Articles

Review: “The Golden Flower”

Posted by on March 25, 2017
"The Golden Flower" cover image

About two weeks ago, I received a copy of the book “The Golden Flower” – a wonderful gift from my dear Brother (of no direct blood relations) Ricardo Flores and so I thought I would share my impressions with some of you.

First, I should point out that Ricardo’s writings are not at all your typical run of the meal Thelemic material which is too often a simple rehash or commentary upon Crowley… instead with Flores, who calls himself Koyote, we get a blend of his own personal experiences as a teacher in the Toltec tradition with Thelema (as well as other schools of thought). Much in the same way Crowley borrowed from and blended the teachings of several traditions in his quest, Flores has abrogated his way through life, keeping only those gems that spoke to his heart while facing his own trials and tribulations. In doing so the author has discovered his own unique path and now in the true tradition of the A.’.A.’. is sharing the light of his experiences in the hope that they may help guide others forward.

Too often in Thelema do we find Aspirants who simply want to repeat Crowley’s path – never fully embracing the spirit of the Law or without the fortitude to blaze their own internal path. Soror Meral use to say that you don’t make Thelemites, you find them. Books like this are far to rare in the Thelemic corpus and it brings me great joy to see the wings of Thelema spread in ways Crowley may have never imagined and for this reason alone many may enjoy this read.

The subject matter of this book is “Dream-work” and the author does not require of his readers some level of proficiency within Shamanistic or Toltec traditions in order to approach this book. Instead “The Golden Flower” is written in a straight forward manner that most anyone with a general understanding of occult matters may gleam some light. Flores explores various avenues and techniques of Dream-Working while explaining the sacred purpose of the dialog between self and sub-conscious yet does not clutter his message with the typical over-emphasis on Jungian psychology which is all the rage these days… instead more in the tradition of Corbin or even Hillman, the author never wanders far from the heart of a true mystic. In other words this is not another example of an author pontificating ad nauseam in intellectual circles that lead no-where. (we already have plenty of those) – In contrast “The Golden Flower” is clearly the work of a man who has walked the path and understands that these astral doorways are the same utilized by the HGA.

So, to whom would I recommend this book? First and foremost, to those working with vivid dreaming or beginning to explore the astral. But, also to those searching for something other than the same old tired approach or even those looking for an example of an adept who has embraced the Law and dared to make it his own… I for one enjoyed it… Thank you Ricardo! 

—Frater Orpheus

You can order this book here.