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O.T.O newsletter with stuff about Christians
December 1990 Thelema Lodge Calendar/Newsletter (December & January 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 December 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, downstairs)
Phones: TEMPLE PHONE: (415) 654-3580
Lodge Master: (415) 647-8147
Messages Only: (415) 454-5176
Compuserve: 72105,1351
Calendar events in the San Francisco Bay Area for December 1990 to January
1991 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:
12/1/90 Rite of Saturn (415) 654-3580
12/2/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/6/90 Rite of Jupiter (415) 654-3580
12/7/90 Initiations Workshop 0 Deg. 8 PM (415) 647-8147 Thelema Ldg
12/9/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/11/90 Rite of Mars (415) 654-3580
12/12/90 Class on Liber 777 with Bill 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/15/90 Initiations (415) 647-8147 Thelema Ldg
12/16/90 Rite of Sol (415) 654-3580
12/16/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/18/90 Magick Theater reads Crowley's (415) 654-3580 Magick Thea.
"Ali Sloper" 7:30 PM
12/20/90 Lodge of Perfection
12/21/90 Rite of Venus (415) 654-3580
12/21/90 Winter Solstice
12/23/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/23/90 Secret Meeting
12/26/90 Rite of Mercury (415) 654-3580
12/27/90 Magick Theater holds feast 7:30 for (415) 654-3580 Magick Thea.
"St." Henry Miller at Catacombs.
12/27/90 Thelema Lodge meeting 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/28/90 Initiations Workshop 1st Deg. 8 PM (415) 647-8147 Thelema Ldg
12/30/90 Capricorn Birth Day Party 4:18 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/30/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
12/31/90 Rite of Luna (415) 654-3580
1/4/90 Initiations Workshop 2nd Deg. 8PM (415) 647-8147 Thelema Ldg
1/5/90 The Rite of Earth (&King Cake Party) (415) 654-3580 Sirius Oasis
1/6/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
1/13/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
1/15/90 Magick Theatre to be announced (415) 654-3580 Magick Thea
1/16/90 Tarot # 1 with Bill 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
1/17/90 Lodge of Perfection LOP
1/18/90 Initiations Workshop 3rd Deg. 8PM (415) 647-8147 Thelema Ldg
1/20/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
1/23/90 Secret Meeting Thelema Ldg
1/27/90 Aquarius Birthday party 4:18 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
1/27/90 Gnostic Mass 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
1/31/90 Thelema Lodge Meeting 8 PM (415) 654-3580 Thelema Ldg
*************************************************************************
December 1990 is the Month of Eleusis
(with January selections)
"Rites '90" begins:
SATURN will be headed by Laura,and takes place December 1st. Leave a message
for Caitlin at 654-3580 if you want to be a Probationer.
JUPITER is December 6th - Michael and Marlene can be reached at 654-5801 for
info.
MARS comes to us from Bill on the 11th.
SOL is Nickolai's production, December 16th
VENUS and Winter Solstice are both December 21st; Casey will be Venus.
MERCURY will be at the Catacombs from John on the 26th - call for info: 658-
8783.
LUNA is New Year's Eve, with Ann.
EARTH is presented by Sirius Oasis on the 5th of January.
There will be no Rites at Thelema Lodge: but we can take messages for the
Gods at the Lodge #. (May we have some contact #'s, please?)
Masses: Every Sunday, 8 pm - at Thelema Lodge. The Rite Of Sol may change the
time of the Mass 12/16; but there are no Heresies yet planned.
Initiations: Workshops for Minerval and First Degree on the 7th and 28th at 8
pm, Horus Temple. Initiations December 15th; call Mordecai at 647-8147 for
information.
Meetings: Thelema Lodge meets 12/27 at 8 pm; the Lodge Of Perfection meets
December 20th.
Special one meeting presentation by Bill Heidrick: "Liber 777", how the
various tables and columns relate and how they do NOT relate. This is your
chance to find out the limits, rationale, sources and applications of most of
the entries in Crowley's Liber 777. 8 PM on 12/12/90 e.v. at the Lodge. Next
month a ten meeting series on Tarot will be offered by Bill --- starts with
one meeting in January on 1/16/90 e.v. and continues mostly at two meetings a
month until concluded.
Magick Theatre: The Feast of St. Henry Miller will be held on Thursday, Dec.
27, 1990 e.v. (the day after his birthday) at The Catacombs, starting
approximately 7:30 PM. Ample food, whisky and wine will be provided, &
readings from Miller's various works will be featured throughout the evening.
If you like beer (or mixers) bring your own. For info: The Catacombs, (415)
658-8783.
"Liber 418" readings continue - call Caitlin for the time of each particular
Aire. Most will be at the Lodge.
The Capricorn Birthday bash will be Sunday the 30th at 4:18 pm... pardon my
brevity, All - it's busy now, but I think we'll get Slack by January! -C-
*************************************************************************
From the Grady Project:
The Elfinwise
The daughters of Odin are Fey, my Lad,
The daughters of Odin are Fey.
The buxom daughters of Frey I've had
When the icy Arctic moon was mad
And the snow was cold and deep, my Lad,
In a land beyond the day.
Aye, in a land beyond the day, my Lad,
In a land beyond the day.
Where the Valkyr eyes are grey and sad
As they pace the windy terrace, clad
In a lace of steel and gold, my Lad!
And they hunger for their prey.
Aye, and they hunger for their prey, my Lad,
And they hunger for their prey.
Valhalla's grim display has had
No Viking strong to feed the mad
Hyrrockin Queen of Snow, my Lad,
For many a weary day.
--Grady L. McMurtry
May 7, 1942 e.v.
[previously published in The Oriflamme I:1 (Pasadena: Agape Lodge, February
1943 e.v.) and in The Grady Project #1 (Oakland: Thelema Lodge, October 1987
e.v.)]
*************************************************************************
"Liber 777" on the Cheap.
Copyright © 1979
Since we have a class on "Liber 777" this month, I thought I would resurrect
an article I wrote for the old "O.T.O. Newsletter" about eleven years ago. This
first appeared in the May 1978 e.v. double issue # 7-8. The issue is long out
of print, but some considerations are afoot to put the "Newsletter" into
computer format and possibly make it available again in photocopy. The "O.T.O.
Newsletter" was the precursor of the "Magical Link"; and it was in publication
until the last issue in 1980 e.v., # 10-11. The poor beasty died of obesity,
with the last issue going to 120 pages, including four-color cover. Much as I
liked doing it, that was a bit much for the press in the room behind my
kitchen. Hope you like it.
Notes on: "Liber 777"
Column XL on a small budget:
semi-precious stones
by Fr. AMTh
Many of us have wished to set gems into talismans and other devices in
correspondence to the Sephiroth. This is workable in most of the
correspondences listed in "777", Col. XL, but diamonds and a few other stones
are beyond the means of most of us. One can use chips, of course; but size
counts for much in workings of one kind or another. It is better to have a
stone that matches the working, is large enough to be seen and is not a
plastic or glass fake. With these ideas in mind, the following table of semi-
precious gems and minerals is offered. Notes follow to clarify the selections
and to provide instruction on the principle of magical signatures.
Key Number: Semi-precious stone or mineral:
1 Keter Milky Quartz (noncrystaline)
(or Quartz with gold inclusions).
2 Chokmah Mother of Pearl.
3 Binah Apache Tear (or other darkly transparent stone).
4 Chesed Blue Azurite.
5 Geburah Desert Rose (variation of hematite).
6 Tipheret Citrine.
7 Netzach Green Malachite.
8 Hod Cinnabar.
9 Yesod Moon stone.
10 Malkut Lava rock or basalt or granite.
11 Aleph Native Sulfur.
12 Bet Feather Agate or Tree Agate.
13 Gimmel Satin Spar.
14 Dalet Emerald Beryl.
15 Hay Red Serpentine.
16 Vau Brown Obsidian.
17 Zain Alexandrite (only the artificial variation of
carborundum).
18 Chet Amber.
19 Tet Cat's Eye.
20 Yod Peridot.
21 Koph Turquoise.
22 Lamed Lace Agate.
23 Mem Moss Agate.
24 Nun Aquamarine.
25 Samekh Flint.
26 Ayin Fluorescent Minerals.
27 Peh Blood Stone.
28 Tzaddi Rutilated Quartz.
29 Qof Fossils.
30 Resh Native Gold.
31 Shin Fire Opal.
32 Taw Granite or Basalt.
Notes:
#1. Milky Quartz is featureless white, a match to the white Brilliance of
Keter. Quartz with gold inclusions is white flecked Gold, also a color
symbol of Keter.
#2. Mother of Pearl is the color match of Chokmah.
#3. An Apache Tear is usually a small round stone of black hue. It transmits
a little light and gives a feeling of endless depth. This stone was
sacred to South-Western American Indians. The reference to Binah is by
color and mystical properties.
#4. Blue Azurite matches the blue of Chesed. This is a copper ore, and can
be used to link Netzach with Chesed --- definitely a right-pillar stone
for the Tree of Life.
#5. Desert Rose is a flower-like crystal of granular Hematite. it is dull
light russet in color and an iron ore. Thus, rose = 5; reddish = color
of Geburah, iron = metal of Geburah.
#6. Citrine is a yellow golden gem like a drop of honey, thus Tipheret, gold
and Sun.. In darker hues this is sometimes called honey topaz, and a
large stone of this type was used by Crowley for scrying in his "Liber
418" working. It is inexpensive, not like the rare true topaz. I picked
up a 90 karat cut stone for about $100 some years ago. Little ones go
for under $10 --- as do most entries in this list.
#7. Green Malachite is green in color and a Copper ore, thus Netzach.
#8. Cinnabar is reddish orange in color and an ore of Mercury, thus Hod.
#9. A Moon Stone is at first glance more for #13 and Gimmel than for #9 and
Yesod. This follows from the transcendent appearance of this gem. One
must not fall into the trap of thinking that one affinity determines
place forever. The Moon and Yesod match a stone with the appearance of
the Full phase of the Moon. While lesser gems might match the lower
place of Yesod, there are certain sexual mysteries of O.T.O. which
elevate this place. The Moon Stone in its white form is like a drop of
semen leavened with the White Eagle. Only through subsequent skilled
working can the gem be raised to #13. This is an affinity quite close to
that of Binah and Malkut as Mother and fallen Bride in ancient Qabalah.
In a real way, these "budget" versions of Column XL can be thought of as
Green Lion to the Precious Stones' Red Lion. Those who aim directly for
the top without treading the way up often squander magical force.
#10. Lava, basalt and granite are the bones of the Earth. These stones are
the prima matter of the physical world.
#11. Native Sulfur, not alchemical Sulfur, has an affinity to air and
therefore Aleph. Native Sulfur in crystalline form is yellow (Aleph) and
sublimates (turns into gas from the solid state).
#12. Feather Agate (also called Tree Agate), contains brilliant plumes of
color in a clear and colorless stone. These are like the forces
manipulated within the Magician by the art hidden within the letter Bet.
#13. Satin Spar is a stone that looks like a fall of crystalline rain. It is
a perfect depiction of the descending influence of the Moon.
#14. Emerald Beryl can be bought from a lapidary as an opaque crystal for $8
to $20. It is the green gem of Venus.
#15. Red serpentine has a muted red, for Hay, and is chemically like asbestos
to protect against fire.
#16. Brown Obsidian is often ribboned in black. If all the surface of the
earth were melted, this stuff would result. Vau is union.
#17. Alexandrite (artificial variation of carborundum, not natural
Alexandrite; the natural stone is fully on a par with the finest diamonds
in cost): For Zain, Gemini, this artificial stone is an easy
correspondence. The natural stone has some optical properties not to be
found in the artificial, but both natural and artificial produce a
reddish color in artificial light and a green one in daylight. This dual
coloring is the Gemini matching. The property is more extreme in the
artificial stone. In addition, the idea of art bettering nature has some
affinity to the path of Zain on the Tree of Life.
#18. Chet is color matched to Amber in the symbolic King Scale. This
substance is also used in the regular table XL. Amber may contain and
preserve objects within itself --- Cancer's facility of containment.
#19. The Cat's Eye simulates the eye of the serpent, Tet, and the eye of the
Lion, the Tet Beast of Tarot.
#20. Peridot is yellowish Green; a Virgo = Yod color in the King Scale.
#21. Turquoise has the color of Jupiter, and myth grants it the status of a
fallen part of the sky. This stone is sometimes used to protect or
measure the health of a person wearing it. Turquoise of a white-veiled
type changes its color at times, like the passage of a cloud upon the
mystical sky of its wearer. A strong case of #13 could also be made
here, for Turquoise or Lapis dust was the pigment used by the Egyptians
on the Stele of Revealing for the Body of Nuit. This was once blue, but
now is green. Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli gradually change to a variation
of malachite with exposure to air. Thus mystically, Nuit Virgin becomes
Nuit Mother. There is a strong feminine side to the God Jupiter, which
is often overlooked. Jupiter is the Sire of Dionysus, but also the
birthing Mother. Athena was born from the head of Zeus.
#22. Lace Agate shows a balance of chemical forces, thus Libra and Lamed.
#23. Moss Agate looks like an undersea view, thus Water and Mem.
#24. Aquamarine represents the mystical waters of re-birth in its color and
clarity. Scorpio and Nun also stress this.
#25. Flint is the stone of Arrows and therefore Sagittarius, Samekh. The
power of this stone to strike fire also applies to this path.
#26. Fluorescent Minervals, when exposed to the proper wavelengths of ultra-
violet light or black light, glow with "unnatural" colors. The
application to Ayin = Eye should be clear, especially when taken with the
King Scale color and the Devil Trump.
#27. Blood Stone is a dull black or green flecked with red, like blood
splattered on ebony. This stone is traditionally the talisman of storms,
earthquake, disaster, violence of all kinds and destroying sickness ---
either to cause or cure. The affinity to Peh as the letter of the Tower
Trump should be obvious.
#28. Rutilated Quartz is a stone shot through with perfect lines of bright
metallic crystal. The link to Tzaddi can be made in many ways, but the
clearest in my view is to Tzaddikim, the Perfect Watchers or Secret
Chiefs.
#29. Fossils show the course of evolution and therefore match the Moon Trump
and the path of Qof. In selecting a fossil, choose one that represents a
known evolutional line to the present living species. If from a
vertebrate, part of the back of the skull. Fossil bones and remains from
extinct Genera, like Saurians, are more correct to represent the Qlipot.
In that line, I have a nice Stegasaurous bone that I libate with beer or
wine at intervals. It keeps the beasty happy, and few lesser critters
care to bother the rest of such a ghost.
#30. Native Gold is the metal of the Sun.
#31. Fire Opal gleams with the root of mineral fire.
#32. Granite and Basalt apply here as they do for #10
In obtaining stones and minerals, never go to a jeweler. For that matter,
don't patronize a jeweler's stock anymore than you can avoid. The mark-up
above a Lapidary's retail price commonly exceeds TEN TIMES! In addition, a
jeweler's stone has been subjected to more haggling by far than a lapidary's.
There is less accumulated trash on a virgin, unset stone. Setting should be
done either at the direction of a practitioner of Magick or by the Magician.
While we are on the subject, there are some things to know about rare metals.
Never buy any substance described simply as "gold"; under the trade laws, this
is not true gold but an imitation yellow metal. Require "Gold Metal" and get
the alloy measure: 24K is nearly pure. 14K is a bit over half gold, but will
work better in almost all uses. Less than 10K is a bit unwise. Also, German
Silver hasn't a trace of true Silver, and Sterling Silver is an alloy of
Silver and other metals. Most finished pieces of true silver are plated with
a silver-like metal that resists sulfur in the air and from human skin. This
may or may not be desirable. Test the coating of a reputed silver object by
rubbing with egg yoke --- tarnish is the proper result. Gold can often be
tested with lemon juice and salt; most of the imitations will either brighten
quickly and tarnish after or show some sort of reaction. True Gold cannot be
harmed by any chemical product commonly found in the home. Obtain pure metals
and metal chains from Gold and Silver Dealers --- they are used to "small"
amount sales. Lapidaries also can supply these metals in smaller amounts and
at a slightly higher price, with materials for setting and casting sets.
Jewelers will charge $20 to $30 for a length of 10K chain that would cost $2
to $6 in 14K from a Gold Dealer. If hard up for gold, go to a liquor store
and buy Goldwasser. Filter out the flakes of 24K gold leaf and drink the
rest. Alternatively, drink the whole thing; finely divided gold is a mild
hallucinogenic drug.
--- TSG
*************************************************************************
Presenting a song lyric without the music, that is,
THE HALF LYRE:
JURGEN'S LOTION
Did you ever see a pride of lions go out hunting?
Did you see 'em springing out of the grass
like a cloud of white pigeons?
Like that time when you were a child
and you went out walking
As you plunged in a field of high grass
all the birds took wing
CHORUS:
And together we'll fly
together we'll fly
together we'll fly
into the night
Did you ever stick your hand in hive while the bees were swarming
and snatch out the honeycomb
and suck out the syrup?
Did you ever fly around the world
on a flock of white pigeons?
Did you ever see the serpents dance
in your wildest visions?
CHORUS
*************************************************************************
FROM THE OUT BASKET
Christian Intolerance.
It's the time of year when the "TLC" usually carries a seasonal topic. In
past issues we have taken a look at various aspects of Christianity: the
fiction of the Christ legend in the Gospels admixed with the stories of older
religions, the invention of the concept of the Christian Devil, the origin of
the Xmas tree, Blake's discords with Christianity; at other times the Blood
Libel, St. Valentine's day and such like. This topic is without end, but it
needs a focus for today. Perhaps the most deep failing of Christianity,
deeper by far than its loss of meaning, is Christian intolerance.
In the dawn of Christianity, this faith was a heresy of Judaism. A Rabbi
of the masses, one Joshua, a Nazarene preacher by the shore of the lake of
Tiberius, had raised up a following among the poor and the outcast. He died
at the hands of the State, a victim of the times and his imprudence. The
Apostles or immediate followers of this man continued in their way, and spread
this belief far and wide throughout the Roman World. It met with little
success among any but the poor at first. When Paul joined them the cultus
underwent an intellectualization. Philosophers and Gnostics took some slight
notice. Variations began to emerge. The Gnostic element held mainly that no
priests and priestesses should be made distinct from laity. These Gnostic
variations also included practices quite strange by popular modern opinion,
Sometimes including orgiastic worship and smearing of sexual secretions on
shrines and talismans. Other Mystery religions became inextricably mixed into
Christian practices. This is notably true of Mithraism, and when the Gospels
were fabricated in the second century the story of Mithras became so confused
with that of the Christ that no truth can be attributed to the Gospel story.
The life of Christ is as untrue as that of Robin Hood or King Arthur. There
was a human life behind each of these romances, but hardly anything of the
story fits the man.
Since those early days a great lot has happened to Christianity. In the
first century it was passive and largely vegetarian. The terrible stories of
martyrdom are as distorted as the Gospels themselves. There was little
concerted persecution by the Romans of the Christians. Mostly it came from
refusal by Christians to take an oath of allegiance to the Roman state. This
was done, as it is today in America, by taking a pledge to the welfare of the
state in the name of the deity. Christians generally abstained from joining
in public ceremonies and from espousing the dedicatory sacrifices to the gods
of Rome. Today, we say the "Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag", adding since
the time of President Eisenhower "under God". Some folk, notably Quakers,
refuse to take this pledge; and it is certain from his recorded sentiments
that Thomas Jefferson of "Declaration of Independence" fame would have refused
it. In recent time Americans have been subjected to persecution for this
omission, and a US Presidential election campaign had a theme based on this
intolerance. In Roman times, the early Christians were given a chance to
participate in a minor way in the public acts of sacrifice and allegiance as a
way of voiding strictures against them. Many accepted slight hypocrisy to
save their lives and property, as did the Mohammedans and Jews of 15th century
Spain during the persecutions then. It gives a bad taste and soils the sense
of honor, but it is less injurious to most than death. After all, "the truth
told to a fool is a lie". If a boor demands foolishness and threatens mayhem
if it is not done, humor the baboso! The invincibly ignorant cannot hear
noble sentiments contrary to their folly.
After Constantine and the 4th century, the waffling of Emperors about
toleration of the Christians came to an end. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries
there were various enactments and efforts. At some times Christian places of
worship were closed. At other times they were restored and reopened. Aside
from the vulgarity of the Roman Circus, there was little execution and that
mostly token. A presbyter here, a bishop there would be warned over a period
of months or years. On occasion this did reach the point of execution, but
only after considerable delay to permit flight and many opportunities to
perform simple acts of allegiance to mitigate the sentence. There were
greater persecutions after the ascension of Constantine, but they were of
Christians by Christians and of pagans by Christians. The Empire in the West
entered decline while that in the East lingered on until it was destroyed by
the Christians of the West in an aborted Crusade against Islam.
An ugly history, true enough, but where did the intolerance of modern
Christianity emerge? Is it inherent in the faith of Rabbi Joshua? I doubt
that very much. Admittedly, Joshua, the historical figure behind "Jesus
Christ" had no great interest in Gentiles. He could be polite to non-Jews,
but did not want them for followers. The Apostles took their time deciding to
preach to the Gentiles, but several of them eventually came to do it.
Certainly there was no persecution by Christians of non-Christians in the
early centuries. Only after the Roman State espoused Christianity were there
general persecutions of non-Christians, and they were not of the virulent
character we see later. One could hardly call them religious persecutions,
since they were political first and religious only by convenience. If some
group or distant potentate became a competitor, a spurious ground of religious
irregularity was got up to cover a naked power grab. Distasteful as it is,
such stuff is found in every culture. Western history and contemporary
politics is full of this sort of thing. It uses religion for propaganda and
discrimination, not as the ultimate basis of persecution in itself.
I submit that the intolerance of Christianity for other faiths has its
roots in the rise of the Holy Roman Empire and owes its essential form to the
13th century. After the decline of the West and the capitulation of the last
Emperor of Rome the old Roman provinces in Europe fell into anarchy. It has
been said that "In the course of the ninth and tenth centuries all the towns
of France were destroyed." --- Fr. Funck-Brentano, "The Middle Ages". The
rule of Charlemagne had come and gone. In its wake there was no central law.
Every hand was lifted against every other. The very coronation of Charlemagne
came out of terrible tribulations. Eginhard (d. 844 e.v.) recounts that
Charlemagne was created Emperor by Pope Leo in an act of desperation. The
Romans had rioted, seized upon the person of the Pope, plucked out this eyes
and cut out his tongue. Leo made Charlemagne the first Holy Roman Emperor to
establish a protector for his very life, such of it as was left to him! Over
the next few centuries the new Empire was formed and Pope competed with
Emperor for worldly sovereignty. Pope Nicholas I and Emperor Lothair, Gregory
VII and Henry IV, Hadrian and Frederick "Barbarossa" --- all contested in
tracts, bulls and armies for dominance. In the meantime Europe suffered under
the "lex talionis" and simple robbery. Finally, in the 11th century, Pope
Urban II made his speech at Clermont, calling for an end to Christians bashing
Christians and for the first Crusade against the "Infidel". The avowed
purposes were 1st, to get wealth from foreigners, 2nd to reduce local
butchery, 3rd to protect against further massacres like that upon Gunther's
pilgrimage to the Holy Land (1060's); and perhaps, just as an afterthought, to
take control of Jerusalem for religious reasons. Talk about an idea whose
time had come! Before long there were rich "Christian" monarchies dotted
about the Holy Land. Only subsequent Crusades marred the picture. The older,
established Crusaders resented the young bloods coming in from Europe. These
new arrivals tended to pick fights with local Moslems, thus upsetting the
comfortable arrangements of the old guard. The idea was to bash around a bit,
capture a town, set yourself up, maybe marry a local girl and make lucrative
peace with her well-to-do family. Trade improved from nothing to vast
proportions. Banking, legal incorporation, stock companies and such were born
in these times.
Soon life in Europe began to settle down. The Popes and Emperors were
still at odds, but most of the issues had either been settled or complicated
to the point that nobody could figure out how to get ultimate advantage by
simple anathema or brute force. Wars and edicts continued, but they were
mostly matters of leverage. With this increase of order came a need to
stabilize the situation. Pope Innocent III (1198-1216 e.v.) declared a
"crusade" against King John of England on an issue of election of high clergy
which ultimately resulted in political stalemate and ascendancy of the power
of the Pope. Among other concessions, John became the vassal of the Apostolic
See for the kingdoms of England and Ireland. The situation was reversed for a
while by Emperor Frederick II, "Stupor Mundi", in the 13th century, and the
temporal power of both Emperors and Popes began to wane from that time.
Material causes for intolerance had diminished to matters of temporary
advantage. Throughout this period many greater and lesser atrocities
occurred; a Cathar was burned to death in 1076 e.v. at Cambrai by a mob after
he was declared a heretic. The violence came less from the high potentates
than from the people and lesser nobility. Brutalized by centuries of
disorder, the masses cared little for the value of human life. The Church
before the inquisition usually contented itself with excommunication alone.
When this was done, the masses often considered themselves free to murder the
wealthy with impunity. In some instances the common people murdered bishops
and Abbots in retaliation against taxes by the ecclesiastical estates. The
1115 e.v. revolt of Laon, as recounted by Guilbert, was a notable example of
this.
Thomas Aquinas wrote his "Summa Theologica" in the 13th century, a vast
though uncompleted work intended in imitation of Aristotle as a perfect
compilation of Philosophy and Theology. A century before and a century after
this time saw many attempts to codify the mundane law, partly derived from
surviving compilations dating back to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. As the
Middle Ages drew to a close and the Renaissance began, the Church at Rome
combined Canon Law, Byzantine Law and the "Summa" of Aquinas into an edifice
of rigid Theocracy. The four Roman virtues were increased to seven through
the addition of the ecclesiastical virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity; and the
traditional five sacraments were increased to seven, including confession.
All questions of religious difference went to the "Summa Theologica" for final
determination of potential heresy. Abstential chastity was made mandatory for
clerics as a control on family influence. The ceremonies of worship became
more closely defined and variations were finally forbidden after a certain
scandal under Louis XIV some centuries later. Spain became nominally
Christian from border to border, and the Inquisition was formed to subject all
variance to the test of Aquinas. After the introduction of the printing
press, the sales of indulgences and other abuses induced Martin Luther and
other leaders of the Protestant Reformation to arise in rebellion against
these incursions. The doctrine of papal infallibility was brought forth very
recently in a desperate attempt to restore Papal domination. All this
resulted from an attempt to control chaos in ordinary life in the vacuum
created by the loss of Roman law. When one faction became dominant for a
time, all others were attacked without mercy to stave off decline of power.
Christian intolerance is the heritage of these centuries of disorder, not a
part of early Christian essential faith. A few years ago I happened to see a
documentary in which some Europeans were recounting their experience in a part
of Africa. The local people had experienced terrible war and famine in living
memory. All social order had dissolved. These travelers came upon an old
woman, naked and dying. Her own people ignored her, but the travelers were
moved to give her comfort in her last hours. The old woman began crying; and
when asked what was the matter, she said: "I remember when I was a little girl
and people took care of people." The centuries have done this to Christianity
as the years did it to the tribe of that old woman. We have an ancient legacy
of greed, cruelty and famine to overcome. Our old women died in rags long
ago. No one remains to remember the hand of gentle succor from the Golden Age
of Augustus. This hatred from of the dark ages must be banished, and with it
the sickness of intolerance.
Not much can be done in so little space on such a theme, but I hope I have
given some food for thought. Read Medieval History for the details. A cure
may take centuries, but understanding the origin of the evil is a first step.
"Love is the law, love under will."
--- TSG
*************************************************************************
December 1990 Thelema Lodge Calendar (December & January 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, downstairs)
Phones: Lodge Master: (415) 647-8147
Messages only: (415) 454-5176
Compuserve: 72105,1351
*************************************************************************
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