Western Esoteric Family III: Magick - rdsinc.com

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Western Esoteric Family III: Magick
19
Magick, as its most prominent twentieth-century theoretician, thoughts of members of a group on a common object of con-
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), defined it, is “the science and cern. Beyond these functions, the ritual effects a merging of
art of causing change to occur in conformity to the will” reality and the mysterious. The climax of the ritual is the evo-
(Magick without Tears, 1973, p. 27). Another described it as “an cation or invocation of a deity for some specific purpose.
effect without an observable cause” and owing “nothing to Well-performed ritual affects a person on all levels, thus
the physical laws of our everyday world” (Conway, Magick: An achieving the coordination of outside effects (color, music,
Occult Primer, 1972, p. 19). Neither definition is, in fact, com- meditative practices, chants, and words) with the inner
plete. The latter, for example, could apply as well to almost dimensions of the self. The successful ritual brings about a
any incident of psychokinesis or mind over matter. Father change in the state of consciousness. To help produce this
Richard Woods supplements these definitions by describing state, some groups even use various psychedelic drugs.
magick as the “art of employing the mysterious supernatural Those groups for which ritual is the apex of magical activ-
forces believed to underpin the universe in order to produce
ity wear ritual garb and use elaborate facilities. Such facilities
desired effects at will” (The Occult Revolution: A Christian
may be anything from the temple of a magical lodge to the
Meditation, 1971, p. 30). Woods’s definition is weakened by its
circle of a witch’s coven (a small group of witches). Garb
use of the word supernatural, but does make the point that a
ranges from full-length robes to nudity (Gardnerian witches).
particular view of the world is implicit in magick. That is, the
Implements of worship include various kinds of sacred
world is made up of forces that impinge upon humanity; the
objects: the athame (ritual knife) of the witch, the rod of
object of magick is to come to terms with the world by com-
hazelwood, the sword, and the incense burner. These objects
ing to terms with these forces. Inherent in each of these def-
are for ritual use only and are carefully protected from pro-
initions is the belief in a power of which most people are
fane eyes. Most magicians also take a ritual name, to be used
unaware and to which most of those who believe in it lack
with other initiated brethren. This name may be that of a
access. In spite of the alienation of the majority of people
great magician of the past, like John Dee (1527–1608), or it
from the magical worldview, magick has become the life-ori-
may even be a motto. (William Butler Yeats’s name was
entation of a growing number of persons in contemporary
“Daemon est Deus Inversus,” which in translation means “the
America.
Devil is the reverse side of God.”)
Inherent in the magical worldview is the notion of con-
Secrecy is a vital part of the magician’s lifestyle. It pro-
trol and manipulation. These are forces that manipulate peo-
vides protection from a hostile world that does not under-
ple, victimizing them until they become controlling agents.
stand magick and thrill seekers who are attracted to magick
One witch, Sybil Leek (1917–1982), defined magick as “the
for shallow reasons, such as the chance to participate in an
art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of
orgy. For most, however, secrecy is an element of the faith,
various techniques such as incantations and presumably
which they believe is for the few. (The masses, being neither
assuring human control of supernatural agencies or the
prepared nor intelligent enough, would misuse, degrade,
forces of nature” (Diary of a Witch, 1968, p. 4). In its demonic
and be unable to understand the teachings. Such vulgariza-
aspect, such control can lead to the manipulation of people
by curses (i.e., black magick), but black magick is by no tion of the faith would destroy the power of the ritual.)
means a major practice among magicians. Secrecy is bolstered by a system of initiations and degrees.
Magicians vary widely in their beliefs and are intensely New members, after a probationary period, are given a basic
individualistic. Nevertheless, there are a few characteristics initiation. Some groups have only one initiation, others may
(beyond magick) common to the groups herein classified as have three, ten, twenty-three, or even more. Initiation to each
members of the magick family. These characteristics include higher degree gives one access to a greater amount of secret
ritual, secret ancient wisdom, and a tradition that has its roots material and presupposes an added proficiency in the magi-
in the pre-Christian world. cal arts.
Ritual, for magicians, is much more than the ordering The material that is kept secret is the magical knowledge
principle in worship. It is seen as a very useful tool in focus- of the group. This knowledge may consist of rituals, various
ing the power of the individual and in concentrating the incantations, metaphysical teachings, and the more powerful
813
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Chapter 19 Western Esoteric Family III:Magick
Western Esoteric Family III: Magick Chronology
1801 Francis Barrett’s The Magus marks the beginning of the post-Enlightenment magical revival.
1888 The initial lodge of the recent founded Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is opened in London.
1891 Arthur Edward Waite joins the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
1898 Aleister Crowley joins the Golden Dawn (at age 23).
1898 McGregor Mathers publishes The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage.
1899 C. G. Leland publishes Aradia, the Gospel of the Witches.
1900 Crowley is expelled from the Golden Dawn.
1909–13 Crowley publishes semi-annual book-length periodical The Equinox.
1904 The Book of the Law is dictated to Aleister Crowley while in Cairo, Egypt.
1913 Eliphas Levi’s Histoire de la magie (1860) is translated by Arthur Edward Waite and published as The History of Magic.
1920 Crowley founds the Abbey of Thelema.
1920s Paul Foster Case founds the Builders of the Adytum.
1921 “The Witch Cult in Western Europe” by Margaret Murray is published.
1924 Founding of Lectorium Rosicrucianum.
1928 Dion Fortune founds the Fraternity (later Society) of the Inner Light.
1931 The God of the Witches by Margaret Murray is published.
1937–40 Israel Regardie publishes Rituals of the Order of the Golden Dawn.
1847 Crowley dies and is succeeded by Karl Germer.
1948 The first edition of The White Goddess by Robert Graves is published.
1949 The modern Wicca movement is traced to the publication of High Magic’s Aid by Gerald Gardner (under his magical name, “Scire”).
1951 The British Witchcraft Act is repealed and replaced by the Fraudulent Mediums Act. Witchcraft ceases to be illegal in the United Kingdom.
1954 Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner is published.
1957 Fred Adams forms Fereferia.
1962 Tim Zell and Robert Christie found the Church of All Worlds.
1963 Raymond Buckland starts first Gardnerian coven in North America.
Modern Druid movement in North America is formed by students at Carlton College, Northfield, Minnesota.
1967 The Julian Review, an early Pagan periodical, begins.
1969 Psychedelic Venus Church formed in Berkeley, California.
1972 Susan B. Anthony Coven formed by Z. Budapest. The Church and School of Wicca formed by Yvonne and Gavin Frost receives tax exempt status.
1973 Raymond Buckland withdraws from the Gardnerian movement and founds Seax Wicca.
1974 Selena Fox forms Circle Sanctuary.
1977 Governor Michael Dukakis names Laurie Cabot the Official Witch of Salem, Massachusetts.
1979 Margot Adler publishes Drawing Down the Moon.
1979 Starhawk publishes The Spiral Dance.
1983 Circle purchases land in rural Wisconsin that becomes Circle Sanctuary.
1985 North Carolina senator Jesse Helms introduces legislation that would deny Witchcraft religious groups from gaining tax exemption. It does not pass.
1997 Wiccan priest Patrick McCollum becomes the statewide Pagan chaplain for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
1999 Rep. Robert Barr introduces anti-Wiccan legislation into the U.S. House of Representatives. It is not enacted.
2007 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs grants approval for Wiccan and Pagan veterans to have the pentacle symbol placed on their memorial markers.
magical formulas. There are also the particular group’s Lévi (1810–1875), Louis Claude de Saint-Martin (1743–
secrets, such as the magical names of members. 1803), S. L. MacGregor Mathers (1854–1918), and Aleister
Most magical worldviews include a belief in reincarna- Crowley appear in the histories of all the various magical sub-
tion, alchemy, the Atlantis myth, and astrology and the other divisions. This common history manifests not only a common
divining arts. Many groups would argue that their tenets con- effort, but also a consensus as to which issues are important
stitute not a religion but a philosophy with possible religious enough to generate polemics, a consensus that is most impor-
overtones. Most groups adopt a specific calendar and practice tant to the creation of a family group.
their ceremonies according to an astrological or Egyptian The differences between magical groups reflect those
year. Some have begun to articulate their practices in Jungian issues around which debate centers. Groups vary in particu-
archetypical terms. lars of ritual, in organization, in attitudes toward drugs, and
Possibly as important as any characteristic shared by the in the specific calendar used. The major groups vary on the
magical groups is their common history. The works of the particular aspect of ancient wisdom with which they identify.
ancient mystery schools, the Gnostics, and, more recently, Related to the particular ancient wisdom (Egyptian, Druidic,
Francis Barrett (eighteenth–nineteenth century), Éliphas Hebrew, etc.) are varying ideas about deity. Some groups are
814 Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions
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Overview
close to Unitarian Christianity; others are unashamedly poly-
theistic. Kabbalistic Tree of Life
A SHORT HISTORY OF MAGICK. That magick
was a common practice of the ancient and even prehistoric
world is a truism today. The magical world of the shaman, the
alchemist, the magi, the vodou cult, and the medieval witch-
Kether
craft trials have been given ample treatment in historical,
1
archaeological, anthropological, and psychological literature.
Most modern magical groups take much inspiration from two 1 0
magical groups that developed in the Middle Ages—the
Binah Chokhmah
3
Knights Templar and the Kabbalists. 3 2
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.The Knights Templar was formed in
Death
1118 by Hugh de Payens (c. 1070–1136) and Geoffrey de
7 5
Saint-Omer (c.1080.–c.1150). The group was sanctioned by 6 4
the king of Jerusalem and by the pope in its primal mission to
2
protect Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims. The order devel- Geburah 11 Chesed
5 4
oped into a monastic and then a magical group, and much
8 9
Gnostic-like theology was taught by Hugh and his followers. Tiphareth
The group learned the “mysteries of true Christianity” from 12 6 10
the Johannites, a magical sect operating in Jerusalem in the
15 13
twelfth century. Caught in a power play with the king of
14
Hod Netzach
France two hundred years after its founding, the wealthy and 16
8 7
powerful organization was destroyed almost overnight, and 19 17
Jacques de Molay (c.1244–1314), the leader, was burned at Yesod
the stake. The charges of black magick leveled against them 9
were never proved, but that they were a magical fraternity is 20 18
little doubted.
21
The role of the Templars in occult history received new
life in the years immediately after the French Revolution
(1789–1799). Masonry arrived in France from Great Britain Malkuth
10
with a message that it was the product of knights who survived
the fourteenth-century holocaust by quietly settling in
England. Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat (1773–1838)
arose out of these Masonic discussions of the Templars. In
1804 he announced that he had discovered documents prov- Adapted from www.byzant.com
ing that the old Templar order had continued, led by a suc-
cession of grand masters, the last of whom, Duke Louis teenth-century product of Moses de Leon (1250–1305).
Hercule Timoléon de Cross (1734–1792), was killed in 1792. Kabbalists believe the world can be grasped through numbers
Fabré-Palaprat thus was free to reconstitute the order and and letters, and that their job is to discover the meaning hid-
proclaim himself the new grand master. He also founded den in the numbers and letters using traditional methods.
an associated esoteric Catholic “Johannine” church, and The number “ten” is the basic organizing principle of the uni-
consecrated its first bishop, Ferdinand-Fránçois Chatel verse. Through the ten numbers (sephirot), the basic working
(1795–1857). principles of life are organized and are pictured in the
The activity of Fabré-Palaprat and his successors infused Sephirotic tree. The Sephirot are emanations of God, who is
Templar terminology into the European occult community at the top of the tree, and man climbs the tree, by means of
and provided a foundation in both French- and German- magick, to the divine.
speaking lands upon which various “templar” organizations Each Sephirot represents an aspect of life as well as a
could be created. Among the groups that have roots in the realm of attainment for the Kabbalistic student. Above the
neo-Templar worldview, if not direct organizational ties, are first Sephirot is the Ein Soph, the ineffable ground of all
the German-based groups, the Ordo Templi Orientis (later being, that is, God. The Ein Soph emanates the ten Sephirot.
made famous by Aleister Crowley) and the Ordo Novi Templi Each Sephirot has a name and quality ascribed to it. They are
founded by Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels (1874–1954). as follows:
KABBALAH. Development of the Kabbalah from older 1. Kether—being or existence
Hebrew sources had begun in Babylon in the early Middle 2. Chochmah—wisdom
Ages. The most important book, the Book of Zolar, was a thir- 3. Binah—intelligence or understanding
Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions 815
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Chapter 19 Western Esoteric Family III:Magick
4. Chesed—mercy or love a major cultural impact. (Spiritualists claimed that they
5. Geburah—strength and/or severity received messages from the world of the spirits, while
6. Tiphareth—beauty Theosophist claimed contact with a group of advanced occult
7. Netzach—firmness masters. By 1855 the Yorkshire Spiritual Telegraph, England’s
8. Hod—glory first Spiritualist newspaper, was founded.) This helped to stir
popular interest in things supernatural. On the other hand,
9. Yesod—foundation
the magical writings of Lévi, the existence of the Societas
10. Malkuth—kingdom
Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA) and the continuing impact of
An eleventh Sephirot lies concealed behind and between
speculative Freemasonry provided fertile soil in which new
Chochmah and Binah. It is Daath—knowledge (of the sexual
magical orders could grow. In the 1850s and 1860s, a group
kind, as spoken of in the opening chapters of Genesis). Daath
using Barrett’s Magus gathered around the psychic Fred
often takes prominence in the systems of Kabbalistic groups
Hockley (d. 1885), trying to make use of magick formulas. In
that practice sex magick.
1888 the two traditions merged to produce the Isis-Urania
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. Also developed in the
Temple of the Golden Dawn.
Middle Ages (the fourteenth century) was the Tarot, though
The founders of the temple and the Hermetic Order of
its present form is a nineteenth-century refinement of the
the Golden Dawn (OGD) that it represented included the
work of such men as Éliphas Lévi (1810–1875), Aleister
Reverend A. F. A. Woodford (d. 1887), Kenneth R. H.
Crowley, and Arthur E. Waite (1857–1942). Each of the sev-
Mackenzie (d. 1886), William Robert Woodman (1828–
enty-eight cards carries a complicated picture full of occult
1891), Dr. Wynn Westcott (1848–1925), and S. L. MacGregor
symbolism, much of it Kabbalistic. Today, the Tarot is one of
Mathers. All except Woodford had been members of the
the most popular forms of divination.
SRIA, but Woodford had been the one to inherit, in 1885, the
The modern history of magick begins in the late eigh-
magical manuscripts owned by Fred Hockley, upon which the
teenth century when magical groups, no longer fearful of
ritual of OGD would be built. Westcott decoded the manu-
persecution, began to emerge into the public eye concur-
scripts, and Mathers systematized them into a useful form.
rently with the rise of a dilettante interest in occultism in
The material also contained the Nuremberg mailing address
western Europe. In 1784 Ebenezer Sibley (1751–1799) pub-
of the mysterious Anna Sprengel, who seemed to be a
lished his Celestial Sciences, which contained a lengthy section
Rosicrucian of high degree. Mathers reportedly corre-
on magick and necromancy. That same year, Antoine Court
sponded with her, receiving voluminous materials and the
de Gébelin (1725–1784) published a book that connected
the Tarot with the Egyptian Book of Thoth. At the turn of the charter for the Isis-Urania Temple. Other temples were soon
century, Francis Barrett gathered a magical group around founded in Edinburgh, Weston-super-Mare, Bradford, and
him, and in 1801 he published The Magus, which became that Paris.
group’s textbook on magic and alchemy. In 1897 Westcott left the Order of the Golden Dawn, and
The real impetus to the spread of magick came in the Mathers took complete control. Mathers had already gained
early 1800s when an ex-Catholic seminarian, Alphonse-Louis a wide reputation for his occult scholarship. He had
Constant, rediscovered the Kabbalah, the Tarot, and the reworked Barrett’s texts and produced a grimoire, or magical
entire magical tradition. He became familiar with Barrett’s text, of superior quality. He also published a book on the
work and joined a group called the Saviours of Louis XVII. Kabbalah. By 1892 Mathers had moved to Paris. From there,
The group’s leader, Ganneau, believed that he was the rein- he conducted the OGD.
carnation of Louis XVII, and he preached a form of revolu- Under Mathers’s leadership, the order developed a ritual
tionary royalism. Toward midcentury, Constant left the group and worldview from which other groups would create varia-
and in the 1850s published his Dogma and Ritual of High tions. This system is generally termed Western magick. The
Magic, followed by the History of Magic and Key of the Great basic idea was the hermetic principle of the correspondence
Mysteries. In his writings, he claimed for magick both antiquity of the microcosm (the human being) and the macrocosm
and potency and said it was the only universally valid religion. (the whole, the universe). Any principle that exists in the uni-
Constant, in publishing these books, took the Kabbalistic pen verse also exists in humans. The trained occultist can become
name Éliphas Lévi. Lévi was to become over the next decades attuned to these cosmic forces. In the process, invocation and
the teacher of the many magical traditions that began to
evocation become standard practices. Invocation is the “call-
flourish. Rosicrucians, ritual magicians, and witches all would
ing down” into the self of a cosmic force, with a purely psy-
look to Lévi for direction, even as they formed highly differ-
chological result. Evocation is the “calling up” of that same
entiated groups.
force from the depths of the self, and it may result in objec-
RITUAL MAGICK. The rise of ritual magick (also tive physical phenomena. The correspondences also include
known as ceremonial magick) is understandable only in light relationships between colors, shapes, Kabbalah, and so forth,
of the blending of several traditions that emerged forcefully and the universe. A second belief is in the power of the will.
in mid-nineteenth-century England. On the one hand, The trained will can do anything. Central to magick is the
Spiritualism and what was to become Theosophy were having will—its training and activity.
816 Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions
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Overview
The ritual magician also looks to other planes of exis-
tence, usually referred to as astral planes. These planes are Table of Correspondences
inhabited by entities other than human beings, known as
secret chiefs, Oliponthic forces, and the gods, among other Mystical and Spiritual Relationships
names. Much magical work is in the astral. Finally, most ritual Traditional Hebrew Body
seven Qabalistic Qabalistic double Precious center
magicians have adopted a Kabbalistic initiation system
planets Sephiroth path letters stone (planetary)
wherein each grade is given a numerical symbol related to the
Saturn Binah 32nd Tau Onyx Base of spine
Tree of Life. The numerical symbol uses two numbers, the Jupiter Chesed 21st Kaph Lapis Lazuli Reproductive
Mars Geburah 27th Peh Ruby Solar Plexus
number on the right being identical to the number of the
Sun Tiphareth 30th Resh Crysoleth Pineal
Sephirot, and the number on the left being the opposite of Venus Netzach 14th Daleth Emerald Heart
Mercury Hod 12th Beth Agate Thyroid
that Sephirotic number. The names Zelator Adeptus Minor
Moon Yesod 13th Gimmel Moonstone Pituitary
and Theoricus Adeptus Minor are simply two names for the
same grade. The chart of the grades and their numerical sym-
bols comes from Ritual Magic in England (1970) by Francis
In 1904 Crowley received a communication in Cairo from
King.
the astral with instruction for the establishment of a new
...
order, which he set up in 1907. It was called the Astrum
FIRST ORDER Argentinum (silver star). In 1909 he began publishing the
GRADE NUMERICAL SYMBOL biannual book-size periodical, The Equinox, to spread his
Neophyte 0° = 0°
ideas.
Zelator 1° = 10%
Crucial to understanding Crowley and his followers is
Theoricus 2° = 9°
Crowley’s Cairo revelation. At this time, an entity called
Practicus 3° = 8°
Aiwass communicated a prose poem entitled Liber al Vel Legis,
Philosophus 3° = 8°
that is, The Book of Law. The Egyptian magick favored by
(The Link-Lord of the Paths of the Portal in the Vault of the
Crowley is manifested in this cryptic work, which divides his-
Adepti.)
… tory into the aeon of Isis (or matriarchy) until 500 B.C.E., the
... aeon of Osiris (or patriarchy) until 1904, and the aeon of
Horus beginning in 1904. The aeon of Horus, the son, is one
SECOND ORDER
of the dominance of Thelema or Will. From the book came
GRADE NUMERICAL SYMBOL
Crowley’s themes: “‘Do what thou wilt’ shall be the whole of
Zelator Adeptus Minor 5° = 6°
the Law”; “Every man and every woman is a star”; and “Love
Theoricus Adeptus Minor
is the Law, Love under Will.” These three phrases constantly
Adeptus Major 6° = 5°
reappear in Crowley’s writing. By them, Crowley meant that
Adeptus Exemptus 7° = 4°
… each person is to move in his true course through the cosmos
as marked out by the nature of his position, the law of his
...
growth, and the impulse of his past. One’s duty is to be deter-
THIRD ORDER mined to experience the suitable event at each moment.
(The Secret Chiefs) Love is an art of uniting with a part of Nuit, the total possibil-
GRADE NUMERICAL SYMBOL ities of every kind. Each act must be willed so as to fulfill, not
Magister Templi 8° = 3° thwart, one’s true nature.
Magus 9° = 2° Around the turn of the century, Carl Kellner (1850–
Ipissimus 10° = 1°
1905) founded the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), a ritual
…
magick group that taught sex magick. Crowley joined the
All the founders of the OGD began as 7 degrees = 4 OTO and was made the head of its British affiliate. OTO
degrees, a degree conferred by Sprengel. (Mathers himself sexual magick seems to have arisen from the discussions of
claimed to have contacted the secret chiefs in 1892.) occult perspectives on sexuality that had been held in a num-
The most prominent member of the OGD was Aleister ber of different occult groups. Given the circulation of the
Crowley, whose magical thought has come to dominate mod- Oriental sex manuals discovered, translated, and published
ern magical practice. Reared in an Exclusive Plymouth by Sir Richard Burton (1821–1890), it is not surprising that in
Brethren home, Crowley had been introduced to magick in a the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries individuals
book by Arthur E. Waite. His Kabbalistic studies led him in began to explore the possibilities of sex magic. Crowley dis-
1898 to the OGD. Crowley rose quickly in the order, but was covered sex magic in the process of working on some rituals
refused initiation to Adeptus Minor because of his moral and was aware of its potential prior to his encounter with the
turpitude (in this case, homosexuality). However, Crowley OTO.
went to Paris and was initiated (5° = 6°) by Mathers. His initi- Crowley immediately jumped into a leadership position
ation led to a split in the order in London. in the OTO and led it during the last quarter century of his
Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions 817
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Chapter 19 Western Esoteric Family III:Magick
principles of occult science and the various elements of western philosophy and the several groups formed from them early in the twentieth century, specifically
magic. Symbolism used within the H.O.G.D. came from a variety of religious the Stella Matutina, the Ordo Rosae Crucis, Alpha et Omega (Rosicrucian Order of
sources, and people from very diverse esoteric religious paths found themselves at Alpha et Omega), the Holy Order of the Golden Dawn (deriving from A. E. Waite),
home with the Golden Dawn. and the Order of the Sacred Word.
The order owns the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn trademark in the The order offers ritual initiation as well as instruction in the Rosicrucian system
European Union and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn International trade- of ceremonial magic. It is claimed that this system facilitates personal as well as
mark in Canada. In the United States, they operate by legal agreement adopted by spiritual development through a systematic program of ritual initiation and the
the U.S. District Court as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an outer order of spiritual disciplines of ceremonial magic (a powerful tool for self-realization and
the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega. They also own the R.R. et A.C. trademark transformation).
of their second order, Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis and the Alpha et Omega The order distinguishes itself from several other groups claiming roots in the
trademark of their three-order superstructure founded by MacGregor Mathers in Golden Dawn that engage in what the order views as dubious practices, in partic-
1906, Ordo Rosae Crucis, Alpha et Omega. ular “initiation by proxy”or “astral initiation.”All initiations marking the progress of
Membership:In 2008, 4,215 members were reported. the student are performed while the student is physically in the presence of the ini-
tiator, during which time, it is believed, the actual transmission of magical energies
Sources:
occurs.
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. www.hermeticgoldendawn.org; www.golden-
The European-headquartered Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn operates in
dawn.com. the United States by a legal agreement adopted by the U.S. District Court as the
Howe, Elllic. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the outer order of the Rosicrucian Order of
1972. Alpha et Omega.
King, Francis. Ritual Magic in England: 1887 to the Present Day. London: New English Membership:In 2008 2,130 members were reported.
Library, 1972. Remarks:In 1982 Cris Monnastre was given a number of Israel Regardie’s personal
Regardie, Israel. The Golden Dawn. 4 vols. Chicago: Aries Press, 1937–1940. magical accoutrements, among which were Regardie’s Elemental Weapons, a
———. What You Should Know about the Golden Dawn. Phoenix, AZ: Falcon complete Rosicrucian chess set, and a Rose Cross that he had inherited from Elsa
Press, 1983. Barker (an important historical link in the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega
between Mathers’Ahathor Mother Temple, No. 7, in Paris and the temples of the A.
Wescott, Wynn. History of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. n.d.
O. in the United States). She has donated these items to the R. R. et A. C.
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (Regardie)
Sources:
270 N Canon Dr., Ste. 1302, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Golden Dawn F.A.Q. www.golden-dawn.info.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, outer order of the Rosicrucian Order of
Regardie, Israel. The Golden Dawn. 4 vols. Chicago: Aries Press, 1937–1940.
Alpha et Omega, is the U.S. jurisdiction of the European-headquartered Hermetic
———. The Middle Pillar. Chicago: Aries Press, 1938.
Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in the United Kingdom in 1888. The order has
been credited with constructing a brilliant synthesis of mythical and magical ———. My Rosicrucian Adventure. [1936.] St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications,
material from varied sources of the western magical tradition. When the order was 1971.
discontinued early in the twentieth century, its work was carried on by organiza- ———. What You Should Know about the Golden Dawn. Phoenix, AZ: Falcon
tions founded by several of its members, and most of its materials have been pub- Press, 1983.
lished. A most important event was the publication of its main rituals by Israel
Regardie (1907–1985). Hermetic Order of the Morning Star International (Golden
In the early 1980s Regardie was considered by many in the occult world as the Dawn–Canada)
last contact point with the era of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley (1875– 4035 E Guasti Rd., Ste. 306, Ontario, CA 91761
1947). Regardie and his student, Cris Monnastre, resurrected the Hermetic Order of The Hermetic Order of the Morning Star International Golden Dawn–Canada is the
the Golden Dawn and the Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (R. R. et A. C.). In Canadian jurisdiction of the European-headquartered Hermetic Order of the
1982, under Regardie’s guidance, Monnastre founded the Osiris Khenti Amenti Golden Dawn, founded in 1888. It is a worldwide fraternity dedicated to the “great
Temple in Los Angeles, California. Over the succeeding years, other temples were work,”the higher development of spiritual growth through the magical way of life.
opened. The order believes that magic is a powerful system of inner growth and spiritual
In 1988 Monnastre retired from the Golden Dawn, leaving the Golden Dawn development. As a mystery school, it is designed to take the student step-by-step
adept David Griffin as his successor. In 1999 Griffin merged the order with the to the door of adepthood. The adept in the making learns the “secrets”of listening
European-headquartered Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, forming a triad of and hearing to what is thought of as one’s inner voice of light, often called the
chiefs with Ukrainian nobleman Marquis Nicholas Tereschenko and the reigning “higher genius”or “holy guardian angel.”
imperator of S. L. MacGregor Mathers Ahathoor Temple Number 7 in Paris, Golden The order owns the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn International trademark
Dawn adept Jean Pascal Ruggiu. in Canada. They also own the Canadian R.R. et A.C. trademark of their Second
The Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis operates temples of the Hermetic Order Order, Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, and the Canadian Alpha et Omega
of the Golden Dawn around the world. The United Confederation of Independent trademark of their three-order superstructure founded by S. L. MacGregor Mathers
and Autonomous Temples, officially known as the Confederatio Fraternitatis Rosae in 1906, Order Rosae Crucis, Alpha et Omega.
Crucis (C. F. R. C.), consists of temples from around the world, descending with ini- Students are taught through a series of graded lessons from the starting point
tiatic and/or chartered lineage and affiliation from the Hermetic Order of the of neophyte. Each grade has a series of lessons, more than 175 of which constitute
Golden Dawn, as reinstituted by Regardie and Monnastre. Within the confedera- the lessons for the outer order (neophyte to philosophus). Students receive the les-
tion, it is believed, are reunited initiatic and/or chartered lineages deriving from the son for their grade, and they work at their own speed. The student is tested on each
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, and grade before being passed into the next grade. The movement from grade to grade
832 Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions
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Ritual Magick
is marked with an initiation ceremony held in the Temple of Isis Mighty Mother in Membership:As of 1997 there were more than 100 members of H.O.O.R.
southern California, or if a person cannot come to the temple, initiations may take
Periodicals:Warriors LVX.
place through what is termed an “astral initiation.”
Sources:
The actual teachings of the order are given to members only, but they flow from
the now generally well documented teachings of the western mystery tradition Holy Order of RaHoorKhuit. www.hoor.org.
found in the material produced by and written about the Hermetic Order of the Preliminary Thoughts on H.O.O.R. Old Greenwich, CT: Holy Order of RaHoorKhuit, 1994.
Golden Dawn. Almost all of the rituals and teaching materials of the lesser and
Monastery of the Seven Rays
outer schools originally produced for the Golden Dawn early in the twentieth cen-
tury have been published, and during the 1980s several groups appeared that Box 1554, Chicago, IL 60690-1554
directly draw upon these materials. Lessons of the Morning Star include the study The Monastery of the Seven Rays is the organizational umbrella given to the vari-
of mystical Christianity, Qabalah, Egyptian mysteries, philosophy, Tarot, Greek mys- ous magical activities focused in the person of Michael Bertiaux (b. 1935), a noted
teries, alchemy, astrology, astral travel, clairvoyance, and ritual magic. Chicago occultist-magician. Bertiaux is the inheritor of the French Martinist tradi-
V.H. Frater T.D.L., the imperator, and V.H. Soror T.F., prae monstratrix, were the tion, which he received through his magical training in Haiti and by his ordination
leaders of the order in 2008. and consecration as bishop of the Neo-Pythagorean Church.
The order has established the Golden Dawn Forum, an email list with free dis- Louis Claude de Saint-Martin (1743–1803) was a Roman Catholic raised in
cussion on subjects including Tarot, Qabalah, hermetics, healing, and initiation. A France. As a soldier, he met Martines de Pasqually, a disciple of Emanuel
Western Mysteries Form was created as an Internet mailing list for serious discus- Swedenborg and Rosicrucianism. De Pasqually founded an occult order, the Order
sion of hermetics, ritual, and alchemy. Sincere students are encouraged to join. of the Elect Cohens, which Saint-Martin joined in 1768. After de Pasqually’s death
in 1774, Saint-Martin became the focus of a group of occultists. He began to write
Membership:In 2008, 926 members were reported in Canada.
books (published posthumously), and a movement, the history of which is still
Periodicals:Sword of Wisdom.
known only in fragments, was born.
Sources: By the end of the eighteenth century, a branch of the Martinist Order had been
Golden Dawn Research Center. Golden-Dawn.org. established in Haiti. This group continued to function after Haiti gained its inde-
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. www.golden-dawn.ca. pendence. It tended to blend with vodou. In the 1890s there was a revival move-
ment in the Martinist Order, emphasizing a purist strain of Gnostic philosophy. In
Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn. www.esotericgoldendawn.com.
the years between the world wars the Gnostic Church was established in Leogane,
Holy Order of RaHoorKhuit Haiti, and was brought to the United States after World War II. In general, the
Box 24691, Tampa, FL 33623 Gnostic philosophy emphasizes a secret knowledge that humans can attain and
The Holy Order of RaHoorKhuit (H.O.O.R), conceived in 1978 and founded in 1991, denies the divinity of Christ.
is an outer order of Thelema established to fulfill and teach the concepts and prin- The Monastery of the Seven Rays, which became widely known through its
ciples of the method of theurgy (magic) known as Thelema. The teachings of advertisements in Fate Magazinein the 1970s, is a magical order drawing upon
Thelema (from the Greek word for “will”) derive from Liber Al vel Legis(The Book of modern Thelemic magick (derived from the writings of Aleister Crowley), vodou,
the Law), a small volume dictated to the eminent magical theorist and practitioner and the nineteenth-century French Gnostic occult tradition. Bertiaux wrote the
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) by a praeterhuman intelligence known as Aiwass in lessons, which teach a basic magical system and lead the student into the higher
1904. The teachings of Thelema are generally summarized in several of the state- levels of magical working.
ments from Liber Al: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”and “Love The Neo-Pythagorean Gnostic Church is the ecclesiastical structure which,
is the law, Love under will.” along with six other fraternal and psychically oriented structures with which it is
In essence, Thelema teaches that every human being is a complete, unique, and interlocked, focus the Martinist occult/mystical tradition in North America. The tra-
divine entity (a star). Each person has a unique purpose (destiny), which is the law. dition began in France, was brought to Haiti, and from there came to the United
Each person’s function is to follow one’s destiny. Love serves as the agent, under States in the mid-1950s. Bertiaux was consecrated by Bishop Hector Francois Jean-
the regency of will, that binds all things in their course. Thelemites see the law of Maine, a Haitian who had received orders from the Spanish Albigensian Church
Thelema as a law of freedom casting off the authority of priests and demanding which in turn had orders from the French Gnostics. The famous French occultists
that individuals learn to listen internally, by which method the will is discerned. Joseph-Antoine Boullan (1824–1893) and Eugene Vintras (1807–1875) are
The individual is thus empowered to decide upon the course of his or her own included in the lineage.
life—associations, movements, living arrangements, and so on. “Do what thou The Neo-Pythagorean Gnostic Church is a ritual theurgic body in which the
wilt…”does not mean “do anything you want”; rather, it suggests that having dis- Eucharist is the center of initiation. Through it, the invocation of angels and plane-
covered one’s destiny or purpose, that becomes the sole guide for action in the tary spirits is made, and spirit communication often takes place during the mass.
world. H.O.O.R. also teaches a method of theurgy that facilitates the discovery of Purity of ritual is emphasized, and no tallow (i.e., nothing that carries the suffering
the will and provides guidance for dealing with all aspects of life on planet earth. of animals) is used in the candles. All members of the clergy are clairvoyant and
The order was headed by Ray Eales (b. 1958), who took the lead in its forma- often have visions during mass. Also, during worship a mystical language is intu-
tion. H.O.O.R. is organized in temples and lodges, and membership is open to men itively (i.e., clairvoyantly) perceived and mystically spoken.
and women. Progress is through grades attained by study, accomplishment, and A Gnostic hierarchical system is headed by the Absolute, similar to the Kabbalist
initiation. The lodges serve as instruments of fellowship, education, and the Ein Soph. The Absolute emanates a Trinity, which in turn is the source of Lucifer and
encouragement of society in the adoption of thelemic principles. The order is Sophia, the basic male/female polarity. Lucifer is the morning star, inferior to Christ
closely associated with the Abbey of Thelema, headed by Gregory von Seewald. but not to be confused with Satan. Sophia is paid homage in the cult of the Virgin,
The order is administered by a council of generals chosen by the overseer, who the archetypical divine being. She is often revered as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
holds the position for life. The overseer and the council of generals remain anony- Satanism and black magick are strongly opposed.
mous according to the order’s constitution. In 2008 the overseer was identified as The church is subject to a supreme heliophant (in 1984, Dr. Hector Francois Jean
“Frater 939.” Maine, residing in Madrid). The American jurisdiction is under Bishop Pierre-
Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions 833
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Chapter 19 Western Esoteric Family III:Magick
Antoine Saint-Charles of Boston, who has direct authority over all Haitian The order’s teachings deal with the transformation and liberation of personality.
American members. Michael Bertiaux in Chicago presides over the Caucasian It guides those who seek to know themselves, so that their lives can be used to aid
American members and Bishop Marc Lully of Chicago heads overseas development the well-being of others. The order, by means of enlightened advice, helps its
in South America and the West Indies. In 1979 Bertiaux exchanged consecrations members create their own understanding through experience, reasoning, medita-
with Bishop Forest Barber of the Catholic Apostolic Church in America. tion, and introspection.
Associated with the church are the Ancient Order of Oriental Templars, the
Sources:
Arithmosophical Society, Zotheria, and the Esoteric Traditions Research Society. The
Order of the Eagle and the Lily. www.innerinitiative.org/history.php.
Ancient Order of Oriental Templars is a lodge with credentials derived from the pre-
EON: The Path of Initiation: A Collection of Works from the Order of the Lily and the
Crowleyite Ordo Templi Orientis in Germany. It teaches a 16-degree system of
Eagle. Littleton, CO: Center for Inner Initiative, 1995. 240 pp.
magick. The Arithmosophical Society concentrates on Saint-Martin’s philosophy of
numbers. Numbers form a key to Saint-Martin’s system of magical correspon- Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn
dences and tie Saint-Martin to Pythagoras. Both Zotheria and the Esoteric
1636 N Wilcox Ave., Ste. 418, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Traditions Research Society are outer courts of the various esoteric structures.
The Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn was founded in 1990 as the Thelemic
Membership:Not reported. Temple and Order of the Golden Dawn in Los Angeles by David Cherubim, its frater
Periodicals:Esoteric Ontology Newsletter. superior chief. It is a magical/religious/scientific order devoted to the teachings of
Aleister Crowley and exists to assist in the initiation of persons into the magical life
Sources:
of Thelema. Thelema (or will) was the basic concept of Crowley’s magical system.
Baca, Docteur Bacalou [Michael Bertiaux]. Lucky Hoodoo. Chicago: Absolute Science
The order offers seven grades of initiation from neophyte to ipsissimus, each level
Institute, 1977.
representing one of the seven chakras of the human body in the Indian tantric sys-
Bertiaux, Michael. Cosmic Meditation. Edmonds, WA: Holmes Publishing Group, 2007. tem, one of the seven planets of traditional astrology, and one of the seven metals
———. The Voudon Gnostic Workbook. Exp. ed. Weirs Beach, ME: Weiser Books, of alchemy.
2007. The order has attempted to interpret Crowley’s Book of the Law(1904), the basis
of his proclamation of the new Aeon of Horus in which his followers now consider
Grant, Kenneth. Cults of the Shadow. New York: Samuel Weiser, 1976.
we are living. Regarding ritual, the order believes that the injunction “rituals shall
McIntosh, Christopher. Eliphas Levi and the French Occult Revival. New York: Samuel
be half-known and half-concealed”means that initiation rituals should be devel-
Weiser, 1974. oped in response to the nature of each initiate. Thus each initiation of a member
becomes a unique event.
Order of Napunsakas in the West (O.N.)
The members of the order together constitute a religious body of free warriors
PO Box 1219, Corpus Christi, TX 78403-1219
who are seeking to extend the dominion of the Law of Thelema; that is, they are
The Order of Napunsakas in the West (O.N.) was founded in 1996 as a special inter-
attempting to establish on earth the principles of The Book of the Law. The meth-
est group associated with the Servants of the Star and the Snake. It was inspired by
ods for accomplishing this task are occult research, practical mysticism, ceremonial
the writings of the late Alain Danielou (1907–1994), the author of The Gods of
magick, and tantric alchemy. The order also offers members a system of self-initi-
India: Hindu Polytheism(1985), Shiva and Dionysus, and While the Gods Play. The
ation based upon the Qabalah (Kabbalah) and the Tarot.
Hindu word napunskadesignates some 16 categories of nonheterosexual gender
The order has been created in an environment in which the great majority of
variant types mentioned in the Sanskrit dictionary of V. S. Apte. Members of the
Crowley’s writings (including the rituals of the Ordo Temple Orientis, which he
O.N. seek to reestablish the natural, divine order found in pre-Aryan Shaivism, but
headed) have been published and are readily available. It is assumed that mem-
the emphasis is on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered tantra. The outer
bers have or will gain a solid background in Crowley’s thought.
order is open to all napunskas; affiliates are considered as associate members. An
Membership:In 1997 the group reported that there were 200 members in the
inner order, the Cultus Skanda-Karttikeya (C.S.-K.), is open to gay males only, and
United States, 20 in Canada, and 100 in Brazil. There were temples for initiation in
only upon formal, in-person diksha, or initiation. The focus of the C.S.-K. is on gay
the United States and Brazil.
tantra, with special emphasis on the sadhana(worship, or more properly, adora-
tion) of the Hindu deity Skanda, the patron of gays, in His many forms (Kumara, Sources:
Marugan, etc.). Cherubim, David. “Magick and the Way of the Empty Hand.”Thelemic Golden Dawn,
The current head of the O.N./C.S.-K. is Sahajananda Skanda-Das. 1994. www.totse.com/en/religion/the_occult/163734.html.
Membership:Not reported. Cherubim, David. “The History of the Thelemic Golden Dawn.”Thelemic Golden Dawn,
2001. www.totse.com/en/religion/the_occult/163733.html.
Periodicals:Zibaq. Available from Abrasax Publications, Box 1219, Corpus Christi,
TX 78403-1219.
Order of Thelema
Sources: PO Box 511, Chula Vista, CA 91912
Danielou, Alain. The Gods of India: Hindu Polytheism. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, The Order of Thelema is a Thelemic magick group that rejected the attempt by var-
1985. ious branches of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) to establish their authority by
reference to a line of succession from Aleister Crowley (1875–1947). It was struc-
Order of the Lily and the Eagle
tured as a Crowleyan study group. There is no system of rituals except those ideas
Center for Inner Initiative, attn: WS, PO Box 937, Littleton, CO 80160-0937 that members interpret from Crowley’s revelatory bible, Liber Al vel Legis(The Book
The Order of the Lily and the Eagle is a Western initiatic school working in the of the Law), each according to his own will. The group believes that Crowley still
ancient lines of Judeo-Christian and Egyptian thought to the Hellenic mystery operates close to this plane of existence as a present and active force and that it is
schools of Orpheus, Pythagoras, and Socrates. It also combines its teaching of St. possible for him to reach the order by psychic means. The written words of Crowley
Martin, alchemy, the Kaballah, contemporary science, and psychology. are the only source of Thelemic Law. Strong support is given the perspective of The
834 Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions
mear_ch19 9/29/08 2:37 PM Page 835
Ritual Magick
Book of the Law. Headquarters of the Order of Thelema are in Chula Vista, California. England and participated in its reconstitution in 1971. They brought the order to
The word Thelemameans “will.” the United States in 1978 when they moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. Under their
pen names they authored numerous books on various occult topics. Phillips
Sources:
founded in 1997 the first French-language Masonic publication on the Internet, La
Order of Thelema. www.orderofthelema.com.
Parole Circule(Spread the Word), and in 2008 he continued to publish it. It com-
Ordo Adeptorum Invisiblum prises a dissemination of materials pertinent to all degrees. The publication is sent
to more than 1,500 subscribers worldwide. There are an estimated 3,000 readers
Current address not obtained for this edition.
worldwide.
The Ordo Adeptorum Invisiblum (OAI) is a British-based thelemicist order aligned
The order is directed by a grand master. The Star Council is composed of eight
to the Maatian magical “current.”It grew out of the proclamation of the magical
officers. The location where members meet is called a house. Each state or country
Aeon of Ma (or Maat) proclaimed in 1948 by Frater Achad (Charles Stansfeld
has one mother house. There are houses located in the United States, Brazil,
Jones). Maat is the ancient Egyptian goddess of Truth and Justice. The order looks
Canada, Congo, Spain, France, Greece, and the Netherlands.
toward a planetary manifestation of the presence of Maat, whose coming has been
The official seal of the order is an eight-pointed star that includes an interlacing
heralded by three twentieth-century trends: the great liberation movements lead-
design. There is an octagon within the interlacing design and an equal armed cross
ing to the recognition of human rights; the attempts to balance male-dominated
in the center.
Western magic; and the nonelitist androgynous approach to magic practiced by
In 1957 three members of the Ordo Aurum Solis founded the Order of the
Maatian groups. In recognition of their acceptance of feminist liberation concerns
Sacred Word for special studies and practices of the Holy Gnosis. This order was
and the nonsexist nature of their magical workings, members of the OAI have
governed by the council of three members until 1959. After then, the initiates in
dropped the use of common designations of male and female members as frater
charge were Earnest Page (1959–1966) and Leon Barcynski (1966–1971).
and sororin favor of the single designation persona.
Membership in the order is by invitation only, though inquiries are invited. The
The OAI began in England in 1979 in the informal workings of three Thelemic
order has three degrees preceded by pronaso, a probationary period that can last
magicians (two women and one man). In 1980 they made a formal alignment to
several months. The first degree is neophytos, or neophyte. The formal title is
the Aeon of Maat and thus the OAI came into existence. At the end of the year, the
apprentice of the great world. The second degree is servitor, or server, and the for-
three original members separated. One went to Fez, Morocco, and the following
mal title is servitor of the secret flame. The third degree is adeptos minor, or adept,
year, one came to Chicago, where the first members of the OAI were received.
and the formal title is priest of the gnosis.
The order has developed as a very loose confederation of otherwise independ-
The position of grand master has been held by George Stanton (1897–1914),
ent magicians pursuing their own magical experiments in alignment to the
Morris Greenberg (1914–1938), Charles Roughlett-Boch (1938–1952), Michael
Maatian Aeon. Periodically, members will gather for group rituals. New initiates are
B. Foy (1952–1975), Thomas Maughan (1975–1976), Vivian Godfrey
received after their successful performance of Liber Samekh He, a revised version of
(1976–1987), Carl Weschcke (1987–1988), Vivian Godfrey (1988–1997), Leon
Liber Samekh, a Thelemic ritual designed to promote conversation with one’s Holy
Barcynski (1997–2003), and Jean-Louis de Biasi (2003–).
Guardian Angel (higher self). The order is nonhierarchical. Leadership can be exer-
Membership:In 2008 it was reported there was affiliated work in 30 countries.
cised by any member and teaching is a matter of sharing the results of individual
ritual workings with the larger membership. All members have access to all mate- Sources:
rials possessed by the order. Ordo Aurum Solis. www.aurumsolis.net.
Membership:In 1985 members of the order, reported to number less than 100, Kabbalistic Order of the Rose+Cross. www.okrc.org.
could be found in England, the Chicago metropolitan area, and California. De Biasi, Jean-Louis. Planetary Harmonizations.Calgary, Canada: Academia Platonica
Sources: Publications, 2006.
Liber ANDANA. Chicago: Ordo Adeptorum, 1983. Denning, Melita, and Osborne Phillips. The Magical Philosophy.5 vols. St. Paul, MN:
Persona PVAD MASURUS 1043. Liber Samekh He. Chicago: Stellium Press, 1981. Llewellyn Publications, 1974–1981.
Skia, Persona. O.A.I. Manifesto: Origin, History, Organization. Kenilworth, IL: Ordo ———. The Magick of Sex.St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1982.
Adeptorum Invisiblum, 1982. ———. The Magick of the Tarot.St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1983.
Ordo Aurum Solis Ordo Templi Astarte
1203 W Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, IL 60660 PO Box 40094, Pasadena, CA
Ordo Aurum Solis, Gold of the Sun, is a magical and initiatory order founded in Alternate Address:The Church of the Hermetic Sciences, PO Box 403, Silverado CA
England in 1897 by George Stanton and Charles Kingold that claims descent from 92676.
the Ogdoadic Tradition of the Western Mystery Tradition. Ordo Aurum Solis is a pri- The Ordo Templi Astarte (Order of the Temple of Astarte, or OTA), which also oper-
vate and independent esoteric society rooted in neo-Platonist theurgy tradition. It ates under the name Church of Hermetic Sciences, is a ritual magick group begun
is not affiliated to any other esoteric, religious, or political associations. in 1970 to practice Kabbalistic magick in the Western tradition. Based upon
Like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Ordo Aurum Solis teaches a Jungian psychology, the OTA defines magick as a “system of ritual hypnotic induc-
system of high magick, that is, a disciplined approach to self-transformation. Its tion (conjuration) that calls upon archetypal forms from the unconscious (evoca-
system, much of which has been published in the five-volume set The Magical tion) and allows them to be visualized (manifestation) whereupon they can be
Philosophyby Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips, centers upon the myth of the used for numerous purposes ranging from the frankly psychotherapeutic to the
sacred king (i.e., the magician) who chooses of his own free will the path of sacri- more abstract system research and development.”
fice, but subsequently rises again and passes into the light of attainment. The OTA traces its history to Aleister Crowley through Louis Culling,who claimed
Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips are the pen names of Vivian Barcynski and to have had a charter from Crowley for an autonomous lodge. This charter was
Leon R. Barcynski, who until recently served as administrator general and grand given after Culling left C.F. Russell, who was deviating from Crowley’s teachings.
master, respectively, of the order. Both had encountered the order while living in Culling turned over the charter to the OTA leadership before his death. The group
Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions 835
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Chapter 19 Western Esoteric Family III:Magick
also claims to possess the “secret rituals of the Ordo Templi Orientis in Crowley’s Germer’s succession problems; and that he had openly discussed them with
original holographs.”Though operating with a Thelemic charter, the OTA does not McMurtry.
consider itself fully Thelemic. In describing the order, founder Carroll R. Runyon Jr. McMurtry had been initiated into the Agape Lodge of the OTO in Pasadena in
has noted, “We operate a Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum of the O.T.O. in our the early 1940s and, during World War II while stationed in England, was the only
Philosophus Grade as a research and study program. In its own context, it is American OTO member to be with Crowley. He rejected the claims of Kenneth
Thelemic; but we do not initiate or operate ceremonially under a Thelemic aegis. Grant, the British leader of another OTO group, noting that Grant had been expelled
We have great respect for the works of Aleister Crowley, but we consider him a from the order in 1955. (Grant later dropped some of his claims to OTO leadership.)
Master of the Art in much the same way that Sufis consider Jesus a Great McMurtry also rejected the claims of Hermann Metzger, head of a Swiss-based
Prophet—without calling themselves Christians.”The OTA is centered in a lodge in OTO organization, on the grounds of his “spurious”election by his own Swiss group,
Pasadena headed by Runyon, also known as Frater Thabion. with no international representation.
Membership:Not reported. During the 16 years of McMurtry’s leadership, the OTO grew into a substantial
body with chapters and lodges across the United States and Canada and ten coun-
Periodicals:The Seventh Ray.
tries overseas. Full membership in the OTO requires physical participation in the
Sources:
ceremonies of initiation and the payment of subscription costs and dues. A corre-
Ordo Templi Astarte. www.templeofastarte.com.
spondence-only associate membership is available.
Christensen, Cheryl JoAnne. “Magical Epistemic Communities: The Construction of On July 14, 1984, the supervisor general of the Society OTO expelled McMurtry
Specialized Social Realities in Bunyoro, Uganda and Los Angeles, California.”Ph.D. from the order for violating various duties that were detailed in the Constitution of
diss., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975. the OTO, and he was replaced.
Ellwood, Robert S., Jr. Mysticism and Religion. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Integral to the OTO is the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (Gnostic Catholic Church).
1980. As part of his magical work, Crowley had been consecrated a bishop in the French
Gnostic lineage of Jules Doinel (1842–1903) and he, in turn, passed that lineage
Ordo Templi Baphe-Metis to others in the order. Hymenaeus Beta, in addition to holding a consecration in the
PO Box 1219, Corpus Christi, TX 78403-1219 Antiochean succession of Abp. Joseph Rene Vilatte (1854–1929), was consecrated
The Ordo Templi Baphe-Metis (OTB) was founded in January 1985. It is a Thelemic in the Doinel line. He is designated as patriarch of the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica.
fraternal order “chartered”by fiat in Aleister Crowley’s (1875–1947) Khabs am Integral to the work of the OTO lodges is the regular performance of the Gnostic
Pekht, though the OTB is in no way connected to any of the branches of the Ordo Mass composed by Crowley, and priests, priestesses, and bishops have correspon-
Templi Orientis (OTO) either in America or Europe. In common with other Thelemic ding rank in the OTO.
organizations, members of the OTB must accept as a Holy Book Liber Al vel Legis
Membership:In 2008 the OTO reported 44 lodges and camps in the United States.
(The Book of the Law), given to the prophet Ankh-f-n-Khonsu (Crowley) by Aiwaz,
Additional lodges and camps were to be found in 14 countries around the world.
his holy Guardian Angel, in Cairo in 1904. Additionally, Knights of the Order (which
Periodicals:The Magical Link• The Oriflamme.
may be of either sex) promulgate the Law of Thelema, together with the Thelemic
Bill of Rights, Liber 77 (Liber Oz). Grand Master Ekagratanath trance-channeled Remarks:During the 1980s the legitimacy of the OTO as led by McMurtry and his
the order’s own Holy Book, Liber Ba Neb Tet(Book of Baphomet), available, with successor was challenged in court by Marcelo Ramos Motta, head of the Society
commentary, to members only. Members of the order practice ritual and ceremo- Ordo Templi Orientis in America. In federal court rulings in 1985 and 1988,
nial magick. A study manual, The Way of the Warrior-Magus, is given to members. McMurtry was found to be the outer head of the order of the OTO.
The order has operated the Invisible College, a home-study course in ritual and
Sources:
ceremonial magick, alchemy, divination, and Hermeticism. The OTB is closely
U.S. Grand Lodge, Ordo Templi Orientis. www.oto-usa.org.
related to the American Gnostic Church, with which it has shared an overlapping
DuQuette, Lon Milo. The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of Rituals of Thelema.
leadership and published a periodical, Abrasax.
San Francisco: Weiser Books, 2003. 261 pp.
Membership:Not reported.
Heidrick, Bill. Magick and Qabalah. Berkeley, CA: Ordo Templi Orientis, 1980.
Periodicals:Abrasax• The Philosopher’s Stone.
The Holy Books of Thelema. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1988.
Ordo Templi Orientis
Hymenaeus Beta, ed. The Equinox3, no. 10. New York: Thelema Publications, 1986.
JAF Box 7666, New York, NY 10116
O.T.O. System Outline. San Francisco, CA: Stellar Visions, 1981.
The Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), which had become disorganized following the
death of Karl Germer (Frater Saturnus, 1885–1962), who had succeeded Aleister Sacred Keltic Church of America
Crowley (1875–1947) as outer head of the order, was reborn in 1969 when Grady
4 Favour Ct., Stafford, VA 22554
McMurtry (Hymenaeus Alpha, 1918–1985) asserted his authority as head of the
The Sacred Keltic Church of America is a Neopagan group that worships the deities
OTO. McMurtry had been given two letters in 1946 from Crowley granting him
of the ancient Celtic lands, popularly referred to as the Norse gods. The church was
authority to reform the order and act as Crowley’s representative in the United
founded as the American Church of Teutonic Life in 1992 in Carthage, New York. It
States subject to the approval of Germer. Though these letters were originally
is headed by Senior Lord High Priest Eugene D. Kyle, who is also the president of
intended to apply to the situation of the lodge in Pasadena, California, which
the National Council of Elders.
Crowley had specifically asked McMurtry to investigate, they literally gave
Membership:In 1998 the church reported 135 members and seven clergy in the
McMurtry broad emergency powers. After Crowley’s death in 1947 the authoriza-
United States. They also had five clergy members in the military, stationed over-
tion was used with the Germer’s cooperation and was never withdrawn. Germer’s
seas.
death in 1962 left McMurtry as the only person with power to act. McMurty fur-
ther held that he was carrying out Crowley’s wishes; that Crowley had anticipated Periodicals:Sacred Keltic Church of America.
836 Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions