My History and Nick Farrell's Opinion

I was recently referred to a post regarding actual knowledge of a group rather than gaining historical perspective through paperwork. In the article, Nick Farrell, a well-respected Golden Dawn type, describes his experience during an initiation. He then says, "You can use it to measure the standard of your own Golden Dawn group and then tell me that Whare Ra adepts did not know what they were doing."

My opinion of such things that is there is a combination of things that occur. One is the skill of the initiator and the other is the ability of the candidate to perceive what is happening. A very skilled initiator can encounter a 'rock' that simply has no idea what is happening on an esoteric level. This is no insult to 'rocks' I have described myself that way once or twice. I have upgraded my abilities to 'soft rock'.

My neophyte was done by someone named Wendy. I have never met her before or since. Even as a rock, I knew then that she and her compatriots rocked. I have also had grade initiations with Sam Webster as Hierophant and others with my mentor in the big chair. My Philosophus (fire) initiation was performed by my mentor. The 'lesser officers' were John Michael Greer and Lon Milo DuQuette, not a bad line-up. These are not light weights in temple space. JMG is like being in temple with Moses. Experiencing Lon can only be described as being overwhelmed by a steal feather. The best description of my mentor that I can come up with is that being cooked by him is being cooked by yourself. There is no ego there to push on you. The job is simply done.

I even had the honor of being on the dais as my mentor did a neophtye initiation with Lon and Donald Micheal Kraig also on the dais. Their response in private was the same as it was in public. They said they had attended, "the best initiation they had ever seen." I say this not to credit myself but to credit my mentor. He is damn good at what he does.

The description of events from Nick's point of view does not vary much from others that I have talked to about my mentor's initiations. As far as Sam's, I can say that my head felt like I had been parked in a microwave oven for a while. Sam can seriously cook you.

I mention this because I have to agree with Nick. The historical record left by my group is negligible. As far as I know, my mentor who unlike me is a scholar, has left no writings attributed him. This does not make the experience any less life changing for those willing to do the work after being initiated by him. The historians will ignore my former group. For much like Mr. Howe, they simply do not understand. They also have nothing in writing to go on. I have mentioned before my mentor likes to fly under the radar. He has his reasons. I think he is doing the esoteric community a disservice in that. He is a Golden Dawn person that does not have his head wedged firmly up his ass. I think the occult community could use a few more examples of that.    

I consider myself only a only a fair occultist but I have enough experience to understand those that I have had the good fortune to be exposed to. My entire outer order experience was under the tutelage of one man for whom I have the utmost respect. My claim to fame was that at least I had to the good sense to listen to him most of the time. Historians can only provide part of the picture. I know the rest and I will always be grateful.