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E S O T E R I S M A N D T H E L E F T H A N D P A T H Thomas KarlssonDragon Rouge often describes itself as an esoteric order exploring esoteric knowledge.

What then is esoterism and how is it connected to the left hand path? Antoine Faivre,one of the leading scholars on occult research and esoterism, writes in his book Esoterism that esoterism is not an area like art, philosophy o r c h e m i s t r y , b u t r a t h er a w a y o f t h i n k i n g . F a i v r e explains:The diffuse etymological derivation of the word indicates that one can only find thekeys to the symbols, myths and reality by individual progression where one reachesillumination step by s t e p , i n a h er m e n e u t i c w a y . T h e r e i s n o o u t m o s t s e c r e t i f o n e believes that all is basically secret.E s o t e r i s m d en o t e s s o m e t h i n g i n n e r a n d mysterious, unlike the exoteric which is theouter form. Christianity with its outer dogmas and ceremonies could be called exoteric,while gnosticism could be viewed as esoteric. In the same way Satanism could bedescribed as exoteric, a n d t h e l e f t h a n d p a t h a s e s o t er i c . F a i v r e p r e s e n t s his explanationfor the work esoterism:The word e s o t e r i s m i s d er i v e d fr o m e s o w h i c h m e a n s inside and ter which leads oneto the word opposition. The diffuse etymology of the word h a v e m a d e i t e l a s t i c a n d o p e n But Faivre believes that six criteria should be fulfilled if one in a fruitful way is to bea b l e t o d i s c u s s s o m e t h i n g s p e c i f i c a l l y esoteric (to distinguish it from non esotericinitiations), of which four are primary. The c r i t er i a s l i s t e d a r e 1 ) t h e c o r r e s p o n d e n c e s , 2 ) t h e l i v i n g n a t u r e, 3 ) c o n c e p t i o n s a n d i n t er m e d i a t i o n . 4 ) t h e e x p er i e n c e o f t r a n s m u t a t i o n , a n d 5 ) accordances and 6) transference.1 ) T h e correspondences are the thought of hidden c o n n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e v i s i b l e a n d invisible

p a r t s o f t h e u n i v e r s e, i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e hermetic motto As above sob e l o w . T h e r e a r e connections between minerals, the human b o d y a n d t h e p l a n e t s e t c . 2) The living nature is based on the view of the cosmos as a manifold and hierarchicu n i t y w h e r e n a t u r e h a s a n important position next to God and man. N a t u r e i s permeated with a light or a fire and is rich in potential experiences and should be readas a book. But Faivre means, which is important, that it since the beginning of the 20:thcentury there h a s a r i s en a m o n i s t i c s p i r i t u a l i s m , i n s p i r e d b y e a s t e r n m y s t i c i s m , w h er e n a t u r e i s l e f t o u t o r e v e n denied.3) Conceptions and intermediation. E s o t e r i s m i s s e p a r a t e d fr o m m y s t i c i s m t h r o u g h theemphasize on the regions between the earth level and the divine. Teachings aboutangels and o t h er e n t i t i e s f r o m t h e s e m i d d l e r e g i o n s b e c o m e s important in this context, just like thoughts about gurus and initiators. Where mysticism views f a n t a s y a s a n obstacle, esoterism views it as a possibility. Faivre describes it in a colourful way: U n d e r s t o o d i n t h i s w a y f a n t a s y ( i m a g i n a t o i s related to magnet, magia, imagio) is a toolfor those who wishes to reach knowledge about the self, the world and the myth. It is theeye of fire w h i c h p en e t r a t e s t h e s h e l l o f t h e o u t e r appearance to make the truesignifications appear, and uncovers the connections which makes the invisible visible to expand our mundane seeing; the mundus imaginalis to which the mundane e y e o f flesh has no access.4) T h e e x p er i e n c e o f transmutation. Without the experience of transmutation as animportant component esoterism could be mistaken for some form of speculativespirituality. The word transmutation can be found in alchemy and refers to thetranscendence or passing over from one level

t o a n o t h e r , t h e s u b j e c t s m e t a m o r p h o s i s t o h i g h er levels.To these four basic components of esoterism can be added two relative c o m p o n e n t s : 5 ) T h e r e a r e a c c o r d a n c e s b et w e e n the different religions and teachings, and it is possiblet o f i n d c o m m o n d e n o m i n a t o r s t o u n i t e t h e m . 6 ) T r a n s f e r en c e . T h e kn o w l e d g e c a n o r m u s t be transferred from teacher to studentaccording t o a g i v e n p a t t e r n , o f t en t h r o u g h i n i t i a t i o n s . T h e conditions of this secondbirth is that a) the teachings are respected and not questioned, since one wishes to be apart of this tradition, and b) that the initiation is supervised by a teacher or m a s t e r . F a i v r e s d e f i n i t i o n o f e s o t er i s m corresponds to the draconian philosophy of DragonRouge. Correspondences are the basis of ritual magic and for the practice of the lefthand path. The first of the Five elementary draconian principles is: All is one. This isan alchemical formula which in alchemistical symbols can be found next to Ouroboros-symbols: pictures of dragons or serpents biting their tails. The formula is in Greek En topan and is pivotal in alchemistic and hermetic philosophy. In the system of the left handpath this formula is interpreted as the divine fire is found in man as a reflection of thedivine force outside us. In draconian terms this is called the outer and the inner dragon.This corresponds to the tantric thought of brahman/parakundalini which exists insideman as the atman/shaktikundalini. It also corresponds to the Luciferian light or thePromethean flame which can t u r n m e n i n t o g o d s i f i t i s f o u n d i n s i d e. M a n a n d his soulcorresponds to principles in the universe outside us. In draconian philosophy the thought about the living nature is important since this philosophyturns against an atomistic a n d m a t e r i a l i s t i c v i ew o f m a n a n d n a t u r e. Especially in oldnorse and celtic magic can we

found the dragon as a symbol of the spirit of nature. Butalso in the chinese tradition of Feng Shui. Allesotericknowledgeexitsinnature, but ish i d d e n f r o m t h e c i v i l i z e d m o d e r n m a n . The tree of knowledge is more than a m e t a p h o r . The middle levels that Faivre mentions are represents the astral worlds and the differentlevels that the magician passes during the alchemical initiation. The magical system of Dragon Rouge is an initiatoric system where the magician gradually enters certainlevels. Since the goal is not to become one with God, the path towards the divine is animportant process to learn how to control the divine fire.The last criteria of Faivre is the perhaps most important aspect of the a l c h e m i c a l i n i t i a t i o n p r o c e s s o f D r a g o n R o u g e. T h e transformation from our human nature to agodlike nature is the goal of the left hand path. Unlike m a n y s a t a n i s t s o r t h e o r i e s i n N e w A g e, D r a g o n Rouge does not believe that man is already godlike and simply has torecognize this. We must use the dark forces to and the qliphotic principles to break down and build up ourselves again, until we have the ability to give birth to ourselves a s gods. We are transmuted from being creations of the past to becoming c r e a t o r s o f t h e f u t u r e . T h e t w o l a t t er c r i t e r i a s o f Faivre corresponds to a certain degree to the p h i l o s o p h y o f D r a g o n R o u g e. T h e r e a r e p r i n c i p l e s in different dark traditions that corresponds to each o t h er a n d w h i c h m a k e s e c l e c t i c s t u d i e s f r u i t f u l . O d e n , S h i v a , H e r m e s a n d Lu c i f e r c a n becompared and one can find corresponding aspects. The last criteria of Faivre aboutinitiation

and transference has a more individualistic and d y n a m i c e x p r e s s i o n i n D r a g o n R o u g e. Magic and esoterism The sociologist, Edward E. Tiryakian coined a c l a s s i c a l d e f i n i t i o n o f e s o t er i s m . H e d e f i n e s esoterism as the belief system or theoretic knowledge that the practices of occultism are founded on. Occultism is the practice and the esoterism is the theory.Tiryakian writes:By esoteric I refer to those religiophilosophic belief systems which underlie occulttechniques and practices. that is, it refers to the more comprehensive cognitivemappings of nature and cosmos, the epistemological and ontological r e f l e c t i o n s o f u l t i m a t e r ea l i t y , w h i c h m a p p i n g s constitute a a stock of knowledge that provides theground for occult proceduresFaivre accepted Tiryakians use of the terms, but have pointed out t h a t t h e y i n c l u d e c er t a i n l i m i t a t i o n s s i n c e t h e r e are practical sides of esoterism and theoretic side of occultism.Magi refers to a practice and can correspond to the term occultism as defined byTeryakian. When the term magic begun to be d e f i n e d s c i en t i f i c a l l y t h e m a g i c w a s o f t e n v i ew e d as a pseudo science or a pre-science . T h e t w o f i r s t w r i t er s w h o d e f i n e d t h e t e r m m a g i c a n d w er e t o g a i n a n y i n f l u en c e w er e E d w a r d Burnett Taylor and James Frazer.Both writers v i e w e d m a g i c a s a f a l s e a n d p r i m i t i v e s c i e n c e. Frazer divided the so calledsympathetic magic in t w o c a t e g o r i e s : t h e h o m e o p a t h i c w h i c h w o r ks through touch andthe imitative which is based on the conception that like attracts like . I n m a n y m a g i c a l e n v i r o n m e n t s A l e i s t er C r o w l e y s definition of magic is accepted. According to Crowley:Magic is the science and art of causing change to occur in accordance with will. Thisis a

d e f i n i t i o n t h a t i s a l s o u s e d i n D r a g o n R o u g e. Dragon Rouge views magic as apractical philosophy of the will which enables the progression of the individual and ak n o w l e d g e about the hidden. D r a g o n R o u g e w w w . d r a g o n r o u g e. n e t

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