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| Home > Article Library > Magick > New Aeon > Chapter 8 | Search |
| New Aeon Magick Chapter 8 by Garald Campo |
FRATERNAL MAGICAL ORDERS
"Our humanity were a poor thing were it not for the divinity
which stirs within us".
Francis Bacon
***
The function of Magical Orders is to serve Mankind by helping
the Aspirants which seek its instruction to evolve, thereby
helping the whole of humanity in the evolutionary process. This
should be the sole purpose for these Orders.
There are several Orders from which I have greatly benefited
from. During the occult explosion of the late 1800's they
offered instruction which was not otherwise available.
The problem with modern Magical Orders is that very few have kept
up with the evolutionary process that their candidates have been
able to access. Most of the information which is given in the
Golden Dawn offshoots has been published by several authors for
over 50 years. Most of those who aspire to those Orders have
already been exposed to the material.
It is absurd to require an aspirant to quit all training simply
because they joined with a group, that for the sake of
formality; refuses to update their curriculum. It is an insult.
The aspirant is forced to take horrible oaths to keep published
material secret. This will be the pitfall and eventual demise of
Magical Orders. It would appear that most Magical Orders have
fallen into a rut called "Tradition". This inflexibility and
unwillingness to evolve runs contrary to the grain of The Great
Work.
From their actions, one would think that some of these Orders
serve the higher ups who run them instead of the Aspirants who
need them. We will see what fruits these Orders yield in the
future. Only time will tell.
The type of Orders which are the most interested in the
development of the individual are the ones that encourage
individuality. Although they are ever vigilant to ensure the
safety of the traveler while on the path they will never stifle
creativity, and they are flexible enough to accommodate any
Seeker. The only problem with this kind of Order is that they
usually lack academic structure.
The New Aeon Magician has four Orders worth mentioning at this
time; An Inner Order known as the A.A., and three Outer Orders
which are in service to the inner known as the Ordo Templi
Orientis, The Temple of Thelema, The Fraternitas LUX Occulta.
The last two groups claim lineage to the original Golden Dawn and
have upgraded their curriculum to better express the current of
the New Aeon.
The phenomena behind such a merge is quite intriguing considering
that the predecessors of The Golden Dawn would not have had much
to do with Crowley OR his system of Magick.
Necessity is the forerunner of evolution. This consolidation
indicates three very significant factors in today's occult
community. The first is that unlike their predecessors, the
"new" Golden Dawn groups have tried Crowley's methods and have
found them to be viable, sound, and practical. The second is
that most G.D. fraternities have acknowledged the coming of the
"new age" which Crowley delivered as Thelema. The third is that
more and more, Thelemic Magicians are discovering the virtues of
working with other Magicians; which instills upon them tolerance,
discipline and dedication to The Work.
It would be ideal if these groups succeeded in their quest to
blend individuality AND academic structure. Their proof will be
their success...or failure.
THE A.'.A.'.
This is the Order of all Orders, the One of which other Orders
are but a shimmer of its light. Membership is very selective and
strictly secret. In most cases, the student is only allowed to
have knowledge of two people in the Order: his instructor and
(when he has reached sufficient Wisdom) the pupil he is
preparing, and can only move to his next grade when he has
prepared his apprentice to take his place. This provides a
strong unbroken chain linking the Lower with the Higher.
Usually, it is required that the aspirant be armed with at least
basic knowledge of Pranayama, The Pentagram and Hexagram rituals.
Advancement in this Order is not easy; it is not randomly given
for the sake of convenience or favoritism. One must EARN their
next grade, and the tasks are so difficult and demanding that
most aspirants never reach beyond the grade of Neophyte.
You do not find the A.'.A.'., it finds you. The teachers of this
Ancient Order of Magicians frequent the many magical groups
vigilantly seeking individuals of the right metal for the
demanding, fulfilling course.
All of those who have truly devoted their lives to The Work are
attracted to this Order the same way that a moth is drawn to
the light. If you feel this passion it is wise to show caution
if one is to avoid the charlatans who have not yet transcended
the ego. Here is some guidelines which will ensure that you end
up with a rightful teacher:
1) The Adepts of this Order do not advertise, boast, or even
allude to membership unless they are speaking in secrecy to the
individual they are interested in.
2) Anyone claiming membership in this Order should have at their
disposal a clean, unbroken lineage beginning with Aleister
Crowley: If they are legit they will not oppose your
questioning; skepticism is an indispensable mental function
required by Magick.
3) Check these names out by writing to the Ordo Templi Orientis.
Let them know that you were approached by some one claiming to be
a member of the A.'.A.'., and you would like to make sure they
have valid charter. You may need to send them a Xerox of their
lineage. Someone there should be able to verify.
It may seem like a lot of work, but believe me: It is much
better to spend a life time looking and not finding, than to
waste one hour working with selfish individuals who use
one's pure intentions to gratify their self-regard.
Magick is a VERY REAL thing. Anyone who can read can teach the
fundamentals of Knowledge and Wisdom, but only a True Adept can
bestow upon you the power of the Ages.
ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS (O.T.O.)
This organization was created by Theodore Reuss in the early 20th
century. While publishing his magnum opus "Magick in Theory and
Practice", Aleister Crowley inadvertently published some of the
highest secrets of the Order on a treatise dealing with Sex
Magick. Reuss immediately flew in from Germany and held him to
an oath of secrecy; at the same time he was made head of the
Order of the English speaking countries. This came as quite a
surprise to Crowley. The O.T.O. became the observation arena
where teachers of the A.'.A.'. could seek prospective students.
The Ordo Templi Orientis is the FIRST spiritual organization
accepting The Book of The Law as their holy book. Crowley went
to work on changing the rituals of Initiation to better convey
the message of the New Aeon, the concept of Thelema: "Do what
thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law". The Order now exists
world wide and is recognized as a religious organization by the
state.
Membership in the Order is confidential; no one will inform
another of your involvement with the Order. If you want to tell
someone you are a member it is your business. All men and women
of full age and in good report are entitled to the first three
Degrees; after which one may progress only by invitation.
The Ordo Templi Orientis has many bodies world wide which teach
and practice Ritual Magick. It provides its members with a free
atmosphere where one can be who they truly are. The main goal of
the Order is to secure the absolute Freedom of its members by
assisting the individual in whatever way possible in discovering
their True identity. Since one man cannot know the True Will of
another, this process must be accomplished only by the
individual; thus the Order cannot interfere with this
metamorphose.
The O.T.O. is a home for many Magicians of different walks of
life who have accepted the Law of the New Aeon and wish to
exchange ideas with those of like mind. Most of its members are
influenced by Aleister Crowley, The Golden Dawn, and Wicca. It
provides camaraderie, and fellowship; and in places that practice
the Gnostic Mass: Spiritual sustenance.
TEMPLE OF THELEMA (T.O.T.)
The Temple of Thelema is an outer Order consecrated to the
service of the A.'.A.'. It was created by the staff of the
College of Thelema for the purpose of providing students with a
solid Foundation on which to build their magical careers. It has
a strong unbroken lineage to Mather's Golden Dawn. The
necessary modifications have been made to allow for the New Aeon
influence not inherent in the Golden Dawn groups.
It offers a strict curriculum designed to familiarize the student
with the principles of hard work; thereby increasing the
student's chances of coping with the strict regimen offered by
the A.'.A.'.
Traditionally, the Temple of Thelema and its Initiates work
together in the Temple as a group. Like the A.'.A.'., members
are advanced through the degrees according to their
accomplishments; the degrees are earned. If one works hard they
are advanced, if one chooses to remain idle they should not be
surprised to find themselves far behind their peers.
Members of this Order must be willing to dedicate a considerable
amount of time to their studies.
THE FRATERNITY OF THE HIDDEN LIGHT
This group is more traditional in their approach to Ceremonial
Magick, as it draws most of its Wisdom from its unbroken lineage
to Mather's Golden Dawn and fundamental Rosicrucianism.
It has Temples in the U.S. and Canada and, while membership is
secret, it frequently performs several rituals during equinoxes
or solstices which are open to the public.
It offers the best courses in Magical Wisdom I have ever seen or
read. The serious student who has decided to work solitary
without the benefit of fraternal assistance should seriously
consider these courses, as they reveal much previously
unpublished material.
Of course, there are many other Orders. I have only commented on
the ones which I personally have had contact with. I strongly
caution the Seeker to exercise caution when seeking a group to
work with. Recently, it has become fashionable to conduct
groups, and many have been started without proper lineage or
authority of any kind. This is particularly true with Golden
Dawn types. This is not to say that everyone who claims proper
charter is a charlatan, but documentation should be requested
before committing one's self to ANY group.
