97 lines
5.3 KiB
Plaintext
97 lines
5.3 KiB
Plaintext
"Orders of the Temple of Set"
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Reprinted from: _The Crystal Tablet of Set_
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(c) Temple of Set, January 1, 1990 CE
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Weirdbase file version by TS permission
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by Michael A. Aquino, Ipsissimus VI* Temple of Set
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Electronic mail: MCI-Mail 278-4041
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Within the Temple of Set there exist a number of specialized Orders, each
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supervised by a IV*+ Initiate as Grand Master of that Order. Perhaps the
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best way to visualize the Temple of Set's concept of Orders is to think of
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the Temple as a university, with the Orders as the various academic
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departments. Students at the university, in the course of their general
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education, may sample subjects at appropriate introductory levels in various
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departments. Upon completing their general education, students with an
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interest in or aptitude for a particular department may "major" in that
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department and possibly go on to graduate work in that field. Nonetheless
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all the departments cooperate in the operation of the university as a whole,
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and its general academic environment lends a sense of perspective to the
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various departments - so that their faculty and students can relate to a
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world beyond their field of specialization. General guidelines concerning
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the Temple of Set's Orders are as follows:
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1. Only a IV* Initiate may establish an Order within the Temple. This has
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been the traditional prerogative of this degree since the time of the
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G.'.D.'. and the A.'.A.'.
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2. An Order is characterized by special interests and emphases, which may be
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formalized by special introductory and ritual procedures within that Order.
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Such interests and emphases may not clash with those of the Temple of Set as
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a whole, and an Order's initiatory system must be subordinate to and
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supportive of the system of the Temple as a whole.
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3. The Grand Master (presiding IV*+) of each Order exercises complete
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authority over that Order, subject to the review of the High Priest of Set.
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4. Subject to exemptions approved by the High Priest, Orders will accept
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only II*+ Setians as Initiates. This is based on the premise that I* Setians
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should concentrate on their "general magical education" prior to
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specializing within a particular Order.
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5. While an Adept II* may specialize indefinitely, a Priest or Priestess of
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Set III* must possess a high level of general knowledge. IV*+s who are Grand
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Masters of Orders will not Recognize new III*s solely on the basis of their
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competence within a particular Order, but rather according to their broader
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skills and State of Being within the Temple of Set and the AEon.
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6. The fruits of an Order's work must actively extend beyond the Initiates
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of that Order to the Temple of Set as a whole. The only exception to this is
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that initiatory ceremonies within an Order may be private to that Order, per
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the magical principle that uninvolved observers at such ceremonies can
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impair their effectiveness.
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7. A Setian may belong to only one Order [in addition to the Order of the
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Trapezoid] within the Temple of Set, on the premise that personal efforts
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would otherwise be diluted. On the same premise, personal movement between
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various Orders will be discouraged. Aspirants are advised to interview and
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correspond with various Orders before making a personal commitment to any
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one in particular.
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8. It is not necessary for a Setian to affiliate with any Order. Setians of
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all degrees may freely visit activities of all Orders, except as noted in #6
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above.
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9. There is no required or standard internal design for an Order, save that
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each be headed by a IV*+ with the formal title of Grand Master.
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10. Order insignia may be worn either together with Temple of Set insignia
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or alone. When it is worn with Temple insignia, it must not conflict with,
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cover, or displace it.
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11. The Order of the Trapezoid (O.Tr.) will be accorded the distinction of
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"first among equals" as an Order, due to its legacy in the Church of Satan
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and Temple of Set. This is an honorary distinction alone and infers no "rank
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above" any other Order. The O.Tr. incurs a special responsibility to "set
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the example" for other Orders, and to creditably represent the institution
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of Orders within the Temple of Set.
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12. Priests and Priestesses of Set III* will be encouraged to involve
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themselves with specialized concerns of an Order only after their Priestly
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affairs are amply in hand. In all cases this means active involvement with
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potential Setians and I*/II* Setians who are working to become fully Adept
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at the Black Arts at a personal level. In many cases it further means the
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establishment and leadership of a Pylon of the Temple. [The effect of this
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provision is that an enthusiastic II* member of a particular Order will have
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to resolve to put Order-specific interests on the back burner should he or
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she be Recognized to the Priesthood of Set. Active work within Orders will
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be done mostly by II* and IV* Initiates, with III*s contributing only after
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their more general responsibilities within the Temple are fulfilled. Hence
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II*s who are intensely interested in a particular Order should consider this
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provision before aspiring to the III*.]
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13. Orders' areas of focus may be historic, philosophical, geographic,
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psychological, or almost anything else that does not conflict with the
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Temple of Set's basic ethical guidelines.
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