Sky's Embrace
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Volume 6 September 2014 e.v. Issue 1 on is the earth Autumn Equinox he horiz and sky’ of t s emb cle rac cir e he T SKY’S EMBRACE A Publication of Horizon Lodge, OTO Our Lady of the Sycamore ~ Stele of Night by SISTER SHELLAY MAUGHAM The College Becomes Invisible (For a While) FromDo what the thou Editor wilt shall be the whole of the Law. “The great and true work of building the Temple consists solely Welcome to the reincarnation of Sky’s Embrace, the in destroying the miserable Adamic hut and in erecting a di- newsletter of the Horizon Lodge of the Ordo Templi vine temple.” Karl von Eckartshausen, The Cloud upon the Orientis. This Autumn Equinox 2014 issue ends a Sanctuary hiatus of publication since our Brother Mark Dalton ended his tenure of editorship with the Winter Sol- “The void is a state of consciousness you can go into to expand stice 2013 issue. I am honored to have been asked to beyond your current limits, let go of old things, and move to take over the duties of editor, and hope that in time your next level of growth. In the void you leave behind famil- I will come to live up to my predecessor’s excellent iar structures, habits, thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes, and go example. deep within to create new ones that match your higher vibration. In this state you can receive insights and do much inner work. Whatever shortcomings the novice editor may have, It can last for minutes, hours, days, or even months. You will the contents of this issue will not fail to please. As experience the void throughout your spiritual journey. It is your I write, Eleusyve Productions have just complet- ability to live near the void, go into it at will, and make it your ed a successful stage run of the Rite of Mars, and friend that will assist you in growing even faster and with more ON are preparing the DVD. Fittingly, Eleusyve’s J joy.” Sanaya Roman, Spiritual Growth: Being Your Higher Self SEWELL offers us an essay on the historical and cul- tural background of the Rites. (A continuation, on Horizon Lodge has vacated its old premises on Dexter the practical aspects of a theatrical production, will Avenue, and will not be able to move into its new location appear in our next issue.) for a few weeks. During this interval, you are encouraged to attend Masses at the Vortex Lodge in Tacoma. For de- MARK DALTON, who recently gave a lecture at Hori- tails, see their web site http://vortex-oto.org. zon Lodge on the Victorian occult explosion, pres- ents an essay on the notion of the Ascended Masters. Meanwhile, Horizon members are continuing to hold Also in a historical vein, MADELINE BECKER discusses events in private homes, much in the fashion of the Victo- the 19th century writer and occultist Mabel Collins, rian occultists who are the subject of some of the writing and introduces us to a sample of her work. in this publication. Information about Horizon events is available at the web site http://seattle-oto.org. For the ritualist, we have advice on goetic practice for the modern magician by MILES VANMATRE, and the text of a ceremony recently created and worked by the OPEN SOURCE RITUAL group. The whole is richly adorned with gorgeous cover art by SHELLAY MAUGHAM, an astrological poem from 16th century poet Saiyad Sultan, translated from the Bangla by KEITH CANTÚ, and a poem by CATE ENGLE- HART suitable for invocations. (Be careful reading it aloud.) May these works bring you comfort and delight as the days shorten and the Night of Time enshrouds us in her dark cloak during the Autumn months. Above: Butterfly of genus Greta oto with transparent wings Love is the law, love under will. RELEASED BY HORIZON LODGE O.T.O. All content (C) 2013 Ordo Templi Orientis and respec- Robert Westmoreland, Editor tive authors and may not be reproduced without ex- press written consent. Mabel Collins’s novel The Blos- som and the Fruit is in the public domain. Eleusynian Mysteries, Part 1 prey, to restore his bride Persephone to her mother Demeter. The grim lord of the Dead smiled and obeyed, but before History of Eleusis: Wine, Women & he sent back his queen to the upper air on a golden car, he Song! gave her the seed of a pomegranate to eat, which ensured that she would return to him. But Zeus stipulated that hence- BROTHER JON SEWELL forth Persephone should spend two thirds of every year The author is a former Body Master of the Horizon with her mother and the gods in the upper world and one Lodge, and is well-known for his work as composer, third of the year with her husband in the nether world, from director, producer, and performer for Eleusyve Produc- which she was to return year by year when the earth was tions. He has brought new life to Aleister Crowley’s Rites gay with spring flowers. … [I]n her joy at recovering the of Eleusis by presenting them as Rock Operas. Here he lost one Demeter made the corn to sprout from the clods of presents a history of the ancient and modern Rites. the ploughed fields and all the broad earth to be heavy with Part 2, to appear in the next issue, discusses the pains leaves and blossoms. And straightway she went and showed and pleasures of producing a live performance of Crow- this happy sight to the princes of Eleusis, … and moreover ley’s Rites. Based on a talk he gave at NOTOCON in 2009. she revealed to them her sacred rites and mysteries. Blessed, says the poet, is the mortal man who has seen these things, This essay will begin with a brief history of the Eleusin- but he who has had no share of them in life will never be ian Mysteries in antiquity and the re-emergence of these happy in death when he has descended into the darkness mysteries under Crowley’s direction in 1910 EV. In order of the grave. So the two goddesses departed to dwell in bliss to understand Crowley’s interpretation of The Rites of with the gods on Olympus; and the bard ends the hymn Eleusis, it would be best to understand his exposure to with a pious prayer to Demeter and Persephone that they the Rites as they are understood to have been practiced at would be pleased to grant him a livelihood in return for ancient Eleusis. For this we turn to Fra- his song.1 zier’s Golden Bough: Thus, the ancient poet gave up his day job The oldest literary document which nar- and set out to make a living as a writer. rates the myth of Demeter and Persephone is the beautiful Homeric Hymn to Demeter, The Golden Bough was first published in which critics assign to the seventh century 1890, and according to Crowley it is to before our era. The object of the poem is to be considered a text book alongside 7772, explain the origin of the Eleusinian myster- as it relates to the understanding of Gods ies…The youthful Persephone, so runs the and their relationships to the cultures that tale, was gathering roses and lilies, crocus- interacted with them. It was referenced es and violets, hyacinths and narcissuses in many times in his early writing as well as a lush meadow, when the earth gaped and his Confessions, and most certainly influ- Pluto, lord of the Dead, issuing from the enced his understanding of the mysteries abyss carried her off on his golden car to of Eleusis. be his bride and queen in the gloomy subterranean world. I’d like to quote a little from a translation of the Hymn to Her sorrowing mother Demeter ... took up her abode at Demeter, in order to compare it with some of Crowley’s Eleusis, where she presented herself to the king’s daughters ideas on the Rites. This portion takes place during Deme- in the guise of an old woman... In her wrath at her bereave- ter’s lamentation among the Court at Eleusis: ment the goddess suffered not the seed to grow in the earth but kept it hidden under ground, and she vowed that never Then Metaneira filled a cup with sweet wine and offered it would she set foot on Olympus and never would she let the to her [Demeter]; but she refused it, for she said it was not corn sprout till her lost daughter should be restored to her... lawful for her to drink red wine, but bade them mix meal and Mankind would have perished of hunger and the gods would water with soft mint and give her to drink. And Metaneira have been robbed of the sacrifices which were their due, if Zeus in alarm had not commanded Pluto to disgorge his 1) Frazer 1890, The Golden Bough chapter 44, Demeter and Persephone, emphasis added. 2) Crowley, 1954, Magick Without Tears, Chapter LXXVI: The Gods: How and Why they Overlap. Written in 1943. mixed the draught and gave it to the goddess as she bade. So the opinion that it was a part of the ancient celebrations the great queen Deo received it to observe the sacrament.3 at Eleusis. Thus, we have a song, the hymn to Demeter, which re- While Wine, Women and Song may have been the magi- volves around desire and beauty and coming into sexual cal formula employed in the Rites, the greatest key to the maturity, and it contains reference to a strange drink.