Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers

And In the South-
    Orbit One Camp hosts a dramatic evening at their regular Saturday night camp meeting July 15th at 8:00. The Number Of the Beast by S. Wilson, a modern British play about Crowley and the Abbey of Thelema, will be the subject of discussion. Copies provided by John B. of the Magick Theatre. For information call Orbit One at (408) 423-4241.

    (*: thanx to English Major and Librarian for correcting my Eleusian expression - I will be less terse when the Silicon Demon in the Library ceases to have technical difficulties! -the Calendar Columnist)

In Part II, we reached the time of interregnum and the rise of the Caliphate. Now we come to the days of usurpation, the secular seal of the Caliphate and the passing of the sword. This segment will conclude the Brief History.

    Aside from individuals and groups representing themselves as O.T.O. based only on the reading of published books, a number of instances occurred of a different character. A former member of O.T.O., Kenneth Grant of England, attracted adherents in the United States. The "Grant O.T.O." people alleged that O.T.O. had ceased to be a membership organization in its traditional sense of having Lodges. Grant's adherents occasionally publish newsletters in the name of O.T.O. and in support of Grant's claim to being the Head of O.T.O. Grant's people also assert that O.T.O. should not have legal existence in the sense of incorporation or legal association. Kenneth Grant's representative in the USA has been changed an unknown number of times. Grant asserts that Karl Germer was acting improperly when Germer expelled Grant from O.T.O. in the 1950s e.v., and that Grant never recognized Germer as paramount in O.T.O. This assertion is flatly contradicted by Grant's own Manifesto of New Isis Lodge: "New Isis Lodge is in accord with the Master Therion (a Past Grand Master of O.T.O.); with the present Master S, who is World-Head of O.T.O. in the Outer, and who operates in the United States of America; and with the aforementioned Lodge in Germany controlled by the Master G", p. 6, S = Frater Saturnus, Karl Germer. Some former adherents of Grant have become estranged from him and have asserted that they are independent O.T.O. leaders on their own.
    More substantial efforts were made to assume control of O.T.O. by Marcello Motta under the name "Society Ordo Templi Orientis". Mr. Motta was a personal student of Karl Germer for a number of years. After Germer's death, Motta formed a group in his native country of Brazil. Motta at first recognized Kenneth Grant as Head of O.T.O., but resinded this recognition on learning of the Germer expulsion of Grant. Motta published various claims to O.T.O. rank and membership in works titled Equinox Volume V and Oriflamme, periodical names associated with O.T.O. from the Crowley period. Motta caused several people to file S.O.T.O. corporation papers in the United States. He was represented by individuals in England, Brazil and Australia. The representative of S.O.T.O. for the USA was located in Tennessee, and changed several times. Motta came to the United States; and matters were brought to a head with his suit against Samuel Weiser, Inc., a publisher of Crowley's works. Motta sued Weiser for copyright and trademark infringement, maintaining that Motta represented Crowley's O.T.O. This case was decided in the US District Court in Maine. Motta lost the case, and the Judge found that Motta's representations regarding O.T.O. did not meet the test of legal existence. During the proceedings in Maine, the O.T.O. under McMurtry served Motta with a suit ultimately heard in the 9th Federal District Court in San Francisco. The San Francisco case was concluded in 1985 e.v., with Motta again losing. The O.T.O. under McMurtry was recognized by the Court to be the continuation of the O.T.O. of Aleister Crowley and the exclusive owner of the names, trademarks, copyrights and other assets of O.T.O. McMurtry was found to be the Outer Head of O.T.O. within the United States. The 9th District decision also recognized the McMurtry O.T.O. as a legal membership entity. This decision was appealed and upheld. Grady McMurtry died following the original decision of the 9th District Court, but the process of appeal established that O.T.O. continued as a corporation.
    Following the death of Grady McMurtry, I assumed custodial interim control of Ordo Templi Orientis in accord with the Bylaws, with the agreement of the remaining principal officer, Brother A. I., Grand Secretary General, and with the agreement of the Board of Directors. I proceeded to order an election for the Headship of the O.T.O. Corporation and the position of acting Head of O.T.O. This election took place two months after the death of Grady McMurtry, with all voting members of O.T.O. present. A new Caliph was elected and became acting Head of O.T.O. in September of 1985 e.v. This officer took the name "Hymenaeus Beta", and continues in office to this day. I remain Grand Treasurer General of O.T.O., an office I have held since the 1979 e.v. incorporation, without interruption.

But in the arena there is a little altar of emerald, and its top has the heads of the Four Beasts, in turquoise and rock crystal.
                                             --- Aleister Crowley, The Vision and the Voice, 15th Aethyr

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it ... A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne... In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
                                             --- Revelation 4:2-6.

I. The Tablet of Union

II. The Twelve Banners ¹

III The Four Kings²
Face East in the Sign of Osiris Slain.

IV. The Twenty-Four Seniors ³

V. Paean ⁴
Glory unto him that is concealed, and glory unto her that beareth the cup, and glory unto the one that is the child and the father of their love. Glory unto the star, and glory unto the snake, and glory unto the swordsman of the sun. And worship and blessing throughout the Aeon unto the name of the Beast, four-square, mystic, wonderful!

VI. Close by the Signs of L.V.X.

General Observations:
This ritual was originally intended to ceremonially recreate certain chambers that became available in the course of working within the 15th Aethyr. It has also developed into a concise method of opening the Enochian Watchtowers.
Traditionally, the entities called by this rite are first to be summoned by the recital of the first six Enochian calls. But so far I have found that, for daily use, an elemental banishing can be sufficient preparation. For more specific workings, e.g. specific interactions with these entities, the appropriate calls do seem to be necessary.
Notes:
1. Thanks to Frater Spartacus for his permission to use his 12 Banners in this slightly modified form. At least in the beginning, it may be helpful to vibrate and trace the three-lettered banners three times, the four-lettered banners four times, and the fire-letterd banners five times. I have also found it useful to visualize each banner as one ray in a twelve-rayed crown radiating from the center of the galaxy.
2. Credit goes here to Frater Achad Osher 583 for his Enochian Pentagram Ritual, of which this is a modified fragment. A possible visualization for the Kings: Bataivah --- a yellow humanoid, Raagiosl --- a blue bird of prey, Ikzhhkal --- a black bull or ox, Edlprnaa --- a red lion. Each King also possesses six wings and eyes all around his head.
3. Notice that the downward pointing triangle is traced deosil, the upward triangle widdershins.
4. Taken from The Vision and the Voice, 9th Aethyr. Also, try reading Liber Israfel at this point.

Belmagel his counterfeiting of our instruction received from God, and to Edward Kelly his hands as likely as could be.     Herein I have followed the Character exactly; by which it appears, that the Book of Enoch2. in Sir John Cotton's Library+, was written by Edward Kelly's hand. The Characters in that, being made after the fashion of these. 3     + Now MS. Sloane 3189. F.M. 4 NOTE 5     After that these things were finished, Edward Kelly rose up from the Table, and went to the west windows to read a Letter which was even then brought him, from his wife: which being done, he took a little Prayer* Book (in english meter made by one William Hunnis which Mr. Adrian Gilbert6 had left7 here, and it lay on the Table by us all the while of this first action) and with this Book he went into his bed chamber intending to pray on it a certain Prayer which he liked; and as he opened the Book his eye espied Strange Writing in the spare white paper at the book's end. And beholding it, judged it verily to be his own Letters, and the thing of his own doing; but being assured that he never saw the like of this Character [for Conciliation] and that other, notified by the Heart or Center Skin and Flesh8 before this present hour, he became astonished, and in great wrath; and behold suddenly One appeared to him and said:     "Lo this is as good as the other;" meaning that which we had received, and is here before set down on the former page.9     With this news came Edward Kelly to me, and I was writing down fair this last Action, and said:     "I have strange matter to impart unto you."     Then said I; "What is that?", and at the first (being yet tossed in his mind, with this great injury of this subtle supplanter of man, ambitiously intruding himself to rob God of his glory) he said: "you shall know," and at length shewed me this little paper here by, being the one of the white leaves in the end of the foresaid little prayer book.     And I, viewing it, found it to be meant to be the Counterfeit of ours; but with all imperfect diverse ways, after the order of our method; yea though the words, out of which it had sprung, had been good and sufficient: and there at laughed at, and derided the Wicked enemy for his envy, his ass-headed foolish ambition, and indeed mere blindness to do anything well.     To Conclude, we found that with an incredible speed this Devilish figure was written down by some Wicked Spirit, to bring our perfect doings in doubt with us; to utter undue speeches of god's good Creatures, or to wavering minds of the worthiness and goodness of the same things received, and so either to leave off, or with faint hearted wavering to proceed.     But I by God's grace, (contrary to such inconveniency) was armed with constancy, and confident good hope, that God would not suffer me (putting my trust in his goodness and mercy, to receive wisdom from him) to be so Unjustly dealt withal, or Unkindly or Unfatherly used at his hands etc., and intended after supper to make my earnest complaint to the divine Majesty against this Wicked intrusion and temptation of Illuding Devil, and so we went to Supper. * The title of the Book was: Seven Sobs of an sorrowful Soul for sin.

Events Calendar for July 1989 e.v.

    The viewpoints and opinions expressed herein are the responsibility of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of OTO or its officers.

   Note to update: the addresses and phone numbers in these issues of the Thelema Lodge Calendars are obsolete since the closing of the Lodge. They are here for historic purposes only and should not be visited or called.