From: mimir@hardy.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
Newsgroups: alt.magick
Subject: A Modest Proposal for a Superstructure to unite the OTO
Date: 12 Jan 1993 08:47:43 GMT
Organization: The Friends of Loki Society
NNTP-Posting-Host: hardy.u.washington.edu







                             A MODEST PROPOSAL 
                  for a Superstructure to Unite the Order 
             Based on Liber AL vel Legis <Chapter I, verse 40> 

                                                          by PVN 


                            Basic Requirements 

1. Formal Acceptance of Liber LXXVII & Liber CCXX, in writing, to be sub- 
mitted to the Order in any approved fashion.  Check with your OTO, 
A.'.A.'., or 11-Star contact person for particulars. 

2. Acceptance of the Star within & the taking of a self-designed oath 
committing oneself to the Great Work. Copy of the oath to be submitted, in 
writing, to the Order.  Approval of the oath by any member of the Order 
establishes affiliation with the Order through the catena of initiation 
manifest through that member. 

3. Promulgation of the Law of Thelema upon the outer by being a living 
example of what it means to be a Thelemite, rather than through overt 
proselytization. 

4. Formal study of magick to create an intellectual & emotional framework 
upon which personal advancements may be hung for careful examination. 

5. Creation & maintainance of various formal & informal avenues of com- 
munication among various members and Branches of the Order.  

6. Each individual Powerzone (lodge, coven, tribe, etc.) of any Branch of 
the OTO, A.'.A.'., or 11-Star may impose certain other obligations upon 
probationary Candidates & members, and may test them in whatever way(s) 
they may see fit. 

7. Anyone is free to work these grades, so long as it be their Will to do 
so.  Those whose Will is to work these grades in concert with others may 
do so by becoming active members of at least one Branch of the Order which 
recognizes the guidelines of this superstructure. 

8.  No member of the Order may be forced to work with or accept initia- 
tion from another member. All affiliations within the Order are by mutual 
consent & are subject to change at any time. 


                                    III 
                         The Grade of Man of Earth 

   Aspirants to the Grade of Man of Earth undertake to perform a set of 
Herculean tasks designed to reify their magickal inspiration upon the 
physical plane in the here-&-now. 

   Upon successful completion of these self-imposed tasks, the Aspirant is 
able to function fully within this Grade, provided s/he designed the 
obligations of the Grade with sufficient care & insight. 

   The other Grades may be taken in any sequence, or all at once. 

   The aspirant is warned not to put-off the obligations of this grade 
until the very end, for the aspirant who is able to manifest the Grade of 
Man of Earth has stability, a virtue which cannot be fully appreciated 
until its need becomes imperative. 

  It is up to each aspirant to design his/her own set of obligations. The 
set given below may be used as a guideline.  Obligations may be ammended, 
dropped, or adopted at any time.  Absolute fluidity is a key to stability. 

   Tamas Muldalahara is one of the titles of they who work this Grade.  

   Xochipilli (patron deity of those who take calculated risks) is one of 
the Gods who oversees the Virtues of the Grade of Man of Earth.  

   Gold is among the many colors pertaining to this Grade. 

1.  The Aspirant undertakes the design, creation, and consecration of a 
balanced set of magical tools.  Such a set may consist of the 4 tradition-
al weapons from Golden Dawn heritage, some power-objects/fetishes from a 
Shamanistic tradition, or some other set, no matter what. 

    The set can be built-up over time, or created all at once.  

    It is up to each Aspirant to use/test his/her impliments continuous- 
    ly, maintaining balance among them as best s/he can. 

2.  The Aspirant undertakes to understand the meaning of hard work.  This 
can easily be accomplished thru understudy & Mastery of a self-chosen Art, 
Craft, or Trade.  

    It matters not whether the Aspirant pursues a society approved 
    professional career -- such as doctor, ditch-digger, stateman, office 
    worker, cop, or priest--  or a less respected trade (such as Quack, 
    Welfare-bum, Terrorist, Embezzler, Mercenary soldier, or Harlot. 

    Success is most easily insured by choosing a line of work closely 
    related to one's natural inclinations, yet far greater success is 
    made possible by choosing a line of work which is both difficult & 
    demanding.  Thru proper design, a difficult task will strengthen both 
    mind & body, while dulling neither. 

    If a particular line of work does not become a joy in-&-of itself, 
    the Aspirant is free to change lines of work.  The goal is total self- 
    sufficiency upon the physical plane as well as an understanding of 
    what part the Aspirant chooses to play in the Great Work.  It is only 
    thru a full understanding of how a system presently operates that 
    changes may be designed & applied to society's flaws. 

    This obligation may also be undertaken thru its mirror image.  There 
    are some who aspire to this Grade who will be totally antipathetic 
    towards the concept of work. Such Aspirants are encouraged to explore 
    laziness to the fullest.  

    It has long been known that a lazy person will work much harder than 
    his/her harder-working peers, to find ways of doing-away with the 
    need to perform any unpleasant tasks. Laziness <as a virtue> requires 
    extreme agility of mind, body, & soul.  The beggar who has `nothing 
    to lose' is often more free to change a corrupt system than the bank 
    president whose comfort depends upon maintaining the status quo, even 
    though the banker's wealth and respectability give h-im/er greater 
    leverage with which to affect change. 

    If the aspirant can combine approaches, it will give h-im/er great 
    power; vacillation between approaches can induce paralysis and the 
    inability to act. 

3. The Aspirant undertakes to create/build a living monument which trans- 
cends time.  

    Immortality is a keyword for this Grade.  

    Some choose to raise children, while others write books or create 
    works of Art. Some found religions while others found nations.  Some 
    build financial empires while others plant gardens.  Some work on 
    ways to dis-incarnate/re-incarnate smoothly, while others work to 
    reify immortality in the flesh. 

    Publication or other means of dissemenation of one's own researches 
    pertain to this Grade.  The Aspirant may choose to work alone, or 
    s/he may choose to work with others -- among equals, as a Master, or 
    as a servant. 



                                    II 
                            The Grade of Lover 

   Aspirants to the Grade of Lover undertake to act spontaneously in ways 
designed to promote understanding, appreciation, & unification with others 
who are involved with different facets of the Great Work. 

   The work of this Grade cannot be said to be completed until the 
Aspirant has attained enlightenment from every independent entity & 
collective structure in the Universe and has been able to show h-is/er 
enlightenment to each entity and group in return.  

   They who have taken the oath of the Boddisatva work this Grade. 

   The other Grades may be taken in any sequence, or all at once. 

   The aspirant is warned not to put-off the obligations of this grade 
until the very end, for the aspirant who is able to manifest the Grade of 
Lover has the power of transcendence, a virtue which cannot be fully 
appreciated until its need becomes imperative. 

   Those whose committment to the Great Work is weak or insincere are 
warned away from the full experience of this Grade, for addiction & Death 
lie in wait for those of weak Will. It is up to each aspirant to act 
spontaneously in accord with Will. The ideas given below may be used as a 
guideline.  

1.  The Whore of Babalon and the Virgin Mary possess attributes which 
pertain to the Grade of Lovers. 

2. Luxuriant foods as well as fasting provide clues to inner needs.  Both 
may be explored to provide insight. 

3. Exploration of Sexual Taboo (from Chastity to acts of destructive ex- 
cess) provide clues to self in relation to others.  Full expression of 
innermost desire can stimulate growth in unexpected ways. Those who have 
not cultivated the virtue of stability may be swept away completely. 

4. Exploration of addictive substances assists the Alchemist in formula- 
ting h-is/er Will & in confronting the Death urge.  Experimentation with 
addiction can be very unstabilizing for those who have neglected to build 
and nourish a living monument to their Will which is fully capable of 
transcending time (see point #3 in the previous section). 

5. Eccumenical out-reach & Magickal Wars are both valid expressions of 
this Grade.  I exort each to choose whatever methods/styles are in accord 
with h-is/er natural inclinations.  Remain aware that losers often gain 
more than winners in wars & arguments.  An open mind is a great asset for 
those undertaking this Grade.  

6. Practice of Liber Astarte (either as a solitary rite, or thru joining a 
formal religion) can provide much insight into this Grade. 

7. Practice of Liber Samekh is the internal reflection of Liber Astarte.  
Care must be taken so the little-ego &/or repressed demons are not deified 
in the process.  To undertake a combined operation of Samekh and Astarte 
is the pinnacle of foolishness &/or the ultimate act of Self-Love 
(depending on your perspective).  All sane persons are strictly warned 
away from such practices.  Proceed with total abandon, or not at all. If 
you elect to proceed, in spite of these warnings, do not say that you have 
not been warned. 

                                     I 
                              Grade of Hermit 

   Aspirants to the Grade of Hermit undertake to balance manifest Godhood 
upon the physical plane in the here-&-now.  S/He undertakes to be able to 
tap-into Universal wealth without the need to toil at any particular task.  
H-is/er whole existence is so enmeshed with the Great Work that the 
Universe maintains h-im/er in accord with h-is/er True Will, whether s/he 
be working or playing. 

   Upon successful dissolution of Cause-&-Effect, the Aspirant is able to 
function fully within this Grade as a self-created God/dess, who stands 
outside of the framework of concensus reality & who is able to manifest
h-is/er Will within the here-&-now. 

   The other Grades may be taken in any sequence, or all at once. The 
aspirant is warned not to put-off the obligations of this grade until the 
very end, for the aspirant who is able to manifest the Grade of Hermit has 
absolute freedom of action, a virtue which cannot be fully appreciated 
until its need becomes imperative. 

   Those who lack absolute confidence in their innermost motivations are 
warned away from the full experience of this Grade, for Absolute Freedom & 
Absolute Responsibility go hand-in-hand. 

   Those who aspire to the Grade of Hermit are charged with the creation 
of & total responsibility for their own personal Universe and for its 
total interaction with all other Universes, both manifest and potential. A 
lack of understanding of one's own internal motivations &/or an incomplete 
integration of one's own internal Universe can be disasterous to those who 
aspire to Godhead. 

  To speak further of this Grade would be both unneccessary & misleading.