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Thelema Lodge Newsletter #2
February 1990 Thelema Lodge Calendar/Newsletter (March and April events)
Mailed free within 100 miles of San Francisco California
Copyright © O.T.O. and the Individual Authors, 1990 e.v.
Limited license is hereby granted to reproduce this file without fee, with
this message intact. This license expires February 1991 e.v. unless renewed
in writing. No charge other than reproduction costs is permitted under this
license to the receivers of copies of this file without O.T.O. written
permission.
Ordo Templi Orientis
P.O. Box 2303
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
Temple Location: 588 63rd St.
Oakland, California
(Entrance in back, to the right)
Phones: Lodge/Temple: (415) 655-4942
Messages Only: (415) 454-5176
Compuserve: 72105,1351
Calendar events in the San Francisco Bay Area for March 1990 to April
1990 e.v., in brief. Always call the contact phone number before
attending. Some are limited in size, change location and may be subject to
other adjustments.
When you call, you don't get lost or disappointed. Initiations are private.
Donations at all OTO events are welcome.
*************************************************************************
Date: Description: Contact: Sponsor:
3/1/90 Lodge of Perfection init. practice --- Ldg o' Per.
3/4/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/6/90 Thelema Lodge Meeting 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/8/90 Shiatsu II with Andrew 7:30 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/11/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/12/90 Hypatia's Feast, Exo-Psych Guild (415) 655-4942 Exo-Psych Gld
3/13/90 Enochiana with Dave 7:30 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
Sigilum Dei Aemeth Part II
3/14/90 Qabalah #6: 8 PM with Bill (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/15/90 Lodge of Perfection Meeting ----- Ldg o' Per.
3/17/90 St. Patrick's Limerick party 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/18/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/20/90 Vernal Equinox Feast at Sunset (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
Ritual at 9:30 PM
3/21/90 Qabalah #7: 8 PM with Bill (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/24/90 Minerval & IIIrd Deg. initiations (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/25/90 Aries Birthday party 4:18 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/25/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
3/27/90 Enochiana with Dave 7:30 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
Sigilum Dei Aemeth Part III
4/1/90 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS ---- government
SPRING AHEAD 1 HOUR
4/1/90 Jurgenmass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/3/90 Thelema Lodge Meeting 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/7/90 Minerval initiations at Midnight (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/8/90 Liber AL Day #1 1st Chapter and (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
Mass at the Lodge. Reading 8 PM
4/9/90 Liber AL Day #2 2nd Chapter and (415) 655-4942 TBA
time and place to be announced
4/10/90 Liber AL Day #3 3rd Chapter and (415) 655-4942 TBA
time and place to be announced
4/11/90 Qabalah #8: 8 PM with Bill (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/15/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/17/90 Enochiana with Dave 7:30 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
Sigilum Dei Aemeth Part IIII
4/18/90 Qabalah #9: 8 PM with Bill (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/19/90 Rose-Croix & Lodge of Perfection Mt. ---- R+C & LOP
4/21/90 Ist and IInd Deg. Initiations (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/22/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/24/90 Enochiana with Dave 7:30 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
Sigilum Dei Aemeth Part V.
4/29/90 Taurus Birthday Party 4:18 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
4/29/90 Aethyrmass 8 PM (415) 655-4942 Thelema Ldg
******************************************************************************
The Thelema Lodge Chapter of the "Thuggee" and in particular its head devotee
to Our Lady thanks most gracious Saint Judas for his extremely propitious
answers to our fervent prayers.
******************************************************************************
Other Events...
On February 28th at Ancient Ways (located at 41st and Telegraph) Ebony
will begin his Egyptian Magick class series. These classes will be held from 7
to 10 pm Wednesday evenings; three to five meetings (as necessary to the
students) with a $3-$7 sliding scale fee per class. [Editor sez this is not an
O.T.O. sponsored event...-C-]
April and May Extensions
April 8,9,10: Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law
First Day will be at Thelema Lodge, we'll read at 8 pm and do Mass after.
Locations for the Second and Third Days TBA (watch this space!)
May 5: Beltane (15 degrees Taurus) at the Beach.
*************************************************************************
From The Grady Project:
Adoni
In the Gardens of Adonis
Down the headlands of Lebanon
Groves of cypress, rue, and pine trees
Hold their ancient, holy trust,
Hidden deep within the foliage
Marble temples clothed with verdure
Bramble branches bar the pathway
If you seek with knowledge lust.
Yet to him who comes a pilgrim
Who would taste the sacred vintage
Wine the blood and son of Cybele
Let him know, this is the Law;
Come with yearning soul and kingly
Know and be the god Adonis
Pass your way, and dye the scaffold
Ere is told that which you saw.
--Grady L. McMurtry
2/15/1942 e.v.
(first published as an appendix to the Magick Theater edition of Crowley's
Liber CCCXXXV (Santa Cruz: 1987 e.v.); reprinted in "The Grady Project" #3
(March 1988 e.v.)
*************************************************************************
FROM THE BOOKSHELF
SEMIOTEXT[E] SF (Semiotext[e], Vol. 5, Issue 2) Edited by Rudy Rucker, Peter
Lamborn Wilson, and Robert Anton Wilson (Autonomedia, NY: 1989) Reviewed by
Majnun.
Cracked asphalt. Passing wail of synthesized drum-beats echoing against
the walls of abandoned warehouses. Ear-splitting crash of metal against
metal. A gas-tank ignites. Teams of ragged youths with cybernetic limbs
gather to dance and maim each other in the burning carnage.
"...like having sex with an obviously syphilitic whore and enjoying it more
because you knew she was diseased."
- John Shirley, "Six Kinds of Darkness"
The Era Vulgaris Eighties being over, everyone is rushing to provide the
definitive caricature of the times, to give an appearance of underlying
direction to the scope of recent history. SEMIOTEXT[E] SF has appeared just
in time for future nostalgics to single it out as, "Eighties. Very Eighties."
"In what has come to be known as the Kansas City Purges, one hundred pubescent
boys are disemboweled on an open altar to appease Yam Kax, the Mayan corn
god."
- Richard Kadrey, "Genocide"
Alienation. Hedonism. Despair. Machinery. Sentence fragments. I'm
glad the attempt is being made to put a face on contemporary culture, even if
it involves a measure of distortion. Although there are themes and images
repeated in these stories almost to the point of cliche, no two offerings are
at all similar.
"...I made myself a tuna sandwich and thought of sperms in fur coats,
shivering on tiny wooden rafts as they tried to maneuver round the icebergs
that blocked their way to the frozen eggs. I don't blame Ralph for leaving."
- Rachel Pollack, "Burning Sky"
Bruce Sterling's "We See Things Differently" gives an insightful view of
a fallen America through the eyes of an Islamic journalist. J.G. Ballard's
"Report on an Unidentified Space Station" might just take the prize for the
most concise SF alchemical parable of all time. "The Scepter of Praetorius"
shows that Ivan Stang has a great future ahead of him writing
Cyberpornography, if the "Bob" thing ever burns out. Robert Anton Wilson once
again proves that he can fake his own work as well as anyone. There's even a
reference to the O.T.O.
Altogether a wonderfully entertaining and thought-provoking book. One
little gripe: I noticed more typos in the first five minutes than I've ever
seen in any other book in my life. You'd think cyberpunks would have spell-
checkers.
"No bugs, no pigs, no slugs
no things that crawl or hop
no blood without a wound
no shoes on holy ground
eight tiny reindeer on the roof
you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
a jolly old man with a beard and a whip
and a string of frozen drool hanging from his lip."
- Thom Metzger, "All Right, Everybody on the Floor!"
*************************************************************************
Raid Update
The Berkeley Police Review Commission has been conducting interviews and
holding hearings since the last issue of the "Thelema Lodge Calendar". A
partial determination has been rendered by the PRC in regard to one
complainant. The Berkeley Police Review Commission makes internal
recommendations to the City regarding conduct of officers and complaints by
citizens.
In the partial determinations (more pending after April), the Commission
found that insufficient evidence had been presented for direct religious
persecution to be sustained on a split 2 to 1 vote. The dissenting opinion
was given at length. The Commission did find that the affidavit (hence the
search warrant itself) and the performance of the search were tainted by
religious prejudice. Certain of the charges brought by Brother S. against
officer conduct were examined, with verbal abuse and improper arrest being
sustained. The greater part of the charges are still under hearing and
review.
The sequence of events leading up to the raid: A dispute between tenants
at 8th Street and the property immediately behind on 7th Street in Berkeley
degenerated into accusations and petty complaints to the BPD. Most O.T.O.
member tenants at 8th Street were not involved, only non-O.T.O. tenants below
the main unit and a tenant in the detached cottage. This dispute proceeded to
the point of restraining orders, harassment and varying abuses against persons
and property. A former love relationship had broken up and a new one had been
formed, with considerable acrimony resulting over who had what rights of
access to property and privacy. The landlord of both properties used
individuals from 7th street in dealing with maintenance and business on 8th
street. An effort was made to improperly involve local O.T.O. in the matter
by a certain party or parties on 7th street; to wit, O.T.O. was amorphously
threatened with retribution if local O.T.O. leaders did not force the party in
the 8th street cottage to leave her home. Local O.T.O. held that it could not
intervene without becoming libel to civil tort and gross impropriety. The
situation degenerated further, resulting in building inspections and a rent
strike. The building inspections determined that the cottage and the lower
units on 8th street were in numerous code violations, and the landlord's
capacity to rent those units without major renovation was challenged by the
City of Berkeley. C., a renter on 7th Street, made a complaint to the
Berkeley PD about "missing wood". C. has testified that she made extensive
comment about alleged drug use on the 8th street property, implicating O.T.O.
Documents of an unidentified nature belonging to O.T.O. were given at that
time to Officer Robles. C. further testified that she alleged O.T.O. to be a
"Satanic" organization involved in abuse of minors. Officer Robles testified
that he made a check on C.'s name and came up with no old charges. Following
this episode, C. informed officer Robles that the landlord wanted to talk to
him. C. also informed the landlord that officer Robles wanted to talk to him.
It is not clear whether either landlord or officer initiated these efforts at
contact. The landlord expressed concern that he would have a legal liability
if he did not look into an allegation of drug use on his property, and he made
arrangements to admit officer Robles to the 8th street property. Officer
Robles and another officer posed as plumbers at the instigation of the
landlord and gained entrance to the upper unit on 8th street without knowledge
of their identity by the tenants. Officer Robles later testified that he read
"The Ultimate Evil" and "Satan Wants You" in an effort to research O.T.O.,
somehow missing the fact that the latter book attacks the former and dismisses
O.T.O. from involvement with "Satanism". Using a copy of the "Thelema Lodge
Calendar" provided by C. (who is not on the mailing list for the TLC!) and his
other information, officer Robles sought and obtained a search warrant. This
warrant was executed 9/29-30/89 e.v.
That's the news and background in brief. Now for highlights from the
interviews and sworn testimony.
Officer Robles admitted giving an orientation talk to the other officers
participating in the raid. This talk advised the officers that the raid was
on a possibly "Satanic" organization and that they should be prepared to enter
dwellings containing many dangerous weapons. He also advised officers that
evidence of child sacrifice might be found. Nothing of this was mentioned on
the search warrant (which focused on drugs). Officers participating in the
raid gave varied testimony, some remarking that there are numerous comments
about "Satanism" during the raid and some not remembering any. One officer
remarked that he just wandered about the rooms because they were "like a
museum." Other officers made similar remarks. Officers testified about
uncertainty in who arrested whom for what. At least one officer admitted
signing an arrest sheet containing charges unknown to him --- this officer had
arrested one of the residents on 63rd Street in Oakland for failure to give a
true name. One of these charges was "possession of an IV unit". Officer
Robles testified that he had said "I.D. card" to a secretary and that he had
been misunderstood to have said "IV unit". Hence one individual was arrested
and charged with failure to identify himself AND with possession of what later
turned out to be his I.D. card! All persons arrested for being under the
influence of narcotics who gave urine samples had the lab report come back
clean, no narcotics. Despite this, one officer adamantly insisted that he
never makes a mistake in determining such intoxication by eye examination.
The houses were video taped, and that taping was characterized by officer E.
to be complete filming of every room with emphasis, if any, on the evidence of
alleged crime. Officer E. maintained that religious decorations and altars
were not singled out. The video tape was shown during the PRC hearings.
According to witnesses at the hearings, this tape did not show any of the
alleged pipes, containers and other materials associated with drugs in the
charges later dismissed, or any other charges outside of pyrotechnic
(fireworks) chemicals owned by one person at 63th street not arrested during
the raid. Witnesses to the tape viewing remarked that less than half of the
rooms were shown on the tape, and that nearly all the tape was comprised of
segments on books, religious paintings and religious articles. The Police
Review Commission commented on the evident bias of the tape.
There was a surprise witness. C. came before the PRC and requested the
right to testify. She admitted contacting officer Robles, but denied that she
had said anything about the O.T.O. members in the main unit at 8th Street
dealing, buying or distributing drugs. She testified that she knew some
O.T.O. members were into drugs because she had sold cocaine to such people at
an unspecified time in the past. C. stated that she had only been in the
upstairs unit on 8th street once since the residents had moved in --- by
crawling in a window to secretly observe a Vth Degree initiation with C.D.
She did not describe anything of the initiation, but C. never reached beyond
Ist degree O.T.O. membership before her resignation on 3/12/86 e.v. from
O.T.O. membership, according to Grand Lodge records (not made public unless a
public statement about them is made by the member/former member as in this
instance). C. testified accurately regarding her Minerval (3/7/81 e.v.) and
Ist degree (9/25/82 e.v.) initiation dates, but she stated that her
resignation occurred about one year later than Grand Lodge records indicate.
C. made vague assertions that she possessed higher degrees and that her
crawling in to observe the Vth Degree initiations was at the instruction of an
unnamed IXth Degree, one year after her resignation from membership in O.T.O.
by her own account and two years by O.T.O. records made the day of her
resignation. C. also stated that her words to officer Robles about an animal
sacrifice by O.T.O. were not by her actual witness but from hearsay. She
capped this by the remarkable utterance that to kill a chicken or a Mexican
was equally murder in her eyes. This reporter is thankful that officer
Robles, of Mexican birth, was out of the room when his star witness made that
statement to the PRC. O.T.O. is proud of its many Hispanic members, and of
the wide variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds in its membership both
here and abroad. The PRC determined that C. was not an adequate witness for
basing the raid, and one member of the commission advised the police to read
"Satanism in America" by Carlson and Larue (reviewed last year in the "TLC")
in preference to the works cited by Officer Robles. C. expressed a desire to
have nothing to do with O.T.O., a view in perfect accord with O.T.O.'s own
wishes. Unfortunately, the present legal business is likely to drag on for
quite a while
Watch this space. It's getting interesting again!
--- Bill Heidrick, Treasure General of O.T.O. international.
Grand Treasure General of O.T.O. USA.
NOT Treasurer of Thelema Lodge
(There seems to be some confusion about my Office, so will I take a moment to
clarify. I do print and mail the "TLC", primarily at my own expense to give
service to the local O.T.O. Lodge. I can't get the time to go over to the
East Bay much more than twice a month, owing to my Grand Lodge duties. This
is my way of supporting Thelema Lodge, a place of many happy memories and
current friendships. Thelema Lodge was the Grand Lodge of O.T.O. until early
1986 e.v. when Agape Grand Lodge was re-established with offices in New York
and California for general management of the national and international O.T.O.
Owing to my work with the Grand Lodge, I cannot participate as an officer on
the local level without conflicts of time and/or interest. Usually I style
myself "TSG" for "Thus Spake the Gopher" in my writings for the "TLC" --- an
allusion to the wonderfully diverse and plentiful tasks the Grand Lodge
generously finds for me.)
*************************************************************************
From the Out Basket
Brother S.C. of San Francisco asked some questions about O.T.O. and Masonry a
bit ago. Here are some edited highlights from the response.
O.T.O. and Freemasonry:
O.T.O. is technically "irregular masonry". That means that we have our own
Grand Lodge and are not recognized by the Craft system. The Masonic ideals
are by-and-large very consistent with Thelema, but traditional applications in
practice are often old-fashioned, decadent and intrusive. O.T.O. still
maintains the Masonic structure of Lodges and initiations, but very little
else of it. Regular Masonic initiations of O.T.O. members on the East coast
have accommodated our members to the extent of using "Liber AL" in place of
the Bible for taking the oath, but most O.T.O. members have little interest in
joining the regular masons.
Crowley's O.T.O. initiation rituals somewhat resemble those of Scottish
Rite Masonry, with major adaptations to suit Thelema. The New Aeon
adjustments were largely accomplished by Crowley before he assumed Outer
Headship of O.T.O. in the early 1920s, but the social and functional side of
O.T.O. had to wait for modern times to resume development. During Crowley's
tenure there were too few O.T.O. members to allow "The Method of Science..."
to apply effectively. With over (1600) members, we can continue to experiment
and see what structures are necessary to function and what plans and
procedures are useless or intrusive. In simple, the revised (by Crowley)
initiations and higher degree instruction papers take care of most of the New
Aeon development... The business-style structure of record and review is
timeless in all but things like computers and electronic mail. O.T.O. Lodges,
Oases and Camps are largely free to do as the group wishes, save only for
essentials like proper record, dues for operational necessities, report and
maintaining the "Peace of the Temple" and the civil & personal rights of
people generally, members or not. Some of the plans Crowley pushed after the
Abbey of Thelema were excessive, but he was in the midst of great personal
stress. When the rights of individual Thelemites are unnecessarily infringed,
we tend to relax Crowley's procedures. This is especially true in the areas
of "vows of poverty" and private lives.
-oOo-
Last year we had an inquiry from Ezio Albrille, a reporter in Italy. His
questions were similar to those received earlier from a reporter in Australia.
Here's an edited excerpt from my response to Mr. Albrille:
Politics and Religion:
Although some of the Fundamentalist Christian organizations act
differently, O.T.O. in the United States takes the separation of church and
state very seriously indeed. Philosophy is another matter. Our religion is
called "Thelema", and there is a tradition of Thelemic political philosophy.
I suspect that many of our members would be quite willing to join a secular
"Thelema Party" in principle, but I doubt that ten O.T.O. members could be
found in agreement on much of anything in detail. Speaking broadly, most of
the membership would tend to support individual freedom; less laws (especially
the so-called 'victimless crime' laws); a relaxation of drug laws; reduction
of taxes; relaxation of international travel and trade barriers; an increase
of government sponsored legal, medical, child protection and housing services;
elimination of sexual laws effecting consenting adults; free higher education;
an increase of free speech; absolute racial equality; freedom of courteous and
non-injurious religious expression; and similar things. Since some of these
views are mutually exclusive of others, this general political philosophy
rarely can focus on a single issue. In a few words, most O.T.O. members feel
that people should be permitted to mind their own business, have unlimited
opportunity to better themselves and should enjoy the benefit of social
protection from criminals, calamities of nature and the prejudices of other's.
--- TSG
*************************************************************************
February 1990 e.v.
Events of March and April 1990 e.v. at Thelema Lodge.
Greetings of the Equinox! AN IIIxx (LXXXVI) begins March 20th at 1:19 pm.
Thelema Lodge will celebrate with a potluck Feast (bring a vegetable) at 7,
ritual at 9:30, and readings of the Beast's poetry between - miscellaneous
poetry will be provided; or, bring your favorite selection. See you there!
Sunday Masses start at 8 pm. (Many thanks to you who are combating the
tendency to Pagan Standard Time!) To request an April Mass, attend the March
Lodgemeeting. Deacon's Classes convene at sunset in the Temple every Sunday in
March. If you would like instruction for the Priest/ess roles, find your
favorite clergyperson and ask her/him for a class.
Thelema Lodge meets at 8 pm on March 6th and April 3rd. We'll discuss the
Equinox, the Days of Liber AL, and assorted business. The Lodge Of Perfection
will meet on 3/15 and 4/19 - the Rose-Croix meets on April 19th. (also - 23rd
for Secretmeeting)
Initiations (as always) are scheduled in advance. Minervals are scheduled
for 3/24 and 4/7; First and Second Degrees April 21st, Third Degrees on March
24th. CALL on the night before for location.
Andrew continues his seminar by popular demand. Wear comfortable
clothing. Everyone's welcome.
The Qabalah series continues on the 14th and 21st of March and on the
11th and 18th of April, with Bill. Slides, booklets and other materials will
be used. These classes will progress through incidental techniques, the
"Sepher Yetzirah" and make an entrance into Berashit Qabalah. Free copy of
the "'Yetzirah" and other materials provided. Gematria will be presented in
April to make maximum use of the new dictionary being compiled.
Enochiana resurfaces on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm. Dave will continue
the "Sigillum Dei Aemeth" series on these dates: 3/13, 3/27, 4/17, and 4/24 in
Horus Temple. 655-4942 for more info.
The Exo-Psychology Guild will meet on Hypatia's Feast (March 12th) at 8
pm - call Lodge for location.
The Magick Theatre will host "Limericks For Saint Patrick" on the 17th at
7 pm. Prepare to both read and compose limericks - it's not too difficult -
especially with Irish Coffee. 655-4942 for details.
Our Aries Bash will be the 25th at 4:18 - and Daylight Savings Time
begins at 2 AM April Fool's Day: no joke!
*************************************************************************
February 1990 Thelema Lodge Calendar/Newsletter (March and April events)
Mailed free within 100 miles of San Francisco California
Ordo Templi Orientis
P.O. Box 2303
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
Temple Location: 588 63rd St.
Oakland, California
(Entrance in back, to the right)
Phones: Lodge/Temple: (415) 655-4942
Compuserve: 72105,1351
*************************************************************************
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