Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers

    The performance of Crowley's Rites of Eleusis (Liber DCCCL) as an annual cycle of planetary celebrations has long distinguished Thelema Lodge, and our example has been successfully followed by Thelemic and theatrical groups throughout the world. Revived under the direction of our late Sister Chandria and the original Drama and Thaumaturgy Guild of O.T.O. in the late 1970s e.v., the first projection was for seven cycles of the Rites. This year, with our fourteenth round, we complete a second grand planetary cycle.

    Although Crowley produced the original Rites on a series of Wednesday evenings, the tradition at Thelema Lodge is for the cycle to progress from full moon on the day of Saturn to full moon on the day of Luna. This year we have additions at both ends: an experimental "Rite of Uranus" to precede Saturn, and a "Rite of Earth" to ground out the entire working following Luna. Thus, after the preliminary "Rite of Uranus" on 18 December, the main cycle begins with Saturn at the full moon on the eve of the Winter Solstice, Saturday 21 December. The Rites are given at five-day intervals, each on the day of its god-form. Thus we meet for the "Rite of Mars" on the eve of the vulgar New Year 1992. After the "Rite of Luna" on Monday 20 January, the "Rite of Earth" is appended on Saturday 25 January.

    Many of the Rites will be held in Oakland, at a private performance space which the individual production crews have hired by the evening. The "Rite of Jupiter" will be hosted by Nefertiti Sanctuary in San Francisco (call Rick at 415 ... .... for information). The "Rite of Luna" and "Rite of Earth" are planned as outdoor events, and have been scheduled in public camping facilities. The "Rite of Luna" will be preceded by pre-ritual activities beginning at sunset, including a walk together, followed by the traditional rite beginning at 9:00. Call the lodge for details, last-minute rearrangements, and car-pool information. A poster-page in this issue of the Calender lists dates and times for each performance. The Rites of Eleusis constitute a cycle of ritual celebrations; come prepared to participate, assist with food and drink, and please make a donation to help defray the considerable expense of organizing these amazing parties.

    Sol enters Capricornus about fifty-four minutes past midnight on the morning of Sunday 22 December. The Lodge plans an afternoon ritual in Horus Temple later that day for the Winter Solstice, beginning at 1:11. The ritual to be worked is a historical reconstruction from Golden Dawn materials. Bring robes and refreshments.

    The Lodge gathers to celebrate Gnostic Mass on Sunday nights as the Universal Body of Those Who Know (unofficial translation of E. G. C.). We usually plan to begin around 7:30 in the winter time. The Sunday night ritual is Crowley's Liber XV, but experimental alterations are occasionally attempted, and our mass on 15 December has been announced as one of these. The Church also conducts a monthly mass workshop, which will be offered on Sunday afternoon 15 December at 4:18 by Bishop Sappho.

    December initiations into the Man of Earth degrees of Ordo Templi Orientis under the aegis of Thelema Lodge will be held in the afternoon and evening on Saturday 14 December. Contact the Lodge to attend this private event. Initiates considering advancement please contact the coordinator for your current grade; phone numbers are available at the lodge, or in last month's Calendar. Candidates for initiation should submit an application to the lodgemaster forty days ahead.

    The Lodge is a center for study groups and instruction of various kinds. These classes and events are free and open to the public; donations are requested. It's best to call ahead if you mean to attend.

    Our readings from Liber CCCCXVIII continue through 20 December. Aethyrs are read on the anniversaries of the original workings of The Vision and the Voice, usually at 8:00 in the evening in Horus Temple. See the Calendar page in this newsletter for the schedule, or contact Caitlin for details.

    Marlene conducts the Magick in Theory and Practice Study Circle meetings at the lodge on Thursday evenings 5 December and 19 December at 8:00. Bring "the Book" and join in the reading and explication.

    "Egyptian God-Forms of Liber AL" with Bill Heidrick is offered in Horus Temple on Wednesday evening 11 December at 8:00. This illustrated lecture will cover the Egyptian deities most often encountered by Thelemites, especially those named in The Book of the Law.

    The lodgemaster offers "Jerry's Logorrhea" on Saturday evening 28 December at 6:30. This monthly occult seminar is currently in the midst of a complete review of the Golden Dawn Enochian material. Please call to attend.

    "Magik Without Aleister" is a discussion group which examines alternative occult currents and invites adepts from other schools to speak at the lodge. The next meeting is Friday evening 20 December at 8:00. Contact Frater Majnun for details.

    "True Will and How to Find It" -- Crowley wrote, To the beginner I would offer this programme. (1) Furnish your mind as completely as possible with the knowledge of how to inspect and control it. (2) Train your body to obey your mind, and not to distract its attention. (3) Control your mind to devote itself wholly to discover your true Will. (4) Explore the course of that Will till you reach its source, your Silent Self. (5) Unite the conscious will with the true Will, and the conscious Ego with the Silent Self. You must be utterly ruthless in discarding any atom of consciousness which is hostile or neutral. (6) Let this work freely from within, but heed not your environment, lest you make difference between one thing and another. Whatever it be, it is to be made one with you by Love. These are simple words. What do they mean and how can a person turn these simple words into simple tools that are usable? Come and hear a personal interpretation presented by Frater Trinatus on Wednesday evening 18 December at Thelema Lodge.

    Commenting on the Christmas holidays, Henry Miller once said, "If only it were commemorating the birth of a free spirit!" On the centennial of his birth, 26 December 1991 e.v., Mark, Keith, and Holly host the second annual (Lesser) Feast of St Henry Miller, beginning at 7:00 at the catacombs. Fine food, spirits, sweet wines and wines that foam will be in plentiful supply as we read passages from Miller's works, many of which were banned in the US as "obscene" for nearly thirty years. Call Brother Mark S. for information at (510) ... .....

    The Magick Theater will hold a dramatic reading of Crowley's "Christmas Diversion", Ali Sloper and the Forty Liars, at Lola's party for the Feast of Saint Nicholas on 24 December beginning at 7:30. This play, published in 1907 e.v., presents a satirical meeting of the Golden Dawn, and contains the famous "Essay on AMTh". Copies will be provided for readers. Bring food, drink, gifts, and warmth for the party.

    Thelema Lodge Meeting has been advanced one week this month and will be held on Monday evening 16 December at 8:00. Next month's Lodge Meeting will be advanced further to Monday 6 January, and thereafter we will meet on the Monday evening following the first Sunday in each month.

    Lodge of Perfection and Lodge Council meet on Sunday afternoon 1 December at 3:33. Members of these groups should contact each other for information.

    The Thelema Lodge Ladies` T-- will be held this month at 5:30 on Monday afternoon 9 December. Contact Terri for information.
   
    The mass of the "I.O.T." will be celebrated in Horus Temple on Monday evening 23 December at 8:00.

    Our Capricorn birthday party falls on Sunday afternoon 29 December at 4:18, in the midst of Lodge Clean-Up Day. Come lend a hand with the temple chores, and there'll be cake when we're finished.

from the Grady Project:

    Winter Solstice this year starts us out with a punch. Saturday 21 December gives us the full moon in Gemini and a brief partial lunar eclipse. Thelema Lodge will be holding the Rite of Saturn on this evening, getting the Eleusis cycle underway. It's also the time of the old Roman holiday Saturnalia. The sun goes into Capricornus on 22 December (the shortest day of the year).
    Venus will be in Scorpio 6 December through 31 December, going into Sagittarius for the vulgar New Year. Lately she has been rising bright before the sun.
    Mercury, having gone direct on 17 December, will be in Sagittarius until 10 January, when it enters Capricornus. It will continue directly until July 1992.
    Mars also will be in Sagittarius all through December, going into Capricornus on 9 January.
    Jupiter is retrograding through Virgo -- (not very promising as a big party time!). Jupiter can be seen as the bright thing near the constellation of Leo in the wee hours of the morning.
    Saturn is creeping along at the beginning of his course through Aquarius.
    Uranus and Neptune are trudging through Capricornus (13 and 16 degrees respectively on Winter Solstice). Hershel has been slowly gaining on Neptune and will almost catch him, but they both go retrograde around 20 April 1992.
    And Pluto, our Outer Guardian, is circling in Scorpio still. Pluto actually at this time is nearer than usual (within the orbit of Neptune) and more a part of our solar system party.
    At the New Moon, 4 January, there will be an annular solar eclipse lasting 11 minutes.
    Constellations to look for in the evening sky for starters are: Taurus (see picture); Gemini; Canis Major and Sirius (follow the belt of Orion to the bright twinkling star).

    [This essay was originally published in The Bystander (London), 23 November 1910 e.v. It is the conclusion to Crowley's essay "Concerning `Blasphemy' in General and the `Rites of Eleusis' in Particular", which had appeared in the previous week's Bystander. That essay may be found reprinted in The Equinox III:10 (New York: O.T.O., 1986), pp. 219-24, but this conclusion has never been reprinted in the US. When it first appeared, the original series of the Rites of Eleusis was in production at Caxton Hall, Westminster. The editors wish to thank Sister Lola de Wolfe for providing the copy of this article.]

    Among the various accounts that have appeared of the character of the Rites of Eleusis, so-called, I find that very few people seem to understand intellectually what they were all about. It will be as well, therefore, if I make here a plain statement as to the exact nature of the rites. The ceremonies developed from very rude beginnings. The first one was in this wise. I happened to have a few friends in my room in the evening, among them the celebrated Australian violinist, Miss Leila Waddell. It struck me that we might pass the time by a sort of artistic dialogue; I read a piece of poetry from one of the great classics, and she replied with a piece of music suggested by my reading. I retorted with another poem; and the evening developed into a regular controversy. The others were intensely interested in this strange conflict, and in the silence of the room spiritual enthusiasm took hold of us; so acutely that we were all intensely uplifted, to the point in some cases of actual ecstasy, an intoxication of the same kind as that experienced by an assistant at the celebration of the Mass or the performance of Parsifal, but stronger because of its naturalness and primitiveness.

    It was subsequently decided to try and tune everybody up to some definite, prearranged emotion, and we strung together a rough ceremony in honor of Artemis. This was so successful that it even impressed persons who had always been complete sceptics and scoffers. Having been of help in private, we endeavoured to reproduce the effects in public with greater elaboration.

    With regard to the genesis of the Rites of Eleusis I must explain that they did not spring fully armed from my brain, Minerva-like. The actual form which my ideas took was simply a question of convenience and compromise. It was necessary to have a series of some sort, and seven seemed to be about the right number, if we were going to get them done before people went away for Christmas. I might have chosen another sort of deities; but I thought that those associated with the days of the week would make it easier for everybody, and it certainly made it very much easier for me, because the correspondences of colour, form, idea, number, and so on of the planets had been so very well worked out. Of the way in which the rituals were constructed, I must say a few words. Let us put ourselves in the position of the dramatist. Take, for example, the first ritual, that of Saturn. Working on tradition, just as Wagner did when he took the old Norse Saga for his world drama, we find Saturn as a black, melancholy God, the devourer of his children. Ideas of Night, Death, Black hellebore, Lead, Cypress, Tombs, Deadly Nightshade. All these things have a necessary connection with Saturn in the mind of anyone who has read the classics. The first condition of this rite is, then, to make the temple a kind of symbolic representation of the sphere of Saturn. So the representative of Saturn wears the Black Robe. The time is declared to be midnight (though, as a matter of fact, it is only twenty minutes past eight -- this is an ordinary theatrical convention; and masons will think of certain analogies in their own "Orgies"). If the brethren are fed, it is "on the corpses of their children" as Saturn fed on his. If they drink, it is "Poppyheads infused in blood" -- symbols of sleep and death. Saturn further represents the earth, the plane of matter, humanity bounded by old age and death, humanity blindly groping after illumination and failing to get it.

    It is, then, the primitive darkness of humanity that is represented in this ritual. Therefore, we have the despairing cry, "There is no God"; and as a logical result the suicide of the high priest, for there cannot be a priest without a God. It is the blackness of uttermost despair; and so the ritual ends. It is only in the second rite, the rite of Jupiter, who is etymologically and actually identical with the Hebrew Jehovah, that light breaks. But even in that rite, when the Supreme Power is declared, He is too exalted for anyone to approach Him; it is only by the work of the Divine Spirit that He is made manifest; and this manifestation only takes place in the God-man whom some call Iacchus and others Jesus -- again an etymological and mystical identity! This doctrine appears to me to differ from the orthodox doctrine of Christianity in one point only; it is not sectarian. I do not require Mr. John M. Robertson to tell me that the story of the crucifixion is merely a mystery play adapted from the rites of Mithras; the rite being symbolical of a spiritual truth, all nations that possess knowledge of spiritual things will have incorporated it in their rites under some name or other.

    If my interpretation has been erroneous, let me be shown my error, and I will repent; but no sensible person can maintain for a moment that my interpretation is un-serious or irreverent. And my chief defense -- my counter-attack -- is that the orthodox methods of inculcating the doctrine in question have been so purely dogmatic and dull, that they have lost all vital force. Without art, truth becomes falsehood. Imagine anyone taking the teachings of the "Blue Bird," and pounding them into a creed, and writing dull sermons about them! The unfortunate children who had to learn them would begin to hate Maeterlinck bitterly. But let the sublime truths of Christianity be once again "clothed round by sweet art, with the spacious warm heaven of her imminent wings," and there will be that true revival of religious life that everyone is blindly seeking.

    O.T.O. embraced Thelema as its religious identity under Aleister Crowley. Prior to Crowley's tenure, the orientation of O.T.O. was mainly Judeo-Christian, with elements of Eastern philosophy. Crowley himself characterized O.T.O. as "...The first of the Great Orders of antiquity to accept the Law of the New Aeon emanating from the A A, which is 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law' reorganizing in accordance therewith, ..." How does Thelema differ from Western religious tradition?
    In the West, religion is commonly exclusive. In the East, religion is sometimes inclusive. AL I, 56: "... All words are sacred and all prophets true; save only that they understand a little; ..." Thelema, Hinduism and Buddhism are tolerant and inclusive religions. All other religions are considered to possess a portion of truth, and most religious practices and beliefs are considered appropriate within Thelema, Hinduism and Buddhism. Thus, it is acceptable for a Thelemite, Hindu or Buddhist to worship Christ, Zeus, Horus, many gods or no god. The particular belief is personal, and the general belief is a greater whole. There are forms of Buddhism which believe in local demons and forms of Buddhism which are effectively atheistic. The same is true of Thelema. Eastern religions accept the limitations of human consciousness, culture and circumstance. This is rare among Western religions. Sufism holds that one should adapt to the traditions of the surrounding culture. In the time of Shakespeare there was an English sect called "The Family Love" which held that the outward religious expression was unimportant and should change from place to place. The inward essence was all that mattered. I have seen documents from that time which argue the suppression of "The Family Love". Thelema also finds itself under attack.
    We have Satanists, Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists (a few), Buddhists (more), Taoists, Jews, Wicca, Hindus, Mohammedans and many others in O.T.O. How can Thelema be one religion? Simply. If you have to see a personal god, you will have an image of that god. If you can transcend that parochial image, you will see more clearly. If you can see god in all gods, so much the better. If you can accept Liber AL and tolerate the limitations of other visions, you may be a Thelemite.

December 1, 1947	Throughout the summer of 1947 Aleister Crowley grew weaker & weaker, his death was imminent. Finally, his doctor, William B. Thomson took him off morphine claiming he was taking it in dangerous doses ... Crowley became furious screaming, "You can't do that to me! The pain will kill me and if it does, you'll die within 24 house after my death! I swear it by the great spirit Taphtatharath!" Later that evening as he slipped into a coma, tears flowing down his cheeks, his last words were "I am perplexed ...". He died from myocardial degeneration & chronic Bronchitis, never regaining consciousness. He was 72 years of age. The Great Beast was dead.
December 1, 1947	18 hours after the death of Aleister Crowley, Dr. William Thomson dies of natural causes.
December 5, 1945	Lieutenant L. Ron Hubbard is 'mustered out' of the Navy on this date from too many undiagnosed pains. It is written that '... the doctors were undecided as to precisely what was wrong with him. He was certainly neither blind nor crippled, but seemed to be suffering from endless minor aches and pains.'
December 5, 1947	Aleister Crowley's remains are cremated at Brighton on this date and his funeral rite brings out all sorts of strange people, reporters & followers who couldn't believe the Beast had actually died. The ritual was a spectacle according to some & the Brighton Council Chairman is quoted as saying "... we shall take all necessary steps to prevent such an incident occurring again!"
December 6, 1890	Born in this date in Wales is Violet Firth, or 'Dion Fortune' who it is said once wrote Aleister Crowley for advice on how to contact the spirit Taphtarthareth. Crowley is said to have made discrete enquiries to find out what the young lady disliked most & found out she was allergic to fish. The ritual he sent her was involved with the eating of fish in 'quantity and with frequency" ... and needless to say she became violently sick as a result. Crowley dismissed the matter, saying 'Bloody stupid woman.'
December 6, 1909	Aleister Crowley & 'Vickybird' go a few miles outside the town of Marrakhesh into the desert and as Neuburg stated, '... we did not draw a circle, but a pentacle' to evoke CHORONZON & the 10th Aethyr. It has been written that on this date, '... the Beast and the Devil tried to hold a serious business conversation, but Vickybird kept chipping in with questions of a purely 'ostrobogulous' nature until Crowley became so enraged that he turned Vickybird into a zebra, rode him into Alexandria, and sold him to a zoo, where he remained for two years before regaining human shape.'
December 12, 1791	The man responsible for making tarot & qabalah house-hold words, Etteilla dies in France on this date. He adopted the anagram of his real name Alliette to sound more 'mysterious', others claim to hide his past, of which little dirt has ever surfaced.
December 13, 1886	Born on this date in England is the artist Austin Osman Spare, about his early life it has been written that '... his most memorable adventures involved a Welsh maid with a violent temper, a dwarf woman with a snub nose and protuberant forehead, and an hermaphrodite.'
December 22, 1581	John Dee begins working with his first medium, whose name was Barnabus Saul, and although it was said that he saw many visions, Barnabus Saul would later deny the whole thing claiming to have made them all up.
December 24, 1909	Charles Stansfeld Jones joins the A A on this date, taking the motto of O.I.V.V.I.O. for the Probationer oath, or 'Unus in Omnibus, Omnia in Uno'. Later Crowley would write that Jones '... tried to improve the Tree of life by turning the Serpent of Wisdom upside down! Yet he could not even make his scheme symmetrical: his little remaining good sense revolted at the supreme atrocities. Yet he succeeded in reducing the whole Magical Alphabet to nonsense, and shewing that he had never understood its real meaning'.
December 25, 1925	Carlos Aranha was born on this date in Brazil although he told his wife it was in 1931 to appear younger. He also changed his name to 'Castaneda' in 1959 when he became a US citizen, shortly marrying thereafter. She has written, '... his thighs and legs are disproportionately short.' A very good friend of his at UCLA declared, 'I believe Carlos Castaneda is the greatest psychic fraud of the 20th century.'
December 26, 1979	John S. B. Coats, the International President of the Theosophical Society died on this date.
December 28, 1877	Depending on the calendar used, George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff was either born on this date in Gumru, or on January 13th of the following year. Even he couldn't remember.
December 30, 1552	Simon Forman, physician, astrologer and necromancer was born on this date.
December 30, 1922	Rudolf Steiner's Goetheanum in Switzerland is burned down on this date by the Nazis.
December 31, 1896	It was on this date that Aleister Crowley decided to pursue mysticism and occultism, so he claims.

Events Calendar for December 1991 e.v.

12/1/91		Gnostic Mass 7 PM		Thelema Ldg
12/1/91		Lodge Council		Thelema Ldg.
12/1/91		Lodge of Perfection 3:33 PM		LoP
12/5/91		Magick in Theory and Practice Study Circle with Marlene 8PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/8/91		Gnostic Mass 7 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/9/91		Ladies' T 5:30PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/11/91		The gods & goddesses of Liber AL lecture & slides 8PM Bill Heidrick		Thelema Ldg.
12/14/91		Initiations (call to attend)		Thelema Ldg.
12/15/91		Mass workshop with Lola 4:18 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/15/91		Experimental Gnostic Mass 7 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/16/91		Lodge Meeting 8PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/18/91		Rite of Uranus 8PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/18/91		"True will and how to find it" 8PM with Henry		Thelema Ldg.
12/19/91		Magick in Theory and Practice Study Circle with Marlene 8PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/20/91		"Magick without Aleister" with Fr. Majnun 8 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/21/91		Rite of Saturn 8PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/22/91		Winter Solstice G D Rit. 1:11PM		Thelema Ldg.
11/22/91		Gnostic Mass 7 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/23/91		"I.O.T. Mass" 8:00 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/24/91		Magick Theater reads Crowley's Ali Sloper and party for the Feast of St. Nickolas at Lola's 7:30 PM. (bring food)		Magick Thea.
12/26/91		Rite of Jupiter 8PM in San Francisco
12/26/91		Feast of St. Henry Miller, Catacombs, 8 PM
12/28/91		Jerry's Logorrhea 6:30 PM Call Lodge to attend		Thelema Ldg.
12/29/91		Lodge clean-up all afternoon 4:18PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/31/91		Rite of Mars 8 PM		Thelema Ldg.
12/31/91		Eve of the Vulgar year 1991 e.v.		Thelema Ldg.

    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.