Sarus wrote:
> “Do not permit anyone to look into
> your sanctuary. The magician will
> always keep silence with respect to
> his way, rise and success. This
> silence grants the highest powers
> and the more this commandment is
> obeyed, the more easily accessible
> these powers will become.” (p.34)

> So, how does one deal with their
> successes and/or difficulties? How
> does one go about getting support
> from his fellow hermeticists, if you
> can't describe your progress.

Personally I find the lengths some occultists go to maintain secrecy more than a little paranoid and grossly superfluous.

Indeed you bring up an excellent point when you mention how people would have a difficult time progressing and overcoming problems if adamant secrecy is required of them. In reality most Hermeticism does not require an absolute oath of secrecy, but historically the roots of excessive secrecy can be seen in many different Hermetic schools. Traditionally much of the ‘modern’ secrecy requirements extend from secret societies that taught Hermetic and Esoteric wisdoms and truths, where part of the strength and togetherness of the organizations came from their sharing of ‘secrets’. These vows of secrecy and cloisterishness themselves extend from previous eras when such knowledge was indeed dangerous to flout publicly, all thanks to the almighty Catholic Church. And preceding that, there was an elitism to the ranks of priests and mystery religions where the secrecy gave such organization an exclusive hold over a certain aspect of life/death (not altogether unlike the craft knowledge of middle ages European guilds), almost like the secrecy was an evolved survival tool for certain groups.

In secret societies (the source of most modern Hermeticism) such secrecy is conditional, two people who’ve advanced equally and taken the same oaths can share freely amongst themselves. So that secret society members can maintain the secrecy and help each other to advance (as no doubt many here have experienced). This leads naturally to the so called ‘inner and outer orders’, and also leads to varied understandings of basic teachings that eventually lead to schisms and splinter groups.

I can’t remember reading that Francis Bardon was a member of any large group that taught Hermetics (Masons or Rosicrucians), but some of his devotion to secrecy undoubtedly comes from such sources.

> Do the members of this tribe think
> it's a hard and fast rule, or more a
> product of Mr. Bardon's time (WWII
> Germany and Soviet Eastern Bloc)?

I’ll speculate that Bardon’s secrecy was a product of copying secret societies, ancient mystery traditions and general esoteric crypticisms of the past, more than from the nascent paranoia of Eastern Germany.

Forced secrecy is optional, and somewhat suspect. True occult knowledge hides itself, and the better you understand it and the more you explore it, the deeper and more completely it hides itself from the uninitiated.

what may not be spoken may still be communicated via thought and receptivity to symbolism in one's environment.

I would reccomend to anyone who is curious: try not telling everyone about every strange thing that happens in your life, and see how things go.