I’m very interested to know your personal experiences with joining orders and going through grades of initiation - results of working in orders and covens vs. solitary practice. Which orders have you joined and studied? Do you believe that taking initiation is an important or necessary step to advancing the work?
How far can you go alone?
I have considered joining different groups, as I enjoy the process of working in ritual with others. I’m interested to hear experiences regarding gains/ results you’ve made on your own, and what workings you recommend performing alone vs. what workings are best done in groups or pairs.
I’ve worked with other Magicians and with Would-Bes. Sometimes great. I learnt a lot about Sigilization working with two other dedicated Magicians. I was still rhp, dangerously close to the borderline, so to speak. Prior thereto I was a member of a rhp teaching Magickal Order and learnt a lot of stuff that has stood me in very good stead, plus a whole heap of moribund, time wasting crap.
The European High Magick traditions from around the Renaissance to say around about the later nineteenth century were largely solitary. I can’t imagine why that wouldn’t include lhp traditions all the more so.
I would imagine that you might have far more freedom as a solo practitioner than part of a group, although you can learn from others in the group. But you would also have to follow the way the group works which may not be the way you work the best.
From what I’ve read and experienced, it’s easier and quicker learning in a group, and you get the benefit of resonance by being in physical proximity with other skilled magicians (but you can potentially get that from collaboration and hanging out with other magicians without the oaths and the being-told-what-to-do’s of an order).
Being solitary is more difficult in the learning process, but you have more freedom and your end results may be more powerful and personalized, instead of partially made up and dependent on your peers’ power. You also don’t have to worry about power struggles, battles of wills, potential megalomaniac group leaders, or anyone trying to push you to do something or share responsibility for something that you don’t want.
A maybe not absolute, but probably relevant matter is that of continuous chains of Masters. The disciple receive from the Master an “initiatory seed”.
So, on one hand we have this; on the other it’s not easy to find the right people, and some solitary work may still be done.
This is my understanding as well. There are 2 groups I am considering, both with strong lineage and leaders but offshoots from other sects. It seems to be all about who you are practicing with in this kind of situation. I may need to move to there city where they are based to do this effectively though.