I have am A M.M. from florida, Manatee lodge #31. I have read little except the one book I have "The MISRAIM SERVICE" "Freemasonry and Ritual Work" by Rudolph Steiner.
"To ground his project of founding the new Mysteries of Anthroposophy in spiritual history. Rudolph Steiner always sought to unite with and transform, where possible, older initiatory streams, such as Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism."
@anistara said
"a lot of people don't want to do the work. i guess they don't get the point."
That is what it seems to be with many I have encountered, the lazy way of blind belief and taking in another's view without any effort. An old man once told me that "any Great accomplishment requires much effort". It seems I have not the inclination for blind belief, I always sought personal experience.
@The Old Guitaris said
" I have known many a slack jawed Christian and Catholic who knew didly squat about their religion, and understood even less. They were not fanatics. On the contrary, they were complacent sheep."
Indeed, as have I. I even had a landlord a while back that was cheating on his wife and would go to church every sunday, also to bible study, with his mistress, 
.
Yet I have known people who seemed fanatical that where complacent sheep as well, I guess some part of the human psyche has a need to get others to agree to strengthen their blind beliefs. This kid at work would attempt to get me to believe by threats of if I do not accept Christ Jesus into my heart I am going to hell, then I caught this kid stealing from our work place, I ask him is that not a sin when I caught him, he said that all he has to do is pray for forgiveness, and I could not help but to laugh.
I can't say I have met any Thelema fanatics, well except for me when I was in my early twenties, I carried my books around and would talk about what I had found to be the Way, and freaked a few people out when they seen the title Magick, especially when I would talk about the Goetia. Being that at the time I had really just read through them and actually had no personal experience I may have had Thelema-mania. 
I have often thought about the this, Crowley was a man that grew and changed as we all do, spiritual experience may create change, also it may effect each individual differently. Maybe he felt messing with the profanes head's would not create any problem for his view of the big picture. There seems to be cause and effect with All, and I personally feel that we would not have came into the physical if we did not have work to do.
Sometimes it seems the bigger the mistake the more I learn, and people who preach being good seem to do otherwise. As far as who holds the Light, it seems that the Light matters more than it's bearer. I personally could care less what faults one has, if they have something I can learn from. I shy away from criticizing those who I don't know everything about, everyone usually justifies there actions and feels they had a reason.
Maybe I am careless or could care less, I stopped fearing "evil" a long time ago, ignorance scares me most, mostly my own.
peace
Great thread indeed.
I found the advice given very informative. When I was first starting to think and feel I was finally scratching the surface,I became excited about it all and wanted to tell the world.
I would go to work and talk about meditation, Magick and Occult/Esoteric books I was reading, sometimes I found that people would gossip or make remarks due to their view, which is fine.
With my friends and girlfriend I don't really talk about it, my girlfriend see's my books and inquires here and there, stating she wants to start some exercises and study soon. I have met only a couple of serious people in the physical that could discuss Thelema or any Magick, online is where I found many.
It seems many have a negative view when they hear Magick or Occult, I usually break things down into the realm of practical application on a consistent basis as the prerequisite for knowledge, wisdom and understanding. That maybe we need make ourselves fit instruments to receive that which is presently unknown, and ask one to look at ones view of this Life when they were seven years old, and to look at their view now, stating that concepts, ideals and experience seem to shape that view, also when an elder said not to touch the stove or something hot, we had to touch it to truly know what being burnt was etc.
It seems to me when it comes to Magick, it's best only to talk about it to those who may have experience or want to.
Peace
Thanks, I am sure eventually they will be charged and used. It seems right as I am starting back on the path, that things come up taking more of my time away, for instance the day after I joined this site and read Karl von Eckhartshausen in volume 1, my girlfriend tells me she's pregnant, life is a weird thing, a beautiful struggle it is.
Yet if one wills it so, time can be made.
Peace
Thanks for the welcome.
I hope that the Talisman's he had me make are within that text somewhere or I find it, he had some sort of plaques from the O.T.O., he never said where he received that information. I never made it past drawing the sephirah on parchment paper, there should be some picks of them in my photo bucket.
Peace
Greetings to all,
My name is Dustin I am thirty years of age and i live in florida. I joined this group because I have recently chose to once again commence my studies in Magick.
For some cause I chose to purchase books before I had any concepts or ideas about anything occult. All i knew is that I did not choose to blindly believe any mainstream religion, or anything for that matter. If one spoke of the fire i wanted to See it, feel it's warmth, and feel the burn as personal experience,learning to use it to my Will and create, not turn my back to it and listen to what others Saw and felt poorly conveyed to in the dark.
With that being said i am doing this on my own, beside this group. I had met a guide six years ago and he passed away two years ago next month, shortly after his passing his wife called me needing some monetary aid, in turn she gave me this collection of books "THE EQUINOX", ten volumes. Being that I picked up the book of the Law and felt compelled to buy this as my first book, then MAGICK book 4, it seemed to me that I have been heading this way before I hit eighteen.
My guide/friend started me with reading various books, concentration exercises, meditation. Then on to the Qabalah, he started me with reading Fortunes the Mystical Qabalah, used a dry eraser board and taught classes at his house, the last thing he had me doing was making Talismans of the trees sephirah. I am starting over from a two year break from daily practical application.
Peace to ALL