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[Aion]

1) It is used for protection and purification of a place before a working, but is it also useful for inner purification, balancing distortions, karma... ?

This is actually it's primary intent and that of protection and purification of a space is actually secondary. Its primary intent is wide but it is in general about all of these things. It is a microcosm of the intent to become whole and one, balancing all the elements within and without. Its work is first on the self and second on the space.

2) Does one has understand the meaning of everything in the ritual for it to be effective ?

No you do not, and practicing it is actually a great way to get to know the elements. Learning about the cardinal directions, the names of god used (or whatever calls to the corners), the form of the pentagram, the names of the archangels (or whatever deities), and all the details of the ritual itself are important, but not necessarily understanding the detailed meaning of everything. Keep in mind this ritual came from a tradition which has many other ideas associated with it and it has largely been taken out of context, even in the Ra Material in my opinion and so I think that there is a lot of 'magical appropriation' in terms of GD because plenty of people are happy to borrow from it and use pieces of it for themselves but few venture to actually learn the roots and base of the elements of the tradition itself. Not saying you are doing this, but it's something I've noticed.

3) Do you think the material elements of ritual in itself are quite insignificant in themselves, and that what makes it work is really the intention, thoughts and feelings of the entity performing it ?

No, I do not think they are insignificant although I know that is a very popular idea. I believe what 'makes it work' is the communication that is done with the intelligent energy around you. I don't believe it is just an isolated experience of the individual reflecting only on themselves I think that one of the defining features of positive magic is the communion with other intelligences. Some approach it from a purely intellectual or psychological point of view, but I personally believe that when you call to an entity you are calling to something that is real and not just a figment of your mental constructs. Thus, I think faith is probably the most important element, followed closely by peace, relaxation and lastly by good knowledge and consistency which also aids any working by 'sharpening the instrument'.

It is my opinion that you should not 'mix up' your rituals too much but rather it is by consistent repetition that their real potency comes out. So whether you are doing the version with the archangels or one of the other versions (gaelic, greek, meso, etc) created by the Ciceros or others, I would suggest doing the same one for an extended period of time, at least 6 months and recording what you experience.

4) The protocol given by the Golden Dawn is one of the most popular but according to some, all the members of the GD don't always have the highest spiritual intentions and aren't always financially disinterested.
When performing a ritual designed by a group, it is said you set up a connection with this organisation's egregore and will be influenced by it, there will be an energy exchange between you and the egregore. Is it possible to do this ritual without connecting to any organisation's egregore as it is impossible to know the purity, motives and goals of a group. Can we simply and only use this ritual to tap into the archangelic and spiritual realm ?

Each Temple has its own egregore to my understanding so unless you have learned a particular temple's particular way of doing things then you likely won't be connecting to the egregore of any temple. More likely you will attract all of the many scattered elementals which are attracted to this type of work. As I said, the Ciceros have created some versions of the ritual which use deities from various other cultures, you might find one of those fruitful for personal work. It is true that all the members of GD don't always have the highest spiritual intentions, but so what? That's the same for any group and any situation. That is the same for the membership of this forum and the egregore here. If you're looking for 'total purity' then alas I think you will find human groups wanting as such.

I believe that proper initiation through the Golden Dawn path can only be achieved in a real functioning temple and don't really believe that solitary initiation is efficacious. Not that you won't achieve anything through it, but I think that Golden Dawn was intentionally created to require a group effort. I'm sure plenty would oppose me on that point and there are many valuable arguments, but still my intuitive notion persists.

5) Did Carla and the the group always used this ritual before their working ? I ask this because of the loyal opposition which is often mentioned in the books.

They did not until Ra suggested it would be effective although I'm not sure if they were 100% consistent since I know there were some missteps at times. However, I personally think that the issue wasn't ultimately the use of the ritual or not but the relationships that were built in to the group. Ra paints a very bright picture of their harmonies but I think Don in particular struggled with himself and this left openings in their protection. There is plenty to speculate here but I don't see the need to at this point too much.