THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

From: nagasiva@luckymojo.com (333 (nigris))
Subject: Lack of Thelemic Fighting (was olive branch)
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 20:04:35 -0700 (PDT)

50000501 IVom

a correspondent wrote:
>Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law

The word of Sin is Restriction

>Care Thelemites,

it is likely that you should direct this to more public forums if you
want true Thelemites to hear your words.
 
>...when a group of magicians are in a room together, chances are 
>that some sort of arguement will ensue....

control freaks. I haven't noticed that this is necessarily true, but perhaps
it depends upon the style or calibre or combination of the mages involved.

>...here is an olive branch filled with questions that may help this 
>initiate in his way, as well as perhaps help some others.

thanks.
 
>...What is ultimately wrong with giving these [secret degree documents]
>out to all first degress, as they are effectively married to the Order?  

disincentive to continue "progressing" in the order.

>have the instruction packets from each degree I have taken thus far, and
>would it not be a bad idea to give out these as preparation for the rituals
>themselves, as they pass through the degree of K.E.W. into the next level?

depends on the initiate. some wish to remain virgin prior to the rite.

>...Cornelieus is right about having many different Thelemic Orders.  

no, 'Thelemic order' is a contradiction of terms.

>He seems to believe that having many lineages of the A.'.A.'. will 
>ensure the survival of Thelema, and Light in general.  

it is said that variety is the spice of life.

>...a better Pan-Thelemic approach must be used.  

in this we seem to agree, though my 'pan' seems wider than yours based
upon the identification of what constitutes a 'Thelemite'.

>Hopefully the aims of Orders like SOTO, HOOR, TOT, OTOF, and so many 
>others can be used in harmony with the Order I belong to.  

but I'm not sure this has much to do with Thelemites aside from
through hopes and symbolism.

>Whether we like it or not, most of the world still has not heard 
>of Thelema, 

and they needn't ever hear about it.

>and even less has any knowledge of any particular Thelemic group out there.

that is because all 'Thelemic groups' tend to be shams.

>It would seem Thelema is forming itself into a many headed hydra 
>with the enemy being darkness.  

this is the assertion of the luxocentrics, yes.

>Perhaps we can start to see what the real enemy is, and not each other 
>head of that hydra.  

the real enemy is arrogance and the identification of "Thelemitude"
inside one's own cult without regard for any kind of criteria which
demonstrates it.

>Would we say that in the realm of Thelema, when one head dies, 
>the body, and the rest of the heads are negatively affected?

each individual is a Head. the rest are the Body. when one Head
dies, a font of genius ceases operations. the many-Headed Body
therefore is negatively affected through lack of contribution.
 
> As to secrets and oaths.  These go hand in hand....

of course they do. this is the mechanism by which occult Mech
Warriors are constructed out of individuals who subsume their
wills for the benefit of the Herd.

>as Jack Parsons puts it, "Freedom is a Two Edged Sword"  The secret 
>is the freedom, and the other edge of the sword is the oath, or 
>obligation.  Here is an idea as to why real secrets are incommunicable.  

this is very interesting intra-organization speculation, and within a
functioning restricted body as such this may well be how it works,
but the "incommunicability" is limited strictly to membership, those
who choose to break their obligation becoming ostracized and quite
able to express the secret of which you speak to all who listen.

I'd say real secrets are incommunicable because they transcend the
ability of language to convey. they require an additional dimension
of conference to enable transmission and this provides the restriction,
rather than any silly oaths. you suggest something similar below.

>...whatever they get out of the ritual is entirely their own, and 
>this spark, or opening of the lotus within is their key to the secret 
>and theirs only, thus the self transmits the secret to the self, and 
>thus is the real secret.  

lovely, I would agree. how one might ever communicate this type of
secret to another such that a restrictive oath is required, I am not
entirely sure.

>...In the taking of an oath, you accept responsiblity for the maintenance, 
>and exploration of these secrets, as is your freedom to do so.  What can 
>be considered unfraternal is the potentiality of revealing a roadmap to 
>those that have not taken an oath of responsibility to these secrets.  It 
>may be tantamount to placing a treasure map out in the open to a brother's 
>house where this person may find a personal item (like say a pornography 
>collection), and then giving free reign to display that to the public.  

and this is a particularly SOCIAL dynamic. again, how one might refer to
or "display" the kind of "road map" to which you refer above -- one that
is transmitted to the self by the self as a result of a ritual experience,
is beyond my understanding.

>     I would hope that initiators also have undergone the same initiation I
> take, so the right magical energy should be present to the rite; also the
> same level of commitment to the effectiveness of the initiation.  Simply
> reading an initiation ritual, or getting a group of friends together and
> putting the ritual on as a play does not help to the desired result.

this is a lovely explanation of the unique value of having an initiatic
lineage conferring the rites, though twice through with each member taking
the initiate role in an experimental group and I'd think that such would 
constitute a suitable 'start-up' of a ritual group 'clone' so as to enable
the same conferment.

> Although Francis King, and Tony Naylor have great books to present, and I
> would hope Initiates get these books for study, it ultimately does a great
> dis-service to the OTO, and Thelema in general because the uninitiated can
> get the wrong perspective, and to work to harm the Current.  

but is this a problem which either King or Naylor created, or is this one
which Crowley and other Heads of the organization brought upon the current
membership? why should we not take Crowley's attitude toward the GD when
thinking about the modern (c)OTO and publishing as one wills? it seems to
be a kind of proper karma, if seen in this light, and, agreeing with the
means and attitudes of the New Aeon Prophet, such acts ought be applauded
as right and good with very little contention in response.

>...I see Thelema spreading like wildfire once we stop attacking each 
>other, and start attacking the true enemy.

so simple, eh? why isn't nonviolence the answer? why isn't attacking
with more force so as to vanquish our perceived enemies the answer?
I suspect that this method is an olive branch concealing a blade.

>If stuctures of some orginizations have to be altered to assist in the 
>war for freedom, then we owe it to each other to truly search this out
>thoroughly.  

perhaps if it weren't seen so much as a "war" and instead understood
as a negotiation amongst contending equals then there'd be resolution.

>The Spear of Destiny is in our hands, now we have to figure out
>how to use it to the proper function. You know, doing a given 
>thing in a given way at a given time.....

usually the Spear of Destiny, utilized to Succeed, is propped up as
a justification for violence.

Invoke me under my Stars
 
> Love is the law, love under Will

blessed beast!
______________________________________________________________________
(333) nagasiva@luckymojo.com; http://www.luckymojo.com/nagasiva.html