(Best if installed one at a time)

Duality-The Male
I would like to share a few essays that compare the process of ego
development with some of the more recognized landmarks of
metaphysical and psychological research. I’ve used the grade system
of the Golden Dawn as a convenient way of organizing this data using
Israel Regardie’s book as a reference. I could just as easily have used
terms used by psychology or some other school of thought. The main
point is that even if different terms are used the experiences described
are the same.
There is a universal experience that is true for all people even if it
is highly subjective. Therefore these next chapters are tied together in
a way that builds on what went before. What they propose is a
progressive ladder or stairway we each must travel in the process of
healthy ego development.
With a little imagination and memory work you will be able to
identify personally with almost every stage that is listed. We achieve
these stages all the time but do not recognize them for what they are.
They offer a type of initiation that will act as a catalyst for personal
growth and healing.
While my examples may not be strictly accurate they should be
very evocative and I welcome comments that would help smooth
these concepts out a little more.
NEOPHYTE DEGREE
In this degree the Neophyte or newborn begins explorations of the
ego. What I’m really saying here is we move from an animal
awareness into an awareness of “self”. Typically these levels are dealt
with naturally during childhood. Each must be developed before we
can move on and mature in a healthy way. This degree has eight
levels of awareness. Each level deals with personal limitations and
how our developing ego grows and adjusts to confront and gradually
master these limitations.
I don’t know of any order or sequence these areas may fall into. I do
know we are not complete until we have explored and come to terms
with all of these areas. There are many similarities with Erickson’s
“eight stages of Man”. Those familiar with his work will find this
addition especially interesting.16
Limitations of Language. So often in our lives words are inadequate
to express the depth of our emotions and the intent of our actions. We
feel no one understands us, no one will listen to what we are trying to
say. Gradually we accept that we have a unique perspective on life
and many things that happen will remain forever secret between
ourselves and the God of our hearts. We are not able to share them
with others and we will never be able to share them.
At least this is the healthy way things should be. All too often we
expect others to understand and have insight into our personal
situation. We want to think our loved ones know us but the reality is
that no one can really know us that deeply, not even our loved ones.
Limitations of action. We learn very rapidly in life that certain things
are acceptable and others are not. We think things are unfair. Why are
bad things happening to us? Why can’t we do the things we want to
do?
We learn there are consequences to our actions, that action causes
reaction and we are in the highest sense responsible for our actions.
We learn to do the right things at the right times so we are socially
acceptable.
Our parents are a great help in this regard. We do unto others as we
would have them do unto us. These are the beginning insights into the
cosmic law of karma, cause and effect. They are also the beginnings
of our natural sense of justice and fairness. There is pride in knowing
we have earned the rewards we get in life.
Sadly generations of children are being raised without learning that
their actions have natural consequences. Parents over protect their
children and let them get away with things. How can children be
expected to know how to behave when they turn eighteen if mom or
dad always comes to the rescue?
Limitations of emotions. This deals directly with our strongest
personal desires. Often we want things so badly we would do or give
anything to achieve them. We feel hurt, anger and helplessness when
they are taken out of our reach. We WANT these things and we can’t
have them. This is especially true in relationships that involve other
people. In time we learn to desire things that are within our grasp and
our abilities.
It is very important our sights are aimed high early because
otherwise we will lose our desire to succeed in life. Unfortunately17
many parents have killed the higher ambitions in their children by not
giving them the emotional support they need when they need it. This
is often during the critical teenage years.
Personal limitations. Now we deal with the limitations of our own
newly developing ego. We realize our perceived shortcomings. Life is
not fair. Why is my nose so big? Why am I so fat? Why am I so tall?
Does any of this sound familiar? We come face to face with what we
have been given in life and react with intense personal dissatisfaction.
As we mature hopefully we grow above these things and accept
ourselves as we are.
Learning to love ourselves goes hand in hand with believing in our
abilities. This means to expose ourselves to life and be successful in
our own eyes.
We are Gods and Goddesses Here we ponder what it would be like to
live for ever and ever. As children we feel immortal and nothing can
harm us. Life is huge and just goes on and on. We have no control
over this at all. Awareness just goes on and on and on. We have a
destiny to fulfill whether we want to or not. We believe we are
important and have an important part to play in the universe.
Some children are told they will be judged according to their deeds
and sentenced to heaven or hell upon death. Others exposed to
reincarnation at an early age will see karma as a wheel of life where
we are born again and again until we get some meaningless lesson
right. It is easy to feel helpless and small as we consider these forces
of destiny.
Right and Wrong. Here we deal with our desire for revenge and the
destruction of the wicked. We know through our parents and others
the difference between right and wrong. We try to do the right things
and God help those who are doing the wrong things. We are on their
case in an instant. As children we tattle and as adults we turn others in
to the authorities. We feel a strong desire for reward and recognition
because we are doing the RIGHT things. We also fear the pain and
humiliation of punishment.
We’ re given an early understanding of life. We have now mastered
the fundamentals. The stories and dogmas have been read to us. Our
questions have been answered and our thoughts carefully directed to
conform with the wisdom of our elders.
In their infinite wisdom they assure us there is nothing more to18
learn. Our education is over and we can take our place as adults even
if we don’t feel like adults. We do this through ceremonies such as
confirmation, baptism, and graduation. There is a strong sense of
stagnation and we no longer question the way things are. Sadly many
adults seem to be stuck at this stage of ego development.
Death. People die, animals die, plants die and we have a growing
realization that we too will someday die. It is inevitable. What
happens after we die? Where do we go? Is there life without the
physical body? Does it hurt to die? Are ghosts real and can they hurt
us?
Our parents and churches tell us we will go to heaven. They tell us
heaven is the most beautiful place we can imagine. But they also tell
us about hell and damnation. If we do not believe certain things and
do certain things we will go straight to hell with eternal agony and
torment. We need to save our immortal soul by not doing things our
bodies want us to do. We learn to not trust our own bodies and
instincts. We learn to die
Zelator Degree
When is the last time you have been passionate and excited about a
cause? When have you believed in something so strongly that you
became a zealot? Have you ever been “born again”? As we mature
and confront reality we also deal with lower emotional baggage. This
level is the awakening of the conscience. Normally this development
takes place around ten or twelve years of age.
I was fourteen when it happened to me. Sadly it might never take
place in some cases. The development of our ego can not continue in
a healthy manner until this stage is completed. Most of us have a
conscience but we might not always listen to it.
This degree has two levels of thought. In the first part of this degree
we hear the voice of our conscience and either ignore it or give lip
service to spiritual and noble goals. We have good intentions but
identify with our physical body and human ego. We feel unworthy to
have the things we desire.
We go to church on Sunday but keep falling short of our own
expectations. In religious terms we don’t want to sin but we still do.19
Every day we do things over and over again that we are ashamed of
and despair. We are sinners. We are unworthy. We think evil
thoughts.
Heavy feelings of guilt and self loathing are encountered at this
level of thought. A powerful force digs up our deepest subconscious
psychic contents and exposes them openly to us. We are brought face
to face with every word we ever regretted, every thought we were
ashamed of. We feel little more than animals mindlessly reacting to
physical and emotional stimulus. We are brought face to face with the
mirror of our soul. We don’t care if God/dess forgives us because we
can’t forgive ourselves.
This is a very hard time and many flee in terror at what they see in
the mirror. They spend the rest of their lives in misery, guilt and
shame, hating themselves and dreading the day they must face their
final reward. This is the crisis point of the Zelator degree that must be
crossed.
Once we have crossed this point we hear the call “repent sinner”. We
change our lives and live differently. We no longer identify with our
physical body. Instead we identify with our immortal body that lives
on after death.
“He who believes shall never die.”
“You must be born again into a new spiritual body.”
“You must be saved.”
These are the messages we hear at this critical stage of ego
development. Our conscience is erupting and when we are ready to
listen huge changes take place in our lives.
There is a mental shift where life becomes a test and trial that is
necessary to pass before we earn eternal salvation. If we can look in
the mirror and do the best we can every day the inner voice of our
conscience will forgive us for the errors we make.
Most importantly we learn to forgive ourselves. As we accept the
inner voice of our conscience and strive to follow it we grow
spiritually.
In this second level we are “born again”. We identify with a
spiritual body or soul that is immortal. We get excited about the idea
of living forever.
Because the ego is self-centered there is a feeling of separateness
from others that occurs along with the joy of being “saved”. There is a
sense of isolation and terrible loneliness that is bitter-sweet. We want20
others to experience what we have. It is hard to accept that others may
not agree with us. We are forever alone with a unique personal
perspective and path meant only for us.
When we try to share this perspective we can’t and this realization
is devastating. The things that are so important to us simply do not
matter to others. They laugh and ridicule us. Still this loneliness is the
result of distorted thinking. We are never really alone because the
entire universe is always a part of us and we are a vital part of it.
Others don’t need to follow our path. They need to follow their path.
Our realization and experience of being “born again” causes us to
weep for the loneliness and suffering of humanity. So much misery
does not need to exist. People don’t understand what they are missing.
At this point we develop compassion in our hearts for others. As we
share our message and interact with others we become less lonely.
Our sharing becomes more mental as the material world becomes
less important. Slowly concepts gain strength and reality over our
lives. We live through conscious intent and will instead of passing
fancy.
As this happens the emotions lose their control over our lives. We
gain control over them and repress them until they are almost non
existent. As this happens we depend more and more upon reason and
logic.
This is a very painful period because we sense the coming death of
the emotions. Life is no longer as fun as it once was. We have lost our
“inner child”. Life without emotions is no longer life.
Practicus Degree
In this degree we struggle with the problem of how to be both body
and spirit. In the last stage of ego development we discovered our
spiritual nature and determined it was the most important. Now we
are trying to live in the correct way.
We have been won over to the cause and now it feels like we have
been a abandoned. Our false human ego is still identifying with our
physical body but at the same time holds up rigid idealistic standards
for itself and for others to live by. Here we have puppy love. We
establish role models and become hero worshipers.
We have expectations for finding the perfect wife, the perfect21
husband, the perfect home, and the perfect job. We set our standards
so high no one can fill them. Then we hate ourselves because of our
failure.
These standards are mental concepts that are not integrated into
physical reality. They are unworkable. We have entered the realm of
logic and reason and the human ego is no longer supreme. The ideal,
representing logic and reason is now supreme. Although they rule our
lives logic and reason are unable to get at truth. The answers we get
bring more questions. This turns into a vicious circle that rapidly gets
out of control until we finally learn to stop asking questions.
Logic and reason distort things. We are no longer sure of what is
good and evil, sin and salvation, or illusion and reality. Our head
begins to spin and our overworked intellect feels inadequate.
In desperation we trust our intuition and conscience instead. The
intellect can sense it’s approaching death even as the emotions did
earlier. It feels threatened as it desperately tries to grapple with things
and understand them.
We find ourselves in an intellectual fog where the only voice of
sanity and reason lies with unquestioning faith. We identify more and
more with our intuitions, with the Christ spirit within us and faith in
the inner voice of our conscience. As we do this our intellect is
screaming at us to stop. It is trying to tell us what we are doing is
insane and makes no sense at all.
Trusting our intuitions and the inner voice of our conscience brings
the birth of a higher level of consciousness. We think not with words
but with the symbols given in our dreams and meditations. Our
thought processes are more abstract and visual. There are no words
for what we are thinking.
The first stage is an uncomfortable struggle with logic and reason.
The second stage of this degree brings the decline of the intellect and
the true birth of intuition. We trust our intuition above all other things.
We develop a great spiritual pride that our inner self has won over the
intellect and physical self. This is a very dangerous time for us!
We have a true feeling of accomplishment thinking we are one of
the great adepts. We have little desire to try further but are content to
stay right where we are. This is a great spiritual plateau and we must
beware the poison of spiritual pride. This level marks the boundary
between consciousness and higher-consciousness.
Our new consciousness with absolute faith in the intuitive self is
still untamed, it is a beast. It is still joined to the lower personality and
to the physical body. The spiritual vision is distorted and our intuitive22
self is hindered in its attempts to communicate with us. The intuitive
self rules but it is an uneasy rule indeed.
Philosophus Degree
We find joy , peace and inspiration in mental travels and
daydreams as we build a bridge of communication between our
intuitive self and objective consciousness. There are three progressive
levels in the Philosophus degree that occur naturally.
The first level is the realm of mentally traveling in imagination
through time and space. This is the realm of avid readers and
bookworms, especially readers of science fiction and fantasy. This is
also the realm of heavy daydreaming. Our mind is constantly
chattering away and we are enjoying it. This is a summary of all the
previous levels and a great sense of peace and joy is found in loosing
one’s self in imagination and creativity.
The Philosophus lets his or her imagination run wild as he or she
explores all aspects of physical life and what could be. Anything and
everything is possible. This stage begins the death of the lower human
ego because the mental world is becoming more real than the physical
world. There is a growing sense that all is one and the cares and
worries of the distant world become vague and unreal. We are starting
to become head trippers.
We are drawn toward abstract thoughts and spirituality. The
spiritual life seductively begins to lure the Philosophus with promises
of great treasures and rewards. More and more time is spent in mental
pursuits until all of his/her free time and energy is caught up in this
type of activity. Material and worldly affairs suffer as we become
careless. Our relationships with family and friends disintegrate and
we weep bitterly at losing these things but we can’t help ourselves and
continue living in our heads.
In the second level of this degree we feel and appreciate the things
we have lost in our mental pursuits. We feel them because they are no
longer there and we miss them. Our bridge of communication with
our intuitive self is not being built very fast and the cost we are
paying is very high. Mental pursuits are no longer as fun and take on
an aspect of desperation.
We explore the mystery of toil and the virtues of labor through23
intense study. In desperation we turn our vast creative energies
exclusively to labor and study to build that bridge as soon as possible.
We recognize only then will we know our true path in life. Our
efforts meet with failure after failure as we struggle to manifest what
is in our heads. Trial and error are the ways to turn our ideas into
actual experiences.
We consider one occupation after another and test it for intuitive
approval. Time and time again our intuitive self says “no, this is not
it”. Little by little we learn about ourselves by discovering what is
hidden in our blind spots. Do we like to draw or work with people or
perhaps write. What we should draw. Should we be commercial
artists? Architects? Pure Artists? Comic book illustrators? Children’s
books?
What should we write? Poems? Stories? Magazine articles?
Political speeches? Possibly we should translate books from one
language into another.
Slowly but surely our intuitive self guides us on a voyage of self-
discovery where the goal is not as important as the journey is.
Through trial and error we see our labors as a process of self
unfoldment and self-expression. We are in a gradual process of
evolution and constant change and so is the entire universe. It is
through living and suffering that we learn wisdom.
We see all parts of the universe are working together as a big
system and each individual’s part is very important. We see there is a
specific path or place for us to fill and we can sense the importance of
it.
Intuitively we comprehend the entire universe oscillates between
states of potential and kinetic energy. We started out as passive
spiritual beings of pure potential, divine sparks of light. Then we
descended into physical bodies of pure kinetic energy, all motion.
Now we realize we are once more returning to the spiritual realms
of pure potential energy. We are on the path of return to Source. We
can use our abilities and become co-creators as God has always
intended us to be.
In the third level of this degree we have a dramatic change in
viewpoint. We think about being co-creators of the universe and
Masters of our own lives. We contemplate ways to harness the
energies of the higher planes and use them in the physical world. As
we strive to bring these intuitive insights into physical focus we pour
increased vigor and vitality into our studies. It becomes critical to24
build our bridge of perfect understanding between our intuitive self,
the Christ spirit within us, and our conscious awareness.
We think about ideas and concepts without awareness of self or
identity or ego. Form and formless merge into each other as we
consider pure abstractions. Thought constructs become things that
have a life and awareness of their own. We sense the entire universe
is alive in some way and aware of our efforts.
Our consciousness becomes an eye that can see where ever it
chooses. We see matter and spirit as valid realities. We become
obsessed with the completion of our spiritual bridge. Our intensity
borders on the very edge of insanity and we are driven. Nothing else
matters to us at this point. We are driven by the seductive golden
dream of what could be.
Adeptus Minor Degree
The Adeptus Minor is gaining insights and inspirations at regular
intervals. Bits and pieces of abstract cosmic revelations are gathered
one by one. At this point these scattered fragments have no rhyme or
rhythm to them and they defy all attempts to make sense out of them.
The Adeptus Minor continues the philosophical study of pure
abstractions and archetypal images. They are attempting to build a
mental understanding of the cosmic realm from the bits and pieces
received. The goal is to create a perfect reflection of the cosmic
realm, a mirror image inside that reflects the world outside.
However, the developing image is very distorted. Existence appears
as total annihilation. The Adeptus Minor recognizes they are a long
way out into mental space and all alone. There are no familiar
landmarks and the entire region seems an abomination full of horror
and madness. Insanity is lurking around the corner. There is no color,
no sound and no form.
Nothing is sacred. It is a realm where only ideas and more ideas
keep coming and have no where to go. The Adeptus Minor still
identifies with their physical body and human ego. If they are
Christian they come face to face with their higher self or angelic
body.
This is the part of them that continues on in awareness after the
physical body dies. They realize this angelic body is more a part of25
their true self than the false human ego. The person exposed to the
concept of reincarnation comes face to face with his or her
reincarnating ego. The real self that lives from lifetime to lifetime.
Physical life in the present body is seen as meaningless, a mere
puppet following the prompting of a predetermined destiny.
Past and future lives are seen as all occurring at the same time. There
is a strong sense of time and destiny flowing together. A shift of
identity is needed to properly assimilate these new parts of the self.
The Adeptus Minor must shift their identity from ego to super ego.
The viewpoint must shift from a single human being to a multi-
dimensional personality.
The second stage of this degree is when this shift of viewpoint
occurs. The world and universe appear as a tremendous spinning
wheel or machine with little sense or purpose. This wheel is both
seductive and deceptive. The Adeptus Minor now has the ability to
perceive both the big cosmic picture and the material world at the
same time.
If their belief system permits they also gain the ability to perceive
multi-dimensional life lines, probable realities, past lives, future lives
and probable selves blending together and exerting subtle influences
upon each other.
This level corresponds to the so called akashic records of mystical
thought and psychic ability. Humanity is seen as evolving spiritually
from the rim toward the center. We are all moving back toward
“Source”.
As the Adeptus Minor perceives the subtle blending of all these
influences moving together in harmony they understand the karmic
need for violence, bloodshed and death. Good fights evil, life fights
death and all progress must be individually earned.
Where harmony does not exist violence is the only means for
awareness to leap across the chasm and assure the greater harmony of
the whole.
No Adept can give insight to another. However, they can give
initiation to another if the student is properly prepared and ready for
it. This is one of the duties of the Adeptus Minor. They are developed
in understanding to the point where they are able to plant seed
thoughts into the receptive minds of those ready for it. They become
spiritual teachers.
Initiation implies a drastic change and totally new outlook on life.
True initiation is within the mind and emotional nature of the student26
and the Adeptus Minor is in a position to say the correct thing at the
correct time based upon insights gained from personal experience.
Adeptus Major Degree
Blindly intoxicated by the elixir of the gods the Adeptus Major enters
the vault of preparation. At least that’s what the old alchemical texts
say. In modern terms we might say he or she is going around the
bend. This stage is crucifixion and sacrifice. The inspired bits and
pieces from the intuitive self form dimly perceived patterns. The
Adeptus Major gets very excited about these “spiritual truths”. A new
way of thinking is arising out of these fragments and is
understandable as far as it goes.
Fascinated by this perception of “truth” the Adeptus Major commits
the sacrifice of believing in their own visions rather than what
physical reality says or demands. They identify exclusively with their
higher self and their visions. The Adeptus Major is free of personal
desires, emotions, thoughts, regrets and attachments.
Only one thing matters. Perfect union with the divine. They have
lost themselves in their passion for mystical experience. To others the
Adeptus Major has become a thing of wood with no emotional nature.
Close friends, relatives, and family members are hurt and confused
by the distance between themselves and the Adeptus Major. They do
not live in the same world and can’t reach their loved one .The
Adeptus Major is so heavenly bound they are no earthly good.
The Adeptus Major next enters into a deep understanding of cause
and effect. The smallest pebble creates ripples that travel throughout
the entire universe. Everything that happens affects every other thing.
All reality is seen as relative. Occurrences are the result of many
small causes and not one big one. This is very compatible with
modern chaos theory.
Everything is grey. All is in motion. Good and evil, right and
wrong become meaningless concepts. Moral values are imposed by
man and not by God/dess. All is pure existentialism. What you see is
what you get. The universe is self evident and everything is right in
plain view if we can only see it!
All things contain a passive element and an active element that
must be balanced. Logic and reason are destroyed. They come to27
realize all things can logically be proven to be the best that ever
happened or the worst that ever happened. Truth is relative. Values
are real only to those that perceive them.
At this stage the Adeptus Major confronts their karmic load and
understands what must be done to become karma free.
The Adeptus Major knows they are a spiritual being. Their all-
consuming goal is perfect realization of the divine Christ spirit within
them and complete harmony with their conscience.
By now the spiritual realms are revealed in their entirety. They
have developed an incredibly perceptive “Christ Consciousness” and
an understanding of their life’s work.
Unfortunately they perceive the goal but can’t reach it. Physical
reality fights against them. They feel objective consciousness as an
unruly beast that refuses to go where it is directed. It is badly in need
of discipline. In real terms they don’t know how to physically
manifest their vision and become very frustrated.
Gradually they work through false thinking and confront the
realities of daily life. Hard work each day brings new freedom from
the chains of cause and effect.
They may appear quite irrational and fear they are going insane.
They may fear but their spiritual lust and intoxication drive them to
plunge into spiritual oblivion.
Spiritual oblivion takes the form of intense joy and spiritual bliss.
Life is a great joy and dance that needs no other purpose than itself.
This mental state is called dancing in the light. The intense harmony
holds them spell bound. With joy they realize they are not going
insane after all. There is a physical, material purpose to what they are
doing. In joy they unite the physical and spiritual within themselves
and work toward a united purpose.
They are enthused about the great things they are doing even
though no one else understands them.
Adeptus Exemptus Degree
Mental energy can only be taken so far and these adepts have
reached the outer limits. Do you know what happens when your mind
fails?
These people have left the world of form, the material world and28
live entirely in their heads. They are dead to the physical world and
move about conducting their worldly affairs like zombies. When
viewed from the purely physical point of view these people would be
considered insane or severely troubled. They are emotionless, stern,
solemn and constantly caught up in their own thoughts. They are not
really there.
The Adeptus Exemptus has eliminated all personal desire and lust
for life. There is a strong feeling of death and stagnation. They no
longer have any desire for creativity. They live in total self absorbed
darkness. Even the desire for Spiritual light is absent. Detached from
their surroundings and from themselves, they are completely folded in
upon themselves.
They have gone too far and there is no going back. They see
nothing, hear nothing, and say nothing. All of their energy has gone
inward in a total effort of spiritual selfishness. They seek only
personal salvation and care nothing about others. They have no
compassion or feeling at all. They are people that have used yoga,
magic, meditation or prayer for personal gain and nothing can reach
them. Now they are exploring the darker areas of their souls. They
have gone too far and realize they are in trouble. In a desperate
attempt to remain sane they freeze and try not to move in any
direction at all.
If the Adeptus Exemptus has started their quest with compassion
and concern for others karma will carry them forward into the temple
of the Great White Brotherhood. This level emphasizes the
importance of human compassion and concern for others. It represents
the desire to help others with no thought for personal reward. People
at this level are known as Avatars, Mahatmas…ect.
During this level a Master will appear and perform the baptism of
the holy Christ spirit. The bridge between God/dess and conscious
awareness has been built enough for the Christ spirit to descend in the
form of a sacred baptism and initiation.
Those who refuse to share in the Great work can go no further.
They have nothing to live for. All they have is a huge ego that shuts
them off from others. They work only for personal gain and belong to
the Black Brotherhood. They fear the abyss and death of the personal
ego that lies ahead of them.
Members of the White Brotherhood recognize compassion for
others is a sacred duty and holy trust. Spiritual selfishness must be
eliminated with the death of the false ego. This degree is about the
death of the false ego.29
They stand on the brink of the Great Abyss. There is a sense of
impending doom as the last bit of false ego cries out for survival. This
is the brink of human consciousness. They are virtually at the very
edge of their minds. Logic and Reason can not go beyond this point.
There is a strong feeling of tension. There is expectation of an
important event but nothing happens.
The tension is unbearable with a tug of war between pure spirit and
matter. They are drawn toward God/dess across the abyss but fear the
death of the ego because the ego can not cross. They have tasted
union with the holy spirit at their baptism and now desire to merge
with God/dess. But the spiritual bridge will not allow conscious
awareness to cross it. Finally their deep longing wins and they plunge
into the Great Abyss.
They take this plunge again and again until the false ego is totally
destroyed. Their personality is no more. There is no sense of self. It
takes courage and determination to achieve a permanent union with
God/dess.
It requires long hard work and the spiritual bridge will only allow
short moments of union with God/dess at a time. It will only allow
brief glimpses, thoughts, and inspirations. Still the Adeptus Exemptus
acquires the ability to achieve these insights at will and the day comes
when their awareness will cross the abyss for brief periods at a time.
The feeling of crossing the Abyss is indescribable. They plunge
into the arms of the great Cosmic Mother. They are surrounded in
love and all embracing feminine warmth. They loose ourselves in
holy bliss and rapture because they have truly achieved salvation.
They know that spirit is reality and matter is illusion. This is the
spiritual dawning of a new day and a new sense of self and awareness.
This is the “Golden Dawn”.
Magister Templi Degree
In this degree the adept achieves the highest mystical state known
to man. This has been called “Crossing the Great Abyss”, “Cosmic
Consciousness” and “Christ Consciousness”. Their awareness merges
permanently with the collective intelligence of the human race. They
achieve a state of transcendence and unity.
The Magister Templi has achieved the Golden Dawn and prepares30
for the Holy Marriage with the Christ spirit. They realize their own
divinity and understand their life’s work. They complete and perfect
the spiritual bridge. They also complete a mirror image, the
microcosm back on the mental plane. This creates a perfect bridge of
understanding allowing constant communication between the mental
and the spiritual planes.
The Magister Templi has completed the Holy Tree of Life within.
The trunk and branches are solid channels for spiritual energies. The
roots are buried in the mysterious earth and thick leaves cover
branches reaching up to the stars. This analogy means the Magister
Templi has constructed a personal belief system that allows them to
function at will on the spiritual plane and the mental plane.
They enter into the plane of spiritual love. Here they find self love
and love of others. They see others as mere illusions or extensions of
themselves. They perceive they are real and all else is illusion. They
are a drop of spirit slipping into a great spiritual sea where they seek
to loose themselves.
Somehow they must rise above these feelings and recognize others
as real. Their task becomes helping others on their spiritual journey.
This is the way of return to the physical world.
All karmic residue becomes ashes here for the white adept. Their
karma has been consumed and they become liberated.
The Adept learns there is no supreme Deity except the one within
themselves. All truth is unknowable and replaced by realized truth.
This is revealed by the Christ Spirit a little at a time. Each adept must
seek their own truth deep within themselves. This is an individual
journey.
The adept sees the forces of Chaos and Order locked in eternal
struggle. The male energy represents Expansive Chaos and their will
to change the physical world. They aspire to become co-creators with
God/dess.
The female energy represents Restrictive Order and the way things
are now. Together they manifest all levels below this one. The duality
that creates the universe is perceived. It is a balance of expansion and
restriction.
The Magister Templi becomes an agent of Chaos to achieve their
own personal desires and the upliftment of humanity. They desire to
change the way things are.
Physical reality resists them fiercely and they are stripped of all
power and attainment. This is the curse of this grade and the mystery
of “Sorrow”. The physical world seeks to “eject” them31
Magus Degree
The Magus is ready to return back to ordinary physical existence.
They have learned outer reality is intimately connected to inner
subjective reality. They have achieved real wisdom and gained
recognition of their own level of achievement and mastery. They have
integrated their spiritual nature and now need to integrate their
shadow aspect.
The Magus becomes the legendary philosopher’s stone which
transmutes all that come in contact with it. They are a circle whose
center is nowhere and whose circumference is everywhere. They are
who or what they choose to identify with. Here the Magus learns to
consciously control self at all levels of existence. They reawaken the
emotions and the physical body. They regain control over their
surroundings and pursue their true purpose in life.
Like the artist that is completely free to paint what they choose, the
Magus can do as they choose in life as long as they allow others the
same freedom. Life becomes a true joy and an expression of self
through all levels.
Their duty and purpose in life is to be themselves. By doing this
they transmute all that come in contact with them and inspire people
to a higher level of living.
The Magus is not all knowing or all powerful. They are only as
knowledgeable and powerful as their belief system allows them to be.
This is the real secret of their power and ability. Their belief system is
open ended and harmonious at all levels. They can learn as much
about any thing as they wish before going on to something else.
Their belief system is all inclusive. It includes the entire cosmos.
This belief system is entirely integrated. It is like a hologram in which
each part contains every other part.
The things the Magus can not comprehend are considered non-self
and there is a powerful attraction between what they know and what
they wish to know.
Learning is an area of intense bliss and the Magus will joyously
spend their life learning all they can about physical reality. They have
traveled through the different levels of awareness and now long to
become those levels.32
This is the indescribable experience of non-duality or total union
with God/dess.
There is a sense of gentle loving and sharing that completely fills
them. They are the key or microcosm and the universe or macrocosm
is the lock. The key is all they are capable of knowing and the lock is
all that is possible to become.
As the microcosm becomes more like the macrocosm, the Magus
gains power and strength from the fabric of the cosmos. They use this
power to achieve their ultimate purpose.
In their struggle to reintegrate with physical reality the Magus is
active on all planes activating a causal link between astral/etheric
reality and physical reality. Physical reality continues to stubbornly
resist their efforts but gives way and they move forward anyway. The
Magus is exploring the mystery of Change and how to achieve his/her
true destiny.
For everyone that has not achieved this degree of awareness life
consists of one step forward and one step backward with a zero-sum
gain. That is why it is so hard to get anywhere without compromising
who you are or what you desire. The Magus uses both sides of his
nature to make each step move forward in an unstoppable manner
toward the desired goal.
For the Magus the shadow self and the spiritual self work together
toward a common goal under the direction and rulership of the true
human ego.
Ipsissimus Degree
When the Magus is ready to achieve the highest region of spirit and
the first stages of non-duality they become an Ipsissimus. This is the
highest stage of psychological and ego development known to the
ancients.
In this degree all of the energies, physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual are integrated in complete harmony. In addition the
Ipsissimus has also returned back to physical reality and become
integrated with the energies of the earth and with the energies of
society. They become a little child or babe, the son or daughter of
God. This is the level achieved by Jesus.
At this stage conscious awareness and intuitive awareness are one33
and the same. They encompass all things at will. This is the highest
level man can enter and return in the physical body to talk about.
They have found their true path and follow their destiny. Being and
doing converge as much as human life will allow. The Ipsissimus is as
free as it is possible to be as long as they do what they were born to
do. There is no discord or inner tension, only complete joy and peace
as they recognize their divinity.
Eastern religions talk of the creation of the “immortal physical
body”. When this body is created the ordinary physical body is
discarded or transformed and no longer needed.
The Gods and Goddesses of all religions were once normal humans
that achieved this degree and became divine or immortal. This has
always been the true goal of the secret teachings within any religion.

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