Being a Buddhist had a drawback for me when I hit the wall of the concept of God – which Buddhism doesn’t have. At that point, I found myself drawn to my high-school interests in occultism. To that end I found a flyer in a book at a bookstore for The Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn.

This transition was my first time in a Western Mystery Initiatory system. For those who may not know, an initiatory system of Western Mystery Schools usually involves a symbolic transition into the mystical path.

The initiation of a Western Mystery School may utilize hoodwinks, blindfolds or other methods of occulting the view of the aspirant in the symbolic journey. Initiations rely on mythos, which may be Greek, Egyptian or utilize Kabbalah based imagery.

Magic schools often employ full sensory experiences, using sight, sound, smell and even tasting (wine, or wafer). Such experiences expand the initiation fully.

The temple I was part of met in a warehouse near some train tracks in an isolated part of town. The people were great. I found them to be wonderful for the most part, however the leadership was (in my view) ego ridden.

I learned several things, including energy manipulation, scrying, inner communication, magical meditation, using the tarot for inner path working and more.