The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites & Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order [Paperback]

Quite frankly, any reprinting of the Golden Dawn material should be left alone, if only for historical reasons. All over the internet, are versions' of the original Golden Dawn material, recklessly modified this way and that, leaving the sincere student to muddle with poorly documented material, free of Regardie's explanations, as well as free of access to the Golden Dawn material as Regardie knew it. To put it bluntly, I want the Golden Dawn material as Regardie originally knew, compiled, and explained it!

I read on the 'net that the New Falcon Press 'Complete Golden Dawn System' volume, although twice the price, or more, of this Llewellyn 'modified' reprint, is still available. Yet I read that it has been modified, in its subsequent editions, even worse than the Llewellyn edition has been.
Much useful material, exclusive to the Falcon edition, is added. Yet, it is said that Regardie's work has been tampered with in the editions since his death. I don't know what to think. After all is said and done, I wish the New Falcon people would stop adding to and modifying the edition Regardie oversaw before his death, and reprint their 'oh, so marvelous!' new insights into some sort of companion volume.

In short, I am not so sure that there are, as yet, worthy successors to Regardie, or to his original contents and layouts, in either edition ! This is so, in spite of the glitter/wonder boys like DuQuette, who would affect to follow in Regardie's footsteps as types of 'new expounders.'

Also, the past few Llewellyn editions features an index, by David Godwin. I might add a useful thought here, for students: the idea of a Godwin index is a little useless/ superfluous, as it takes time and patience to absorb the Golden Dawn material anyway. Regardie himself advises, 'a few pages a day' at a time. The presence of a large index may have been a fun exercise for compiler David Godwin, but I fail to see how it really makes the material so much easier to master. (Question: did Regardie ever feel an index necessary to his edition of the Golden Dawn materials ? Nowhere have I read that he did.)

In other words, patience is what's needed, not the use of some nervous index, likely to appeal only to the hesitant and unsure, and give them a false idea of the work to endure. What a waste of paper! I would rather they would stick everyone's 'modifications' back on those index pages, and leave Regardie's original text entirely alone !

At any rate, the additions of too much material, and 'addenda/ephemera' to the text, is at least a minor insult to Regardie. It is certainly a major insult to the structure of his work, which may have an integrity and wholeness all its own that ought to be acknowledged and appreciated, before anyone goes messing about with it.

Still, this volume is likely to serve you well, as being closer to the original Golden Dawn material as gathered by Regardie, than unreliable and random ramblings through any dubious websites that offer up the same material.

In the other, New Falcon edition, Regardie expands on the desirable recommended books he felt one should study along with the Golden Dawn material. These include a highly desirable list of recommended psychology readings, and also ' Nature's Finer Forces' by Rama Prasad, 'Kundalini' by Gopi Krishna (precious cautionary advice!,) and a few others, as I recall. However, useful recommended reads are also set forth in the Llewellyn edition. One can use these as a 'beginner's guide,' and acquire the 'New Falcon' edition later, following its reading recommendations.

You will need a guide through the occult maze, assuming you set out on it. Regardie provides that guidance.

Certainly one should acquire Regardie's 'Tree of Life' volume (even if it's the Cicero's!) It is in 'The Tree of Life' that Regardie provides the understanding necessary to appreciate the spirit of both the Golden Dawn and the much maligned, yet worthy, Mr. Crowley material. Having done that, one can add 'Gems from the Equinox' to one's bookshelf, the second major important volume to study along with 'The Golden Dawn,' even in the edition set forth by Llewellyn.

Truly, we shall not be setting in gear with Golden Dawn or Regardie to much of anyone's benefit, until more of Regardie's material is reprinted ( and I might add, the magic books of W. E. Butler.) It is in Regardie's various books that guidance is also provided, as well as his recommended readings in various authors, not completely discussed elsewhere.

Enough of this 'word to the wise.' If you have a nose for the best, you will not be distracted by lesser 'occultarians.' and Regardie will appear to be the 'man to go with.' I especially enjoyed having my Llewellyn Golden Dawn (before anyone started to 'revise' it) as I originally started on this road, to augment my work with the 'middle pillar ritual' (see Regardie's 'Art of True healing.') Benefits accrued, as Regardie would say. And they continue to.

Proceed cautiously, but proceed. And don't fall for the 'glitter kids' of the occult scene, before spending some time reading and contemplating Regardie's efforts, and learning to understand and practice them. Complete comprehension will gradually arise, all in good time. As Regardie says in an essay currently out-of-print, though accessible on the internet, ' The benefits are such as to make this effort extremely worthwhile.'

Get your currently preferred edition (Llewellyn's is smaller than New Falcon's) of the Golden Dawn material. Start studying a few pages a day. And practice the Middle Pillar ritual every day, as you will find Regardie recommends in his books. It is a 'sine qua non' of magical practice as Regardie sees it, and practically the entire central essence of his conception of the Golden Dawn.

If anyone has doubts, I reassure the reader that the edition I am (carefully!) working with now, is the 6th edition of Regardie - much as I resent what appear to be a few 'modifications' from previous Golden Dawn editions I have owned! ( At least they solved the 'page 103 misplacement issue' with the inauguration of the Llewellyn paperback edition.)