'Caliphate' O.T.O., Alan Stewart, Starry Wisdom Oasis

Ordo Templi Orientis
in Canada, III

THE 'CALIPHATE' SURVIVAL

[Poole's response to Leah's comment "It's still an active file at the Québéc Government."]: "If the OTO corporation survived the eighties without regular reports to the government, so will the EGC. By the way, I missed the registration of EGC on behalf of the lodge by only a couple of days. I had heard that Stewart was working on it!"
Poole: "This is out of context, my reply to you was concerning the EGC corp under Stewart, Leah is commenting on either 418 Books or 93 publishing as it follow above paragraph."

[Poole's response to Leah's comment "OTO has never registered itself either with the canadian government - not as far as I know! They have only registered with the province."]: "The only reason to register would be to get tax-exempt status as a charitable organisation. I attempted to do this when we were renting our 'Templar Center' on Ontario Street. The city of Montréal wouldn't give us a break, because we were a non-profit organisation, and were charging us $900 business tax, which we simply couldn't afford as OTO Québec Inc. The only way was to get a Federal recognition. When the Caliph found out, he told us to stop the process as he had lawyers working on it in British Columbia for all of Canada. This was in 1993 - we are still no closer today. I actually went before a board of the Québec Government to plead the case. Didn't do much; we paid the tax."

Poole: "The only reason to register would be to get tax-exempt status as a charitable organisation."
Simon and Leah: "The very reason Stewart was doing it."
Poole: "I attempted to do this when we were renting our 'Templar Center' on Ontario Street. The city of Montréal wouldn't give us a break because we were a non-profit organisation, and were charging us $900.00 business tax, which we simply couldn't afford as OTO QC Inc. The only way was to get a Federal recognition."
Simon and Leah: "True."
Poole: "When the Caliph found out, he told us to stop the process as he had lawyers working on it in BC for all of Canada."
Simon and Leah: "Poole probably got lied to here."


DEATH ON THE STAIRS

Poole: "When Alan Stewart had just lost the Starry Wisdom Oasis he had a tenant living in the delapidated building, and apparently the fellow "fell down some stairs and cracked his head open. Died instantly and was taken away by the morgue!"
Simon and Leah: "No he didn't. That was most likely B*****. Apparently he was lying at the bottom of the stairs on the order of 12-14 _hours_. All Stewart did was push the then piano-bench on top of him, and didn't call the ambulance until someone mentioned that "hey, shouldn't someone call the ambulance for B*****?"
Poole: "I wonder if Stewart had a karmic attachment and fulfilled his fate!"
Simon and Leah: "Possibly for the above, and surely for abusing several women."
Poole: "In actual fact he didn't stay with Breeze, he stayed up all night drinking, even down to the cooking wine of the people he was staying with."
Simon and Leah: "Typical."


POOLE OPENS HIS FILES

Poole: "I have here the old file. I see that Michael Vaughn was a member and a signatory of the Petition to the Supreme Council to retain OTO dues on the basis of "laying the financial foundation for the eventual national independence of OTO in Canada." (21 March 1982). Hughes de Payens Encampment was only for the Administrative Council members of OTO Québec Inc., a part of Phoenix Lodge, which was for the general membership.
When I became an Oasis master I requested that I receive a list of all active members, and they included a list of Inactive members too; Michael Vaughn is on that list:
    "9/22/81 Minerval on 8/1/81 at Phoenix 8/20/82 1st on 4/15/82 at Phoenix 8/20/83 Dues anniversary (didn't pay) 8/20/84 Dues anniversary (didn't pay) 11/23/84 Payment (Phoenix $10 DB ?) $20.00 6/22/84 Suspended for cause by SC (Why a payment in November when in "suspension" since March? DP) 11/23/85 Expelled for cause..." (no record here of what occured, DP)
This [Leah's story] sounds somewhat familiar. It may be a similar case to when there was a female member who took I° at Starry Wisdom Oasis." In March 2002, Poole commented: "Your editing is jumping too much from one line of questioning to another, if you delete the specific questions you made, and the order in which you made them, everything is hardly understandable at all!"

[Comment by Leah: "Exactly one month after Poole took his II° (I thought it was his first), the reason being that the 'well' which Alan had built, a plywood box, was broken when Poole sat in it for his I° or II°, flooding the second floor library, and postponing a number of initiations, including mine.'] In March 2002, Poole commented: "Here we see that it's Leah who said I took II* before her I*, I never said that. See below"

Poole: "The officers were me (my first time in such a capacity) Alan Stewart, and the female member's lover as 'High Priest'. Stewart and the High Priest had apparently consumed a bit of *** prior to my arrival; I only found out mid-way through the ritual, when I realized Stewart as 'Saladin' couldn't remember his place in the script from one line to the next."

[Comment by Leah: [...] "Hoirch had come down a day or two early (we lived 90 km. from the city) to help set up. He had taken a vow to me not to consume alcohol/drugs, which he broke almost the moment he arrived at Starry Wisdom. There were two initiations that day; before me was a III°. Alan "borrowed" some codeine pills from his partner, Sr. Roe, which he crushed up to make the bitter cup. According to Hoirch, there was something else in the cup - maybe wine - Alan drank the whole cup, so he was pretty messed up. He had also made a vow to Sr. Roe not to drink. Alan did not have any money, so he took the $60 or so that was in the Oasis treasury and bought several bottles of wine, which he and Hoirch consumed, without our knowledge. Alan could barely walk, and the wine and beer bottles were all over the place. For Poole to say he only "found out" midway through the ritual is absurd. He had been with them for the two hours or so they were "setting up". The money Alan had taken was never replaced in the Treasury, and the person whose dues it was didn't know about it until he checked with Heidrick and found out the money never got to the Treasurer. He (the III°) believed Stewart's story that Grand Lodge had 'lost' the money and eventually quit OTO over this, and is part of the government-registered EGC. Many have tried to tell him Stewart took the money, but he absolutely refuses to believe it.
'By the time Poole, Hoirch and Stewart were "ready" to do my initiation, they were all pretty incoherent. [...] At one point Alan (who was blind drunk and stumbling) came into the kitchen. Sr. Roe and I were very concerned, so she phoned Sr. Mimi, and asked her what to do; I told Mimi I was very worried about doing the initiation under these circumstances, but she said "go ahead, I am sure it will be all right." Sr. Roe gave me about 4 ounces of vodka to "calm me down". Since I don't drink, and because I hadn't eaten all day, this hit me like a ton of bricks. I still don't know why I walked into the Temple, which actually was their backyard. The well was a bathtub that Alan had buried.']

Poole: "The female member complained later about a botched initiation, and since I° is important, she kept complaining of the "magical repercussions" on her "karma". This led to in-fighting between Stewart and their 'Camp' and both bodies being shut down, Stewart's initiation charter being revoked, etc. The couple resigned from the Order. This shows that Grand Lodge was really trying to keep things "clean". This left Montréal effectively without any initiating possibility, except for Phoenix Lodge under Deumié, but he had let the OTO drift away, and was concentrating on "Memphis-Mizraime" (sic) from a charter he got in Philadelphia, PA."

[Comment by Leah: '"Karma" was not in question. I had a problem with discovering that no one in the Order even vaguely respected their own first degree oaths. I was not allowed to see Francis King, so I wouldn't learn these things and simply walk away. I had done at least one solid year of work to prepare myself for this initiation. They started fighting in the middle of the initiation, with Poole and Hoirch walking out, leaving me standing there. I made an agreement with Hoirch that I would do nothing at all at the time; he said he would get it straightened out (he was Campmaster, and III°). I was as good as my word, communicating with no one in COTO for an entire year. As far as I know, three different versions of this story ended up at Grand Lodge, each one probably absolving the person who wrote it. The result was two closed entitities, Wytchwood Hill Camp and Starry Wisdom Oasis, and Poole being given the Oasis.] Later in March 2002, Poole commented: "Leah is referring to an Oath on the mastery over self, some people like Stewart for example thought it meant to explore ones on limits of endurance, it is open to various interpretations. See AL II, 70, 71"
Leah: "this has nothing to do with Liber AL, and what he writes above has to do with what Stewart claimed was his "practice" of one Liber or another, (i don't recall the name) where is says you are to find out your limits. the Oath itself is VERY specific:
(from your book O.T.O. Rituals and Sex Magick):
"I most solemnly promise and swear / that i will not indulge unduly / in any drug, / such as alcohol, / ether, / opium, / hashish, / or cocaine, / whereby my full consciousness / and free will / might be impaired."
now considering how many times i had seen at least two of the officers at my I degree drink (and sometimes smoke) themselves into unconsciousness -- let's just say it was on a daily basis, if they could find the means to do so — while proclaiming it to be a ritual "unto Nuit" the Oath came as a shock to me when I read it, for I knew none of them were keeping to it, and saw the whole thing as a joke. I felt very very deceived when I read it (and more so because the ritual itself was kept away from me deliberately). this has nothing at all to do with what david wrote about "you are to find out your limits" obviously, once one knows the *letter* of the Oath. that's why i believe firmly in "informed consent", because of my own experience. if i had seen a bunch of drunken old hippies and wanted to join them, fine... nothing wrong with parties (if no one is harmed)... but this was very different, as one's word is one's bond... how many people would be all that attracted to the Caliphate OTO if they knew it *wasn't* all about partying but they were to be taking Oaths *not to party* in effect. it still messes up my head a bit, though, the person i was then was probably attracted to that last gasp of the hippie scene (and most of the people hanging out at places like Starry Wisdom in the early to mid 1980s were of my generation, and some had been partying for at least a decade since, some of the artists, writers, and musicians as well as magicians of this city) — i just couldn't understand then, and don't understand now why it was *so important* to induce people to join the Caliphate to begin with... where one ends up giving a lot of one's time, work, effort and energy to helping one or two at the top of a pyramid? i mean, why bother signing up your alleged friends to that thing? for degrees and titles that are pretty meaningless after all?
i haven't thought about this in great depth, mind you...i am NOT saying the Oaths are a "bad" thing, but keeping them secret is. it allows for a weird form of blackmail, once you are "in" you continue to deceive others and try to bring them "in" and so on. or you quit."

Poole: "Later, when I got the Phoenix Oasis charter, I was in contact with the High-Priest and his mate. They both wanted to help in Phoenix Oasis and asked to be re-admitted. This took a resolution from the Supreme Council, and I helped them get back in."

[Leah: "Hoirch wanted back in; I said over and over again I did not! Hoirch may have been speaking for me at that time." And in January 2003, she added: "i simply let them stand but wish i had not now. first it is accurate that Michael Hoirch *worked as* my High Priest. (so did others, and i have gone over this ground a few times). i let the word "mate" which is demeaning and non-descriptive of that relationship stand, and i should not have. Hoirch was a business partner, and was considered by me to be a "brother of the Order" of which i was a member. why is it that david poole seems to have no concept of fraternal relations between Order members? he seems to have none whatsoever! especially male and female Order members! Hoirch also was my "teacher" in A.·. A.·. at one time (which was the original relationship i had with him). then he worked as my High Priest. he was a cOTO brother, and a business partner, and eventually, the Campmaster of a Camp (Wytchwood Hill) i was sometimes the only member of. that no where defines the relationship as "spouse" "mate" or any of the words that david poole uses almost continually to describe the relationship, and which i am pretty fed up with reading now. i was not involved in anything like a common-law relationship with him, no exclusive monogamous "contract" between us at all. when the Camp was closed, i packed my bags and left, i had no reason to *be* at that Camp any more. i wasn't even living there in Ste. Jovite when i got to know david poole! what an imagination... a "High Priestess" is not *necessarily* a "mate/spouse" of a "High Priest". sometimes, but that is their own business, and it is not a requirement in any tradition of Witchcraft I know of that two people must be "mates" in the secular world to fulfill the role(s) effectively in the Circle.... there is *no* requirement of having to have sex between the male and the female, in Witchcraft.
the relationship was totally severed between us when we agreed to end the business partnership and he "reconciled" with his (then expelled) Brother Alan Stewart, which was in 1992-3, about the same time i met Simon. Alan had declared Simon "persona non grata" for another reason (IOW he quit, and got expelled from Starry Wisdom, i had been declared "persona non grata" a way long time before that). so we were very happy to both be under expulsion from the Starry Wisdom "group", which as far as I know, Michael Hoirch rejoined. I really don't know, obviously we had no/wanted no contact from the Starry Wisdom "group", and had none, not since a phone call or two in 1992-3 from Alan Stewart where he "cursed us" loudly. lol. (i think he was using Enochian words to do so but it might just have been slurred drunken words). at that time a number of people had started to "revolve" around Alan's light again as it were, and Hoirch had joined them."]

Poole: "There is no doubt that they wanted it, as I have all relevant correspondence in our files. The High-Priest was so moved when he got my letter that they were back in, that he ran up the hill "with tears in (his) eyes"!"

[Leah: 'Notice that Poole still is not saying that he (probably) paid the dues! Again this was done without my knowledge. It may be that Hoirch knew this and did not tell me, however.']

Poole: "Later the mate complained that maybe he had wanted that, but not her; but the deed was already sealed. No one has ever received mailings from the OTO membership list as far as I know. Is this person in the US?
Here are the salient points of my personal saga in OTO: 0° at Starry Wisdom April 5, 1987 (Alan Stewart) (Contrary to what some later "initiates" believed, Starry Wisdom was a dirty hole, no members, no activities, just a real mess)"

[Leah: "There were many members. He may not "like" the house, since he lives in the suburbs, where they tend to hate the city. It was an old - 150 years old or so - house, in what has become one of those 'trendy' new urban neighbourhoods, right in the heart of downtown. Three-storey, and they had renovated the entire third floor to make the Temple."] Later in March 2002, Poole added: "Actually the place was extremely dilapidated, cat feces and stink of urine - pure ammonia - the smell assaulted you as soon as you walked it, the third floor was not renovated only the room used as a temple."
Leah: "this is so tiring. but i have some time.... so.... lemme see, there were a number of cats (four at most, i might remember their names if i try). i never saw cat feces anywhere but on the second floor, where, in front of the front window of the house, Sr. Ferox had set up *four* litter pans all in a row, so each cat could have its own. maybe david was there on a day the litter needed changing, or he doesn't like cats (he has no pets as far as i know). yes cat urine "stinks" but they are such nice animals we wait on them hand and foot, even cleaning out their toilets for them. so? i said the temple was renovated. i am trying to remember the year. a number of people worked on it, must have been 1986-87. perhaps he didn't like the job, it was all volunteer labour and donated materials, but it was done, i witnessed it, painting, plastering, and tearing down a wall. i will do a "before" and after from memory. a wall was pulled down to make a *large* temple, where before two of her children had had bedrooms i believe.
anyway another example of where david does not (being kind, being unkind i would say he is deliberately lying) know or remember a detail, some small unimportant detail... but the overall effect of what he says gives the impression i am lying every time, when i am not... like the 'smell of cat urine', if it was such a horrid house, why didn't he flee from it in terror? maybe he's just a person who hates cats! lol. it was not *that* horrid. though some of the things that happened there certainly were horrid indeed. i don't remember the exact renovation date, but it was done. a friend of mine at one time rented the small "chambre à coucher" (bedroom) behind the temple, and sometimes i stayed there when i was in montréal visiting; bill kennedy actually rented the temple as a room, and lived there until his death. after Sr. Ferox was incapacitated and could not work, she rented rooms in the house to help pay the bills.
anyway here is my sketch, i might not remember where exactly the windows were, but it's a pretty accurate "before" and "after"."

Poole: "I° at Starry Wisdom August 21, 1988 (Alan Stewart) (I tried to get Alan to snap out of it and start something going for the OTO, he was satisfied sitting back and seeing things stagnate, and I was a little more ambitious.)"

[Leah: "I am sure Stewart had his 'reasons' for letting OTO stagnate, now that I have more details on the COTO. Perhaps he did all of us a favour!"]

Poole: "II° at Phoenix Lodge on October 28, 1989 Under Robert Deumié (Deumié was told to "get it together" by Grand Lodge cause he couldnt get the initiating team together. This is were I met Latulippe and Hoirch for the first time."

[Leah: "He met Hoirch earlier than that by his own account, at my I° (I thought 1987, but he has the paperwork - I never got any! - so maybe it was 1988. I burnt all my magickal diaries.) I believe Hoirch was actually one of the temple officers when Poole took his Minerval and his I°. So he met Hoirch at least by 1988, and knew Latulippe before he met Hoirch. In fact Latulippe introduced me to David Poole."] Poole: "It is in the timeline that I say it is, it was the first time I met those two."

Poole: "Camp of Our Lady Nuit was Chartered November 5th 1989 by H[ymenæus] B[eta - Breeze] (I started a newsletter, which eventually became 'Pan*Gaea' and this upset Stewart, although he eventually contributed, he had a magazine project called 'Kisses of Nuit' that never got off the ground.)"
[Ed. PRK: Later, Poole sent several issues of "Kisses of Nuit", eg Volume II;1 containing interesting interviews with thelemic women]

[Leah: "This also is not true. When I met Simon, he had a number of spiral-bound copies of Alan's mag, which even were sold in NYC."] Poole in March 2002: "As I mentionned below, he revived his project, even using the cover he had made eight years previously, and then covered it with a transparent plastic cover with a new date over it. We have a copy in the archives."

Poole: "III° at Tahuti Lodge, NY, on March 24, 1990, Frater Kivanah -Kent Finne. (This was and "express advancement" prompted by Phoenix Lodge under Deumié being on bad report, and the necessity of having a III° ready in case of further problems, I was elected to fill the job by HB, based on my "work" thus far for the Order.)"

[Leah: "Poole - sometimes in the presence of witnesses - was launching 'magickal attacks' against both Stewart and Deumié at the time; another reason I cut my association with him. Ambitious is a mild word for what he did. For instance, one of his 'spells' against Deumié, he couldn't find a pin to stick into a piece of paper, so used a safety pin. Then he burnt the thing, put the ashes in an envelope, and drove by Deumié's café, stopping to throw the envelope at the door. Most of the real magicians in the crew stopped associating with OTO about that time, not to mention the marzipan and wine that D.P. added to 'Oasis' meetings. Occasionally pizza - that was the good part."] Poole in March 2002: "This once again is slander, people were confused though, as Alan was trying to divert members to his Starry Wisdom Church, you must make a distinction between Church of Starry Wisdom and Starry Wisdom Oasis OTO." Leah: "what is slander? the safety pin? the marzipan? the pizza? the safety pin story is hearsay, but i knew the person who told it to me very well, and he had no reason to lie about it. it rather disgusted the people who were passengers in the car (truck?) witness to this "curse", first for the unfraternal behaviour towards Deumie; secondly because of the absolutely ridiculous "magickal" attack; thirdly, because this "act of magick" was done in a Caliphate Temple.
I witnessed the pizza and the marzipan a few times, even consuming some of the former." Cont. Poole: "As far as my relationship with Alan Stewart goes it was on the surface cordial and amicable. (I never launched "magical attacks" against him, how colorful!)" Leah: "I never said david did launch "magical attacks" against alan stewart, au contraire, he was mostly friendly with this person who was expelled. i boycotted the Mass that was held here *because* i found out in advance that david had actually invited alan stewart to it! and after that, i never entered that centre again." Poole: He had lost his Oasis due to the letter writing campaign he and Wytchwood Hill made to Grand Lodge, but we remained "friendly". He became the Secretary of Phoenix Lodge under Robert Deumié, while I became the Treasurer. Even later when he was "suspended" due to Deumié's complaining to Grand Lodge that he (Stewart) was diverting new members to his "Church of Starry Wisdom", we remained on good terms.
When he heard that Deumié got himself expelled due to the Montreal Interdit video, he wrote me a letter: Stewart: "I'm sorry that you had to close your temple (the Templar Center I had opened on Ontario street), I hope you have better luck in its subsequent location. What has happened to Frater Carribe? The last I heard he was being questioned by the Supreme Council about the Montreal Interdit fiasco. All I can say is that this reflects very poorly on the Order as a whole, I mean the "voice over" in the flick has done more damage to the OTO than Leslie Childress [Leah] ever could." Even back then (12 years ago!) "Leah" had a bad reputation, and not from me, I was trying to remain friendly with everyone." Leah in January 2003: "i know why i was declared persona non grata at Starry Wisdom, does poole? alan always feared someone showing up with a "priestess". he thought that i actually might have ever wanted to work the EGC Mass (i never had the slightest urging or desire that way, i don't like the Mass, and never wanted to work it). but he "imagined" that i might want to, and that i might want to have Fr. A.S.V. as my priest (again, never in a zillion years). so he "saw me" in the cOTO paradigm as the "magickal tool", or "potential magickal tool" of Fr. A.S.V., and never in any other way.
once when i went to the Café Thélème with a friend, actually, two of my non-order male friends (and i always have had a lot of male friends, gay and straight and in between) he gave me this long lecture about who i should and should not be associating with, which i simply ignored, and went on about my business.
there was another event when i stayed with one of my lovers (who shall remain nameless!) in montreal and alan found out this person and i were lovers (how he did *not* know this is anyone's guess as we were frequently together, he was the father of the child i sadly miscarried, and in public together many times, but alan lived in his own world, and this person ALSO was not an Order member). anyway alan stewart took it on himself to convince another OTO member to get her husband to drive 90 miles up to Ste. Jovite to report to Fr. A.S.V. that i was with this person, which he already KNEW about, how alan did NOT know this i do not know. i think Fr.A.S.V. laughed in alan's face, told him to leave, and probably shut the door in his face too.
but probably for "having a trogdolyte for a lover" i was declared persona non-grata, and THAT is my "bad reputation". i guess he thought i was Order "property" or something, well he sure did think wrong in my case!
i am starting to think that david poole simply inherited alan's delusion in this matter, which would explain the innumerable references to my having been someone's "mate/spouse" and so on.
for doing my own will, i have a "bad reputation" in the Caliphate? HAH! that is actually funny to me. but then no one could ever accuse alan stewart of having been a liberated human of the "free love" generation though he was of that age (six months older than i) the man was a puritan! he's the one who never did see the "spermo gnosis", he called himself a "black magician" and when he made his EGC cookies, he used a syringe to withdraw blood from his own arm for his "blood of a priest". yuch, vampire, psychic and otherwise, that was alan stewart; david poole's "mentor". lol." Cont. Poole: "It is only when we re-established ourselves as a Lodge and that Stewart started publishing and making notices around town using the name of "Ordo Templi Orientis" that we felt we should send him a registered letter asking him to "cease and desist" and then he took up arms, so to speak, against us. At first it was more on the level of school boyish pranks "Oliver Haddo will Speak!" flyers were posted outdoors around Metamorphoses Bookstore, but later as his level of frustration mounted, he did manage to incorporate the EGC, elevate himself a "Cardinal" and subsequently "expelled" Latulippe and I from "his" EGC!
We continued our good progress with the Lodge, had many successful events and initiations, followed by many sumptuous feasts, not pizza! There was NEVER any illicit smoke at the meetings, Leah is just being vindictive!"

Poole: "Phoenix Oasis charter, September 3, 1990, HB, Soror Helena Charter to initiate to III° September 17, 1990, HB (First group of 6 Minervals done at St-Marcs Memorial Temple, David Poole (Saladin), Robert Latulippe (Wasir), Peter Cohen (reactivated for the occasion as Black Guard), guest: Robert Deumié (past Master) It was then decided to set up a Temple, Library, conference room, and we rented the basement of a bank to set up the Templar Center in downtown Montréal."

[Leah: "It was some kind of 'meditation centre' in a defunct bank, to be exact. I was part of the "we". The rent was $200 a month. Latulippe paid $50, Simon and I paid $50, a small group of magicians/musicians paid $50, and Poole paid $50. [More about the Templar Center in Part V] Latulippe and Poole were to use the space for OTO, the magicians/musicians wanted it for jamming, and I had the space for 'Wicca' once a week. However, Poole started fighting with Latulippe, who withdrew, and then with the rest of us: he refused to give us keys as agreed, and insisted on showing up on my Wicca nights, clipboard in hand, to try to sign people who had come to learn about Wicca, for COTO. When he refused to give me the key I stopped paying, and cut all ties to Poole, but Hoirch paid for a while until it blew up. It was after this I found out I had been reinstated by getting something in the mail."] Poole in March 2002: "I have still the lease, cancelled cheques, and invoices. The rent it was for $374.50, $350.00 + $24.50 GST, it was shared mainly by me and Latulippe $150.00 each, and the balance covered either by me, or the "others" that were supposed to participate."

Poole: "IV° and P.I. Pyramid Lodge, October 12, 1991 (at Aleister Crowley Oasis, East Chicago), Lon Milo Duquette.
K.E.W., October 12, 1991, Lon Milo Duquette.
V° Tahuti Chapter R+C, NY, November 7, 1992, Ad Veritatem, James Wasserman, HB (This is the time period in which we moved to a room at the back of Metamorphoses Bookstore).
After a year or so we negotiated a weekly meeting at the Memphis-Misraim Center on Notre-Dame Ouest in Montréal, where we did Minervals, Ist, IInds, IIIrds, the Gnostic Mass, the Rites of Eleusis, and various Ceremonial Magick workings. Now things were running smoothly, and some of the "coup" members were getting more and more envious of the state of things."
[Ed.: The information on the locations seems to be wrong, see the Introduction and the research on the subject]

[Leah: "No women; I wonder who was the priestess?"] Poole in March 2002: "Not that it is her business, as she had resigned for the second time by then. It was Sorors Iad Na Manin and Nu-Isis."

Poole: "The "coup" attempt, and the Solar Temple affair; the co-tenants of the Memphis-Misraim center were complaining to their administrative council that OTO was too similar-sounding to OTS, and we were politely asked to leave. We immediately found a 'dance studio' near St-Lawrence Boulevard, I relinquished the day-to-day Lodge functioning to my deputy Lodge master, and things ground to a halt. After three months, I packed things and brought them back to my home, where they remain, to be dusted off once a year to do OTO initiations in our basement. At this point we only initiate people that are earnest, sincere and level-headed. Trying to filter out "undesirables" as much as possible.
Knight of the Red Eagle & Senate, April 29, 1995, Agape Grand Lodge, Fr.·. Sabazius.
Knight Templar Order of Kadosh, Companion of the Holy Grail, VI°, April 29, 1995, Heru Ra Ha Lodge, Fr.·. Sabazius, Sr.·. Helena, Lon Milo Duquette, Constance Duquette.
I contacted a few people yesterday. You may get some e-mails re. your research. One person I spoke to was the Lodge Master after Breeze (before Deumié)."

[Leah: "Who is this? no one ever mentioned a lodge master between Deumié and Breeze. That doesn't mean there wasn't one, however."] Poole in March 2002: "The Lodge Masters in order were: Breeze, Cartier, Cohen, Mandeville, Deumie and Poole."

Poole: "He doesn't think that Breeze stole away Sr.·. Mimi from Alan Stewart:"

[Leah: "What I reported was not what I think, but what Stewart would repeat over and over, that "Breeze stole HIS woman", usually when quite maudlin and drunk. He never mentioned it when sober. I found the phrase "my woman" rather insulting, like he thought of her as property or something."]

Poole: "...rather, it was her that decided to get away from Bjorn, by going to NY with Micheline and Breeze. He thinks that you should get in touch with Breeze himself as he is really the best person to answer these questions.
Anyway, these stories don't interest me that much. More the way the Lodge was run and any 'repairs' I had to do subsequently. As far as I know, many people were relieved after Starry Wisdom got shut down, because they knew Stewart wasn't a good representative. When I got the Lodge, a lot of old members were willing to be reactivated to help our cause." Poole in March 2002: "Unfortunately, I was mistaken in the above, I didn't know Mimi, so it wasn't Bjorn at all, refer to "Latulippes story"."

[Leah: "I was NOT! Other than that, the sum total of 'old members' was Robert Latulippe and Michael Hoirch."] Poole in March 2002: "She doesn't know, but Cohen, Mandeville, and others helped us."


POOLE RESPONDS TO LEAH

Leah's original comment: "Exactly one month after Poole took his II° (I thought it was his first), the reason being that the 'well' which Alan had built, a plywood box, was broken when Poole sat in it for his I° or II°, flooding the second floor library, and postponing a number of initiations, including mine."
Poole's response: "Not even close to reality. There were no initiations postponed! Starry Wisdom was 'Wishful Thinking'...
The story is really twisted: my I° was done by Stewart, Rob Davis and Sr. Roe; there was no problem with the 'Well'; there was another I° done right after, for an Iranian fellow (can't remember his name, he provided a Persian translation of Liber OZ); and then the well started to leak badly, and I was drafted to mop-up duty! The ritual was completed, but some water did manage to get into the ceiling underneath. The OTO 'Wells' are always plywood, and Stewart's was done O.K. by me; the problem was that he kept reusing the same plastic sheeting in it, and that after a while there too many little holes in it.
The house is not at all the way described by Leah. It was a 1920's three-floor walk up. The roof had been leaking for years, all toilets and plumbing were non-functional. Electricity was brought upstairs by extension cords. The only room in the house that had been cleaned up and repaired was the temple; all the other walls were cracked, the ceilings were falling down, the windows were boarded up, the whole house was filled with junk, no heat except for the kitchen gas stove.
And that was ten times better than the conditions LAC and Hoirch were living in: an abandoned 1940's summer cottage in the country on a hill, uninsulated and unprotected by trees against the wind, no water, no toilet, no electricity; a radio, a car battery and a wood stove were the 'comforts'. How they survived the very cold -30°C weather out there is miraculous.
As far as my living in the suburbs, what's that got to do with anything? I bought my own house, and properties and taxes are less there, that's all. My parents have lived for fifty years in Rosemount, and my grandmother lived very near Colonial Avenue where Stewart lived; when she died she was living on Park Avenue, a five minute walk from there. Stewart liked to call me the "Laval Yuppy" but that is ridiculous! Leah is so easily influenced that she never bothered to get to know me or my background. I know hers though, and her lineage of 'Craft'! I have a nice map drawn by Michael detailing their respective lineages - big deal!"

Leah's original comment: "David Poole had consumed a quantity of ***, along with Hoirch; Hoirch had come down a day or two early (we lived 90 km. from the city) to help set up. He had taken a vow to me not to consume alcohol/drugs, which he broke almost the moment he arrived at Starry Wisdom. There were two initiations that day; before me was a III°. Alan "borrowed" some codeine pills from his partner, Sr. Roe, which he crushed up to make the bitter cup. According to Hoirch, there was something else in the cup - maybe wine - Alan drank the whole cup, so he was pretty messed up. He had also made a vow to Sr. Roe not to drink. Alan did not have any money, so he took the $60 or so that was in the Oasis treasury and bought several bottles of wine, which he and Hoirch consumed, without our knowledge."
Poole's response: "As far as that goes I had no idea. (This story doesn't sound right. I'm looking at R. D.'s file: "11/16/87: Report of error in the record via Sr.·. Roes' letter of 11/3/87. R.D. paid II° dues, and did not receive II°...", Leah's I° was on 9/14/88, Sr.·. Roe had her III° done on 9/13/88, the day before!)
Let's get one thing straight: she wanted to be initiated. I got there around 8:00 PM and was hoping to be back at home by 10:00; when I got there Alan and Michael were horsing around, nothing really to indicate they were under the influence, empty bottles were part of the 'decor' there - you know what I mean! And as far as my smoking: I was still straight then, and it was Michael that had a piece of marzipan; he seemed to have a hard time rolling it! I helped him roll it and he smoked it. Leah was mad cause I rolled the thing for him, but I wasn't smoking at the time. By the way, Leah herself must have been drinking - it's hard to believe she hadn't when she tells her side now, but I can't say for sure. Her memory of the events isn't clear, the III°('s?) was done the day before, (maybe R. D. as well the report was never filed for him!) How could Stewart still have the Bitter Cup?" Poole commented in March 2002: "It could well be that the III* for RD was done the same day as her I*, but since there was never any paperwork filed, it cant be verified. So the "bitter cup" story could be true."

Leah's original comment: "The money Alan had taken was never replaced in the Treasury, and the person whose dues it was didn't know about it until he checked with Heidrick and found out the money never got to the Treasurer. He (the III°) believed Stewart's story that Grand Lodge had 'lost' the money and eventually quit OTO over this, and is part of the government-registered EGC. Many have tried to tell him Stewart took the money, but he absolutely refuses to believe it."
Poole's response: "Rob was probably ripped off by Alan; it wouldn't surprise me at all, but I really don't know."

Leah's original comment: "By the time Poole, Hoirch and Stewart were "ready" to do my initiation, they were all pretty incoherent. Poole has given himself absolution here. But he was there, smoking *** (which two Alan never used) which he shared with Hoirch, while they were drinking."
Poole's response: "I wasn't smoking then, and Alan was a smoker of anything coming his way! She has selective memories! As mentioned, I started smoking again (I'd quit when I was 23 or so) after my association started with Latulippe, and didn't even know him yet. I was and am into fresh air and exercise. I was straight as can be. Leah really is not the person to talk to about these things, if only you knew!"

Leah's original comment: "At one point Alan (who was blind drunk and stumbling) came into the kitchen. Sr. Roe and I were very concerned, so she phoned Sr. Mimi, and asked her what to do; I told Mimi I was very worried about doing the initiation under these circumstances, but she said "go ahead, I am sure it will be all right." Sr. Roe gave me about 4 ounces of vodka to "calm me down". Since I don't drink, and because I hadn't eaten all day, this hit me like a ton of bricks. I still don't know why I walked into the Temple, which actually was their backyard. The well was a bathtub that Alan had buried."
Poole's response: "Not true. Alan had worked hard at making an 'outdoor temple'. I have pictures of the arrangement, and it was better than inside the house." Poole in March 2002: "By the way, it was summer, and there was a huge maple tree in the yard, the arrangement of the surrounding buildings is such that no one could have possibly seen into the "courtyard"."
Leah: "if i read all this (dis?-)information of david poole's, along with Fr. Sirion's letter, i am starting to see a pattern... what could this mean? has david poole been told to contradict EVERYTHING no matter how small and no matter how ridiculous the contradiction is just to turn this into a "he said/she said"? is this why tim maroney was babbling about my "file" — has the Caliphate decided to hit me with little tiny lies contradicting everything i wrote? hmmmm..... for instance....
it was *not* Summer, it was "september" which is "FALL" as in "leaves fall off the maple tree", plus the statement is untrue, i will now create a plan for the backyard "temple" too to illustrate exactly what i said (and which can be verified, if the maple has not been cut down since, by going in the lane way and observing the backyard for one's self.) for that matter, even if the tree was not where i put it exactly, still MOST of the neighbours could see that courtyard through their kitchen windows (the kitchen in these old houses is always in the back) nor would it block the view from the ground floor windows of all the neighbours, nor the second floor windows of all the neighbours, if the tree still had all its leaves, it would only *partly* obscure the view of possibly one neighbour who was looking out his third floor window. in the summer, btw, not in the fall."

Leah's original comment: "Alan could barely walk, and the wine and beer bottles were all over the place. For Poole to say he only "found out" midway through the ritual is absurd. He had been with them for the two hours or so they were "setting up"."
Poole's response: "Maybe, but I was new at this, and was trying to help as best I could. Alan always acted wild anyway, whether under the influence or not! He was a very comical fellow!"

Leah's original comment: "I was as good as my word, communicating with no one in COTO for an entire year. As far as I know, three different versions of this story ended up at Grand Lodge, each one probably absolving the person who wrote it."
Poole's response: "I have many letters to me that show what I said is exactly true, and she kept wanting me to re-initiate her, but Grand Lodge didn't buy it! I have a file about 10 cm thick of not communicating, and I never sent a version to Grand Lodge about it. The correspondence with Hoirch and Leah for re-admission was for both of them, I specifically recall a meeting in Robert Latulippe's front room, where they were both present, and both wanted back in." Poole in March 2002: "The time line flow is again interrupted here"

Leah's original comment: "When I met Simon, he had a number of spiral-bound copies of Alan's mag, which even were sold in NYC."
Poole's response: "Alan had never got the project beyond a first draft. After 'Pan*Gaea' had ran about three or four issues, he revived the project, and 'Kisses of Nuit' appeared at last, containing the earlier 'draft' articles. As a matter of fact, Latulippe was upset that an article "By a Blasphemous Bishop" had appeared, as he had consented to Stewart eight years previously. And when Alan went to NY with Bjorn after Mimi died, he left some at Magickal Childe."

Leah's original comment: "Poole - sometimes in the presence of witnesses - was launching 'magickal attacks' against both Stewart and Deumié at the time; another reason I cut my association with him. Ambitious is a mild word for what he did. For instance, one of his 'spells' against Deumié, he couldn't find a pin to stick into a piece of paper, so used a safety pin. Then he burnt the thing, put the ashes in an envelope, and drove by Deumié's café, stopping to throw the envelope at the door. Most of the real magicians in the crew stopped associating with OTO about that time, not to mention the marzipan and wine that D.P. added to 'Oasis' meetings. Occasionally pizza - that was the good part."
Poole's response: "Something that is totally fabricated: I never did any such thing. She's mixing up someone else - I never did any 'low' magic in all my life! I got to where I am by using High Magick, and my HGA is guiding me still. I for one never applied for welfare! What is her problem? Peter, if this continues, I'm going to puke! Please get somebody that has a grip on reality. No wonder many people don't like your work. [Robert Latulippecommented lated: "The story of the magickal attacks is true! I was there! I found it to be childish on Poole's part and thus did not participate. A small piece of advice to black magician wannabes, never do it on a whim, the effects are always long term and the aftershock can be very nasty if you are unprepared!"]

Poole continues: "Leah: Minerval 9/3/86 Phoenix. 8/3/87 Dues anniversary (unpaid). 8/26/88 $15.00 dues credit. I° 11/21/88 Starry Wisdom.
She never knew anyone in the Lodge, never even met Robert Deumié. Only hearsay form Michael Hoirch and Alan Stewart. I have all relevant documents, but this is a stupid avenue of exploration. By the way, we did lots of decent magical work that Leah has absolutely no idea about; we kept a 'lodge diary' with presences and work done throughout the experiment.
    My membership of Starry Wisdom, active as of 01/06/1990:
    Alan Stewart, Sr.·. Roe, 0° Phoenix Lodge, II°, III° Starry Wisdom. R.D., 0°, I° Phoenix Lodge, II°??? problem in files at Grand Lodge, III°? did he or didn't he?
    David Poole, 0°, I° Starry Wisdom INACTIVE as of 01/06/90.
    Leah, 0° Phoenix Lodge, I° Starry Wisdom (resigned!) Michael Hoirch, 0°, I°, II° Phoenix Lodge, III° Starry Wisdom 9/13/88! (resigned!)


That's all folks! Where are all the "lots" of members LAC refers to?"


SIMON SUMS UP

Simon: "It's obvious that there is some basic disagreement here, and to my knowledge, all this has never been resolved.
Poole, as far as I can tell, is right about one thing only: that Leah was asking to be re-initiated - for a while. But she hasn't wanted to be re-initiated for years now. She wanted it 'done right', with no people falling over stoned/drunk, etc. - this is why she wanted to be reinstated, and I had "signed up" as an associate. But then, that's when. She did get that junk mail several years back as far as I know - all we got from them was the book catalogue ('New Falcon Press', I think).
Other than that, what I see here is Poole attacking her integrity and reputation, when she has been as honest as possible. It has been my experience that some sexist COTO members will attack a woman's reputation to excuse their own misbehaviour.
I've heard several versions of all of this - and the one that makes the most sense is Leah's. I'm doing my best to be objective under the circumstances. Some of the stories I only know of Leah's account, but I believe her. She doesn't have any reason to lie.
As far as I can tell, she has always had a problem getting through to Poole, because he won't listen to a woman's opinion on things. It is obvious to me that he has a down on anyone that is poor, even to the point of poor-bashing (intolerance of someone's 'lesser' socio-economic status). She has mentioned it to me, but I never saw proof until all these comments of his. But I tend to believe her because she has never lied to me.
Sr. Roe's house was in that state - but after years of neglect. It once was a very nice house. I think Alan Stewart wasn't maintaining the house - hence Poole's bad impression of the house. (It since has been renovated.)"
Poole commented in March 2002: "Simon is only fully aware of Leahs side, there are other views to consider." Leah: "what simon wrote was because he himself spent a fair amount of time (fridays in particular) in that house, and from knowing alan stewart (who was his 'magickal teacher' fwiw), and being a member of felicity's coven. all that was before i met him, he has not even heard some of the anecdotes i am relating now from me, he certainly was capable of forming his own opinion from direct contact with alan, and having been a member of the Starry Wisdom *group(s)*. he actually knows alan stewart far better than i do, as i had very very little to do with that person.
i don't think i ever told him until today why alan called me "persona non grata" it didn't seem important, consider the source. we very rarely even discuss Starry Wisdom, i don't even have the vaguest notion of what magick, if any, he learned there, what books he read that alan gave him to read, or what rituals if any were performed. to say that Simon only knows "my side" is ridiculous, he knows *his own* side." Poole: "It is not my intention to attack anyones integrity, rather to include my point of view. I have realized, and it took me quite a while, that from the very beginning of my involvement with the order, it has been a real struggle. Not one person has tried to help me, many have spoken up in moments of dissention, the mob mentality prevailing, but in all honesty I was alone trying to do everything. No one has ever thanked me, or shown any gratitude. Too many chiefs not enough braves!"


CANADIAN DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE: LEAH HITS BACK

Poole: "There were no initiations postponed! Starry Wisdom was 'Wishful Thinking'..."
Leah: "Yes, there were; I am not sure exactly how many. I Hoirch took his III° the month before or before I arrived (remember I said I had come down later than him). Also Sr. Roe took her III°, and Rob Davies (Larry Mintz) took his III°. So with me that makes four. I don't know how many others, I was only there for two days. And yes, mine, and I think Hoirch's, were postponed because of that leaky well."
Poole: "The story is really twisted, my I° was done by Stewart, Rob Davis and Sr. Roe..."
Leah: "This was a month before mine! But notice that in his earlier correspondence, and the list he sent, he claims it was his II°."
Poole: "...there was no problem with the 'Well'; there was another I° done right after, for an Iranian fellow (can't remember his name, he provided a Persian translation of Liber OZ); and then the well started to leak badly, and I was drafted to mop-up duty! The ritual was completed, but some water did manage to get into the ceiling underneath."
Leah: "Maybe after Poole left, but the ceiling actually collapsed on the second floor, and soaked many of the library books. Simon was a witness to the after-effects (as are others, I am sure)."
Poole: "The OTO 'Wells' are always plywood, and Stewart's was done O.K. by me; the problem was that he kept reusing the same plastic sheeting in it, and that after a while there too many little holes in it."
Leah: "Disposable wells - use once and throw away! I guess that's what the COTO needs."
Poole: "The house is not at all the way described by Leah. It was a 1920's three-floor walk up."
Leah: "I stand by what I wrote: the houses there were not built in the 1920s, but in the Victorian era. Most of Montréal has very old buildings; there are bye-laws about preserving the 'character of the city'. So houses are renovated." Poole in March 2002: "I don't think they are Victorian era at all, maybe turn of the century." Poole: "The roof had been leaking for years, all toilets and plumbing were non-functional. Electricity was brought upstairs by extension cords. The only room in the house that had been cleaned up and repaired was the temple; all the other walls were cracked, the ceilings were falling down, the windows were boarded up, the whole house was filled with junk, no heat except for the kitchen gas stove."
Leah: "Most of the houses around there were just like that. The woman who owned the house had lived there for years and years, raised three daughters in that house. She had things he didn't find of value, but why call it "junk"? The house was heated by a gas (and maybe an oil) heater. So? This was not a 'rich' woman, obviously; she had worked as an accountant, until she was beaten up and spent six months in a wheelchair, at which point she lost her job. The house was like most of the others in the neighbourhood, electricity and plumbing were not 'in' the house when it was built (it was very old) - they were added in afterwards, usually by the owners before the city set up all the 'codes' and 'inspectors' system.
Poole commented in March 2002: "The library had had water damage already before the leaky well, when the roof leaked and water made its way between the walls. Water tends to go by the easiest route down, once a leak has occured it will usually follow the same route. As far as the electricity goes, the house had been wired, but it wasn't functional above the second floor (I have photos of the "temple" and on the wall besides Stewarts certificates, there is a series of light switches.) And I'm not reffering to the lady's stuff as "junk", it was all the other odds and ends that Stewart was picking up. Broken amplifiers, PA systems, parts of drum kits, newspapers, all piled everywhere." Leah: I never saw Poole offering to help her with repairs! Instead, he spent his time gossiping about people in the order, not asking what he could do to help."
Poole in March 2002: "I never gossiped, it seems a lot of others did though. I lived pretty far from them, and I had a new familly and a job." Poole: "And that was ten times better than the conditions Leah and Hoirch were living in: an abandoned 1940's summer cottage in the country on a hill, uninsulated and unprotected by trees against the wind, no water, no toilet, no electricity; a radio, a car battery and a wood stove were the 'comforts'."
Leah: "Yes, the house I lived in was very old. I met the man (in his 90's at the time) whose father had built the house! Some of us like old houses for their character. It was on 350 acres of land, in the mountains, with LOTS of wild animals, including moose, around. There were two wells, an outhouse, and a chemical toilet. Mountain-spring fed well - good enough to bottle and sell! We wanted no electricity. Some people would feel it was a paradise. I don't see what Poole's problem is; what's his point? I find him very judgmental."
Poole: "How they survived the very cold -30°C weather out there is miraculous."
Leah: "No miracle - wood for heat, especially hardwood, is very efficient. The house was lived in continuously, since it was built, 120 or so years before."
Poole: "As far as my living in the suburbs, what's that got to do with anything? [...] Stewart liked to call me the "Laval Yuppy" but that is ridiculous! Leah is so easily influenced that she never bothered to get to know me or my background. I know hers though, and her lineage of 'Craft'! I have a nice map drawn by Michael detailing their respective lineages - big deal!"
Leah: "Actually his background is pretty much similar to Hoirch's. Urban grandparents, suburban parents. Most of the city is like this. He knows nothing about my Craft lineage. I am sure Michael is writing some interesting things: after all, he threatened to kill me. I think he extends this now to mean kill my reputation, too.
(Simon: "Montréal - the city - not where Poole lives, which was cow pasture 35 years ago - is one of the most European of cities, which meant cold water flats until very very recently, and I can recall flats with no toilets at all, or showers, even in the early 70s. I guess Poole stays at the 'Holiday Inn' when he goes to Europe. This is an old city - Ville Marie was one of the first European settlements. Some of the old walls, streets, and buildings are still there! Some of us like history, some of us like revisionist history.")
Poole: "I'm looking at R. D.'s file: "11/16/87. Report of error in the record via Sr.·. Roes' letter of 11/3/87. R.D. paid II° dues, and did not receive III°...","
Leah: "R.D. (a pseudonym) is Larry Mintz. He did receive his III°, and it was his, not Roe's, I was referring to."
Poole: "Leah's I° was on 9/14/88, Sr.·. Roe had her III° done on 9/13/88, the day before!"
Leah: "I did not say otherwise. She was in the kitchen the day I was there, not the Temple, or involved with the preparations."
Poole: "And as far as my smoking: I was still straight then, and it was Michael that had a piece of marzipan; he seemed to have a hard time rolling it! I helped him roll it and he smoked it. Leah was mad cause I rolled the thing for him, but I wasn't smoking at the time."
Leah: "This is not true, because at that point he had no money, having spent it all on beer over the two-three days he was there. Where did he get the marzipan? Poole thinks I witnessed 'something', and makes up a story to cover it. I only knew about the marzipan because I noticed how stoned they both were, and because when I questioned Hoirch the next day he told me about it. He generally did tell me. If you don't smoke, you surely DO notice when people are stoned!" Poole in March 2002: "I don't know or care where he got it. I wasn't smoking then."
Poole: "Her memories of the events aren't clear, the III°('s?) was done the day before, (maybe R. D. as well; the report was never filed for him!). How could Stewart still have the Bitter Cup?"
Leah: "I didn't pay much attention to the day "before"; I arrived in the afternoon, and went out with a friend. But I am quite sure that R.D. did take his III° before me, and this is exactly the story I related about the 'bitter cup'.
I did not fully understand, since because of Rob's fees and dues that Stewart 'borrowed', they never filed the initiation report - I guess to cover up the theft. But this is just too verifiable." Poole in March 2002: "It could well be that the III* for RD was done the same day as her I*, but since there was never any paperwork filed, it cant be verified. So the "bitter cup" story could be true."
Poole: "I was straight as can be. Leah really is not the person to talk to about these things, if only you knew!"
Leah: "May I be candid? Poole was a member of the Coven of which I was High Priestess. He was expelled for the *** use. And that is all I feel I should say on the matter. I quit smoking marzipan and pot in 1985. I admit I did once smoke."
[Poole commented subsequently: 'This is partly true. I was a member of her "Coven" of 4 people. She did expel me, and did say drug use was a factor. But the reality is this, she was a heavy drinker. I wasn't at all into heavy drink - maybe beer as a refreshment, not so much as a mind altering substance - and no "hard liquor". Their meetings and circles included "wine for the Goddess" and "hard stuff" for the God. This is one thing I didn't agree with. Cannabis used to be my drug of choice after I started it up again.
The Oasis had a party on Hallows Eve 1991 where she was drunk, threw herself at me and tried to French kiss me in front of my wife. She then "desecrated" the Temple by climbing the High Altar, and trying to smash the Stele. Michael and she had given us the Stele for the Oasis when they rejoined the OTO (and by the way, they joined to help the Phoenix Oasis; this is documented in the correspondence files). I brought the Wytchwood Hill file, if there is any doubt, I'll provide specifics.
Also, on the point of her not being aware that Michael had paid her dues without her consent; that is possible, as she did mention it in a letter after the fact. We had no way of knowing. Leah's letter to Phoenix Oasis: "12/13/1990: Hail and greetings. First off I thank you and Robert in your efforts to have me reinstated in the OTO... Leah." I have other documented proof that they wanted to be reinstated. She can say anything she wants now, and you can judge the situation as you see fit, but it remains that the records show otherwise! I'm very happy I kept all the files neatly.']

Poole: "Alan had worked hard at making an 'outdoor temple'; I have pictures of the arrangement, and it was better than inside the house."
Leah: "A bathtub, even if buried, is still a bathtub. Simon saw it too. The backyard was not private - there were houses around, and neighbouring balconies faced the backyard. All through the ritual, any of the neighbours could have observed the entire thing; they didn't by some luck." Poole in March 2002: "By the way, it was summer, and there was a huge maple tree in the yard, the arrangement of the surrounding buildings is such that no one could have possibly seen into the "courtyard"."
Poole: "I have many letters to me that show what I said is exactly true, and she kept wanting me to re-initiate her, but Grand Lodge didn't buy it!"
Leah: "One of my conditions for any kind of reinstatement was that it be redone. And yes, Grand Lodge didn't "buy" it."
Poole: "I have a file about 10 cm thick of not communicating!"
Leah: "Obviously I meant specifically "communicating about the botched I°". Hoirch did all the letter writing, I said this, trying to get it straightened out."
Poole: "The correspondence with Hoirch and Leah for re-admission was for both of them, I specifically recall a meeting in Robert Latulippe's front room, where they were both present, and both wanted back in."
Leah: "Not true. Hoirch did, and I was not interfering with him in this."
Poole: "Alan had never got the project beyond a first draft."
Leah: "Untrue."
Poole: "I never did any "low" magic in all my life!"
Leah: "Untrue."
Poole: "Leah: Minerval 9/3/86 Phoenix. 8/3/87 Dues anniversary (unpaid). 8/26/88 $15.00 dues credit. I° 11/21/88 Starry Wisdom. She never knew anyone in the Lodge, never had even met Robert Deumié!"
Leah: "This also is untrue. Poole doesn't know that I lived on Coloniale myself, and went to what Lodge meetings there were, at the Café. He was not part of the community in those days. Or OTO, or Phoenix Lodge. What can I say? I have known Deumié since 1984-85."
[Poole commented subsequently: 'I'm sorry, this is possible I am "reconstructing" from what information and files I have. However, I knew Breeze and the OTO scene since 1981, and refused to be initated twice. I waited 'till most of the riff-raff had been purged. I'd been in the Café Thélème and thought these people were clowns! I was so disappointed that I told Serge Lebel that I'd rather continue solo. He was my Thelemic inspiration in those days... He had bought the Metamorphoses Bookstore from another friend of mine, who became a real Yogi. I was also into Hatha Yoga in those at the time and I was living with my first wife in St-Leonard.']

Poole: "I have all relevant documents, but this is a stupid avenue of exploration. By the way, we did lots of decent magical work that Leah has absolutely no idea about; we kept a 'lodge diary' with presences and work done throughout the experiment."
Leah: "Never saw or heard of the diary, but I am sure it was shown to Breeze, to help Poole in his 'advancement' ambitions." Poole in March 2002: "Silliness, my only ambition, if there was one, was to have the Lodge once again so Montreal members could be proud. I have striven to this day to try to raise other members with me, so to pass the Lodge on. I gave the early years of my familly to the Lodge, and in retrospect I wouldn't do it again!"
Poole: "Membership of Starry Wisdom, active as of 01/06/1990: Alan Stewart, Sr.·. Roe, 0° Phoenix Lodge, II°,"
Leah: "I do not know where she got her first; but she got her II° just after I took my Minerval, in the basement of the Cafe Thélème, with Breeze himself as Saladin! Phoenix Lodge:"
Poole: "III° Starry Wisdom. R.D., 0°, I° Phoenix Lodge, II°??? problem in files at Grand Lodge"
Leah: "RD (actually Larry Mintz) also took his II° the same day I took my Minerval. Phoenix Lodge."
Poole: "III°? did he or didn't he?,"
Leah: "He did go through the Ritual, I was there (not in Temple, but there) as I related earlier. The dues and paperwork probably never got sent in. Officers of Temple: Hoirch, Stewart, and I believe Sr. Mimi V°. I am not sure about the latter, but pretty sure. It may also have been Latulippe."
Poole: "David Poole, 0°, I° Starry Wisdom INACTIVE as of 01/06/90. Leah, 0° Phoenix Lodge, I° Starry Wisdom (resigned!)"
Leah: "This is absurd. I was NEVER a member of Starry Wisdom. I was a member of Wytchwood Hill Camp, chartered directly by Grand Lodge, Breeze himself."
Poole: "Michael Hoirch 0°, I°, II° Phoenix Lodge, III°..."
Leah: "Hoirch was not a member of Starry Wisdom on 9/13/88!"
[Poole commented later: 'Good for them. According to Starry Wisdom Oasis, they were members though. As far as there being others, I have a stack of 'Camp of Our Lady Nuit' newsletter sent out to the members at the time, membership provided by Stewart: and an edition of six was sufficient - including those sent to Grand Lodge!']
Leah: "He was the campmaster of his own camp, Wytchwood Hill - again, chartered directly by Grand Lodge, by Breeze himself. (I am surprised Poole is not aware of this!)"
[Poole commented later: 'Of course 'Poole' is aware! But one has nothing to do with the other. You were included in Stewart's 'membership' lists as limiting as that may seem in retrospect. Since when am I not your 'Beloved'... and 'Dear', stop sending me your nonsense, and don't backstab! Don't you still have anything better to do with your life?']
[Robert Latulippe commented: "Alan Stewart would use OTO's membership list for his Starry Wisdom Church role call. That's how we all became members of his organization... I was included, so was Poole. I am not surprised that Leah was included, a lot of people were and they never knew about it!"
Leah: "and a lot of people are still confused about the difference between the Starry Wisdom Church and the Starry Wisdom Oasis. I am going to see if I can write something to help straighten it out...both existed (maybe simultaneously, but I am not sure of that), both had "initations", both seem to have collected dues, maybe one succeeded the other after Alan was expelled and lost the Starry Wisdom Oasis, but I am really not sure at this point."
Robert Latulippe: "Both organizations, Oasis and Church, did exist simultaneously. Actually, Alan had started his Starry Wisdom Church prior to the arrival of Phoenix on the scene. Alan then chartered his Church as an Oasis within OTO. After he lost his Oasis, he just kept up his Church as a distinct entity. To those who knew Alan, Church and Oasis were one and the same."
Leah: "I am really glad that is clarified. BTW I also learned that Poole (or Robert) HAD actually given Hoirch money for the Stélé, Hoirch never told me he got the money, or passed it on, so I thought that he had never been paid for it, which is why I tried to take it back (it had been given to me originally by Hoirch, and then he convinced me to let David buy it, and David would supply wood and he would paint a replacement for me, he never did.)"
Latulippe: "I don't know much about the "stélé" story, but I do seem to recall David talking about it... I never paid anybody for it."]

Leah: "I know there were other Starry Wisdom Oasis members. One that immediately springs to mind is Virginia McQuain, Minerval at Phoenix Lodge, because she took hers the same day I took mine, and changed her association from Wytchwood Hill Camp TO Starry Wisdom Oasis - she lived in Montréal. There were others, but I don't keep the records, especially for an Oasis I never belonged to in the first place! I just know some of the people. Poole thinks because people attended one meeting they are 'members' of 'his' Oas is or Camp. But I bet he wrote their names down on some little list to show Breeze."
Poole: "...(resigned!)"
Leah: "All right. Starry Wisdom Oasis - of which Hoirch and I were NEVER members, was the closest COTO initiating body. That is ALL!
So is Poole talking of "Starry Wisdom" members or COTO members? He is confusing even me at this point! Now I understand how competitive he is - he never saw it as "one" COTO but a whole bunch of them." Poole in March 2002: "I was not competitive, according to the by-laws of the OTO Inc., all bodies were subservient to the Lodge and OTO Qc Inc., I was ultimately responsible for all members in my jurisdiction, and I tried to diplomatically solve their in-fighting! I wasn't party to them. It seems that even to this day, people don't see the selflessness of my actions."
Cont. Leah: "Alan Stewart also ran the 'Church of Starry Wisdom' and this had many members, whom I suppose you could call 'associate' COTO members, but I am not sure anyone ever paid any dues, so they were 'unofficial COTO members'. That is what I mean when I say "Starry Wisdom had many members". Not all of them - especially in light of the antics that were going on - wanted to join COTO, but all were interested in and doing magick. Eventually Alan wrote rituals (after the COTO expelled him) for the Church of Starry Wisdom, based on the three-degree system of Wicca/Masons/etc. I think he only wrote two degrees before he died."
Poole: "That's all folks! Where are all the "lots" of members LAC refers to?"
Leah: "I never mentioned more than 4-5 people present when I was there."


A TOUCH OF THE HARD STUFF

Poole's original statement: 'I knew Breeze and the OTO scene since 1981, and refused to be initated twice. I waited 'till most of the riff-raff had been purged. I'd been in the Café Thélème and thought these people were clowns!'
Leah's reply: "Who? Breeze and his little compatriots? all the people he refers to were Breeze's friends." Poole in March 2002: "Again things are being edited out of context."
Poole's original statement: 'This is partly true. I was a member of her "Coven" of 4 people.'
Leah's reply: "The number doesn't matter."
Poole's original statement: 'She did expel me, and did say drug use was a factor.'
Leah's reply: "He thinks I still have the letters."
Poole's original statement: 'But the reality is this, she was a heavy drinker...'
Leah's reply: "The main sacrement of Wicca is wine, and David knows this. I do not drink, usually, outside of the circle. And I do very little of that now, anyway: I have hypoglycemia. We are not 'WiccAA' - the 'AA' being Alcoholics Anonymous. But wine is legal, and the drugs David used are illegal."
Poole's original statement: 'I wasn't at all into heavy drink, maybe beer, as a refreshment not so much as a mind altering substance, and no "hard liquor". Their meetings and circles included "wine for the Goddess" and "hard stuff" for the God. This is one thing I didn't agree with.'
Leah's reply: "So why did he join? Neither did I approve of the hard stuff; Hoirch was my High Priest and insisted on the hard stuff being used. Again, no one forced David to drink: the cup is shared, but you can simply touch your lips to it in a token gesture if you do not want to drink. It's absurd to talk about Wicca without wine! Dionysus, Ceres & Aphrodité - everyone knows this."
Poole's original statement: 'This is one thing I didn't agree with. Cannabis used to be my drug of choice after I started it up again.'
Leah's reply: "But earlier he said he wasn't using at all. Note this was the same exact time frame. So are we to assume he only tried to smoke marzipan at my house, but not at the Lodge?" Poole in March 2002: "Out of time frame, rather confusing and projecting wrong impressions..."
Poole's original statement: '...she was drunk, threw herself at me and tried to french kiss me in front of my wife.'
Leah's reply: "I was drunk, I admit it. But the kiss? ...this is about the stupidest accusation I have ever had levelled at me in my life... I just don't know what to say. Local 'custom' is to kiss people when saying hello and goodbye - on the cheeks by the way - maybe Poole's wife got upset at this." Poole in March 2002: "When a drunken woman stumbles into your face, grabs you and tries to force your mouth open with her tongue, it isn't the kiss on two cheeks, hahaha!"
Leah: "i was there with my paramour of that time, named Samìc, and also accompanied by a man i consider to be my brother (and a former roommate), named Colin, perhaps david dreams of things such as he wrote, but what a crock... he seems to have forgotten about Colin and Samìc being with me or something? lol... and he claims i did this in front of my paramour? what a laugh!"
(Simon: "I'm fed up with Poole attacking Leah. I suggest he stop. He's making a fool of himself.")
Poole's original statement: 'She then "desecrated" the Temple by climbing the High Altar and trying to smash the Stele! Michael and her had given us the Stele for the Oasis, when they rejoined the OTO...'
Leah's reply: "Why would I destroy the Stele? I admit to trying to take the Stele back, though. It had sat in my Temple for years. Hoirch painted it. Poole asked to buy it and Hoirch didn't want to sell it - so he asked Poole to bring him a piece of plywood so he could paint another. He also asked for a stupid price, something like $10; this thing had taken weeks to paint. Poole never brought Hoirch the wood, and when drunk, I did try to take it back."
Poole's original statement: '...and by the way they joined to help the Phoenix Oasis, this is documented in the correspondence files. I brought the Wytchwood Hill file, if there is any doubt, I'll provide specifics. Also to the point of her not being aware that Michael had paid her dues without her consent, that is possible, as she did mention it in a letter after the fact.'
Leah's reply: "Again, not only did I bury my O.T.O. lamen (a small copper disc) but I also burned my robe. I kept no O.T.O. regalia, and wanted nothing more to do with the O.T.O."
[Leah commented later: 'Simon was an 'official' member (dues $5 a month which he paid one month) of the Church of Starry Wisdom! It was more than two members, that's for sure. Stewart said that Simon was his "best student"! Stewart got furious when I met Simon - and we got along so well together (married five years, together seven) - and accused me of "stealing his student".']

Poole's original statement: "Leah's letter to Phoenix Oasis: "12/13/1990: Hail and greetings. First off I thank you and Robert in your efforts to have me reinstated in the OTO... Leah."
Leah's reply: "I am sure this letter was written by Hoirch - he does not quote the whole letter either."
Poole's original statement: "I have other documented proof that they wanted to be reinstated. She can say anything she wants now, and you can judge the situation as you see fit, but it remains that the records show otherwise! I'm very happy I kept all the files neatly."
Leah's reply: "The 'Caliphate' position is that you can be expelled, you can never quit. I did not want to be back in; I did at one time want the I° redone. Any letter Poole has that I wrote, I am sure, says that. So did the one I wrote to Breeze in 1995. If the worst thing my Lodge Master can say about me is that I tried to kiss him (untrue - at least in the way HE means) - I guess I am not such a bad person. I was really upset about the Stele at that time. Poole had a bit of a reputation for not paying what he owes... 'buying' things from Order members, and never actually paying for them." Poole in March 2002: "Not true, I made one transaction with Latulippes brother for a used PC, and I paid in full. He was NOT an Order member, and it doesn't regard her in any way. I've never "bought" anything from any Order member, why does she need to invent things?"


POOLE OPENS HIS FILES IN PUBLIC AGAIN

Poole: "from files at Phoenix Lodge: Jan. 10, 1990: Leah writes that she is resigning from OTO because of her I° experience as of January 9, 1990, even though in a letter to her Grand Lodge recommended she undergo a solemnisation of her I°. Leah letter to "Beloved Salazar" (me!). This shows that she changed her mind about it several times."
[Leah comments: 'They wanted me to simply retake my oath (solemnise it), but honestly, the fight happened in the Temple just at the point. Alan, who couldn't see the book, started to get me to swear the oath for the third time - I had done it twice already! There was NO WAY taking it a third time would "make it right" for me. I felt really insulted that that was the best they offered.']
Poole: "11 September 1990: "...I would request that I not simply be accepted in as I° - thought that's what the Order has me as. If at all possible can I retake my I°? In fact since the ritual was so messed up and for other personal reasons - can I make it a precondition that I will rejoin if I first go through the I° done right and proper and in business way.... Signed Harmonya (Leah)"
9 Feb. 1991: In a letter to "Beloved Salazar", she proposes that Phoenix Oasis rent a flat or house, for her to live in and so she can act as "caretaker" of the Oasis Library and Temple! she has a five page "proposal". She would "work" for us and so "trustworthy"... WE POLITELY DECLINED!"
[Leah comments: 'I actually offered to live in any place they rented - as a Temple - to take care of it. So? I do not see what their problem is. I was willing to do the caretaking/housekeeping and daily rituals necessary to keep it running. I was not asking them for money, I offered them a service. I am starting to see that Poole was reading a lot into the "Beloved" salutation - I use this with ANY initiate of mine. He must have thought I was writing love letters or something...']
Poole: "13 Feb. 1991: "...I do however, consider myself a definite friend of the Order; and feel a strong kinship with the OTO. More than that I wish all the best for Phoenix Oasis, for you as Oasis master...and I will continue to do what I can to help you out, I would like very much to be associated with Phoenix Oasis... I definitely want to be associated with OTO, can I be reinstated as an Associate Member?"
[Leah comments: 'Again, this proves what I was saying; an associate is "outside the pale of the order".']
Poole: "Leah, or 'The Lady Harmonya' thinks in retrospect that Michael paid her dues to be re-instated behind her back, but we have plenty of hard evidence to the contrary. She was once a I° (albeit not done to her satisfaction), and can't be re-instated at any other level than her last initiation. We were more than willing to re-do her I° as she wanted, but when the time came, she had changed her mind again."
[Leah comments: 'I was never offered more than the solemnisation. I declined.']
Poole: "I hope this closes THAT chapter of the OTO saga in Québec." Poole adds in March 2002: "I later found out that after she resigned from the OTO for the second time, she moved to Ontario, petitioned the Supreme Council to be readmitted, was readmitted, comes back to Quebec, starts publishing newsletters signing herself a I* OTO, Leah interrupts later in January 2003: "totally untrue, i was fucking ASHAMED to mention that i was OTO-connected FOR YEARS. Here, David Poole interrupts Leah in February 03: "There is a newsletter that she sent me when she moved back from Ontario with "Simon" in which she writes that they would do a Gnostic Mass or some such and she comments on the Mass and signs herself I* OTO! I will look for it but I may not find it as she sent me so much crap over the years, and I may have put it in the garbage. Again, she is lying when she said her I* was done in full view of Stewarts neighbours, because on September 15 the leaves are still in full bloom, and green. Its not "Fall" fall starts more in October. September is still very hot here! Here is some Topaz editorials relating the transition from Deumie to me, its exactly what I told you! Latullippe managed to get my kids names in there, I would expect you to have better judgement. Will you remove their names and refrain from intimidating my familly in the future?"
    Leah Mon Dec 13, 2004
    QUOTE Here, David Poole[#]interrupts Leah in February 03: "There is a newsletter that she sent me when she moved back from Ontario with "Simon" in which she writes that they would do a Gnostic Mass or some such and she comments on the Mass and signs herself I* OTO! I will look for it but I may not find it as she sent me so much crap over the years, and I may have put it in the garbage.
    UNQUOTE
    The above is pretty garbled, and there appears to be some memory that David Poole is having. But there are one or two things that are "true" so I will address this at length.
    QUOTE
    DP: "There is a newsletter that she sent me when she moved back from Ontario with "Simon" UNQUOTE
    All the above is true. It was called *The Old Guard*. That was in 1997 - 1998, if I recall correctly.
    QUOTE DP: "in which she writes that they would do a Gnostic Mass or some such and she comments on the Mass and signs herself I* OTO! I will look for it but I may not find it as she sent me so much crap over the years, and I may have put it in the garbage.
    UNQUOTE
    The above is untrue. Every bit of it, and I notice he has given himself an "out" automatically with the "may have put it in the garbage".
    However, there is a story, note, it was never written down before, or published anywhere, not to one single person, concerning me, Simon, and the Mass. Which I will now write down. Several people also knew about this and some were in on it, a bit. It was what was called "diabologick", i.e. "the fine art of tricking your opponent into tearing his own head off to throw at you" (not my phrase, but one used by one of the people involved.) And this act of "diabologick" was directed at Alan Stewart. David Poole was not a party to any of it, but he may have heard the story about it, and it got garbled up and confused.
    The time was not 1997, it was 1993 or early 1994, in fact. Fr. A.S.V. of the O.T.O., Inc., and to a small extent, (consultation), Fr. Julien of the O.T.O., Inc., were also involved, besides Simon and I.
    The situation surrounding this, was Alan Stewart, having registered the EGC, having been expelled from O.T.O., Inc., and having declared himself a Cardinal, and having appointed a "Grand Inquisitor General", and even, having penned a "handbook" (I allege this I never saw it myself), declared to all and sundry that the EGC Liber XV Mass would not be done anywhere in the Province of Quebec unless the "GIG" and he inspected the Temple where it was to be done, and approved everything about it. Which meant, that no one could do the Mass (that is what it meant in practice) at all in the Province of Quebec, since there was no woman who would work with Alan Stewart at that point in time. What he possibly wanted, was to get a chance to "meet" any potential "priestess" and then insist that she do the Mass with him (that is what I believe his motive was). Perhaps he also just wanted to kill the EGC, it certainly all had a chilling effect, people were frightened to do the Mass, even in private.
    Anyway Simon was a member of the Church (at least one of them) and Order(s) of Alan Stewarts. He had heard about me from Alan Stewart for years. He had always wanted to meet me, almost did in 1990, finally did in 1992. Which was probably one of the reasons Simon (then "Fr. Ash") got expelled from everything Alan had he was a member of, *and* declared "persona non grata". He laughed at it quite a bit, as did I. For quite awhile I was getting strange ranting curses on the phone from Alan Stewart, because to quote him I had "stolen his best student".
    After about six months to a year (about mid to late 1993) some of us met, and were talking about the "GIG", the inspections, and the handbook. Though we had no intention of *ever* working the EGC Mass together (neither of us had any interest in it at all) it was decided that, as a "diabologick" act, we announce that we were putting together a Mass team (Fr. A.S.V. was to be the "deacon" and Simon and I were to be "priest" and "priestess" to do the EGC Mass). Fr. Julien was consulted if I recall correctly, and all of us were quite aware this was an act of "diabologick", we even planned on putting out announcements for the EGC Mass being at an address that was a vacant lot, just for the fun of seeing Alan Stewart and the "GIG" show up, probably in full robes and regalia, to destroy the performance of Liber XI, which he was sure to do (as anyone who knew him would attest).
    This was a fairly involved plot, by the way. Call it a "protest" about Alan Stewart having registered the EGC on behalf of O.T.O., Inc., members and friends (which Simon and I were at the time), but really it was silliness.
    The only thing we did beyond discuss this, we never even decided which vacant lot we were going to "send" Alan Stewart to inspect, was to put news out that three of us were "putting together a Mass team", which was done by phoning one or two people (not Alan Stewart directly, and no, I didn't make the calls and neither did Simon, an O.T.O., Inc. member did) and letting the "news" drift back to Alan Stewart via the ethereal telephone grapevine. Which it did, because I got some ranting phone calls from Alan Stewart, eventually, and threats that I had better not ever consider working Liber XV. If I recall correctly, he even promised to pay me a "visit" whereupon I phoned the police about the threats. They told me to record and note down everything, which I did at the time.
    Anyway he took it all so seriously that it was no longer funny, and all of us abandoned it, even as a joke. Actually, the would be deacon pulled out at that point. And that was the end of it.
    We never had any intention of doing the EGC Mass (it would cost thousands of dollars to properly set up a Temple for it, e.g., I don't like the ritual itself and have never been likely to throw thousands of dollars at a project I don't like). Alan Stewart should have realised it was a joke, but unfortunately he was way too far gone at the time, and on reflection probably devasted at losing Fr. Ash to me of all people.
    Any one who knows me at all, would know my position on Liber XV, so all this "proves" again, is just how little David Poole knows me.
    I don't "hate" the Mass, I would probably have been willing to help anyone who wanted to do the Mass at that time, seriously, then, but I would never be the "priestess" or "priest" or "deacon" at one myself, it really is not my "thing".
    But to have written anything about it? No, this was all done with conversations and phone calls, and I did not make the phone calls. Publish anything about it in the eZine? Never. It never was written down at all, never published, and the "diabologick" act was done about four years earlier than the eZine.
    I was not an O.T.O., Inc., member at the time, but basically, some members were still friends of mine and I was willing to lend my name to what I saw as a "protest" against Cardinal Alan Stewart's plans for the EGC.
    Believe it or not, many years before Alan Stewart would have himself laughed at such a thing, he is the one who came up with the satirical "No-Stick" mass. But over the years, sadly, he lost all his sense of humour. He did have one, once upon a time. Satyra
 Cont. Leah: "geesh David, please get over yourself. maybe YOU like showing off your regalia and boasting about your "degrees" but i was too ashamed to even tell my own family, and didn't even tell my parents or open my mouth until 1999 which was when they had both died.... i mean how does one explain something like "The Church of the Starry Wisdom" aka "Stellar Wahoos"? it took me years to learn enough to know it was bogus masonry, and that i had been lied to completely about the Caliphate version of it. but there is no crime in being uneducated about something...." Cont. Poole: "and then writes to "info cult" and the government of Quebec, Again, Leah interrupts later: "totally untrue, and David got a copy of the letter, and Breeze got a copy of the letter, which was the one to the Human Rights Tribunal, i sent a "cc:" to infocult quebec, because i thought they might like to have a copy... Mike Kropfeld is nice people..." Cont. Poole: "accusing her ex (an ex member of COTO) of abuse, harassment, threats, leah: "i dont't have a clue what Poole is talking about above? the accusation above IF ANY was made to the police of the MUC -- not to the Human Rights Tribunal?? like again, DUH, david. i NEVER said who made the threats so why is he making this shit up? (it wasn't my ex-BUSINESS partner who made them for sure, haven't heard from him for YEARS, literally) and why would i tell infocult and NOT THE MUC police? ?????????????" Cont. Poole: "and that the Order won't let her quit???? She is still to this day claiming that a COTO member (her ex) is stalking her, making death threats, etc... Leah: "again that is total B.S. — this IS SLANDER DAVID! not only about me but about the person who DID NOT MAKE THOSE THREATS!!!! if you mean M.H. Fr. A.S.V. which i do believe you do mean." Cont. Poole: "If they split up, why doesn't she just leave the OTO out of, as it has no part of her sad story." Leah sums up: "David, i SOLD HIM (Fr. A.S.V.) THE BUSINESS that we were partners in (Wytchwood Hill Arts and Graphics, Reg'd.) waaaaay back in 1992-3, that ended the PARTNERSHIP. like duh, David. get a grip. it was all NOT ended very amicably, but there are other reasons for that... and a lot of THOSE had to do with his brotherly reconciliation with Alan Stewart, actually had EVERYTHING to do with his brotherly reconciliation with Alan Stewart and stopping to write for The Old Guard rather than anything else at all... i made so many grammatical mistakes, and a BIG blooper about the registered company name, which actually was "WytchKraft, Reg'd." not "Wytchwood Hill Arts and Graphics" — the second name was the one we called it, but couldn't register it in Quebec because it had english words, it is a nono to use english words in the business world in Quebec
we managed to get around the no english word thing by changing an "i" to a "y" and a "c" to a "k", the government clerks use (i think) a dictionary to decide if it's english or not, so since they didn't find "Wytchkraft" in a dictionary, they accepted the name for registration... but it sure does read EXACTLY like Tim's words coming out of Poole's keyboard, there, what fuqqing B.S. though.
wanna know WHO i felt threatened me? let's CLEAR THE AIR SHALL WE DAVID!?
1) bishop who has never explained what the fuck he meant by his "you are a ghost" statement, IMMEDIATELY before i got erum its a few years ago — what? moderated off the PSYCHOPOMP group
2) my old "friend" Fr. Eru who sent me some email rant about "enemies of the Order" which i definitely took the wrong way. and who totally turned 180 degrees. well that's his business of course, but i DID not take kindly to that "enemies of the Order" thing, what was it "WE never forget the ENEMIES OF THE ORDER".... so if he appears here to explain it, fine, if not fuck him.
again Poole has no information, but it is very telling that he was talking to old Timmy there at one time or another, Tim having started out with an erroneous belief anyway..... so let's go there since a lot was published, eh? naaah i still am not going to list my ex-lover(s) (if any), it's below the waist, and i don't have to, but guess what? David NEVER saw me fuck anyone!!! WOW! imagine that, no orgies!!!! and he saw me work with more than ONE high priest (to nudge a bit, Avalon Nion and Dianos worked with me at circles David actually attended. i worked (partnered) with several people...
anyone every ASK me what i did about the "abuse"?
actually i posted it what three-four years ago? here is a refresher for the list. i TOLD someone, who i worked with as HP (oh another one! Lord Markyan!! lol) for a while, the same person that Robert LaT mentions as a friend (Mark T.) who i didn't know until just now reading it was a 0degree cOTO, who was a martial arts expert/instructor too BTW. guess what? he gave me a personal intensive specially designed self-defense crash course waaaaay back so that the arsehole that was beating me up well let's just say, he did not dare to lay a hand on me after a certain date... oh right, that was BEFORE i even met Mr. Poole OR anyone had ever met him!!! i actually did disarm Fr. A.S.V. who pulled his "magickal dagger" on me once, a VERY EXPENSIVE magickal dagger, which is now at the bottom of the St. Laurent River, becuz i honestly could not think of a magickally "cleansing" that would do the trick, or i would have kept it. :-O David, you didn't know that one did you? lol.
i would have thought that Fr. A.S.V. would have told David Poole how terrified he is not only of ME now, but of Simon, who also is a martial artist. like duh, jack.... all this proves is that David Poole really does not know me, yeh okay he's put in ten years, but he doesn't really know any of us that well... last i heard from the gossip/rumour mill well really, who cares and what does it have to do with cOTO?
so the spin is just plain B.S., that "disgruntled ex-member spouse" and some serious projection on who's part? i could care less. but just to set the record straight, haven't heard from Hoirch in years. there is OTHER grief between him and i. and though he might have felt he needed it, he surely should know by now that no one is going to go kick his ass either...
but for goddess' sake if you are going to spin a story to discredit me, at least make it a credible one, or i will just HAVE to haul out all my ex-High Priests and/or lovers to back me up.... my "spouse" should not be confused with "business partner/brother of cOTO" please, Simon is my spouse...
damn. and David who hasn't seen me at all since what is it, 1990? something like that and only knew me VERY briefly, is still writing stuff about me AS IF he knew anything about what i've been doing in the last 13 years, not that he had a *clue* what i was doing in my day to day life 13 years ago. he has even seen me WHEN he actually saw me, in the company of more than one wo/man... for many years i didn't consider myself tied to anyone... except with fraternal bonds... during the time i actually did know Mr. Poole, i was even living with various people... oh that's right he got ALL or most of his info about me from Alan Stewart, i saw that with what i read that was added today... well Alan Stewart was not *exactly* sane...

It's REALLY not kewl that you are telling people that Michael Hoirch [Fr. A.S.V.] has threatened me (see below). I *never* gave out the information about who WAS but it is here in this email. So you just assumed, and what, spread this gossip all over the city? Really, David, I think you should make a public apology to Michael (Fr. A.S.V.) AND to me.... it is not he who did this thing, how AWFUL of you to spread such gossip. Really really awful. Please apologise. (and now it is on the Moose website....too)"




AND DAVID POOLE'S REACTION 


From:  phoenixoto
Date:  Wed Jan 15, 2003
Subject:  Man its cold outside!
 In response to your posting on the AM list. I apologise to the readers
 of this list for the intrusion, but for the sense of finality, here is
 my response to Leslies questions... I told myself I wouldn't get myself
 sidetracked by the posting of the expanded moosebump article, and I
 must now get back to my regular routine...
 Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
 I apologise, but "if" I did make the connection to the name (and I am
 not going to read that site again, my eyes hurt), its nothing compared
 to what you wrote about me and then with others joining the band wagon
 I have absolutely no privacy left down to the details of my family.
 THAT, I really don't appreciate at all.
 I note your reaction and also see you take the opportunity to post the
 links to PR Koenigs site.
 Oh well...
 Live and learn...
 Love is the law, love under will.
 

WALTZ AWAY DREAMING

 Leah on 21 january 2003:
"canada 3" actually i had skimmed the new material looking for amendments,
and pretty much blew all my fuses when i read some of David's "amendments"
and what i wrote is pretty hysterical. i guess it's because i kept having
that "disgruntled ex-member spouse" hype thrown at me so many times
before. but my comment on david's "apology" is is he trying to pass off
his responsibility for what he wrote to someone else? no one forced him
to contribute anything to this project! i always found it really funny
that he met with you in Zurich way before i heard of you and before i had
a computer. the Caliphate is an odd beast, and you are somewhat a
mythic character to them at this point, lower degrees but higher than
minervals or new recruits are "out in the field" so to speak gently
discouraging people from reading the site(s) with words such as Sirion
used, or just "it's too confusing..." etc. while at the same time some
members are actually contributing. quite a phenomenon indeed!
as it turns out, i actually had said who those threats had come from
before, and ran across my words on the website, that i had forgotten,
posted to a probably now defunct elist... david infuriated me because he
had no reason just to pick a name and insert it. i had no reason to be
"afraid" of fr. a.s.v., nor have i had any contact from him in probably
more than ten years, let alone any such "threats". the email i sent to
david when "adam" from texas came up here spells out pretty much exactly
who the threats came from, i can only give david credit here for having a
very poor memory.
i don't even know if fr. a.s.v. is happy with that "apology" but i
certainly felt it was warranted.

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003
From: satyra_x
Subject: :-( Dracula TM
dear peter,
we were just sitting here eating, and all at once the absurdity of it all
just rushed in on me, here i am poring over and correcting all these
silly little errors, spending hours and hours on it, while avoiding the
big issue completely, which to put in plain words (which i couldn't even
bring myself to acknowledge until now really and fully) both of us were
tricked and deceived into joining a vampire (anthropophagic) cult. and
that is what it all pretty much boils down to.
in montreal although some did read Louis Cullings' book, and saw the light
in a different way, that is not true of Starry Wisdom. alan stewart
called himself always "an orthodox thelemite" and human blood went into
his cookies, his own. there is just no way to pretend this is not a
vampire cult. it has nothing to do with Masonry. nothing to do with as far
as i can see, gnosticism, spermo or otherwise. that is the glamour, and
the malefic sorcery of it, the glitter that they use to attract.
what is awful that in the goth era here for a while, there were "vampire
bars" where consenting adults engaged in these practices. note,
the "consenting". the difference is with the Caliphate OTO, the
basic anthropophagy is *the* "secret". somewhere in my files there is a
copy of a fairly current EGC/OTO Mass handbook, and i believe this version
of the Mass is now considered to be a "private" one, but i do not see it
ruled out anywhere. nor is the public told what exactly it is that this
group keeps "private".
i am not saying it happens "everywhere" but sitting right beside me is one
who can vouch for this as well. and here mr. breeze appointed this alan
stewart as a body master, try to convince me or others that he did not
know full well how alan interpreted Liber AL when he gave him that charter
and made him an officer of the corporation back in 1981.
i am not at all surprised how few people want to speak about it, it has
taken me years to come to terms with it fully myself. as i wrote a couple
of days ago, i was ashamed of it when i discovered all this after i
joined, why on earth would i want to go around bragging about being a
member of a deceptive vampire cult that i was tricked into joining?
sad, but coming to terms with it
leah
leslie anne





      Introduction to the development of the Ordo Templi Orientis in Canada
      Whereabouts of the Temple
      Part I
      Part II
      Part III
      Part IV
      Part V
      Part VI
      Part VII - Reactions to the previous sections
      Alan Stewart





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