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Subject: EMAIL WITHOUT TEARS Volume 2 Issue 9 9309.03 e.v. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. La ilaha illa 'Lah. Assalam alaikum, my kin. --------------- Moderator's Note: First, regarding _Liber MCLI_ and its origins, I have been told by AShTON@netcom.com that Frater Grabe, (IX' OTO, I think), made the following remark for public consumption. "MCLI was written by Brothers Grabe and Heidrick, under the supervision of Caliph Hymenaeus Alpha." I will insert this comment within the back-issue of EWT in which the document appeared (Vol. 2, Issue 2, 9302.01 e.v.). MCLI is a small guide for the studies of Order initiates and future members. To my knowledge MCLI is still simply a 'recommended' document, and is not, even while it proclaims so, a required course of study in any official capacity. ---------------------- This month we've got three very wonderful pieces for your reading pleasure. The first is an article called 'A Manifesto for Occult Reform', by V.H.. The second is an article called 'Ask Not What the New Aeon Can Do for You, But What You Can Do for the New Aeon!', by Frater Semper Lucem Quaerebo. Both were contributed by the Moderator. The third is a scrap from the outbasket of Frater Nigris - a letter, as yet unanswered, to the Caliph. Enjoy! ________________________________________________________ BEGIN ONE_______ From: Haramullah This is taken without permission from 'The Ozone', 'the Schedule and Bulletin of the OZ Institute', March, 1993 e.v., Volume 1, No. 3. The OZ Institute includes many very brilliant individuals who formerly made up Thelema Lodge, which has so recently been the center of a political controversy within Ordo Templi Orientis. The recent relocation of Thelema Lodge, with all its controversy, marks a very important turning point for the Order as we know it. There are some who feel that this may be the death-throes of a thelemic current within the Order which Grady McMurtry once nurtured. Some are convinced that this is a necessary step AWAY from the decadence and irresponsibility of the McMurtry era. In any case, the essay below is of a superior quality and deserves the attention of all O.T.O. members. ____________________________________________________________ A Manifesto For Occult Reform By V.H. We occultists find ourselves today in the embarrassing position of "religious revolutionaries" who have been outstripped by the mainstream's leading edge. Although liberal Christians and Reform Jews no longer insist on doctrinal fidelity, we seem to be rigidly orthodox. Reincarnation, astrology, numerology, divination, spells, psychic powers, discarnate beings, initiatory authority, divine revelation, historical descent, the pre-eminence of certain books, the unique role of our tradition in the modern age - on all of these arguable issues we typically encounter the tyranny of certainty. Our leaders beguile us with easy answers, and we happily reward them with reflexive defensiveness toward the doctrines we have been so dearly vouchsafed. The smugness of our "superiors" and our own laziness have given us certainty, self-satisfaction, and stagnation. Instead, I believe we need reason, reflection, and reform. The methods and curricula of occultism contain items of incalculable worth to us, because we have used them to nourish our inner growth. Anthropologists refer to spiritual practices like ours as "technologies" and our technologies nourish the spiritual hungers that our culture's popular religions have starved. Yet we are misers with this wealth of technique; we demand pledges of allegiance for the equivalent of library cards. Far from freethinkers, we are practically cultists, parodies of everything forward-looking and revolutionary about our systems. We undercut our own value to humanity with an inflexibility that repels the best modern minds. Most of us are bright, but our dogmas and authoritarianism alienate us from the educated and professional classes. Where are our mountain-climbers, our poets, our scientists, our strategists, our scholars, our surgeons? What drove them all away? In the Golden Dawn, the original O.T.O., and other groups, members were expected to have outside standing. Now, most of us seem devoted to magick to the exclusion of all else. This introverted imbalance makes us a kind of magical fandom rather than a path of empowerment. Most of us cherish our initiations, and so problems with initiatic hierarchy are hard for us to face. These problems are not unique - in academia, Ph. D.'s are notoriously arrogant and pompous. Yet these degree-holders do not manage to rule with iron fists. Why is this? Perhaps it is because university degrees apply only to a particular field, while ours are supposed to reflect on ultimate personal growth. It is time we surrendered our narcissistic hopes of official apotheosis, and overhauled our initiatory systems. As long as we assume that initiates are better than those of lower rank, we will suffer from despotism. We must abandon the idea that degrees reflect an overall measure of individual value. They only mark personal growth in a particular realm - and even then, only when they are given for spiritual reasons rather than political ones. Of course, we should not abandon initiation. Instead, we should recognize that an initiate is the "superior" only of his or her former self. Offices should be filled on the basis of qualifications, not because of a spiritual ranking which is irrelevant to administrative ability. Within our groups, we should offer various paths of initiation, and develop new ones through which we may experience initiation as an ever-unfolding process. Where possible, initiations need not be sequentially structured; for instance, planetary initiations could be taken in any order. Our leaders are unlikely to spontaneously reform a system that gives them unchecked authority. Since the power of government depends on the consent of the governed, we can encourage reform in various ways: by fostering discussion of these issues, by socially expanding the bounds of acceptable belief, by withdrawing our support from unworthy enterprises, and as a last resort, by forming our own groups on more humane lines. We hope for reform of the old groups, but if that fails, our new groups will be good enough - so long as we face the problems of the past clearly and fearlessly, and avoid them in our traditions of the future. -------------------------- For more information about 'The Ozone' or The OZ Institute, contact: OZ Institute 588 63rd St. Oakland, CA 94621 USA Phone: 510/654-3580; Messages: 510/601-9393 __________________________________________________________ END ONE_______ ________________________________________________________ BEGIN TWO_______ From: Haramullah The following essay was contained within an O.T.O. publication called 'The RPSTOVAL Review', 'a publication of RPSTOVAL Oasis and LVX Camp, OTO', in Issue 5, 1991. It is reproduced here without permission and contains a quite valuable response to the questions raised in the OZ Institute article above, even while the two are separated by time and space. My impression is that, while the Oz article addresses perhaps the more important issues of maintaining the essential health of the Order as a body, this next piece addresses both the individual member outside Order politics and the role of the Thelemite and Thelemic organization within society at large. The two compliment one another very well, and in some ways offer the somewhat opposing assertions necessary to engage a sincere and complete discussion of issue of Order politics. _______________________________________________________________ Ask Not What the New Aeon Can Do for You... ...But What You Can Do for the New Aeon!!! By Frater Semper Lucem Quaerebo The signs are everywhere around us: we are living in the dawn of a new aeon in human existence. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the gradual dismantling of Apartheid, and the breakup of the Soviet Union are but a few of the most obvious signs of a trend toward freedom and enlightenment. There is certainly much more to be done before we reach an acceptable level of liberty throughout the world, but progress seems to be marching on inexorably toward this goal. These are very exciting times to live in as we observe and participate in events which will rewrite history and change the destiny of the planet forever. As members of the Ordo Templi Orientis, we have a special connection with this New Aeon. Our advantage lies in the fact that we are attuned to the changes now occurring, and we recognize their nature as that of progress. We owe this perspective to our prophet Aleister Crowley, who foretold the coming of these changes as fundamental maturations of human consciousness. By studying the Book of the Law (and thereby becoming centers of pestilence) we obtain that little-known "occult" knowledge which allows us to understand the direction in which the cosmos is now steadily moving, characterized as "the Aeon of Horus". Armed with this understanding it is easy for us to interpret the events of the world in terms of human progress and thus readily adapt to them while our contemporaries continue to flounder in strife and conflict. Resistance to change is a basic human characteristic. As the forces of the New Aeon become more and more manifest, opposition to its changes will continue to mount as people and institutions who have invested heavily in the Old Aeon struggle to hold on to the relics of their past. Many examples indicate that one's dedication to a cause increases as its existence becomes more threatened. This is why we are seeing a backlash of political and religious fury against such progressive strides as abortion rights, sex education, and freedom of artistic expression, to name only a few. We can expect the continued increase of censorship and oppression especially here in America, where the fortunes of individuals in power are heavily dependent on the preservation of the socioeconomic status quo. But we must not forget that these adjustments are an inevitable and necessary step in the process of establishing the Aeon of Horus. This is not to say that we should stand aside and allow these abuses to continue unchecked. We must defend ourselves against infringement by oppressive fanatics, for each of us has the right to do our will unhindered. But we would be foolish to think that we can undertake the offensive against all of the established Old Aeon bastions by ourselves. The Aeon of Horus is steadily taking hold at its own pace. It *will* eventually prevail, regardless of what steps we take or do not take along the way. But the character of its progress is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary. Many generations will pass before Thelemic ideals are realized as the standard for society, and probably none of us will live long enough to see that standard wholly fulfilled. Nevertheless, our role in establishing the Aeon of Horus is often misunderstood. The O.T.O. is not a religion, nor does it dictate any particular religious affiliation to its members. Our aim is not to convert peple to our highly specific point of view and fill our ranks to take over the world. Instead, we are appointed to act as the "Magickal Link" between the Thelemic current of the Aeon and the rest of humanity. Our task takes place mainly behind the scenes, as stated by the Book of the Law: "Let my servants be few & secret: they shall rule the many & the known." (AL: I.10). Therefore, it is not necessary for us to expend all our energies in missionary efforts to make as many Thelemites as we can. Instead, we must fortify our core by attracting only those people who are truly aligned with our Law, while maintaining our priority of performing the more subtle work demanded of us in adapting humanity to the New Aeon. I tend to see our main duties as threefold: First of all, we must each strive to live the Law of Thelema by discovering our True Will and doing it only, for "thou hast no right but to do thy will." (AL: I.42) The most important battle lines between the Aeons are drawn within our minds. The very first enemies we have to conquer are those restrictions left over from our upbringing in the Old Aeon. Once we are following our own Will we are in a position to teach others; not by words, but by the example of our own lives. Even if we fail to convince anyone else, at least we have succeeded in advancing ourselves. And by advancing ourselves, we are advancing humanity, since every single enlightened mind contributes to the evolution of the species as a whole. Another sacred duty is to have children and teach them as best you can. Even if you don't have children of your own, there are many opportunities in daily life to demonstrate Thelemic principles. A lengthy sermon will certainly fall on deaf ears, but a few words of common sense will be readily accepted by an innocent child. Our second duty is to defend ourselves against oppression. Defense is the key word here, since mounting an offensive will often rally opposing forces which are too great to conquer and cause us to end up in a weaker position. Remember, we are as yet only young children amongst the grandads of established religion and government. But we do have the right to exist and flourish, so we must allow no compromise in self- defense through the courts or the press or whatever means are best. We may also greatly add to our strength by extending our efforts to protect those who are allied with our cause but not necessarily brethren of the Order. We cannot expect to do the most good by restricting our efforts to the affairs of our own tiny organization. There are plenty of worthy causes which are Thelemic even if they don't regard themselves as such. Groups such as the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and the pro-choice movement are doing important work in establishing the Aeon and would benefit greatly from donations of time, money, and effort. The reader is encouraged to research and support those causes according to his or her Will. Finally, our third task is to attract and educate those members of the general public who have a genuine interst in our order and its workings. We are by no means the only form of Thelemic organization on the planet; there are many other groups which do not share in our specific mythos but which do tremendous work to advance what we would call Thelemic causes. Nevertheless, there are still many individuals out there whose constitution makes them particularly suited to the environment - those who are attracted by magick, but have so far failed to find affiliation. We must make ourselves available to all those who are waiting to come out of the Old Aeon closet. Thus united, we will be the strongest core of individuals dedicated to the fulfillment of the Law of Thelema and the establishment of the Aeon of Horus for all of humanity. ----------------------------- For more information about 'The RPSTOVAL Review', RPSTOVAL Oasis or LVX Camp, write to: The RPSTOVAL Review P.O. Box 1029 Ashland, OR 97520 USA ______________________________________________________END OF TWO_________ _____________________________________________________ BEGIN THREE________ From: Frater (I) Nigris [Old Letters] Content: Old Letter to the Caliph Editor, _Magical Link_ Hymenaeus Beta, X' OTO P.O. Box 146 Buffalo, NY 14215 9206.01 In the name of Allah, most Beneficent, most Merciful "Note, pray thee, the whole implication of the chapter that sooner or later we are to break the power of the slaves of the slave-gods by actual fighting. Ultimately, Freedom must rely upon the sword. It is impossible to treat in this epistle of the vast problems involved in this question; and they must be decided in accordance with the Law by those in authority in the Order when the time comes." _Liber CCC: Khabs Am Pehkt_, The Master Therion. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me down to lie. Through pastures green he leadeth me, the silent waters by. With bright knives he releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places. He converteth me to lamb cutlets, For lo, he hath great power, and great hunger. When cometh the day we lowly ones, Through quiet reflection, and great dedication, Master the art of karate. Lo, we shall rise up, And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water." 'Sheep', Roger Waters, from the album, 'Animals'. "Fight in the cause of Allah Those who fight you, But do not transgress limits; For Allah loveth not transgressors. And slay them Wherever ye catch them, And turn them out From where they have Turned you out; For tumult and oppression Are worse than slaughter; But fight them not At the Sacred Mosque, Unless they (first) Fight you there; But if they fight you, Slay them. Such is the reward Of those who suppress faith." _The Holy Qu'ran_, Surah 2, v. 190-191, Tr. 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali. "As brothers fight ye!" _Liber Al vel Legis_, III:59. "Fight! Fight like gentlemen, without malice, because fighting is the best game in the world, and love the second best! Don't slander your enemy, as the newspapers would have you do; just kill him, and then bury him with honor. Don't keep crying 'Foul!' like a fifth-rate pugilist. Don't boast! Don't squeal! If you're down, get up and hit him again! Fights of this sort make fast friends." _The Law is for All_, by Aleister Crowley, Regardie Ed., page 319. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. The word of Sin is Restriction. Allegiance to Thee O Frater Superior! The _Magical Link_ discloses the combat which the Order now sets upon in its glory. Gathering strength from all sides, O.T.O. brings justice unto the World of Religion through its efforts to protect itself from the slaves of the slave-gods. The Face of the Order is fierce indeed; a face of strength and stamina. The concern expressed in this letter deals not with the outer battle of lawyers and cases and evidence, but of an inner battle which seeths within the Order as a malignant stressor, chained and putrifying in its repression. The _Magical Link_ portrays a distinct lack of difference within the Order. Nowhere does it display the struggle of a healthy social organism, fighting as brothers before a King whose hand decides issues of fealty and esteem. Instead it passively displays a scholarly, emotionless veneer, denying the real struggle which can be clearly seen within the Order. Not even of power-plays and social status-mongering do I speak, but of a comparison of opinion; the Work of the Sword of Reason to free those minds beset by dogma and stupidity. A multitude of contradictory missives does not create a liberative process of Philosophy. Only through dialog and disclosure, attack and withdrawal can such a Holy War be fought and won, releasing the pent-up aggressions and fears of a host of valiant warriors who have begun to chew the bits of restriction fitted upon them. Fear lurks in the hearts of the Knights of Baphomet, my Liege. I have seen it. It is not the healthy fear of a Warrior setting off in defense of hir country and kin, but a fear of punishment and further restriction in response to 'fifth-rate pugilists' who squeal and cry 'Foul!' when their will proves insufficient to protect them against their betters. These latter would have You fight their battles for them, have You decide a matter of personal honor with the unwieldy and overheavy force of RULE. This shall only bring death to freedom and an abandonment of its carcass. I only hope that these words of concern are echoed in Thy mind or Thine ear if perchance this heartfelt letter reaches not its destination. I remain ever Your subject in word and deed, Invoke me under my stars. Love is the law, love under will. Yours in deepest sincerety and warmest regards, Frater (I) Nigris (DCLXVI) CCCXXXIII _______________________________________________________END OF THREE_______ Moderator's Note: The deadline for contributions for Vol. 2, #10, October 1st issue, is SEPTEMBER 18TH, 1993. Send to the email address below. This publication is archived on netcom.com /pub/alamut/ewt, (rumored to be changing) ptero.soar.cs.cmu.edu /occult/EmailWithoutTears, and echoed to 93Net by Alamut Camp (possibly also changing) (contact the Moderator for more information). Haramullah rasulu 'Llah. Alaikum assalam, my kin Love is the law, love under will. Haramullah Tyagi@HousEofKAos.AByss.com (THE KA'AB) Tyagi Nagasiva 871 Ironwood Drive San Jose, CA 95125-2815
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