O.T.O. and A∴A∴

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We have received an increasing number of inquiries regarding the relationship between O.T.O. and A∴A∴. Crowley describes the relationship in several documents:

O.T.O. "does not include the A∴A∴, with which august body it is, however, in close alliance."

– Liber LII, Manifesto of the O.T.O.

"Thou wilt note that We have written unto thee more as a member of the O.T.O., than in they capacity as of the A∴A∴, for the former organization is coordinate and practical, and concerns itself with material things. But remember this clearly, that the Law cometh from the A∴A∴, not from the O.T.O.. This Order is but the first of the great religious bodies to accept this Law officially, and its whole Ritual has been revised and reconstituted in accordance with this decision."

– Liber CCC, Khabs am Pekht

"...the A∴A∴ concerns the individual, his development, his initiation, his passage from “Student” to “Ipsissimus”; he has no contact of any kind with any other person except the Neophyte who introduces him, and any Student or Students whom he may, after becoming a Neophyte, introduce...The details of this Pilgrim’s Progress are very fully set forth in One Star in Sight...Now, in the O.T.O., the object of the ceremonies being the Initiation of the Candidate, it is he whose Path in Eternity is displayed in dramatic form."

– Magick Without Tears, Chapter 13, “System of the O.T.O.”

The A∴A∴ is a hierarchical teaching, testing and initiatory system dedicated to the personal spiritual advancement of its individual members. Within A∴A∴ all services are rendered free of charge, and no social activities are held. A∴A∴ is not incorporated, holds no copyrights or trademarks, and charges no dues or fees. It has no monetary income, and it operates no dues-collecting front groups. It is largely dependent on O.T.O. for assistance with practical matters that lie outside its primary mission, which is purely spiritual in nature. For example, it is O.T.O., not A∴A∴, which holds the Crowley copyrights, O.T.O. and A∴A∴ jointly issue the journal The Equinox, and A∴A∴ initiation events and lectures are often hosted by local O.T.O. bodies.

Nevertheless, despite their close relationship (as well as certain structural similarities and a strong, mutual interest in the life and works of Aleister Crowley), O.T.O. and A∴A∴ are distinctly separate organizations with their own curricula, customs, rituals, spheres of operation, means and methods; and neither is subordinate to the other. Both Orders serve the cause of promulgating the Law of Thelema (which--let us not forget--emanated from the Third Order of the A∴A∴ via Crowley), and there is a considerable amount of productive cross-membership; however, it is possible to advance to quite high levels in either organization without formal initiation in the other.

The hierarchical structure of the A∴A∴ revolves around the relationship between the individual aspirant, the person who introduced him, and the persons whom he may have introduced himself. However, the A∴A∴ system is not merely a collection of independent teacher-student relationships, it has an organized administration consisting of (unpaid) governing officers who are in charge of such matters as internal curriculum, admissions, records, and relations with other organizations.

In recent years, a variety of individuals and groups have asserted themselves as legitimate successors to the administration of A∴A∴ that existed under the external leadership of Aleister Crowley. It is not the place of the O.T.O. to judge the spiritual merits or ultimate “validity" of these various claimants, but it is also not the case that O.T.O. can have a “close alliance” and working relationship with a multiplicity of A∴A∴ administrations. For its purposes, O.T.O. recognizes a single administration of A∴A∴ The contact information for that administration is:

Chancellor
BM ANKH
London WC1N 3XX ENGLAND

secretary@outercol.org
www.outercol.org

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Mystery of Mystery, Second Edition

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A revised, expanded edition of my book about the Gnostic Mass and E.G.C. has been published, and is now in its second printing. In this revised and expanded edition you will find a previously unpublished essay by Aleister Crowley on Sir Richard Francis Burton, expanded and revised essays on our Gnostic Saints and a new chapter on the public sacramental rites as used by E.G.C. in the U.S.A.

The book is available from your local U.S. O.T.O. body or from the publisher:

Conjoined Creation
P.O.Box 1172
Berkeley, CA 94701
USA
(510) 384-4089
info@concreat.org

Mystery of Mystery: A Primer of Thelemic Ecclesiastical Gnosticism

• Second Edition, revised and expanded to 380 pages
• Second Printing
• Octavo, 6"x9"
• Hardcover, Smythe sewn on acid free, recycled paper
• Linen cloth cover
• Foil stamped cover and spine.

To obtain a copy, Paypal $31 to cover the book, taxes and media mail shipping within the USA to: info@concreat.org. For pricing on bulk orders and shipping outside the U.S.A., please write to info@concreat.org.

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Election of De Jure O.H.O.

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On October 10 of 2014 e.v., in accordance with Section 3.07(D) of the International Bylaws of O.T.O., the five current National Grand Masters General convened in Florence, Italy and held an election to fill the office of Outer Head of the Order de jure (Frater Superior and Caput Ordinis O.T.O.). Several nominations were put forth (including one woman). Frater Hymenaeus Beta, the Acting O.H.O., was unanimously elected to the office, additionally confirming him in his existing offices of Caliph and Sovereign Patriarch of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica.

This action is likely to have little noticeable effect in terms of day-to-day operation of the Order, because Frater H.B. has been effectively filling this role since his election as Caliph and Acting O.H.O. in 1986 e.v. The principal significance of this action is that it represents a "shifting of gears" of the Order as a mature, international organization; and the setting aside of certain transitional aspects of the International Bylaws.

Habemus Caput!

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Inter caetera

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I posted the following to my Facebook page in April of last year, but it bears repeating:

Given the standing of Pope Alexander VI as a saint of E.G.C., I would like to add my voice to those calling for the repeal of his 1493 papal bull Inter caetera, which (regardless of actual intent) was used to justify the genocide and enslavement of indigenous people in the Americas.

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MOE Delegate Nominating Panel Update

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I am pleased to announce that The Man of Earth Delegate Nominating Panel is now fully operational and is accepting applications from O.T.O. initiates of the II° who are interested in volunteering as Man of Earth Delegates to speak on behalf of the entire Man of Earth Triad in accordance with Book 194.

The recently created MOE Delegate Nominating Panel, currently comprising 30 representatives from across the United States, has been diligently working with me to create a seamless selection process of the four Man of Earth Delegates to provide the Man of Earth Triad with a strong voice within Ordo Templi Orientis.

From Book 194: In order that the feelings of the general body may be represented, the Men of Earth choose four persons, two men and two women, from among themselves, to stand continually before the face of the Father, the Supreme and Holy King, serving him day and night. These persons must not be of higher rank than the Second Degree; they must volunteer for this service at the conclusion of that ceremony; and therefore they give up their own prospect of advancement in the Order for one year, that they may serve their fellows. This is then the first lesson in our great principle, the attainment of honour through renunciation. – BAPHOMET XI°

If you are interested in applying for a Man of Earth (MOE) Delegate position, please contact your current local body Nominating Panel Representative for more information and an application packet. You may also contact the Nominating Panel Secretary, Frater Erebus, at salemmagick15 [at] yahoo [dot] com. Completed applications should be presented to the Nominating Panel Secretary for review and processing.

For inquiries concerning the new MOE Delegate selection process and general structure of the Nominating Panel, please contact the Nominating Panel Chairman, Frater Kakoupat, at kakoupat [at] gmail [dot] com.

Note: Invitations have been sent to all forty-eight local bodies within the United States asking each to provide a Nominating Panel Representative to sit on the U.S.G.L. MOE Delegate Nominating Panel to effect a more democratic selection process of the four MOE Delegates - two men and two women. These Nominating Panel Representatives not only help to select the four delegates but act as contact points at each local body for this important program. The Nominating Panel continues to welcome appointments of Nominating Panel Representatives from local body leadership. Please contact the Office of the Nominating Panel Secretary for more information.

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Follow-up on Last Post: Dealing with Violence

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Since my last post, I have received several reports from women who have been subjected to violence within some kind of an O.T.O. context in the past. One of these women told me that she had been in touch with several other sisters who never reported their mistreatment, and saw no reason to now because their attackers were no longer active members. Others reported that when they attempted to discuss their troubles with their brothers and sisters, attempts were made to either ignore or excuse the bad behavior, occasionally offering such quotes as "There is no guilt" as if that were an excuse for assaulting someone. This is simply unacceptable.

I'd like to make a few things clear.

• Assault is something we, as a community, should not be tolerating or excusing.
• Assault is assault. It doesn't matter if the victim is the perpetrator's wife or husband. It doesn't matter if the victim is a non-member.
• Proportional self-defense against a credible and imminent physical threat of violence or non-consensual sexual conduct is not an unfraternal or "un-Thelemic" act. You have permission to resist, if you can.
• As a community, it reflects badly on ALL of us when one of our members physically attacks someone--especially if we do nothing and say nothing about it.
• Regret is not an excuse.
• In many cases, effective treatment and counseling is available for individuals who have trouble managing their anger issues--but such treatment will be of no use if the violent behavior is simply neglected.
• Inactive members forfeit all their membership rights and privileges, including the right to call themselves members; however, they can re-activate simply by paying twice their last dues rate--unless they are on bad report. It is possible to place non-members and inactive members on bad report, for cause, to prevent them from re-activating. If there is such cause, we need to know about it. Please tell us.
• U.S.G.L. has in-house counseling resources that are available to members on a limited basis who have been victims of assault, should they desire to use them. The Ombudsman can make the necessary referrals. I have had several individuals volunteer over the last few days to help provide such resources. If you would like to volunteer to help with this, please write to the Volunteer Coordinator (volunteers [at] oto-usa.org).

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Non-Consensual Sexual Conduct

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The time has come for a reminder that U.S.G.L. does not tolerate rape or any form of non-consensual sexual conduct or sexual harassment by or upon its members.

The following statement is from our Minerval Guide:

As expressed in Liber CI, the Order exists in part to foster free and joyful relations between its members. However, sexual conduct that is not between fully consenting adults is antithetical to freedom and is not tolerated in O.T.O.

Freedom has no room for coercion, and refusing an unwanted sexual advance is not “un-Thelemic.” No O.T.O. member should ever be forced, pressured, or made to feel obligated to have sexual relations with any other O.T.O. member, for any reason.

We also published a detailed policy statement on sexual harassment in Agapé, Vol. 5 No. 3-4 (Oct 2003, Feb 2004 e.v.). A revised, more detailed version of this policy statement will be included in the next version of the Camp, Oasis and Lodge Master's Handbook (C.O.L.M.H.).

All members--women and men--who find themselves victims of non-consensual sexual conduct, are urged to report the incident to the Master of their Local Body as soon as possible. If, for some reason, reporting to the Local Master is out of the question, or has no effect, then the incident should be reported directly to the U.S.G.L. Ombudsman (ombudsman [at] oto-usa.org).

Officers of Local Bodies are always to take such complaints seriously, investigate them, and report them to an S.G.I.G. They should take local action, such as Notice, in minor cases where the S.G.I.G. agrees that local action is appropriate. Where local action is insufficient, the S.G.I.G. shall take additional action, which may include formal disciplinary action.

Since we do not have our own police force, the kinds of actions we are capable of taking within O.T.O. may not be sufficient to ensure the physical safety of a victim of rape or other serious assault. Even expulsion from Order membership does not make a person vanish from the planet. In such cases, the Master of the Local Body should assist the victim in notifying the appropriate authorities and obtaining suitable legal counsel. U.S.G.L. has additional resources for this--contact an S.G.I.G. if these are needed.

Also, I would like to appeal to the membership in general not to ostracize members who come forward with legitimate complaints about sexual misconduct by other members or friends, however well-liked those other individuals may be at the time. Doing so constitutes blaming of the victim, and simply creates an environment where victims will be afraid to report sexual misconduct--which can lead to an escalation of such misconduct.

As a Local Body, as a Grand Lodge, as an Order, we need to be united in the goal of creating and nurturing an environment where free relations between our brothers and sisters can be enjoyed without fear.

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DRW - A Postscript

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There is a school of thought that Wallace lied to his correspondents in many of the statements that he made to them. This is possible. If so, the blame lies primarily with Wallace himself for weaving, over a period of years, an intricate and subtle web of deception around his correspondents; and much less so with his correspondents for believing what was told to them in evident sincerity.

We never intended to excuse or condone Wallace's crimes, or even to down-play their severity. They were, as I acknowledged in my previous post, horrific. Our intent was to recognize what was portrayed to us as the recovery of a human being from a terrible past through his personal acceptance of the Law of Thelema, and the attendant changes in his understanding of his place in the Universe in relation to that of his fellow human beings.

It remains our hope that Wallace's statements to his correspondents were, in fact, sincere. If they were not, we still maintain our belief and hope that the Law of Thelema, properly interpreted, can be of benefit to others who have led troubled lives.

In order to strike a modicum of balance, however, E.G.C. Bishops Tahuti and Mara have requested my blessing to perform a requiem Gnostic Mass for Wallace's victims, the fallen members of the Gilligan family, and I have provided it.

Wallace's principal correspondent and advocate has not been formally associated with us for several years now, and is, therefore, no longer involved with prisoner correspondence for us. Even so, we intend to use Wallace's case, in various interpretive scenarios, as an instructive example to those involved with prisoner correspondence going forward.

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DRW

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In 1980 e.v. a drug-addled young man named Donald Ray Wallace committed a heinous, multiple murder during a botched burglary attempt--killing an entire family of four in cold blood. He was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to death in 1982 e.v.

While in prison awaiting his eventual execution, Wallace turned to contemplation of his crimes and their ramifications, and, as a result, began to study philosophy. His studies led him to Thelema, and this led him to begin corresponding with O.T.O. some time around 1997 e.v., or a bit before. He was a prolific, avid correspondent. He corresponded with one of our E.G.C. bishops on a regular basis for many years, and later also corresponded with a number of other volunteers in our Prison Ministry program. In his correspondence, he proved to be a highly intelligent, literate, articulate, and perceptive individual, who identified himself as a Thelemite and felt changed by his acceptance of the Law of Thelema. In his correspondence, as well as in an interview before his execution, he acknowledged full personal responsibility for his crimes, and expressed remorse over having committed them. In one letter to the aforementioned E.G.C. bishop, he stated:

"I wanted to say something briefly to the credit of Thelema. That if I had been a Thelemite in 1980, I would not have killed these people, and that Thelema has made me a better human being."

It was for these reasons that I authorized one of our past volunteers who had come to know him via correspondence to visit him on March 9, 2005 e.v., the day before his execution, and administer his last rites. During that visit, Wallace recited The Book of the Law in its entirety, from memory.

It should be noted that, because of his horrific past, we never considered Wallace an acceptable candidate for initiation into O.T.O., even in the unlikely event of a pardon. However, because of the person he had become, I did find it acceptable to offer him last rites, and to allow our volunteer who had visited him to compose a brief obituary and have it published in Agapé. This obituary appeared in Agapé 7.1, published seven years ago in May 2005 e.v.

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Burning Man

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We have a group that is working on offering the Gnostic Mass at this year's Burning Man. You can help support their effort here.

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