Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers

    In English the names for the "cross-quarter" holidays - which fall mid-way between the solstices and equinoxes - have most commonly been adopted from ancient Celtic in the forms preserved by Scottish usage, designating them as Hallowmas, Candlemas, Beltane, and Lammas. In the Old Irish calendar, beltene, or belltaine, was the name of the first of May, marking the beginning of the summer season. In a Highland tradition, those "born between the Beltans," during the first eight days of May, were considered likely to be especially clever and skillful. Later missionaries and monks, imposing a foreign faith on the indigenous "heathen," corrupted their word to beltine in order to condemn it with a false etymology. Ignoring the feminine gender of the name in Celtic, then forcing a pun on teine (meaning "fire"), and joining it to a specious interpretation of bel as the Old Testament god Baal (or Bel), they denounced the ancient seasonal holiday as a bonfire in honor of one of Jehovah's oldest rivals. It was true enough that the traditional observance of Beltane - and also of Lammas and Hallowmas - involved kindling great bonfires, often on hilltops. Human couples as well as cattle and other livestock were encouraged to leap through (or around) the flames to promote health and fecundity.
    We don't do cows in Oakland, and no bonfire is planned at Oz, but we can't promise you won't run into any of Jehovah's rivals at our ritual; in fact, one of Baal's typical forms as a husband or bride-groom might make a worthy successor to our local tradition of observing Candlemas as the feast of Brigid the bride.

    Concerning the Cup or Graal of Our Lady Babalon:
    "This cup is said to be full of the Blood of the Saints; that is, every 'saint' or Magician must give the last drop of his life's blood to that cup. It is the original price paid for magick power. . . . Of the preservation of this blood which Our Lady offers to the Ancient One, Chaos the All-Father, to revive him, and of how his divine Essence fills the Daughter (the soul of Man) and places her upon the Throne of the Mother, fulfilling the Economy of the Universe, and thus ultimately rewarding the Magician (the Son) ten thousandfold, it would be . . . improper to speak in this place" - M.T.P., ch. vii.

    Summary of Persons Referred to in the Dialogue

MATHERS
    4 Rue de la Source, aux Gressets, par La Celle-Saint-Cloud
             Self-appointed "Head" of the "Rosicrucian Order."

CRAN
    5 King's Bench Walk, Temple, W.C.
             Perjured shyster. (Details of Cran's perjury in the Court of King's
             Bench in April 1911 are here omitted for reasons which may
             become clear hereafter.)

BERRIDGE
    Homoeopathic doctor, etc.

W. F. De WEND FENTON
             Editor of The Looking Glass. Turf trickster until warned off;
             since professional blackmailer to the nobility and gentry.

Dr WYNN WESTCOTT
    396 Camden Road, N.
             Coroner, sorcerer, etc. Dupe and victim of Mathers.

ALEISTER CROWLEY
             Ex-dupe and victim of Mathers.

The Cross-Examination of Samuel Sidney Sylvester Scherzerade Socrates Scipio Schiller Simmons Scrutton Shacaback Swank Swizzle Liddell Diddell Macgregor Mac Kerrow Mathers, James IV of Scotland, Comte de St Germain, Earl of Glenstrae, Comte Macgregor, Chevalier Mac-gregor, Macgregor-Mathers, S'Rhiogail mo Dhream, Deo Duce Comite Ferro, Chevalier of the Order of St Germain, etc., etc., by Mr Q. Scorpio, one of His Majesty's Counsel learned in the Law.

Scorpio, K.C. What is your name?
Mathers The whole lot?
Scorpio, K.C. The name on your birth certificate.
Mathers Mathers.
Scorpio, K.C. You were educated at Bedford Grammar School?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. And became a lieutenant in a Hampshire volunteer regiment?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. Yet in Paris you were engaged in Jacobite conspiracies to overthrow the throne of England?
Mathers I pretended to be.
Scorpio, K.C. Were you actually so engaged?
Mathers I refuse to answer the question.
Scorpio, K.C. You became a Rosicrucian?
Mathers "Yes."
Scorpio, K.C. You hold high rank in the Order?
Mathers "I am the Head of the Rosicrucian Order."
Scorpio, K.C. You have read the constitutions of that Order?
Mathers "Yes."
Scorpio, K.C. It is a secret Order?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. By the constitution no member is permitted to declare himself to be a member?
Mathers That is what Waite says.
Scorpio, K.C. Who is Waite?
Mathers The greatest living authority on the Rosicrucians.
Scorpio, K.C. Let me read what he says. "Let me warn my readers that all persons profession to be Rosicrucians are simply members of psuedo- fraternities, and that there is that difference between their assertion and the fact of the case in which the essence of a lie consists." What have you to say to that?
Mathers "I am the Head of the Rosicrucian Order."
Scorpio, K.C. You are however responsible to secret chiefs? Mathers "Yes."
Scorpio, K.C. Who are they?
Mathers "I am sworn not to divulge them."
Scorpio, K.C. In the constitutions of the Golden Dawn a Fräulein Sprengel or Sapiens Dominabitur Astris is named as one of them?
Mathers I suppose so.
Scorpio, K.C. Is it so or not?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. In your letter to Mrs Emery of the 16th February 1900, you say: "It may interest you to know that Soror Sapiens Dominabitur Astris is now in Paris working with me"?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. Was this Fräulein Sprengel?
Mathers No.
Scorpio, K.C. Who was it?
Mathers Madame Horos, better known, perhaps, as "the Swami."
Scorpio, K.C. The same Madame Horos who in 1901 received a sentence of seven years penal servitude for abominable offenses against children?
Mathers How was I to know that she would be found out?
Scorpio, K.C. You acknowledged her as your spiritual superior?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. As a secret chief 8= 3?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. Thank you. Now with regard to Allan Bennett. He was staying with you in Paris?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. How employed?
Mathers In trying to make rubies from ruby dust.
Scorpio, K.C. Did he succeed?
Mathers He made a small worthless ruby.
Scorpio, K.C. With better apparatus he might have made a commercial success of the process?
Mathers I cannot say.
Scorpio, K.C. In point of fact, a precisely similar process is being worked at this day with success?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. What was his moral character in regard to sexual matters?
Mathers He had an aversion to all such matters amounting to horror.
Scorpio, K.C. What was the condition of his health?
Mathers He was a constant sufferer from spasmodic asthma in its most aggravated form.
Scorpio, K.C. He took drugs habitually?
Mathers Yes, by the orders of his doctor.
Scorpio, K.C. Never for pleasure?
Mathers Never.
Scorpio, K.C. How can you be sure?
Mathers When he left England, the change of climate cured at least temporarily his disease, and he instantly abandoned the practice.
Scorpio, K.C. He left you on good terms?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. And you have never quarreled with him since?
Mathers Never.
Scorpio, K.C. Then why do you defame him now and allow the vilest crimes to be imputed to him?
Mathers Anything to damage Crowley!
Scorpio, K.C. Did you quarrel with him ever at the time?
Mathers Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. Let me read you the published account of your quarrel:

    He (Crowley) had, as we have seen, induced Mathers to put in force the Deadly and Hostile Current of Will, but, as in the case of the Jackdaw of Rheims, nobody seemed a penny the worse. One might have expected that Mathers having failed, Aleister Crowley would have abandoned him. No, for it seemed still possible that Mathers, really in touch with the Supreme Chiefs, had yet finally decided to say with Christ upon the Cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," even though this theory was somewhat rudely shaken by Mathers spending the whole of one Sunday afternoon in rattling a lot of dried peas in a sieve under the impression that they were revolted members: as subsequent events proved, they were only the ideas in his head. So we find Aleister Crowley still loyal, if a little skeptical, and searching within himself to discover a touchstone by which he might prove beyond doubt the authenticity of Mathers' claim to represent the Masters. Now, there had been a good deal of talk of an adventure that happened to Mathers and Allan Bennett, who was guest in his house, in which a revolver figured prominently; but the story was only vague, and Allan Bennett, who could, and would have, told the truth about it, had departed for a distant colony. So on arriving in Paris, Aleister Crowley lured Mathers into telling the story, which was as follows: That he and Allan Bennett had disagreed upon an obscure point in theology, thereby formulating the accursed Dyad, thereby enabling the Abramelin demons to assume material form: one of his own shape, another in that of Allan Bennett. Now, the demon that looked like Allan Bennett had a revolver, and threatened to shoot him (Mathers), while the demon that resembled himself was equally anxious to shoot Allan Bennett. Fortunately, before the demons could fire, Mrs Mathers came into the room, thus formulating the symbol of the blessed Trinity, of which her great purity of character would naturally fit her to be a prominent member. Now, the only probability about this story, which Mathers related on his magical honour as a 7= 4 (the highest grade of the Rosicrucian order), was that Mathers saw double. Crowley, however, was not going to judge any isolated story by the general laws of probability, so, bowing gracefully, he rose and set out to find Allan Bennett, whom he eventually ran down at the house of a holy Yogi in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, to hear his account.
    Allan Bennett's account was less of a strain upon Aleister Crowley's faculties of belief. They had had, he said, an argument about the God Shiva, the Destroyer, whom Allan Bennett worshipped because, if one repeated his name often enough, Shiva would one day open his eye and destroy the Universe, and whom Mathers feared and hated because He would one day open His eye and destroy Mathers. Allan Bennett closed the argument by assuming the position Padmasana and repeating the Mantra: "Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva." Mathers, angrier than ever, sought the sideboard, but soon returned, only to find Allan Bennett still muttering: "Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva." "Will you stop blaspheming?" cried Mathers; but the holy man only said "Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva." "If you don't stop I will shoot you!" said Mathers, drawing a revolver from his pocket, and leveling it at Allan Bennett's head; but Allan Bennett, being concentrated, took no notice, and continued to mutter "Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva."
    Whether overawed by the majesty of the saint, of interrupted by the entry of a third person, Allan Bennett no longer remembered, but Mathers never pulled the trigger.
It was only after this interview, which did not take place till August 1901, that Aleister Crowley definitely decided against Mathers.

   Big Change at Agape:
   After Jack Parsons was retired as Master of Agape Lodge, the position fell to Roy Leffingwell. Here's Brother Roy's letter to Karl Germer, setting forth circumstances and changes on entering into office. Roy carried Agape Lodge through Crowley's death and the presentation of Grady's credentials from Crowley. For an explanation the names given in brief below, please see the last issue of the TLC

	122 South Stoneman Ave., Alhambra Calif.
		March 25th, 1946
	Dear Karl:         I suggest that you light your pipe, climb into a favorite chair, and settle back for a long session. When one has not sent a word in months, one has much to answer for, and this doesn't look like it would end in being a brief note!     There were many reasons behind my silence. Periodic spells with my physical ailments; living out and working through, to the best of my ability, the utterly fantastic 1003 set-up; the long and arduous endeavor to find a studio that would not only solve my personal teaching problems, but also help Sascha when she arrives; then the further delay until I had called a meeting of Agape Lodge and had something to report to you on that angle -- Oh, a million and one valid or invalid reasons for not bothering you until I had something of interest and value to write. I knew, and was very grateful for, your letters and help to Reea -- Reea, who has so many problems of her own to struggle through -- none of them helped by the fact that her age, and the upsets of the menopause, color her usually lucid viewpoint at times. In spite of this, however, I much doubt if Thelema has a more faithful and practical adherent.     Certainly a long enough paragraph, but maybe it sums up the preliminaries. Now to work.     First: the physical ailments. The fact that I have accepted the responsibility for Agape, and am finally writing you, prove that at least enough of them are over to change my mental condition and outlook.     Next, the 1003 set-up. That, my dear Karl, has been just what I wrote above -- utterly fantastic. It's all water over the bridge now, so I shall not bother you with any of the gruesome details. My only comment at this time is -- "Thank God it's all over with".     Then, the studio search. I was never unmindful for a moment of your views and plans on Sascha's teaching here, and your trip this Summer. But -- trial after trial of local schools and teachers developed only an over-cautious stand on their parts, due to the fear of losing to Sascha some of their precious students. Especially on the part of those many Hollywood bluffs who could not afford to have their phony background set up for comparison! This does not mean that there are no legitimate contacts that would help. But of them, most prefer to "Wait and see". You cannot imagine the number of grandiose, monumental fakers that inhabit Hollywood under the guise of voice teachers. Because they have no real training to impart, students drift from each boastful 'master' to the next. There seems to be, however, a never- ending crop of aspiring vocal students!     So, when 1003 was sold, and I had to find sleeping quarters, and a place to work on my music writing, I looked for a place that I could also use as a studio, teaching there, and with an eye to Sascha also having her own headquarters if she did not wish to affiliate herself with a school of what- not. The present address is the result of long and arduous searching. Any type of rental is next to utterly impossible out here now. However, we have a place, and she may teach here, use it for phone and business headquarters, or in whatever way she feels she wishes to operate. It is in the center of town, here in Alhambra, about 30 minutes from Hollywood, and fifteen or twenty from down-town L.A.     And now, at long last, the lodge set-up. I am of the opinion that you have had much correspondence on the whole matter with Jack. At any rate, when he wanted to withdraw from any participation in Lodge work, and insisted that I was the logical one to take over, he answered me that it met with your, and A.C.'s approval. I stipulated that I would not touch it, with a ten foot pole, unless certain glaring misconceptions were cleared up. First, that Betty be entirely eliminated from any connection with the Lodge. This because at least half the trouble stemmed directly from her.     Next, that I was going to try to eliminate the three basic causes for past failures, namely -- the tail wagging the dog, Agape and its Master assuming precedence over Baphomet, and yourself as X in this country, making the flat statement to members that "Agape was the only working 'example(!)' of the O.T.O. in existence, or ever had been," secondly, that the infernal stressing and overstressing of sex, sex and more sex, among lower degree members, and also all prospective members, plus the attempted or successful seduction of all new members, be stopped. Smith, and Jack after him, constantly jeopardized the Work and The Order, by their actions and preachings on this point. Thirdly, no misuse, by anyone, of the Lodge funds, and no using of Lodge funds for liquors, etc., for "parties", Equinoxial or otherwise. There are to many vital needs for those funds, and creating "expenses" which decrease Grand Lodge's share is on a par with evading taxation on net income. by reducing the "net".     Jack's reaction to all this was to offer me carte blance in all matters, (and rather relieved to do so, I imagine). With that understanding I had my first meeting with members last Friday night, at Burlingame's house. It was surely good to see Max and Jean, and Georgia, back in Agape, assuring me of their loyalty, support, and complete co-operation. It was good to have every member, without exception, do the same thing, and this after I had stipulated to them just as I did to Jack before I agreed to take over. The spirit of everyone was fine. I shall not elaborate, for Jane and Max and the rest will probably write you what they sensed there. I feel very grateful, and very, very humble, that they think I can help to lead them out of the wilderness, for they are truly all fine, sincere, earnest children of Thelema when they get values straight.     For nine or ten years, Karl, I have stood by and watched first Smith, and then Jack, utterly confuse new members, most of them only of the first degree, and frighten off prospective members, with their enthusiastic sales talk of the entire freedom of sex taught and practised in O.T.O., until it has become anathema, to all but a very few hardy souls, as a 'love cult'. I have seen constant efforts made to decry and destroy all family life, among these same faintly Thelemic 'children', and then they would wonder why their lodge did not grow as other fraternal organizations have!     I have seen weird extractions made from Lodge funds applied as "rental" or alleged "profess houses" (and I assure you, as can Max, Jane and Georgia, that "call houses" would have been the only fitting term). I have seen money desperately needed go, $50 at a time, for liquors for a party, designed not to get new members, but to "take care of the social aspects of the Order". When I called for a financial statement from the treasurer, (Mary Precott) I find about $70.00 in the treasury. This after some ten years of operation! When I tried to find out what property, in books, lodge furniture, etc., we had, I get vague statements that nobody seems able to clarify. Apparently, "we don't got anything".     Alright, then. That's all water over the dam. I just wanted you to get a picture of what is here, or isn't here, and you will at least see where I start from. I have accepted this responsibility because I feel that it is the thing first before me to do, for the Work, and not because I wanted it in any way shape or form. Now as to plans.     First, Max and I work together in complete harmony. So do Jane, Georgia and myself. We are in agreement on all the necessary steps. Max is to continue his classes, as a sort of "Mystery Schools" branch of the Order, for those members serious enough to want to study the Kabala, tarot, etc. He is to use his open classes as a fertile field for new members. I shall undoubtedly use him as an officer in initiations. Georgia's utter devotion to The Work, and her loyalty through all to Baphomet make her invaluable when real effort is called for. Jean, too, by the way, is completely sincere and willing to work. Jane is not well, and I have relieved her of her part, while reserving her experience, length of devotion, loyalty and knowledge, for the support and enlightenment of the lower degree members, and prospective ones.     Then there are Mildred and Ray -- real Thelemites in every sense, whole- hearted co-operators in all real effort for the Work, fiercely loyal to A.C., willing to do any and all things to make up for the past mistakes of others. They have brought I don't know how many members up to 1003, only to have them never come back after the first meeting, or initiation, and it takes a lot of loyalty to stick with the ship after many experiences of that kind.     I have delegated Georgia to see about a Hall that we may rent for stated meetings, and for initiatory work, so that we may have no more silly ideas about "process houses" which never have functioned as such in any way. I even stipulated that whatever Hall she decided upon should have no bedrooms attached! Yes, it really was that bad, Karl. When the weather permits, we will hold out-of doors initiations, especially of the minerval, at Rancho Royal.     By the way, in addition to my personal letters and reports to you, I shall, of course, keep you officially informed of all Lodge doings and activities, and I have instructed the new Secretary, (Jean Woods) to send you a copy of the minutes of all meetings, at least until you want them discontinued.     There has been so much vagueness about all supposedly official action that I can't get too much information from anyone, so will you please keep me well informed? What percentage of Lodge dues, etc., are now sent to you -- when -- and by whom? Shall I start including $14.00 a month for my Sanctuary dues with Agape remittance, and what about Georgia and Max, also Jack? For instance, I supplied some $40.00 of Jack's $125 remittance for the new commentary. Nobody seems to know what more is needed, when, and by whom.     Well, there is ten times too much to put in any one letter, but because this more or less brings us up to date, maybe I won't have to wear you out again with so much verbiage.     Spent the day with Max and Jean yesterday, and Max showed me your last letter, relative to the 49 letters, Commentary, etc. Sure looks interesting. Also, your statement about coming out about July 1st also looked interesting! I am looking forward, mightily, to personally meeting you, my beloved Brother, and Sascha too.     Address all my letters here, since I only get to the ranch about once every ten days now, and it would delay matters to send them there.     With all my love to you and Sascha, which I am sure Reea would join in sending were she here, I am,
	Fraternally yours,                         Roy {Leffingwell}

    Various experiments have been made to try to see how classical symbols can give insights on the Tree of Life. The Order of the Golden Dawn produced a diagram like this to show Mercury drawn on the Tree. Mercury is associated with Hod, as a Sephira, and we might want to see if this would be the kind of Tree you would get in Hod. The bottom Sephira are pretty well anchored in the cross part of the symbol. Malkut, Yesod, Hod itself and Netzach are associated in a way that seems to be the proper thing for generating Tipheret. Geburah and Chesed are pretty much equal with Tipheret. Da'at, the pseudo- Sephira, gathers all of this together upward in the circle and into the horns to reach Binah or Chokmah; but Keter is utterly beyond reach. The diagram is a fairly good way of relating to someone who has a strongly developed Hod consciousness and is thinking about the Tree of Life. The bottom parts of it, especially those parts that are near or below Hod on the Tree, are well anchored. Whether a person feels that they are firmly active or not is not so important. Those lower Sephirot are well understood, well defined.
    For the Sephirot starting with Tipheret and continuing above, the arrangement represents an idealized or more abstract configuration, a circle leading into a crescent rather than a cross. In this, Keter is beyond reach to show that the rational mind cannot build a perfect construction of unity. Since Hod, the Mercury consciousness on the Tree, is constantly involved in trying to explain things, the highest is out of reach for that state of consciousness. Many Qabalistic representations that leave Keter out on the Tree and include Da'ath come from this sort of bias, the Hod or the Mercury perspective on the Tree. They describe Keter as too holy to touch. The word "holy" is used as an excuse to avoid thinking about it. Da'at is given increased importance as a syncretic concretion, rather than Keter as the crown of natural unity. This is just an example of a Tree growing out of Hod. It's the consequence of trying to pin everything down. Other diagrams using the alchemical and astrological symbols can provide similar insights.

H. Asked about Da'at on the Tree

    In traditional Kabbalah, there are only ten Sephirot. If you have Keter, you can't have Da'at - unless the Tree below Da'at is ignored. If you have Da'at and the lower Tree, you can't have Keter.
    The usual way of describing Da'at is to say that it is either the emanation immediately below Binah as the Tree is created by passage of the lightning bolt or that it is the summation of all seven lower Sephirot. It can't be united with any of the Supernals, without the elimination of Keter, other than in emanation. In terms of Chakras, associating the Ajna with Da'at only works when the Ajna is closed or inactive. Da'at is the great blindness, knowledge rather than awareness.

G.W. raised an issue that led to discussion of visions and passage of the Abyss

    On approach to the Abyss, you have to teach yourself, via HGA or whatever means. That's the "graduate school research period".

    Visions on passage usually can be characterized in two groups:
    1. personal - unique to you and your background.
    2. universal - everybody gets something that has common elements with that which all others receive.

    In the latter, the vision of the veil is one. This is sometimes characterized as falling water in bright light of an unknown color - with the remark that anyone who thinks it to be water will fail. This may present as a scintillating metallic curtain. There is the vision of the Great Sea - a sky that stretches infinitely before you, with a dark barrier in the lower part of your vision, slowly lowering and a sea, possibly invisible, beyond. The first is the entrance into the Abyss. The second is the approach to Binah. There is also the apparition of a figure in a simple robe, white or like white, and the voice that speaks in what seems to be the language of your childhood.

Events Calendar for May 1998 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.

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