O.T.O.F.

The Nature of the O.T.O.F.

The O.T.O. Foundation is a Magical Order, but rather than being 'otherworldly' our primary concern is with the 'everyday world', with our ability to thrive and prosper in it, and the need to transform it in accordance with the principles of the Book of the Law.

The Order as a whole is designed to assist the individuals within it to live as Thelemites and Magicians, fulfilling their true nature and purpose, organising and governing their lives to maximum advantage, and where they can, assisting others to do the same.

The Order also functions as a vehicle and catalyst for social transformation by introducing the precepts of 'The Book of the Law' into the everyday lives of its members, and hence into the world at large. To us the shopkeeper or shoe-maker, are no less magicians than the shaman or the psychic. By our definition a magician is one who governs their life according to their true will; one who understands themselves and their environment and applies that understanding in right action. True, the College of Hermetic Science within the Order can teach 'Magick' in the more limited sense; that of techniques to manipulate subtle energies which are as yet unrecognised by conventional science. While we see these techniques as useful tools, and a technology that can assist both the individual and the Order, they are by no means the 'be all and end all' of our work. Ours is not a path away from the everyday world, rather one designed to aid those who will, to embrace, and master their daily circumstances.

The Order assists the individuals within it by offering a series of initiations which are designed to assist the individual concerned to govern their lives to maximum effect, as well as to function as a cell or unit within the body of the Order as a whole. The Orders strength is the fact that it is based on universal principles, and provides a space where people of all kinds may prosper, uniting the diverse in a common cause- the welfare of the Human race.

The Orders initiations are designed to teach lessons that are valid for every individual, these lessons are simple in essence and conveyed through instruction, allegory and symbol. The Candidate is also taught the benefits of Fraternal Conduct and of a social system based on contract, where individuals agree to interact according to a mutually beneficial agreement.

In the past the O.T.O. has been seen solely as the haunting place of Ceremonial Magicians and students of the works of Aleister Crowley, but such is contrary to it's purpose and design. We have need of just governors and leaders; business people and accountants; healers and musicians; teachers and historians; warriors and shamans. Our work requires the skills and abilities of committed environmentalists , as much as those of the accomplished Ceremonialist. Our purpose is to provide a space where all the threads of human skill and passion may be woven into a Harmonious tapestry, based on the principles of the natural world.