Lords of Light: The Path of Initiation in the Western Mysteries

I'm making my rounds still through a lot of the western esoteric greats of the Golden Dawn tradition and saw this book in my recommendations; something intuitively told me that I needed to read it prior to really having a grasp even on what it would cover. When it did arrive I'd say it exceeded expectations. W.E Butler was a member of Dion Fortune's Society of the Inner Light and later became a priest in the Liberal Catholic Church. What I liked the most about this book was just how practical the information was; he offered a great deal of salient information regarding the nature of thought elements/larvae and how we both react with them and are accountable for them, the safety and hazards of certain levels of the inner planes, and discussed the importance of both silence and purification in their application to ceremony.What struck home was that these were words of an aged veteran who'd been there, done that, seen a great deal worth commenting on, and was working to distill the most important things he'd learned into a series of lectures for anyone from the beginning aspirant on the path all the way to the advanced. It also doesn't seem like he cut any corners in terms of warning people of both the hazards of the path and the understanding that the work of regenerating the personality is paramount with this path. He suggested somewhere along the lines that not more than one person in ten million should be a physical alchemist; I really consider these kinds of admonitions not so much discouragement as him pointing to the sheer amount of critical work we have on working with the personality to work out all of the flaws. After a manner this goes in line with something Crowley once said that ritual magic is but a drop in the bucket compared to what you do with the rest of your waking life - hence the importance of getting the rest of yourself in line before worrying about the more advanced applications of spiritual practice.

Excellent! This is one of the best, if not THE best, book on the Western Mysteries that I have ever read ( and believe me I have read a LOT in 30+ years) Mr. Butler's style of writing is so easy to understand and follow. The author is, in my opinion, one of the best teachers in the Mysteries that I know of. It is a great lose that he has passed on so soon. The chapters on "The Western Tradition - The Withdrawn Order - Woven Paces and Waving Hands" or very informative and enlightening. There are five chapters on "Training the Personality" which are priceless! Everyone who is searching to "Know Thyself" should read and study this over and over again. Also, there is a "Questions and Answers" at the end of each chapter which helps to clarify some of the points made in the lectures. This is a wonderful book and I would recommend it to all.

This is a fantastic book as an intro or refresher for those on the Western path--I've been reading this kind of thing for 30 years and still found nuances that added to my understandings.

W. E. "Ernie" Butler is alongside Dion Fortune, Gareth Knight, Dolores Ashcroft Nowicki when it comes to esoteric authorship.He has an interesting way of putting things in simple words, that are not overly heavy with symbols and foreign wordswhich newcomers might find confusing. I was especially glad to see him assisting a fledgeling esoteric group in the U.K.after turning over the Servants of Light to the capable hands of Dolores Ashcroft Nowicki. More like this one please!!!!

Transcripts of a series of lectures given by W.E.Butler in a thought provoking and very entertaining style.Being a member of the Liberal Catholic Church myself, it was a bit of a surprise to find out he was a priest in the very same Church, and made reading it (for me anyway) all the more interesting.Although, I would have to say, it may not be everybody's cup of tea.

Many people claim to know and understand the path of the Western Mysteries. Butler reveals in this series of talks that he truly knows and has walked this path. Highly recommended for a grounded introduction to the path and its pitfalls.

A classic of W.E. Butler

W.E. Butler was an excellent author and anything written by him is well worth picking up. I especially liked his advice on problems ritual groups might encounter while doing the Work.

Really good book. Very clear and easy to read, with a matter-of-fact voice that doesn't hold back from brutal honesty. And despite the chatty style (it's transcribed lectures) the depth of the information is profound. A good overview on some things you might know but then a new perspective on others. I almost never read books twice but started reading this one again, sure I'll read it a few times, it's a lot of stuff to digest. I felt inspired to be a better human reading this book, and that's really all one can ask for from any book.

It rock'sI am fairly new to this version of the mysteries,but already,less than halfway through the book I am more aware .It makes since to me in a way that I cannot put into words.Great work by a master

Great book, spiritual, philosophical, v interesting

Anyone who needs an introduction into the lodge based or "astral lodge' of the hermetic schools of England will be happy but for me it's all stuff that I've already learned about which was very disapointing