Here are some frequently asked questions we have encountered, to which we give our answers.
Q. Do I have to pay membership dues or course fees?
A. There are no membership dues or course fees. When applications are accepted for supervised practical work we think that practitioners should help us by contributing as according to their means but we do not place anyone under a financial obligation.
Q. I have heard that ritual is a requirement. WillI I be expected to make blood sacrifices?
A. We don’t do any rituals like that. Let’s have a look at the etymology of the word ‘ritual’. It is related to rit, from Sanskrit rita, meaning ‘to set in order’. This means that true ritual is inseparable from reordering the estate of the individual, and that involves study and concentration of mind as a support. Sacrifice, on the other hand, is to ‘make sacred’ so the meaning is closely related to that of consecration and dedication.
Q. I see that you teach tantras. Will I be expected to attend sex orgies?
A. Sorry to disappoint you but you have got the wrong idea about tantra. Tantra is a path where practice is important and it usually involves devotion to deity, use of images (yantra), words or sounds (mantra), and yoga meditation.
Q. I have heard that in the OTO initiation involves jumping out of a barrel naked and then getting wrapped up in a national flag. Is Initiation in the Hermetic Order in any way comparable?
A. No. Also, you need to be aware there is no association at all between us and any Crowley organisations and what they might get up to. Initiation with us is more than being inducted into a group or society, whether closed or semi-public. It means being the recipient of a spiritual transmission, which is itself identical to the meaning of tradition in the etymological sense. It implies that spiritual realisation concerning the true nature of the Self as deathless, immortal, eternal, absolute and infinite, is a possibility to be actualised by inner work.
Questions on course work
Q. Will I be able to work in my own home?
A. Yes, ritual and meditation is done in one’s own home.
Q. Why do I need to keep records of my rituals and meditations?
A. When writing up the Record, the logical reasoning faculty reasserts control. This helps to forge a bridge or portal at the threshold of the diurnal waking and nocturnal dreaming worlds. From this liminal gateway otherworldly forms or symbols may yet emerge, finding a voice through the newly born intellectual awareness. Although each ritual meditation is carefully closed down to facilitate return to the ordinary consciousness mode, the effects continue long afterwards. The ritual is not complete until the writing of the Record is done.
Q. The course work is supervised. Does that mean I will have other people in a higher grade telling me what to do and bossing me around?
A. All work is assessed by the Preceptor. All students are expected to maintain the discipline of the work, which means following the advice given. Without that there is no path, no discipline and no valid practice. However, the advice given concerns the methods and techniques. Instruction is also given in theoretical knowledge, which is indispensible. We do not tell people what food to eat or not, or what clothes to wear. We are not here to micro-manage people’s lives and, quite frankly, do not have the slightest interest in any of that.
If you have questions we have not covered here you are welcome to send us email. Please address your questions to Oliver St. John, Director of Studies. Thank you.
Notes
Books by Oliver St John
Podcasts
- Metaphysics of the Real: RSS.com
On RSS you can listen on all major platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon, etc. - Metaphysics of the Real on YouTube Channel