An Open Letter to Sabazius, with a Request

Dear Brother,

93.

I seriously don't know how you've managed to do it, for so many years. Thank you for your service.

You are kind, and communicate it. You are calm, and keep your temper. You are honest, and express what people need to hear, in brief, without all the things I'd have to say about the subject at hand.

You leave room for people to do what they will, without judgment, while taking the leadership mantle necessary to guard the camp. Yet you never cease to hear the voices of the comrades. I don't know if you weigh and judge things in contemplation, or are just one of those born leaders who don't have to think about it to come to the right answers. I honestly have no clue how you do it.

Please consider composing a thing like The Thelemic Prince: A guide for Kings. A manual of philosophy, thoughtful governance, and leaving room for the principles of Thelema that you have guarded, carefully and thoughtfully since the crown was placed upon your brow.

You've done good. My experiences with the OTO were both awesome, and incredibly angering. I'm emotional. I don't understand your ability to deal with things so rationally and ... I don't have the words. You find the path forward, that protects the camp, guards the folk, confronts the fires, while maintaining the integrity of it all.

You're good at this thing.

Please consider writing a maintenance and operations manual for those who follow you.

93 93/93

-Rufus.

If at First you don't Succeed, Try, Try Again

Last year, I made a big stink about Stephanie Olmstead-Dean being removed from her position as Body Master of William Blake Lodge on trumped up charges. I railed against the EC, I got myself suspended, and was repeatedly told I didn't know "what was really going on."

Regardless, she was reinstated, and staid that way for ... almost three months before once again she was removed from the Body Master position on trumped up charges. This time for being a member of a Thelemic organization that had just launched, and listed on its web site the Gnostic Mass as a ritual they would be performing, although altered to represent different forces, and balance out the feminine and masculine. It wasn't even Liber XV anymore.

AND ... They hadn't performed it. The list of rituals on the site was still in the notional phase. There was, at the time, no stated policy in place within the OTO or EGC that had been communicated to clergy indicating it was grounds for removal if you performed the Mass for an unaffiliated Thelemic organization. When she found out, they removed that ritual from the planned rites of the group, but it was apparently too late.

Seizing the opportunity, whatever clandestine force who hates that Stephanie should lead William Blake with the success she has demonstrated over the years used this opportunity to remove her, once again from her position.

I want to be really angry about it, but shockingly, I am not even surprised anymore. Some shadowy figure(s) have been working on getting William Blake Lodge out from under Stephanie's obviously eldritch claws, and having failed once, would not let go and went in again. Rumor has it they pulled the EC president out of a mandatory retreat to press the magick "kick Steph out" button. Because, priorities.

Steph is one of the nicest, sweetest, most dedicated hard-working members of the OTO. She dressed up as a T-Rex for the King at Notocon, provided classes, workshops, actual traditional magical rituals, and continuously increased her local body membership, while growing one of the largest building funds of any Oasis or Lodge in the Kingdom of the United States. Her service is impeccable, her attitude was always positive, and she never spoke ill of her treatment at the hands of whomever has manipulated her out of her position.

She's exactly the kind of person the OTO should be cultivating, and yet she is obviously the target of some hidden vendetta from people in the "Lover's" or "Hermit" triads.

Why the fuck would anyone want to be a part of an organization that targets the hard-working and effective leadership over false reasons that just don't make sense?

Beats me. I'm done. If you get something out of your participation in the OTO and EGC, good on ya, hope you don't piss off the wrong people, and may your time in the Order be recognized for what you've done.

Slut Shaming, Slander, Lies, Deceit, and the Whisper Campaigns of the OTO

While I am confident this post will likely end any potential future I may have had in the OTO, at this point, I'm ok with that. IMHO, anyone with a conscience, any understanding of fraternity, authenticity, or anyone who took any of their oaths seriously cannot look themselves in the mirror and say they are doing anything good, right, or decent supporting the status quo within the OTO. 

I know many people within the Order are doing their will, staying within, and doing the things that they feel need to be done to shift ignorance, intolerance, and blatant hypocrisy as they Will. I am proud of them. You have a lever. It is your voice. Use it, in the ways you see fit, to fulfill your obligations, to be the fellow soldier.

I was suspended from the OTO for treason. "Perfidy" was the word they used, but it's basically treason. Because I publicly attacked a decision made by a governmental body within the OTO, and made some "vague threats." (I said They. Will. Pay. in a comment on FB, indicating this shit will not stand, and there will be ramifications, such as this post.)

I love many members of the Electoral College (EC), and would never harm them. I have super strong ties to the things I said in dark rooms. I actually meant them. I really believe people are doing their best, but shit man.

There's some bullshit going on.

Within 48 hours of standing up against what I considered an ignorant and uninformed decision made by the EC, I was told slanderous things by one of my oldest friends about the "situation" in William Blake Lodge (WBL). A dear friend and muse and inspiration was accused of using WBL as a "hunting ground," and the body master "covered for her" because within their poly relationships, the body master's primary partner was necessary to "pay the bills." No evidence, no proof, nothing but judgmental accusations and justifications. And it was false.

Slut shaming? In a sex-positive solar phallic sex cult?

I was told things happened at the ritual that resulted in the EC's decision that were false, and when I asked the accuser to verify the accusations, I was rebuked for talking about things that were spoken of between us with people involved in the actual situation. Silence. Secrets. Darkness.

Meanwhile, none of this was mentioned in any of the proceedings.

Shadow network. Whisper campaigns. Lies, and fucking motherfucking slander.

I let my sister know she was being slandered. I let her know who was slandering her. Like in the agreement we made, you shit heel motherfuckers playing bullshit games in the darkness. Lovers, Hermits, you took the MOE oaths, and you aren't holding to them. You are fucking failing the camp.

So now it's gender shit. People are slandering my sibling Richard Davis, to the point they've had to make the post below in their defense.

It's like there's a vendetta against WBL at this point.

Consider this. People are talking shit behind their back. Accusations without merit. Whispers in the darkness.

Oathbreaking oathbreakers break oaths.

That's not hyperbole, or sensationalism. That's what we do to one another. Yea, I get we're all works in progress.

But we can fucking do better.

Or ... not. It's honestly and sincerely up to you, and the choices you make.

Here's the post Richard Davis made to defend himself from the lies and slander that are being spread about him.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I've been seeing some misinformation shared, that for the past 2 years, I knowingly was "violating" E.G.C. policy, and breaking the rules by serving in public Masses as a Priestess.
That is false.
When I was ordained a Deacon, I explained to my Bishop I am Angrogyne (a non-binary identity, not exclusively male or female, but equally both male and female).
Like anyone else, it was my Will to next pursue ordination as a Novice to the Priesthood.
I was instructed to study the 2004 E.G.C. Manual which states:
"(vii) The role of Priest shall be filled by a man, and the role of Priestess shall be filled by a woman. For purposes of this document, transgendered and partially transgendered individuals shall be considered to be of the gender with which they most closely identify." - p.12, EGC Manual, Aug. 15, 2004 e.v.
I do not have a "gender with which I most closely identify" ... my gender is equally both. I wanted to serve as both, but that option was not available to me.
I was aware that there were already other non-binary clergy pursuing ordination as Priests, so I asked my Bishop's permission to pursue ordination as a Priestess. This meant I could only serve in public Masses as a Priestess, but could still serve in equally recognized private Masses as a Priest. So my Will found a way, and the E.G.C. policy allowed for it.
I have been very open, transparent, and proud about this since the time I was given permission to do it. I have not hidden it from anyone, and I have not violated any policies. So I'd like to ask that people just now learning about my service, please stop accusing me of that.
It was no secret to the U.S. Grand Lodge E.G.C. Secretary, who has served in a public Mass as a Priest with me as a Priestess, so I can assure you there is no dishonesty, deception, or confusion about the reporting of Masses I've served in.
It was no secret to several S.G.I.G.s/Bishops when we openly discussed my service as a novice Priestess at the Advanced Initiation Training (A.I.T.) I attended in December 2018.
It was no secret at NOTOCON when my E.G.C. service as a novice Priestess was openly discussed, sitting right next to Sabazius, as a panelist on the O.T.O. Diversity and Inclusion Panel.
I have nothing to hide, I am proud of my E.G.C. service, and will continue to abide by the E.G.C. policies, under the direction of my Bishop, and with the permission of the Primate, no matter how the policies may change when the new E.G.C. Manual is released.
Apparently we are to believe, by some, that Masses like the ones I serve in need to be "hidden" and are only ok if done behind closed doors for "initiates only," where they are still recorded and equally recognized as official celebrations of Liber XV by the E.G.C., just not suitable for the public.
Regardless of what decisions are made when the new E.G.C. Manual is released to clarify the new powers of the Deacon-Sacerdote office as an equal officer within the Priesthood, I just wanted to clear my name, and the names of my non-binary, gender-fluid, gender non-conforming, and androgyne Siblings, who are now being accused of "knowingly violating a policy that flies in the face of common sense," when in reality, we were all just told to "pick one and stick with it," and that is what we did.
You can't go back and say "nothing has changed, they were all just knowingly breaking the policy by not using common sense." That is not fair to any of us who were adhering to the policies of the O.T.O./E.G.C. as we had been told we could.
Thank you again for your love, support, and consideration of the points above.
I do not wish to fuel any fires or debates with this post, just to clear up some misinformation that I'd seen going around lately about Novice clergy like myself.
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there. 💖
Love is the law, love under will.
Sib. AYIN ע / R.A.D.

A Pseudo-Review of Keith Readdy's One Truth and One Spirit

Keith Readdy has recently published One Truth and One Spirit, subtitled "Aleister Crowley's Spiritual Legacy." This is not a true review, this is just a tribute.

In this work, Keith has put together a lot of his personal research and published it for consumption by the masses. Overall, his research is interesting and provides an insight into history from a perspective that quite a few people will find useful in years to come.

His academic and political presentations have been properly (in my humble opinion) analyzed, exposed, and addressed nicely in the following reviews:

Review 1: By an OTO member who values Thelemic promulgation, sees the failures of the OTO in this regard, and wants to see it do better; also, I think, he feels that the Southern Baptist approach to Thelema is stupid, and that the idea of Duplexity is inbred white trash bullshit (paraphrasing, with intent). Neutral in terms of A.'.A.'. affiliation (he won't join my preferred group, the bastard), and an honest expression of his likes and dislikes of Readdy's work.

Review 2: By an OTO member who values historic accuracy. Tons of historically provable facts, relies primarily on his 20 years of experience in the OTO and documentation he's had access to, and his personal research. Totally one of Grady's lineage in regards to the A.'.A.'., as becomes clear in his discourse. Barely grinds his personal ax about the fact that he hasn't been invited to Vth yet.

As much as I would LOVE to contribute another rebuttal to the presuppositions Keith's book assumes, I don't think it's entirely necessary. People aware of the facts are aware of the facts, and there will be plenty of links to these reviews available online.

Suffice it to say, the public face of the A.'.A.'. claimant group that the OTO is currently partnering with is founded on a dude from Tennessee's assertion that he talked to the Secret Chiefs sometime in the 70s, and they told him he's the leader of the A.'.A.'., for real, for real, he means it.

Meanwhile the actual A.'.A.'.'s outer face continues its work, regardless of OTO recognition or affiliation, as it has since Aleister Crowley oversaw Jane Wolfe's progress at Cefalu. There is only one A.'.A.'., and there is only one group that has maintained its link to its root and core. If you're interested in the real A.'.A.'., check out OneStarinSight.org.

But Keith Readdy put a ton of work into producing this book, and I know how hard that can be. I respect the work he's done, and the information he provides. I've read most of it previously, when he published it under other pseudonyms publicly.

I initially described this book as a Frankenstein's monster sewn together from other works into a shambling golem stumbling towards some unsustainable view of the OTO dictated by Shiva X, a dude in Texas, and J. Daniel Gunther.

That was probably a little harsh.

My brother Keith spent a lot of time putting together his book, and that shit's hard to do. This is a sizable chunk of his life, and I admire his ability to put this all together. I feel like he's sincere in what he presents, and is super focused on making certain points, documenting them clearly and concisely.

I also think he's a pawn being used by a tiny little cabal in the OTO to further their overall plans of invalidating all other A.'.A.'. claimant groups, with a specific hard on against Phyllis Seckler and her heirs.

Keith uses a lot of source-citing in his book, which is good. Unfortunately, I know the magical motto and civilian names of at least one of the people he cites repeatedly. He cites them as if they were different people in the footnotes, and that is kinda cool, you don't want to out your brothers and sisters for sure, but it makes it look like he's got twice as many sources supporting the Duplexity argument than he does. In real life, it's one guy who had a thought and wrote an essay that Shiva X thought was cool, and then it got spun up into some kind of big deal. I happen to  like him as a brother in the OTO, even though we disagree about things A.'.A.'. in all the possible ways.

His Duplexity argument is just trash. Not worth worrying over.

I super enjoyed reading Keith's book. It's a snapshot of what some OTO Thelemites think about Thelema in general. It's full of contradictions, and would fail every kind of basic internal consistency checks required by most documents, but it gives an interesting perspective on the history, present, and future of the OTO and the A.'.A.'. as it is currently viewed by one faction of organized Thelema.

And it has interesting anecdotes.

I would recommend reading it in context of the diaries of Jane Wolf, the Red Flame books regarding Jane and Crowley, and Karl Germer's correspondence with Phyllis and Jane. Understanding the roots of the animosity against Phyllis that is expressed in this book also requires reading James Wasserman's Through the Fire. It puts the whole thing into perspective, young pup meets A.'.A.'. leadership, doesn't like that it's a woman who tells him he's doing something he shouldn't be doing yet based on his obvious drug addictions and incomplete preparation for the rite, rebels and goes to someone else who has an actual penis because that's what matters most to him.

Ugh.

Anyway, if you read Keith's book, respect the work that he put into it, forgive his bias, and spend some effort learning the full story of how things work. It's not his fault.

The Law that was adopted by the O.T.O. comes from the A.'.A.'., as Crowley states in Liber CCC. I support the OTO because it's easy. At the end of the day though, the OTO is not the One True Thelemic body that will carry out the work of the A.'.A.'. if it loses sight of the actual Law; it's only the most convenient at the moment. If members in positions of authority continue to push against the legitimate heirs to the A.'.A.'. in favor of 1970's would-be gurus who hear voices confirming their innermost desires, the A.'.A.'. will find a better vehicle to support its work.

The Mystic Marriage of the A.'.A.'. and the O.T.O.

As a result of the "From Cefalu to Sacramento" posts, I received the following remarks from a member of the A.'.A.'. who wishes to remain anonymous:

THE MYSTIC MARRIAGE OF THE A∴A∴ AND THE O.T.O

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

 “Duplexity” is a word manufactured in recent times from Crowley’s Word of the Equinox, 1915, “Duplex.”  Its potential meanings have been studied and the altered word adopted as a cry to arms by those who would support one A∴A∴ group over the others.  In December 2016, Frater Teleios wrote an essay about Duplexity, entitled One Truth and One Spirit, which he states is an examination of the concept, with a specific focus on the relationship of A∴A∴ groups with the O.T.O.  In some ways, this brief manuscript is a response to this essay.  In it, Teleios examines the roles of each Order and the relationship between them.  The primary argument is stated to be based upon the notion that the missions of the two Orders are the same, stated to be the promulgation of Thelema.

This statement seems at the least to be a radical oversimplification, and is likely simply erroneous with respect to the basic purpose of the A∴A∴.  The functional aim of the A∴A∴ would seem to be the development of individuals through a series of practices and initiations to promote mystical and magical development under the structure of Scientific Illuminism. The Oaths of the grades have no direction to promulgate the Law, only to proclaim openly one’s association with the A∴A∴, clearly not the same thing.

Therefore, I would venture that the premise of the essay is specious.

The essay illuminates a problem that exists in the arguments of people who have focused upon Crowley’s original statement as a device in the political debate about which claimant group is the “right one.” They have focused on only one part of what is said in the journal entry, the single word that result from Crowley’s masturbatory ritual.  His description of the ritual and its results contains other information that has not been considered as carefully, perhaps, as the Word.

As an example of this hypothesis, we can formulate an alternative argument here, starting with the original quotation about the word of the Equinox, 1915:

21 March 11.30 p.m. Weather cool and cloudy. Lights of temple(four small).The true moment of the Equinox was 4.51 p.m.Frater Perdurabo in manu illius. [Brother Perdurabo in his hand]Object: To obtain The Word of the Masters for this Equinoxfollowing.The Operation was most extraordinary, being done in full openTemple of NeophyteA∴A∴ in the Ceremony of the Equinox.
The orgasm and ejaculation were double, as it were twins, and in theinstant between the two, the word DUPLEX was placed in my mindwith a clarity and certitude that I have never previously known. TheElixir was abundant and excellent.Result: As above recorded, great success. Very remarkable all this;it is a word of mystic marriage of A∴A∴ and O.T.O. 

Instead of focusing on the word “duplex,” it is relevant to focus here on the concept of mystic marriage. 

This is an important concept in the Gnostic Mass.  In Liber XV, Section VIII is entitled “OF THE MYSTIC MARRIAGE AND CONSUMMATION OF THE ELEMENTS.” In this portion of the Mass, the Priest and the Priestess join the elements and themselves unite, indicating that for Crowley, the mystic marriage was an act uniting a thing ascribed with masculine dignities and a thing with feminine dignities.  It would seem reasonable to assign the O.T.O. as the masculine manifestation of the 93 current, with its social and outward-facing focus, and assigning the A∴A∴ the introspective and “passive” (in the sense of water and earth elements, rather than a statement about womanhood) face of the current.

Further, in Opus Lutetianum, it is stated: “In any series of Rites the roles of the celebrants should not be interchangeable.” Placing this on the structure being developed here, the goals and mission of the A∴A∴ and the O.T.O. ARE NOT THE SAME.

Crowley’s work, and indeed what the current-day aspirants are making of it, supports the idea that the A∴A∴ is the feminine aspect in the marriage, the “quiet and passive” partner.  The Order is made up of individuals doing the work, arguably not focused on the “promulgation of Thelema.”  The work of the A∴A∴ is, written clearly in the quote above, the development of the individual in isolation.  This is actually contrary to any sort of efforts toward promulgation (synonyms - make known, make public, publicize, spread, communicate, propagate, disseminate, broadcast, promote, preach). The members of the A∴A∴ form the hive mind that quietly and individually pollinates the more visible and active O.T.O.

Another clear indication of the feminine character of the A∴A∴ can be found in the Book of Lies:

3ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΓTHE OYSTER The Brothers of A∴A∴ are one with the Mother of the Child.The Many is as adorable to the One as the One is to the Many. This is the Love of These; creation-parturition is the Bliss of the One; coition-dissolution is the Bliss of the Many.The All, thus interwoven of These, is Bliss.Naught is beyond Bliss.The Man delights in uniting with the Woman; the Woman in parting from the Child.The Brothers of A∴A∴ are Women: the Aspirants to A∴A∴ are Men. 

Aspirants in the A∴A∴ are not to know any other member, except their direct supervisor.  Their legal names are not used in publications; their actual identities are not important.  The argument of the quiet, development of the individual and the benefit to the larger society of the aspirants being the “female” of the pair is supported by the fact that in the Gnostic Mass, there are no women explicitly listed in the list of the saints. In fact, identity of females in the fraternal order (O.T.O.) have traditionally been hidden in general.

An important difference between the approach of the O.T.O. and the A∴A∴ is shown in this quotation from Magick Without Tears (MWT), further: 

“The Brothers of A∴A∴ are one with the Mother of the Child.the A∴A∴ concerns the individual, his development, his initiation,his passage from 'Student' to 'Ipsissimus'; he has no contact of anykind with any other person except the Neophyte who introduceshim, and any Student or Students whom he may, after becoming aNeophyte, introduce. The details of this “Pilgrim's Progress” arevery fully set forth in One Star in Sight […]” 

The presence of multiple A∴A∴ groups is also imbedded and accepted in Crowley’s original approach.  One Star in Sight sub figurâ CDLXXXIX states “The Adept must prepare and publish a thesis setting forth His knowledge of the Universe, and his proposals for its welfare and progress. He will thus be known as the leader of a school of thought.”

A discussion of the 8°=3^□ oath from ordoaa.org states “His principal business is to tend his “garden” of disciples, and to obtain a perfect understanding of the Universe. He is a Master of Samadhi.”  Later, this same page reminds: “They are all, however, bound by the original and fundamental Oath of the Order, to devote their energy to assisting the Progress of their Inferiors in the Order. Those who accept the rewards of their emancipation for themselves are no longer within the Order.” Simply put, all those A∴A∴ members who achieve 8°=3^□ bind themselves by oath to forming their own new version of the order, to pass along their achievements.

It was without any doubt Crowley’s vision to have multiple A∴A∴ and A∴A∴-like organizations.  As an order, the A∴A∴ would be failing if this had not happened.  The existence of multiple A∴A∴ organizations also necessitates a certain amount of diversity within them.  That diversity does not invalidate any of them. Indeed, this would seem to endorse the existence of organizations such as the various Colleges of Thelema, Heart of Blood and many others.

In fact, Crowley’s view of spiritual attainment was flexible, as shown in this quotation from Liber XIII: “All these grades are indeed but convenient landmarks, not necessarily significant. A person who had attained them all might be immeasurably the inferior of one who had attained none of them; it is Spiritual Experience alone that counts in Result; the rest is but Method.”

Another pertinent quotation, this time from Porta Lucis: “We therefore who are without the chains of ignorance, look closely into the heart of the seeker and lead him by the path which is best suited to his nature unto the ultimate end of all things, the supreme realization, the Life which abideth in Light, yea, the Life which abideth in Light.” And lastly, “The first condition of membership in the A∴A∴  is that one is sworn to identify one's own Great Work with that of raising mankind to higher levels, spiritually, and in every other way." (Magick Without Tears) This being Crowley’s stated goal, we – his intellectual and spiritual children – might choose to keep our eyes on that prize.

To conclude this brief remark, the notes from Crowley’s journal of Equinox 1915 tell us a great deal about the relationship between the O.T.O. and the A∴A∴, but that the actual word of the Equinox is not the most informative part of the journal entry: 

The O.T.O. and the A∴A∴ form two partners in a mystic marriage, and they do not have the same mission. Rather they are different sides of the same coin, with the A∴A∴ creating richness inside the structure of the O.T.O. by the quiet contributions of the sisters and brothers of the A∴A∴ in every role and purpose in each O.T.O. body.

Love is the law, love under will.

From Cefalu to Sacramento Part 4: Wending the Way to Sacramento

In the previous installment, we discussed the events that followed the death of Karl Germer, mentioning the ongoing work of Phyllis Seckler as she picked up and continued the administration of the A.'.A.'.. She went through a lot over the years, developing what eventually became the International College of Thelema and the Temple of the Silver Star in service to the A.'.A.'..

She worked to create resources for people looking into the subjects of Thelema and Crowley through the publication of In the Continuum, a bi-annual journal that was available from 1973-1996. She worked to document her own Superior's history, writing a series of articles on the life of Jane Wolfe that was eventually expanded and published as Jane Wolfe: Her life with Aleister Crowley, Parts 1 and 2. Copies of Part 1 are still available from Conjoined Creation, and I hope to see a combined volume re-published one day.

As we mentioned in the previous post, throughout her life Seckler continued to accept students in the formula of the original blueprint Crowley published in the Blue Equinox. In 1993, Seckler was contacted by David Shoemaker, who soon began his work in the A.'.A.'. under her personal tutelage, and began his initiations into the Mysteries of the O.T.O..

 He and Phyllis Seckler became more than just student and teacher over the years. Hearing his stories about their time together, it quickly becomes obvious that they were friends and compatriots in the pursuit of the Work. She found in him the person she felt most comfortable leaving the legacy to which she had devoted her entire life. When she passed, he was named her de facto spiritual heir, receiving her personal library, and the documents of her history in the Orders. He followed her as Body Master of 418 Lodge in Sacramento, and currently leads the International College of Thelema and the Temple of the Silver Star, which were established by explicit warrant from Seckler.

It's really not my place to speak about his accomplishments within the A.'.A.'.. He is more than capable of speaking publicly about himself, should he so choose, and he's made a great deal of his personal Work available publicly available through the Living Thelema podcasts, now fully cataloged at livingthelema.com, and through the book of the same name published in 2013. Speaking to him in person, seeing his presence at events, and receiving instruction in the techniques of Magick he shares speaks volumes about his experience and demeanor.

But I'd like to share my favorite anecdote about David Shoemaker, and it's not one that comes from him, or anything he's ever made available publicly. It comes from conversations I had with an old friend at a tiny and remote whiskey bar somewhere within the borders of the Chesapeake Bay. It was before I joined the A.'.A.'. myself, and it was one of the things that made my decision easier.

My friend and I met long after smoking was outlawed in all public places, but the smoke of thousands of imported cigars had long since permeated the grain of the wood of the bar as we discussed the route of the A.'.A.'. leadership as it led to David Shoemaker.

"David's legit, perhaps the only one who can actually provide an unassailable paper trail back to Crowley, if that matters to you," my friend said. "While that gets him paper respect, there's a lot more to it than that. His whole life in Thelema demonstrates the Grades."

You can bet this got my attention.

My friend went on to tell me All About What Happened to the A.'.A.'.^TM. He just sat there, sipping his Coca-Cola (he didn't drink, even though there were scotches worth more than he made in a month available to him if he would just place the order for once in his life) and talking. He told me of Germer, and of Motta, and Breeze, and Gunther, of Grady McMurtry, and his own teacher's teacher, and he told me of Jane Wolfe, Phyllis Seckler, the Eshelman period, and then, finally, we spoke of David Shoemaker.

He told me about how David had showed up in the early 1990s, and fell right into the current 93, rapidly moving up through the degrees of the O.T.O. and the Grades of A.'.A.'. alike. He spoke of the contributions to the College of Thelema by the key players, the end results, and the eventual change in focus that happened sometime before Phyllis passed away. He told me that she had left her full library and archives to David, and that he was her primary spiritual heir.

And then he spoke of the disappearing David. "It's like he went silent after she died. Nothing on the national O.T.O. lists to speak of, nothing international, of course, and during this period, very little came out of the West Coast with his fingerprints on it."

But then... something happened.

"Something settled in him, and then everything changed," as it was put to me.

My speculations revolve around the facts. Sometime between 2004 and 2010, David Shoemaker passed through some levels of initiation and experiential understanding that shifted his focus from a passive recipient of the teachings to an active teacher of our Mysteries. He returned to public life, broadcasting Living Thelema, and taking the actions that eventually led to the formation of the International College of Thelema, and its initiatory body, the Temple of the Silver Star.

"No one knows what happened, for sure, but it's pretty obvious," said my friend. "You don't do this stuff until you hit ..." and I won't say what Grade he was referencing, but basically, everyone who cares can figure it out. It's basic math, though, and his actions and his experiences map directly onto the path of initiation and what you'd expect someone to do when they hit certain Grades of the Order.

So that about wraps it up. It was a long and winding road that led from Cefalu to Sacramento. Yet, in my mind, it's all pretty straightforward:

• Crowley to Germer
• Germer to Seckler
• Seckler to Shoemaker

The only reason we have all this other stuff to wade through is because people didn't like Phyllis Seckler, or the idea of her having the authority she had earned. She had standards, she said what she thought, and she didn't put up with adolescent foolishness when she saw it. She was a trail blazer, and through her tenacity she carved out the niche in which the O.T.O. was capable of being reborn. If Grady McMurtry was the father of the modern O.T.O., then she is undeniably its Mother. Without her direct support and encouragement, we simply would not have the organizations I am proud to be a part of today.

I have been told I am simplifying things a great deal, and I might be. Those with vested interests in promulgation of revisionist history need this whole situation to be a lot more complicated to be able to weave alternate claims of legitimacy together. I've seen references to unpublished documents that allegedly contain "proof" that my conclusions are totally wrong, but in the same breath I'm told that these documents aren't supposed to be published and I just have to trust that they exist.

I am skeptical.

The documented facts led me to a remarkably simple conclusion, however:  The spiritual and administrative authority of A.'.A.'., and the office of its Praemonstrator, was passed down to the highest ranked and recognized member of the A.'.A.'. in good standing with both the O.T.O. and the A.'.A.'. at the death of Karl Germer, and has continued in its work and its service since the days of Aleister Crowley. R regardless of any other claims or arguments, only one active administrative body of A.'.A.'. can , to my satisfaction, trace itself back to Aleister Crowley through decree, degree, and bequeathment.

Over the course of the publication of these recent posts, I've had the opportunity to discuss the topics I'm bringing up with people from around the world, in multiple A.'.A.'. organizations around the globe that track their heritage back to Seckler, Motta, Grady McMurtry, and Gunther, and a surprising number of others that I didn't even know existed. People I've known for years in the occult community (and I mean people I've been friends with long before I ever considered joining any modern organized Thelemic group that goes back to Crowley) have contacted me and revealed their affiliation with groups that I had assumed were defunct or meaningless in the context of this discussion.

I was wrong about that. I've come to realize that my perspective has been pretty insular. I'm a US citizen, in the O.T.O. Kingdom of the United States, and my experiences have been heavily influenced by the people I have met in various lodges around the United States, and a bare handful of international members of our global fraternity. A lot has gone down since Motta passed, apparently, and it's been as bad as I had expected in some instances, and far better in others. Eventually.

The number of A.'.A.'. members around the world doing the work who have responded to this project has shifted my perspective on this subject quite a bit, while at the same time served to reinforce my conviction that the overall intent that started this is of global consequence when it comes to the relevance of the E.G.C., the O.T.O. and the A.'.A.'. when it comes to manifesting the Aeon of Horus and the fundamental aims of Hermetics on the planet that go back as long as we've had Herms in the first place.

Incredibly effective magicians are coming out of all the claimant groups. People I respected as "grimoire magicians" are secretly members of our collective heritage. Witches and sorcerors who seem to be focused only on the practical aspects of magick are working their wiles in service to the A.'.A.'. for the good of the whole rest of the world, whether the world can accept and understand it or not. They are literally everywhere.

They are doing the Work. They are experiencing the outcomes we are all striving towards. The exercises, practices, and study materials laid out by Crowley are working for people across the whole spectrum of practices we affiliate with publicly. The Work is actually doing what it's intended to do, and on a much broader and global scale than I ever dared hope.

Y'all are awesome. Thanks. I'm proud to be amongst the company I find myself in.
I still stand by the results of my own research to date. My opinions are pretty strong, and I think there is only one A.'.A.'. claimant group worth the time and effort I've put into it, historically, spiritually, and personally.

But I also recognize that those are my experiences, and my conclusions. I based my choice of claimant groups to join on the foundation of documented history, and my intractable practicality. My experiences have been awesome. I had supervisors who responded, encouraged me, challenged me, while leaving me to the resources that come with the program to reach my own conclusions. I've gotten out of the system everything (and more) that I've put into it.

From Cefalu to Sacramento Part 3: The A.'.A.'. after Karl Germer

The state of the Thelemic bodies on planet Earth after the death of Karl Germer left a certain something to be desired. While there were active O.T.O. members in Switzerland, and various charters floating around, there was no official Outer Head of the Order universally recognized. Within the US, Agape lodge had dwindled in size and had ceased performing initiations. As a result, there were less than a couple dozen active living members by the time Grady McMurtry agreed, in response to a letter from Seckler, to activate his Caliphate status and to take over as the head of the O.T.O.

Jane Wolfe, Phyllis Seckler, and Karl Germer

Aleister Crowley had left Grady McMurtry a letter designating him as the successor to Karl Germer where the O.T.O. was concerned. I've read a lot of commentaries about the intentions and the ideas that went into this designation, and it boils down to the fact that Crowley intuitively understood that the O.T.O. would be in trouble when Germer passed, so he made provisions by giving Grady McMurtry the Caliphate papers.

Unfortunately, there were no "caliphate" designations to the A.'.A.'.. To understand what's going on today, primarily within the United States, we must turn our attention back to Marcelo Motta, delve into his relationships with a handful of his various acolytes, followers, and direct reports within the testing order of the A.'.A.'. under his watch.

The following information is based largely on a careful reading of brother Wasserman's In the Center of the Fire. It is a condensed presentation of the detailed information he provides in his autobiography, his role in the history of the Order, and his understanding of events related to the members of the A.'.A.'. administration currently recognized as a partner with the O.T.O..

It is this relationship between the Orders that indirectly inspired my research into the history of the A.'.A.'.. As a result, I am focusing primarily on the events following the death of Karl Germer that led to the formation of this alternate administrative body, and how these events led to the situation I find myself in as a member of both the A.'.A.'. and the O.T.O.*.

As Frater Sabazius says, the O.T.O. can only ally itself with one Administrative body of the A.'.A.'.. They have currently made the choice to ally themselves with the administration led by J. Daniel Gunther, who traces himself indirectly back to the A.'.A.'. through Motta. He had some personal disagreements with his supervisor in the A.'.A.'., but he claims to have made direct contact with the Secret Chiefs to make up for the fact that he was no longer officially supervised by anyone actually in the A.'.A.'. that descends from Aleister Crowley, as one does.

Wasserman's In the Center of the Fire provides a detailed history of the events leading to the formation of this administrative body, and I was encouraged to read it by several people in the Order whenever we talked about the A.'.A.'.. It explains how Wasserman, in his position at Weiser Publications in the 1970s brought the members of this organization together, and details the timeline of events that led up to the formation of the new administration.

As Weiser published Crowley's books and the Thoth tarot deck, it became a communications hub for Thelemites from around the world. Correspondence came into the publisher the way it comes into the local bodies of the O.T.O. today, as people both new to the occult and old hands studying magick reached out to network with one another and discuss their studies and experiences. It was through Weiser that Wasserman met and corresponded with Motta, and eventually joined the A.'.A.'.. It was also through correspondence passing through Weiser that he was introduced to Richard "Gerney" Gernon, and J. Daniel Gunther.

The highlights of the timeline of events leading the initiations of these men into the A.'.A.'. as Wasserman recalls them are as follows:

• 1953 - Motta was initiated into the A.'.A.'. by Germer
• April, 1975 - James Wasserman signs the Oath of the Probationer under Motta. 
• August, 1975 - J. Daniel Gunther announces himself as "Frater K.N.", an A.'.A.'. contact point in Nashville, Tennessee to Weiser Publishing, where Wasserman received the letter. 
• Sometime in August-October 1975 - Gurnon introduces Gunther to Motta, and Motta apparently accepts Gunther into his A.'.A.'. 
• October 1975 - Bill Breeze takes the Probationer's Oath from Gunther

Wasserman's record of his life is a very honest presentation of his strengths and his weaknesses. I think it's important to remember the state of mind he would have been in throughout these early days, to help understand some of the choices he made. He unabashedly describes his ongoing use of heroin and other intoxicants throughout his life, and summarizes his character of this time period as young, inexperienced, and ill-equipped to handle the responsibilities he was given. He seems to have been both head-strong and easily impressionable at the same time. With that in mind, let's look at that timeline of events in more detail.

Through his position at Weiser Publications, Wasserman entered into a relationship with Motta, and this relationship had its ups and downs. While he ultimately signed the Oath of Probationer under Motta in April of 1975, he already had begun having concerns about allying himself with this leadership:

It would have happened six months earlier, as I had written to Motta in September 1974 requesting the Oath, just before he began his period of anti-Semitic rants. He later told me that my letter was lost in the mail. I was much relieved I had not bound myself to him on a spiritual level. But as things improved between us, I again requested the Oath."

Later in August, he received the announcement from Gunther that he was an A.'.A.'. point of contact in Tennessee. Wasserman goes on to explain that Gunther had no previous contact with anyone in the A.'.A.'. in real life, he had apparently been a student of the occult, read the works of Crowley, and was told by the Secret Chiefs that he was in the Order. Consequently, he of course wrote to the publisher of Crowley's writings, I assume to let them know that if anyone was interested, he was available as a contact of the A.'.A.'.. 

Wasserman was, by his own accounts during this period both youthful and filled with an enthusiasm that had not yet been tempered by experience. I personally have been in a position to see the kinds of letters we get at the local O.T.O. lodge from people in remote places who study the occult, and end up having a mystical experience that culminates, of course, in their being the chosen one of the Invisible College/Secret Chiefs/Alien Intelligences/Aiwass/Babalon/Ma'at, or whoever they'd most recently been studying that caught their fancy. Today, after surviving the New Age channelled writings of the gurus of the 1970s and 1980s, the occult community is more likely to toss grandiose self-proclamations directly into the trash as soon as they get them. 

Wasserman, it seems, hadn't yet reached that point. Instead, he decided he should introduce Gunther to his friend Gurney, "in hopes that we might learn more about this previously unknown individual and broaden our collective database, as it were."

Now, let's quote Wasserman's account of what happened, for posterity:

"As soon as Dan learned of Motta through Gurney, he contacted him. Motta forwarded the letter he received from Gunther and his reply. Frater K.N. (J. Daniel Gunther) informed Motta that he had been authorized by the Secret Chiefs to establish an 'American chapter of A.'.A.'.' and wished to cooperate."

Motta responded as a Secret Chief himself, to keep this whole scenario in context, saying "he didn't remember authorizing anything, that there were no "chapters" or other organizational bodies of the A.'.A.'. and that Gunther had mis-capitalized "Do what thou wilt" etc. in violation of the very commands of The Book of the Law."

So to recap, a guy in Nashville had an epiphany that he interpreted as a direct communication from the Secret Chiefs declaring him a member of the A.'.A.'. after reading the works of Aleister Crowley. He then wrote to Weiser announcing himself the contact point of A.'.A.'., and, when introduced to someone who he thought represented the A.'.A.'. had the temerity to declare that it was the Secret Chiefs themselves who authored his fantasies.

Motta, of course, mocked him, but also apparently took him on as a student, never mentioning that in fact, there was already an A.'.A.'. actively operating in California under a recognized member who had achieved Adeptus Minor under the actual auspices of Aleister Crowley and his successors, who was several grades higher than the grade Motta himself claimed to have achieved while his superior in the Order was alive (and shortly after his superior's death as well).

Also in 1975, Wasserman records Bill Breeze entering his life. He also says that in October of 1975, Breeze signed the Probationer's Oath during a visit from Gunther. Gunther had announced himself as contact of the A.'.A.'. in August, met Motta, been received as a student by Motta in that period, and then received Breeze as a Probationer in October of the very same year.

If you have never gone through the process of joining the A.'.A.'. that Crowley laid out in the Blue Equinox, you might miss the absolutely amazing series of events that had to have taken place in order for this to make any kind of sense at all. When you apply, you enter the Student phase of the Order. To get to Probationer, you must complete a Student test demonstrating your understanding the study materials of the Student phase. For reference, it took Frater Achad 4 years to complete the Student test.

Gunther must have completed the Student phase and test to Motta's satisfaction within the three-month period between announcing himself as a contact point of the A.'.A.'. in Nashville, and entered the Order as a Probationer. In that time, Breeze also would presumably have been expected to complete the Student phase, responded to the test, and received a passing grade. Motta would have had to present Gunther with a special dispensation as a Probationer to receive other Probationers on his behalf, and thus been able to receive Breeze in October.

That is, assuming they actually entered the Order by means of the processes of the administration of the A.'.A.'. that were described by Crowley in the Blue Equinox. They might have different standards and requirements, though. If they did follow the process, it is amazing that they were able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time.

The relationship between Bill Breeze and Marcelo Motta was short-lived. In 1976, Motta published his Commentaries of AL, which Breeze found to be incompatible with his understanding of Thelema. He cut off all contact with Motta upon reading this book, and he was one of the first in what quickly seems to become a trend. In brief, it can be said that after Motta published his "Commentaries of AL" some people started thinking he was insane, and stopped talking to him. Breeze was the first recorded in Wasserman's recount of history, but it spread.

Wasserman took his time coming to the conclusion that Motta's sanity was questionable at best, but ultimately all the men who formed the administrative body currently affiliated with the O.T.O. cut off contact with him, or were expelled into "the outer darkness" by Motta himself:

• 1976 - Bill Breeze cuts off contact from his end with Daniel Gunther over the Commentaries of AL.
• 1976, Early October - Motta cuts Wasserman off "from further correspondence" and Wasserman takes Daniel Gunther on as his Instructor. 
• 1976, (later in October apparently) - Motta instructs Daniel Gunther to cast James Wasserman into the Outer Darkness. Gunther obediently stops being Wasserman's Instructor. 
• 1978 - Daniel Gunther cuts off contact with Motta. 
• 1978 - Wasserman signs the Neophyte Oath in front of Grady McMurtry, who seems to have declared that he went from 0^○=0^□ to Magister Templi without even having completed the Probationer's Work according to his superior in the Order, because he felt like he had been through the Ordeals of the Grade as he understood them.
• 1980 - Richard "Gurney" Gernon cuts off contact with Motta.
• 1985 - Martin Starr cuts off contact with Motta. 

At this point, it should be pretty clear that Motta was really good at alienating his American students. None of the people listed in Wasserman's narrative managed to maintain any kind of good relationship with Motta. From In the Center of the Fire, it almost appears as if everyone who spent time with him ended up thinking Motta was insane and unfit to administrate the A.'.A.'..

By the end of 1985, all the people who would eventually end up forming a new administrative leadership of the A.'.A.'. had been expelled, cut off, or had voluntarily left the A.'.A.'. that was led by their superior, Marcelo Motta.

Meanwhile, Seckler’s de facto administration of A.'.A.'. had continued uninterrupted and without such schism and strife for more than two decades.

Gunther, whose original correspondence with Weiser included the claim to be a contact for the A.'.A.'. at the inspiration of the Secret Chiefs, eventually determined that he had the right approach back in the beginning. After leaving the auspices of his A.'.A.'. teacher, he followed up on this initial inspiration, and he claims to have forged a new link to the Secret Chiefs, thus conveniently legitimizing the organization he formed with Martin Starr.

I don't pretend to understand why they took this step at all. Frankly, if they were interested in a legitimate link to the actual A.'.A.'. that Crowley had set up before he died, they all knew Phyllis personally.

They literally had her phone number.

All they had to do was call her.

But no one did that. In spite of knowing she was recognized as a 5^○=6^□ by Karl Germer, and had been trained in the actual Work by those who had done it themselves, including a superior in the Order who had studied directly at the feet of Crowley.

It made more sense to them to should go off on their own and establish their own neo-A.'.A.'. rather than subjecting themselves to the leadership of the last legitimate Adept of the organization they seemed to hold in such high regard.

Maybe if I'd been there to experience it first hand, the actions they took wouldn't seem to be quite the self-serving steps taken by expelled, resigned, or disgusted ex-followers of a Zelator that they appear to be in retrospect.

Regardless, history is history. In 1985, Grady died, and Bill Breeze was elected the Outer Head of the Ordo Templi Orientis. As Outer Head, he chose to ally the O.T.O. with the administrative organization led by Daniel Gunther, as was his right. I should note that I fully support the work of Breeze in his role of O.H.O. of O.T.O., and nothing in this discussion should be taken to mean otherwise. I stand with Seckler herself in recognition of his leadership of the Order.

The O.T.O. currently continues to officially work closely with this administrative group, although there are hundreds of initiates from other A.'.A.'. claimant groups working productively within the O.T.O. as well, at all levels of membership and in administrative capacities.

But during this time, Phyllis Seckler was not idle. Seckler’s contributions to the O.T.O. are seldom called into question. It is known that she was the impetus that resulted in Grady exercising his Caliphate papers after the death of Karl Germer. Her participation in the initiations in the mid-1970s of new members is also on record, and there is little dispute that she is one of the main reasons the O.T.O. exists at all today. Her perseverance, her dedication, and her discretion kept the O.T.O. vibrant, authentic, and fundamentally alive.

Her Work in the A.'.A.'. continued as well, though with considerably less public recognition or acknowledgment. With the death of Karl Germer, she found herself in the position of being the highest ranked documented A.'.A.'. initiate on the planet, and saying so in this way puts a particularly fine point on a subject many people would like to see disappear.

Seckler had Sascha Germer and Marcelo Motta corresponding with her about all manner of things regarding the successorship of the O.T.O. and the bodies of Thelema. Her responses are vague, and tended to mollify his claims, mostly in the interests of keeping peace so that the establishment of Thelema could continue uninterrupted.

Throughout her life in the Order, and since her passing, she has not been afforded, in my opinion, the respect or recognition she earned by virtue of her dedication to her personal Work, and the establishment of Thelema as a living, breathing, and growing body. I've often speculated that had she been born a man, we'd be a part of a completely different Thelemic community.

Instead, we have the kinds of statements we find in In the Center of the Fire related to her alleged complicity to the thefts of documents from the O.T.O. library that border on slander. Wasserman at one moment acknowledges Germer's confirmation of her degree, and in the next rejects her advice relative to Reguli, even though her warnings about his activities mirrored exactly the conclusion he reached in later self-assessment. Even in comments on this series of posts, standards of authentication are brought up that apply, apparently, to her alone. Her attainment is questioned, her authority is questioned, her activities (documented at length) are questioned, and history itself is rewritten to conform to a story that simply never happened.

Furthermore, Wasserman's published complaints that Grady failed to "muzzle" Phyllis in her expressions of her opinions, historical facts, and the harsh realities he was not equipped to process at the time show neither respect nor reverence for a member of the Sovereign Sanctuary. He refers to her as if she were a dog, rather than the person whose efforts ensured that he himself had a chance to become a member of the O.T.O., and who was the highest-legitimately-ranked member of the A.'.A.'. at the death of Karl Germer .

Seckler never publicly took actions that she felt were harmful to the Orders, and while she would defend her status and her Work to the very end, she maintained a low profile for the sake of peace.

Instead, she continued her Work. She took on the responsibilities of the administrative triumvirate of the A.'.A.'., serving as the de facto Praemonstrator, Imperator, and Cancellarius as Crowley and Germer had before her. She continued to take on new students (not that there were very many during that Thelemic “dark age” from the early 1960's to the early 1970's,) to teach the lessons of the A.'.A.'., testing the students as she had been tested, and implementing the structure of the A.'.A.'. Crowley had left behind, in some cases for the first time in history.

Over the years, she continued to maintain the formulae of the A.'.A.'. as Crowley intended them. Records of students writing her, receiving the list of required documents, and their subsequent tests and advancement through the degrees attest to this fact. It is public knowledge that she partnered with James Eshelman for a time (though they were not on speaking terms at the end of her life) and passed her teachings on to others who continue to work with students in their own rights as legitimate heirs to the legacy of the A.'.A.'.. Although Seckler had also founded the College of Thelema in the early 1970s as an additional avenue of instruction, her administration of A.'.A.'. proper never ceased.

* This post largely ignores the history of the various claimant groups throughout Central and South America. There are groups today that claim heritage from Motta around the world, and they seem to have had a very different experience than is represented in either the correspondence between Germer, Motta, and Seckler, or in In the Center of the Fire.