The Great Work

The word "great" alone has many meanings in the dictionary. Among them is; important; distinguished; remarkably in ability or one degree further removed upwards or downward.

Each person has their own meaning of what The Great Work is to them; therefore, all of your answers are correct.

At the dawn of time, when humanity was young and pure of heart, man was as the Gods – ethereal and remarkable in ability. This is how we were prior to the so-called "fall" of man. Because we were divinely created, some of the Gods were threatened by our "brilliance". The decision, therefore, was made to kick us out of Tir Na Gog; Eden; Summerlands; call it what you will. Some say that the act of "kicking us out" of this lovely garden, brought us down the ladder into a denser state of consciousness or manifestation; making us "forget" our true nature and our great abilities.

In the process, that part of our DNA was shut off. Scientist call it "junk DNA" and really don't know what it is for, however, let me assure you that our DNA holds the memory of who and what we are. Through meditation, divinatory practices and hard work, I feel any individual can discover mysteries of anyone's past, present or future – including their own.

As initiates, it is our goal to take that spiral journey back upwards to discover our true nature and on the way, breaking those barriers that were put before us aeons ago. In the process of lifting the veil from our eyes, we begin to see more clearly. In other words, making us aware of who and what we are in the scheme of life.

The Great Work for initiates is to climb the initiatory ladder or degree system to reach the divine within us or higher self and become one with it. Most esoteric schools call this Knowledge and Conversation with your Holy Guardian Angel. In other words "Know thyself".

The magician, Aleister Crowley coined the phrase "Every man and every woman is a star". It was part of his channeled work bestowed upon him by his Holy Guardian Angel in 1904 in a prophetic worked called The Book of the Law. The phrase "Every man and every woman is a star", mystically tell's us that each human being shines brilliantly like all the other stars in the vast abyss of the night sky. Each one of us has a greatness unknown to us and is there for each of us to discover. Even biblically we are told, "We are the light of the World".

How do we do this?
1. Working a degree system. In working our degree system, we give ourselves the opportunity to follow an age-old tradition of discovering ourselves. As we travel these degrees or climb the ladder, we begin to put in motion our very will of self-discovery. Each veil we shed brings us to a point of understanding the world around us – from the very start of building our magickal foundation – to the point of teaching others "the way".
2. Helping to raise the consciousness of mankind. To raise the consciousness of mankind does not mean we go door to door like the Jehovah Witnesses. It means that through our learning, we are able to impart those experiences to those who are ready to take the journey. Each person vibrates at a certain "frequency", therefore, as we become more aware, our vibrations or frequency increases and emanates to the people around us. As we consciously shed the veils that have kept us "asleep", we begin to realize more and more that we are not just mere humans with a skin suit, but part of a bigger plan. We begin to see and feel the "star" within each of us.

The Great Work is something we should all strive for in the family of human, but as they said in the movie The Matrix, "Not everyone is ready to get unplugged. For most, being asleep is the state of being. The old saying "ignorance is bliss" is true for most, and they wish to keep it that way. For the common individual, awakening from their blissful ignorance can be a painful experience. Not everyone is ready for enlightenment.

As for myself, being in several esoteric orders, I have and will always strive towards the Great Work. If you are ready to be unplugged, then there is no turning back – the journey ahead begins. The road may be narrow at times and rocks may bar the way, but your vision is clear and you're footing sure. Your mind is like the wind in heaven and you have endured through time. You are a pagan – a stone of an ancient circle and you will forge forever forward, with your head raised high towards the sky – for you are that STAR!

Toni