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Subject: Temple of Set Reference The Temple of Set is based upon the watchword Xeper (pronounced "Khefer"). This is an Egyptian verb meaning "Become." Perhaps you are familiar with the scarab in Egyptian art -- the symbol of the self-created god, Khephra. The Temple views life as the time when the psyche can be aware of itself and then reach out towards the limitlessness of its conscious existence. There are several methods by which this awareness can be obtained. In the Temple of Set this spiritual self-actualizing draws on various historic and philosophical methods -- including the legacy of Plato, Nietzsche, Fichte, and the Church of Satan. Of course, these tools only produce results when used by the individual. Our three principal methods are Socratic reductionism, the formulation of correct understandings by logic, and noetic intuition.... _Socratic reductionism_. The act of questioning and testing beliefs to eliminate falsehoods is an important tool for arriving at the truth. As we mature all of us ask ourselves, "What beliefs are mine and which have society programmed into me?" Setians, in particular, seek to distance themselves from the vast roar of cultural propaganda. Whereas some groups break from society by merely picking a different prepackaged belief system, the Setian is left with the tough day-to-day struggle of self knowledge and moral relativism. Eventually we each have to become philosophers rather than consumers. One notion of the Temple of Set which sets us apart from our predecessor the Church of Satan is our realization of the non-natural force in man. Whether this is called the _logos_, the _ba_, or the psyche, there is clearly something different about mankind. This awareness is set apart from the natural order. Picture for an instant a Mobius strip or a Klein bottle. The fact that your mind can conceive of a non-natural occurrence - in this case a three-dimensional surface with only one surface -- shows that your mind is not one with nor constrained by the natural order. In the Temple we exalt this non-natural self, which can be discovered by logical processes. This finding enables us to reach a different ethic than the practitioners of the Right-Hand Path. We neither seek nor believe in the possibility of a union with the universe. We revel in our separateness, which enables us to fully enjoy our carnality, but also causes us to use that enjoyment in the goal of energizing and articulating the psyche. Having established the existence of the psyche, we have a basis for our explorations and ethics. _Formulations of correct understandings by logic_. Having discarded the untrue and the inessential, we are left with the building blocks for creating a model of the universe. These notions may have been gained from science, personal experience, from other philosophical/psychological belief systems, or from findings of other Initiates with whom we've chosen to Work. Creative synthesis of ideas -- a self-managed dialectic, if you will -- has been a major source of human knowledge. Setians begin a creation of a model of the universe in order to understand it (and when necessary, exert control of it through magic and other means). One of the aims of Xeper is to understand the relationship of yourself to the universe. Again this is a tough road. We are placed in the position of Socrates, the wisest man of Greece, who said, "I know nothing." We look upon the universe as an exciting place to study -- rather than as a dull and finished product. Since the active human mind is a bringer of disorder to the static authoritarian models of the universe (consider Copernicus or Einstein) -- those who bring about the new are seen as agents of chaos, champions of darkness. We gladly accept these titles and know that our movement through the world achieves a greater level of activity, creation, and beauty. Set, the Egyptian deity which is our ultimate model of Initiation, was called "Bringer of Confusion," as well as "Majestic" and "Eternal." By actively becoming philosophers, we exert an influence (often times invisible) of rejuvenation on the corpse-like world around us. We are _not_ interested in Judeo-Christian dualism. Our attraction to historic evil and our roots in the Church of Satan allow us to use the name of Satanist with pride. We choose Set rather than a Hebrew fiend for our model because this is the most ancient (historically verifiable) understanding of the Prince of Darkness. Set is mankind's first model for the hero who rebels against cosmic injustice.... The third technique, _noetic inspiration_, takes you to the discovery of your own divinity and the edge of Black Magic. We take the term _noesis_ from Plato. Plato defined three types of knowing. The lowest is _pistis_ (faith). This means believing something because someone in authority tells you so. The Pope tells you that birth control is wrong, so you know it's wrong. Society is controlled by this level. The next higher way of knowing is _dianoia_ (reasoning). This is the test of reason and logic referred to above. The elites work in this level. The highest knowing is _noesis_ -- direct knowledge. This is the knowing that comes from the divine Self. Examples of it may be found in your personal life -- when you've come up with a solution to a problem that was wholly new or novel to you. Or you may have written poetry or music. This flash of inspiration is your psyche becoming aware of its own existence. You may have recognized this sacred quality in something you've seen -- the buildings of Gaudi -- or reading _Ulysses_ -- or any of a thousand thousand things. When you encountered this thing and knew, "This is something special. This isn't the product of a meat machine!" then you have experienced this sense. The Temple of Set attempts to create an environment where these experiences may be consciously sought and entered into again and again.... This application of _noesis_ is the most non-natural aspect of the Temple's make-up. It is to be stressed that our "non-natural" rhetoric does not mean we advocate a wholesale destruction of nature; nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of a non-natural religion is to understand the conscious development of the Self, which in turn may have an effect on the objective and subjective universes. Seeking self development will cause the Temple to always be an elitist group. Xeper leads to an individually determined freedom. Society is best maintained by natural religions which emphasize the maintenance of natural structures in society. Plato, afterall did not recommend the wide scale training of philosopher-kings. The Temple does not view nonSetians with contempt. By exercising our divine right of Self-creation, we often come to enjoy and respect (rather than judge and condemn) the human beings around us as the unique and fascinating creatures they are. Just because we seek to exalt the non-natural does not mean that we have in any way given up having sex, eating, driving, etc. -- it merely means that we seek to transform these states into thought provoking experiences. We find, perhaps, that the practice of Black Magic to be the most thought provoking of all. One of the primary methods of experiencing _noesis_ is through ritual magic. Through careful manipulation of our environments we can encourage a rising up of the divine within us. We most definitely do *not* worship Set -- we become as Set in our rituals. We scorn prayer, sacrifice, and the bended knee. Although ritual magic has a strongly practical side -- and we encourage getting money and power because they give you the leisure to explore yourself -- magic can bring us into direct contact with our divinity. We can control and direct our growth and Becoming in accordance with our Will -- as well as gaining that knowledge of ourselves and the universe necessary to make these sacred decisions. In the practice of magic, we usurp the power of the gods that mankind has created for itself. We're not rebelling against a particular fiction -- whether it's Jehovah, "The Goddess," or Zeus. All of this leads to the question of, why Set? Although the majority of the Temple has come to believe in the existence of this entity, such belief is not required of a member. Set is regarded as the best model of initiation -- a vast powerful but finite being. If an entity were all-powerful, it would be identical with the universe and have no knowledge of its own awareness. In our mythology we see Set as the Giver of Self-Awareness. Our thanks to Set for this flame of self-awareness is shown by our using it. The majority of mankind will hate him and revile him with names like Satan, Loki, Lucifer. They would rather have never been kicked out of the trees. Let's look at the structure of the Temple and the practices these techniques have led us to. The Temple of Set Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation based in California with an international membership. The Temple is governed by a Council of Nine which determines long-term policies and goals. The Council names and can remove the High Priest, who runs the day-to-day business of the Temple. The High Priest cannot sit on the Council. The current High Priest is Dr. Michael A. Aquino. The Temple is owned by its Priesthood. Individual Priests or Priestesses may run local groups of Setians called Pylons.... The Temple is only useful for those people who would find some of the secrets regtool for those within, they should leave.... The Third Degree -- that of Priest or Priestess of Set -- is characterized by responsibility and divinity. Here the Initiate seeks the touch of Set himself. This is not a unification with Set, but an alignmentdividual. The three Initiatory Degrees beyond Priest -- Magister, Magus, and Ipsissimus -- may be thought of as further refinements of this initial alignment. There is a great deal more to these, but that is discovered better through personal interactioblack hearts. We are drawn to those figures of historical evil who achieved the transcendental good (and often the immortality of fame). Evil men like Galileo, who was denounced by the Church; Washington, a traitor to the British; Pythagoras, and Socratesart the world so a stronger, freer, smarter, and more darkly resplendent world comes into Being.... Setnakt The Temple of Set -----------------
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