is for sure that the reader who wants to completely understand it, he will return to the book 3-4-5 times to read it again. Keep it on a shelf that you are going to reach easily.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the Golden Dawn system, and required reading, in my opinion, for anyone interesting in working with that tradition.

The Ciceros provide a concise background of the various philosophical and mystical currents that shaped renaissance Hermeticism, and how this in turn shaped the Golden Dawn. The history of the Order itself and its leading figures is an interesting read, it seems even among adepts drama is inescapable. I have a much better understanding of the various orders and societies of the time, and how these have influenced modern magical and mystical systems.

The book goes on to explain the principles of Western magic, and specifically how it is applied and practiced in the Order. The grade system, hierarchy and initiatory ceremonies are also described, some of this I found a bit dry but is nonetheless helpful in understanding how the GD system of initiations works.

The main topics of study - alchemy, qabala, divination and so on - are also introduced, and I really got a feel for just how much is involved in the GD course of study. The other reviewer is certainly right in calling it "the Ph.D. of magical schools"!

The Ciceros have done a great job of condensing the mountain of philosophy, history, tradition, and ritual that informs the Golden Dawn current into an approachable format. By the end of the book the reader will be well equipped to either delve more deeply into Golden Dawn teachings or explore other schools such as Thelema or Wicca which have descended from it.

[L.A. Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent primer on the Golden Dawn teachings, what's expected, and enough details of the rituals to whet your appetite for ceremonial magic.

[Tai Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to practising magick; all of the whats, whys, whos and hows to get one started. Although it's obviously all about the Golden Dawn, and delves deep into the organisation's history, structure and philosophy, it's still a great starting block for anyone interested in exploring magick and the occult. The book covers the basics of a wide range of techniques, rituals and practices; including the Qabalah, alchemy, tarot, scrying, ceremonial magick and much more. Although the sections that focus specifically on the Golden Dawn do get a bit dry and tedious, the overall package is well worth the read.

[Ben Lawrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic introduction to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn with a thorough history of the order, as well as the hermetic tradition in general.
There’s also a good introduction to the structure of the order and their rituals and work.
This is a great start for studying the Golden Dawn and I would recommend it to anyone wondering if the Golden Dawn tradition is for them.

[Josh Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and compact synopsis of the history, theory and practice of Western Esotericism. My favorite chapter is the one on the Tarot. I’ve read a lot of material on the Tarot, and Cicero’s writing is some of the most clear and illuminating. If you want an easy read and want a good basic knowledge of western occultism, this book is highly recommended.

[Billy Wohlsifer]

Excellent introductory book that briefly touches on most every aspect of the Order. This book will be of less interest to advanced students. I literally wore my copy out to the extent that the pages began falling out of the binding. lol

[Kat Yslas · Rating 3 out of 5]

To learn magic, one must actually DO magic. That's why it's called a "practice"! Students of the mysterious Golden Dawn will rejoice over this concise, well-organized collection of rituals designed to help magicians old and new hone their skills and deepen their knowledge of the occult

[Samantha Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid. Exactly as promised in the title. History and outline of what the Golden Dawn was/is and taught/teaches.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the Golden Dawn, going over some of the history, theory and practice. At the end it lays out some rituals and ceremonies, mostly adapted from the Neophyte grade. It’s nicely self-aware and not a giant flyer for the order, and that honesty only makes me like the system more.

[Kosjitov · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a serious introduction to the Golden Dawn, this book is it. It covers basic introduction to Golden Dawn history, philosophy, and hierarchy. Certain key/famed items such as the LBRP are covered for those who have an interest.

For an overall cover of the method to the madness, I'd say it's more than adequate and as mentioned by others makes it a great introduction as well as primer for 102 Golden Dawn.

Of key interest to me was the history and the intertwining of various esoteric and secret societies at the time of the Golden Dawn's conception. Utterly fascinating to see how the other societies of the time had a way of shaping what is now known as the Golden Dawn. While I confess an interest in the subject matter, it floundered when dealing with the hierarchy. Also found within were rational discussions regarding the state of the world, magic and its uses (not quite so fluffy as other material makes it sound), and the spiritual evolution of self.

I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars because it certainly fulfills the introductory and even some more advanced coverage of the Golden Dawn, but people who are not at a strong highschool/college reading level will find it tough to slog down.

By the time a reader is done with this book they will have a clear and concise idea of whether the Golden Dawn is a path they are interested in walking; if not, they will at least have understanding of yet another fascinating path less traveled.

[M G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. It's a 101/102 of the Golden Dawn but it does a nice job of presenting a complex and loaded history in a neutral way.

The history is a bit long and dry but it does an interesting job of overlapping well known history with an esoteric narrative of history, in the sense that it prompts you to stop and think about the links that are being suggested to you.

I'd recommend it.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all: this is a very good and general introduction to the Golden Dawn Magical tradition.

The book is successful at being simple enough to be understandable for someone completely alien to the occult topic, and robust enough to shed light is some of the most common (and not so popular) doubts one may have when discussing the history, goals and general tradition that comprises the Golden Dawn.

It covers, briefly but concisely, the topic of magic: its origins, evolution and influence; the Order's history: its roots, its ups and downs, its wins and its scandals; the Order's core values, mission, the grades, curriculum, necessary competences, etc. Pretty much all you need to know to gasp the purpose and meaning of this iconic occult group.

I personally liked the last chapters dealing with more individual topics, discussing the deal with white/black currents, the importance of discipline, self-determination, the ego, sacrifice, service, and the debate about the validity of a "solo" vs. group practice.

In general, I enjoyed the book, it felt smooth and interesting at all times. The pace made the chapters and topics interesting, even the ones I already knew about. I appreciated the general Regardie-like vibe from the Ciceros, making psychology and mind the prime aspect of almost all topics.

If someone is interested in acquiring a general knowing about the Order of the Golden Dawn, this book will not disappoint.