Douglas Suiter
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I am a student at a Thelemic Abbey in San Diego, California with a living Teacher. We are a small group of dedicated initiates who caretake approximately 100 acres of land in the foothills of San Diego, California. I am the ranch manager (for which I do get paid a salary). My wife is an initiate as well and we have three amazing children, two cats, a fish and a dog with which we enjoy our existence. Our Teacher would like to see this abbey continue as a place where the caretakers of true wisdom could find refuge for at least 500 years and I am certainly for that vision. I am also pretty interesting, though pretty normal on the outside. Scorpio and all that.
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Welcome. I believe I've walked the labyrinth at your abbey.
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Thanks for the welcome! You probably have if you have walked a labyrinth in San Diego. Are you affiliated with any Thelemic groups or just a solo practicioner?
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My only formal affiliation at this time is as a baptized/confirmed member of the EGC. But I have aspirations...
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I have read through a number of your posts, just to get a generalized sense of who you are. Wow! Your intellect is astounding. But, in my experience (and who am I really?) you lack the courage of your conviction. I don't mean that in a negative light at all and I hope you don't take it that way. But the intellect is a tool of the ego if you pride yourself solely on what you have read and understood in your brain, you have missed the experience of Magick. The center of the Truth is the Heart, at least in my understanding of Thelema. "My heart and my tongue..., etc." Why not get initiated and see if you can handle it?
In my youth, I am now 38 years old, so I can say "my youth" without sounding overly arrogant I hope, I was very intellectual and also very pious and judgmental of non-Thelemites. My Teacher didn't have a dime's knowledge of what Thelema was when first joining her Order. She simply wanted to Know the Truth for herself and persevered through whatever was necessary to know that truth. We have a good number of students here that take initiation without ever having heard of Aleister Crowley or the Book of the Law and yet heartfelt wisdom and true strength pour from their tongues for having endured the ardours of their spiritual training. In my experience, Thelema comes from living as a Thelemite, not reading about what it is to be a Thelemite. I hope this post doesn't sound diminutive in any way. Anyone who studies and tries to guide their lives in accordance with the Book of the Law is a Hero in my mind, but if your are a true seeker, why not take advantage of initiation when you can get it?
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@douglas suiter said
"Why not get initiated and see if you can handle it?
[...]
Anyone who studies and tries to guide their lives in accordance with the Book of the Law is a Hero in my mind, but if your are a true seeker, why not take advantage of initiation when you can get it?"I intend to.
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Before joining my current school I took initiation with A.'.A.'. through the address out of London. After my student period I was assigned my superior out of L.A., California. I worked hard, sent in my record at regular periods and received very helpful and instructional material. I also had some great experiences in my personal work and felt that I was indeed "getting somewhere". I was then asked to take another initiation and simultaneously found the school I am currently in. When the student is ready the teacher will appear kind of a thing. I withdrew from the A.'.A.'. to take initiation here. A lot more group work, the pace of my training quickened immensely, and I have a number of other students that act as mirrors of my imbalance, so to speak.
That said, I would highly recommend the A.'.A formal affiliation to anyone not interested in group work. I know a number of people, my superior included, used O.T.O. as the basis of doing group work while training in the A.'.A.'. system. Of course, to anyone in the San Diego area I would recommend the school here as it is a fully contained and comprehensive training with a Teacher.
I did find that as soon as I joined A.'.A.'. the pace and seriousness of my training quickened and having an objective pair of eyes reviewing my work was invaluable to me. Self grandeur and self doubt seem to be two of the rocks on which many a magician sink themselves rather quickly if they don't have someone to help guide them.
Again, just my own experiences and opinions and I wish you the best of luck on your adventure whatever you decide to do.