Dragon Rouge

Dragon Rouge Ordo Draconis et Atri Adamantis
Dragon Rouge (DR) is a Nordic order with branches in many parts of the world. DR study magic and occultism in both theory and practice and is one of few orders which focuses on the dark side of magic and the left hand path. They are exploring the nightside tradition on many different levels. DR are focusing on an empirical occultism and a knowledge about the unknown based on experience.

Visit their site at: http://www.dragonrouge.net/

History
Dragon Rouge was created following the advice from a circle of old Yezidi-Typhonian magicians who left their great work of awakening the dragon force to their younger inheritors. At midnight on new years eve 89-90 Dragon Rouge was formally opened under ceremonial celebrations. Dragon Rouge has grown and developed through the years, and now has lodges and ritual groups in Sweden, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Czech Republic and Poland.

Organisation
Dragon Rouge is open for everyone and membership does not include any obligations. Every member decides for himself how active he/she wants to be. The order consists of three parts: one outer part that is open for anyone, one inner part that includes an initiation system with 11 grades and one inner circle.

Teachings
Dragon Rouge is using magical systems from all over the world but are mainly focused on the European Tradition.

Symbolism
Dragon Rouge means "red dragon" in French. The French name Dragon Rouge corresponds to an old alchemistic brotherhood that carried this name. Dragon Rouge is also one of the most interesting and famous books of the black arts, the great grimoire, Le Grand Grimoire, which is called Le Dragon Rouge.

The Red Dragon is a mythological entity which exists in all times and cultures. The Dragon can be viewed as a winged serpent. From the perspective of the history of religions the serpent is a symbol of the earth and the underworld. The eagle (and birds in general) are symbols of the heavens. The dragon is a unity of these two fundamental principles. The Dragon is a picture of the Hermetic principle "That which is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below". In China the dragon is a symbol of Tao, that which is beyond all terms and all polarities (Yin and Yang) but also is the force behind all. The Dragon represents the unknown and the hidden energy in man and in nature. The word dragon comes from the Greek verb derkein which means "to see". The Dragon is the principle of clear seeing: the ability to see things in a new light as they really are, beyond all illusions. For this reason the dragon has great wisdom and power in the myths. The wisdom of the dragon is symbolized by the treasure it guards or the pearl that the dragon carries in his mouth. To find this wisdom and knowledge man must search in his/her inner aspects and in the unknown. In Yoga the dragon is called the Kundalini, the force that is hidden inside man. The Draconian path strives to make this unconscious force and knowledge conscious. "A picture says more than a thousand words" and the symbol of the dragon and the myths about it carries information about how the unconscious can become conscious and how man can evolve.

Psychology
The dark side can be understood from the perspective of psychology. One of the main theses of Dragon Rouge is that man presently uses only a fraction of his total capacity. We are experiencing only an insignificant part of reality. The major part of man is hidden. Through the traditional thousand year old occult practices man can contact these hidden sides. To the hidden parts of man belongs the undeveloped and non-actualized sides of the psyche. These can be made conscious and become realised if we are entering the dark side of our psyche. We will then confront all dark and repressed parts of the psyche like aggression, fears and basic instincts. C.G. Jung is the psychologist who is most important to Dragon Rouge. Jung said: "Illumination is not reached by visualizing the light but by exploring the darkness". From this perspective Dragon Rouge is working with the dark side. Other psychologists that are interesting to DR are among others the Jungian Marie-Louise von Franz, Wilhelm Reich with his force concept Orgon, and Stanislaf Grof and his psychedelic research. In the hidden areas of the human psyche we can find the so called parapsychological abilities like telepathy and psychometry. DR are studying parapsychology and are conducting parapsychological experiments.

Initiation
The members who wish can also enter into the initiatoric magic which is the actual foundation of Dragon Rouge. Here the adept reaches the deeper levels in the work of investigating the dark side. The three first levels of the 11 level initiatoric system are based on a letter course and the communication with a tutor from the order. The remaining levels of initiation are revealed only to those who passes the first preparatory levels. Besides the theoretic discipline the initiatoric work focuses on regular magical practice. The goal of the initiatoric magic of Dragon Rouge is self deification: a step by step process in which the magician is developing and ennobling him/herself and becomes a "god". To become a god means that one has transformed life from being predetermined and predestinated by outer conditions, to the stage where one reaches a truly free will. Man becomes a god when he ceases to be a creation and instead becomes a creator. In the initiatoric magic the magician works with:


 * 1) Vision seeking, dream journeys and astral magic.
 * 2) Activation of inner hidden forces and the conjuration of outer forces.
 * 3) Communication with the shadow and the night side.

The draconian initiation is based on four main traditions: the Goetic Qabalah, the Odinic Runosophy, Tantra and Alkhemy. The magician's initiation is a life-long project, according to many magicians even a great work that might stretch through numerous incarnations. This is a spiritual quest that demands self sacrifice, dedication, patience and discipline a quest that the magicians fulfills together with his/her magical brothers and sisters of the draconian path.