Ordo Templi Orientis
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Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) is an occult organization and is described by many as a secret society.
O.T.O. is also known as the 'Order of the Temple of the East', or the 'Order of Oriental Templars.'
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The Beginnings
The O.T.O. was founded in Germany by Theodor Reuss around 1900, in order to bring under a unified system the great number of Masonic and occult systems for which Reuss claimed authority. These included the Cerneau Scottish Rite, the Rites of Memphis and Mizraim, the Swedenborg Rite of Freemasonry, various Martinist lineages and Gnostic bishoprics, as well as certain sexual teachings attributed to Carl Kellner.
O.T.O. and Aleister Crowley
In 1910 or 1911 Aleister Crowley entered the O.T.O. by admission of Theodor Reuss and in 1912 he was appointed head of the Order in the English speaking countries.
It is primarily known because of its links with the occultist Aleister Crowley. Although several leaders have contributed to the Order's development, Crowley's contributions have been the central influence, especially regarding the Order's acceptance and integration of the Law of Thelema.
Crowley wrote that Theodor Reuss suffered a stroke in the Spring of 1920. In correspondence with one of his officers, Crowley expressed doubts about Reuss's competence to remain in office. Relations between Reuss and Crowley began to deteriorate. In a letter to H. Spencer Lewis, Reuss claimed that Crowley had been expelled from the Order and forbidden to use its name in October 25 1921.
Crowley never acknowledged receiving an expulsion notice from Reuss, although the two exchanged angry letters in November of 1921. Crowley informed Reuss that he was availing himself of Reuss's abdication from office and proclaiming himself the Outer Head of the Order. Reuss died on October 28 1923. Crowley claimed in later correspondence that Reuss had designated him as his successor.
After Crowley's death he was succeeded as "Outer Head" of O.T.O. by Karl Germer, who died in 1962 without naming a successor.
Schisms in the O.T.O. after Germer
Several competing factions currently claim to be the legitmate heirs to Aleister Crowley and style themselves as the O.T.O.
Supporters of these factions dispute each others claims and have created a schism within the Thelemic community. To differentiate between the competing O.T.O. factions occultists use the terms 'Caliphate' to refer to the O.T.O. claiming legitimacy from Grady McMurtry and 'Typhonian' to refer to the O.T.O. claiming legitimacy from Kenneth Grant. The use of these terms here is purely for clarification.
Under Germer, O.T.O. activity dropped to near extinction. After Gemer's death, in the void of activity, a few past members tried to claim mastery of O.T.O. The three most notable were Kenneth Grant, who had been expelled from the Order by Germer, Marcelo Ramos Motta (1931-1987) although there is no record of him ever having been initiated into O.T.O., and the American Occultist Grady McMurtry. McMurtry held a letter from Crowley giving him emergency powers of authority in case Germer did not name a successor. The legitimacy of this letter dating to the 1940's is disputed by some. However, based on the existing evidence, the U.S. Courts ruled in favor of McMurtry's 'Caliphate' O.T.O. in 1985. Therefore the 'Caliphate' O.T.O. is able to state that they are the legally recognized O.T.O. in the U.S.A.—and with a 2003 victory in the English courts, in Britain as well. There are currently no other court cases in other countries.
Using the authorization letter granted to him by Crowley, McMurtry claimed the succession of O.T.O. in 1969. In 1977, McMurtry held O.T.O. initiations for the first time in Berkeley, California, and began a group there. O.T.O. was incorporated under the laws of the State of California on March 26th, 1979. The corporation attained Federal Tax exemption as a religious entity under IRS Code 501(c)3 in 1982. Since McMurtry's death it has been run by its present Frater Superior, Hymenaeus Beta (William Breeze).
It has a federally recognised tax-exempt status in the USA under IRS section 501c(3). It also has California charitable corporation status. It claims over 4000 members in 58 countries.
O.T.O. International Headquarters are located in:
- New York, New York, USA (Frater Superior)
- Berlin, Germany (Secretary-General)
- Artois, California, USA (Treasurer General)
(Source: [1])
The US Grand Lodge is the governing body of O.T.O. in the United States of America. The U.S. National Grand Master is Fr. Sabazius X°, who was appointed in 1996.
O.T.O. has local bodies in many countries, designated as:
Camps These are the smallest organizational bodies and do not perform initiations. They are also called Encampments.
Oases (singular: Oasis) are larger than Camps but do perform initiations up to the III° degree.
Lodges are larger than Oases and perform initiations through the IV° or P.'.I.'. degrees.
Chapters perform the invitation-only V° initiations. Unlike Camps, Oases, and Lodges they are not approachable by members of the general public.
The Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica is the ecclesiastical arm of O.T.O. It is charged with overseeing the Order's sacramental rites, the most important of which is Liber XV, also called The Gnostic Mass, considered to be the 'central ritual' of the Order. It also performs baptisms, confirmations (to the laity), and ordinations (to the deaconate, priesthood, and episcopate).
Philosophy of O.T.O.
O.T.O. was described by Crowley as the "first of the great Old Æon orders to accept The Book of the Law".
The Book of the Law was written by Aleister Crowley in 1904. Crowley described the book as "received". This, in Occultism, is supposed to mean that it was transmitted to him by some spiritual entity via occult means. The mission of O.T.O. is to promote the law of Thelema that this spiritual entity transmitted, which is summed up in the phrases, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" and "Love is the law, love under will." The object of every Thelemite is to learn and perform their own unique True Will, which can be described as their deepest Nature and direction in life.
O.T.O. was originally affiliated with European masonic organisations, although Crowley eventually cut all formal ties with Freemasonry—largely because of the integration of the Law of Thelema and the Order's equal acceptance of women. Today, O.T.O. still uses some Masonic symbolism and terminology. Other claimants to the title, including the 'Typhonian' O.T.O., do not.
The primary goal of O.T.O. is to secure "the Liberty of the Individual and his or her advancement in Light, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, and Power through Beauty, Courage, and Wit, on the Foundation of Universal Brotherhood" [2].
Teachings
The teachings of O.T.O. include:
Opposing Views
Aleister Crowley and O.T.O. are considered as evil by many. The Greek Orthodox Church labels O.T.O. as a satanic organization. The various incarnations of the O.T.O. dispute this.
Some occultists, and Thelemites not associated with O.T.O., doubt O.T.O.'s validity as an order chartered by Aleister Crowley to continue his work. There are several other, much less numerically strong and outspoken claimants to this title including the British Occultist Kenneth Grant who claims to be the OHO (or Outer Head of the Order) of O.T.O. Occultists refer to Grant's O.T.O. as the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis to differentiate it from the 'Caliphate' O.T.O. Other rival claimants dispute the legitimacy of both orders.
In 2002, an ex-member writing under the pseudonym Satyr published on the web The Black Lodge of Santa Cruz, a detailed account of events from his viewpoint in the 'Caliphate' O.T.O. that cast it in a rather negative light.
See also
External links
- U.S. Grand Lodge of O.T.O.
- International Headquarters
- The Invisible Basilica of Sabazius: The personal website of Fr. Sabazius, Grand Master General, who is the leader of O.T.O. in USA.
- [3] The Ordo Templi Orientis Phenomenon, a large site that is rich in material and not OTO affiliated
- Survey of O.T.O. History with an Emphasis on Marin County, CA
- [4]
- The Typhonian OTO
