The principal business of the Neophyte of the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn is to discover his/her own True Will, and to begin to obtain knowledge and control of the nature and powers of his/her own being. S/he is further to devote him/herself to the study and practice of such things as s/he may deem fit for the cultivation of his/her aspirations to the Higher Life of Thelema. However, the Neophyte shall do best by devoting him/herself to the diligent study and practical application of the principles of the Law of Thelema as expounded in Liber Legis (The Book of the Law).

    The Neophyte should begin to compose a Magical Diary concerning his/her magical activities, aspirations and thoughts. This is of utmost importance and should not be neglected by any means. The Diary is the method and means of expressing, discovering and analyzing the various parts of oneself for the essential comprehension of one's True Will. The Magical Diary plays an essential part in the training of the Magician; it is a good means of disciplining his/her mind and organizing his/her thoughts for the realization of his/her own True Will.

    The Neophyte should learn, regularly practice, and master the following simple technique of the Fourfold Breath:

    1. Empty the lungs and remain thus while counting 4.
    2. Inhale, counting 4, so that you feel filled with breath to the throat.
    3. Hold this breath while counting 4.
    4. Exhale, counting 4 till the lungs are empty.

    The Neophyte should practice this Fourfold Breath technique while s/he is composed in a basic posture or Asana, counting slowly or quickly till s/he obtains a suitable rhythm. This simple technique will help to still the body and quiet the mind of the Neophyte.

    Having attained this, the Neophyte should consider a point as defined in mathematics -- having position, but no magnitude -- and let him/her take note of any important ideas that arise during this simple meditation. Concentrating his/her mind on this point of Meditation, let him/her endeavor to realize the Immanence of the Divine throughout Nature, in all Her aspects.

    Two Magical Rituals are suitable for the Neophyte to begin to study and perform. Every Neophyte should know and be able to properly perform these two rituals before advancing to the next grade of the Zelator. These two rituals are the Middle Pillar Exercise and the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram.

    It is a common error for Magicians to ignore the fundamentals of Ritual Magick. For instance, rarely will you find a Magician who is willing to devote any serious amount of time to performing the simple Middle Pillar Exercise. Yet such a simple ritual of this type is a proper magical method of making contact with the Light and bringing it into manifestation and actualization. In other words, it is a dynamic method of the Great Work, and it is worthy of great attention from those who are truly serious about engaging themselves in Ritual Magick. It is one of the most important of all rituals for any serious Magician to know and be able to perform. The same applies to the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram.

    Now those who undertake an initiation without understanding and doing the necessary grade work are missing the whole point of the initiation. It is simply stupid to undergo an initiation in a Magical Order without the will to advance in the Great Work. Initiation is the first real step toward the accomplishment of the Great Work; it is the first rung upon the ladder to the Palace of Wisdom. Without it there is no possibility for genuine self-realization. It is the beginning of the creative process of individuation, of the soul traveling inward and achieving integration or true unity of being. It is the golden dawn of the soul, the blossoming of the inner lotus of the spirit.

    From the Thelemic point of view, initiation is the birth of the golden flower of the True Will; it is the realization of one's true path in the cosmos, thus making for the manifestation of the knowledge and power of one's True Self. To put it in other words, Thelemic initiation is the realization of the True Will, which makes for the greater attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.

    Thelemic initiation is the awakening of the development of efficiency with regard to the active execution and fulfillment of one's True Will. Efficiency is, in a nutshell, the power to produce effects. It is, ergo, the proper application of the Will, and the power to make changes in conformity with the Will. Of this there are definite grades of attainment, and only the most dedicated and diligent student need apply him/herself to the serious work of these grades.

    Thelemic Initiation is the scientific exploration and realization of the nature and powers of your own Being. It is the purification of all that is an hindrance to your progress, and it makes for the free development and consecration of all those parts of yourself which are an essential element in the constitution of your True Will, that you may attain the Great Work of the New Aeon of Horus.

    Thelemic initiation is a very serious matter, involving the awakening of the highest in you. Those who take a Thelemic initiation without understanding the actual powers that are awakened in the process are unaware of what they do and, more often than not, they will fail the initiation, being unable to comprehend the serious quality of its formula. To be initiated in a Thelemic system of Magick within a Thelemic Order is to take complete responsibility for yourself, to dedicate yourself to the task of realizing all of your creative potentials as a human and spiritual being. Such is the task of one who is, relatively speaking, seeking to master him/herself in all things.

    The grade of Neophyte has no real correspondence with a Chakra, Planet, Alchemical Metal or Sephira on the Tree of Life. It is purely a probationary grade. It is a stage of inner trial, when the Secret Guardians of the Mysteries test the aspirant's devotion to the Great Work. It is the key to the higher initiations.