Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) (Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and religious organization. For its teachings and principles of organization, it has accepted the Law of Thelema, which is expressed as “Do what thou wilt is the whole of the Law.” Thelemites believe that this Law was established with the writing of the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley in 1904 in Cairo, Egypt. Its structure is similar to that of Freemasonry, with a series of graded initi ...

Including:

• Ordo Templi Orientis - Philosophy of O.T.O.
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Initiation
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Structure
• Ordo Templi Orientis - International
• Ordo Templi Orientis - National
• Ordo Templi Orientis - The Gnostic Catholic Church
• Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. bodies
• Ordo Templi Orientis - History
• Ordo Templi Orientis - The beginnings
• Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. and Aleister Crowley
• Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. after Crowley
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Schisms in the Thelemic community
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Teachings
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Opposing views

Read more here: » Ordo Templi Orientis: Encyclopedia - Ordo Templi Orientis

See also:

Ordo Templi Orientis, Ordo Templi Orientis - Philosophy of O.T.O., Ordo Templi Orientis - Initiation, Ordo Templi Orientis - Structure, Ordo Templi Orientis - International, Ordo Templi Orientis - National, Ordo Templi Orientis - The Gnostic Catholic Church, Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. bodies, Ordo Templi Orientis - History, Ordo Templi Orientis - The beginnings, Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. and Aleister Crowley, Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. after Crowley, Ordo Templi Orientis - Schisms in the Thelemic community, Ordo Templi Orientis - Teachings, Ordo Templi Orientis - Opposing views

Read more here: » Ordo Templi Orientis: Encyclopedia II - Ordo Templi Orientis - History

The governing bodies of O.T.O. include: International Headquarters Presided over by the Outer Head of the Order XII° (OHO—also known as Frater Superior) Supreme Council Revolutionaries The Sovereign Sanctuary of the Gnosis of the IX° The Secret Areopagus of the Illuminati of the VIII° The Grand Tribunal of the VI° The National Grand Lodge Presided over by the National Grand Master X° Executive Council The Supreme Grand Counci ...

See also:

Ordo Templi Orientis, Ordo Templi Orientis - Philosophy of O.T.O., Ordo Templi Orientis - Initiation, Ordo Templi Orientis - Structure, Ordo Templi Orientis - International, Ordo Templi Orientis - National, Ordo Templi Orientis - The Gnostic Catholic Church, Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. bodies, Ordo Templi Orientis - History, Ordo Templi Orientis - The beginnings, Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. and Aleister Crowley, Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. after Crowley, Ordo Templi Orientis - Schisms in the Thelemic community, Ordo Templi Orientis - Teachings, Ordo Templi Orientis - Opposing views

Read more here: » Ordo Templi Orientis: Encyclopedia II - Ordo Templi Orientis - Structure

The Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis is an occult society in the United Kingdom interested in magick and typhonian concepts. It was founded by Kenneth Grant, who disputed the claim of heritage the "Caliphate" Ordo Templi Orientis made concerning the original occult order that Aleister Crowley had made famous. The prefix "Typhonian" is only a commonly-accepted distinguisher in the range of OTOs, not an official part of the name of the organization. The number of members has so far never exceeded a few dozen and there is ver ...

Read more here: » Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis: Encyclopedia - Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis

The Book of the Law, also known as Liber AL vel Legis, is the text central to philosophical / magical / religious practice called Thelema founded by Aleister Crowley. Crowley penned the book in three sessions between 12 noon and 1 pm on April 8, 9 and 10, 1904 in Cairo, resulting in three distinct chapters. He reports writing the book by dictation from a voice that seemed to come from over his shoulder and called itself Aiwass (or Aiwaz). He also reports having the impression or picture of a speaker in the ...

Read more here: » The Book of the Law: Encyclopedia - The Book of the Law

Thelema is the English transliteration of the Ancient Greek noun θέλημα will, from the verb ἐθέλω to will, wish, purpose. Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema. Thelema is the name of a philosophical/religious system established in 1904 through Aleister Crowley and his wife, Rose Edith Kelly, with the writing of Liber AL vel Legis, or The Book of the Law. Crowley claimed to have taken this short work of about 5,000 words, comparable in length to the Tao Te Ching, as direct au ...

Including:

• Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema
• Thelema - Doctrines of Thelema
• Thelema - Antecedents of Thelema
• Thelema - Critical Study and Diverse Practice
• Thelema - Thelema and other systems of thought
• Thelema - Thelemic organizations

Read more here: » Thelema: Encyclopedia - Thelema

Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (12 October 1875 - 1 December 1947) was an occultist, mystic, sexual revolutionary, and drug user (especially heroin). Aleister Crowley - Biography. Edward Alexander Crowley was born in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, between 11:00pm and 12 midnight on 12 October 1875. His father, Edward Crowley, once maintained a lucrative family brewery business and was retired at the time of Aleister's birth. His mother, Emily Bertha Bishop, drew ...

Including:

• Aleister Crowley - Biography
• Aleister Crowley - Chess
• Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering
• Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality
• Aleister Crowley - Women as inspiration
• Aleister Crowley - Thelema
• Aleister Crowley - Writings
• Aleister Crowley - Miscellany and Rumours
• Aleister Crowley - Crowley in popular culture

Read more here: » Aleister Crowley: Encyclopedia - Aleister Crowley

Lon Milo DuQuette (1948-), AKA Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford, American writer and occultist best known as an author who applies humor in the field of Western Hermeticism. Since 1975 he has been a National and International governing officer of Ordo Templi Orientis, one of the most influential (and controversial) magical societies of the 20th Century. Since 1994 he has been the O.T.O.'s United States Deputy Grand Master an ...

Including:

• Lon Milo Duquette - Bibliography
• Lon Milo Duquette - Links

Read more here: » Lon Milo Duquette: Encyclopedia - Lon Milo Duquette

Carl Kellner (Renatus, 1 September 1851 - June 7, 1905) The Spiritual Father of Ordo Templi Orientis was Carl Kellner, a wealthy Austrian paper chemist. Kellner was a student of Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and Eastern mysticism, and traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia Minor. During his travels, he claims to have come into contact with three Adepts (a Sufi, Soliman ben Aifa, and two Hindu Tantrics, Bhima Sena Pratapa of Lahore and Sri Mahatma Agamya Paramahamsa), and an org ...

Including:

• Carl Kellner - Academia Masonica

Read more here: » Carl Kellner: Encyclopedia - Carl Kellner

Born in Big Cabin, Oklahoma, to a half-Cherokee alcoholic mother and a bank-robbing in-and-out-of-prison father, he was raised by his maternal grandfather and other relatives. He lived in various parts of Oklahoma and the Midwest, and graduated from high school in Valley Center, Kansas in 1937. He then moved to Southern California to study engineering at Pasadena Junior College, where he made friends with some students at nearby Caltech. Among them was Jack Parsons, who shared his enthusiasm for science fiction, and who introduced him to The ...

See also:

Grady McMurtry, Grady McMurtry - Early life and career, Grady McMurtry - Re-establishing O.T.O., Grady McMurtry - Bibliography

Read more here: » Grady McMurtry: Encyclopedia II - Grady McMurtry - Early life and career

Different organizations and persons (predominantly from Germany) do not see Thelema as originating from Crowley. Rather they see Crowley's Thelema as only one of many forms of Thelema. Different orders who accept the Book of the Law have their own guidelines for putting it into practice. In German Thelemic thought the most widely-known skepticism against Crowley's version is found in the Fraternitas Saturni order. The role of other Thelemic writings, each with their own significance, changes greatly for each of these gro ...

See also:

Thelema, Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema, Thelema - Doctrines of Thelema, Thelema - Antecedents of Thelema, Thelema - Critical Study and Diverse Practice, Thelema - Thelema and other systems of thought, Thelema - Thelemic organizations

Read more here: » Thelema: Encyclopedia II - Thelema - Critical Study and Diverse Practice

Edward Alexander Crowley was born in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, between 11:00pm and 12 midnight on 12 October 1875. His father, Edward Crowley, once maintained a lucrative family brewery business and was retired at the time of Aleister's birth. His mother, Emily Bertha Bishop, drew roots from a Devon and Somerset family. Aleister grew up in a staunch Plymouth Brethren household. His father, after retiring from his daily duties as a brewer, took up the practice of preaching at a fanatical pace. Daily Bible stud ...

See also:

Aleister Crowley, Aleister Crowley - Biography, Aleister Crowley - Chess, Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering, Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality, Aleister Crowley - Women as inspiration, Aleister Crowley - Thelema, Aleister Crowley - Writings, Aleister Crowley - Miscellany and Rumours, Aleister Crowley - Crowley in popular culture

Read more here: » Aleister Crowley: Encyclopedia II - Aleister Crowley - Biography

In October 1962 Germer died of cancer at the age of 77, without naming a successor as head of O.T.O. His widow, who was not a member of O.T.O., retained material possession of the O.T.O.'s extensive archives (her co-executor in Germany, Frederick Mellinger, lost interest in the O.T.O. within a few years). Though individual members carried on with their spiritual activities the central organization, for all intents and purposes, ceased to function. There were a few individuals, notably Kenneth Grant of Britain, Hermann Metzger of Switz ...

See also:

Grady McMurtry, Grady McMurtry - Early life and career, Grady McMurtry - Re-establishing O.T.O., Grady McMurtry - Bibliography

Read more here: » Grady McMurtry: Encyclopedia II - Grady McMurtry - Re-establishing O.T.O.

Thelema is the name of a philosophical/religious system established in 1904 through Aleister Crowley and his wife, Rose Edith Kelly, with the writing of Liber AL vel Legis, or The Book of the Law. Crowley claimed to have taken this short work of about 5,000 words, comparable in length to the Tao Te Ching, as direct auditory dictation from a praeterhuman intelligence called Aiwass or Aiwaz in Cairo, Egypt on April 8, 9th, and 10th, 1904. Crowley himself did not fully accept the role set forth for him in the Book for many years. The word Thelemite appears in Aleister Crowley's writings, and ...

See also:

Thelema, Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema, Thelema - Doctrines of Thelema, Thelema - Antecedents of Thelema, Thelema - Critical Study and Diverse Practice, Thelema - Thelema and other systems of thought, Thelema - Thelemic organizations

Read more here: » Thelema: Encyclopedia II - Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema

The central doctrine of this system is that knowing and doing one's True Will is the ultimate purpose and destiny of every being. This is summed up in the following phrases from Liber Legis: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" (AL I:40) "Love is the law, love under will" (AL I:57) "The word of the Law is Thelema" (AL I:39) "There is no Law beyond Do what thou wilt" (AL III:60) The True Will is a magical idea that could be described in its dynamic aspect as the singular path ...

See also:

Thelema, Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema, Thelema - Doctrines of Thelema, Thelema - Antecedents of Thelema, Thelema - Critical Study and Diverse Practice, Thelema - Thelema and other systems of thought, Thelema - Thelemic organizations

Read more here: » Thelema: Encyclopedia II - Thelema - Doctrines of Thelema

Thelema is a mystical/magical philosophy of life based on Will. The individual Will in Thelema is identified with the Egyptian god Had or Hadit, a form of Horus. The Pleroma of infinite potentiality through which Had wends its Way is called Nu or Nuit, the Egyptian goddess of Infinite Space. Many adherents of Thelema are syncretic and recognize correlations between Thelemic and other systems of spiritual thought; most borrow freely from other traditions. For example, Nu and Had are thought to correspond with the Tao and ...

See also:

Thelema, Thelema - Aleister Crowley's Thelema, Thelema - Doctrines of Thelema, Thelema - Antecedents of Thelema, Thelema - Critical Study and Diverse Practice, Thelema - Thelema and other systems of thought, Thelema - Thelemic organizations

Read more here: » Thelema: Encyclopedia II - Thelema - Thelema and other systems of thought

Crowley learned to play chess at the age of six and first competed on the Eastbourne College chess team (where he was taking classes in 1892). He showed immediate competence, beating the adult champion in town and even editing a chess column for the local newspaper, the Eastbourne Gazette (Sutin, p.33), which he often used to criticize the Eastbourne team. He later joined the university chess club at Cambridge, where he beat the president in his freshman year and practiced two hours a day towards becoming a champion — "My one serious worldly ambition had been to become the champion of ...

See also:

Aleister Crowley, Aleister Crowley - Biography, Aleister Crowley - Chess, Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering, Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality, Aleister Crowley - Women as inspiration, Aleister Crowley - Thelema, Aleister Crowley - Writings, Aleister Crowley - Miscellany and Rumours, Aleister Crowley - Crowley in popular culture

Read more here: » Aleister Crowley: Encyclopedia II - Aleister Crowley - Chess

In the summer of 1902, Oscar Eckenstein and Crowley undertook the first attempt to scale Chogo Ri (known in the west as K2), located in Pakistan. The Eckenstein-Crowley Expedition consisted of Eckenstein, Crowley, Guy Knowles, H. Pfannl, V. Wesseley, and Dr Jules Jacot-Guillarmod. During this trip he won a world record for his hardships on the Baltoro Glacier, sixty-eight straight days of glacial life. In May 1905, he was approached by Dr Jules Jacot-Guillarmod (1868 - 1925) to accompany him on the first expedition to Kanchenjunga, th ...

See also:

Aleister Crowley, Aleister Crowley - Biography, Aleister Crowley - Chess, Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering, Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality, Aleister Crowley - Women as inspiration, Aleister Crowley - Thelema, Aleister Crowley - Writings, Aleister Crowley - Miscellany and Rumours, Aleister Crowley - Crowley in popular culture

Read more here: » Aleister Crowley: Encyclopedia II - Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering

Crowley claimed to use a scientific method to study what people at the time called "spiritual" experiences, making "The Method of Science, the Aim of Religion" the catchphrase of his magazine The Equinox. By this he meant that mystical experiences should not be taken at face value, but critiqued and experimented with in order to arrive at their underlying religious meaning. In this he may be considered to foreshadow Dr. Timothy Leary, who at one point sought to apply the same method to psychedelic drug experiences. Yet like Leary's, Crowley's method has received little "scie ...

See also:

Aleister Crowley, Aleister Crowley - Biography, Aleister Crowley - Chess, Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering, Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality, Aleister Crowley - Women as inspiration, Aleister Crowley - Thelema, Aleister Crowley - Writings, Aleister Crowley - Miscellany and Rumours, Aleister Crowley - Crowley in popular culture

Read more here: » Aleister Crowley: Encyclopedia II - Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality

The religious or mystical system which Crowley founded, into which most of his nonfiction writings fall, he named Thelema. Thelema combines a radical form of philosophical libertarianism, akin in some ways to Nietzsche, with a mystical initiatory system derived in part from the Golden Dawn. Chief among the precepts of Thelema is the sovereignty of the individual will: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Crowley's idea of will, however, is not simply the individual's desires or wishes, but also incorporates ...

See also:

Aleister Crowley, Aleister Crowley - Biography, Aleister Crowley - Chess, Aleister Crowley - Mountaineering, Aleister Crowley - Science magic and sexuality, Aleister Crowley - Women as inspiration, Aleister Crowley - Thelema, Aleister Crowley - Writings, Aleister Crowley - Miscellany and Rumours, Aleister Crowley - Crowley in popular culture

Read more here: » Aleister Crowley: Encyclopedia II - Aleister Crowley - Thelema