THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.magick.order
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nigris (333))
Subject: Class A Material (Various)
Date: 3 May 1997 02:04:54 -0700

[compiled amongst a number of people, cited -- 333]
[from thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org: Josh Norton ]
[technical difficulties enforced delay -- apologies for outdatedness]

At 10:33 PM 4/18/97 -0500, Damian Bishop wrote:
>If we presume that Crowley was only the initiatory channel of the Aeon
>of Horus, _and_ that he presumed that others would follow in that
>current with other Class A material, _then_ is it safe to conclude that
>other material will be forthcoming for the edification of the saints?

Appropriate material may well show up -- maybe it already has. But I doubt
that any more documents will ever be universally considered as Class A.
Since Crowley disinherited the one person with a claim to be his spiritual
(as opposed to organizational) successor, there is no "lineage of prophets"
that could believably produce such documents or judge whether those of
others are fully reflections of the Thelemic current. The link to the
Secret Chiefs had been broken, and now no one can convincingly claim to
have restored it.

I used to have a book titled _The Island Diaries_ (or something vaguely
similar to that) which purported to be a new Class A document -- had a
nifty A.A. seal on the frontispiece & a string of "authorizing" names &
grades I didn't recognize. Published in the mid-70's sometime, can't recall
the author's name. Not at all in A.C.'s style -- it was mostly a magickal
record with a number of raw "channelings" of generally thelemic content,
with an appendix presenting a quasi-cabalistic scheme in which the universe
was depicted as a matrix of interlocking hexagons with sephiroth at the
vertices. The author faded from view a year or two later, and I haven't
heard of him since.

Josh
------------------------
Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. -- John Lennon

Josh Norton (aka Benjamin Rowe) -- browe@ctd.com or browe@one.net
Magick code: MEN/AS QO++++ 666* S G Y W C N+++ POT  
Web site under construction at http://w3.one.net/~browe
========================================================

[from thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org: "Robin" ]

>1) What procedure would be necessary for a new addition to the Class A
>materials?

My take on this would be that the 'conversation' part of the K&C of the HGA
would be the most likely communication to be considered Class A. Using that
premise all such texts may be considered Class A, but I don't think that
means it such a text would requires any particular consideration by anyone
else. Class A in that context would simply refer to the nature of the
source of the utterance, not to any intrinsic universal value. 

I don't see why there should be anything said or "accepted" by anyone at
all about such utterances other than maybe a polite nod and a smile.
Wouldn't it be outrageous for any other individual to presume to comment
upon such an utterance?

>2) Under whose authority would they be classified as such?
>(NOTE: Obviously, the A:.A:. would be the the authorizing body, but with
>the numerous groups claiming to be the A:.A:. now, which is the body
>which "controls" -- for lack of a better word -- the release of Class A
>material into the Thelemic Canon?)

What else could the Thelemic Canon be other than the utterances of our own
Higher Natures?  It seems like a self evident authority.  And I would
expect most members of the set called "Class A Canon Texts" are penned on
sweat stained notebooks and scattered in chests and on altars accross the
world few will ever see.

>3) By what means would someone give notice of having "received" such a
>piece for consideration?

I bet theres a ton of it out there that holds an equal status to the
'official' Class A material to the person who found it coming out of their
pen.  Thats good enough for me.  I 'accept it' but that doesn't mean it
pertains to me.

93 93/93
Robin
Serpente@usa.net
===========================================================

[from thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org: Patrick Crumhorn ]

     93.

At 04:49 PM 4/19/97 -0500, Robin wrote:
>My take on this would be that the 'conversation' part of the K&C of the HGA
>would be the most likely communication to be considered Class A. Using that
>premise all such texts may be considered Class A, but I don't think that
>means it such a text would requires any particular consideration by anyone
>else. Class A in that context would simply refer to the nature of the
>source of the utterance, not to any intrinsic universal value. 

      Agreed.  In fact, even Liber AL and the other works included
in "Class A" by (Crowley's) A.'.A.'. don't lay claim to any
"intrinsic universal value" by virtue of such classification.  
According to The Authority:

        "Class 'A' consists of books of which may be changed not so much
   the style of a letter: that is, they represent the utterance of
   an Adept entirely beyond the criticism of even the Visible Head of
   the Organization."

      So really, even the recipient of the material is not under any
automatic obligation to accept the material as having any universal,
or even personal, relevance.  The only criterion held here is that
the words should be left *as written* and not changed or edited by
others.  

     Of course, this does, on its face, appear to invalidate even
the original ms. of Liber AL as a Class A document.  ;-)

[...]

     93  93/93

                                Patrick

                  Patrick Crumhorn          patrik@io.com
                         http://www.io.com/~patrik/
              Don't anthropomorphize computers.  They hate that.

EOF
-- 
see http://www.hollyfeld.org/~tyagi/nagasiva.html  and  call: 408/2-666-SLUG!!!
 ----  (emailed replies may be posted)  ----  CC public replies to author ---- 
 * * * Asphalta Cementia Metallica Polymera Coyote La Cucaracha Humana * * *