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Draft:Peter J. Dallman

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Walking Between Worlds: My Path Through East and West My spiritual journey began not in the West, but by turning toward the wisdom of the East. I was drawn first to Paramahansa Yogananda’s Hindu yoga tradition, where I learned meditation and began to see the world through non‑Western eyes. That early exploration opened the door to Asian martial arts, which carried with them the mysticism of Taoism, Zen, and ancient spiritual traditions. For decades I immersed myself in these practices, believing they might lead to enlightenment. To me, they shimmered with the promise of otherworldly powers and hidden truths. I spent many years in Korean martial arts eventually leading to a true master of Okinawan karate learning under Arsineo Advincula and Isshin Ryu. My previous experiences were mostly under masters who were Asian and ran very hard schools but there was always this language barrier. Sensei AJ’s goal was to make it as authentic as he had experienced. In those early days of martial arts even finding a dojo was hard, much less one as great as his Hill Street dojo outside the gates of Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. My path eventually brought me to Tai Chi, under the guidance of Master Tony. He disliked the term “Tai Chi,” finding it too burdened with both Chinese and Western assumptions, but through his teaching I found much more than martial experience. His training was very unique as he was able to use his TC in weapons and ground work and grappling which made my jujitsu BB training even deeper. Tony was a Taoist magician in direct lineage, blending martial discipline with esoteric practice. Tony’s knowledge of TCM was very deep and many doctors came to class to learn from him as did Taoist monks and boots from the temples thru-out CA. He once confided that he was experimenting — testing whether Western students could develop the same awareness, sensitivity, and subtle abilities as his Chinese peers, even without knowing the language, symbols, or cultural background that had shaped those traditions for centuries. In his classes were many acupuncturists and herbalists trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I was not initially formally trained.. From a friend — a young martial artist and master — I learned that in the East, true mastery was never built on a single art. One was expected to study acupuncture, herbal medicine, martial arts, astrology, and divination together, as a unified whole. Only then could a person be called a master. Inspired, I asked Tony to teach me astrology and divination. He refused, saying age and fatigue prevented him from taking on such a task, and that my inability to read or speak Chinese would make the learning nearly impossible. When I asked if I could pursue Western astrology instead, he gave his blessing, though he believed Western astrology was a broken art. It was then that I met Arthur Chadbourne, a master astrologer and magician in his own right. He recognized the flaws in modern astrology and introduced me to its restored form: Hellenistic astrology and the work of William Lilly. This was the ancient precursor to both Chinese and Indian systems, a lineage long overshadowed yet still remarkably accurate. Under his guidance, I studied for five years, four hours each week — the equivalent of earning a master’s degree in astrology. I also longed to learn herbal medicine and acupuncture. Though formal TCM training was beyond my means, I studied Western herbalism, earning two degrees under respected herbalists. One of my teachers, Sajah Popham, revealed how deeply the original European tradition was entwined with astrology, much like the systems of China and India. He did not teach astrology himself, but my training with Arthur filled that gap. My studies led me into planetary herbology, a system that weaves together Western, Ayurvedic, and Chinese insights. While I do not practice acupuncture with needles, my understanding of its principles was enriched by what I had already absorbed from Tony and my Tai Chi practice. The final piece missing was the direct study of magic. I turned to the Western esoteric tradition, beginning with the Golden Dawn, which gave me the foundation I needed to integrate all that I had learned. Tony had refused to teach me magic, saying he feared I would misuse it. He told me plainly that he believed I was dangerous — that my darker nature wasn’t controlled and might lead me to harm others. Eventually, he dismissed me from his class. He had endured a decade of imprisonment under the PRC and was now cruelly tortured by cancer; he had a lot of demons after him. I harbor no bitterness toward him; he was a stepping stone on my path. And in truth, I understood his caution. I know that I carry a shadow within me. Years later, when I began hosting gatherings on magic with many local masters in my own home, a true empath and nurse who attended shared with me a startling message. He said the spirits had spoken: that two lifetimes ago, I had been an orphan taken in by a Romani (Gypsy) camp, where I was taught magic and divination. But I broke the rules, had affairs with women of the camp which was forbidden, and was cast out in disgrace. In anger, I stole money and left, and the camp’s matriarch, who thought of me as a son, cursed me, bound any magic powers she taught me. According to him, that curse had carried into later lives, until my good deeds in this one had finally lifted it. He said that was why my magical gifts were now returning. Since then, I have always felt a presence around me — a warning not to stray again into the darkness. I walk with the knowledge of that shadow, but also with the conviction that my path, though woven from many traditions and not from one single lineage, has given me the tools I need. It is a patchwork, yes — gathered from East and West, from martial arts, astrology, herbology, and magic — but it works. And it is mine.


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