| ABOUT US | Information about the Ordo Templi Orientis |
The letters O.T.O. stand for Ordo Templi Orientis, the Order of Oriental Templars, or Order of the Temple of the East. O.T.O. is an Outer Thelemic Order which is dedicated to the high purpose of securing 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.
O.T.O. is the first of the great Old Aeon orders to accept The Book of the Law, received by Aleister Crowley in 1904 EV. This book proclaims a New Aeon in human thought, culture and religion. The Aeon arises from a single supreme injunction: the Law of Thelema, which is "Do what thou wilt.
This Law is not to be interpreted as a license to indulge every passing whim, but rather as the mandate to discover one's True Will and accomplish it; leaving others to do the same in their own unique ways. "Every man and every woman is a star." The Law of Thelema can ultimately be fulfilled only through the individual efforts of each person. Nevertheless, many worthy aspirants to the Great Work of Thelema have a genuine need for information, guidance, fellowship, or the opportunity to assist their fellow aspirants and serve humanity. Such aspirants will find welcome in O.T.O.
Theology and Essential Tenets of Thelema The following notes on Thelemic theology are based primarily on the writings of Aleister Crowley. These notes are not intended as interpretation or commentary on The Book of the Law outside the bounds of the Prophet's writings, nor do they represent a definitive statement of Thelemic belief. Thelema incorporates the idea of the cyclic evolution of Cultural Consciousness as well as of Personal Consciousness. History is considered to be divided into a series of "Aeons", each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own "formula" of redemption and advancement. The current Aeon is termed the Aeon of Horus. The previous Aeon was that of Osiris, and previous to that was the Aeon of Isis. The neolithic Aeon of Isis is considered to have been dominated by the Maternal idea of divinity, and its formula involved devotion to Mother Earth in return for the nourishment and shelter She provided. The Classical/Medieval Aeon of Osiris is considered to have been dominated by the Paternal Principle, and its formula was that of self-sacrifice and submission to the Father God. The modern Aeon of Horus is considered to be dominated by the Principle of the Child, the sovereign individual; and its formula is that of growth, in consciousness and love, toward self-realization.
According to Thelemic doctrine, the expression of Divine Law in the Aeon of Horus is "Do what thou wilt". This "Law of Thelema", as it is called, is not to be interpreted as a license to indulge every passing whim, but rather as the divine mandate to discover one's True Will or true purpose in life, and to accomplish it; leaving others to do the same in their own unique ways. The "acceptance" of the Law of Thelema is what defines a Thelemite; and the discovery and accomplishment of the True Will is the fundamental concern of all Thelemites. Achieving the "Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel" is considered an integral part of this process. The methods and practices to be employed in this process are numerous and varied; and are grouped together under the generalized term "Magick".
Not every Thelemite utilizes all the practices available, there is considerable room for each individual practitioner to choose practices which are suitable to his or her individual needs. Some of these practices are the same as, or similar to, the practices advocated by many of the great religions of the past and present; such as prayer, meditation, study of religious texts (those of Thelema and of other religions as well), chanting, symbolic and initiatory ritual, devotional exercises, self-discipline, etc. However, some of our practices have been traditionally associated with what has generally been known as "occultism"; i.e., astrology, divination, numerology, yoga, tantric alchemy, and discourse with "angels" or "spirits" are all taken by Thelemites as potentially effective means for obtaining spiritual insights into the nature of one's being and one's place in the universe; and for the fulfillment of such insights through harmonious, evolutionary works.
Thelema considers any action which is not directed toward the discovery and accomplishment of the True Will to be "black magic". This includes acts of interference with any other individual's lawful exercise of their right to discover and accomplish their own True Will. Thelemic doctrine holds that the disharmony and imbalance created by such actions results in a compensatory, equilibrating response from the universe; a doctrine similar to that of the Eastern conception of "Karma". Thelema has no direct parallel to the Judaeo-Christian concept of the devil or Satan; however, a pseudo-personification of confusion, distraction, illusion and egotistical ignorance is referred to by the name "Choronzon".
Characteristic Customs Nearly all Thelemites keep a record of their personal practices, and their progress therein, in a "Magical Diary". Most Thelemites also practice a particular form of prayer four times per day, which is specified in a book called Liber Resh vel Helios. Thelemites often take mystic names or "magical mottoes" for themselves as a sign of commitment; and customarily greet each other with the phrase, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"; to which the customary response is, "Love is the law, love under will". Sometimes these phrases are abbreviated by the simple statement of the number "ninety-three", which number signifies both "Will" and "Love" through a particular form of numerology of significance within Thelema.
Thelemic Organizations Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) is incorporated in the State of California as a not-for-profit religious organization with tax exemption in California and the United States under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. O.T.O. currently operates in 17 countries around the world and has approximately 3000 active members. Within the broad context of Thelema, O.T.O. functions as a fraternal, initiatory, social, and educational organization of a religious nature.
O.T.O. includes a specifically liturgical arm which is called Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (E.G.C.), the Gnostic Catholic Church, which was originally brought into relations with O.T.O. by Dr. Gerard Encausse (Papus) in 1908. The principal ritual of E.G.C. is called the Gnostic Mass. Membership in E.G.C. is available through baptism and confirmation. Members of O.T.O. in good standing are eligible for clerical ordination in E.G.C. Members of II° and higher (or even I°, in some situations) are eligible for ordination as Deacon, and those who have reached K.E.W. are eligible for ordination as Priest or Priestess. E.G.C. also celebrates seasonal festivals, commemorations of life passage events and other religious functions. Many O.T.O. local bodies celebrate the Gnostic Mass on a regular basis, and in most locations, no formal affiliation is required to attend the Mass.
O.T.O. has long worked in close alliance with the A:.A:., which first proclaimed the Law of Thelema to the world. The A:.A:. is a teaching and initiatory structure dedicated to the personal spiritual advancement of its individual members. Within A:.A:. all services are rendered free of charge, and no social activities are held. O.T.O. and A:.A:. have jointly issued the journal The Equinox since 1912 e.v., now entering its fourth volume. Although they are distinctly separate organizations, O.T.O. has historically assisted A:.A:. with practical matters that lie outside its primary mission, which is purely spiritual in nature. Aspirants to the A:.A:. may write to:
The Cancellarius of A:.A:. �c/o The Equinox JAF Box 7666 New York, NY 10116
OTO Membership
As of February 1997 e.v., O.T.O. has approximately 3000 members, and is active to varying extents in about 40 countries. Membership in O.T.O. is private in the sense that names and addresses are not released to anyone, including O.T.O. officers lacking need to know, without prior express or implied consent of the individual members concerned. We may understand implied consent to include a claim or denial of membership made deliberately to a non-member; and officers of the Order, aside from purely initiating officers, necessarily are open to some limited public identity by virtue of their duties. Categories of Membership Membership is divided into two primary categories: associate and initiate. Associate membership can be strictly a correspondence matter, with no physical presence required. Associate members receive The Magical Link (see listing under publications), have access to other membership publications, may attend many O.T.O. local activities if a local body is nearby, and receive occasional discounts to OTO members from some book sellers. Otherwise, associate members have the opportunity to correspond with other O.T.O. members in the U.S.A. and other countries, by mail or electronically.
Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica also offers lay membership, which is conferred through the ceremonies of baptism and confirmation. Lay membership confers no special privileges, and is not, at this time, a matter of formal record. Initiate membership can be conferred only in a physical ceremony by a properly chartered initiator. Initiate membership is subdivided by degree. There are a total of 21 Initiate degrees in O.T.O., including thirteen numbered degrees and eight un-numbered, intermediate degrees or sub-degrees. The Minerval Degree (0°) is an introductory Initiate degree, designed to allow the aspirant to decide whether or not to become a full member. Members of the Minerval Degree may begin novitiate training for the Diaconate and/or Priesthood in Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica. The First Degree (I°) bestows full membership upon the initiate. A First Degree initiate may retire from active participation in O.T.O., but the spiritual link forged between the initiate and the Order during the ceremony of the First Degree will remain throughout the initiate's life. An initiate of the Second Degree is eligible for ordination as a deacon of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica. Beyond the degree of P.I.°, advancement is by invitation only. Initiates of the intermediate degree of Knight of the East and West (K.E.W.) are eligible for formal ordination to the Priesthood in Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica. Episcopal consecration in Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica is conferred as part of the Seventh Degree. The Tenth Degree (X°) is held by the National Grand Master General of O.T.O. in a particular country.
Progress of the O.T.O. initiate toward the Fourth and P.I.° Degrees is usually a matter of years. A certain amount of time is usually required to allow full maturation of the effects of the O.T.O. initiations, although the Minerval and First Degrees may be taken on the same occasion if the candidate so wills.
Every man and woman of full age, free, and of good report, has an indefeasible right to the first three degrees of O.T.O. (but not according to any particular time schedule). These "first three degrees" actually include all the degrees in the Man of Earth Triad; as the Minerval is considered a prologue to the First Degree, and the Fourth and P.I.° Degrees are considered pendants to the Third Degree.
In addition to the official O.T.O. instruction provided by the ceremonial initiations, many of the local O.T.O. Lodges, Oases and Camps offer supplementary instruction to their members; and to a lesser extent, to the general public. The particular form of this supplementary instruction depends on the character and capabilities of the particular local body; it may be provided in the form of classes, seminars, study programs, or publications.
Although O.T.O. has historically been associated with various rites of Freemasonry, O.T.O. has renounced any claim to "make Masons." While retaining the use of certain customs and terminology used in early Freemasonry, O.T.O. has revised its rituals, insignia and modes of recognition to avoid infringing upon the legitimate privileges of the established and recognized authorities of modern Freemasonry. O.T.O. membership does not, of itself, confer any Masonic status.
As mentioned above, initiate membership involves a physical ceremony, and thus must typically be arranged with a convenient local OTO body. We provide a list of bodies OTO bodies on the Net which may be useful in this regard. Initiation and Instruction The structure of O.T.O., like that of Freemasonry and the ancient mystery schools, is based on a staged series of initiations or degrees, most of which are conferred ceremonially. In the Rituals of these degrees, O.T.O. seeks to instruct the individual by allegory and symbol in the profound mysteries of Nature, and thereby to assist each to discover his or her own true Identity.
The degrees of O.T.O. are divided into three Grades or "Triads": the Hermit, the Lover, and the Man of Earth, as follows: The Third, or Man of Earth, Triad
0° Minerval
I° Man and Brother Woman and Sister
II° Magician
III° Master Magician
IV° Perfect Magician and companion of the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch Perfect Initiate, or Prince of Jerusalem
Outside all Triads
Knight of the East and West
The Second, or Lovers, Triad
V° Sovereign Prince Rose-Croix, and Knight of the Pelican and Eagle Knight of the Red Eagle, and Member of the Senate of Knight Hermetic Philosophers
VI° Illustrious Knight (Templar) of the Order of Kadosch, and Companion of the Holy Graal Grand Inquisitor Commander, and Member of the Grand Tribunal Prince of the Royal Secret
VII° Theoreticus, and Very Illustrious Sovereign Grand Inspector General Magus of Light, and Bishop of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica Grandmaster of Light, and Inspector of Rites and Degrees
The First, or Hermit, Triad
VIII° Perfect Pontiff of the Illuminati Epopt of the Illuminati
IX° Initiate of the Sanctuary of the Gnosis
X° Rex Summus Sanctissimus
XI° Initiate of the Eleventh Degree (This degree is technical, and has no relation to the general plan of the Order)
XII° Frater Superior, and Outer Head of the Order
The Man of Earth degrees follow a pattern based on the symbolism of the Chakras and the stages of Kundalini Yoga; and represent, in dramatic form, the Individual's Path in Eternity. In the 0°, the Ego, a wandering God, is attracted to the Solar System. In the I°, the Child experiences Birth. In the II°, the Man or Woman experiences Life. The III° represents the Death of the individual, and the IV° represents the world beyond Death, the glorified state of the Initiate. In the PI Degree, the Initiate symbolically achieves ultimate Perfection (Completion), and the entire cycle is withdrawn into Annihilation.
Of these Events or Stations upon the Path, all but the II° represent single critical experiences. We, however, are concerned mostly with the varied experiences of Life. All subsequent degrees are therefore elaborations of the II°, a progressive instruction in how to live, since in a single ceremony it is hardly possible to sketch, even in the briefest outline, the Teaching of Initiates with regard to Life.
The V° - IX° rituals and teachings are therefore instructions to the Initiate in the Mastery of Life; there is instruction in Hermetic Philosophy, Qabalah, Magick and Yoga, all aimed at preparing the Initiate for the revelation and application of one Supreme Secret.
Dues and Fees
O.T.O. operates primarily on dues and fees collected from the membership. Annual dues are established by the Order as a minimum contribution. Fees (one time only) are set for each initiation to defer the costs of the initiation itself.
Payments are listed at the following site:
Dues are payable upon applying for a new initiation, or after one year, whichever comes first. Fees are payable upon applying for a new initiation.
In addition to dues and fees, members (and non-members) are welcome to make whatever contributions they may wish from time to time. Contributions may be applied toward an income tax deduction, subject to any limitations and restrictions set forth in current State and U.S.A. Federal income tax laws. Dues may or may not be tax deductible, depending on local state law.