2,000 Greater & Lesser Mysteries

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From: mimir@hardy.u.washington.edu (Al Billings) Newsgroups: alt.magick Subject: Preliminary Notes on an Initiation Ritual for the C-A OTO Date: 12 Jan 1993 08:46:41 GMT Organization: The Friends of Loki Society Message-ID: <1iu0hhINNfht@shelley.u.washington.edu> Lines: 388 Preliminary Notes of an Initiation Ritual to expidite atunement of new members into any Working Group (Encampment/Powerzone/Tribe) of the Chthonic/Auranian Branch of the Ordo Templi Orientis by Frater PVN, Master of Alchemy (with editorial assistance from) LA-BAJ-AL, Mage-&-Watcher Note: This ritual is not intended for use `as-is', but rather as a jumping-off place for inspiration. Each Master is encouraged to dream with this ritual until such time as s/he is ready to reify it as a personal rite. Then (& only then) can it be used to initiate others into your working group. Initiation of the Gelfling The lodge is opened by whatever Masters are present in whatever way(s) best allows them to tap-into trans-abyssal formulae. For me (at this locus of Time/Alternity), this means invoking the Watcher, opening the temple in the name of the Order in each of the Aeons, centering in all- time/no-time, then focusing the energy of the temple into the AEon of Horus for operations involving the OTO in the here-&-now. Members of the OTO are then invited into the temple. The temple is opened in the formula of the Gelfling & members who are sponsoring candidates tell the rest of the assembled brotherhood what they know of each candidate, and why they have sponsored each of them for membership. This should be a brief formality (3-13 minutes per candidate) as no candidate should be considered for membership until s/he is known & trusted by all Masters of the Temple & by a majority of the active temple membership. One whose Will is to act as Blackguard then goes to the anteroom, where the candidates are being watched-over by one who holds the office of Lurker-at-the-Threshold. It is the lurker's duty to induce the candidates away from non-magickal use of drugs (alcohol, tobacco, mj, etc.) while they are awaiting initiation & to provide them with suitable entertainment (putting magical music on the sound system, showing them scrapbooks, slides, videos, etc. depicting various rituals & events of the Temple's history, telling tales, & answering any last-minute questions) to keep them focused on the work-at-hand. It is the lurker's task to expell from the temple any whom s/he feels is not fit for initiation because of non- magical intoxication, bad attitude, or for any other reason. H-is/er word is law & may not be contested. However, a candidate may be brought to the temple for initiation at a later date if s/he can find another sponsor. [Lurkers should be chosen from among those who have experience with being able to discern the difference between magical intoxication & common drug abuse.] The blackguard binds & blindfolds one candidate (chosen by whim, or by advanced planning) while the other candidates watch. The bound candidate is then led back into temple while the other candidates resume their play. The Master of the Temple arises when the Blackguard enters with the Candidate. He asks the blackguard whom s/he has as prisoner. The blackguard answers that s/he has one who claims to seek initiation into the Temple. The M.T. asks why the candidate is bound & gagged. The Blackguard answers that the candidate has not yet proven him/her-self & cannot yet be trusted. The M.T. asks if there are any who will vouch for the Candidate. The sponsor steps foward & vouches for the candidate in personalized terms, explaining why s/he trusts that the Candidate will not betray the temple. Blackguard acts as devil's advocate, speaking openly & eloquantly of the Candidate's weaknesses. Blackguard asks permission to slay Candidate. M.T. ponders the question before him/her. If s/he does order the candidate slain, Blackguard should do so quietly, so as not to disturb the other Candidates. If the Candidate is deemed worthy of further examination, s/he must be set free of all bonds, allowed to loosen the blindfold from his/her own eyes & begiven a comfortable seat in front of the M.T., who sits back down upon his throne. Once the Candidate is comfortable, the M.T. speaks to him/her & tells him/her that s/he has been sponsored for membership within the Temple. S/he is told that s/he has been set free so that s/he would be free to leave the temple if such were now his/her Will. Gatekeeper asks Candidate if s/he would like to leave. Assuming Candidate remains, M.T. tells Candidate that s/he has been freed so that all oaths made would be made by a Free person, under no threat or durress. M.T. asks Candidate if s/he is present at the ritual as a free agent, under no duress, and understands the purpose of the initiation. Candidate answers in his/her own words. M.T. then asks Candidate to explain the process whereby s/he has come to seek initiation at this temple. Candidate answers in his/her own words. If Candidate is not very verbal, s/he may be asked leading questions by his/her sponsor. If s/he has a tendency to ramble-on overly long (more than 15 minutes), it is the Blackguard's duty to prod him to brevity. When M.T. is satisfied that the Candidate is being open & candid, M.T. asks the candidate if his intentions are honorable toward the Temple, and if it be his/her Will to become a brother of the Order. If the Candidate cannot answer both of these questions in the affirmative, he is escorted out of the temple by the blackguard, who hands him over to the Lurker for expulsion. Assuming the Candidate answers in the affirmative, the ritual continues. The M.T. then asks the Candidate if he understands his triune inner nature, & whether he is able to make oaths which bind his demonic & angel selves as well as his mortal self. If the Candidate answers in the affirmative & is able to demonstrate that s/he knows whereof s/he speaks to the satisfaction of the M.T., the ritual proceeds to point#2 below, after all Candidates who have gone thru point#1 initiations have been escorted into a part of the temple which is out of sight/hearing of the main temple, yet also apart from the Candidates' anteroom. If all Candidates in a class are able to answer in the affirmative to these questions, the temple may be re-opened in the formula of *____________* and further initiations be conferred prior to &/or following the Feast, at the discretion of the Master Alchemist. Most Candidates will not be able to answer in the affirmative. For these Candidates, the ritual continues with point#1 below. Point #1 The M.T. instructs the Candidate in the relationship of human, demonic, & divine aspects. The Candidate is given Liber Tzaddi to read. This done, the M.T. then repeats his/her question about whether the candidate is able to speak for more than his/her human self. If the candidate hesitates, s/he is encouraged, but s/he must be allowed to speak in his/her own words. Question/answer continue until the M.T. is confident that the Candidate understands what is being asked & can answer with certainty. If s/he answers in the affirmative, skip to point#2 as above. The more usual Candidate may answer something along the following lines: "Thanks to your instructions, I am now more concretely aware of my triple-fold nature, but I am really only dimly aware of the actual personalities involved. I have no names or direct contact with any `other' selves as yet, but I feel that establishing contact (& eventual union) is a prime goal of seeking initiation into this Temple." The M.T. gestures & the Blackguard (who was standing in front of the M.T., off to the M.T.'s left, between the M.T. & the Candidate) steps foward, puts a hammerlock on the Candidate, & holds a dagger to his/her throat. Unbidden, 2 other members step up behind the candidate, one to either side. One is very refined in nature, almost etherial, while the other is gross, coarse, & very animal in his/her behavior. The M.T. speaks to the Blackguard & bids him/her to bind & hoodwink the Candidate, take him/her far from the Temple, & turn him/her over to the Lurker-at-the-Threshold for disposal. The M.T. states that the word of one who cannot vouch for all of his/her aspects is worth less than nothing. S/he states that it is not be feasable to have any in our midst who cannot vouch for all of their aspects. At this point, the two members stepped foward, one on each side of the Candidate, blocking the Blackguard from his task. The M.T. speaks in an angry voice & asks the meaning of this treason! The etherial member addresses the M.T., stating that although the Candidate did not know his/her angelic self directly as of yet, surely s/he was enough in touch with his/her True Will to make at least a symbolic oath in his/her angel's name, pending that time when s/he was directly in contact with the god within. The earthy member then spoke a similar speech to the M.T., but dealing with the Candidates demonic nature. Both speeches reflect the actual personalities of the individuals whe work these Offices. Each role must be personalized to fit the officer, not the other way around. The M.T. smiles & asks each witness if s/he would each voice his/her oaths, along with the Candidate. They agree. The M.T. asks in what names are these symbolic oaths to be taken. The witnesses answer, each in turn, each in his/her own words. What follows is a guide, not a speech to be memorized. "I, the angelic witness, propose that the candidate's angel be invoked by the title URRU, or URaRU, a name of light, both actual & reflected, from the world of the Dark Crystal. Let this name be used by the Candidate until such time as the exact name & nature of his angel be known." "I, the demonic witness, propose that the candidate's demon be evoked by the title Skeksis (555), which embodies the Current of obscurity & darkness from that same legend. Let this name be used by the Candidate until such time as the exact name & nature of his demon be known." The M.T. then speaks to the Candidate, nodding first to the angelic witness & then to the demonic witness. "You, Candidate are called by the title Gelfling, for in you is the power to unite the light & Wisdom wisdom of Urru, with the dark power of obscurity held by the Skeksis. Your name means Worthy {Gelfling <GHLPhLING> adds to 211}, for it is up to you to decide when-&-how your aspects are to become united. Balance them well. Learn each of their natures. For they are you, and in you are their natures manifest." [An alternative to these set godforms would be for the witnesses to take the Candidate to a seperate room of the temple, there to work with him/her to choose an appropriate set of names/oaths to be used till s/he make viable contact with his/her angel & demonic selves. If such a formula be utilized, other Candidates may be led up to this point in the ritual while the witnesses work with the earlier Candidates.] [end of point#1. Resume with point#3 below.] Point #2 Candidates who are already actively working the Chthonic/Auranian Current shall design & impliment their own oaths, to be witnessed by M.T. & Blackguard. Such initiations should not be done with `ordinary' candidates in attendance, but may be done in the presence of full-fledged members who wore once `ordinary candidates'. Master Alchemist may (at his/her discretion) offer such these extra-ordinary Candidates communion of wine-&-strange drugs prior to point#3. Point #3 When oaths are completed, Candidate is led to sit with members while other Candidates are brought to this point in the ritual. When entire class of Candidates has been inducted, Blackguard escorts the Lurker-at- the-threshold into the Temple. M.T. comes down from throne, greets lurker as a brother & as an equal. Lurker & M.T. sit on temple floor, without a second thought as to whether their robes will be soiled. Blackguard urges Candidates to join them on the floor in an informal circle. Rest of membership ring them about, also seated on the floor. Cushions & chairs are moved aside to make room. Anyone not wishing to become soil his/her robe, pants, or dress may squat, but may not use a cushion, mat, or chair. A member passes a silver plate to the M.T. upon which are placed some coarse bread, a dish of water, & a pile of salt. The lurker lightly touches a piece of the bread to the surface of the water & then to the surface of the salt. [A light touch is neccessary to prevent the bread from becoming either soggy or too salty to stomach.] S/he addresses the Candidates, making eye contact with each & every one of them. "Take you this communion of bread & salt as a token of the bond which unites you with all your brethren in the Order. [M.T. makes expansive motions to include all in temple, & in world.] We are a big family. Sometimes we have disagreements, or even wars amongst ourselves. But we never forget that we are all brothers. We have no `hidden agendas' amongst ourselves. Our cards are always in plain sight of our brethren, not up our sleeves. If we have a grievance with one of our brothers, we do not mouth phoney greetings to his face, then stab him when his back is turned. By partaking of this bread, you become one with the leaven which elevates our nature. By partaking of this salt, you become united with the intensity of your earthy inheritance. By partaking of the water which unites them, you become one with the Water of Life-&-Death which is our symbol of immortal regeneration. By sharing this communion with all of us, you acknowledge your bond with each of us, and each of us with you" M.T. offers plate with bread-&-salt to all new members within his/her reach. Each member decides the proper proportion of bread, water, & salt for him/her-self. If the gathering is large, the M.T. passes plate to someone else so that each member has easy access to the plate. When all (both new & old members) have taken communion of bread-&-salt, lurker then offers communion to M.T., gatekeeper, and Blackguard, who is the last to communicate. Candidates then given copies of the Book of the Law, & Liber Oz. One Candidate is chosen to represent the class. S/he is asked to open the Book of the Law & read as much or as little as s/he is directed by inspiration. Master Alchemist uses the passages read as an omen to assist him/her later in the ritual if sacrament is dispensed formally. Temple is closed in the formula of the Gelfling. Members go into anteroom where a feast lays waiting (final prep was done by Blackguard & Lurker after last Candidate was brought into temple). Masters close temple as it was open, only in reverse order. For me this means that AEon of Horus focus of temple is integrated into trans-AEonic dance. Then all- time/no-time is called upon to disperse locus of space/time throughout alternity. Watcher is not given license to depart as ritual will not be finished until last celebrant & last questor have gone to sleep. Watcher is usually given license to depart be Master Alchemist at his bedside just before he goes to sleep. Feast M.T. & other masters join members at feast. M.T. says Will. Just before the "fall-to", Master Alchemist reminds members to "Be not animal; refine thy rapture! If thou drink, drink by the eight and ninety rules of art: if thou love, exceed by delicacy; and if thou do aught joyous, let there be subtelty therein!" Feasting & partying begin & continuie with as little structure as feasable. Food, social use of drugs, & inter-personal interactions are the social fabric within which the Order functions on Malkuth. We are a fraternity, & a microcosm of the world at large. Each of us has our own style to contribute to any gathering. From my perspective, we do not aim towards uniformity so much as we aim toward interactions which foster growth among ourselves while inducing all of us to be fully responsible for all fascets of our beings. Irresponsible behavior is not to be tolerated or encouraged. But each will probably define these terms differently. Within the context of this ritual, as well as in day-to-day temple affairs, the M.T. acts as a Kether-figure who adjudicates any grievances which may arise between/among members. In case of serious disputes, all Masters may be asked to assist him/her, but none may be compelled to do so. The Master Alchemist (who operates from Chokmah) has the right/duty to dispense &/or refuse sacramental drugs at all gatherings. Any may bring their own drugs, but if they abuse them (i.e., if their use interferes with our rituals or social functions), the Master Alchemist has the right to expell a particular member from the ritual or feast in progress, &/or end the ritual or feast & close the temple. The Blackguard (who operates as the Dark Mother at Binah) reminds members of their oaths, should such be neccessary, & deals with treachery in any way s/he Wills. The Lurker-at- the-Threshold coaxes members into trans-abyssal consciousness, and works to show how even apparant accidents &/or apparant irresponsible behavior can be used to channel inspiration into our rituals & social events. The lurker is a useful balance to the Master Alchemist &/or the Blackguard if they tend to take their offices too seriously. In temples with sufficient Masters, it is highly reccommended that a particular Master not be asked to serve a particular office over a long period of time, as over-specialization can sometimes cause tunnel-vision which is detrimental to the Master, the Temple, and particular members whose Will-&-Path may be at variance with the vision af that Master. Wine-&-Strange Drugs: An Initiatory Ritual of the A.'.A.'. As things begin to wind-down, Lurker, Blackguard, M.T. & Master Alchemist go apart to confer on the advisablity of offering a communion of wine-&-strange-drugs to those present. If all members (both new & old) appear to be able to function on the appropriate level, sacrament is brought-out & offered to all present, or the feast is ended so that the late-night ritual can be moved to another location where it can continue undisturbed throughout the night. If there are some members (new or old) who do not seem (to the M.T., the Master Alchemist, the Lurker, & the Blackguard) to be functioning in a good magickal space, sacrament is not passed out at the feast. Note well: Psychedelics can certainly be used for personal enjoyment, but there are certain kinds of `fun' which are not conducive to Workings of the Inner Order. Decissions about whether or not to proceed are seldom easy if there are `borderline' cases, particularly as it is generally known ahead of time that scarament is on the agenda. Different Masters draw the line in different places. Learning is best done by trial-&- error. Masters of each temple use different criterea in reaching judgements. Mistakes make good learning tools. Cross-fertilization with other Temples can assist Masters in different methods of selection, & can assist in keeping everyone functioning at high levels. If different members seem to be functioning on different levels, Sacrament may be dispensed at an invitation-only gathering to be held after the feast is completed. If any member asks why s/he has not been invited to the sacramental feast, s/he shall be given a sensitive, yet straight-foward honest answer. Sacramental feasts are the province of the A.'.A.'. Admission to them is not guarenteed by virtue of membership in the OTO. If the Master Alchemist & the M.T. & Lurker & the Blackguard are not comfortable with someone, that person should not be invited into trip- space without very careful consideration being given to all the possible repercussions. If such selective dispensation of sacramental drugs prove detrimental to temple moralle, all drugs can be barred from rituals & feasts of the OTO. Entheogenic Sacrament can then be used `privately' by those members of the Order who feel inclined to do so. As such activities will then be outside the concerns of the temple officers, the burden of the Masters will be lessened. However, the veil between the inner-&-outer Orders will become more substantial and the outer Order may well become just a social club for magickians. The balance is subtle. The dangers of possible abuse of power are real. Yet it is only thru training in the sacramental use of entheogenic sacrament (which includes selection of proper candidates) that the Gateways to the inner Order can open fully. Note: At other levels of initiation within our Order, the roles of the Masters differ. For instance, in rituals involving Tantric Sacrament, the Blackguard has another name, and her office is similar to that of the Master Alchemist in this ritual. Dispensation of sacarament (whatever its form) is always by invitation only. Each time sacrament is administered, initiation is always possible, but can never be guarenteed. End of the Rite of the Gelfling. Commentaries on the various late-night sex &/or drug sacraments must remain un-written. For the rituals, set, & setting of the Entheogenic Sacrament must remain ever open to individual experimentation.