Thelema Lodge
Ordo Templi Orientis
P.O.Box 2303
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
April 1999 e.v. at Thelema Lodge
Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers
A, starting with Crowley's statement that the A A "is a sempiternal
institution, and entirely secret. There is no communication between its
members. Theoretically, a member knows only the superior who introduced him,
and any person whom he himself has introduced. The Order is run on purely
spiritual lines." Clearly this description is hard to square with the
organization which AC ran in England before WW I, the organization which
enjoined its members thus, "He shall everywhere proclaim openly his connection
with the A A and speak of It and Its principles", the organization which
with its papers, charters, Chancellors, and Grand Neophytes, certainly cannot
be sempiternal (a word which means 'eternal' or 'everlasting') any more than
any other human social institution can. Perhaps a few of the Proph's comments
on the Secret Chiefs of the A A will help to illumine the paradox, "They may
be incarnate or discarnate: it is a matter of Their convenience. Have They
attained Their position by passing through all the grades of the A A? Yes
and no: the system which was given to me to put forward is only one of many.
"Above the Abyss" all these technical wrinkles are ironed out. One man whom I
suspect of being a Secret Chief has hardly any acquaintance with the technique of our system at all. That he accepts The Book of the Law is almost his only
link with my work." Perhaps there are really two A A's, one an Outer Order,
founded by Crowley, with its records and rituals, warrants and workings, and
the other a true inner order linking humanity with the Absolute. What the
relationship is between the two, if any, would be a fine topic for further
debate. A A members and non-members are equally welcome to join in.
II.
Knowles and I did not go on with the main party, as we had to go off in a
chikara (a sort of punt with pointed ends and an awning) to the Nassim Bagh,
where we saw Capt. Le Mesurier and arranged one or two final details. The
Nassim Bagh is a most charming spot, more like an English park than anything
else. The sward is level and covered with grass, while everywhere are stately
and vigorous trees. We hurried back to the town, where a dunga was waiting
for us. A dunga is a very large flat-bottomed boat which can be and is used
as a sort of inferior house-boat. It is divided into compartments by "chiks"
- that is, curtains of bamboo or grass. In this boat we went off to
Gandarbal, engaging coolies to tow us all night, so that we reached this
village at daylight on the morning of the 29th.
I found Eckenstein under a tree holding durbar with Mata Kriba Ram, the
Tehsildar of this district. When we had settled with him we strolled gently
off to Kangan. I found myself somewhat thirsty and footsore, as I had taken
no exercise for so long. The following day we went on to Gundisarsingh. We
got off the coolies, 150 in number, as ponies were not to be had at this stage
without any great difficulty.
I should explain here the system on which we worked. With such a large
party of men it was impossible to keep the same men for more than two or three
days; in any case it is impossible to know them all by sight, the more so that
one is changing repeatedly. We therefore gave each man a ticket with his name
and the number of his load, on the production of which and the load in
question he was paid. Had we not done so, of course, every man in the
neighbourhood would have hurried up like vultures scenting the carcass and claimed his pay as a coolie. Some of these naïve persons actually travelled
four days in order to collect one day's pay which they had not earned!
Though this stage is only 14 miles I arrived in a complete condition of
collapse, a state which I always reach after doing a very little work. On May
1st we got on to Gagangir. The coolies tried to make us stop a good deal
short of the proper stage. I was in the lead, however, and suspected that
they were not telling the truth. I sent back a message to Eckenstein, and
between us the conspiracy was overthrown. After getting to camp it began to
rain hard and we had to put up the tents.
The next day we went on to Sonamarg through a most marvellous mountain
gorge. The valley is exceedingly narrow and the path winds at the base of
tremendous cliffs. Opposite, peaks, insignificant in themselves, tower to
what seems a tremendous height, and their shapes and colouring are of very
great beauty. Also on the opposite side of the river were the remains of vast
snow avalanches, some of them broken off and kept under by the torrent. About
half way the valley opens out, still affording fine views, however; Eckenstein
and I were behind with the doctor, acting as rearguard. We passed a small
village, crossed the stream below, and came across a lot of our coolies
surrounding one of their number, who was lamenting his woes at the top of his
voice. It seems that Abdulla Khan had hit him with a stick. He showed us a
very insignificant bruise on his wrist and a big lump on his head; but the
doctor was equal to the occasion. With regard to the arm, he touched him
several times in places which would have hurt had the wound been genuine, and
he remained calm; the doctor reversed the operation, when he screamed like a
maniac. As to the lump on his head, it had been there 15 years! So we told
him to shut up and go on.
At Sonamarg they came to us in a body with a somewhat threatening aspect
and refused to go if Abdulla Khan was allowed to hit them. This was the sort
of occasion where hesitation would have been fatal, so I walked up to them and
told them that I would discuss the question after tiffin, and in the meanwhile
there were to go off and not worry us. Of course they went away. Eckenstein
and I agreed to settle the question by taking charge of the rearguard
ourselves, an arrangement which was accepted eagerly, as they had already
learnt to trust us. The following day we sent Pfannl and Wesseley, whose
exuberant energy had hitherto been so useless, to go up the Zoji La to
prospect. The Zoji La was, of course, the one difficulty we were likely to
meet. It is a pass about 11,000 feet high and snow-covered till late in May.
We reached Baltal at the foot of the pass about noon. There was already snow
in the valley at this place. There is no village, but a strong and sheltered
house of stone, very convenient and indeed necessary for the dak-runners and
travellers.
Pfannl and Wesseley returned in the afternoon. Their report consisted of
three principal statements - (a) They could not see; (b) the pass was very
steep at the Matayun side; (c) there was no snow on the Matayun side.
Ignorant as I was of the topography of the place, such geographical knowledge
as I had, and such geological data as I could get, forbade my believing the
last two statements. To the first I gave my implicit adhesion.
A good deal of the afternoon was given over to a general inspection of the
coolies by the doctor. Dark spectacles were given out to those whose eyes
were weak or already inflamed. It was very amusing to watch the attempts at
malingering on the part of perfectly sound men who wanted to get goggles,
though, of course, we only lent them for the passage of the pass. Each coolie
moreover who received a pair had a mark put against his name in Eckenstein's
note-book. At four o'clock the next morning we had got everyone started.
Pfannl and Wesseley had been sent ahead to cut steps if necessary. The doctor
and Knowles formed the rearguard, while Eckenstein and I were to keep running
up and down the line of coolies and see that there was no shirking. The
duties of rearguard, however, became very heavy, and Eckenstein soon fell back
to help them. About one o'clock they caught me up at a stone bungalow, which
I imagined to be somewhere about the end of the stage. Yesterday's reconnaissance by the Austrians had been worse than useless. So far from the
descent being steep it would have been difficult to locate the actual summit
of the pass within two or three miles, and everything was deep in snow, as we
found out before long. This snow continued not only right down to Matayun but
beyond it, nearly half way to Dras, before the valley was entirely clear. I
had gradually drifted backwards from the van, waking up and moving on the
slack, who would have otherwise hung back on to the rear. After some rest at
this stone bungalow, we of the rearguard, having transferred our duties, which
had been extremely arduous, to Salama and Abdulla Bat, wandered slowly on. We
kept together for a good deal of the way, though Knowles lost about two miles
through trying to avoid getting wet. By this time the snow was abominably
deep, and the walking utterly tedious. I sat down to wait for Knowles, and
when he arrived after a long time, he was, if anything, in a better condition
than I. We went on together some distance, but my knickerbockers had begun to
chafe my legs and my marching became a very painful process. I arrived
eventually at about five o'clock completely worn out. I must warn everyone
that "Pattu" is a most unpleasant material. It is in no sense equal to the
best English tweeds. I was unfortunately compelled to wear nothing else
during the whole expedition, and the roughness and coarseness of the material
entailed a good deal of suffering. Still worse is the stuff of which they
make shirts. These are simply impossible. The hair shirt of the Asiatic is a
bed of roses in comparison. Fortunately Knowles was able to get me have a
shirt of very sound Welsh flannel, which lasted me for more than four months
of continuous wear night and day, and was even then only worn thought at the
elbows. On arrival at Matayun I simply rolled into my valise; drank half a
bottle of champagne; ate a little food, and went to sleep like a log. I was
very doubtful, indeed, as to whether I should be able to go on on the morrow.
On the 5th we moved on to Dras, a very pleasant march, though rather long.
We consoled ourselves, however, with the idea of a day's rest there, as we
thought it very unlikely that coolies or ponies would be at our disposal.
When we got in, however, we found 50 ponies waiting for us, and after a short
consultation we decided to go on.
I gave orders for a saddle pony for myself, and Knowles followed my
example, though Eckenstein did not altogether approve, for some reason that I
have not been able to understand. If Knowles and I had known it was possible
to ride nearly all the way to Skardu, we should have brought our riding-
breeches; but Eckenstein, when he found it possible, seemed still unwilling,
though in a very few days he came round to our views. The foreigners would
not consent to ride; they were in that stage when hardship has its
fascinations, and they thought there was something rather grand in making
things as unpleasant for themselves as possible. I need not waste time in
remarking on the fatuous imbecility of this idea.
|
Derived from a lecture series in 1977 e.v. by Bill Heidrick
Copyright © Bill Heidrick
This design is not taken from the Tree of Life but from another very
powerful formulation, the Shemhamphorash, or great divided name. It's found
in Exodus Chapter 14, verses 19-21, in the Hebrew version of the Old
Testament. That passage describes how Moses got through a little problem with
the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army through the apparition of a cloud by day and a
column of fire by night. These three verses have exactly 72 Hebrew letters
each. To create the great name, write the first of them in the normal Hebrew
way, directly below it the second in reverse, and below that the third one in
the normal way again. This yields three rows and 72 columns, which we will
use to mark the bands on the triple body of our coiled serpent. These
triplets of letters are said to be the 72 names of God, the great
Shemhamphorash. Tradition goes on to say that those who know how to combine
this pattern with the four letters of the Tetragrammaton can create and
uncreate the universe. In our talisman, we'll take a more moderate course and
use this to link with the seasons of the year and the magical powers that are
involved in them. Each of these names rules five degrees of the Zodiac. Each
Zodiacal sign is divided into six five-degree Quinances. The names that
comprise the Shemhamphorash are the angels that govern the world when the Sun
is in five degrees of each sign in regular succession. For more on the
Shemhamphorash, see the Thelema Lodge Calendar, April, 1991 e.v.
This example is typical of individual work. It's not something that
tradition demands should be done in any particular way. In a sense, it's a
means of stirring up the forces of the universe through the agency of the
mind. To use the various nick-nacks and patterns one finds in Qabalah, one
combines and manipulates them in new ways. Laying all 72 names around a
circle is the usual way this pattern is done up, like a compass rose for
sailing the seas of another universe. Such a pattern is somewhat interesting,
but not particularly inspiring in itself. To do much with it, you have to add
other patterns that fit with your own work. The Tree of Life can be used as a
means of anchoring this. We will go further with legend. According to the
story of the building of the Temple, Solomon was not allowed to use tools made
of iron. Since the stone of the temple had to be fashioned in some way, Solomon trapped the demon king Hasmodai (Asmodius) and commanded him to help.
Hasmodai brought the worm Shimir to Solomon. This worm hues stone, perhaps by
boring into it; but that part of the legend is not given in detail. In
Metaphor, the worm Shimir is like the spinal cord that goes up inside the
stone of the back bone. Kundalini Yoga is also associated with this. To
bring these notions together, depicted the Shimir as coiled in the muladhara
chakra at the base of the spine, using colors borrowed from the patterns on
the Tree of Life in the Golden Dawn system. The colors given in this example
to the tail are those of Malkut. The three heads are in the primary colors
associated with Chesed, Geburah and Tiperet. The bands of the triple serpent
each have Hebrew letters, from the Shemhamphorash, and the Golden Dawn system
assigns colors to these. We still haven't figured out how to color the body
of our serpent, but we are getting close.
This talisman must be used. It affords a focus for meditating on the force
of each of the 72 angels of the great name. These can be considered 72
separate steps in a path of enlightenment. Each five degree sweep of the
Zodiac amounts to close to five days, a little less than a week. Meditate on
the three letters of the name corresponding, one three-fold band of the
Shimir, for that period, using the paths on the Tree that match them and other
correspondences found in Liber 777. For the next, meditate on the next band,
and continue until completed. This practice invokes the energy of each of
those times into the working of the Magician. The problem that remains is
where to start. Which is the first one? There are several conflicting
traditions. For in as much as Aries is traditionally the first of the Zodiac,
should the start be with the first five degrees of Aries? Should the start be
instead with Aquarius, since this is the age of Aquarius? Is greater
precision advisable, perhaps one particular five degree quinance between
Aquarius and Pisces to mark the exact celestial vernal Equinox point as it is
in the sky now? Also, how do the 72 "names" match up with these quinances?
Should the correspondence run from the end of the year and the end of the
sequence of names or should the match occur somewhere in the middle of one and
the end of the other? All of this can get pretty stiff and discouraging, but
the very process of working through these questions in a talisman parallels
spiritual accomplishment, just as physical experiments in Alchemy comport with
the development of the spirit. The Order of the Golden Dawn decided to start
association with the quinances with Leo, borrowing from a tradition that the
Procession of the Equinox was discovered when the Vernal Equinox occurred in
the constellation now called by that name. After such a decision is made, the
talisman can be completed and used. Perhaps the forces may work more
perfectly in another alignment. Still, they will work once they are given a
chance to function. That's the kind of thing that brings it down to Malkut.
Even if you don't fully understand, you have to do something to get along. A
lead and a first step begin a path that will walk you of its own accord. From
this we advance to a series of mediations, uniquely devised by the individual
magician and joined to the course of the year. Every five and a fraction
days, the password of the Universe changes. This is a workable technique.
Here are the annual demographics of the O.T.O. from International
Headquarters. These membership totals have been obtained from central
accounts at the end of February 1999 e.v.: 3,125 all, 2,678 of which
are initiates. The International O.T.O. financial statement for
fiscal year 1998-1999 e.v. will be available toward the end of April.
For a copy, enclose an SASE and write to: O.T.O. Annual Financial
Statement, Ordo Templi Orientis, P.O.Box 430, Fairfax, CA 94978 USA
| ADV | 99 | |
| Associates | 348 | |
| Minervals | 820 | |
| Ist Degrees | 670 | |
| IInd Degrees | 459 | |
| IIIrd Degrees | 307 | |
| IVth Degrees | 239 | |
| Vth Degrees | 119 | |
| Higher Degrees | 64 |
In the list which follows, all data is drawn from the
International mailing list. Accordingly, the membership counts here
are less than the actual total count, owing to changing and lost
addresses.
Known OTO member addresses by regions at end February 1999 e.v.
(Associates and initiates both) Total: 2,950 in 42 countries.
| Alabama | 15 | Mississippi | 3 | |||
| Arizona | 50 | Missouri | 13 | |||
| Arkansas | 4 | Montana | 2 | |||
| California | 344 | Nebraska | 16 | |||
| (North Cal: 164) | Nevada | 40 | ||||
| (South Cal: 180) | New Hampshire | 5 | ||||
| Colorado | 23 | New Jersey | 33 | |||
| Connecticut | 7 | New Mexico | 9 | |||
| Delaware | 3 | New York | 106 | |||
| Dist. of Columbia | 3 | North Carolina | 15 | |||
| Florida | 51 | Ohio | 24 | |||
| Georgia | 55 | Oklahoma | 30 | |||
| Hawaii | 3 | Oregon | 116 | |||
| Idaho | 11 | Pennsylvania | 80 | |||
| Illinois | 37 | Rhode Island | 1 | |||
| Indiana | 50 | South Carolina | 4 | |||
| Iowa | 3 | South Dakota | 1 | |||
| Kansas | 29 | Tennessee | 23 | |||
| Kentucky | 6 | Texas | 156 | |||
| Louisiana | 18 | Utah | 20 | |||
| Maryland | 29 | Virginia | 30 | |||
| Massachusetts | 35 | Washington | 74 | |||
| Michigan | 32 | West Virginia | 6 | |||
| Minnesota | 31 | Wisconsin | 16 | |||
| Wyoming | 1 |
| AUSTRIA | 1 | NETHERLANDS | 19 | |||
| BELGIUM | 2 | NORWAY | 101 | |||
| BULGARIA | 14 | POLAND | 2 | |||
| CROATIA | 92 | PORTUGAL | 1 | |||
| DENMARK | 26 | RUSSIA | 2 | |||
| ENGLAND | 142 | SCOTLAND | 7 | |||
| FINLAND | 4 | SERBIA | 84 | |||
| FRANCE | 20 | SLOVENIA | 78 | |||
| GERMANY | 98 | SPAIN | 6 | |||
| GREECE | 2 | SWEDEN | 118 | |||
| ICELAND | 7 | SWITZERLAND | 1 | |||
| IRELAND (N&S) | 8 | UKRAINE | 1 | |||
| ITALY | 57 | WALES | 2 | |||
| MACEDONIA | 8 |
| Alberta | 27 | Ontario | 50 | |||
| British Columbia | 59 | Quebec | 14 | |||
| Manitoba | 1 | Saskatchewan | 1 |
| TURKEY | 1 | AUSTRALIA | 90 | |||
| BAHRAIN | 1 | NEW ZEALAND | 30 | |||
| MALASIA | 1 | JAPAN | 20 | |||
| SOUTH KOREA | 1 | ISRAEL | 1 |
| BRAZIL | 79 | MEXICO | 3 | |||
| MARTINIQUE | 1 | WEST INDIES | 1 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 2 |
| 2/89 | 2/90 | 2/91 | 2/92 | 2/93 | 2/94 | 2/95 | 2/96 | 2/97 | 2/98 | |
| ADV | 42 | 49 | 54 | 72 | 91 | 90 | 87 | 104 | 118 | 88 |
| Assoc. | 194 | 245 | 211 | 273 | 317 | 221 | 246 | 286 | 375 | 223 |
| Min. | 403 | 443 | 526 | 605 | 660 | 642 | 706 | 889 | 890 | 898 |
| Ist | 358 | 380 | 457 | 483 | 485 | 487 | 573 | 700 | 685 | 727 |
| IInd | 173 | 217 | 249 | 291 | 290 | 311 | 378 | 441 | 447 | 451 |
| IIIrd | 109 | 145 | 178 | 198 | 221 | 226 | 225 | 296 | 325 | 331 |
| IVth | 64 | 66 | 80 | 111 | 125 | 160 | 194 | 204 | 212 | 239 |
| Vth | 49 | 63 | 65 | 67 | 70 | 66 | 102 | 113 | 107 | 118 |
| Higher | 16 | 19 | 24 | 31 | 29 | 35 | 35 | 41 | 57 | 54 |
| ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | ==== | |
| Total | 1,408 | 1,627 | 1,844 | 2,131 | 2,288 | 2,238 | 2,546 | 3,074 | 3,216 | 3,129 |
Detail of February 1998 e.v. Demographics (last year)
---- International OTO Treasurer General (Bill Heidrick)
| 4/3/99 | O.T.O. Initiations (call to attend) | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/4/99 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/7/99 | College of Hard NOX 8 PM with Mordecai in the library | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/8/99 | Feast of Liber AL, Chapter I 8PM at Oz House | independent | ||
| 4/9/99 | Feast of Liber AL, Chapter II 8PM at Ancient Ways | Sirius Oasis | ||
| 4/10/99 | Feast of Liber AL, Chapter III 8PM at Horus Temple | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/11/99 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/13/99 | Planning meeting for the Rites of Eleusis 8PM | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/15/99 | Ouranos Ritual Workshop 8PM | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/17/99 | O.T.O. Initiations (call to attend) | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/18/99 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/19/99 | Section II reading group with Caitlin: the literature of Utopia 8 PM at Oz House | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/22/99 | Ouranos Ritual Workshop 8PM | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/25/99 | Sirius Oasis Tea, 4:18 PM | Sirius Oasis | ||
| 4/25/99 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | Thelema Ldg. | ||
| 4/28/99 | College of Hard NOX 8 PM with Mordecai in the library | 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.
Thelema Lodge
Ordo Templi Orientis
P.O. Box 2303
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
Phone: (510) 652-3171 (for events info and contact to Lodge)
Production and Circulation:
OTO-TLC
P.O.Box 430
Fairfax, CA 94978 USA
Internet: heidrick@well.com (Submissions and circulation only)