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Temple of Set: General Information and Admissions
TEMPLE OF SET
General Information and Admissions Policies
File: InfoAdms
TEMPLE OF SET
Post Office Box 470307
San Francisco, CA 94147 U.S.A.
MCI-Mail: 314-3953
Internet: [email protected]
Telex: 6503143953
* * * * * * * * * * * *
GENERAL INFORMATION AND ADMISSIONS POLICIES ©
1986-1996CE Temple of Set - Updated March 18, 1996 CE -
Thank you for your inquiry. The Temple of Set is an institution
unlike any you have previously encountered. Before you can make
an informed decision concerning possible affiliation, it is necessary
for you to consider the history of the Temple, its basic tenets, its
current design and programs, and the benefits and obligations
incurred by each Setian.
HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE
While the Temple of Set as an organization was formally
incorporated in 1975 CE, its magical and philosophical roots are
prehistoric, originating in mankind's first apprehension that there is
"something different" about the human race - a sense of *self-
consciousness* that places humanity apart from and above all other
known forms of life.
Ancient religions - of which those of Egypt are generally
acknowledged the eldest - either exalted or feared this self-
consciousness. Those which exalted it took the position that the
human psyche is capable of opposition to and domination of the
forces of nature. Those fearing it warned man that such a
presumption of independence would be sinful and dangerous.
Therefore, they said, such "will to power" should be concealed,
sublimated - and if necessary punished and exterminated - that
mankind might return to an Eden-like "state of nature" untroubled
by the burdens of having to take responsibility for decisions,
judgments, and actions based upon an essentially personal
determination of "good" and "evil".
The psyche-worshipping religions were more intellectually
demanding than their nature-worshipping counterparts, since it is
more difficult to reason a path through one's span of conscious
existence than it is to be swept along by a current of semi-rational
stimulus and response. The reasoning religions - or schools of
initiatory philosophy - attained levels of abstract knowledge that
made them mysterious to the masses. In a few societies, such as
Egypt and Greece, such groups were respected and admired. More
often, however, their exclusive elitism and "supernatural" activities
made them objects of resentment and persecution.
While all philosophical schools embraced the psychecentric
consciousness to some degree, there were a very few that made it
avowedly and explicitly the focus of their attention. The divine
personifications ("gods") of such schools have come down to us as
symbols of what most Western religions, worshippers of non-
consciousness, consider the supreme "evil": the Prince of Darkness
in his many forms. Of these the most ancient is Set, whose
Priesthood can be traced to predynastic times. Images of Set have
been dated to ca. 3200 BCE, with astronomically-based estimates
of inscriptions dating to ca. 5000 BCE.
The original Priesthood of Set in ancient Egypt survived for
twenty- five recorded dynasties (ca. 3200-700 BCE). It was one of
the two central priesthoods in predynastic times, the other being
that of HarWer ("Horus the Elder"). Unification of Egypt under
both philosophical systems resulted in the nation's being known as
the "Two Kingdoms" and in its Pharaohs wearing the famous
"Double Crown" of Horus and Set.
Originally a circumpolar/stellar deity portrayed as a cyclical
counterpart to the Solar Horus, Set was later recast as an evil
principle by the cults of Osiris and Isis. During the XIX and XX
Dynasties Set returned as the Pharaonic patron, but by the XXV
Dynasty (ca. 700 BCE) a new wave of Osirian persecution led to
the final destruction of the original Priesthood of Set. When the
Hebrews emigrated from Egypt during the XIX Dynasty, however,
they took with them a caricature of Set: "Satan" (from the
hieroglyphic _Set-hen_, one of the god's formal titles).
Originally a sort of "prosecuting angel for YHVH", the Hebrew
Satan was changed by Christianity into a personification of
everything God was not - and since God was supposed to be
"good", Satan was necessarily "bad". Alluring or mysterious deities
from religions competing with early Christianity - such as the
Hellenic/Roman Mysteries and the Persian Mithraic faith - were
also "bad", hence the Christian Satan was decorated with many of
their characteristics, such as Pan's horns & cloven hoofs. Non-
Christian gods generally were redefined as Christian "demons" and
given a place in the Christian "Hell" (another name stolen and
perverted from ancient Norse mythology).
Christian propaganda notwithstanding, there is no record of any
actual "Satanic religious underground" throughout the course of
Christian European history. The *myth* of such a "witch cult",
however, was promoted and actively used by the Christian churches
to terrorize their followers into docile obedience and to eliminate
those who could not be threatened. The number of accused
"Satanists" tortured and burned to death in medieval and
Renaissance Europe will never be known conclusively, but
estimates run as high as 13 million. Many European museums still
display the grisly, almost unbelievably cruel devices used in such
torture, and detailed records of the "trials" and "confessions" of the
victims survive in shameful abundance.
Cases of torture, murder, and genocidal extermination of "infidels"
and "heathens" in other areas of the world similarly abound - and
stand collectively in testimony to the appalling legacy of the
world's major monotheistic religions. It must further be remembered
that the more "tolerant" climate of modern times did not come about
through the wishes of conventional churches themselves, but rather
through their increasing rejection by a mankind exhausted by
religious warfare and terrified by the wanton viciousness of such
establishments as the "Holy Office" (better known as the
Inquisition).
If the "Enlightenment" of the 17th and 18th centuries succeeded in
reducing Christianity - the dominant monotheism of Europe - to a
secular moral metaphor, it was not until the late 19th century that
the so-called "Black Arts" began to be tolerated, and then only in
their most simplistic and socially innocuous forms. From
Freemasonry came a ceremonial magical offshoot - Rosicrucianism
- which became increasingly more sophisticated in the Rosicrucian
Society of England (S.R.I.A.) and then in the famous Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn (G.'.D.'.).
In 1904 an Adept of the G.'.D.'. named Aleister Crowley broke
away from that disintegrating body to form his own Order of the
Astrum Argenteum (A.'.A.'.). To the Rosicrucian/ceremonial
magical philosophy of the G.'.D.'., Crowley added first a strong
emphasis on attainment of the highest level of self-consciousness
("Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel") and
later the Masonic/sexual magic practices of Germany's Order of
Oriental Templars (O.T.O.). The latter practices, together with
Crowley's cavalier lifestyle, brought him public notoriety. His
organizations survived his 1947 death only in highly-fragmented
and doctrinarily simplistic factions.
In 1966 a San Francisco sorcerer named Anton Szandor LaVey
founded the Church of Satan as a medium for the study of the
Black Arts and as a statement of indignation repudiating the
religious hypocrisy of conventional society. This event marks the
creation of Satanism as a religion in its own right. Publicly its
"Satan" was not the evil scarecrow of Christian myth, but rather a
champion of anti-hypocrisy - a crusader against the corruption and
moral bankruptcy of society, which LaVey blamed largely upon
Christianity. In another, more private context, the Satan of the
Church of Satan was understood to be an authentic metaphysical
presence: a being not evil, but rather independent, assertive, and
creative - a true Prince of Darkness after the imagery of Milton,
Blake, Baudelaire, and Twain.
The Church remained principally a San Francisco phenomenon for
its first four years, then during 1970-1974 branched out across the
United States and Canada with local "Grottos" headed by those
ordained to the Satanic Priesthood (the Priesthood of Mendes -
named after a city in Ptolemaic Egypt whose hedonistic festivals
particularly scandalized the prudishness of the early Christian
church).
The Church of Satan's attitude towards magic was more pragmatic
and utilitarian than that of such mystically-based organizations as
the G.'.D.'. and A.'.A.'. It saw no need for exhaustive studies into the
often incoherent and inconsistent concepts of the Cabala, nor did it
see anything extraordinarily significant in sex-magic. Rather it
chose to approach the occult arts and sciences more rationally and
even scientifically, employing "Occam's razor" to design and
conduct Workings of ritual magic that were simple and direct, yet
effective.
In this the Church was generally successful, but it continued to
experience increasing difficulty with the basic nihilism and
negative connotations of its religious imagery. It could not escape
the self-assumed limitation of being "anti-Christian" in a society in
which Christianity - and its "evil scarecrow" concept of Satan -
were overwhelmingly predominant. Simultaneously the Church
began to feel constrained by even its own redefinition of Satanism,
as the parameters of philosophy and metaphysics extend far beyond
the conceptual and symbolic limits of the Judaic/Christian
tradition.
The Satanic religion proposes to raise the individual to personal
godhood, free from enslavement to any other "God" [or gods].
Unfortunately this is a question not just of power, but also of
ethics, morality, and psychological maturity. The Church of Satan's
initial prescriptions - as outlined in LaVey's 1969 book _The
Satanic Bible_ - were used by some as a basis for metaphysical
growth, but by others as merely an excuse for egoistic
irresponsibility. The Church suffered periodically from petty crises
and scandals among the general membership, and finally Anton
LaVey lost confidence in its organizational viability. In 1975 he
made a decision to redesign it as a non-functional vehicle for his
personal expression, exploitation, and financial income.
Subsequently he continued to advertise it as a "religion" and sell
"memberships" and "priesthoods" under this guise.
LaVey's 1975 corruption of the Church of Satan was emphatically
rejected by the majority of the Priesthood, who immediately
resigned from the Church in protest and denied its legitimacy as an
authentic Church of Satan henceforth. The senior Initiate invoked
the Prince of Darkness in quest of a new Mandate to preserve and
enhance the more noble concepts which the Church of Satan had
conceived and outlined. That Mandate was given in the form of
_The Book of Coming Forth by Night_ - a statement by that entity,
in his most ancient semblance as Set, ordaining the Temple of Set
to succeed the Church. The Temple was incorporated in California
as a non-profit church in 1975, receiving both state and federal
recognition and tax-exemption later that same year. It has since
remained the sole "Satanic" religious institution possessing these
legal credentials.
THE TEMPLE OF SET AND SATANISM
Q1: WHAT IS "SATANISM"?
A1: Satanism is the belief in the existence of Satan as a sentient
being or spirit in the universe, and the worship of Satan and
obedience to his perceived principles, standards, and goals. As
Satan is defined as a metaphysical being - Devil or Archangel, such
belief in him constitutes a religion rather than a rational philosophy
or ideology.
Q2: CAN ONE BE A SATANIST WITHOUT BELIEVING IN
THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN?
A2: Not if words are to have their generally-accepted meanings. A
Satanist is one who believes in Satan, just as a Christian is one
who believes in Jesus Christ, a Buddhist one who believes in the
Buddha, and a Muslim one who believes in Mohammed. A person
who professes to be a "Satanist" but who denies the existence of
Satan is simply using the title for ulterior motives such as personal
glamorization or commercial exploitation. If that person denies the
existence of all metaphysical beings, he is by definition an atheist,
not a Satanist. If he professes to believe sometimes and not others,
when it may suit his convenience, he is a hypocrite.
Q3: IF THE TEMPLE OF SET DOES NOT BELIEVE IN
JUDAEO/CHRISTIAN/ISLAMIC MYTHOLOGY, WHY DOES IT
CALL ITSELF A "SATANIC" RELIGION?
A3: For the last two thousand years most of the social cultures in
which the Temple currently exists have been dominated by one or
more branches of Judaeo/Christianity. This influence is far more
pervasive than most people consciously realize, extending into
these societies' most basic assumptions about group & individual
relationships, law, justice, ethics, social mores, family units,
cosmology, and metaphysics. It is easy to not be a member of a
Christian church, or to call oneself a non-Christian; it is far more
difficult to escape from J/C social conditioning.
Within this climate many of the aspects of Set are symbolized in
religious imagery by the *positive* attributes of the J/C Satan.
While Judaism, Christianity, and Islam created their "Satan"
distortion of the Set _neter_ of ancient Egypt in order to fashion an
"evil scarecrow" to intimidate and control their societies, they could
not help endowing "Satan" with such Setian attributes as
independence, creativity, honesty, artistry, and intellectual genius -
as these *same* attributes, except in severely controlled and
approved forms, are "sins against God" in J/C/I culture.
Therefore many persons of Setian disposition and potential first
became aware of their true nature through an unusual interest in
and attraction to "Satan" and Satanic imagery. [This was the case of
the Temple of Set as a whole, which from 1966 to 1975 - as the
Church of Satan - was exploring the Left-Hand Path from within
J/C terminology.] Hence it is sometimes necessary to use the
"Satanic" metaphor to initially communicate with J/C-socialized
individuals concerning the Setian interests and capabilities they are
otherwise incapable of expressing. Once such persons understand a
little more what they are actually awakening in themselves, they are
more easily able to recognize and jettison the entire cage of J/C
reference- points, then enter a much larger universe of thought and
being as Setians.
THE CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT
In the United States the 1960-70s CE, despite [and in part because
of] periodical psychopolitical strains such as the Vietnam War,
generally represented a period of flourishing liberalism and
freedom in personal affairs. Exploration and innovation were
tolerated and encouraged in society. It was a time of breakthroughs
in civil rights; of increased respect for racial, ethnic, sexual, and
religious groups. There was controversy; but on the whole it was
constructive and progressive in tone. By the end of the 1970s,
despite continued growing pains, Western culture appeared to have
moved decisively into the utopian "Age of Aquarius".
The 1980s, however, heralded a sharp and surprising reversal of
this climate into conservatism and intolerance. The most primitive,
fundamentalist branches of Christianity gained converts and sought
political power. And controversial minority groups were assaulted
with fresh waves of discrimination and repression.
Nowhere did this "new Inquisition" strike more directly than at
"New Age" religions in general and at Satanism in particular.
Invoking the same despicable tactics that their predecessors used
over the centuries against alternative creeds, fundamentalists now
began to disseminate hate-propaganda accusing "Satanism" of the
most hideous crimes imaginable: human & animal sacrifice,
cannibalism, the kidnapping/sexual abuse/murder of children. That
none of this was in the least true mattered not at all to the accusers.
If the Big Lie could be repeated loudly & often enough, it would
catch hold. Suddenly it became dangerous to be an avowed Satanist
in communities infected with anti-Satanic hysteria. The witch-hunt
eventually spread to several other countries as well, among them the
United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and
Germany.
Why should the same post-World War II generation that had grown
up in the open atmosphere of the 60s-70s tolerate, even encourage a
relapse into the brutish hatreds and persecutions of the Middle
Ages? Perhaps for the very reason that it was a generation
unprepared for what might be termed humanity's "religious
impulse". During the 60s-70s religion was generally dismissed as
something quaint and obsolete: superstition embarrassing to an age
of science, computers, and Project Apollo. "God was dead", and
Christianity was invoked merely as an excuse for Christmas revelry
and other entertainments (such as _Jesus Christ Superstar_ & the
"Jesus Freak revolution" of 1970). Even the formation of the
Church of Satan in 1966 was somewhat anti-climactic: It didn't
arise in response to a "threatening" Christianity - for Christianity
already appeared to be a dead horse. The carcass was there to be
kicked around a bit for the sake of theatre, but there was no
expectation that it had any energy left to get up and kick back.
The "religious impulse" proved to be important to both Satanists
and non-Satanists. In the case of Satanists it brought about an
increasing interest in exploring the "human equation" and the
metaphysical and psychological roots of the great Satanic/psyche-
centered philosophies of history. Even had Anton LaVey not
provoked the crisis of 1975, it is clear that the evolution of Church
of Satan into something like the Temple of Set - a completely non-
Christianized, positive "high Satanism" - would have proceeded
inexorably.
Non-Satanists, meanwhile, found themselves adrift in a society
whose Judaeo/Christian moral values had disintegrated into
materialistic hypocrisy. In such an "arid wilderness of steel and
stone", there arose a longing for "something/anything spiritual" -
and the remnants of Christianity were there to offer the appropriate
opium after various "New Age" fantasies had been tried and found
to be wanting.
In the 1980s, however, there was a difference in Christian
evangelism. The new herd of converts had *not* received a gradual
education enabling it to see Christianity in at least some historical
context. Rather it perceived Christianity as a completely novel
experience - and so it was far more vulnerable to Christian
propaganda than the previous, more worldly generation had been.
The result was an eruption in the 1980s of a fundamentalism as
mindless and brutish as that of the Middle Ages. Now, as before, it
needed a scarecrow - and "Satanism" was a word with an
appropriately scary sound. Christian fanatics who knew [and cared]
nothing whatever about *actual* Satanism suddenly embarked
upon passionate [and financially profitable] campaigns brandishing
the scarecrow before credulous followers.
Complicating the situation was the perennial impulse among
alienated youth and antisocial elements to deliberately shock
society by flaunting its bogymen. If prudish elements of the
community were going to terrify themselves with "scarecrow
Satanism", then Heavy Metal rock music would affect this same
image, as would the occasional psychotic criminal and teenage
gang. Fundamentalists happily showcased such aberrations as
"proof" of the scarecrow's existence.
The Temple of Set, now the world's preeminent Satanic religious
institution, found itself in the awkward position of having not only
to defend authentic Satanism against the shrill screams of the
scarecrow-merchants, but also to reject superficial glorification of
the scarecrow that would return Satanism's image to nothing more
than anti-Christian "Devil worship". Both challenges have been
addressed, but not without the cost of time and energy drained from
the Temple's own magical and philosophical interests.
In the 1990s the initial danger has been largely averted. We have
been able to establish the truth about Satanism sufficiently to
expose the falsehoods of the scarecrow-merchants in all but the
most ignorant backwaters of society. That same society, however,
continues to flail about for the moral anchor that the large mass-
religions claim to offer. Christianity's strength lies today, as
throughout its history, in the *absence* of intellectual education
and mental effort which it demands of its sheep. It has also become
quite accomplished at exploiting humanity's fear of death, sexual
neuroses, and other irrational hatreds and insecurities.
This is therefore a time of challenge for the Temple of Set. Our
philosophy has never been more sophisticated, yet we pursue it in
the midst of a confused, superficial, and paranoid social
environment. It is not the task of the Temple of Set to be a "savior
of the masses" - but rather to encourage suitable individuals to
apprehend and attain their own divinity. The wisdom with which
our Initiates exercise this divinity may well determine whether
humanity advances to the stars - or succumbs to the entropy of the
universe as one more inconsequential curiosity of nature.
THE SETIAN PHILOSOPHY
Since movements dedicated to the Prince of Darkness have been so
ill-tolerated by the masses of humanity wherever and whenever they
have appeared, why have they survived at all? Why do they
continue to exercise such uncanny attraction, and why now should
you consider approaching this particular one?
The appeal of occultism is much the same as that of conventional
religion: Logical positivism and scientific materialism, though they
have made great strides towards explaining the "how" of existence,
have failed entirely to explain the "why". Hence the curious seek
answers in metaphysical philosophy or religion. Metaphysical
philosophy requires a logical base from which various suprarational
principles are induced. Conventional religion is the simplification
of such a philosophy into a crude ideology, which adherents need
not understand, but only accept as an act of blind faith.
Conventional religions, with their colorful mythologies analyzed in
terms of the underlying philosophical principles, represent simply
the primitive longing of man to feel "at one" with the Universal
harmony he perceives about him. "White" magic, as advocated by
primitive pagan and modern institutional religions, offers devotees
the illusion of "re-inclusion" in the Universal scheme of things
through various ritualistic devotions and superstitions.
The Black Magician, on the other hand, rejects both the desirability
of union with the Universe and any self-deceptive antics designed
to create such an illusion. He has considered the existence of the
individual psyche - the "core you" of your conscious intelligence -
and has taken satisfaction from its existence as something unlike
anything else in the Universe. The Black Magician desires this
psyche to live, to experience, and to continue. He does not wish to
die - or to lose his consciousness and identity in a larger, Universal
consciousness [assuming that such exists]. He wants to be. This
decision in favor of individual existence is the first premise of the
Temple of Set.
The second premise of the Temple is that the psychecentric
consciousness can evolve towards its own divinity through
deliberate exercise of the intelligence and Will, a process of
*becoming* or *coming into being* whose roots may be found in
the dialectic method expounded by Plato and the conscious
exaltation of the Will proposed by Nietzsche.
Ironically it is the very ease with which any individual can
apprehend and appreciate his or her personal psyche that has
frightened the many religions of the world which deny and oppose
the power of that psyche. Clothed though they may be in riches,
ritual, and respectability, they always have been and remain
obsessed with the suppressed knowledge of their own essential
falsehood. They endeavor to distract attention from this by
sponsoring shows of mind-numbing drugs, mantras, masses,
privations, entertainments, and penances to coax or cow their
flocks of adherents into a confused, apprehensive, but trusting state
of faith and automatic obedience. They shudder with horror at the
psyche; they paint it red and add horns, cloven hooves, and a
forked tail to dramatize how "dangerous" it is. Yet they can never
escape it or defeat it, because they have never really succeeded in
opposing themselves to it - merely in distorting and perverting it.
How could they destroy something which, in the final analysis, is
the conscious self of every human being?
The "worship" of Set is thus the "worship" of individualism. In the
Church of Satan this was taken to mean *indulgence* in all [legal]
desires of the body and ego. Since many such desires are impulsive
and destructive, the Church found itself in the awkward position of
_de facto_ endorsing many practices which were degrading rather
than exalting, and which simply accelerated the tensions resulting
in the eventual crisis of 1975.
The Temple of Set determined to preserve the principle of
individualism, but to add to it the evolutionary "higher self"
aspirations of Aleister Crowley's pre-O.T.O. philosophy of
_Thelema_. Glorification of the ego is not enough; it is the
complete psyche - the entire self or soul - which must be
recognized, appreciated, and actualized. The process by which this
exaltation of the psyche is sought is called by the name _Xeper_
[pronounced "Kheffer"; it is the Egyptian hieroglyphic term for "to
become" or "to come into being"].
The means by which Setians seek to _Xeper_ are many. As a matter
of principle the Temple declines to standardize its approach to
Initiates. Each may pursue topics of greatest personal interest with
whatever emphasis and at whatever rate desired. The Temple seeks
merely to be a forum for Setians to communicate and cooperate
with one another constructively and courteously. Many ideas and
philosophies are discussed within it, but such discussion does not
constitute the dictation of dogma.
Indeed dogma - to include fixed ideology in any form - is repugnant
to the Temple. We strive rather towards an atmosphere of "best
possible premises", which are always subject to constructive,
intelligent examination and criticism. That same atmosphere is
Socratic, however, in that foolish, pretentious, or destructive
egotism under the guise of exploration is neither respected nor
endured.
While it is obvious that Setians have more than enough interests to
occupy an organization with many times our membership and
resources on a full-time basis, the Temple of Set is not intended to
consume the energies or lifestyles of its Initiates. Since a truly
Adept magician must interact constructively and comfortably with
conventional society, encouragement of monastic isolation within
Temple circles would be counterproductive to personal
development and even constrictive of the flexibility necessary to the
entire Temple. Setians are accordingly advised to pursue as wide a
variety of secular interests as possible, and to let Setian philosophy
apply to them only as appropriate.
SETIAN MAGIC
Setian initiation includes the study and practice of Setian magic,
traditionally termed "Black Magic" - not because it is "evil" but
because it is consciously controlled by the magician rather than
unconsciously controlling him.
The Temple of Set will help you to understand just what magic is -
and indeed there are several types of magic to be learned and
distinguished. But as magic enables you to influence or change
events in ways not understood nor anticipated by society, before
you put it to use you must first develop a sound and sophisticated
appreciation for the ethics governing your own motives, decisions,
and actions. Merely using magic for impulsive, trivial, or egoistic
desires is not Setian. It must become second-nature to you to
carefully preevaluate the consequences of what you wish to do -
then choose the course of wisdom, justice, and creative
improvement.
STRUCTURE AND OPERATION
The deliberately individualistic atmosphere of the Temple of Set is
not easily conducive to group activities on a routine or programmed
basis. There are no congregations of docile "followers" - only
cooperative philosophers and magicians.
Executive authority in the Temple is held by the Council of Nine,
which appoints both the High Priest of Set and the Executive
Director. Initiates are Recognized according to six degrees: Setian
I*, Adept II*, Priest or Priestess of Set III*, Magister/Magistra
Templi IV*, Magus/Maga V*, & Ipsissimus/Ipsissima VI*.
Recognition as an Adept II* constitutes certification by the Temple
that one has in fact mastered and successfully applied the essential
principles of Black Magic. The bulk of Temple systems are geared
to attainment of and subsequent support for the II*, and that is the
level of affiliation which most Setians will maintain. It is
understood that this is an organizational principle, as each Adept's
magical and philosophical evolution will continue as he or she
continues to energize and actualize it.
The III*-VI* are properly seen not as further benchmarks of
individual attainment, but as specialized religious offices conferred
by Set alone, and Recognized within the Temple according to his
Will.
The design, care, and operation of the Temple are entrusted by Set
to the Priesthood. All Initiates of the Priesthood are originally
highly-qualified Adepts in the Black Arts. Most of your contact
with them will be in this context. Because they are responsible for
the integrity of the Temple as a whole, however, they have the
authority both to evaluate and Recognize Initiates' competence and,
if necessary, to suspend or expel individuals who have proven
themselves incapable of maintaining Setian standards of dignity
and excellence. The Priesthood takes all of these responsibilities
extremely seriously, since it regards its name literally and its trust
as sacred. In this respect it stands significantly apart from
conventional religious clergy, who _de facto_ consider their
"priesthoods" as social professions and their deities as mere
symbols and metaphors for their institutional or personal
exploitation.
The knowledge of the Temple of Set is made available through four
principal avenues: an extensive reading list of published works in
twenty-four specialized fields; the newsletter _Scroll of Set_, the
publications of the Temple's various specialized Orders; and the
series of encyclopaedias entitled the _Jeweled Tablets of Set_. The
contents of the _Scroll_ and the Order periodicals are time-dated,
of course, but those of the _Tablets_ change periodically as ideas
are advanced, improved, or disproved; or as they become more or
less relevant to the Temple's areas of concern. The _Scroll_, Order
newsletters, and _Tablets_ are reproduced simply and
inexpensively [similar to this letter] to preclude excessive
membership expenditure for frequently-revised publications.
Because of the non-group-oriented design of the Temple, many
Initiates are geographically distant from one another. This
necessitates an organizational design geared more towards services
to the individual than to localized "congregations". Recognizing the
value - and fellowship - of a seminar environment, however, the
Temple provides for "Pylons" (named after the unique gates of
ancient Egyptian temples). Pylons are often geographically
localized, but some are "correspondence" Pylons with global
membership and interaction. While each Pylon is under the trust
and responsibility of a II*+ Sentinel, they are emphatically not
"leader/follower congregations", but rather cooperative and
interactive forums for individual Initiates. Each new Setian is
expected to affiliate with at least one Pylon within a year of
admission to the Temple and Recognition to the II* will normally
be recommended and/or formalized by that Pylon.
Individuals admitted to the Temple are provided with a personal
copy of the _Crystal Tablet of Set_, which contains a wide range of
organizational, philosophical, and magical information pertinent to
qualification as an Adept. There is a two-year time-limit for each
new Setian to qualify for Adept Recognition. If such Recognition is
not received by that time, affiliation is cancelled.
The Orders of the Temple are entirely different in concept and
operation from its Pylons. Each Order specializes in one or more
particular fields of the magical arts and sciences. Such a
specialization may be transcultural or oriented to a specific
geographic area, time-period, or conceptual tradition. Within one
year after II* Recognition, each Adept is expected to affiliate with
an Order reflective of his or her personal interests and aptitudes.
The collective knowledge of all of the Orders is available to the
Temple membership generally.
Setians may also communicate with one another by means of a
regularly-updated InterCommunication Roster, contained in the
_Crystal Tablet_, and periodic Conclaves are scheduled on a
regional, national, and international basis.
A recent addition to the Temple's structure is Glinda, a computer
database and bulletin-board system accessible by Setians only.
Besides offering a means for electronic mail and conferencing,
Glinda serves as a repository for a constantly growing library of
Temple documents which Setians can download at their
convenience.
Personal affiliation with the Temple is kept confidential; your
admission is known only to the Priesthood. If you desire to meet
other Setians, you may do so under a magical name if desired. In
summary, you may apply the services and systems of the Temple as
you wish, and as you deem most complementary to your _Xeper_;
otherwise they will not intrude upon you.
AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION
Regretfully there still exist some individuals whose idea of
"Satanism" is largely a simple-minded synthesis of Christian
propaganda and Hollywood horror movies. The Temple of Set
enjoys the colorful legacy of the Black Arts, and we use many
forms of historical Satanic imagery for our artistic stimulation and
pleasure. But we have not found that any interest or activity which
an enlightened, mature intellect would regard as undignified,
sadistic, criminal, or depraved is desirable, much less essential to
our work.
The Temple of Set is an evolutionary product of human experience.
Such experience includes the magical and philosophical work of
many occult individuals and organizations which have preceded us.
Some of these were socially acceptable by contemporary or modern
standards; others were not. Some made brilliant discoveries in one
field of interest while blighting their reputations with shocking
excesses or tragic failures in others. In examining the secret and
suppressed corners of history for valuable and useful material, the
Temple insists upon ethical presentation and use of such
discoveries as it makes. Setians who are in any doubt as to the
ethics involved in any of the fields which we explore should seek
counsel from the Priesthood. All Setians are further expected to
display a high measure of maturity and common sense in this area.
The Black Arts are *dangerous* in the same way that working with
volatile chemicals is dangerous. This is most emphatically *not* a
field for unstable, immature, or otherwise emotionally or
intellectually weak-minded people. Such are a hazard to themselves
and to others with whom they come into contact. The Temple
endeavors to not admit them to begin with. If such an individual
should gain admittance and later be exposed, he will be summarily
expelled. In cases of doubt the Temple may be expected to place
the burden of proof on the individual, for the sake of all Setians
and the Temple's integrity.
The Temple of Set evaluates conventional religions as erroneous in
principle and therefore unworthy of peer status. We feel no need to
concern ourselves with their activities, or for that matter to maintain
any sort of "diplomatic relations" with them [as in councils of
churches]. Our position is that they may serve a useful social
function as purveyors of soothing myths and fantasies to humans
unable to attain Setian levels of self-consciousness. Hence we
ignore conventional religious organizations unless they intrude
upon our affairs.
These warnings are not intended to be oppressive or intimidating,
but they should be taken seriously. The Temple is a forum for the
investigation of many subjects which conventional society finds
odd, mysterious, and even extremely frightening. The Temple will
be tolerated only to the extent that it is known to be pursuing its
interests carefully, expertly, and responsibly. It occupies a delicate
position in a world which is largely unhappy with itself, and which
is ceaselessly searching for scapegoats. Hence the Temple must
take care to maintain its social balance with prudence and dignity.
AFFILIATION
The Church of Satan learned that there were many people who
wished to "visit", to "study", and to "observe" without the least
intention of a personal commitment. For many years the Church
endeavored to accommodate such dilettantes on the assumption
that, upon exposure to its philosophy, they would appreciate its
essential requirement for such a commitment. Once being in the
position to enjoy the "accessories" of the philosophy without
having to confront its core principle, however, such persons
continued to vampirize the Church indefinitely. They contributed
as little as they could, took as much as they could, and ultimately
constituted the single most destructive influence leading to the
Church's disintegration in 1975.
The Temple of Set has determined that it will not make the same
mistake. Its activities, publications, knowledge, and services are
reserved for those who affiliate with it, or on an individual-case
basis, for non-Setians who request assistance from the Temple that
we deem to be in our interests or in the interests of the community
as a whole. The First Degree (I*) of Temple affiliation is regarded
as a "status of mutual evaluation" wherein the Initiate and the
Temple can assess one another's merit from the standpoint of
minimum investment and involvement. If a I* Initiate should decide
that the Temple is not, after all, appropriate to his wants or needs,
he is welcome to depart with our good wishes for satisfaction
elsewhere.
Aspirants to the Temple should understand that it is not a club or
fraternal society whose principles may be collected along with
those of other social affiliations, occult or otherwise. Membership
in the Temple of Set beyond the I* precludes membership in any
other religious organization.
Members or former members of non-religious occult organizations
should understand that within the Temple of Set they will be
expected to respect and observe the Temple's protocol, and that
literature and other information from the Temple is not to be passed
to non-Temple individuals or organizations without prior approval
of the Priesthood. If the Temple of Set can assist other deserving
organizations or individuals on occasion, it will be pleased to do
so. But it must exercise reasonable care over the Temple materials
that are made available - both so that our own Initiates may enjoy
the fruits of their honest labor [and that of their predecessors] and
so that the Temple of Set may continue to enjoy its exclusive
reputation for excellence in the disciplines it has pioneered.
Should you have questions which are reasonably pertinent to your
serious consideration whether or not to apply for admission to the
Temple, you are welcome to address them to the Executive Director
of the Temple. If you wish to apply for admission as a Setian I*,
there are two avenues of approach available to you:
(1) If you are in contact with a Priest or Priestess of Set, you may
request him or her to sponsor your application. In that case you
may send a letter to the Executive Director mentioning this
sponsorship. With your letter enclose a check, money order, or
credit card authorization for US$65 (US$75 for overseas
applicants), payable to Temple of Set. [Please note that this amount
must be in U.S. dollars, either drawn on a U.S. bank or as an
international money order *only*. Or it may be charged to a Visa or
MasterCard *only*.] If Priesthood sponsorship is verified, approval
is automatic.
*Important note*: If you are admitted, and if you are an overseas
resident, your admission packet will be sent to you by surface mail.
Depending upon the destination, this can take as long as two
months. If you wish the packet sent via air mail, your application
fee should be for the amount of US$105 to cover the extra air mail
postage.
(2) If you are not known to a member of the Priesthood, write a
letter to the Executive Director introducing yourself, summarizing
whatever aspects of your background you feel to be relevant, and
stating your reasons for deciding to seek entrance into the Temple.
Enclose the admission fee/card authorization. The Temple will
make a decision and respond to you accordingly. If necessary you
will be asked for additional information. Should your application
not be approved for any reason, the fee will be refunded. Persons
applying for admission via this procedure should be as objective
and candid as possible in their self-assessment. There is no point in
misleading the Temple concerning one's suitability for admission,
which will only result sooner or later in the truth coming to light -
with the consequent waste of both the individual's and the Temple's
time. If there are crucial areas of possible incompatibility, it is
incumbent on the applicant to identify them before affiliation so
that they may be addressed and, if possible, resolved.
Whichever method you apply through, please be certain to include:
(1) Your full legal name [no pseudonyms] and sex. (2) Your
complete mailing address. (3) Internet (electronic mail) address if
you have one. (4) Daytime and evening telephone numbers. (5)
Date of birth. (6) Present organizational affiliations. (7)
Visa/Mastercard authorization below if you use either card.
Annual renewal fee for all Initiates is US$60 (US$65 overseas).
[The first year is pro-rated from the month of your entry.] These
fees are designed, as is the admissions fee, to cover the cost of
mailings to you and the administration of the Temple. As a matter
of policy the Temple is not designed to make a profit on its
operations, and its assets are used exclusively for benefits to its
Initiates as a whole. There are no other regular or recurring fees,
save that Orders and Pylons may set reasonable charges for their
newsletters or other time/effort services. Special publications of the
Temple and events scheduled by the Temple are customarily made
available on a non-profit basis to Initiates who are interested.
The only physical requirement for admission is that the aspirant be
at least 18 years of age. Those below the age of 18 may not visit
Temple functions, ceremonial or otherwise, whether or not they are
relatives of Initiates. The Temple has no programs for children. It is
our position that children and adolescents should not be
indoctrinated into the assumptions and prescriptions of *any*
suprarational system, whether it be our own philosophy or the
faiths and superstitions of conventional religions. Rather their
youthful years should be a time of *exclusively rational* training
and education, giving them a sound and meaningful basis by which,
as adults, they may consider and choose whatever philosophy or
faith seems most meaningful to them.
If your application is approved, you will receive notification from
the Executive Director's office, together with membership
identification, certificate, copy of the _Crystal Tablet of Set_
[including the current reading list & intercommunication roster,
most recent issues of the _Scroll of Set_ and Order publications [as
determined by the Order Grand Masters], and Setian I* pendant
medallion.
Then the initiative is yours. The Temple of Set is designed to assist
you in the ways we have found to be the most practical, productive,
and factually accurate. But, as helpful as the Temple may be, and as
proud of it as we are, it is nevertheless properly understood as a
*tool*. *You* are the one who must put that tool to use in a way
that will enable you to _Xeper_. Such is the Word of the AEon of
Set.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To: The Temple of Set
I hereby authorize my application fee of US$ _________ to be
charged to my:
Visa [ ]
MasterCard [ ]
Card Number: _________________________ Expiration date: ___________
Signature: _________________________ Application date: __________
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