How to find a cult / fraternity?

[LoneWolf]

After being a member of this forum for few weeks I've experienced what contact with alike minded people can create with regards to magick. Since I plan on being serious about my practices I'm thinking about joining some cult or fraternity in some time. I do not know what to expect from it. I come asking for some light.

Although I am still in fundamental training I am more inclined towards ceremonial, so a more esoteric group is what I am seeking.

In my current city there is a freemsry lodge. I know that it is a broad collective with regards to their practices and goals and that it depends on the specific lodge but since I don't plan on applying for a while I dont really feel like contacting them yet. What could I expect from them in particular? How will it shape my development and growth?

What about other groups? Golden Dawn? First ten lines of text from their website are already selling me inmortality. Don't know how to feel.

How could I find more groups? Just wander and "feel"? Ask spirits? I really don't know how to make it happen.

Any of you happens to be in a group or knows a friend that does? How does it help you? What did you expect and what did you find?

My regards

[fraterai]

No matter what you pick you will probably disagree with some part of it, so it's good to separate "cult" life from real life and your other magical theories. I have gotten close to joining many, many times, but always decided against it as too restricting. This is personal tho. Freemasons as you said can't hurt because you get the social element, the costumes and such without any magic rules, and it works along side other popular western systems, but as you said what you get out of it will depend on the area. I'm sure that you'll have a better chance finding occultists through FM than say, just the coffee house, so there's that.

I just want to say that this will be a very personal decision and you should only join one that turns you on and gets you working, otherwise it's just wasted time and dribble. So, if you are a GoldenDawn Man as regardie called himself, join the best GD (in your opinion) group out there. If not, don't join!

[Nahemah]

I have friends who are or have been part of groups.

I have several Thelemite friends, a couple of whom are clergy of the Ecclesiastica Gnostica Catholica. They are all good people and I met them here or elsewhere online, mostly. I also have friends who are part of Chaos groups and again, all good people. Then there are my Satanically inclined pals, from various groups, some small/ localised and others that are well known. I know lots of people from various backgrounds, Luciferian and Gnostic types too.

Take time and look around, reading material from the groups is a good thing to do, asking questions also helps, so finding some online groups and contacts may be useful for you. Some folk active here are members of groups but I'm not sure who is with whom, atm and it might be a wee while before you get many responses as we are a bit quiet in Northern Summertime.

[Occultess]

This is exactly what I've been wondering! [yay] I saw a couple of videos from the OTA (Ordo Templi Astartes....if I did not screw that up) and, while not really jiving with that group, I did start wanting to find something similar. I tried looking online, but couldn't quite come up with the right combination of words to find what I want (or there just aren't that many of those types of things online). What I did find, I didn't quite think fit me and/or they were things I already knew about like the Freemasons.

While not trying to hijack the OP's thread [stare] I wouldn't mind some help in this area, too.