ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS
self-definition of an Australian version
Carl Kellner, Franz Hartmann, Heinrich Klein,
Theodor Reuss, Rudolf Steiner, Gerard Encausse,
Papus, R.W. Felkin, Frank Bennett, Frater
Progradior, Aleister Crowley, O.T.O., Ordo
Templi Orientis, Vyvyan Deacon, Karl Germer,
Marcelo Ramos Motta, Gregory Tillett
A.·.O.·.O.·.T.·.
A STATEMENT REGARDING THE HISTORY OF THE ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS
IN AUSTRALIA
The Ordo Templi Orientis was established in 1895, in part as a Western
interpretation of certain Oriental occult teachings, and in part as a
restoration of a tradition which had been largely forgotten in the
West. Its original members were Freemasons, and in 1902 the authority
of a Masonic Rite was conferred upon them for the establishment of
a Grand Lodge in Berlin within which the Grades of the O.T.O. would
be worked.
The Founders of that Grand Lodge were Carl Kellner, Franz Hartmann and
Heinrich Klein. The Grand Lodge was formally constituted on January
22nd, 1906, and this Constitution was revised on January 22nd, 1917.
National Grand Lodges were established for Germany (including Germany,
Austria and Switzerland), and later for France (1908), the Slavonic
Countries (1912) and Great Britain (1912).
Amongst the eminent figures who were, at one time, associated with the
work of the Order were Gerard Encausse ("Papus"), Dr Rudolf Steiner,
and Dr R.W. Felkin.
Following the death of the first Outer Head of the Order. Carl Kellner,
in 1905, Theodor Reuss became the second Outer Head. During his period in
office there was a rapid, and not altogether properly administered,
expansion in the Order. It was Reuss who, in 1911, admitted Aleister
Crowley to the Order and, in 1912, appointed him head of the Order for
Great Britain. Crowley effectively took over the preexisting traditions
of the Order and shaped them to suit his own interests. Following the
death of Reuss in 1924, Crowley assumed the office of Outer Head, and,
in all but those few branches of the Order which repudiated his
claim to authority, wholly altered the original work of the Order so that
it conformed with his own magical (or, as he would have had it, magickal)
theories and practices. Crowley revised and rewrote the rituals of
the Order, and his work attracted considerable notoriety. It is from the
Crowleyan version of the Order that virtually all modern claimants to
the title, tradition or working of the Order come, and to which virtually
all who write about the Order refer.
The original, pre-Crowleyan Order had, however, been brought to Australi
around 1908 by Vyvyan Deacon, who became the first Grand Master for the
Order in Australia, having received his authority from the Outer Head,
Theodor Reuss. Deacon (Frater Memnon) established the Order in Sydney
and Melbourne and, during a visit to New Zealand in 1920-2l, attempted
to lay the foundations of the Order there. Between 1914, when the active
work of the Order in Australia commenced, and 1930, when Deacon returned
to-London, the Order attracted, and influenced, a number of eminent
Australians. Notable amongst them were several involved in the arts and
literature.
The Order became dormant after the departure of its Grand Master,
who died in London in 1938; his archives, authorities and regalia
(such of it as survived the Blitz) were entrusted to his daughter's
guardianship until a successor could be appointed.
Forty-four years later the guardianship was relinquished, and the
authority and symbols of office were passed to Frater Memnon's
successor. Frater Iacchos who, upon his appointment issued a decree,
"Of The True Secret of The O.·.T.·.O.·.", in which he re-affirmed the
original, pre-Crowleyan traditions and working of the Order.
The O.·.T.·.O.·. in Australia works the traditions of the Order established
by its founders, revised only insofar as has been necessary to remove
later accretions.
The Crowleyan Order was established in Australia in the 1920's by Frank
Bennett (Frater Progradior) who had been trained by Crowley as a missionary
to Australia. His work attracted a degree of hostile publicity, but
failed to achieve any real influence. Its limited activity ceased when
Bennett returned to England.
Two Crowleyan derivatives operate in Australia at the present time.
One claims its authority from Grady McMurtry, who bases his claim to
lead the Order upon documents deriving from Crowley's successor, Karl
Germer. The other claims authority from Marcello Motta, whose bases for
his pretensions to authority within the Order are unclear.
The Ordo Templi Orientis in Australia, deriving its authority from the
late Frater Memnon is not associated with any other claimant to the title
of the Order, or with any other fraternity. It works the traditions of
the Order as they were established by its Founders.
Ordo Templi Orientis
Gregory Tillett
P.O. Box 362
Wentworth Building
University of Sydney
New South Wales
AUSTRALIA 2006
More about all this in: Andreas Huettl and Peter-R. Koenig: Satan - Jünger, Jäger und Justiz
Accurate details on the History of the several O.T.O. versions in Australia: see Der O.T.O. Phaenomen RELOAD
O.T.O. Phenomenon navigation page | main page | mail
|
