textfiles/occult/OTO/tsinf2

THE SETIAN PHILOSOPHY

Since movements dedicated to the Prince of Darkness have been so 
ill-tolerated by the masses of humanity wherever and whenever they 
have appeared, why have they survived at all? Why do they continue 
to exercise such uncanny attraction, and why now should you consider 
approaching this particular one?

The appeal of occultism is much the same as that of conventional 
religion: Logical positivism and scientific materialism, though they 
have made great strides towards explaining the "how" of existence, 
have failed entirely to explain the "why". Hence the curious seek 
answers in metaphysical philosophy or religion. Metaphysical 
philosophy requires a logical base from which various suprarational 
principles are induced. Conventional religion is the simplification 
of such a philosophy into a crude ideology, which adherents need not 
understand, but only accept as an act of blind faith.

Conventional religions, with their colorful mythologies analyzed in 
terms of the underlying philosophical principles, represent simply 
the primitive longing of mankind to feel "at one" with the Universal 
harmony he perceives about him. "White" magic, as practiced by 
primitive pagan and modern institutional religions, offers devotees 
the illusion of "re-inclusion" in the Universal scheme of things 
through various ritualistic devotions and superstitions.

The Black Magician, on the other hand, rejects both the desirability 
of union with the Universe and any self-deceptive antics designed to 
create such an illusion. He has considered the existence of the 
individual psyche - the "real you" of your conscious intelligence - 
and has taken satisfaction from its existence as something unlike 
anything else in the Universe. The Black Magician desires this 
psyche to live, to experience, and to continue. He does not wish to 
die - or to lose his consciousness and identity in a larger, 
Universal consciousness [assuming that such a Universal 
consciousness exists]. He wants to _be_. This decision in favor of 
individual existence is the first premise of the Temple of Set.

The second premise of the Temple is that the psychecentric 
consciousness can evolve towards its own divinity through deliberate 
exercise of the intelligence and Will, a process of _becoming_ or 
_coming into being_ whose roots may be found in the dialectic method 
expounded by Plato and the conscious exaltation of the Will proposed 
by Nietzsche.

Ironically it is the very ease with which any individual can 
apprehend and appreciate his or her personal psyche that has 
frightened the many religions of the world which deny and oppose the 
power of that psyche. Clothed though they may be in riches, ritual, 
and respectability, they always have been and remain obsessed with 
the suppressed knowledge of their own essential insubstantiality. 
They endeavor to distract attention from this by sponsoring shows of 
mind-numbing drugs, mantras, masses, privations, entertainments, and 
penances to coax or cow their flocks of adherents into a confused, 
apprehensive, but trusting state of faith and automatic obedience. 
They shudder with horror at the psyche; they paint it red and add 
horns, cloven hooves, and a forked tail to dramatize how "dangerous" 
it is. Yet they can never escape it or defeat it, because they have 
never really succeeded in opposing themselves to it - merely in 
distorting and perverting it. How could they destroy something 
which, in the final analysis, is the _conscious self_ of every human 
being?

The "worship" of Set is thus the "worship" of individualism. In the 
Church of Satan this was taken to mean _indulgence_ in all [legal] 
desires of the body and ego. Since many such desires are impulsive 
and destructive, the Church found itself in the awkward position of 
de facto endorsing many practices which were degrading rather than 
exalting, and which simply accelerated the tensions resulting in the 
eventual crisis of 1975. The Temple of Set determined to preserve 
the principle of individualism, but to add to it the "higher self" 
aspirations of Aleister Crowley's pre-O.T.O. philosophy of 
_Thelema_. Glorification of the ego is not enough; it is the 
_complete_ psyche - the entire self or soul - which must be 
recognized, appreciated, and actualized. The process by which this 
exaltation of the psyche is sought is called by the name _Xeper_ 
[pronounced "Kheffer"; it is the Egyptian hieroglyphic term for "to 
become" or "to come into being"].

The means by which Setians seek to _Xeper_ are many. As a matter of 
principle the Temple declines to standardize its approach to 
Initiates. Each may pursue topics of greatest personal interest with 
whatever emphasis and at whatever rate desired. The Temple seeks 
merely to be a forum for Setians to communicate and cooperate with 
one another constructively and courteously. Many ideas and 
philosophies are discussed within it, but such discussion does not 
constitute the dictation of dogma. Indeed dogma - to include fixed 
ideology in any form - is repugnant to the Temple. We strive rather 
towards an atmosphere of "best possible premises", which are always 
subject to constructive, intelligent examination and criticism. That 
same atmosphere is Socratic, however, in that foolish, pretentious, 
or destructive egotism under the guise of exploration is neither 
respected nor endured.

While it is obvious that Setians have more than enough interests to 
occupy an organization with many times our membership and resources 
on a full-time basis, the Temple of Set is not intended to consume 
the energies or lifestyles of its Initiates. Since a truly Adept 
magician must interact constructively and comfortably with 
conventional society, encouragement of monastic isolation within 
Temple circles would be counterproductive to personal development 
and even constrictive of the flexibility necessary to the entire 
Temple. Setians are accordingly advised to pursue as wide a variety 
of secular interests as possible, and to let Setian philosophy apply 
to them only as appropriate.

STRUCTURE AND OPERATION

The deliberately individualistic atmosphere of the Temple of Set is 
not easily conducive to group activities on a routine or programmed 
basis. There are no congregations of docile "followers" - only 
cooperative philosophers and magicians.

Supreme authority in the Temple is held by the Council of Nine, 
which appoints both the High Priest of Set and the Executive 
Director. Initiates are Recognized according to six degrees, based 
upon Western magical tradition and incorporating features from many 
Black Magical societies: Setian I*, Adept II*, Priest or Priestess 
of Set III*, Magister/Magistra Templi IV*, Magus/Maga V*, & 
Ipsissimus/Ipsissima VI*. Recognition as an Adept constitutes 
certification by the Temple that one has in fact mastered and 
successfully applied the essential principles of Black Magic. The 
Priesthood and higher degrees are conferred by Set alone, and 
Recognized by the Temple according to his Will.

The design, care, and operation of the Temple are entrusted by Set 
to the Priesthood. All Initiates of the Priesthood are originally 
highly qualified Adepts in the Black Arts. Most of your contact with 
them will be in this context. Because they are responsible for the 
integrity of the Temple as a whole, however, they have the authority 
both to evaluate and Recognize Initiates' competence and, if 
necessary, to suspend or expel individuals who have proven 
themselves incapable of maintaining Setian standards of dignity and 
excellence. The Priesthood takes all of these responsibilities 
extremely seriously, since it regards its name literally and its 
trust as sacred. In this respect it stands significantly apart from 
conventional religious clergy, who _de facto_ consider their 
"priesthoods" as social professions and their deities as mere 
symbols and metaphors for their institutional or personal moral 
ideologies.

The knowledge of the Temple of Set is made available through four 
principal avenues: an extensive, annually-updated reading list of 
published works in over twenty specialized fields; the newsletter 
_Scroll of Set_, the newsletters of the Temple's various specialized 
Orders; and the series of loose-leaf encyclopaedias entitled the 
_Jeweled Tablets of Set_. The contents of the _Scroll_ and the Order 
newsletters are time-dated, of course, but the contents of the 
Tablets change periodically as ideas are advanced, improved, or 
disproved; or as they become more or less relevant to the Temple's 
areas of concern. The _Scroll_, Order newsletters, and _Tablets_ are 
reproduced simply and inexpensively to preclude excessive membership 
expenditure for frequently-revised publications.

In the old Church of Satan and in the present-day Temple of Set, 
most Initiates have been geographically distant from one another. 
This has necessitated organizational services geared more towards 
the individual than to local groups [though the Temple has provision 
for "Pylons" just as the old Church did for "Grottos"]. It has also 
meant that Setians supervise the Temple and interact with one 
another largely by correspondence. If you affiliate with the Temple, 
you should anticipate this aspect of its design. [Official Temple 
mailings to overseas Setians are all sent via Air Mail.]

Setians tend to form friendships and to meet with one another on an 
individual or group basis [the larger gatherings are called 
"Conclaves"], but there is no requirement for either group activity 
or regularly-scheduled "devotions" of any sort. Affiliation is kept 
confidential; your admission is known only to the Priesthood unless 
you desire to meet other Setians. In summary, you may apply the 
services and systems of the Temple as you wish, and as you deem most 
complementary to your _Xeper_; otherwise they will not intrude upon 
you.

AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION

As noted above, much of the vicious propaganda concerning medieval 
Satanism became self-fulfilling prophecy as ignorant would-be 
witches and sorcerers superstitiously experimented with cannibalism, 
drugs, grave-robbing, church desecration, and sexual violence. 
Regretfully there still exist some individuals whose idea of 
"Satanism" is largely a simple-minded synthesis of Christian 
propaganda and Hollywood horror movies. The Temple of Set enjoys the 
colorful legacy of the Black Arts, and we use many forms of 
historical Satanic imagery for our stimulation and pleasure. But we 
have not found that any interest or activity which an enlightened, 
mature intellect would regard as undignified, sadistic, criminal, or 
depraved is desirable, much less essential to our work.

The Temple of Set is an evolutionary product of human experience. 
Such experience includes the magical and philosophical work of many 
occult organizations and orders which have preceded us. Some of 
these groups were socially acceptable by contemporary or modern 
standards; others were not. Some individuals or groups made 
brilliant discoveries in one field of interest while blighting their 
reputations with shocking excesses in others. In examining the 
secret and suppressed corners of history for valuable and useful 
material, the Temple must be at pains to insist upon its ethical 
presentation and use of such discoveries as it makes. Setians who 
are in any doubt as to the ethics involved in any of the fields 
which we explore should seek counsel from the Priesthood. All 
Setians are further expected to display a high measure of common 
sense in this area.

The Black Arts are _dangerous_ in the same way that working with 
volatile chemicals is dangerous. This is most emphatically _not_ a 
field for unstable, immature, or otherwise emotionally or 
intellectually weak-minded people. Such are a hazard to themselves 
and to others with whom they come into contact. The Temple endeavors 
to not admit them to begin with. If such an individual should gain 
admittance and later be exposed, he will be summarily expelled. In 
cases of doubt the Temple may be expected to place the burden of 
proof on the individual, for the sake of all Setians and the 
Temple's integrity.

The Temple of Set evaluates conventional religions as erroneous in 
principle and therefore unworthy of peer status. We feel no need to 
concern ourselves with their activities, or for that matter to 
maintain any sort of "diplomatic relations" with them [as in 
councils of churches]. Our position is that they may serve a useful 
social function as purveyors of soothing myths and fantasies to 
humans unable to attain Setian levels of self-consciousness. Hence 
we ignore conventional religious organizations unless they intrude 
upon our affairs.

These warnings are not intended to be oppressive or intimidating, 
but they should be taken seriously. The Temple is a forum for the 
investigation of many subjects which conventional society finds odd, 
mysterious, and even extremely frightening. The Temple will be 
tolerated only to the extent that it is known to be pursuing its 
interests carefully, expertly, and responsibly. It occupies a 
delicate position in a world which is largely unhappy with itself, 
and which is ceaselessly searching for scapegoats. Hence the Temple 
must take care to maintain its social balance with prudence and 
dignity.

AFFILIATION

In the Church of Satan we learned that there were many people who 
wished to "visit", to "study", and to "observe" without the least 
intention of a personal commitment. For many years the Church 
endeavored to accommodate such dilettantes on the assumption that, 
upon exposure to the philosophy, they would appreciate its essential 
requirement for such a commitment. We were wrong. Once being in the 
position to enjoy the "accessories" of the philosophy without having 
to confront its core principle, they continued to vampirize the 
Church indefinitely. They contributed as little as they could, took 
as much as they could, and ultimately constituted the single most 
destructive influence leading to the Church's corruption in 1975.

The Temple of Set has determined that it will not make the same 
mistake. Its activities, publications, knowledge, and services are 
reserved for those who affiliate with it, or on an individual-case 
basis, for non-Setians who request assistance from the Temple that 
we deem to be in our interests or in the interests of the community 
as a whole. The First Degree (I*) of Temple affiliation is regarded 
as a "status of mutual evaluation" wherein the Initiate and the 
Temple can assess one another's merit from the standpoint of minimum 
investment and involvement. If a I* Initiate should decide that the 
Temple is not, after all, appropriate to his wants or needs, he is 
welcome to depart with our good wishes for his satisfaction 
elsewhere.

Aspirants to the Temple should understand that it is not a club or 
fraternal society whose principles may be collected along with those 
of other social affiliations, occult or otherwise. Membership in the 
Temple of Set precludes membership in any other religious 
organization. Members or former members of non-religious occult 
organizations should understand that within the Temple of Set they 
will be expected to respect and observe the Temple's protocol, and 
that literature and other information from the Temple is not to be 
passed to non-Temple individuals or organizations without prior 
approval of the Priesthood. If the Temple of Set can assist other 
deserving organizations or individuals on occasion, it will be 
pleased to do so. But it must exercise reasonable care over the 
Temple materials that are made available - both so that our own 
Initiates may enjoy the fruits of their honest labor [and that of 
their predecessors] and so that the Temple of Set may continue to 
enjoy its exclusive reputation for excellence in the disciplines it 
has pioneered.

Should you have questions which are reasonably pertinent to your 
serious consideration whether or not to apply for admission to the 
Temple, you are welcome to address them to the Executive Director of 
the Temple. If you wish to apply for admission as a Setian I*, there 
are two avenues of approach available to you:

(1) If you are already in contact with a Priest or Priestess of Set, 
you may request him or her to sponsor your application. In that case 
you may send a letter to the Executive Director mentioning this 
sponsorship. With your letter enclose a check or money order for US 
$55 (US $65 for overseas applicants), payable to _Temple of Set_. 
[Please note that this amount _must_ be in U.S. dollars, either 
drawn on a U.S. bank or as an international money order only.] If 
Priesthood sponsorship is verified, approval of your application 
will be automatic.

Important note: If you are admitted, and if you are an overseas 
resident, your admission packet will be sent to you by surface mail. 
Depending upon the destination, this can take as long as two months. 
If you wish the packet sent via air mail, your application check 
should be for the amount of US $95 to cover the extra air mail 
postage.

(2) If you are not known to a member of the Priesthood, write a 
letter to the Executive Director introducing yourself, summarizing 
whatever aspects of your background you feel to be relevant, and 
stating your reasons for deciding to seek entrance into the Temple. 
Enclose the admission fee. The Temple will make a decision and 
respond to you accordingly. If necessary you will be asked for 
additional information. Should your application not be approved for 
any reason, the fee will be refunded. Persons applying for admission 
via this procedure should be as objective and candid as possible in 
their self-assessment. There is no point in misleading the Temple 
concerning one's suitability for admission, which will only result 
sooner or later in the truth coming to light - with the consequent 
waste of both the individual's and the Temple's time. If there are 
crucial areas of possible incompatibility, it is incumbent on the 
applicant to identify them before affiliation so that they may be 
addressed and, if possible, resolved.

Whichever method you apply through, please be certain to include:
(1) Your full legal name [no pseudonyms] and sex.
(2) Your complete mailing address.
(3) Daytime and evening telephone numbers.
(4) Date of birth.
(5) Present organizational affiliations.

Annual renewal fee for all Initiates is US $50 (US $55 overseas). 
[The first year is pro-rated from the month of your entry.] These 
fees are designed, as is the admissions fee, to cover the cost of 
mailings to you and the administration of the Temple. As a matter of 
policy the Temple is not designed to make a profit on its 
operations, and its assets are used exclusively for benefits to its 
Initiates as a whole. There are no other regular or recurring fees, 
save that Orders and Pylons may set reasonable charges for their 
newsletters or other time/effort services. Special publications of 
the Temple and events scheduled by the Temple are customarily made 
available on a non-profit basis to Initiates who are interested.

The only physical requirement for admission is that the aspirant be 
at least 18 years of age. Those below the age of 18 may not visit 
Temple functions, ceremonial or otherwise, whether or not they are 
relatives of Initiates. The Temple has no programs for children. It 
is our position that children and adolescents should not be 
indoctrinated into the assumptions and prescriptions of _any_ 
suprarational system, whether it be our own philosophy or the faiths 
and superstitions of conventional religions. Rather their youthful 
years should be a time of _exclusively rational_ training and 
education, giving them a sound and meaningful basis by which, as 
adults, they may consider and choose whatever philosophy or faith 
seems most meaningful to them.

If your application is approved, you will receive notification from 
the Executive Director's office, together with membership 
identification, certificate, copy of the _Crystal Tablet of Set_ 
[including the current reading list & intercommunication roster, 
_The Book of Coming Forth by Night: Analysis & Commentary_, and 
other key magical documents pertinent to the AEon and Temple of 
Set], most recent issues of the _Scroll of Set_ and Order 
publications [as determined by the Order Grand Masters], and Setian 
I* pendant medallion.

Then the initiative is yours. The Temple of Set is designed to 
assist you in the ways we have found to be the most practical, 
productive, and factually accurate. But, as helpful as the Temple 
may be, and as proud of it as we are, it is nevertheless properly 
understood as a tool. _You_ are the one who must put that tool to 
use in a way that will enable you to _Xeper_.

Such is the Word of the AEon of Set.