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BHeidrick: OTO/AA History

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.magick.order,alt.consciousness.mysticism,alt.religion.newage
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nagasiva)
Subject: BHeidrick: OTO/AA History
Date: 19 Dec 1997 14:29:34 -0800

[technical difficulties enforced delay -- apologies for outdatedness]

[from thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org: Bill Heidrick ]

93,

 "Oz Mendes"  wrote:

>really? fascinating, you really should have taken better care of them. 
>=) God I love sarcasm. This is probably in relation to the Solar Lodge.

More complex than that.  Crowley lost what Fuller had, when he and Fuller
estranged -- that went to Austin in large part.  Crowley misplaced his
traveling archive in Detroit during WWI, that was blamed on Achad,
unfairly, but surfaced something like 15 years ago and ended up in Austin,
except for some in Pennsylvania.  Crowley reported losses after WWII, some
of them as late as Hastings -- those are who-knows-where.  Symonds took a
long time to forward the archive to Germer, after 1947 e.v., and may have
either retained some papers or given them to Grant.  Germer complained
about losses, loaned and forgot to recover and variously spread documents
around on the East Coast of USA -- some of that material ended up at
Syracuse University.  After Germer moved to California, he continued to
have incidental losses, but he deliberately sent diaries, typescripts and
copies of older correspondence to Gerald Yorke "for safe keeping" -- most
of that ended up in the Warburg Institute at the University of London.
Sascha apparently sent things around after Karl died in '62 e.v., some
going to Switzerland until Mellenger told her to stop doing that.  Sascha
alleged that she was battered and robbed of a large part of what remained,
and although she named a number of people (at least one of whom had died
before the event) as responsible, Grady found reason to believe that the
robbery was conducted by members of the so-called "Solar Lodge".  Following
Sascha's death in the 1970's, OTO prevailed upon the court to hand over the
remainder of the archive to OTO.  However, the Calavaras County Coroner
kept back two boxes of papers, on the theory that estate assetts could be
traced through canceled checks mingled with OTO documents in those boxes.
The two boxes were unknown to OTO, except from a story told to OTO by
"Rorie" in 1978 e.v., but were eventually recovered in the Oakland in 1985
e.v.  In the mean time, P.S. and Grady had a domestic incompatibility and
P.S. sequestered what remained of the Archive in public storage.  She
reported the theft of the content of that.  Grady had selected folders of
interest from the material, including the Motta correspondence (to review
in light of Motta's Equinox publications of that time).  H.P.S. and P.S.
had other materials taken from the archives in storage as well, and those
materials survive in either California or Illinois.  Grady lost some
things, and others were lost following his death.  I microfilmed whatever I
could lay my hands on.
   Thus far the history of the OTO archive from Crowley's days -- except
for the WWI raid in London and Achad's part of the archives.  The latter
was part purchased by OTO in recent years.  Additional materials have
surfaced from Frank Bennett's papers in Australia; and there should be more
in South Africa from Windram, possibly at Thelema Farm.  From Reuss's days,
it's worse.  I gather from our exchange of posts that the situation with
SOTO/Motta archive is similarly complicated.

>Make that Kellner/Reuss/AC documents.

Most of those are still wandering around in private hands in Europe, except
for Reuss' Golden Book -- in California at a Yoga society formerly
connected with OTO.  There is a large body of material involved which has
not seen print or been recovered to any central place.

>I never got to read it, only saw it as David was flipping through his 
>files looking for the Norman Mudd papers and some notes on the I' ritual 
>for me. I asked what the big bound mother was and he said emblems and 
>modes. earlier that week he mentioned that it was quite big and had 
>notes from germer Motta and himself in it from the experiments they 
>performed with it. He never let me look at it.

Sounds like a little bit of E and M with a whole lot of other things of
more recent vintage.

>You ever read the Norman Mudd Papers? fascinating stuff, really.

Some were printed for the membership in the Magical Link.

>>It's a little more complicated than that.  Some material is copied
>>automatically for the Degrees, some provided on request, some for study 
>on
>>site only.
>
>Circulating library is better in my mind, so that nothing is lost as it 
>has been in the past.

We duplicate the archive at intervals, as photocopy and microfilm/fliche.
Copies are held by OTO branches in more than one country.

>>Thelemites apparently have a sexual thing for large quantities of 
>paper.
>>Certainly a lot of it piles up.
>>
>Heh, that is funny. Never looked at it that way. You sure do a lot of 
>bragging Bill. =)

Moi?

>>>For the record, I do not doubt Grady's succession of Caliph, just OHO.
>>
>>There wasn't a hair's gap betwixt the two.  Grady kept an open mind for
>>survivers of OTO dispersion, but none turned up with charters but 
>himself.
>
>What about Herman?

Metzger?  Case is still out on his relationship to OTO through Germer,
despite Mellenger's denunciation.  His election was nullified through
failure to give notice and other faults, including lack of documents of
office or standing.

(A.'.A.'.)>Cross connection is not possible if the rules are followed. =)

Abandonment of members by mentors leads to potential cross connection.
That can happen through death of the mentor, as well as questions of walk
away.  Also, covenant of mutual recognition is the direct means of cross
connection.

>Heh. I think Motta had an understanding of the OTO, just felt that it 
>should not be like a cheap whore and let everyone with an interest in 
>Crowley and a hard on in. OTO is sex magick, but that is not all it is.

Motta's big gaps on OTO come in two areas:
1. lack of any experience of OTO Lodge activity.
2. lack of in-depth access and/or study of the OTO detailed structure.

>LOL. Well, people say I look like Wayne from Wayne's world in my high 
>school pictures. Now they say I look like David, some one even asked if 
>we were related when I was in Pittsburgh with him. I look like the 
>questionably straight guy on Friends with longer hair and a weaker chin 
>is another statement.

If we ever meet, we better wear funny hats.

>>>LOYAL, Judas supposedly sold JC out to the Romans, but in a magickal 
>>>sense maybe, oh well it never happened, no use arguing about spoiled 
>>>milk.
>>
>>Judas was the only one he could trust to set it up.  Even Peter got the
>>lying shakes when the authorities asked him questions.  If Pilat hadn't
>>dumped Josh back into the ecclesastical court, the boy would have 
>walked.
>>Would have made a nice promotional campaign.
>>
>Judas did hang himself, kinda like AChAD did with his Ma'at stuff.

Judas was a poor bugger who blaimed himself for the way things turned out.
However, Achad just kept on truck'n.  That rain coat bit and trying to
convert the Pope both show a certain optimism....

>>Whatever, the final grace note was when David sent me a marvelously 
>excited
>>letter of ban, complete with the injunction that I was to send it to 
>all
>>Thelemites everywhere in the world.  I wrote back and asked him for
>>postage, but he didn't reply.  Anyway, best letter of the lot and with 
>a
>>built in authorization to publish. :-)
>
>he is saving up for the postage. =) You have told me this story about 20 
>times now though. He said he was joking with you the other day and you 
>really should get over it.

I like a good joke, but likely I told you this one only five times.

>Claudia resigned in An XC I believe, she wanted her own life. She was 
>living with David at the time. Manini is Paulo Manini, Society OTO rep 
>in Brazil, he is currently on suspension indefinitely, making any 
>authorizing documents null and void until such time as he reports to the 
>Secret Circle.

Nope.  Claudia can sign and Manini cannot, regardless of either's standing
in SOTO.  This has to do with Motta's Last Will and Testament, a question
of legacy and not membership simply.  Claudia can deligate her authority
under the will -- I think, but the question would better be addressed to a
lawyer.

>>Reminds me to update my Last Will and Testament a little more often.
>>
>I change mine every month or so, everything except for Thelemic material 
>is left to my exgirlfriend and Thelemic Material is left to the Sociaety 
>OTO.

Better specify which SOTO, by corporation number and state of filing.

>>So everybody expelled each other?
>
>No, Barden's assertion was that Motta had expelled Eales and Bersson in 
>Thelemic Magick I believe, though they had both helped in the production 
>of it. Eales was actually no longer in Society OTO at the time I 
>believe, working on the formulation of HOOR, though I may be wrong, 
>anyone with corrections out there?

Sounds as complicated as the Crowley Archive history.

>Stone is no longer active either. I think we are no longer even in 
>communication with him, David has him listed as questionable as of 1992.

Legal issues get layered in the process of such things.  Ownership can be
settled, but it's not the same thing as continuing contact or active
membership in many cases.  Better to do it soon, before anybody else
Greater Feasts on the situation.

>>Otherwise, Mittle can say ok or you will have to get all the heirs 
>under
>>the Will to at least talk to one another through intermediaries.  
>Barden
>>might come around for a chance at a set.
>
>If the heirs in the will no longer conform to Constitution, why should 
>we consult with them? The Constitution has a stronger weight with me 
>than Motta's will.

The mundane rights and ownership may have no relation to the SOTO
constitution.  Better take care of business.  Let the fluctuations of the
old OTO archives be a lesson in this regard.

Hopefully this by-chatting is of interest to the other members of this
list.  I'm prejudiced through involvement in these doings, but off-hand I
think I would be interested if I was a bystander.  There are leads in the
above to where one might find lost Crowley texts, as well as experience in
conserving papers.

93 93/93
Bill

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