THE
ARCANE
ARCHIVE

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


TOP | SOCIETIES | THELEMIC | OTO | EMAIL WITHOUT TEARS

EMAIL WITHOUT TEARS Volume 2 Issue 9 9309.03 e.v.

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

The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org.

Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small
donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site.

The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories,
each dealing with a different branch of
religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge.
Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit:
interdisciplinary: geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness
occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells
religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo
societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc.

SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE

There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):

Search For:
Match:  Any word All words Exact phrase

OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST

Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including slave narratives & interviews
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy, sacred architecture, and sacred geometry
Lucky Mojo Forum: practitioners answer queries on conjure; sponsored by the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Herb Magic: illustrated descriptions of magic herbs with free spells, recipes, and an ordering option
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: ethical diviners and hoodoo spell-casters
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith, the Smallest Church in the World
Satan Service Org: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive: FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century ceremonial occultist
Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective
The Mystic Tea Room: divination by reading tea-leaves, with a museum of antique fortune telling cups
Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, etc.
      Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
      Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
      Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
      Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races