Therion
Therion-Babalon Oasis, OTO
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Ordo Templi Orientis: What We Do

Ordo Templi Orientis, or O.T.O., has two primary areas of formal activity: the administration of our ceremonies of initiation and the celebration of our public ecclesiastical rites, especially the Gnostic Mass. The Order also actively promotes cultural development and individual communities grounded in the philosophical and fraternal principles taught within our initiations. These communities are intended to provide a supportive environment conducive to the spiritual pursuit of the Great Work of its members as well as being beneficial for their worldly life, such as providing camaraderie and mutual aid. Finally, the Order engages in activities intended to advance the principles of Thelema into the world at large.

Initiations and Fraternity

The central pillar of O.T.O. is the initiatory path. Our initiatory ceremonies take the form of ritual drama which use symbol, narrative, and discourse to introduce the member into various levels of participation, called degrees. These degree ceremonies serve two important functions:

1) They instruct the member in specific principles of fraternity, which establish a relationship between initiates and explain the various attitudes and behaviors necessary for a productive and meaningful community. These bonds of fraternity are strengthened over the course of the various initiations, which at the same time are designed to allow for greater personal Freedom in one's pursuit of the Great Work. In general terms, it is possible to place these fraternal principles into five main categories:

It is through the embodiment of these principles that members can further develop excellent fraternal character, such as found in the traits of courage, integrity, cordiality, and open-mindedness. These principles and traits form the foundation of our robust and dynamic communities dedicated to manifesting Light, Life, Love, and Liberty.

2) The initiations provide a philosophical and magical basis for the journey of spiritual self-discovery and transformation, as well as for the establishment of Thelema as a foundation for society. The first cycle of initiations, called the Man of Earth Grade, portrays the path of the individual soul through manifestation, starting with incarnation and moving through birth, life, death, perfection, and finally annihilation into infinity. The remaining degrees (from V� to IX�) focus on the various lessons of life. The Fifth Degree begins a progressive communication and training for the use of the Supreme Secret hidden within the Sanctuary of the Gnosis of the Ninth Degree. This Secret can be thought of as a powerful spiritual tool for the purpose of accomplishing the Great Work.

The following table gives the outline of our initiatory system:

The Man of
Earth Grade

(The Third Triad)
0� Minerval Oasis
Degrees

0�–III�
Mysteria
Mystica
Maxima

0�-VII�
I� Man and Brother/Woman and Sister
II� Magician
III� Master Magician
IV� Perfect Magician and
Companion of the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch
P.I. Perfect Initiate, or Prince of Jerusalem
Outside all Triads K.E.W. Knight of the East and West
The Lover Grade
(The Second 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 Fraternitas
Lucis
Hermetic�

VII�-IX�
Magus of Light, and
Bishop of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
Grandmaster of Light, and
Inspector of Rites and Degrees
The Hermit Grade
(The First 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

Although many spiritual concepts are presented in these ceremonies of initiation, O.T.O. does not have gurus of any kind, and members are ultimately responsible for their own spiritual development. The Order does have many people who are qualified to offer guidance and education in spiritual matters, but such interaction is solely at the discretion of each member.

If you curious about joining O.T.O. by taking our Minerval Degree, please review our Minerval F.A.Q.

The Gnostic Catholic Church

Within O.T.O. is Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (E.G.C.) or the Gnostic Catholic Church—the ecclesiastical arm of the Order. The E.G.C. provides a Thelemic religious environment wherein we openly celebrate our mysteries. At Therion-Babalon Oasis, the E.G.C. operates I.S.I.S. Sanctuary. Our central ritual is the Gnostic Mass, the celebration of which is perhaps the single most common activity within the Order.

The Gnostic Mass is a beautiful and powerful ceremony that embodies and celebrates the mysteries of the Order and Thelema. It is a eucharistic ritual where the congregants partake of the sacrament by eating a Cake of Light and drinking a glass of wine, and finally declaring, “There is no part of me that is not of the gods!” Thelema rejects the notion of original sin, and instead states that every person is a divine being. As such, the Mass is not designed to extol "salvation" but rather to exemplify one's inherent sacredness and identification with the Absolute.

We also offer lay affiliation in the Sanctuary through the ceremonies of Baptism and Confirmation, while clergy membership occurs with the rites of Ordination, which are offered for the diaconate (deacons—available to those in the II�), the priesthood (priests and priestesses—which is possible at the K.E.W. degree), and the episcopate (bishops—which occurs in conjunction with the VII�). The church also provides other rites, both formal and informal, including marriage, infant benediction, last rites, and administration of the Eucharist to the sick.

At I.S.I.S. Sanctuary, we celebrate the Gnostic Mass every Saturday at 6:00 pm. If you are interested in attending the Mass, please review our guide to Attending the Gnostic Mass.

Magick and Spiritual Practices

The central spiritual task of the Thelemite is the Great Work of becoming aware of and manifesting one's True Will, defined not as whim but as one's essential nature or path in life. Some describe this process as a journey of profound self-discovery whereby one's deepest, most genuine self may fully express itself. Magick (with a -k) was the term adopted by the British mystic and occultist Aleister Crowley to refer to a set of techniques which can be used to accomplish this task.

As important as magick is in accomplishing the Great Work, the Order itself offers no formal curriculum for teaching it. Rather, O.T.O. is primarily concerned with creating a sanctuary built upon our initiatory and fraternal principles wherein members may freely pursue whatever path or set of spiritual practices they choose in order to manifest their True Will.

At the same time, members of the Order are encouraged to explore the magical praxis woven throughout its initiatory mysteries. To this end, members of Therion-Babalon Oasis may choose to share their experience and expertise with spiritual and occult knowledge, such as ceremonial ritual, yoga, the Qabalah, divination, astral vision, and meditation. This is often done by presenting classes and workshops, based upon either the teachings of Aleister Crowley or some other relevant body of knowledge. Members of the public are often welcome to attend our classes and workshops, although some events are restricted to initiates (be sure to check our Calendar page for upcoming classes).

In addition, our social environment allows for the exchange of all kinds of esoteric information and practices, and it is not uncommon for members with similar interests to gather informally to study and explore various magical and spiritual technologies.

The Community

Therion-Babalon Oasis is an active Thelemic community of men and women with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and occupations. We believe that “the Law is for All” and so we welcome any individual who is sincerely interested in exploring the Great Work within our fraternal system. We do not discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, or religious beliefs. Becoming a formal member of the Oasis by way of initiation is restricted only to being “of full age, free, and of good report.”

Our members participate in the community in numerous ways and all such participation is solely at the discretion of each member. One of our central goals is to provide opportunities for self-exploration through rewarding experiences and service to a growing community.

Find out more about: thelema Mass