Hackers Underworld 2: Forbidden Knowledge/Hackers Underworld 2: Forbidden Knowledge.iso/OCCULT/INTROOTO.TXT

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AD VERITATEM IX°

An Introduction
to the History of
the O.T.O.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.


THE ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS (O.T.O.) is an Initiatic Body composed of men
and women who have accepted the principles of The Book of the Law,
which was transmitted through Aleister Crowley (1875-n-1947) in Cairo,
Egypt in 1904 E.V. The communicating Intelligence identified Itself as
Aiwass, a messenger of the ruling hierarchy of our species. The Book
announces a New Law for mankind and the planetary transition into the
Aeon of Horus or New Aeon. The Book is conceived to be a perfect
transmission of the divine, freed from any defects of human
interference. As such, it is a luminous vehicle of Truth that can
serve as an infallible guide to human conduct.

Aleister Crowley will at least be remembered as the greatest occult
genius of the twentieth century. In The Book of the Law, he is
designated as the Prophet of the New Aeon. An enormously prolific
writer, his own work provides the best guide to his controversial
character. His biographers have failed to capture his essence, even
when not being overtly hostile. His influence on modern occultism is
incalculable, penetrating every Western school. The present collection
of papers, a minute sample of his literary production, should give
even the first time reader a distinct impression of Crowley.

The O.T.O. practices yoga, meditation, ceremonial magick, qabalah,
divination and related disciplines of the Western Mystery Tradition.
Our central headquarters, long centered in Berkeley, California, is
now moving to New York, with numerous groups spread throughout the
world. The Order is open to all free men and women of full age
(currently defined as eighteen years old) and good report.

The Order Degrees, as described in several Order documents included in
this issue, are conveyed in a ceremonial manner. The Degree structure
corresponds with the Hindu Chakra system as diagrammed elsewhere in
this issue. Thus, the Man of Earth series of degrees fully activates
the psychic body of the Initiate.

In addition to the Degree rituals, numerous Order bodies regularly
perform the O.T.O. Gnostic Mass, which also appears elsewhere in this
issue. The importance of the Mass within the O.T.O. is best
illustrated in Crowley's Confessions where he calls the ritual ``the
central ceremony of its {the Order's} public and private
celebration.''

Various other group rituals are performed, unique to each unit of the
Order and generally indicative of the main interests of the members of







the group concerned. These may include Crowley's group workings such
as his Rites of Eleusis, original adaptations of various myth cycles,
revisions of solo rituals for group participation, or other creative
efforts.

AN INTRODUCTION TO SECRET SOCIETIES


WE POSIT A KNOWLEDGE, or Gnosis, capable of perception by each human
being--for, ``Every man and every woman is a star.'' We further posit
that Divine consciousness is experiential and that certain techniques
are of value to induce the experience.

The religious instinct is an integral aspect of mankind. From time
immemorial, people have gathered with one another to seek Truth and
therein lie the roots of the Order. Secret societies dedicated to
seeking wisdom have existed in all ages and cultures. From the puberty
rite of the aboriginal tribesman, to the ecstatic whirling of the
Dervish, to the elaborate ceremonies of the Mason, the aim is the
same--the programmed alteration of consciousness within a group
setting.

Myths that seek to explain the emerging of consciousness within the
human race have been a continuous cultural phenomena. The Egyptian,
Sumerian, Indian, Chinese, Greek, Near Eastern, Celtic and other
civilizations had Mystery Traditions of the most central societal
import. Each had its teaching legends of figures who mysteriously
appeared to bring the gifts of civilization and spiritual wisdom.

These transmitting Forces have been variously conceived of as Gods,
angels, spirits and by a host of other designations. It is to these
same Beings (whatever aesthetic is used to describe Them) that we
ascribe the religious awareness transmitted through the O.T.O. today.

``ERA VULGARIS''


THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES have characteristically functioned as a
birthplace of religions and religious movements. Three of the world's
largest religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam began in this
region. And prior to the inception of these, dating back to pre-
history, the indigenes have worshipped such deities as Oannes, Osiris,
Enki, Adonis, Attys and others. The area therefore has traditionally
been one of unusual religious cross-fertilization and constant
political upheaval.

It is a recurrent historical theme for governments to attempt to
control the religion of a people in order to achieve stability. In 325
E.V., the Roman Emperor Constantine convened a group of religious
leaders from the area to achieve this goal. He became the first ruler
to adopt Christianity as the state religion. The Council of Nice, or
Nicene Council, epitomized the future of the religion. The purpose of
the meeting was to settle a theological dispute. The loser was
anathemized and exiled, his books ordered burned and their possession
became a capital offense. A hypocratic yea-saying to the first creed
of the new faith cemented the work of the Council. All this took place
under the ``benign'' direction of the pagan Emperor, a notorious
murderer who liberally rewarded the attending bishops after their work
was finished.








The standardization of the books of The Bible followed some years
later. Elements of mysticism incompatible with the ``reform'' were
neatly removed from the Canon. The vicious persecution of Gnostics,
Pagans and Jews assured no philosophic rivalry with the growing
Christian ideological consolidation. In 391 E.V., an angry Christian
mob destroyed the Alexandrian Library and Temple (the great repository
of pagan learning). This dealt a major blow to the spirit of
intellectual research and hindered the possibility of exposing the
fraud being built on the then-living remains of earlier cults.

Heresy became a catch-all phrase for religious speculation.
Philosophy, so highly cultivated in pagan society, was constricted. It
would be several centuries before the power was achieved to turn this
policy into mass murder, but rehearsals for the Inquisition were well
under way in the interim. An example was the murder of Hypatia in 415
E.V. Famed leader of the Neo-Platonic School, she was torn limb from
limb by a band of enraged Christian monks. Great Pan was certainly not
dead, but one can imagine His wailing for the human suffering to come.

THE CRUSADES


PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING of the Crusades in 1095, Europe was
experiencing a period of cultural stagnation caused jointly by the
collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and the attempts of the Church to
assume temporal sovereignty over its remains. The resulting confusion
led to a usurpation of direct control by a number of once-vassal
princes, giving rise to the system of Feudalism. The chaos of the
period is best illustrated by the eagerness with which vast numbers of
Europeans joined the Crusades.

The Holy Land contained the seeds of the later Renaissance. Arab
culture was at its highest and most refined. The area now added
European Christianity to its religious potpourri. The Mystics, Fakirs,
Zoroastrians, Gnostics, Sufis and Buddhists of the region presented a
kaleidoscopic panorama to the newly arrived Crusaders. The
superstitions and dogmas of Catholicism must have seemed quite pale,
when compared to the richness and sophistication of the Oriental
theologies to which they were now exposed. Increasing doubt concerning
the exclusive possession of divine favor by Christianity would
gradually undermine orthodoxy.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR


DUE TO THE NATURE of the European presence, the Military Orders were
the most stable institutions during the 200 years of Western
occupation