About My Magical Path of Gnosis
Spiritual training in deep core Western Mystery disciplines of ascension, seership, magic, and alchemy has been my primary focus since 1988. Though at times my training concentrated more in one area than another depending upon the adepts I had the privilege to study under: Reaching a deeper level in one root discipline generated further understanding in the others.
Although I have learned from many who have contributed to the body of knowledge of the Western Mystery Tradition, additionally it has been my journey to receive true adept instruction. It is rare enough for one to be directly taught by just one true adept in any tradition of the Mysteries, but it has been my distinct privilege to have studied under not one, but four of them: Two Western Magical, one Eastern Enlightenment, and one Western Alchemical.
For a long time these disciplines were neatly compartmentalized even as I experienced deep magic on my own, but several years ago I became conscious of a synthesis of my Understanding as a result of reaching deeper levels in each of them in their own right. For a while my experiences intensified and at one point I became hyper aware of barriers around the conscious mind. Awareness of the barriers caused me anxiety and my conscious mind reached a point where I became aware of them as boundaries placed on my Soul. Later I was to find that this is sometimes called the Soul Cage. Once aware of these shackles I performed a practice that began to dissolve a level of the barriers which affected my entire system on all levels.
The dissolution I was experiencing brought me to philosophical death—for three days I felt death and could barely move my body, except with tremendous effort. It is curious to be alive and yet 'know' what death feels like. I knew what was happening, not because I had any previous experience to compare it to, but because while it lasted I was in a curious state of gnosis... where the experience and the knowing are One Thing.
I've been fortunate in my Seeking. Early in my training, at the age of 17, I saw REAL magic at the hands of a true adept. It is those experiences that gave me the tenacity to continue my journey... to know beyond all doubt that it is real, and to spend my life in pursuit of Understanding it not only for myself, but to help others as well. Those early experiences gave me benchmarks that very few are afforded. Because of that, I have unique perspectives on esoteric teachings, and on what is REAL versus most of the information that is available to modern Seekers of the Mysteries.
One of my teachers used to say "Don't be so spiritual that you are of no worldly use!" It is in that Light that I have created Transcendence Works!
In keeping with tradition, at a certain level of magical (or alchemical) attainment, it is customary for one to take a nomen mysticum, a magical or alchemical name. For years I did not adopt the use of a magical name, instead choosing to simply use my birth name, Michael. However, while in the state of gnosis during philosophical death, I became aware that my nomen mysticum is Aethyrius.
As the founder and Overseer of Ordo Aethyrium, my life is dedicated to evolutionary initiatory processes and training aspirants in the practices of Deep Magic to reach continually deeper levels of Illumination through the Western Mysteries.
If you wish to know more about my path and work, I was recently interviewed on the Path 11 Podcast (link opens in new window) where I discuss the initiatory streams I teach, what they offer, and how each of them can be its own spiritual path yet also work in complement to each other to accelerate personal evolution.
