The Dolmen Arch Vol. 1

[ecosophia]

I'm delighted to report that the first volume of The Dolmen Arch is now available for preorder from Miskatonic Books. This is my reconstruction of an early 20th century correspondence course in Druid occultism, available to students for several years as a private study course and now in book form. This first of two volumes contains the four grades of the Lesser Mysteries -- the Gradd y Newyddian (Grade of the Novice), Gradd y Damcaniwr (Grade of the Theoretician), Gradd yr Ymarferiwr (Grade of the Practitioner), and Gradd yr Athroniwr (Grade of the Philosophizer). Here's the table of contents: 

Gradd y Newyddian:
Introduction to the Grade
The Seven Cantrefs
The Sphere of Protection
Introduction to Meditation
The First Branch of the Mabinogion
Foundations of Druid Philosophy
The Magical Memory: Introduction
Completion Exercises

Gradd y Damcaniwr:
Introduction to the Grade
Colors and Color Breathing
The Calling of the Cantrefs
Meditation: The Seven Ways of Thought
The Second Branch of the Mabinogion
Druid Philosophy: The One Life
The Magical Memory: Acquiring Impressions
Completion Exercises: Focusing the Self

Gradd yr Ymarferiwr:
Introduction to the Grade
Three Currents and Three Cauldrons
The Awakening of the Solar Plexus
Meditation: The Sevenfold Wheel of Thought
The Third Branch of the Mabinogion
Druid Philosophy: The Way of Evolution
The Magical Memory: Memory of Sight
Completion Exercises: Liberating the Self

Gradd yr Athroniwr:
Introduction to the Grade
The Seven Cosmic Laws
The Awakening of the Dragons
Awakening the Inner Power
The Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion
Druid Philosophy: The Unity and Diversity of the Cosmos
The Magical Memory: Memory of Sound
Completion Exercises: Orienting the Self

The first volume will be released in February of next year. The second volume, containing the three grades of the Greater Mysteries and a great deal of additional Druid teaching and practical instruction, is currently scheduled to appear about six months after that. 

There are two editions of this book from Miskatonic Press. The signed limited hardback edition may be preordered here for US$65.00; the oh my god over-the-top signed leatherbound fine edition in its own case may be preordered here for US$395.00. There are 550 copies of the first and only 35 copies of the second; first come, first served...

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations! May you sell out!

—Lady Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

Thank you! My previous nonfiction work from Miskatonic Books, the translation of Giordano Bruno's On the Shadows of the Ideas, sold out promptly, so I expect this one to do tolerably well.

Second edition?!

[aidanadia]

Dear JMG,

are you planning on a second edition of your translation of 'On the Shadows of the Ideas'? I for one would be very interested.

Many thanks,

Aidan

Re: Second edition?!

[ecosophia]

There will be a trade paperback edition out this year -- I'll post something as soon as advance orders can be made.

[(Anonymous)]

Will there be future editions?

[ecosophia]

Once all the fine and hardback copies have sold and the rights revert to me, yes -- but that may be a while, you know. ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

I asked because I'm on a limited budget. Since there will be future editions, I don't need to worry about getting one now.

While I think could do it, 65 dollars is a lot of money for me right now...

Congratulations

[jeremymcjohnson]

Glad to hear it's finally finished. Now Magic Mondays will have more comments than the open posts on the other blog :O !

Re: Congratulations

[ecosophia]

Well, we'll see...

Ordered!

[slclaire]

Count me in as excited as well, and I've made my order!

Re: Ordered!

[ecosophia]

Thank you!

Yay!

[alexandermarcus]

I've just pre-ordered a copy of the over-the-top edition. I've wanted such a book for a long time, but haven't wanted to pay so much without knowing if I'd like the contents. With this, I've read both volumes via the correspondence course already, so I know I like the contents. I'm very excited!

Re: Yay!

[ecosophia]

Delighted to hear it.

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, congratulations! Looks very interesting indeed, and I am tempted by the over-the-top version.

Is there a particular reason why you chose the masculine -iwr ending above the gender-neutral -ydd?

Who originally prepared the course material, out of interest? AODA? Or another group?

Bendithion,

Bogatyr

[ecosophia]

I didn't choose the names of the grades -- they were in the source material, and thus conform to early 20th century habits of gender labeling. Exactly who created the original course is a really good question I haven't been able to answer; I got a small packet of faded mimeographed sheets of paper in with a bunch of other stuff I inherited when I became Grand Archdruid of AODA, and like much of what I got, it didn't come with a provenance.

Course length

[tunesmyth]

Understanding that students will work at their own pace-- assuming a consistent daily practice of about 30 minutes, roughly how long would you expect this course to take an average student to complete?

Re: Course length

[ecosophia]

A minimum of two years; most students took three to five years.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Archdruid,

Been looking forward to this for a long time. Finished the DMH and the GCC, and the Grove Handbook. I just missed out on the course the first time around - you were just closing it up and didn't accept new members. Very happy to finally being able to "complete" the system I've been training in for all these years.

I hope you'll enjoy seeing your work in beautiful hardcover! I know I'll do.

Kind regards,
Brigyn

[(Anonymous)]

Just pre-ordered my copy. I’ve been tremendously excited for this announcement!

[(Anonymous)]

I am seriously considering ordering this for the chapters on the Mabinogion alone, but is there a lot of overlap between this and the DMH? I am up to scrying in the DMH (during the grove ceremony) and it looks like there is indeed some overlap judging from the table of contents of the Dolmen Arch. Is it intended that people studying the DMH pick up the Dolmen Arch afterwards? Maybe I will be finished with the DMH by the time the Dolmen Arch ships, on the other hand I am also interested in the course of study you’ve proposed for the sacred geometry oracle. I am getting a slight case of the OOOs (Occult Options Overload).

[ecosophia]

There is indeed some overlap, but you don't have to do them in any particular order; the Dolmen Arch has more philosophy and meditative exercises, the DMH is more focused on the ceremonial end of things. I see the Dolmen Arch and the DMH as two paths through the same forest.

[(Anonymous)]

Alrightee, I just ordered it.

[(Anonymous)]

Looks like a great read.

Will the translation of Giordano Bruno's On the Shadows of the Ideas be republished any time soon?

[ecosophia]

I'll talk to the publisher about that, as of course it sold out very quickly.

[(Anonymous)]

Hurrah, at last! Hardcover edition ordered immediately, OMG Over-the-top edition to be drooled over at leisure...

--Sister Crow

Birthday present to myself.

[(Anonymous)]

Woo Hoo, I just ordered a copy to arrive for my birthday.

yay!

[(Anonymous)]

I'll be ordering as soon as I get home from work. Wish i could afford the omg! Edition, but it's a little out of my price range.

Regards,

Syfen

[(Anonymous)]

I've been following the course in the DMH for about a year now, and its been quite the ride. I still remember how mind blowing it was just to do the simple life force exercise you gave in the first few pages. I was bouncing off the walls like a little kid, I was so overjoyed to know that there was so much more to the world than what I had been taught and grown up with.

I also started my own small business this year (its been a busy year!), and though I've certainly had my ups and downs, things are going pretty well. I think a large part of that has been taking up the magical practice and beginning the spiritual path. The reflection and self growth it brings certainly helped carry me though the rougher parts of the year when I was thinking of throwing in the towel.

With all that being said, I'm splurging and getting the oh my gods over the top edition :D

Thanks for all that you do, JMG.
Best,
Andrew Bacalakis

[walt_f]

The typography and two-color printing look really good in the sample pages. Pre-ordered and I'm really looking forward to this.

Sorry to say, on my budget, the "regular" signed limited edition hardcover is the "over-the-top" edition.

I hope the second volume's release schedule isn't contingent on early sales of volume 1 (or that if it is, volume 1 sells quickly!). Not that I'll need volume 2 for quite a while, but I'll appreciate having both in hand, and matched volumes tend to match better when they're printed in close succession.

[ecosophia]

As far as I know, no, the second volume's release isn't contingent on sales of the first -- but it's also true that my translation of Bruno sold out promptly and I suspect this one will do the same.

woohoo!

[(Anonymous)]

I just ordered- I'm very excited.

-Katsmama

[amritarosa]

Hurrah!
Duly ordered!

Bonnie

Shipping to Europe

[(Anonymous)]

I'm in the EU, and the cheapest shipping option is Priority at $35, which puts the total at $100. Is there any slower and cheaper option? I don't mind waiting months for it to make its way over on a boat or something. Too bad the publisher doesn't have a partner printer in the UK or on the continent.

Re: Shipping to Europe

[ecosophia]

You'll have to contact the publisher and ask -- I have no control over that.

Bruno's?

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations!

On the other hand, didn't realise that Giordano Bruno's On the Shadows of the Ideas had sold out !! Where can we get a copy now? I'm in the UK btw...


Thanks!

Re: Bruno's?

[ecosophia]

It's not available just at the moment. I'll be making arrangements for a new edition in the new year, and will make an announcement here when that's available for order.

[(Anonymous)]

I have worked through the DMH up to the wand enchantment. I think I would benefit from taking the Dolmen Arch course at this point. Since it is part of the same system, is this a reasonable thing to do?

My motives for taking up the Dolmen Arch partway through are that I would find more structure helpful, and also I struggle with the ceremonial dimensions of the DMH and I think that more grounding in meditation and philosophy would help a lot. (I can barely visualise. I am working on it, but I think in concepts more than images).

I know you have emphasized before the importance of finishing what one starts. Is there any problem with shifting focus to a different part of the same system, based on what I have learned about myself in the last two years of DMH?

[ecosophia]

Yes, that would be reasonable. Both books present the same broad system from different sides, and so you won't be losing any ground by shifting to the aspects covered by the Dolmen Arch.

Reprint?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there. I really want to get my hands on Volume 1 but it is sold out. Will you be doing a reprint in the future or is there another place I can get the book except at Miskatonic? Sincere thanks.

Abraham O'Farrell

Re: Reprint?

[ecosophia]

Miskatonic will be doing a paperback reprint in the future -- probably later this year. I'll announce something on this journal when I have a release days.

Re: Reprint?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm looking to purchase Volume 1 and wondering where I can get my hands on one?