It as the first time I had met a continental adept and a real alchemist.
An invitation to listen to his presentation and attend the luncheon afterwards.
The presentation itself was interesting, alchemical expressions and transformation in the Golden Dawn, but it was the luncheon after that was most interesting as most of the presentation was way above my grade.
It was here in a more informal and relaxed setting that they opened up a bit more about their experiences and what they would have done differently. What seemed important and what was important.
A few at the table naturally asked questions, some being genuine, others trying to show how much they knew.
For my part I stayed completely silent and just listened.
First it was good manners as I was here by the grace of a friend and to even be considered to attend and actually attend was a great honor and I didn’t want to bring down anything on him.
Second, it would be one less interruption at the table.
The opportunity here was constrained by time, it was finite.
Eventually the luncheon would end, and we would all leave.
Let the guy talk, let him reminisce about the past and share his experiences.
What did I take away from the gathering?
That there was a lot more to alchemy then it appeared.
And on a personal level?
That it appeared, for the continental adept, that magic was a different manifestation from those of us here.
Magic was real as opposed to a psychological construct.
That magic was not a psychological model.
That it appeared that there was two types of *Golden Dawn*.
There was much to reflect on.