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SANCTUARY OF THE GNOSIS Body, Governing (Hermit triad), Executive This body is composed of all members of IX° within a Kingdom. It is headed by the X° and governed by a Chancellor appointed by the X°. Its function is to preserve the great founding Principles of the Order, esoteric and exoteric. Its principal powers and duties are a) to formally ratify the decisions of the Areopagus of the Eighth Degree b) to act as direct representatives of the X° c) to perform collective acts of thaumaturgy for and on behalf of the Order as directed by the X°. Petitions for magical assistance that have been received by the Crown may be dealt with in this wise. The Chancellor of the Sanctuary is responsible for arranging performances of the Mass of the Holy Ghost by and for the members. To be quorate, a meeting of the Sanctuary must have 70% of the members in attendance, along with the Chancellor and/or the X°. Ratification of the decisions of the Areopagus of the Eighth Degree is automatic unless opposed. All decisions of the Areopagus must be submitted to the members of the Sanctuary. Opposition must be voiced within 28 days, and if this is done, the issue must be debated at the next meeting of the Sanctuary. Any member of the Sanctuary who is him/herself either the subject of the judicial decision or has been a party involved in the proceedings leading to the same may not participate in the ratification process, and for this purpose their membership is not added to the total for the purpose of determining whether a meeting of the Sanctuary is quorate. NINTH DEGREE Degree and Office Candidates must be Pontiffs of the Illuminati and must have one sponsor from among the IX°. The Candidate requires the unanimous approval of the Sanctuary in order to be admitted. The sponsor then becomes the mentor and instructor of the new IX°, who in turn carries on the work of their predecessor. Those members of IX° who do not have an apprentice are expected to prioritise the task of attracting one suitable in their magical work. All members of IX° are oathbound to consider their work and research with the central formula of this Degree as the property of the Order and to make the same available to any member of the Sanctuary on demand. Members of IX° are expected to work their thaumaturgy a) in accordance with the dictates of the X°, b) in accordance with the directives of the Sanctuary and c) on their own initiative as they deem fit. AREOPAGUS OF THE EIGHTH DEGREE Body, Philosophical/Judicial in Extraordinary/Ecclesiastical This Body is made up of every active member of the grade of Pontiff or Epopt of the Illuminati. Its function is Philosophy. It does not work collective thaumaturgy, though its members are themselves obliged to thaumaturgical practice. Its administration is the business of the Grand Pontiff, who is elected by majority vote of the Areopagus. The office may be held for Eleven Years only, and not more than once in one's lifetime. Once established, the Areopagus is empowered to pass the final verdict on any and all judicial matters within the Kingdom. Unlike the Grand Tribunal, which deals with such written Law as has been established, it deals with those ethical and moral philosophies from which written Law derives. The decisions of the Areopagus establish precedent, and the Grand Tribunal is expected to be aware of them. The ability of the Areopagus to function as a court of appeal is dependent upon the consent of any one member of the Electoral College to refer the case to it. Its decisions must also be ratified by the Sanctuary of the Gnosis and by the X°, vide supra. |