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Threshold
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Is this program for women only? No: This magical path is not gender-specific, nor do the Mysteries focus upon the feminine principle to the exclusion of, or diminution of, the masculine principle. We believe that a mature and comprehensive understanding of the worlds both inner and outer can only be achieved through balanced work with both the feminine and masculine poles. This was the norm in Western magical schools and orders up until the Goddess movement of the 1980s, when a plethora of Dianic or feminist magical paths emerged, which emphasized the Divine Feminine over the Divine Masculine. At the time, this was a healthy and necessary corrective to centuries of repression and marginalization of the Feminine. Twenty years or more on, the need is now to bring both Feminine and Masculine into balanced alignment. Like two pillars of a dolmen gate, they must both be strong, firmly rooted in the earth, and also soaring to the sky, both immanent and transcendent, if they are to provide a genuine and reliable gateway into the Mysteries. I am curious to know if there is a possibility of a combination of workshop and correspondence course, or if you see them as separate explorations... The workshops and the course definitely go hand in hand. The course material has work in it that is more geared towards an individual working on their own, as there are many aspects of magic that can only be learned over a period of time, like any spiritual practice. There are also practical projects within it that, again, are not suitable for weekend workshops. The correspondence course is more focused on inner journeys, while the workshops afford an opportunity to experience the power of ritual, which is often very profound in a group setting. Also, in workshops, a current of energy often comes through which can be quite palpable and which people often find to have healing benefits. Then, of course, there is a time element. . .some people don't have the time in busy lives to make the commitment to an ongoing course but can make a weekend intensive. I'm not sure whether to begin with the Avalon Course in Sacred Magic or the Course in Sacred Earth Magic - what's the difference? While they both involve inner journey and ritual work, the Avalon Course focuses on working with the Inner Powers of Avalon, while the Earth Magic course focuses more on the spirits of Nature out in the Green World, so you'd be spending more time out of doors. How do I become a priest/ess of the Avalon Mystery School? In our view, (one shared by Western esoteric traditions in general), it takes both psychological maturity and a strong commitment to selfless service to become a priest or priestess of a Mystery School. Unfortunately, this calling has been somewhat degraded in recent years by opportunistic groups and organizations that hand out such “titles” after a minimal training period. Doing priest or priestess work is about being a skilful mediator of magical energies from the higher levels of the invisible worlds to the physical world for the evolution of the human race and the balancing and healing of our planet. It is not particularly glamorous, but nevertheless highly rewarding work for its own sake, which, for some of us, is the ONLY work worth doing! In order to build up the necessary skills for such work, the AMS requires three years of training followed by an interim period in which we aim to get to know the candidate better - and vice versa! Becoming a priest/ess is a serious business, and the Avalon Mystery School takes it seriously!© Mara Freeman, 2005. All Rights Reserved
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