Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers

    The Court of Appeals remanded the case to this court to "make additional findings specifying in detail the factual basis for its ultimate findings of fact that Plaintiff OTO is, and Defendant OTO is not, the continuation of the original OTO and its findings that McMurtry is, and Motta is not, the OHO.
    27. Defendant Motta was not a credible witness. His testimony was incomplete, evasive, and contradictory, and was impeached in important particulars. Motta admitted to lying under oath in the action referred to in Conclusion of Law 6. There was no credible evidence that defendant Motta was initiated into OTO and became a member thereof. Motta has made inconsistent prior statements as to whether he does or does not claim to be OHO.
    31. Plaintiffs have had actual and lawful possession of the writings and archives of Crowley and Germer.
    32. The California Agape Lodge was the only OTO lodge existing in the United States at the time Crowley died. That lodge was a direct predecessor of plaintiff OTO.
    33. There was no credible evidence that defendant SOTO ever received a charter from OTO.
    36. Plaintiff McMurtry has been acting as the OHO of OTO for an indefinite but significant number of years.
    37. Several documents evidenced a close mentor relationship between Crowley and McMurtry, and that responsibilities and authorities were vested in McMurtry by Crowley and by Germer.
    38. One document evidenced the intent of Crowley that McMurtry be OHO.

Fall Equinox.
Sept. 21, 1935, the ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS was started in the United States of America, by putting on the reception degree of Minerval, on the sands some distance out from Playa Del Rey, California.
    Before leaving for the desert, Brother Smith gave a short talk on the history of the Order, its antiquity, and mentioned some of the Great Ones who had gained their wisdom through Its formulae, and gave in return weight and dignity to It. He reminded the candidates of the solemnity of the Occasion and pointed them towards the Importance of the step they were taking.
    SALADIN-W.T. Smith
    Black Guard-Max Schneider.
(names of Minerval initiates omitted here for privacy, but there were seven of them on this first initiation; five women and two men.)
    After the ceremony, all returned to the Profess House of the Order, 1746 No. Winona Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, and partook of a banquet prepared by Regina Kahl and Jane Wolfe.
    During the course of the banquet, Saladin announced the name of the Lodge to be AGAPAE.

1940
Mch. 10
    Because of a dissent from some views of the Order, particularly pertaining to Sex before going up to Mass, it was decided to forgo the Mass on the Sunday night, and open Camp so that the Complaints could be openly discussed....

1942
Apr. 15
    Brother Jack Parsons and Sister H.P. were consecrated Magicians this evening - the first time that the Degree, as written by To Mega Therion, has been put on; certainly in America, and probably in the world.
    We feel this is another mile stone in our journey; or, to be more specific, in the establishment of the new Order.
    They were initiated by Brother Smith, Sister Kahl and Sister Jane Wolfe. And these Officers were tendered an excellent banquet by Brother and Sister P., at their home in Pasadena.

1942
June 9
    We intended to open the new premises at 1003 South Orange Grove Avenue, Pasadena, formally, but it was possible for only 4 to participate, and the arrangement of entrance was not premeditated.
    In unloading the car.
            Jane Wolfe was given the portrait of Aleister Crowley,
            W.T.Smith took the Book of the Law.
            Regina was given the Stelle of Revealing.
            Helen, the Ark.
    We entered the house in the same order, Jane hanging the portrait on the wall at the first stair landing, Regina the Stele in the hall, Helen carried the Ark into the Chapel where it was placed on a high mantel, Wilfred putting the Book of the Law inside it. He then declared: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.!"
    It was a mere coincidence that 11 o'clock, almost to the second, was the moment of entering the House. The horary figure set up by Frederic for that hour indicated it was an auspicious moment.

Events Calendar for May 1987 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.