The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O, Ordo Templi Orientis (Ancient Order of Oriental Templars)

248 Pages·1973·0.91 MB·English

by  Francis King (Editor)

Front dustjacket
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
Edited and Introduced by FRANCIS KING
In recent years there has been a remarkable
resurgence of interest in what is generally
referred to as the 'Occult'. Popular Sun-sign
astrology has become a subject for cocktail
party chatter; the 'Underground press'
displays an intensive, although often ill-
informed, interest in such subjects as
Glastonbury, Ley Hunting, and Flying
Saucers; and books — many of them owing
what little merit they possess to the skillful
employment of scissors and paste — on all
aspects of occultism pour from all the
presses.
In the shadow of such well-publicised
aspects of the Occult revival can be dimly
discerned the shape of an altogether more
important phenomenon — nothing less than
the rebirth of Magic. Magic, that is, in the
sense that it is defined by the extraordinary
occultist Dion Fortune: 'The science and art
of causing changes in consciousness in
accordance with will.'
There is no doubt that the magical
techniques, for which extraordinary
efficacy is claimed, are almost exclusively
derived (although sometimes indirectly)
from those two extraordinary occult
sodalities the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Front dustjacket
Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis. The
rites and secret instructions of the former
organisation are easily available in Dr,
Francis Regardie's Golden Dawn, a work
which only now, thirty-five years after its
first publication, is beginning to receive the
appreciation it so undoubtedly deserves.
Those of the latter, the Ordo Templi
Orientis, have hitherto never been
published, although grossly inaccurate and
incomplete typescript versions of them have
occasionally been sold for high prices.
Now, at last, this volume makes available to
the occult student not only the symbolic-
masonic riches of the initiate on rituals pf
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/index.html (1 of 2) [12/28/2001 2:00:55 PM]
Front dustjacket
the O.T.O. but the secret magical
instructions of the Order's seventh, eighth
and ninth degrees, the full details of the
techniques from which such occultists as
Theodor Reuss and Aleister Crowley
derived their mystic powers.
Here is a source book that has a place in the
library of every serious student of the
Occult.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/index.html (2 of 2) [12/28/2001 2:00:55 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
PART ONE
THE SECRET
The Birth and
Development of the
O.T.O.
RITUALS OF THE
l The
Manifesto
of 1917
O.T.O.
l Occult
Templarism
Edited and Introduced by FRANCIS KING
l The Early
Years of the
O.T.O.

l Reuss,
Steiner and SAMUEL WEISER
Aleister New York
Crowley
1973
l The O.T.O.
*
since
Crowley’s
Death First published in Great Britain by
The C. W. Daniel Company Limited
l The 60 Muswell Road, London, N.10
Structure of
the O.T.O. © Francis King
© The O.T.O.
PART TWO
The Rituals First United States edition
Themselves
Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1973
l Minerval Library of Congress Catalogue Card No. 73-84936
ISBN 0-87728-144-0
l First Degree
l Second
Degree
l Third
Degree
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/main.html (1 of 3) [12/28/2001 2:01:12 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
l Lodge of
Perfection
and Fourth
Degree
l Council of
Princes of
Jerusalem
l Fifth Degree
l Sixth
Degree
PART THREE
The Secret
Instructions of the
Seventh, Eighth, and
Ninth Degrees
l Of the
Nature of
the Gods
l Of the
Secret
Marriages
of Gods
with Men
l The Book of
the
Unveiling of
Sangraal
l Of the
Homunculus
Appendix: A Note
on Sources
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/main.html (2 of 3) [12/28/2001 2:01:12 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
FOOTNOTES
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/main.html (3 of 3) [12/28/2001 2:01:12 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
PART ONE
The Birth and Development of the O.T.O.
*
CHAPTER ONE
The Manifesto of 1917
In the spring of 1917 the Russian people, worn out by almost three years of their rulers’ political and
military incompetence, overthrew their Czar and installed a Provisional Government. At about the same
time the U.S.A. entered the war on the allied side.
Neither of these events greatly excited the inhabitants of Henri Oedenkoven’s and Ida Hoffmann’s
eccentric vegetarian community situated at Ascona in Switzerland. They were far more interested in a
bombastic encyclical just promulgated by Theodor Reuss, a temporary guest of the community.
‘Let it be known’, began this manifesto, ‘that there exists, unknown to the great crowd, a very ancient
Order of sages, whose object is the amelioration and spiritual evolution of mankind by means of
conquering error and aiding men and women in their efforts of attaining the power of recognizing the
truth. This Order has existed already in the most remote times and it has manifested its activity secretly
and openly in the world under different names and in various forms: it has caused social and political
revolutions and proved to be the rock of salvation in times of danger and misfortune. It has always
upheld the banner of freedom against tyranny in whatever shape this appeared, whether as clerical or
political or social despotism or oppression of any kind.
‘To this “secret order” every wise and spiritually enlightened person belongs by right of his or her nature:
because they all, even if they are personally unknown to each other, are one in their purpose and object
and they all work under the guidance of the one light of truth. Into this Sacred Society no one can be
admitted by another unless he has the power to enter it himself by virtue of his own interior Illumination
neither can anyone after he has once entered be expelled unless he should expel himself by becoming
unfaithful to his principles and forget again the truths which he has learned by his own experience.
‘All this is known to every enlightened person.
‘But it is known only to few that there exists also an external, visible organization of such men and
women, who having themselves found the path to real self-knowledge, and who having travelled the
burning sands, are willing to give to others, desirous of entering that path, the benefit of their experience,
and to act as spiritual guides to those who are willing to be guided.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/p1c1.html (1 of 4) [12/28/2001 2:01:15 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
‘While numberless societies, associations, orders, groups, etc., have been founded during the last thirty
years in all parts of the civilized world, all following some line of occult study, yet there is but ONE
ancient organization of genuine Mystics which shows to the seeker after truth a Royal Road to discover
the Lost Mysteries of Antiquity and to the Unveiling of the One Hermetic Truth.
‘This organization is known at the present times (sic) as the:
Ancient Order of Oriental Templars
Ordo Templi Orientis
Otherwise: The Hermetic Brotherhood of Light
‘It is a Modern School of Magic. And, like the ancient schools of magic, it derived its knowledge from
the East. This knowledge was never revealed to the profane, for it gave immense power for either good
or evil to its possessors. It was recorded in symbol, parable and allegory, requiring a Key for its
interpretation.
‘The symbols and glyphs of Freemasonry were originally also derived from the more ancient mysteries.
‘These symbols of ancient Masonry, of the Rosicrucians, the sacred art of the ancient Chemi (Egyptians),
of Homer’s Golden Chain, like those of modern Freemasonry, etc., are however but different aspects of
the One Great Mystery. They all require a key to disclose the real underlying meaning. There exists,
however, but One Right Key, and moreover this one right key must be used the Right Way.
‘This key can be placed within the reach of all those who are prepared unselfishly to study and work for
its possession, if they apply for membership to the Order of Oriental Templars (O.T.O.).
‘The O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis) is a body of Initiates in whose hands are concentrated the secret
knowledge of all Oriental Orders and of all existing Masonic Degrees. Its Chiefs are Initiates of the
highest rank and recognized as such by all capabel (sic) of such recognition in every country in the
world. The Order is international, and has existing connections in every civilized country in the world.
Every man or woman who becomes a member of the O.T.O. has an indefeasible right to the first three
degrees of Masonry.
‘The O.T.O., although an Academia Masonica, is not a Masonic Body, so far as the craft degrees are
concerned in the sense in which that expression is usually understood in England, and therefore in no
way conflicts with, or infringes the just privileges of, the United Grand Lodge of England. English
Master Masons in good standing, by arrangement, on affiliation, are admitted at reduced charges.
Members of the IX° become part-proprietors of the Estates and Goods of the Order. For further
information see the publications of the O.T.O., and the synopsis of the degrees of the O.T.O.’
The manifesto goes on to outline the Constitution of the O.T.O.; the rules of membership are
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/p1c1.html (2 of 4) [12/28/2001 2:01:15 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
comparatively onerous. It is made clear, for example, that the high-flown statements in the third
paragraph of the manifesto referring to the ‘Sacred Society’ from which it is impossible to be expelled do
not apply to the O.T.O. itself. For in Article 5, Section 4 of the Constitution it is laid down that the Outer
Head of the Order ‘shall have the right to cancel or suspend the Charter of any subordinate organization
... and shall also have the right to suspend or dissolve the membership of any person whenever such
action is, in his or her opinion, for the interest of the O.T.O.’
After a brief synopsis of the nine degrees of the O.T.O. — of which more later — Reuss’s manifesto
concluded with the following ‘message from the Master Thirion’ (sic) better known as Aleister Crowley.
‘For our great comfort it is written in the Book of the Law:
Love is the Law, Love under Will
‘This is to be taken as meaning that while Will is the Law, the nature of that Will is Love.
But this love is as it were a by-product of that Will; it does not contradict or supersede that
Will: and if apparent contradiction should arise in any crisis, it is the Will that will guide
us aright. Love is easily counterfeited. Lo, while in the Book of the Law is much of Love,
there is no word of Sentimentality. Hate itself is almost like Love! Fighting most certainly
is Love! “As brothers fight ye!” All the manly races of the world understand this. The
Love of Liber Legis is always bold, virile, ecstatic, even orgiastic. There is delicacy, but it
is the delicacy of strength. Mighty and terrible and glorious as it is, however, it is but the
pennon upon the sacred lance of Will, the damascened inscription upon the swords of the
Knight-monks of Thelima (sic).
‘It is the apotheosis of Freedom; but it is also the strictest possible bond. It is that harmony
of Legis Jugum and Libertas Evangelii1 which we once saw upon the little table above the
Pastos of Our Father Christian Rosencreutz.’
It must be frankly recognized that almost the whole of this manifesto was intended to deceive. The
majority of its readers would have assumed for example, that the mysterious ‘Master Thirion’ was either
some discarnate entity, similar to those who supposedly manifested themselves to MacGregor Mathers
and other members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, or a Himalayan superman, like Madame
Blavatsky’s Mahatmas.2 Again, the statement that the O.T.O. ‘in no way conflicts with or infringes the
just privileges of the United Grand Lodge of England’3 displayed on Reuss’s part either what Lenin, in
another connection, called ‘a naivete which in a child would be touching, but is repugnant in a person of
mature years’, or a capacity to tell a good, strong lie. For the O.T.O. not only had, as we shall see,
connections with spurious and clandestine masonic groups but functioned as a recruiting office for one of
these — for in the ‘Classification of Members by Degrees’ appended to Reuss’s document it is clearly
stated that ‘candidates are made Freemasons by the Directing Members (Fratres Superiores) of the
O.T.O.’.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/p1c1.html (3 of 4) [12/28/2001 2:01:15 PM]
The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.
Nevertheless Reuss’s 1917 manifesto is not without interest — even importance — for, while there is no
need to follow Reuss in believing that the O.T.O. was the ‘ONE ancient organization of genuine
Mystics’, there is no doubt that it has been one of the two most influential occult fraternities of the last
century4 with some of its members playing important parts in the activities that have led to the current
occult revival.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Michael/...0Secret%20Rituals%20of%20the%20O.T.O/p1c1.html (4 of 4) [12/28/2001 2:01:15 PM]