"The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was well known for its Equinox Ceremony, and, indeed, for its lack of a Solstice equivalent, which has been a cause of query for many students, both inside and outside the Golden Dawn system. The Equinox & Solstice Ceremonies of the Golden Dawn, by Pat and Chris Zalewski, offers an intriguing title, which may beguile many readers, in light of the above facts."
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Hi there Dean, thank you for this review, which summarizes the book very well. However, I must disagree with your comments re Corpus Christi and the Solstice. Pat,in an old email to me mentioned he received no end of flak about his comments, and I think unfairly.
I posted about this on my blog here: Corpus Christi (http://magicoftheordinary.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/corpus-christi) and will paste the relevant section (slightly edited) below:
"The timing of this re-consecration (of the Vault) is extremely important. The original RR et AC documents are clear that it is to be done at the Summer Solstice, which by tradition is linked to Corpus Christi (see Gilbert's Golden Dawn Companion for this document, showing it is not Pat's view). This statement is not at all opaque. The Summer Solstice is the height of the forces of light in the natural world. At this time there is a real, physical change and power that is also reflected in the interior, astral world. Anyone who has worked pagan or earth based Summer Solstice rituals would agree and probably also agree that the change and beauty of the Summer Solstice cannot really be worked with or celebrated up to a month in advance, in May. So what is this traditional link the RR et AC is referring to and why Corpus Christi at all?
To understand this we must remember that the RR et AC is a Christian Order. Christ’s incarnation and life provided a new dispensation to humanity. In symbolic (and if you are a Christian, actual) terms since Christ’s incarnation He, not the physical Sun, has been the Light of the World. So the mystery of the Higher Spiritual force as the Sun descending to the Earth during the Solstice (as symbolised by many Pagan myths) is now replaced by the Mystery of God the Son incarnating in body and flesh, warmth and blood, on the Earth. And this mystery is exactly what is celebrated at the festival of Corpus Christi.
Now for some people this may seem a little obtuse or far fetched, but people who have experienced the Corpus Christi re-consecration (or any esoteric Christian celebration of the festival) would attest that this is exactly what occurs. The incredible spiritual strength of the Sun is shown forth in the Body of Christ being offered to us via the Eucharist (heck just look at the Monstrance for solar symbolism)."
Pat seems on shakier ground with the Winter Solstice ceremony, which is not mentioned in the original GD or RR et AC documents. My unclear memory (i am at work and cannot consult the book) seems to recall Pat also saying that people would retire to the Vault at Winter Solstice for private connection? Anyway, in the RR et AC, as i was taught, Winter Solstice is not celebrated in any outer way at all, it being focused on the inner connection - through the Vault - with the third, non-incarnate Order. And in the Northern hemisphere, the festival, like the Summer Solstice, is transposed onto a close by Christian celebration, in this case of course, Christmas :)
Thanks, peregrin :)
Ave Peregrin,
Thank you for your response and the insights into the Consecration Ceremony and Corpus Christi.
I agree with your sentiments regarding Corpus Christi. Many esoteric Christian ceremonies have a bit of a "solar" focus to them. This does not, however, equate it with the Summer Solstice. Every version of the Equinox Ceremonies, for example, has talked of the 48 hour window to utilise its energies, which I would assume applies likewise to the Solstices. I can't see how this "rule" is thrown by the wayside then and a Day C ceremony a month before the Solstice actually accesses the same energy. I think the Consecration can benefit from the Solstice energies, but the Corpus Christi energies are not necessarily identical.
However, you mentioned that the original documents mentioned that it was to be done at the Summer Solstice. Was Day C mentioned at all? I know that the two are connected, but they are not identical in my eyes.
Thanks for sharing your article with me, Brother. It has added to my understanding of this ceremony :)
LVX,
Dean.
HI Dean,
thanks for the response. I too agree the two, CC and the Solstice are not identical. However, for the strand of esoteric Christianity within the RR et AC, CC REPLACES the Solstice (if you were to work just the pure RR et AC).
Again, I am not at home, but the original document reproduced by R.A. Gilbert clearly mentions Corpus Christi. So, the idea did not originate with Pat or Whare Ra. In fact, i think from memory the document was an admin one from Westcott. Knowing his large Masonic pedigree I would not be surprised if the idea pre-dated the GD itself. But who knows.
The 48 hour stipulation with the Equinox is, as i know you would be aware of, because of the inner currents of balance that only occur on the day of the Equinox.
The Solstices, both winter and summer can be celebrated with many aspects, two main themes being obvious.
If we focus on the increase of light or dark, then they can be celebrated anytime leading UP TO the day. This is what CC does - the focus on the increase of Light in physical incarnation.
However, if we focus on the mystical turning point of the Solstice, where at the highest point of light the dark is reborn (and vice versa at winter), then I agree completely. We need to celebrate them pretty much on the day. This is my personal, preferred approach.
The thing to bear in mind also, i think, is that the Outer Order focused on the balance of the Equinox and it was only in the Inner Order that the extremes of Light or Dark were symbolically and ceremonially worked with.
Thanks for the discussion,
peregrin :)
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