1) As far as I know that's not one of the GD organizations I've interacted with, so I have no opinion on the subject.
2) Two books by Israel Regardie, Foundations of Practical Magic and Ceremonial Magic, would be good choices.
3) The genetic issue is very complicated. There are some practices that do seem to depend on particular genetics; there are also traditions that have been pirated by clueless white folks often enough that they've gone to a genetic rule to screen out the next round of same. On the other hand, there's also a lot of ethnic bigotry on all sides, not just the light-skinned end of things, and that also plays a large role in that. For my part, I've always made it a rule to avoid any tradition that has an ethnic or genetic rule; that's partly courtesy, and partly because I find that sort of thing distasteful.
4) I'm glad to hear this. It can be a little shocking to deal with death as a normal and healthy part of life, I know. Our culture is so profoundly neurotic about the whole subject!
no subject
2) Two books by Israel Regardie, Foundations of Practical Magic and Ceremonial Magic, would be good choices.
3) The genetic issue is very complicated. There are some practices that do seem to depend on particular genetics; there are also traditions that have been pirated by clueless white folks often enough that they've gone to a genetic rule to screen out the next round of same. On the other hand, there's also a lot of ethnic bigotry on all sides, not just the light-skinned end of things, and that also plays a large role in that. For my part, I've always made it a rule to avoid any tradition that has an ethnic or genetic rule; that's partly courtesy, and partly because I find that sort of thing distasteful.
4) I'm glad to hear this. It can be a little shocking to deal with death as a normal and healthy part of life, I know. Our culture is so profoundly neurotic about the whole subject!