tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817682567561164198.post3832393095157420399..comments2024-02-20T09:54:37.105-06:00Comments on Talking About Ritual Magick: Why I Rejoined the O.T.O.Frater.Barrabbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11689013897789072360noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817682567561164198.post-68510477929785674342015-12-14T14:14:17.218-06:002015-12-14T14:14:17.218-06:00Frater Barrabbas,
Do what thou wilt shall be the ...Frater Barrabbas,<br /><br />Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.<br /><br />I really appreciate your article and I must say that I agree with your perspective about the OTO overall. I had a very negative experience with my local body that was precipitated by a my lack of self-awareness (and its corresponding, overgrown ego-complexes). I basically went on a 'magickial tirade' that resulted in my losing my primary relationship, becoming a convicted drug felon, earning a mental health diagnosis, burning nearly every OTO bridge in my social circle, and ultimately getting expelled from the Order. I was a II* at the time this happened, roughly 4 years ago, give or take. <br /><br />I am barred from participation in any official OTO event, but this does not affect how I can conduct myself in my personal/professional relationships, and in society overall. I believe that the OTO exists to help aspiring magicians integrate themselves into society, in addition to its function as a society of its own as you outlined above. <br /><br />Looking back, I see these experiences as some of the most important and difficult life lessons I have ever encountered. I hope that I am prepared for whatever lies ahead, given that I have destroyed my support network outside of my family of origin*, but I also have a sense that the tools I gained from being a member will be invaluable. <br /><br />The one thing I did right was preserve all the source material I kept, including my magickal records and a copy of the evil Francis King book**. I also kept my practice going, even at a minimal level during my experience of preventative detention***.<br /><br />Sadly, I deeply regret my expulsion. I hope I have learned from this enough to temper my practice and balance it out so that it doesn't repeat in such a catastrophic fashion. It is all too easy for novice magicians like myself, boys who get seduced by a little bit of knowledge, to ego-inflate and burst like a supernova. I just hope my 15 minutes of infamy doesn't come back to bite me in the ass any further. <br /><br />Thanks again for balancing out the 'Spiral' article, which I also agree with. One of the most attractive aspects of Thelema to me is its ability to synthesize varied perspectives and lifestyles without having to 'judge', 'restrict', or 'cleanse' itself based on grounds of ideological purity. Most spiritual disciplines cannot pull that off effectively. They either are too loose and incoherent or they become rigid, oppressive and dogmatic. <br /><br />May you find and build that the authentic community you seek. And may you find new appreciation in the community you already have.<br /><br />Love is the law, love under will.<br /><br />Fraternally,<br /><br />Frater Ameth <br /><br />*: Ironically, I have reconnected and established a true relationship with my estranged family. My Great Work centers around my own ancestral and immediate family dynamics. I would have never been able to approach this had I not been through my Ordeals with the OTO. <br />**: Secret Rituals of the OTO. I have no other recourse if I am to continue, but those who are still in the Order's good graces should avoid reading this at all costs. USGL does recommend that members purchase copies of this Thelemic version of Regardie's 'Golden Dawn' volume. Eccentric readers may also consult Crowley's introductory 'Letter A' of Magick Without Tears for a concise overview of the Path and a the suggestion of self initiation regarding OTO degrees. <br />***: The Order is not responsible for malicious, yet cunning, 'Brothers and Sisters' who 'swear to guard you on your way' yet manipulate the legal system to have you unjustly punished for things you say.<br /><br />But, again, this was individual people, not the OTO as a whole, and it is in the past. The Order has been and always will be (I hope) an invaluable proving/training ground for Life.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07450788853287040494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817682567561164198.post-46359712771981725752015-12-12T06:58:59.138-06:002015-12-12T06:58:59.138-06:00Frater Barrabbus,
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall B...Frater Barrabbus,<br /><br />"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of The Law"<br /><br />I Absolutely Enjoyed Reading Your Independent Post,- Especially the Beginning Half. After Reading the Post by "Psych" and Commenting Thereupon,-Ironically-, I Stumbled Across Your Independent Post Under the Same Goole Search, used Your Independent Post Link as an Addendum/Post Script Reference to My Comment and would be VERY Interested in Knowing Your Opinion and Input on What I Posted. I Wrote My Comment Intended so that the General Public,-Who are not "Crowley Educated"-, would Understand it and, Yes, I was Frustrated When I Wrote it but, I tried to stay Respectful. I Unfortunately Discovered that I can not Publish in Full on this Blog My Comment. So, I am Cordially Asking You to go to My (Completely Public and Searchable Under "Brian C. Bailey) Personal FB to Read My Comment. If You can not find it on My FB because of Time Burying it, Please go to Her Lovely Article and Scroll Down to find it Under the Same Name as My FB for December 11th. Thank You.<br /><br />Sincerely 93, Brian C. Bailey<br /><br />"Love Is The Law, Love Under Will"Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809004788859077926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817682567561164198.post-49597521862150830262014-08-31T11:30:01.080-05:002014-08-31T11:30:01.080-05:00Not a big believer Thelema so I won't be joini...Not a big believer Thelema so I won't be joining OTO soon. Rather join the Aurum Solis. Leader Lon Milo DuQuette writes some of the greatest books however. I am more of an independent occultist.<br /><br />Gnostic, Kaballist, pseudosciences...pick what you like and go for it. I do feel women should have the same rights as men in experiencing the mystical or the magical. Afterall, haven't Freemason male members experienced the Divine Feminine all these years?<br /><br />I'd rather read all I can and reconstruct or synthesize new rituals for my own use than join a group. Ah, but that's just me. Nectanebushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02462430940680234727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817682567561164198.post-92143226345017438812014-07-31T11:16:38.046-05:002014-07-31T11:16:38.046-05:00I was in the Boy Scouts as a kid, and at some poin...I was in the Boy Scouts as a kid, and at some point when my family moved, I changed troops. The new troop was terrible and led by a not-particularly-effective-or-nice scout leader — and there was a connection of the first fact with the second. Later, as an adult in scouting, I saw the same thing — great troops with great leaders, and so-so groups with so-so leaders, and genuinely-bad groups with genuinely-bad leaders. It's the same in Freemasonry, I think, and in Toastmasters, and in most of the organizations I've belonged to — Christian parish churches and pagan circles alike. It often seems as though the quality of the people, and their relationships with one another, often transcends the value of the symbols and the rituals they perform. For great groups, the symbols and rites and structure are a launching pad for great things; and for 'bad' groups, the symbols and rites and structure become an anchor that drags them down. A lot seems to depend on healthy relationships, you know? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com