Some Questions.

Greetings.

I am the gatekeeper. I created this newsgroup.

I did so in order to provide a forum for initiates and sincerely interested people to discuss serious magic.

Probably like you, I looked briefly at alt.magick and quickly recognised that as a bear-pit where serious dicsussion seldom takes place and battles between egos are rife.

This newsgroup is moderated so that things vexatious to the spirit of the newsgroup do not disturb serious discussion and exchange.

The newsgroup was founded three years ago. It has not been hugely busy but does attract a steady if small amount of traffic. I do not promote it on the basis that those who will use it will find it. In all respects I have taken the view that it should exist in case someone wishes to use it but the world will not cease if no-one uses it. It is a facility, the value lies in the people who visit, not in the fact that it exists.

By definition, the content of discussion is up to the readers and contributors. If there is not Qabalah here then that is solely because no-one wishes to discuss Qabalah here. Perhaps you might consider addressing this shortage by contributing.

This group is not aligned to any Magical Lodge or organisation. I am a GD initiate (or rather an initiate in the GD system because the GD left no authentic descendants and no Magical Order can pass it's essence to another anyway). The same is true of many of the people who visit her, sometimes leaving a post, sometimes not. There is only a few initiates in this world. Some of them visit here.

I hope this helps.

gatekeeper

Greetings to you.

Thank you for doing so. I read it whenever I do the newsgroups, assuming that there is something there. I find that the level of posts is somewhat better than the usual level in the other magical forae. Thanks to you for the investment in energy which created and has maintained this posting place.

My the things which must clutter your wastebin!!

Is anyone that subscribes actually a practitioner of ceremonial magick?

Well, *I* am. I work in the southeastern New England area, with a small group of like-minded individuals working in the Golden Dawn and Aurum Solis style. We have, of course, developed our own particular take on these currents as anyone who works in a living group will do. We work within a formally dedicated temple area with properly consecrated ritual tools. We do that which aids the Light and some work that is specifically designed to help us do that, such as talismantic work and the pathworkings published by Denning and Phillips in their book, 'Magical States of Consciousness'. We find that these exercises help with the working with power and allow the practitioner/magus/call him what you will, to channel the energies of the Tree with a minimum of personal disturbance when doing further work with the various spheres and their sub levels such as the Intelligences, angels, and archangels associated with them. I am personally interested in enochian studies, the Servants of Light under Delores Ashcroft-Nowicki, and some work with the creation of a magic mirror. Hope this helps reassure you that this is a 'real' forum for actual magic stuff rather than a rant page for the emotionally challenged. [You can, BTW, find real magical discussion on alt.magick if you watch long enough. A suggestion would be to identify those who seem to be really 'walking the walk' and set your filters to put them at the top of the page.] Reading the various FAQ pages should go without saying. Happy Yule to all,