Aeon418
On my initial flip through the book I came across this gem on page 75.
For some strange reason PHB seems to be conflating the Golden Dawn with the A.'.A.'. grade structure. While there is a lot of shared symbolism between the two grade structures, the actual significance of the GD and A.'.A.'. grades are worlds apart.
A.'.A.'. grades are a confirmation and a "seal upon attainment". In the case of Tiphareth the A.'.A.'. Adeptus Minor Within has actually achieved K&C. It is they who no longer require outside guidance.
Initiation in the Golden Dawn tradition is the other way around. It is a symbolic introduction to the grade via a physical ceremony. It is "first step", but it doesn't imply any kind of attainment. This is the big difference between an Inner and an Outer order.
From the records we have it is a good bet that no one achieved K&C while they were a member of the original Golden Dawn. This was one of Crowley's main gripes about it. The order produced Outer Adepts, but no Inner Adepts. This is why Crowley claimed the order failed to initiate. (see Liber LXI)
The factionalising within the order had nothing to do with members meeting their Angel. It was all driven by vanity, ego, and personality squabbles. If a real Inner Adept had appeared on the scene I suspect the result would have been unification around that individual. But that never happend and the order went Ka-boom!
Eh? What?
For some strange reason PHB seems to be conflating the Golden Dawn with the A.'.A.'. grade structure. While there is a lot of shared symbolism between the two grade structures, the actual significance of the GD and A.'.A.'. grades are worlds apart.
A.'.A.'. grades are a confirmation and a "seal upon attainment". In the case of Tiphareth the A.'.A.'. Adeptus Minor Within has actually achieved K&C. It is they who no longer require outside guidance.
Initiation in the Golden Dawn tradition is the other way around. It is a symbolic introduction to the grade via a physical ceremony. It is "first step", but it doesn't imply any kind of attainment. This is the big difference between an Inner and an Outer order.
From the records we have it is a good bet that no one achieved K&C while they were a member of the original Golden Dawn. This was one of Crowley's main gripes about it. The order produced Outer Adepts, but no Inner Adepts. This is why Crowley claimed the order failed to initiate. (see Liber LXI)
The factionalising within the order had nothing to do with members meeting their Angel. It was all driven by vanity, ego, and personality squabbles. If a real Inner Adept had appeared on the scene I suspect the result would have been unification around that individual. But that never happend and the order went Ka-boom!
