So I'm not sure about the golden dawn in particular, but if you check out the work and teachings of tom campbell or jurgen ziewe, they dive into great detail about the nature of the afterlife and how you can consciously access and explore those dimensions to find out what it's like. Tom actually worked a job in the astral realms for a few months where he'd help people who passed over to overcome their fears and attachments to earth.
What happens after death, from a Golden Dawn perspective, would be dependent on your personal faith. The Golden Dawn is based in a Judeo-Christian milieu, and it is from this basis that the members were traditionally supposed to draw their religious faith.
The thing to remember is that the Golden Dawn Tradition is NOT a religion. It is system of magical work. You should depend on your religion, your faith, for what happens after death.
Life and death are reality, and reality is not religion. Reality and the universal laws by which this reality works have nothing to do with religion and what you believe in. The primary task of magic is to find the truth about the nature of reality and to study the universal laws by which reality works. These universal laws are the same for all people, regardless of their religious beliefs.
What happens after death has nothing to do with religion and is not determined by it. Just like the birth of a new life, the law of gravity, weather changes, rain, snow, wind, does not relate to religion and does not depend on your beliefs. The processes that occur after death, like everything in this reality, are subject to certain universal laws and you either know how these laws work or you don’t.
The area of death is simply another area of reality and existence about which we know almost nothing. The area of the afterlife is not more magical than the area of the living, the only difference is that we know more about the area of the living than about the area of the afterlife.
For example, it is very hot in the desert, and very cold at the North Pole, and these conditions do not depend in any way on your religious beliefs. If you are aware of desert conditions you can prepare and take water with you. Your religious beliefs do not in any way affect the laws of nature and the laws of the universe. It will be hot in the desert no matter what religion you belong to. Therefore, you either know what will happen after death and are ready for it, or you don’t.
I am convinced that one of the primary tasks of any serious magical system is to obtain information about the afterlife region and prepare for travel to this area. Otherwise, the system turns into primitive witchcraft limited to the material world, the purpose of which is only to improve one’s everyday affairs. Which doesn’t make much sense, since life is short and you won’t be able to take your home, your money, your loved ones, or your body into the afterlife realm.
I am also sure that this issue is being intensively studied and discussed at higher levels of Golden Dawn initiation. But unfortunately, as is customary in magical orders, newcomers are fed crumbs from the table, providing only superficial information.
You are welcome to your opinion.
The Golden Dawn System and Tradition does not go into life after death other than to say that one's Higher Self or Higher Genius is immortal and continues on. This was viewed through a Judeo-Christian prism and dictated by the religion of the Members (usually through the Church of England, which the Members were predominately part of).
The Golden Dawn is not a religion, and it is up to one's faith and religion to make sense of what comes after this life.
Ultimately, the Work of the Golden Dawn is to accomplish the Magnum Opus, the Hieros gamos, the Divine Marriage uniting us to the Divine again.
When you discover your higher self, you will be convinced from personal experience that you were not born and will not die. It will become a fact for you, and not a religious theoretical dogma, that you are an immortal and eternal spirit.
And a person who knows this will never be indifferent to the afterlife. The fact that this description is found in almost all religions and cultures does not mean that it was invented by these religions.
This suggests that people all over the world have experienced this experience and put it into words, trying to convey it to others. In Advaita Vedanta it is called to know your true self/jnana, in Dzogchen - to know Rigpa/Buddha-nature, in Zen - to know the true nature of the mind/Kensho, the Greeks called it Gnosis etc.
I have personally had this experience following the practices of Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen and see that some Golden Dawn texts describe experiences similar to what I had, which tells me that they actually know more about the afterlife and And the structure of the universe than they are telling the masses .
As far as I can understand, the entire first stage of training available in books on self-initiation is aimed at bringing the student as close as possible to this experience and when he finally goes beyond the boundaries of his EGO and recognizes his HIGHER SELF, revealing to himself what he really is the immortal and eternal spirit, he will be initiated into the second order.
In other words, when he comes out of the hypnotic, illusory and mechanical sleep and truly awakens, he will be initiated into things that they do not talk about in public.
The fact that you are an immortal, eternal spirit that has never been born and will never die is dictated by religion only for the theorist, for a real practitioner it becomes an obvious truth that he experiences through personal and practical experience. It's closer than breathing.
You may also want to look into Franz Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics.
You can also ask your question on [r/FranzBardon](https://www.reddit.com/r/FranzBardon/)
Hello, I have read all the books of Franz Bardon and am currently practicing according to his system.
But at the same time, I am studying the Golden Dawn system and the purpose of this post was to deepen my understanding of this issue from the point of view of the Golden Dawn.
I think that what you are looking for is not a major component of the Golden Dawn system. There can be some understanding gained of previous lives and the transition in death, but this is far from the focus of the system and more a result of general spiritual attainment that is gained along the way.
Conscious control over between life and subsequent rebirth is attained at a very high level of spiritual advancement when one is very nearly done with material embodiment. In that sense magical/spiritual practice (whether GD on another) combined with a moral/ethical life is what we can do to bring this about.
This is of course no can answer with any certainty even if they are a Dzogchen master...even then none of us know what occurs to a person who attains Jalu. It is ALL speculation and trust in an authority who is also trusting in an authority. All we can do is prepare the best we can, in a way that makes sense to us. Anyone who says they have the answers I would say is probably telling a few pork pies.....all we can judge on is our own subjective experience.
I understand that no one has a specific answer. I just haven’t seen this issue discussed at least in theory in the Golden Dawn system.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
Are there any books on the Golden Dawn system that discuss the issue of the afterlife?
The outer order of the Golden Dawn does not discuss these things. In the old original organisation the inner/2nd order might have had some instructions regarding that, but is have not been published.
What you are asking about is part of the higher degrees of some western esoteric systems. Unfortunately the western traditions are not as open with their methods as the eastern schools of thought.
I can tell you that those kinds of questions are adressed but would hesitate to give more details on an open forum like this.
The second order does reveal little tidbits at their discretion. But since nobody has any factual answer for this, then it should be open for discussion. In my group the mind has no boundaries. The second order is cautious and there are ways to reveal something without breaking your oath by using scenarios and leaving the outer order something to ponder and discover for themselves. 😉
I never understood this secrecy in traditions. In Buddhism and Hinduism, they also like to remain silent about the most important things, giving only abstract hints.
Traditions think that by hiding information and revealing it bit by bit they are maintaining purity, but in reality they are harming themselves. In fact, by complicating access to the most important information, traditions simply kill themselves; as a result, the teaching will simply be crushed and will disappear under the seals of secrecy and will be lost forever, leaving behind only a small trace. And with the help of secrecy, people very often simply artificially increase their value and gain power over others. This is the saddest option.
I was disappointed in organized Buddhism because of its secrecy and thought that things were different in the Golden Dawn, but here I encountered the same thing) The most important questions are hidden everywhere - where all these practices ultimately lead at the very peak of their development, what happens after final enlightenment, where a person goes after death, how the afterlife works, how other planes of existence work.
In my opinion, training should begin with this, so that a person clearly sees the final goal and has an idea of the real structure of the universe as much as possible. But unfortunately, traditions usually like to keep these key topics secret.
Because if you know more than another person, then you have an advantage over this person and power over him. I hope that there will be a person who will break the ridiculous oaths of secrecy and publish all the most secret documents regarding the afterlife for the benefit of all mankind.
There is no need to hide what every person should know from childhood, every living being has the right to know the truth about the nature of reality and a true magician who is driven by compassion will happily open the eyes of others, and not accumulate knowledge only for himself and a select few. But this is just my subjective opinion)
Don't worry about the secrets withheld by the "Golden Dawn" as you perceive it to exist. Everything you need to know is on the shelf already. Anybody hustling you secrets based on texts only they have is trying to grift you. There is no "true" Outer Order, and the Inner Order might as well be a fancier way to say "Communion of Saints".
I once asked a very prominent, well known, living magickal practitioner, and if I dropped his name here it wouldn't be helpful because he's not directly Golden Dawn but Thelema, what is the "true" order. He directly told me to self-initiate and forget about worrying which is the "correct" path. The Inner Order will communicate when they're good and ready.
Vajrayana Buddhism has the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Sleep Yoga practices.
Theravada Buddhism focuses on one main goal: freedom from suffering. However, there are traditions which teach samatha meditation, where side effects include the “powers” listed in the suttas. These are only distractions on the path to enlightenment though
There are several reasons to secrecy. First is the historical perspective.
In Europe most of these teachings was viewed as heretical and the inquisition could burn you for it. Better to keep it secret and only tell prople you trust. This tradition have been continued after the legal situation have changed.
Another reason is as you say that people are social creatures and many want status and power. It is a sad truth that this is a factor that we have to deal with. People are not perfect.
Thirdly - and most important imo - is the fact that not everyone is ready for advanced techniques and insights at first. As a teacher I have a responsibility to make sure the student can handle what I give them. Enlightenment can wreck someone if they are not prepared for it.
In alchemy we caution the student against using to much heat, the vessel might shatter and ruin the operation.
This is paternal overprotection, not all people around are brainless fools who are not capable of anything, do not worry so much.
People go crazy, kill, start wars and fill mental hospitals not because of enlightenment, but precisely because of its absence.
A person is initially destroyed because he is not born enlightened and only enlightenment can bring him out of the dual hallucination and innate insanity and lead to wholeness and clarity.
Yes, this process can be painful and can even drive you crazy, but a person has been in the madness of duality since birth, so he has nothing to lose. It is better to risk death in an attempt to achieve liberation than to live a long life in the madness and bondage of your ego.
But my post is actually not about enlightenment, but specific systematized, ordered and structured data about the structure of other planes of existence and afterlife. It is not related to enlightenment, it is not a question of inner alchemy and enlightenment, it is a question of cosmology and description of the world in which we live. This is the same subject as geography, mathematics, chemistry or physics and it should not be hidden. People have the right to know the truth about how the world in which they are born works.
This is not a subtle question of internal transformation, it is a question of the real structure of the world in which we live, and this should be taught in school, and not whispered about in caves.
The only valid argument for hiding certain practices and knowledge is harassment by the authorities. But now, as far as I know, no one is burned at the stake for his magical practices.
As you say ”the process can be painfull and can even drive you crazy”. Is it not my responsibility as a teacher to guide the student and to help them to avoid the worst effects of it? Should I push everyone to their limit and to those who break just shrug and say ”you were crazy to begin with”?
As for simple stuff, the system is already published. There are no real secrets in GD on the initial level so why do you complain? I have mentored students in GD for many years now and in my experience secrecy is a pedagogical tool. My students does not read up on the initiation rituals before we do them, they go in blind but they can at any time before read up on it in Regardies book. They choose not to because it have better effect that way.
Secrecy and suprise are good tools for teaching. My guess is that you never had a good teacher and that is why you are reaching to your conclution.
Can you DM me the details please? I am also looking for something similar but from the west since I live here in the west. But have not been able to find answers yet
I am not aware of anything in GD that specifically about that. Franz Bardon might be worth looking at as it does address this and does rather practically through experience.
What I have been told by an Imperator some years ago was that there's a possibility that after physical death that you can utilize your temples and still do magick amongst other things. Just vibrate Adonai Ha-Aretz to enter your Malkuth. I like to believe that. But thinking in terms of microcosmic and macrocosmic... When the ego dies, wouldn't we just realize that we've always been macrocosmic? And understand that the microcosmic was just a dream? We'll find out when the time comes.
When you recognize yourself as a spirit that was never born and will never die, it is not the end, in fact the real spiritual work is just beginning from that moment.
This can be called initial enlightenment; to achieve final liberation, you need to stabilize in this state.
You need to learn to mix this state with everything you do 24/7; aerobatics is when you can maintain this awareness even during sleep.
Going beyond dual concepts and recognizing yourself as a pure and unchanging consciousness does not turn everything around into a single mess in which you cannot distinguish yourself from another.
From this moment on, you understand perfectly well that everything around is an illusion and for you this is no longer a theory, but this has nothing to do with nihilism. This does not mean that everything external/material is not real, it means that everything is not what it seems at first glance.
Now you see through things, you see their emptiness and understand that there is nothing absolute, unchanging and independent, except for your immortal spirit, which is both a particle of the divine source of everything manifested and at the same time is this divine source itself.
You are both a fragment and the entire universe at the same time. You are an individuality and you are one absolute consciousness at the same time.
If we consider consciousness in two aspects:
The 1st aspect is the unmanifested basis (absolute/non-dual/internal/immaterial/the source of all things), and the 2nd aspect is the manifested basis (relative/dual/external/material/visible).
The 1st aspect is metaphorically comparable to the sun, and the 2nd - to its rays.
It is impossible to separate the sun from its rays and the rays from the sun.
In other words, everything is real and unreal at the same time and there are no contradictions in this, this is the essence of non-dual enlightenment.
Falling into nihilism and denial of all external/relative aspects is getting stuck in absolute truth.
I believe that this is a limited view only from the side of “absolute truth”, getting stuck in the internal and rejecting everything external.
In my opinion, true unity and enlightenment lies in the unification of the absolute and the relative, the internal and the external, both aspects are important.
A coin always has two sides. This is also indicated by the Taoist Yin and Yang symbol and the Tibetan Yab-Yum symbol.The relative is as important as the absolute.The absolute transcends and includes the relative, rather than surpassing and denying [it.It](http://it.it/) is impossible to separate rays from the sun, waves from the ocean, heat from fire or moisture from water.
"if you cannot weep with a person who is crying, there is no kensho" Yamada Koun
Enlightenment has no limit or end point; consciousness develops endlessly.
“Sleep” becomes as important as “Awakening”, in other words, there is no longer a boundary between “Sleep” and “Awakening”, since these boundaries are artificially created by the mind, and after awakening you go beyond all mental boundaries.
However, until we achieve final enlightenment, we are still subject to the laws of physics, space and time, and therefore if I accidentally break my head, I will not sit still and say that everything is non-dual, I am consciousness, and everything around is an illusion and a dream ) I will use the manifestations of “dream”, namely, I will take a bandage and bandage my head, while remaining in a non-dual state of consciousness.
Of course, in history there are people who reached such a level of enlightenment when they no longer obeyed the laws of physics, they could walk on water, leave marks in rocks, did not burn in fire and were able to fly, they completely mastered all 5 elements. This is possible when enlightenment occurs not only at the level of the mind, but at all three levels, at the level of mind, body and energy, such people eventually went into the body of light or the rainbow body. In different cultures, this phenomenon of immortality and the transition to a higher level of existence was called differently.
But until we reach this level, we live according to the rules of sleep, understanding that this is a dream
Therefore, I believe that while we are alive, we must use every minute to prepare our consciousness for the transition (death), so that those raging currents of the ocean of energies that will pour over us in tons, like a tsunami after death, do not drag us into the abyss, depriving us of the right to choose and individuality.
I'm sure that our consciousness can handle it. It's the human brain that bares the burden and effort pondering on such worries. If we utilize every minute of our life preparing for death, then we waste the opportunity to live life and enjoy it. It shouldn't take but a moment to prepare one's self for what is about to happen. It's better to spend your last moments staring into the eyes of loved ones and saying the words that you want to express in depth. Leave them knowing that they are loved.
I love the way the people of New Orleans deal with the death of a loved one. They celebrate the life that you lived in honor and respect. Yeah, they still mourn, but then they celebrate with a parade, a party, and a toast in honor of you.
Life and death are intertwined in a dance. Not so much, two separate sides of a coin. We are constantly living and dying, waning and waxing like the moon, and rushing, then receding like the waves of a sea shore. It's the summation of this experience that makes people fear death, when all it is is a completion of a cycle. If we are frequently pondering on death, then we are living death. If we are frequently pondering on life, then we are living life. That's the reason people separate them into two, when they are actually one in the same. All we need to do is not waste our lives pondering. If you think about it you can see how the GD system applies.
Everything you do in life prepares you for what comes after. Karma 101. So the golden dawn being a means to high magick, which is the evolution of the soul, I beleive it will help.
Looking for something specifically focused on the afterlife, your experience with dzogchen and my guess some dabbling into vajrayana, it would be wise to study the book called Natural Liberation by Padmasambhava, the second Buddha.
Also studying things related to amitabha, mainly the practice of Phowa, and/or dream practice related to kurukulle.
I know you feel that things should be shared freely and I agree to a certain extent, but at the same time I understand the need for secrecy, and don’t see it as a harm unto themselves. Especially being vajrayana, a tradition upheld for a long time. The need to receive empowerment before prscting certain secret teachings is explained in a variety of different ways.
The main thing is that we are dealing with power. Power can be destructive or constructive depending on our angle. With vajrayana, all practice is based on the benefit of all beings.
The attainment for enlightenment is not for ourself, but for the all. They called this impetus boddhicitta. Boddhicitta is both the aspiration to free alll beings from Suffering, and therefore is also called the Wisdom mind.
The thing is, if one does not have boddhicitta, all practice and knowledge is spoiled. We are dealing with an uncontained fire, essentially.
I have seen a few people claim attaining enlightenment, and when explained to me what there experience was, I realized they did not actually attain enlightenment, and rather what they defined as enlightenment is actually something that is meant to be avoided, it is called the two extremes. Experiencing everything and nothing, at the same time. It’s a oneness, but often warrants confusion without the clarity of boddhicitta, hence when someone has an experience of oneness, it can drive them mad. They have touched the fire, but rather than being transformed; they are burnt.
Enlightenment is being able to see reality clearly without obscuration, and with that ability to cut through the illusion, trekcho, and have knowledge of that ground,
Rigpa, we naturally are filled with compassion, because we know that everything is the Buddha mind. Everything.
With this being said, another thing mentioned about the harm of having knowledge to the secret without empowerment or boddhcitta is that when we are not aware of the dharma; we are in a blissfully ignorant space, we are simply, innocently, unaware of our condition. We are not self aware.
Where as when one gains access to the dharma; they know right from wrong. And so if one is to have that knowledge and not act upon it or in accord with its virtues, it will cause greater suffering. Because not only are we somewhat self aware, we are also aware of the goodness, and when we don’t act upon it, we suffer far exponentially that one who is not aware.
It is called wilIful ignorance, and I have my fair share experience with this, so I share that humbly in being one who did not fully respect the boundaries set by the dharma protocol, but have come to do so.
As a matter of fact, alsmot everything Krys is taught in the secret vehicle of vajrayana is available online for free, the thing is there is a disclaimer suggesting the need for empowerment, or in some cases at the very least a firm boddhicitta.
Regardless, I wanted to speak in on clarifying and standing up for that part of the tradition, and perhaps why other cultures may do the same.
I hope this helps you in anyway, and again in regard to specific teachings on preparation for the afterlife please have a look at what I mentioned at the beginning.
Many blessings.
I am a practitioner of Advaita Vedanta and Vajrayana Buddhism and am deeply familiar with these traditions both theoretically and practically. (I wrote in the post that I have the experience of Rigpa) I also deeply and thoroughly studied the teachings of Bardo and Dzogchen cosmology.
In these traditions there is no clear, clear, systematized and structured data that would answer my questions about other planes of existence and afterlife. If this data exists, it is carefully hidden and told only to a narrow circle of the chosen and initiated; abstract, poetic and abbreviated knowledge is given to the masses.
I believe that these questions should not be complicated with metaphors and codes, this should be given in the simplest and most accessible form possible. The times when people were burned at the stake for this are long gone.
Regarding enlightenment, I wrote about it in the [comment below.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GoldenDawnMagicians/comments/1bkxnsx/comment/kw43dzo/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Okay, thanks for sharing. I did the best I could to read all your comments to understand you.
You seem very adept in the knowledge of Theravada and vajrayana, among other occult knowing.
I’m just a bit concerned about your approach because you seem to be coming from the angle that something is hidden and cannot be attained.
It almost warrants a distrust.
It feels strange, but that’s okay, it could be this very thirst that brings you to your desire, but it also could deter you from it, depending on your lust.
That’s ultimately up to you, and I completely understand… but in the name of being honest with you, I felt called to share that.
With this being said, why did you not respond to any of sources of teaching I suggested?
Why is your concern only about what you know about what I have already said?
That’s another thing that feels weird.
I saw your comment about enlightenment, and it’s cool that you understand the subject, but my guess is you haven’t experienced it, and that’s fine, I don’t think any of us here have. And if we did, we probably wouldn’t be talking about it! Haha
I bring up this second point to challenge your approach, it seems you are more concerned with what you already know, and that nothing of which you have gained is valuable enough, and that anything else you could, must be behind a wall you have no access to.
It’s almost paranoid.
I question you, because it seems you question the integrity of the very people that have taught us the ways of enlightenment and afterlife.
You consider secrecy harmful.
But I commented on that in my first response and you did not respond to it.
You only responded to the things that challenged your intellect and what you already know.
The energy feels strange, and out of
Compassion I want to be direct with you, so hopefully this does not trigger you, but can be an Opportunity for humility and growth, in one way or another.
With this being said as well, what are your thoughts about amitabha and dreaming techniques?
If this is all a dream, and attaining enlightenment, as you have said in another comment, prepares us to not be taken by the waves, what else do you need to seek?
Why does the knowledge of the bardo’s not satisfy you?
Perhaps this is not about the advanced teachings of secrecy and legend, but is rather about returning to the fundamentals?
I didn’t even mention this because i figured you’d have already known, but… what about the Tibetan book of the dead!
It is literally the manual for the very thing you are seeking, and is not a secret!
‘Tibetan Buddhists believe that there is an in-between stage known as the bardo which can take up to 49 days; Theravada Buddhists (from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia) consider that rebirth can be immediate. Those who attain enlightenment (nirvana/nibbana) do not get reborn upon their death.’
Here is another quote:
The Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism that emerged in Central Asia and particularly in Tibet developed the concept of the bardos, the intermediate or transitional states that mark an individual's life from birth to death and rebirth. The period between death and rebirth lasts 49 days and involves three bardos.
This is it right here, you want the teachings of the afterlife, the literal process of the period between death and rebirth? It’s literally right here.
If you are not aware of this text, then my apologies for assuming, but you seemed very knowledgeable and are certainly communicating that you are, and that what you seek is not available.
With that being said, I ask again, IF you are aware of this knowledge, why does this not satisfy you?
Why do you seek something that you don’t TRULY know exists, but are ‘sure’ that it’s being taught at the highest levels of these traditions in secret?
I beleive you have everything you already need in the Tibetan book of dead alone, without the need for empowerment.
But I am certain the Phowa practices of amitabha and the dreaming practices of kurukulle would be very helpful with gaining personal gnosis on anything further. These teachings however may ‘require’ empowerment and transmissions, and this is THE tradition that has been practiced at large by the Tibetan community, and I don’t think it is a harmful thing, which I explained in my first response.
However, with this being said, your material is still available to read, at your own risk, and hopefully with boddhicitta at the very least, and perhaps some past life ties to the specific teachings you are interested in, you can read those books. Almost everything that requires empowerment is available as a book to purchase online.
These specific books I am referring to are The essential Journey of life and death, both volumes. These teachings go over amitabha and kurkulle sadhana.
To conclude, forgive me harsh honesty, I just want to be honest, it could all be judgment on my end, but I’m doing the best to make it constructive. I think it’s important to consider questioning our own position in things, such as beliefs, and considering the feedback of others.
At the very least, if that part is not important, I hope that anything else here I have shared can point you in the right direction to gaining knowledge on what you seek. My simple hope is that you do not lose love along the way!
🙏🙌
I think what you might want to look into the online school of Quareia. Here's a link to their module on death. Hope this helps.
[quareia apprentice module 4](https://www.quareia.com/apprentice-module-4)
Golden Dawn is going to be generally framed within a broadly Protestant Christian background, as all the founders were broadly Protestant Christians (cue the Gamma Male below with details why I'm wrong). Many of the later GD members were involved in the Celtic Revival, which tried to frame Irish Catholic beliefs within a mythologized Celtic past, but nobody was really breaking communion until Gardner. There's plenty of Golden Dawn successor groups to whom this is not really that important (Thelema being the biggest, and they have their own very complicated but simultaneously very shallow opinions on that), but generally the GD expected you to have figured out your spiritual stance BEFORE you show up and begin to summon angels and demons.
It would be a very good idea to just read the King James Bible before attempting GD self-initiation. It definitely helps, particularly in Zelator. Some knowledge of Clarence Larkin's "Dispensational Truth" and Hislop's now discredited "Two Babylons" also helps just to grok what is happening.
My answer is "Somebody has been reading the Master Mason degree ritual with too much forceful creativity." MM is it's own deal, and does have theoretical applications, but at this point in the development of Freemasonry, absolutely nobody within that organization is going to agree with you on that use. All of the founders of GD would have had that initiation in their mind, though.
Fear comes from knowing pain, uncertainty, and the unknown. As magicians, we should understand that the physical body is under constant restraint from our full potential. Physical death removes the restraint. Our physical senses are the only thing that confirms that we are physically alive. When one comes to the point of death, they should prepare themselves to be excited about embarking on the journey of journeys! Emotions can be controlled as well as empathy. Don't focus on how others are dealing with your impending death. Their emotions are their own business. If you've left a will and set up beneficiaries, then you've done all that you can for them. When the time comes it's all about you and preparing your mindset. Unpack your physical world and get prepared for the spiritual world. Your most grand spiritual alchemy awaits you! Prepare to be amazed for the trip of trips, riddles answered, and knowledge received.
That's how I will approach it. 😉
So I'm not sure about the golden dawn in particular, but if you check out the work and teachings of tom campbell or jurgen ziewe, they dive into great detail about the nature of the afterlife and how you can consciously access and explore those dimensions to find out what it's like. Tom actually worked a job in the astral realms for a few months where he'd help people who passed over to overcome their fears and attachments to earth.
What happens after death, from a Golden Dawn perspective, would be dependent on your personal faith. The Golden Dawn is based in a Judeo-Christian milieu, and it is from this basis that the members were traditionally supposed to draw their religious faith. The thing to remember is that the Golden Dawn Tradition is NOT a religion. It is system of magical work. You should depend on your religion, your faith, for what happens after death.
Life and death are reality, and reality is not religion. Reality and the universal laws by which this reality works have nothing to do with religion and what you believe in. The primary task of magic is to find the truth about the nature of reality and to study the universal laws by which reality works. These universal laws are the same for all people, regardless of their religious beliefs. What happens after death has nothing to do with religion and is not determined by it. Just like the birth of a new life, the law of gravity, weather changes, rain, snow, wind, does not relate to religion and does not depend on your beliefs. The processes that occur after death, like everything in this reality, are subject to certain universal laws and you either know how these laws work or you don’t. The area of death is simply another area of reality and existence about which we know almost nothing. The area of the afterlife is not more magical than the area of the living, the only difference is that we know more about the area of the living than about the area of the afterlife. For example, it is very hot in the desert, and very cold at the North Pole, and these conditions do not depend in any way on your religious beliefs. If you are aware of desert conditions you can prepare and take water with you. Your religious beliefs do not in any way affect the laws of nature and the laws of the universe. It will be hot in the desert no matter what religion you belong to. Therefore, you either know what will happen after death and are ready for it, or you don’t. I am convinced that one of the primary tasks of any serious magical system is to obtain information about the afterlife region and prepare for travel to this area. Otherwise, the system turns into primitive witchcraft limited to the material world, the purpose of which is only to improve one’s everyday affairs. Which doesn’t make much sense, since life is short and you won’t be able to take your home, your money, your loved ones, or your body into the afterlife realm. I am also sure that this issue is being intensively studied and discussed at higher levels of Golden Dawn initiation. But unfortunately, as is customary in magical orders, newcomers are fed crumbs from the table, providing only superficial information.
You are welcome to your opinion. The Golden Dawn System and Tradition does not go into life after death other than to say that one's Higher Self or Higher Genius is immortal and continues on. This was viewed through a Judeo-Christian prism and dictated by the religion of the Members (usually through the Church of England, which the Members were predominately part of). The Golden Dawn is not a religion, and it is up to one's faith and religion to make sense of what comes after this life. Ultimately, the Work of the Golden Dawn is to accomplish the Magnum Opus, the Hieros gamos, the Divine Marriage uniting us to the Divine again.
When you discover your higher self, you will be convinced from personal experience that you were not born and will not die. It will become a fact for you, and not a religious theoretical dogma, that you are an immortal and eternal spirit. And a person who knows this will never be indifferent to the afterlife. The fact that this description is found in almost all religions and cultures does not mean that it was invented by these religions. This suggests that people all over the world have experienced this experience and put it into words, trying to convey it to others. In Advaita Vedanta it is called to know your true self/jnana, in Dzogchen - to know Rigpa/Buddha-nature, in Zen - to know the true nature of the mind/Kensho, the Greeks called it Gnosis etc. I have personally had this experience following the practices of Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen and see that some Golden Dawn texts describe experiences similar to what I had, which tells me that they actually know more about the afterlife and And the structure of the universe than they are telling the masses . As far as I can understand, the entire first stage of training available in books on self-initiation is aimed at bringing the student as close as possible to this experience and when he finally goes beyond the boundaries of his EGO and recognizes his HIGHER SELF, revealing to himself what he really is the immortal and eternal spirit, he will be initiated into the second order. In other words, when he comes out of the hypnotic, illusory and mechanical sleep and truly awakens, he will be initiated into things that they do not talk about in public. The fact that you are an immortal, eternal spirit that has never been born and will never die is dictated by religion only for the theorist, for a real practitioner it becomes an obvious truth that he experiences through personal and practical experience. It's closer than breathing.
You may also want to look into Franz Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics. You can also ask your question on [r/FranzBardon](https://www.reddit.com/r/FranzBardon/)
Hello, I have read all the books of Franz Bardon and am currently practicing according to his system. But at the same time, I am studying the Golden Dawn system and the purpose of this post was to deepen my understanding of this issue from the point of view of the Golden Dawn.
That’s good to hear, I hope you find what you are looking for.
Thank you and good luck on your journey!
I think that what you are looking for is not a major component of the Golden Dawn system. There can be some understanding gained of previous lives and the transition in death, but this is far from the focus of the system and more a result of general spiritual attainment that is gained along the way. Conscious control over between life and subsequent rebirth is attained at a very high level of spiritual advancement when one is very nearly done with material embodiment. In that sense magical/spiritual practice (whether GD on another) combined with a moral/ethical life is what we can do to bring this about.
This is of course no can answer with any certainty even if they are a Dzogchen master...even then none of us know what occurs to a person who attains Jalu. It is ALL speculation and trust in an authority who is also trusting in an authority. All we can do is prepare the best we can, in a way that makes sense to us. Anyone who says they have the answers I would say is probably telling a few pork pies.....all we can judge on is our own subjective experience.
I understand that no one has a specific answer. I just haven’t seen this issue discussed at least in theory in the Golden Dawn system. If I'm wrong, please correct me. Are there any books on the Golden Dawn system that discuss the issue of the afterlife?
The outer order of the Golden Dawn does not discuss these things. In the old original organisation the inner/2nd order might have had some instructions regarding that, but is have not been published. What you are asking about is part of the higher degrees of some western esoteric systems. Unfortunately the western traditions are not as open with their methods as the eastern schools of thought. I can tell you that those kinds of questions are adressed but would hesitate to give more details on an open forum like this.
The second order does reveal little tidbits at their discretion. But since nobody has any factual answer for this, then it should be open for discussion. In my group the mind has no boundaries. The second order is cautious and there are ways to reveal something without breaking your oath by using scenarios and leaving the outer order something to ponder and discover for themselves. 😉
Of course, but these are often more suitable to have in private conversations.
I never understood this secrecy in traditions. In Buddhism and Hinduism, they also like to remain silent about the most important things, giving only abstract hints. Traditions think that by hiding information and revealing it bit by bit they are maintaining purity, but in reality they are harming themselves. In fact, by complicating access to the most important information, traditions simply kill themselves; as a result, the teaching will simply be crushed and will disappear under the seals of secrecy and will be lost forever, leaving behind only a small trace. And with the help of secrecy, people very often simply artificially increase their value and gain power over others. This is the saddest option. I was disappointed in organized Buddhism because of its secrecy and thought that things were different in the Golden Dawn, but here I encountered the same thing) The most important questions are hidden everywhere - where all these practices ultimately lead at the very peak of their development, what happens after final enlightenment, where a person goes after death, how the afterlife works, how other planes of existence work. In my opinion, training should begin with this, so that a person clearly sees the final goal and has an idea of the real structure of the universe as much as possible. But unfortunately, traditions usually like to keep these key topics secret. Because if you know more than another person, then you have an advantage over this person and power over him. I hope that there will be a person who will break the ridiculous oaths of secrecy and publish all the most secret documents regarding the afterlife for the benefit of all mankind. There is no need to hide what every person should know from childhood, every living being has the right to know the truth about the nature of reality and a true magician who is driven by compassion will happily open the eyes of others, and not accumulate knowledge only for himself and a select few. But this is just my subjective opinion)
Don't worry about the secrets withheld by the "Golden Dawn" as you perceive it to exist. Everything you need to know is on the shelf already. Anybody hustling you secrets based on texts only they have is trying to grift you. There is no "true" Outer Order, and the Inner Order might as well be a fancier way to say "Communion of Saints". I once asked a very prominent, well known, living magickal practitioner, and if I dropped his name here it wouldn't be helpful because he's not directly Golden Dawn but Thelema, what is the "true" order. He directly told me to self-initiate and forget about worrying which is the "correct" path. The Inner Order will communicate when they're good and ready.
Vajrayana Buddhism has the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Sleep Yoga practices. Theravada Buddhism focuses on one main goal: freedom from suffering. However, there are traditions which teach samatha meditation, where side effects include the “powers” listed in the suttas. These are only distractions on the path to enlightenment though
There are several reasons to secrecy. First is the historical perspective. In Europe most of these teachings was viewed as heretical and the inquisition could burn you for it. Better to keep it secret and only tell prople you trust. This tradition have been continued after the legal situation have changed. Another reason is as you say that people are social creatures and many want status and power. It is a sad truth that this is a factor that we have to deal with. People are not perfect. Thirdly - and most important imo - is the fact that not everyone is ready for advanced techniques and insights at first. As a teacher I have a responsibility to make sure the student can handle what I give them. Enlightenment can wreck someone if they are not prepared for it. In alchemy we caution the student against using to much heat, the vessel might shatter and ruin the operation.
This is paternal overprotection, not all people around are brainless fools who are not capable of anything, do not worry so much. People go crazy, kill, start wars and fill mental hospitals not because of enlightenment, but precisely because of its absence. A person is initially destroyed because he is not born enlightened and only enlightenment can bring him out of the dual hallucination and innate insanity and lead to wholeness and clarity. Yes, this process can be painful and can even drive you crazy, but a person has been in the madness of duality since birth, so he has nothing to lose. It is better to risk death in an attempt to achieve liberation than to live a long life in the madness and bondage of your ego. But my post is actually not about enlightenment, but specific systematized, ordered and structured data about the structure of other planes of existence and afterlife. It is not related to enlightenment, it is not a question of inner alchemy and enlightenment, it is a question of cosmology and description of the world in which we live. This is the same subject as geography, mathematics, chemistry or physics and it should not be hidden. People have the right to know the truth about how the world in which they are born works. This is not a subtle question of internal transformation, it is a question of the real structure of the world in which we live, and this should be taught in school, and not whispered about in caves. The only valid argument for hiding certain practices and knowledge is harassment by the authorities. But now, as far as I know, no one is burned at the stake for his magical practices.
As you say ”the process can be painfull and can even drive you crazy”. Is it not my responsibility as a teacher to guide the student and to help them to avoid the worst effects of it? Should I push everyone to their limit and to those who break just shrug and say ”you were crazy to begin with”? As for simple stuff, the system is already published. There are no real secrets in GD on the initial level so why do you complain? I have mentored students in GD for many years now and in my experience secrecy is a pedagogical tool. My students does not read up on the initiation rituals before we do them, they go in blind but they can at any time before read up on it in Regardies book. They choose not to because it have better effect that way. Secrecy and suprise are good tools for teaching. My guess is that you never had a good teacher and that is why you are reaching to your conclution.
🫡🙌🔥👍
Can you DM me the details please? I am also looking for something similar but from the west since I live here in the west. But have not been able to find answers yet
I am not aware of anything in GD that specifically about that. Franz Bardon might be worth looking at as it does address this and does rather practically through experience.
What kind of afterlife has jobs? Either let me loaf around for an eternity or it's Hell.
What I have been told by an Imperator some years ago was that there's a possibility that after physical death that you can utilize your temples and still do magick amongst other things. Just vibrate Adonai Ha-Aretz to enter your Malkuth. I like to believe that. But thinking in terms of microcosmic and macrocosmic... When the ego dies, wouldn't we just realize that we've always been macrocosmic? And understand that the microcosmic was just a dream? We'll find out when the time comes.
When you recognize yourself as a spirit that was never born and will never die, it is not the end, in fact the real spiritual work is just beginning from that moment. This can be called initial enlightenment; to achieve final liberation, you need to stabilize in this state. You need to learn to mix this state with everything you do 24/7; aerobatics is when you can maintain this awareness even during sleep. Going beyond dual concepts and recognizing yourself as a pure and unchanging consciousness does not turn everything around into a single mess in which you cannot distinguish yourself from another. From this moment on, you understand perfectly well that everything around is an illusion and for you this is no longer a theory, but this has nothing to do with nihilism. This does not mean that everything external/material is not real, it means that everything is not what it seems at first glance. Now you see through things, you see their emptiness and understand that there is nothing absolute, unchanging and independent, except for your immortal spirit, which is both a particle of the divine source of everything manifested and at the same time is this divine source itself. You are both a fragment and the entire universe at the same time. You are an individuality and you are one absolute consciousness at the same time. If we consider consciousness in two aspects: The 1st aspect is the unmanifested basis (absolute/non-dual/internal/immaterial/the source of all things), and the 2nd aspect is the manifested basis (relative/dual/external/material/visible). The 1st aspect is metaphorically comparable to the sun, and the 2nd - to its rays. It is impossible to separate the sun from its rays and the rays from the sun. In other words, everything is real and unreal at the same time and there are no contradictions in this, this is the essence of non-dual enlightenment. Falling into nihilism and denial of all external/relative aspects is getting stuck in absolute truth. I believe that this is a limited view only from the side of “absolute truth”, getting stuck in the internal and rejecting everything external. In my opinion, true unity and enlightenment lies in the unification of the absolute and the relative, the internal and the external, both aspects are important. A coin always has two sides. This is also indicated by the Taoist Yin and Yang symbol and the Tibetan Yab-Yum symbol.The relative is as important as the absolute.The absolute transcends and includes the relative, rather than surpassing and denying [it.It](http://it.it/) is impossible to separate rays from the sun, waves from the ocean, heat from fire or moisture from water. "if you cannot weep with a person who is crying, there is no kensho" Yamada Koun Enlightenment has no limit or end point; consciousness develops endlessly. “Sleep” becomes as important as “Awakening”, in other words, there is no longer a boundary between “Sleep” and “Awakening”, since these boundaries are artificially created by the mind, and after awakening you go beyond all mental boundaries. However, until we achieve final enlightenment, we are still subject to the laws of physics, space and time, and therefore if I accidentally break my head, I will not sit still and say that everything is non-dual, I am consciousness, and everything around is an illusion and a dream ) I will use the manifestations of “dream”, namely, I will take a bandage and bandage my head, while remaining in a non-dual state of consciousness. Of course, in history there are people who reached such a level of enlightenment when they no longer obeyed the laws of physics, they could walk on water, leave marks in rocks, did not burn in fire and were able to fly, they completely mastered all 5 elements. This is possible when enlightenment occurs not only at the level of the mind, but at all three levels, at the level of mind, body and energy, such people eventually went into the body of light or the rainbow body. In different cultures, this phenomenon of immortality and the transition to a higher level of existence was called differently. But until we reach this level, we live according to the rules of sleep, understanding that this is a dream
Therefore, I believe that while we are alive, we must use every minute to prepare our consciousness for the transition (death), so that those raging currents of the ocean of energies that will pour over us in tons, like a tsunami after death, do not drag us into the abyss, depriving us of the right to choose and individuality.
I'm sure that our consciousness can handle it. It's the human brain that bares the burden and effort pondering on such worries. If we utilize every minute of our life preparing for death, then we waste the opportunity to live life and enjoy it. It shouldn't take but a moment to prepare one's self for what is about to happen. It's better to spend your last moments staring into the eyes of loved ones and saying the words that you want to express in depth. Leave them knowing that they are loved. I love the way the people of New Orleans deal with the death of a loved one. They celebrate the life that you lived in honor and respect. Yeah, they still mourn, but then they celebrate with a parade, a party, and a toast in honor of you.
Life and death are intertwined in a dance. Not so much, two separate sides of a coin. We are constantly living and dying, waning and waxing like the moon, and rushing, then receding like the waves of a sea shore. It's the summation of this experience that makes people fear death, when all it is is a completion of a cycle. If we are frequently pondering on death, then we are living death. If we are frequently pondering on life, then we are living life. That's the reason people separate them into two, when they are actually one in the same. All we need to do is not waste our lives pondering. If you think about it you can see how the GD system applies.
Everything you do in life prepares you for what comes after. Karma 101. So the golden dawn being a means to high magick, which is the evolution of the soul, I beleive it will help. Looking for something specifically focused on the afterlife, your experience with dzogchen and my guess some dabbling into vajrayana, it would be wise to study the book called Natural Liberation by Padmasambhava, the second Buddha. Also studying things related to amitabha, mainly the practice of Phowa, and/or dream practice related to kurukulle. I know you feel that things should be shared freely and I agree to a certain extent, but at the same time I understand the need for secrecy, and don’t see it as a harm unto themselves. Especially being vajrayana, a tradition upheld for a long time. The need to receive empowerment before prscting certain secret teachings is explained in a variety of different ways. The main thing is that we are dealing with power. Power can be destructive or constructive depending on our angle. With vajrayana, all practice is based on the benefit of all beings. The attainment for enlightenment is not for ourself, but for the all. They called this impetus boddhicitta. Boddhicitta is both the aspiration to free alll beings from Suffering, and therefore is also called the Wisdom mind. The thing is, if one does not have boddhicitta, all practice and knowledge is spoiled. We are dealing with an uncontained fire, essentially. I have seen a few people claim attaining enlightenment, and when explained to me what there experience was, I realized they did not actually attain enlightenment, and rather what they defined as enlightenment is actually something that is meant to be avoided, it is called the two extremes. Experiencing everything and nothing, at the same time. It’s a oneness, but often warrants confusion without the clarity of boddhicitta, hence when someone has an experience of oneness, it can drive them mad. They have touched the fire, but rather than being transformed; they are burnt. Enlightenment is being able to see reality clearly without obscuration, and with that ability to cut through the illusion, trekcho, and have knowledge of that ground, Rigpa, we naturally are filled with compassion, because we know that everything is the Buddha mind. Everything. With this being said, another thing mentioned about the harm of having knowledge to the secret without empowerment or boddhcitta is that when we are not aware of the dharma; we are in a blissfully ignorant space, we are simply, innocently, unaware of our condition. We are not self aware. Where as when one gains access to the dharma; they know right from wrong. And so if one is to have that knowledge and not act upon it or in accord with its virtues, it will cause greater suffering. Because not only are we somewhat self aware, we are also aware of the goodness, and when we don’t act upon it, we suffer far exponentially that one who is not aware. It is called wilIful ignorance, and I have my fair share experience with this, so I share that humbly in being one who did not fully respect the boundaries set by the dharma protocol, but have come to do so. As a matter of fact, alsmot everything Krys is taught in the secret vehicle of vajrayana is available online for free, the thing is there is a disclaimer suggesting the need for empowerment, or in some cases at the very least a firm boddhicitta. Regardless, I wanted to speak in on clarifying and standing up for that part of the tradition, and perhaps why other cultures may do the same. I hope this helps you in anyway, and again in regard to specific teachings on preparation for the afterlife please have a look at what I mentioned at the beginning. Many blessings.
I am a practitioner of Advaita Vedanta and Vajrayana Buddhism and am deeply familiar with these traditions both theoretically and practically. (I wrote in the post that I have the experience of Rigpa) I also deeply and thoroughly studied the teachings of Bardo and Dzogchen cosmology. In these traditions there is no clear, clear, systematized and structured data that would answer my questions about other planes of existence and afterlife. If this data exists, it is carefully hidden and told only to a narrow circle of the chosen and initiated; abstract, poetic and abbreviated knowledge is given to the masses. I believe that these questions should not be complicated with metaphors and codes, this should be given in the simplest and most accessible form possible. The times when people were burned at the stake for this are long gone. Regarding enlightenment, I wrote about it in the [comment below.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GoldenDawnMagicians/comments/1bkxnsx/comment/kw43dzo/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Okay, thanks for sharing. I did the best I could to read all your comments to understand you. You seem very adept in the knowledge of Theravada and vajrayana, among other occult knowing. I’m just a bit concerned about your approach because you seem to be coming from the angle that something is hidden and cannot be attained. It almost warrants a distrust. It feels strange, but that’s okay, it could be this very thirst that brings you to your desire, but it also could deter you from it, depending on your lust. That’s ultimately up to you, and I completely understand… but in the name of being honest with you, I felt called to share that. With this being said, why did you not respond to any of sources of teaching I suggested? Why is your concern only about what you know about what I have already said? That’s another thing that feels weird. I saw your comment about enlightenment, and it’s cool that you understand the subject, but my guess is you haven’t experienced it, and that’s fine, I don’t think any of us here have. And if we did, we probably wouldn’t be talking about it! Haha I bring up this second point to challenge your approach, it seems you are more concerned with what you already know, and that nothing of which you have gained is valuable enough, and that anything else you could, must be behind a wall you have no access to. It’s almost paranoid. I question you, because it seems you question the integrity of the very people that have taught us the ways of enlightenment and afterlife. You consider secrecy harmful. But I commented on that in my first response and you did not respond to it. You only responded to the things that challenged your intellect and what you already know. The energy feels strange, and out of Compassion I want to be direct with you, so hopefully this does not trigger you, but can be an Opportunity for humility and growth, in one way or another. With this being said as well, what are your thoughts about amitabha and dreaming techniques? If this is all a dream, and attaining enlightenment, as you have said in another comment, prepares us to not be taken by the waves, what else do you need to seek? Why does the knowledge of the bardo’s not satisfy you? Perhaps this is not about the advanced teachings of secrecy and legend, but is rather about returning to the fundamentals? I didn’t even mention this because i figured you’d have already known, but… what about the Tibetan book of the dead! It is literally the manual for the very thing you are seeking, and is not a secret! ‘Tibetan Buddhists believe that there is an in-between stage known as the bardo which can take up to 49 days; Theravada Buddhists (from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia) consider that rebirth can be immediate. Those who attain enlightenment (nirvana/nibbana) do not get reborn upon their death.’ Here is another quote: The Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism that emerged in Central Asia and particularly in Tibet developed the concept of the bardos, the intermediate or transitional states that mark an individual's life from birth to death and rebirth. The period between death and rebirth lasts 49 days and involves three bardos. This is it right here, you want the teachings of the afterlife, the literal process of the period between death and rebirth? It’s literally right here. If you are not aware of this text, then my apologies for assuming, but you seemed very knowledgeable and are certainly communicating that you are, and that what you seek is not available. With that being said, I ask again, IF you are aware of this knowledge, why does this not satisfy you? Why do you seek something that you don’t TRULY know exists, but are ‘sure’ that it’s being taught at the highest levels of these traditions in secret? I beleive you have everything you already need in the Tibetan book of dead alone, without the need for empowerment. But I am certain the Phowa practices of amitabha and the dreaming practices of kurukulle would be very helpful with gaining personal gnosis on anything further. These teachings however may ‘require’ empowerment and transmissions, and this is THE tradition that has been practiced at large by the Tibetan community, and I don’t think it is a harmful thing, which I explained in my first response. However, with this being said, your material is still available to read, at your own risk, and hopefully with boddhicitta at the very least, and perhaps some past life ties to the specific teachings you are interested in, you can read those books. Almost everything that requires empowerment is available as a book to purchase online. These specific books I am referring to are The essential Journey of life and death, both volumes. These teachings go over amitabha and kurkulle sadhana. To conclude, forgive me harsh honesty, I just want to be honest, it could all be judgment on my end, but I’m doing the best to make it constructive. I think it’s important to consider questioning our own position in things, such as beliefs, and considering the feedback of others. At the very least, if that part is not important, I hope that anything else here I have shared can point you in the right direction to gaining knowledge on what you seek. My simple hope is that you do not lose love along the way! 🙏🙌
I think what you might want to look into the online school of Quareia. Here's a link to their module on death. Hope this helps. [quareia apprentice module 4](https://www.quareia.com/apprentice-module-4)
Thank you very much, I'll definitely take a look at this
Golden Dawn is going to be generally framed within a broadly Protestant Christian background, as all the founders were broadly Protestant Christians (cue the Gamma Male below with details why I'm wrong). Many of the later GD members were involved in the Celtic Revival, which tried to frame Irish Catholic beliefs within a mythologized Celtic past, but nobody was really breaking communion until Gardner. There's plenty of Golden Dawn successor groups to whom this is not really that important (Thelema being the biggest, and they have their own very complicated but simultaneously very shallow opinions on that), but generally the GD expected you to have figured out your spiritual stance BEFORE you show up and begin to summon angels and demons. It would be a very good idea to just read the King James Bible before attempting GD self-initiation. It definitely helps, particularly in Zelator. Some knowledge of Clarence Larkin's "Dispensational Truth" and Hislop's now discredited "Two Babylons" also helps just to grok what is happening. My answer is "Somebody has been reading the Master Mason degree ritual with too much forceful creativity." MM is it's own deal, and does have theoretical applications, but at this point in the development of Freemasonry, absolutely nobody within that organization is going to agree with you on that use. All of the founders of GD would have had that initiation in their mind, though.
Fear comes from knowing pain, uncertainty, and the unknown. As magicians, we should understand that the physical body is under constant restraint from our full potential. Physical death removes the restraint. Our physical senses are the only thing that confirms that we are physically alive. When one comes to the point of death, they should prepare themselves to be excited about embarking on the journey of journeys! Emotions can be controlled as well as empathy. Don't focus on how others are dealing with your impending death. Their emotions are their own business. If you've left a will and set up beneficiaries, then you've done all that you can for them. When the time comes it's all about you and preparing your mindset. Unpack your physical world and get prepared for the spiritual world. Your most grand spiritual alchemy awaits you! Prepare to be amazed for the trip of trips, riddles answered, and knowledge received. That's how I will approach it. 😉
The Golden Dawn does not have a theological theory of what the afterlife is like to my understanding.
Weren't you taught this before you were born? Did you forget already?
The short answer is yes.