The Progeny of Jane Wolfe and Phyllis Seckler (and My Path into the A.'.A.'.)

As we continue this series of posts, I'm going to keep it as simple as possible. I tried to write this post in several different ways, from a historical report with lots of footnotes, to a formal interview, to a FAQ-formatted piece, but nothing really worked. In the end, I decided the best way to present this information was to just tell my story, what I found along the way, and what I've heard and learned since I began.

When the A.’.A.’. finally knocked at my door telling me my time had come to join, I was one of those people who wanted to make sure that I was getting the real deal. If you've read the blog posts over at Head for the Red, you can see that for the last decade or so, I make it my goal to find a complete system as close to the source as possible with as little corruption, divergence, or piled on make-believe. It worked well for me, I traced the KBL back to its pre-Sefer Yetzira origins to my satisfaction, and discovered in the 1st through 3rd centuries the Greek Magical Papyri, the Corpus Hermeticum, and the philosophical and practical roots that made sense of all the information found later in Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy.

You'd think finding the organization created, run, and passed on by Crowley less than a hundred years ago would be a lot easier than finding the foundational documents of the Western Mystery Tradition written almost two thousand years ago.

But you'd be wrong.

After a few weeks, I remembered every negative notion I'd ever had about the Victorian era systems of magical study and practice since I was 16. I'd gotten spoiled by working with the grimoires and Greek Magical Papyri, they were written so long ago, there were only manuscripts and academic studies. There were no personalities, figureheads, no records of the egotistical conflicts that inevitably manifest when two or more are gathered in the name of magick.

I feel sorry for Harper and a couple of my closest friends who witnessed me complain and rant and vent as I found dead end after dead end, one conflicting story after another, and all the rumors and innuendo.

But I'm stubborn. I tracked various groups and their leaders down, both active and defunct.

I started with a good friend I've known for years. He is a member of a claimant group that traces itself back through Ebony Anpu to Grady McMurtry. His claimant group, while still alive and active in at least himself and his direct supervisor, didn't concern itself with whether or not they "really" had documentable claims linking them to Crowley, which mattered to me a lot. He understood, and pointed me in the direction of the major claimant groups currently in existence, and suggested that I should probably take a look at the group led by Dr. David Shoemaker if I was serious about finding something that can track itself back to Crowley.

Following up on his tips and leads, I found myself speaking with the leader of a group that claimed to be providing the teachings of the A.’.A.’.. At some point, this group had started calling its local groups "Clerk Houses," a reference to a verse in the Book of the Law, and had diverged in several other ways from the original formula of the A.’.A.’.. This group is led by a person of character who has a long and documented history of interesting relations with the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), and various members of the A.’.A.’.. This group also traced itself back through Grady McMurtry. I found it is no longer taking on new members, and the conversations I had with the leader about various topics led to more questions and concerns than answers, so I took notes and moved along to the next lead.

I also looked into another claimant group, descended from J. F. C. Fuller. While members of that organization continue their personal Work, they make no claim to "legitimacy" that met the standards I'd set for myself, though all the members I've interacted with have been awesome people I respect and admire.

I found a few other groups that were claiming to be A.’.A.’. as I continued my research, but they really aren't worth mentioning. Most have a small online presence, are very vocal in their own Facebook groups, but ultimately don’t add up to much more than empty claims on the internet, and a lot of regurgitation of new age tropes from the 1980s. For example, one group said they had established connections with the Secret Chiefs on their own, I think by doing Liber Resh daily. And if it's on the internet, it has to be true, right?

Well... I wasn't convinced.

So that left three options that seemed to have some kind of weight behind them.

The first was, of course, the A.’.A.’. group that is currently advertised by and publicly affiliated with the O.T.O.. Frater Sabazius made it very clear that the O.T.O. can only work with one administrative A.’.A.’. claimant group at a time, while also making it clear that it's not within the power of the O.T.O. to confer any kind of validity or authenticity to any of the claimant groups. The claimant group that is currently the partner of the O.T.O. is led by J. Daniel Gunther. Being an O.T.O. initiate, it was important to me to look into this group's history and practices. I really prefer to have all my eggs in one ecumenical basket, as it were.

I had assumed that Gunther's group, having been recognized by the O.T.O. as a partner tradition in the spread of Thelema and the Law which is for all, was led by someone involved in all three branches of Thelema as they operate in the current material manifestations of things: the A.’.A.’., the O.T.O., and the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (E.G.C.). It appears that Gunther is not, in fact, a dues-current member of the O.T.O., and has no affiliation with the E.G.C.

That really matters to me.

But I wanted to give them a fair shake, so I tried to keep an open mind and kept exploring. I'd heard all kinds of opinions about the various claimant groups by this time, and while I appreciated the opinions of my friends, I understand the nature of politics in organizations, and I really wanted to read something firsthand from the sources.

A few of my friends recommended that I read In the Center of the Fire, by James Wasserman. He had studied under Motta, and was in the A.’.A.’. claimant group led by Gunther. He'd written up his experiences around the time of the formation of the O.T.O., and spoke a lot about his interactions with the people that were the major players of the times when he started getting into the O.T.O. and A.’.A.’. aspects of Thelema. He'd met and worked with Motta, he'd met with Soror Meral and Grady McMurtry. He was present at the trials that ended up establishing the validity of the O.T.O., and he had written up his experiences with these people and he published it.

So I bought his book, and I read it, and in it he clearly states that all the founding members of the A.’.A.’. administration currently partnered with the O.T.O. had either been expelled by Motta before his death, or had, according to Motta, left the A.’.A.’. on their own. Furthermore, it was notable that Soror Meral had been administering A.’.A.’. continuously for decades before the formulation of the governing “Triad” of the Gunther-led group.

This was a nail in the coffin for me, as far as this group was concerned.

This left me with two options, the group led by James Eshelman, and David Shoemaker's group.

By this time, I had the chance to read some of the things that Eshelman had published, and I personally found his "corrections" and expansions to 777 to be less than useful. Also, as I mentioned earlier, it was important to me that I join a group that was led by someone in good standing in the O.T.O.. As with Gunther, that turned out not to be the case  with Eshelman.

So I’d found several groups claiming to be “the” A.’.A.’., or who were being referenced as being an approach to the A.’.A.’., but every road had been a bust. Frankly, I was about done with the A.’.A.’. at this point. It was the Golden Dawn all over again, I thought. Schism, in-fighting, and expulsions at best, hollow claims on the internet at the worst.

So I figured, what the heck, everyone keeps telling me Shoemaker's the real deal, I'll give it one more shot.

I went into it with expectations that had been shaped by my experiences, so in other words, they were decidedly low.

I can only imagine how my early correspondences with David Shoemaker must have come across. I was tired and cranky from the experiences I'd had, and I just wanted to follow up on the Wasserman claims that Meral was really 5=6. I suspect I might have come across as a little, uhm, rude.

I honestly expected to discover in no time that she had been expelled, or hadn't actually been in the Order, or that she was a practitioner of Spiritism who channeled the Secret Chiefs through her Ouija board at parties after she'd had enough brandy.

Instead, he sent me a document that showed the correspondence between Karl Germer and Jane Wolfe (Soror Estai), and later with Soror Meral herself when he had taken over as her superior in the A.’.A.’.. It was excerpts, but he pointed me to where the full text and context had been published for reference.

I hopped on these books, and ate them up. It was a dream come true. Laid out in letter after letter were the things I had been looking for, in the kind of detail that you just can't make up.

Soror Meral was the student of Jane Wolfe, who was at Cefalu with Aleister Crowley. One of the things Shoemaker had made available publicly was her journal entries from her time at Cefalu. I had the journal in no time, and I read about her experiences, I saw her work, I saw her journal entries, and in the margins in Crowley's own handwritten admonishments, his personal advice, and his recognition of her accomplishments as she proceeded through the exercises he laid out for her. I saw her history through her own eyes, and tracked down more correspondence from the time. I saw that Crowley leaned heavily on Jane Wolfe, recognized her value (sometimes) and relied on her efforts in every way to keep Agape Lodge running the way he wanted it to be run.

I kept waiting to find the letter that expelled Jane Wolfe, or Phyllis Seckler. Almost all the women he worked with quit, or their relationships ended poorly. Many of the men too. He was a notoriously difficult person.

But that letter never came. He maintained his relationships and correspondence with Jane and Phyllis throughout his life. When I reached the correspondence from the time he died, I read about how Germer was saddled with being the head of both the A.’.A.’. and O.T.O., and how he handled himself in this new role. I saw the letters exchanged between Wolfe and Germer, and later between Seckler and Germer, between superior and student, letters of encouragement and instruction, the exchange of wisdom and of insight.

This stuff is all published, and is publicly available. Everyone interested in the historic account of what was going on between the Thelemites of that time should take a look at the bibliography at the end of this post, and add these books to your library so you can see the full story for yourself.

The preponderance of evidence was, for me, undeniable:

The Germer/Wolfe/Seckler claimant group is the only claimant group with an unbroken initiatory and administrative link extending all the way back to Crowley at Cefalu. The group never stopped initiating people, never stopped the grand experiment Crowley had begun, never disbanded, resigned, or gave up. They have simply endured, and did the Work of expressing the Law of Thelema into the world this whole time.

Not only that, but it became obvious to me that when Grady and Phyllis were working together to rejuvenate the O.T.O. after its long hiatus, there was an existing partnership and natural overlap between the O.T.O. and the A.’.A.’. administration that reflected exactly what I understood Crowley had wanted from the beginning: those people interested in the A.’.A.’. curriculum were studying it as designed, and at the same time serving in their local O.T.O. and EGC bodies, quietly and without fanfare. To this day that interpenetration of the A.’.A.’. within the O.T.O. continues. The more people I've met since my initial research into this subject and my entry into the system, the more I've found that we are everywhere, across the world, at every level of service stretching from the degrees of Minerval to Bishop, and beyond.

I was both convinced... and totally relieved. The richness of the materials, the unadulterated presentation of what was going on - warts and all - in everything I read made it clear that this wasn't some sugar-coated fantasy reinterpretation of events. Crowley could be a real jerk. Germer got angry, just like everyone else. Jane went through some horrifying personal experiences. Phyllis endured social prejudices and things we wouldn’t put up with at lodge today, and had a strong set of opinions that she didn't hesitate to express as she saw fit.

These were real people doing the real Work, and they faced the same kinds of struggles we face today. The historical research I had seen, and the work I'd done myself was fleshed out in details that made the people more than just characters in a story or in a Wikipedia article. Things I went through in my own work were reflected in the conversations between mentors and students, and in the journals of my predecessors in clear black and white, going all the way back to the source. I wished I'd had that kind of feedback as I was stumbling my way through things.

So it was an easy decision for me to join the Shoemaker claimant group. I didn't think it would matter much to anyone else, so I signed up, got the list of reading materials, and when it was time, I began the Student curriculum. It's been great. I've had confirmation of things I thought I'd understood, which made me feel good, and I've come to realize that I had totally missed some really obvious things along the way, and that's proven to be even better. My experiences doing the Work of the grades has been awesome, and I have no qualms encouraging anyone feeling like they are hearing the knock of the Order at their door to join with me in our group, it's got it going on.

And that's basically my story, and how I ended up where I'm at with this whole A.’.A.’. business.

While I made the choice that seemed best to me, I also want to make sure I mention that along the way I've spoken to a lot of members of different claimant groups. It is clear to anyone who interacts with them that a lot of important and thoughtful work is being done by initiates in the various claimant groups.

Please, refer to the Bibliography below to research things for yourself. It's all there in black and white. I'd leave it there, but...

But...

There's always a "but" in these things.

This "but" is about what happened to me as I went along, and continued to advance through the Man of Earth triad of the O.T.O.. I started to notice a trend. Whenever I would talk about joining the A.’.A.’. publicly, I got a lot of feedback.

Also, when I announced to my old blog audience that I'd joined the A.’.A.’. in a post with a link to onestarinsight.org, within my circles of friends and acquaintances in the O.T.O. I was asked some interesting questions by some people. Others came out and directly challenged my choices. It didn't take long to find that a lot of people had a lot of misinformation and had formed some very adamant opinions as a result.

And, as those who know me are aware, this is exactly the kind of thing that I think I was born to do: set the record straight about how things actually work in a way that everyone can understand, with references for further research and cited sources that should be researched so you come to your own conclusions.

So going forward, I'm envisioning the following posts to present the questions, rumors, and allegations I've heard, and the answers, truth, and documented rebuttals to these things respectively.

First, I think the history of the A.’.A.’. that led from Cefalu to Sacramento, the Crowley-Wolfe-Seckler/Germer-Wolfe-Seckler/Germer-Seckler-Shoemaker history of succession is really important to understand. It's a simple core narrative that makes sense when you look at it. There's no questionable practices, challenges, or blatantly false claims to be found in the story, and that alone speaks volumes. Without attacking anyone else, it simply presents the story of the A.’.A.’., its members, its leadership over the years, and provides the foundation necessary to understand where we are today.

The role of Motta in this history can't be ignored, since his personal history, involvement in the A.’.A.’., and subsequent claims continue to influence some public opinions today. I'll at least reference some simple and straight-forward published correspondence that addresses his role in this process according to Germer, and later in his life, James Wasserman.

Once the actual history is laid out, the next thing I'd like to address are the basic pieces of misinformation I've come across since I've started this process. I picture this post as a simple "This is what I've heard, but this is the truth" list of what people say verses the truth. I'll stick to documented things, because that's the easiest way to address this stuff.

My hope is to put a lot of these rumors and accusations to bed once and for all. There's a lot of confusion around how the A.’.A.’. claimant group Phyllis led worked in practice, and the roles of the International College of Thelema and the Temple of the Silver Star. I heard a lot of people use the word "recensions" in reference to things Seckler had done, and a lot of blatant lies about theft of library materials, allegations of profiting off the teachings of the A.’.A.’., and suggestions that this claimant group that goes directly back to Crowley without interruption is somehow a newcomer, when it's never stopped.

And then finally, I'd like to wrap up this series of posts with an opinion-editorial piece addressing the relationship between the O.T.O. and the A.’.A.’., some recent rhetoric, and how I'd personally like to see things shake out over the rest of my lifetime.

Bibliography:

Seckler, P. (2003). Jane Wolfe: Her Life with Aleister Crowley Part 1 (Red Flame Journal #10). Berkely: Red Flame Productions.
Seckler, P. (2003). Jane Wolfe: Her Life with Aleister Crowley Part 2 (Red Flame Journal #11). Berkeley: Red Flame Productions.
Seckler, P. (2010). The Thoth Tarot, Astrology, and Other Selected Writings. Sacramento: Teitan Press.
Seckler, P. (2012). The Kabbalah, Magick, and Thelema: Selected Writings Volume II. Sacramento: Teitan Press.
Wasserman, J. (2012). In the Center of the Fire. Lake Worth, FL: Ibis Press.

On Baphomet, the Serpent and the Lion, and the Child of Chaos and Babalon

Baphomet, by Chuk Vinson

"I believe in one secret and ineffable LORD; and in one Star in the company of Stars of whose fire we are created, and to which we shall return; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in His name CHAOS, the sole viceregent of the Sun upon Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that breaths.

And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON.

And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET..."

-from the Creed of the Ecclesia Gnsotica Catholica (EGC)

Goodness, it's been a long time since I found myself at about 30,000 feet on a Southwest flight, bound to who-knows-where, memorizing the Gnostic Creed in preparation for my Confirmation in the E.G.C. It was an exciting time for me, I think I had made it to my I* in the OTO, and I was going to be confirmed in a white robe at a Gnostic Mass that was being performed by Cathy (neé Craig) Berry and Leanne Mason Berry. I didn't want to screw it up.

I remember digesting the bits about Chaos, eating it right up and understanding it in ways I couldn't explain. I remember grooving to the bits on Babalon, in whose cup I saw myself swimming in with abandon.

But then I got to that Baphomet part.

Chaos gets a whole bunch of stuff. Babalon gets less, but still, it touches on Mysteries that can be readily explored.

And then there's the Serpent and the Lion, in his name Baphomet.

It's a bit sparse, there.

I went into Levi, and read about Baphomet there. I read through a lot of the references to Baphomet in Crowley's writings that Google can provide on a site search of Hermetic.com. I looked into the Greek lion-headed serpent pieces I found here and there, and I finally just kind of gave up. It's not like I actually understood half of what I was reading, and the other half was getting consumed in all the other stuff I've been working on since then.

But then Harper went to New Orleans for a Mass at Alombrados, and while in the vicinity picked up a little picture of Baphomet that started residing in our Temple space. And she had dreams, and visions of Baphomet in her operations of the Great Work. And she made a little statue of that goat-headed god that destroys the destroyer, and he became mighty among us.

And then I started performing the Gnostic Mass as Priest. And I understood a thing about how Baphomet is the offspring of Hadit and Nuit, of Chaos and Babalon, and its role in the creation and generation of existence as we know it, as we experience it, and as we want it to feel as we dive into it, all senses blazing, and raw, and beautiful.

And then I started to see that it was also the married Red Queen and White King of alchemy, the precursor to the Stone of the Wise, in some systems. It is the energetic constant that creates, that takes the raw powers of the Sun and turns it into everything we experience, and everything we experience it through.

And I'm still young in this path. I've read through Frater Sabazius' discussion of Baphomet as the offspring of Chaos and Babalon. I'm looking forward to the 2016 O.T.O. Women's Symposium eucharistic rite that is based on the Marriage of Chaos and Babalon as discussed in that link. I'm looking forward to exploring where we end up as a result, when that Lion and that Serpent is created.

Baphomet kicks ass.

And in keeping with this theme, I received in the mail this afternoon the coolest representation of Baphomet I've ever seen. Chuk Vinson, who many of you might remember as the artist who created the work "Anatomy Occultus" that pops up in the background of my profile pics on Facebook on occasion, has finished his Baphomet piece. Here's me with the print:

It's now available from the Dove and Serpent store, and all proceeds will go to supporting the local lodge at the following link:

http://shop.doveserpent-oto.org/prints/

I can't recommend enough that you get a copy of this print in your temple space as soon as possible. The Baphomet of Levi is pretty awesome, don't get me wrong, but Chuk's work captures the animal nature of this entity that crops up when you actually get in touch with it. You can feel the coarseness of the hair, smell the goatiness of its potency, feel it move and move you at the same time when you contemplate this image.

He really nailed it.

The Progeny of Sorores Estai and Meral

93!

After Harper and I published the "Progenitrix" articles on the lives of Jane Wolfe and Phyllis Seckler within the realms of the A.'.A.'., the O.T.O., and the ongoing impacts of their lives on the promulgation of the Thelema of Aleister Crowley, it rapidly became apparent that the history of these Sisters, and of Phyllis Seckler in particular, was a subject of dispute among modern Thelemites in the Order.

Soror Meral

The number of contradictory ideas, incorrect representations, and blatantly false allegations surrounding our progenitrix that were brought to me by our brethren was astounding. I had no idea that people didn't already know this stuff.

In writing the essay on Jane Wolfe, I relied a great deal on her actual correspondence with Crowley, and her diaries at Cefalu*. I also consulted the correspondences between Seckler and Germer, and between Seckler and Wolfe. This correspondence is publicly available, and has been published for years, made available by Marlene Cornelius**, and David Shoemaker***.

I thought everyone with an active opinion on Jane and Phyllis had read this information, but apparently... not so much.

The publicly available record directly contradicts 90% of the misinformation I've heard from my sisters and brothers in the Order, and clarifies the remaining 10% that might be interpreted improperly when taken out of context. All of the documentation I found is indisputable, by even the most adamant detractors of our Sister.

Yet accusations of recension, perversion, lack of initiation, and even implications of criminal activity continue to float around the edges of the Thelemic community.

In an effort to resolve the disconnect between historic facts and the various theories and gossip I've heard exchanged with sisters and brethren in the Order, ranging from Austin, Texas, to Baltimore, Maryland, and to here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I decided I needed to get as close to the source as possible. After all, she was with us until 2004, and it's not like I don't actually know the people who knew her best when she was alive.

So, of course, I went to David Shoemaker and asked him about some of the things people were saying.

David was one of the people closest to Soror Meral in life. He was her personal student in the A.'.A.'., and worked closely with her during the final decade of her life. As a member of a relatively small group of people who could consider themselves the heirs of her legacy, and as one of the people who actually worked with her on several of the projects that are the subject of so much confusion, it made sense to go to him and address these topics directly.

Talking to David about these subjects was quite enlightening. If you've heard his Living Thelema broadcasts, you're familiar with the calm and intelligent approach he brings to the subjects he addresses. Even extremely inflammatory accusations were met with gentle correction, supported by simple documentable facts.

Over the last couple of months I've continued to ask him questions covering topics that cover the history of the A.'.A.'. from the time of Germer's death, when there was only one recognized administration, through the development of Neo-A.'.A.'. administrations, until we reached the current state of affairs.

I spoke with him about the different methods of administration of the A.'.A.'. that Soror Meral experimented with as she progressed through her own initiations and the accomplishment of her Great Work, and came to understand more clearly how the traditional student program of the A.'.A.'. never stopped, and the actual roles the institutions such as the International College of Thelema, or the Temple of the Silver Star played under the auspices of her teachings.

After these conversations, I found myself in a much better position to understand the relationship between the A.'.A.'. and the O.T.O. historically and today.

Sisters and Brothers, a lot has gone down over the years.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be publishing the results of our interviews in a series of "Progeny of Estai-Meral" posts. It might take a while to cover all the material. There's a fair amount of it, after all. It's been more than a minute since Meral's recognition by Germer as a 5=6. Life has happened.

And it hasn't stopped.

While I get the next post together, take a few minutes and tune into this Stooping Starlight episode, featuring a rare interview with Soror Meral. Hearing her speak gives you more insight into her life, view, and personality than anything I could write about ever will. While an abridged transcript of this interview appears in The Thoth Tarot, Astrology, and Other Selected Writings (see below), the Stooping Starlight podcast provides never-before-published conversations with Soror Meral.

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* See Jane Wolfe: The Cefalu Diaries 1920-1923, available from the International College of Thelema (http://intcot.org/store)
** See Jane Wolfe: Her Life with Aleister Crowley, Parts I and II, available from Conjoined Creation
*** See The Thoth Tarot, Astrology and Other Selected Writings, and The Kabbalah, Magick, and Selected Writings Volume II, available from Weiser Antiquarian Books.

The O.T.O. Framework for Issue Management

Ain't Mad, Just Pissed.

Today I gotta address something that actually pisses me off about people in general, and also to point out something cool about the O.T.O. in the USA, and how it deals with shit between brothers, between sisters, between brothers and sisters, and everything in between.

The other day when I posted about public criticism of the O.T.O., my intent was to get people to focus on fixing problems rather than pretending they don't exist. I got a lot of support from some people, and some mixed reviews from some others. Overall it was received well by our community.

But today I woke up to a comment on the post from some smug self-righteous pretentious enema bag of a human being saying "And so my friends...here is prime real estate example of not to join these "mystery" schools."

I didn't add the ellipses. They were his. There were more in another sentence. He's just totally that kind of guy.

I deleted his comment, because really? Bad things happen to people in groups like O.T.O., no one should ever join them?

Podunk, Montana: Attractions

If that's the criteria, you'd better pack your shit and move to Podunk, Montana and be alone, because the things I was talking about that happen in the Order happen at all levels of secular society, including businesses, fraternities, sororities, academia, non-profit organizations, schools, scouts and in all occult, new age, spiritual, shamanic, pagan, and every single one of the Christian churches I ever belonged to, and there were, ahem, several.

Shit happens to women, and men, with team-mates, partners, and in situations that are fraternal, tribal, and societal. We are humans, and we act like it wherever we are. Some folks are good, some suck, and most fall somewhere in between.

But where I take umbrage at the sentiment expressed above by the non-member drive-by commentator is that because sometimes people in the Order have issues, all Orders suck.

Bullshit.

In point of fact, sisters and brothers:

The O.T.O. is not comprised of a bunch of stupid noob fucktards. 

We've been doing this shit for 104 years. We've seen the ugliest of the ugly, and we are working hard, daily, to rise above the bullshit and be better than we were a decade ago. We've been doing it since Agape Lodge, here in the States, refining with each generation the mistakes of the previous folks, creating a method that lets folks "Do what thou wilt" while protecting the rights of Liber Oz for every woman and every man who is a Star.

It's not perfect, yet, but we've been doing this longer than most, and we've been doing it with the intent of making the thing we do as Ideal as possible, for a long, long time.

And we've been doing it with all the arrogance and expectation of equality and liberty that America brings to the table every time we feel like gathering sustenance to accomplish our Will.

And yes, sometimes that attitudinal approach to things sucks for the rest of the world.

But sometimes, every once in a while, we get shit right and set the goddammed bar at a level that everyone else on the planet should strive for.

Body Master Training, Kaaba Colloquium, and the Path of Mediation

The O.T.O. Kingdom of the United States of America has incorporated systems that provide a process to address horseshit when it occurs.

These systems are evolving, and processes are developing and are being refined regularly. Body Masters in lodges are trained and prepared to address the issues that arise in close confines through things like the sexual harassment policies of the "Camp, Oasis, and Lodge Master Handbook." This document provides the guidelines of what to do in the event of local members starting problems that need to be addressed.

Think About It

In addition, the O.T.O. provides travelling events like the Kaaba Colloquium, presented by folks who have been through it before, who have studied a bit on what happens when lodges form, and who have figured out how to address issues in the Lodge when they inevitably arise.

Not only is there actual leadership training in place, there's also the "Path of Mediation." Written by a former "Ombudsman" of the O.T.O., this document provides the best practices for dealing with the inevitable crap that arises in the Order when you put more than one magician in a room together and expect them to get along for a while.

The steps are pretty easy, just like the ones I laid out in the other post. They're basically common sense:

• Own your own shit in the situation; none of us are perfect, recognize it might be all in our heads, address things we might be doing personally that contribute to the situation, etc. BUT ... If it's not you, then:
• Take it to the person you've got a problem with, try to resolve it like a fucking adult, recognizing your own issues, but fairly expecting right treatment from your brother or sister in ways that confirm your own rights as laid out in Liber Oz. If that fails, then:
• Take the issue to the Body Master. Not the fellow lodge mates, or your friends, or the Internet, but the person responsible for Pax Templi locally.

First you take your issues to yourself. Then to the person causing your shit. Then to the Body Master or local head of this Hydra we joined.

When you take it to the Body Master, expect them to follow up with the person you've already addressed this issue with. 

Nota Bene: They are not going to ignore you, or pretend like it's "sub-rosa." If a problem is severe enough to warrant a Body Master's intervention, you'd better be prepared for them to intervene. 

What if I don't feel comfortable with the Body Master?

There may be occasions where you can't just go to the Body Master, or feel uncomfortable doing that, and you wish you had an impartial person you could reach out to in the Order because you don't think you'll get a fair shake, or you just feel weird talking about it to someone who is locally "friends" with the person causing you strife, or might be the person causing you strife. 

The US Grand Lodge has a position set up to deal with this kind of situation, the "Ombudsman" who will hear your issue, and give you guidance on your next steps to resolve the conflict.

If you find yourself in need, send an email to:

ombudsman@oto-usa.org

I talk to the current Ombudsman fairly regularly about things, and I trust him to listen and respond to your situation with the full concern and gravity it deserves. We don't always agree on some things, but he has never been anything but fair and consistent with me.

Maybe Chaotic Good

Note that he will treat all contacts as if they are serious allegations that deserve the full attention of the Order, and he will bring to bear all the things he must in his office.

It's not like he's a tame lion.

What to Do if You Have Issues in the Order

Like any organization that plans on being around for a while, the O.T.O. will address any allegations seriously, and as completely as possible. 

Unfortunately, due to people being people, it's super easy to get emotionally riled up and make accusations without being able to provide proof, evidence, or documentation that results in a clear-cut resolution in our favor.

The essence of "mediation" is finding the middle ground, and that means conceding things on occasion. If you need to take the "path or mediation," you need to be ready to prove any and all allegations you are going to bring against the brother or sister in question.

If you've addressed your own issues, and have attempted to talk to the brother or sister personally about the issue, and you have failed to find a way to peace and Joy with that person, it's time to start taking things to the next level.

DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT.

If you're having issues with a person, start a log. Document when events that make you uncomfortable occur in a journal. Note who was present, who could attest that it happened as you saw it. Talk to others in the situation and determine consensus on the situation. Get confirmation from them about what they saw and heard in case you need their testimony. 

Dates matter. Times matter. Witnesses matter.

It would be awesome if the Order could believe every allegation against a brother or sister, but over the years, we have seen what happens when people break up, divorce, or just don't like each other. 

We know where that road ends. 

So the Order expects you to be able to support your accusation, provide evidence, and provide corroboration.

Example:

A brother makes misogynist statements that makes a sister feel uncomfortable, publicly or privately, and begins a recognizable pattern of attempted dominance, undermining, etc.

The sister may or may not document the first instance, but at the moment any sister is uncomfortable with a brother's behavior, they should immediately begin documenting behavior, events, conversations, and things that make her feel uncomfortable. 

If possible, address the brother personally through a safe and documentable means, like email, or private message, explaining what he said, how you felt, and why you felt that way. Copy someone else, or use the blind copy feature (bcc) to make sure others see what you're up to.

Expect an apology, but do NOT stop documenting events.

Put everything in writing, and make sure all personal conversations with the person are witnessed by others. In lodge, that's pretty easy. You stick to your friends, and don't let the creepazoid get you alone. "There's nothing you can say in private that you can't say in front of our brothers and sisters" is a great way to make sure you don't get in a position where it's your word against theirs.

Save all documentation. Pretend it's you against the world. Let nothing slide. Document everything.

If a Sister or Brother Comes to You, or if You See Something and Need to Say Something

Sometimes people are afraid to go vertical and deal with a problem, but they are ok going horizontal to get strength from others who they see as strong members of the community willing to stand up against bullshit. Other times, people have gone vertical to their lodge master, or the Ombudsman, and haven't gotten the satisfaction they desired, and bring their issues to you.

Or if you're like me, you see bullshit going down and make it your business because you've seen how things suck in abusive relationships and you aren't putting up with that because it's wrong.

Start a file. 

I've got some things going on in my world that I keep files on. Names, dates, who said what, what went down, how I felt, what I know at any given time. I have org charts I keep up to date, and I interview people as often as possible to keep up with events. I have input from others, and try to remain objective, not letting my own emotions get the better of me, and preparing to crush the fuck out of those who deserve it, and to exonerate those falsely accused, as needed.

If you're going to let yourself get involved in other people's problems, know that they probably aren't documenting it. Stand in the gap for them, be the one who will be their ally. Or just slime away spineless in the corner.

Eventually people have to stand for themselves. If you document issues and complaints, people trying to manipulate the system will see that they are only establishing evidence against themselves and will go away. If they have legit issues, the evidence you gather for them will pave the way for them to have a foundation to stand on.

Actively Work With Your Community

So the thing about the O.T.O. is that we have a pretty solid net in place in our community to catch bullshit, and to eject it from the current. We swim in this stream all the time, and most of the time it's awesome. But if we find ourselves in a warm spot in the pool, or we see a turd floating where people are trying to have a good time, we need to point it out, and get rid of the offense and the offender. 

Sometimes the offender can be retrained, other times they aren't allowed back in the hot tub, for reasons. We have to be compassionate to both sides of an equation, but we must stand firm against any abuse or harm to our tribe.

The O.T.O. is the only religious/spiritual/mystical group I've ever belonged to that had a cohesive and clear set of guidelines in place to address the kind of tribal bullshit that arises when three or more are gathered in one name. It gives me great hope that we can overcome the bullshit, and it makes me angry when people try to say "the O.T.O. has issues so don't join 'em." 

We are the best organization on the planet equipped to manifest the Law of life, love, liberty and light for people of all genders, people of all races, and just, you know, people, whatever the modifier might be. 

If we weren't, I wouldn't participate in this thing. 

I do it for the Joy. 

It best be Joyful.

Harper and I at Anabasis Encampment

Last weekend, Harper and I packed up a cooler, some clothes, some conjuration gear and a laptop, and headed to Indianapolis to give a joint presentation on the Conjuration of the Seven Spheres. I focused my talk on the Seven Spheres cosmology, and the topics of the book. Harper focused her talk on the techniques of scrying that make the experience of conjuration possible at all.

Going in, I wasn't sure what to expect, but by the end of the weekend, all I could say was...

What an absolutely fabulous group of people! The locals were awesome, a Gent for Jupiter showed up, another "student" from days past was there, and the Brothers and Sisters of the O.T.O. who popped in from Tennesee, Kentucky, and Chicago were just the best.

I really love doing this kind of thing, and it's a subject near and dear to my heart. The questions and answers were awesome, the opportunity to present with Harper at an event was amazing, and the conjuration was a total success.

My favorite part was the dinners and conversations with people during and after the event. You guys were great. Thanks so much for having us, for showing up, and for sharing your experiences with us. I can't wait to hang out with you all again, as soon as possible.

On Public Criticism of the O.T.O.

Heyo-O.T.O. Sisters and Brothers!

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!

Today I'm going to talk about a thing that annoyed me yesterday, and I hope my love of the Order comes through, as well as the actual V.I.T.R.I.O.L. I feel looking at some of the stuff that went down yesterday, because Eff. That. Sht.

Twice yesterday, I saw O.T.O. members respond to perceived attacks and criticisms of the Order indignantly.

Say we don't shower again, motherfucker.

One person brought a comment made by a long-time friend to me in private, asking how I could let it slide, and another vague-booked about a similar insult, which may or may not have been the same incident.

Alright, so don't get me wrong, I get it....

I really enjoy pissing off some of the ex-members and soon-to-be-ex-members of the O.T.O. by talking about what a great time I'm having in our amazingly diverse, delightful, and sometimes dysfunctional family. I like to talk about how cool it is that the Order is growing, spreading the umbrella of Thelema across the world, making it accessible to people so that every man woman and child has the opportunity to go through the process of transforming from normal people into Master Magicians, and beyond.

Nothing riles ex-members up like seeing someone having a good time in the Order, I tell you what. There's a dude that I can get into an apoplectic fit on Facebook just by talking about how the O.T.O. is the most effective structure for teaching Hermetics since the sacking of Rome. I imagine he has to clean his monitor for a week after I do it, and I'm still petty enough to get a kick out of that.

It's awesome.

So yea, screwing with people who are just bitter because they didn't get reimbursed for some gas money on a road trip they offered to provide without mentioning they expected some gas money is one thing.

Even riling up the folks who have the "True mysteries of QBL and the REAL A.'.A.'. and people who have "Established more (in my own name) to advance Thelema than any structure that stemmed from Crowley legitimately ever..." is fun.

These haters and ex-members who left because we didn't automagickally suck their cocks* when they declared themselves Ipsissimus and the Second Prophet of Thelema** deserve all the derisions and mockeries we can aim at them, if we feel like it, because  they are extremists, nut jobs, and are actively pursuing an agenda that legitimately defines them as "Enemies of the Order."

I see it as my personal duty to help them demonstrate to as many people as possible that they are ridiculous parodies of actual Thelemites, spittle-flecked and mentally ill, in need of meds, treatments, and a whole friggin' lot of therapy, or at least a weekend in Peru with a shaman.

Or two.

Cause I like that, it's in my blood. It is my nature, if you will.

That said, there are people with legitimate gripes against the Order.

There are sisters who were, in their opinions, abused by people still serving in the Order. Decisions made by people that left us looking really stupid over legal issues with felons when we should have known better as Magicians that we never acknowledged.

Guys, I mean come on. There are ugly incidents going on in smaller valleys internationally that are getting sugar-coated, and people know about it.

I don't want to air our dirty laundry, my fellow Order brothers and sisters, but frankly....

To pretend we are all awesome manifestations of the Hermetic Ideal all the time is just bullshit.

No one will believe it, especially when known Brothers of our Order are posting on our own Sisters' timelines about how they are passive-aggressively attacking masculinity and all males because they are sick of having to lie about having a boyfriend to get a guy to stop hitting on them.

No one will believe it when known Brothers of our Order are saying "we are biologically hardwired" to be assholes, and advising the Sisters to "deal with it" in spite of the admonishment of the friggin' book of the friggin' law to overcome and refine our natures to be better than that as human beings.

And honestly, the thing that pissed off the guy that brought it to me personally was the accusation that people in the O.T.O. don't shower, and live in their mom's basements*** and need to understand that getting laid is at times a function of hygiene, employment, and not living with your mom...

... when the actual person that inspired the conversation in the first place makes perfect sense of those statements in multiple ways.

So, if the criticisms of the people in the Order are legit, let's do something about it. Let's not get pissed that people ARE MAKING PUBLIC CRITICISMS that are actually legit, guys.

Let's instead GET RID OF THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THESE CRITICISMS POSSIBLE AND LEGIT.

Stand up for our sisters. Don't put up with douchebags. Stand against people invalidating the actual things people experience.

Tell people to shower, get a job, and pay their fucking dues.

You want to stand proud of the Order? Make it an honorable thing to stand proud of.

And if you're more concerned about the REPUTATION of the Order than you are concerned about the REALITY EXPERIENCED BY MEMBERS OF THE ORDER, I think you have some serious issues that will inevitably be addressed when you start taking the whole "Tiphareth" thing seriously.

It's BEAUTY for a reason. It is BEAUTY. It's not ugly. And when you taste the BEAUTY, you can't stand the ugly.

But if you can't handle friggin' Samekh, fine. Until you're ready for it, recognize that the criticisms we receive from people are actually goads to get us to move towards something better. Something useful for the intent of our Order. Something that gets us to recognize our faults, to overcome them, and to be better so we can demonstrate to the rest of these people on the planet the actual and material and spiritual value of the Law.

When someone levels an accusation at the O.T.O. that you find offensive, check it out.

• Is it true personally? Do you do the thing they are saying?
• Is it true in your lodge? Is anyone doing what they are saying locally?
• Is it true in your Kingdom? Is anyone in your kingdom doing what they are saying in your country?

If it is not true, crush those motherfuckers. Destroy them utterly. Return them to the ash of the Grey Land that they arose from, make them a mockery, deride them in the market place, and humiliate the fuck out of them on all the social medias.

But if it is true in the slightest, purge the fuck out of that as soon as you can, with the full extent of your power, because if we are to succeed in this endeavor we've signed on to with oath after oath, then we cannot abide with it in any way, shape, or form.

And if we can't do that, my sisters and brothers, we have no right to pretend we are what we really are all about.

We're just the latest poseurs with indignant tendencies, and time will sweep us the fuck aside, as we rightly deserve.

Love is the law, love under Will.

* They're almost always guys, except for one person who I think is married to the awesome reincarnation of Crowley who happened to make a ring for Elvis while Crowley was still alive, but that's none of my business.

** There are so many Second Prophets, guys, and the ones that died in the 60s, 70s, and 80s were better than you, grow up, lookin' at you world teachers.

*** So at least one Thelemite who I think pretty highly of as a person lives in his mom's basement at the moment as a result of some actual HORSE SHIT he has had to deal with, and this is not necessarily an indictment of anyone who's going through shit, per se, and that's worth noting. Also, I totally lived in my parents' basement off and on til I was about 23-25, I can't remember because I was pretty stoned at the time.

Midwestern Enlightenment Studies with Harper Feist, Soror Laila and Rufus Opus

Hey there!

93 and stuff.

This coming weekend, if you're lucky enough to be in the Midwest, you have two opportunities to experience some goddamned amazing awesomeness at the hands of your intrepid explorer magicians who go about doing this shit and talking about it to you and others so you can do it too!

This weekend in Indianapolis, Harper Feist and I will be providing a joint presentation of angelic conjuration magic that demonstrates how to conjure the spirits, how to hear them and interact with them, and how to incubate the forces they represent in a Hermetic context to attain the transformations that result in the accomplishment of the Great Work:

Harper Feist and Rufus Opus Present:

Conjuring the Seven Spheres!

This would be what I consider the "Green Work" phase of the Hermetic interpretation of the Great Work as I define it. After you've been through the basics of Hermetics (roughly II* in OTO or so), you need the White Work to get you K&CHGA, and then you need the Green Work to make your world your personal playground. The Angel teaches you things, but it also takes you on a series of initiations that put you into a position of authority and wisdom from which to organize and direct the manifestation of your experienced reality.

Harper will be teaching fundamentals and advanced techniques to hear and interact with spirits, which is basically the key to doing magic. I can't tell you how many people don't even consider this simple process that makes it possible to do everything else we do. The number of people that expect a season on netflix related to the spheres to show up in their crystals is just overwhelming. Harper teaches how to use the entire body as a sensory input that connects us to the realms of the spirits, enabling us to participate in the unfolding of experiences they provide.

And then I'll be walking people through the forces of the spheres and how they manifest in our experiences on the daily, providing some insights into the ongoing aspects of creating and maintaining our existences as we progress through each of the Seven planetary spheres and develop the understanding and ability to direct these forces as we see fit.

AND then, on the following Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio, I am SO PLEASED to announce that Sarah Mooshian, also known as the lovely and talented Soror Laila, will be presenting her experiences in the "White Work" phase of the Hermetic interpretation of the Great Work as I define it, also known as the

...

ahem. take a breath, you actually need a sec.

Ok, ready? Alright:

The motherfucking Attainment of Knowledge and Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel.

That's right.

Sarah went through all the crap we put up with in this process (and until you have been through it, you won't appreciate the ha-ha "humor" of that comment) to get to talk to this spiritual entity that just makes our lives ...

uhm.

I mean.

Sarah carefully performed the operations described in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, and reaped the harvest that comes from this process.

She's going to be speaking about her experience in attaining K&CHGA using traditional techniques at Black Sun Lodge in Cleveland this weekend.

This kind of frank and earnest conversation about this ritual is what led me to attainment on my own. You can't actually expect to have a better and more useful time this weekend if you can make it to her presentation, linked below:

A Season with my Holy Guardian Angel

Not bad if you're close to Cleveland!

So no matter where you happen to be in the Midwest this weekend, you've got amazing opportunities. Join Harper and myself, or join Sarah, or join us both if you can! We guarantee you will not walk away from the weekend's events with anything less than what you need to make your personal world a better place, for you, for me, and for anyone else who has to put up with us.