The Personal aspect of The Order of Michael's Grail is an updated form of the Rosicrucian System of Hermetic Magick, best known from one of our cousin-Orders The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn. Most Western Magick today springs from Initiates of The Golden Dawn, and their lineages from Gardinerian Wicca and Crowley's OTO to Dion Fortune and Paul Foster Cases' Orders. We have similar origins to the Golden Dawn but have evolved along more modern and Celtic lines, rather than the Egyptian and Christian Symbolism of The Golden Dawn and its many squabbling children, and our Grades though using the same Spheres and numeric notation (1=10, 2=9 to 9=2 etc) are based on Chivalry, and are titled based in Welsh Grail Traditions.
We do share a Ten Grade System with The Golden Dawn and other Hermetic Rosicrucian Orders, but those Grades were given to Felkin and Mathers- they did not create this system, and it divided into three classes: Masters, Adepts and Initiates. Initiates or The Elemental Grades constitute in our Order Squires- instructed in Banishing Rituals, Evocation, Astral Projection, Elemental and Planetary Magick. The Second or Inner Order are collectively known as Adepts or Knights and they study Enochian, Yoga, and work toward Conversation and Communion with The Inner Light, Holy Guardian Angel, or Higher Self. The Masters have done all of that, and crossed The Abyss of Da'ath, so govern and educate the body of The Order of Michael's Grail.
All advancement is based solely on merit and quality of the member's work within The Order, not friendships within the Order, or Donations or Politics nor is it refused based on any beliefs, faith, or sexual preferance. Unfortunately at this time, membership is by invitation only, and those selected mostly are drawn from Order of Michael's Grail Magick at Yahoo! Groups, see the Contact Page.
Qabalah
The Hermetic Tradition is a combination of several occult philosophies including Astrology, Alchemy, Enochian and Western Tantra and Yoga, but much of it is drawn from Jewish Mysticism. Qabalah arose from old texts and oral traditions within Judaism, but in Alexandrian Times began to influence other religions and Mysteries.
The Most basic understanding of Qabalah is the concept that all things are combinations of energy, number and sound. Through transforming any or all of those components the object can be utter remade. The Qabalistic Symbol of this truth is called The Tree of Life (below) and shows the
interrelationships between the Numbers 1 through 10, called Spheres or Sepheroth. The Paths or lines connecting them are each attributed to a letter in the Hebrew Alphabet, its sound, numeric value, and planetary, elemental or zodiac symbol as well as The Trumps of The Tarot.
The Great Work, and Rosicrucian Grade system begins with Malkuth and ascends toward the Divine Light of Kether. Each Grade and Sepheroth has its own Work and stage of Spiritual and Magickal Development within it. For this reason Spirits are not considered subjective, and the Tree is taught as an Occult reality rather than "model" or "theory": as it was the mold from which all of The Creation was poured.
The Rosecrucian Grade System
The Hermetic System attributes each Grade to a Sepheroth upon The Tree of Life, and correspond the Lowest Four to The Elements. This system does back to the original Rose Cross Brotherhoods, and is not the sole property of the pseudo- Golden Dawn Orders or Aliester Crowley. Prior to receiving Initiation in The Order of Michael's Grail there are Two non-Sepherothic Grades, Student where one is considered for admission, then Efrydydd (0=0) where one is admitted based on behavior and invited to attempt the foundational Order Work.
Those who successfully complete the requirements of Probationer are invited into The Order of Michael's Grail to receive The Elemental or Squire ( Welsh Ysigwier ) Grades of Initiation. After finishing that Grade's Work they may continue through the increasingly potent rituals, initiations and study of the remaining Elemental Grades. Then they will face the Crisis of The Veil, and those prepared will continue upward to the Adept Grades, which we call Knighthood (Welsh Marchog.)
The Knighthood Grades are the Advanced Magickal Training within The Order of Michael's Grail, that in Orders claiming descent from the Golden Dawn are the Adept Grades Here is where The Knight learns Yoga, and our form of Enochian Magick, while seeking to achieve Conversation and Communion with one's Inner Light, also called the Holy Guardian Angel or Higher Self. Then most begin the journey into The Abyss.
Those that return from that Initiation become The Masters of The Order of Michael's Grail, receiving the Mysteries of Binah, Chockma and Kether as they continue in The Order and Their Great Work.
The Four Elements
The primary lesson of The Hermetic Initiate is that in addition to the reality of The Tree of Life, is the reality of the Occult Elements. These Four Elements represent the essential matrix of the cosmos, and its ongoing evolution, but to an Initiate they are not just states of inert matter but layers of being and planes of Inner Reality.
The Four are well known: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire as are The Hermetic Virtues associated with each: To be Silent, To Know, To Dare and To Will. There are several other correspondences with each of the Elements, from Faeries to Elemental Kings, to Tools and Directions. The Theory is familiar but the Work and Initiations of each are unique to The Order of Michael's Grail.
They are also one of the pillars of The Enochian System as well as having a long history in Celtic Magick as well as the works of Hermetics as Evola and Franz Bardon. They are essential to any Magickian as is their balance and continual enhancement throughout The Grades of The Order.