Dragon Rouge

Dragon Rouge or the "Ordo Draconis et Atri Adamantis", is a magical order which was founded on New Year's Eve 1989 in Sweden whose members practice occult arts and aim to explore dark magic. It claims more than 500 members throughout the world. There are two lodges in Sweden, one in Italy, one in Germany and another one in Poland. Furthermore there are ritual groups in other countries like Argentina, Mexico or the Czech Republic as well.

It is unusual among magical orders in focusing on the dark side of magic and the Left-Hand Path - the only notable competitors being the Temple of Set and Ordo Templi Orientis (Typhonian).

Dragon Rouge explore the dark side focusing on five main paths.

The order

Dragon Rouge conducts ceremonies, works magic together, arranges study evenings and invites guest lecturers. Members travel to cult sites and power places like ship tumuli in Sweden or the Externsteine in Germany. For initiated members of Dragon Rouge there are also philosophical discussion evenings, dinners, and festivities.

The order is financed by an annual membership fee and specifically asks for donations.

Culture

Culturally, Dragon Rouge members are interested in Gothicism and the dark side, in its different forms of expression. Dragon Rouge members believe these can give people a glimpse of the hidden side of existence. Among Dragon Rouge's members are numerous musicians, painters and writers. Musically, Richard Wagner and his mythological operas are important in Dragon Rouge, but also modern experimental, metal and goth music, especially the metal band Therion, whose lyrics are written by Dragon Rouge founder Thomas Karlsson, is very popular among Dragon Rouge members.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the dark side is represented by the Left-Hand Path and its ideology. Its goal is Apotheosis, or becoming a god. Dragon Rouge does not display to the public a sacred text detailing how to achieve this aim. However, it has correspondence course teachings and inspired texts that are considered by members to be factual. Some texts have been published, mainly in Swedish. These are "Kabbala, kliffot och den goetiska magin" (also translated to German, Italian, and English), "Uthark - Nightside of the runes" (also translated to German), "Adulrunan och den götiska kabbalan" (also translated to Italian, with the title "Le Rune e la Kabbala") and "Astrala resor, ut ur kroppen", all written by the founder Thomas Karlsson. Other Dragon Rouge related authors are Tommie Eriksson, author of "Mörk Magi", Vira Saturnio, author of "Path of the Wolf" and "IMPERIVM" and Asenath Mason, author of "The book of Mephisto".

Among the magical writers studied are Carlos Castaneda, Julius Evola and Kenneth Grant. Dragon Rouge members are supposed to study texts by classical philosophers like Herakleitos, Plato and Plotinus, as well as newer thinkers like Nietzsche, Heidegger and Henri Bergson, and non-European philosophy in the Upanishads and Tao te ching. The order entertains a library.

Psychology

One of the main ideas of Dragon Rouge is that people presently use only a fraction of their total capacity. The traditional occult practices supposedly enable them to contact these hidden sides. Carl Jung is the psychologist who is most important to Dragon Rouge. Dragon Rouge are studying parapsychology and are conducting parapsychological experiments.

Initiatory magic

Initiation is mostly not conducted in formal ceremony, but expected to result from individual endeavours in magic. The Order's recognition of advancement may occur in ceremonies, usually composed by the initiate themselves. To "become a god" is interpreted as the state where the initiated has transformed life from a reaction to outer conditions into one governed by free will.

The system is a syncretism of four main traditions: the Goetic Qabalah, the Odinic Runosophy, Tantra and Alchemy. Techniques not originally part of any of these traditions, such as astral projection, are also included in Dragon Rouge magic.

The initiatoric Draconian magic

thumb|rightThe Draconian initiation is based on 1 + 9 + 1 levels that together constitutes 11 steps that are named after the Qliphoth, the antithesis of creation in kabbalistic terms. The following 9 steps represent the 9 levels of the night side or the underworld that Odin passes through on his initiation in the secrets of the runes.

*0. "Member of Dragon Rouge" Where the uninitiated begins.---Initiation---
*1. "Lilith 1.0°" The gate to the unknown: Members study the order's basic philosophy.---Step into the Underworld---
*2. "Gamaliel 2.0°" The dark dreams: Members work to study their dreams and achieve lucid dreaming.

Ordo Draconis Minor

*3. "Samael 3.0°" Working with Yezidi magic & The dark side of the Chakras.
*4. "A'arab Zaraq 4.0°" Work around personal desires and choice.---The Lesser Abyss--- "Co-membership in other magical organizations is prohibited beyond this point."

Ordo Draconis Major

*5. "Thagirion 5.0°"
*6. "Golachab 6.0°"
*7. "Gha'agsheblah 7.0°"---The Greater Abyss---
*8. "Satariel 8.0°"
*9. "Ghagiel 9.0°"
*10. "Thaumiel 10.0°" The supposed state of divinity.

Adamas Ater

*11. "Thaumiel 11.0°" The supposed state of being in a new creation.

ee also

*Magic (paranormal)
*Magick
*Setianism

External links

* [http://www.dragonrouge.net/ Dragon Rouge central homepage]
* [http://thor.megatherion.com/english/intervthomas.htm Interview with Thomas Karlsson, founder of Dragon Rouge]
* [http://worldcat.org/oclc/62706461 "Embracing the Dark: The magic order of Dragon Rouge : its practice in dark magic and meaning making"] - Anthropological work by Kenneth Granholm on the Dragon Rouge

Lodges

* [http://www.heldrasil.de/ Lodge Heldrasil] - Thüringen, Germany
* [http://www.dragonrouge.net/sinistra/ Lodge Sinistra] - Malmö, Sweden
* [http://www.dragonrouge.net/sothis/ Lodge Sothis] - Naples, Italy
* [http://www.dragonrouge.net/magan/ Lodge Magan] - Silesia, Poland