Nuptiae Spring Equinox March 18th, 2023 at Rivendell

On a fortunate break in our Monsoon weather pattern we held our Nuptiae ceremony of March 18th at Rivendell. Soror Morgana enhanced her decorations from the previous week's handfasting so the henge and Pavilion were bedecked with flowers. The ceremony and communion of the elements were conducted by VH Soror Urania as Field and VH Frater Hephaestus as Vine. VH Frater Memnonides was Odos, VH Frater Solomon was Deacon, Soror Morgana was Astarte and VH Frater SithMeth was Ba'al. VH Frater Thabion ran sound effects with the help of Constance Demby on the stereo. We were pleased to have Frey and Martinique from Frey's Hermetic Supplies and several of their friends as guests and our long lost Frater Tearon (Oberon Selicio) and his wife Michele. A good time was had by all.

Thabion

Pastophoris and Handfasting for Soror Sofia and Frater Agnosto

Nosce te Ipsum

On the 11th of March we conferred a Pastophoris Ist degree initiation upon Frater Agnosto's Lady Lainee, Soror Sofia. This was performed in the Temple due to inclement weather. The next day, the 12th of March, was sunny so the handfasting could be held in the outdoor henge, which was beautifully decorated by Soror Morgana. Hierophant for both events was V.H. Frater Thabion and the High Priestess was V.H. Soror Urania. who was wearing her 7th degree red hat, having received the ultimate degree of Crata Repoa the previous Saturday, the 4th of March. Deacon was V.H. Frater SithMeth who read the charge from the Pymander and performed the pentagram rituals.

          The handfasting ceremony was photographed by V.H.Soror Zandria who also supplied the delicious cake  for the feast and fellowship following the ceremony. This weekend was memorable and will continue to remind us that we follow the path of Love and Light as members of the Fellowship of The Grail.

Tu es Deus et Dea

Thabion

Golden Dawn at Rivendell and New Flying Roll

On Sunday November 13th The Ma'at Temple of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn with its Inner Order Vault erected in Rivendell's sacred circle, (see photo) conferred the 5=6 Adeptus Minor grade on three worthy candidates and presented them with a new Flying Roll for that degree: Hermetic Yoga for the Golden Dawn authored by Frater Thabion using his G.D. motto Quero ad Lucem as Imperator of Ma'at Temple serving under G,H, Frater Ex Oriente LVX as Praemonstrator who wrote the preface to the Flying Roll.

It has  received excellent reviews from G,D. Adepti, Adam Forrest and Chic and Tabatha Cicero and is available on Amazon.com.

This new document derives from material in The Golden Dawn Cypher Manuscript and the initiation itself. The following description is from the back cover:

Hermetic Yoga for the Golden Dawn is a remarkable book. Based on secret documents and diagrams from the Golden Dawn’s founding Cypher Manuscript, it is the first modern “Flying Roll” ( a Biblical term for a document from Heaven, Zechariah 5: 1-4, Ezekiel 2: 9) that the Golden Dawn adopted for its advanced teachings. In this case the author suggests that diagrams and text in the Cypher Manuscript derived from the seventeenth century kabbalist Isaac Luria suggesting that a seven chakra yoga system be developed on the Lurianic Eleven Sphere version of the Tree of Life referred to as “The Tree before the Fall.”

This system is initiated by the Flaming Sword or Lightning Flash which descends from the mouth of God (El) in Kether as described in Revelation 1 – 16 and activates the Chakras corresponding to the seven planets and the Spheres on the Tree of Life (macrocosm) within the human body (microcosm). Unlike Eastern systems it derives its power by bringing down The Light. In this way it is similar and probably related to the Stella Matutinas’s Middle Pillar exercise  which inspired the author to create his original version of the restored Western system for The Crata Repoa Reformatus of The Church of the Hermetic Sciences of which he is the founding President and Magister.

He is also the author of Secrets of Golden Dawn Cypher Manuscript (1997-2014) and the Imperator of the Ma’at Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Los Angeles.Runyon’s original version of Hermetic Yoga is fully described in two volumes: Hermetic Yoga, Beyond the Middle Pillar, Volume One, The Interior Stars of the Western Esoteric Tradition (2015) and Beyond the Middle Pillar, Volume Two, Rosicrucian Yoga (2020). This system is not interchangeable with the Golden Dawn Version outlined in the Flying Roll. Volume One was developed to support Solomonic magical practice and features a Canaanite pantheon of deities from King Solomon’s time period, whereas the Golden Dawn version in the Flying Roll incorporates ancient Egyptian god forms on the Heliopolis Ennead arrangement favored in the ancient Pyramid Texts.

The Flying Roll includes a modified copy of the author’s Master Ritual from Hermetic Yoga, Volume One to assist in yoga practice. Also included are a modified version of The Polygrams and Polygons from a 1977 issue of The Seventh Ray. These Icons were derived from Essay on the Lineal Figures by Frater A.M.A.G. (1935), another Golden Dawn document in the author’s collection.

He has also included mantras for bringing the Light into The Head developed from Golden Dawn’s finger attributions. The Head (on the cover) was designed by the author and constructed by Maximilian Paul (V.H. Frater SithMeth VII° Crata Repoa Reformatus). The Preface is by Frater Ex Oriente LVX, Wor. Merrick Rees Hamer, Premonstrator of The Ma’at Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

47th Annual Adonia Summer Solstice Rite

Rivendell Restored - Nuptiae 2022

On Saturday March 26th, 2022 we held our 47th consecutive performance of the Ancient Canaanite Spring Marriage ceremony in the newly restored outdoor temple at Rivendell here in Silverado. We took the restoration opportunity to create a cement circular patio for the henge (see photos) surrounded by a paved walk way around the circular temple, and leading out to the Pavilion of the Gods. We consecrated the patio circle with a 2500 year old paving stone from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Embedded in the center, directly under the altar. The ceremony was well attended: thirty members and guests. We set up the traditional May (March) Pole on the lawn alongside the henge. Baal and Astarte were portrayed by V.H. Frater Sith-Meth and Soror Morgana. Field and Vine were V.H. Soror Urania and V.H. Frater Solomon. Bardic Circle followed the ceremony enlivened by our honored guest the Poetess Mori. And so a good time was had by all.

Frater Thabion

Tidings from Rivendell May 5th, 2021 -- 5th Degree Balahate and Release of 7th Ray Book IV Omnibus

On May 1st we accomplished two important things: we conferred The 5th Degree Balahate, The Alchemical Dgree of Crata Repoa, upon V.H. Soror Urania. This degree is based on the Temple Legend of King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba and the Casting of the Brazen Sea.

         On the same date we released The Seventh Ray Book IV Omnibus issue, The Violet Ray on Amazon. The Omnibus issue is a 277 page hardcover book that features facsimiles of the original issues of The Seventh Ray from the 1970s. It is a time capsule from the era of the Magical Revival, featuring the first publication of Jack Parsons Freedom is a Two-edged Sword, Thabion's Return of the Grail in the Age of Aquarius, Adamson's Quest, the History of the O.T.A. The Cult of the Sangreal and articles by William G. Gray,  Frederick Adams, Geoffrey James and David G. Kennedy. A treasure trove of magical memorabilia. Enlivened by those rib-tickling cartoons such as the monks playing monopoly on the Tree of Life.There is also new material; Beyond the Nostrils of Nuit, a satire on the sex magick books of Kenneth Grant and the Lost Chapter from Shamgar.   The Omnibus issue is listed on Amazon for $49.95 but currently dues paid Associate Members may order it from us at a 20% discount for $39.95. Please mention Tidings from Rivendell with your order from: The Church of the Hermetic Sciences, P.O. Box 403, Silverado, CA 92676