Originally posted by johnny2127
Can you learn as fast or slow as you are capable, or is the timing set? I am not talking about advancing levels because that is something trivial. However, with information of this sort, I suck it up like a sponge quickly, and knowing me I'd want to keep progressing.

BOTA, Golden Dawn, Rosicrucianism....are systems which deal with spiritual development. It isn't something you just "suck up and learn..." It is more than intellectual knowledge. All of the material in the outer orders is readily available to anyone wishing to learn. However, if you approach the study as just something to read because you are mildly interested...you will miss the wisdom, growth, and esoteric knowledge. In essense, you will end up with nothing but words. No real understanding...

Re: the gay gentleman being refused B.O.T.A. advancement

I am a current B.O.T.A. member, and have been studying its curriculum continuously for five years now. I love my B.O.T.A studies, so it's good to know I have eight more years of lessons. I have found the information provided most useful in many ways and I value it highly. I am not an expert on these matters. I am a heterosexual, but not a homophobe.

I have read the B.O.T.A. reply to the gay gentleman refused B.O.T.A. advancement, and I think he missed the point (thus, not ready to advance, as suggested by another post to this thread). He was refused out of concern for his spiritual safety, not out of any base, homophobic motives. I believe the issue involved here has to do with polarity, which is the basis of physical manifestation (the fourth/last world according to Kabbalah). Homosexuality would seem to go against this fundamental polarity and thus may endanger the person attempting to practice whatever highest-level practices, rites or rituals that promote true spiritual enlightenment.

Shalom,
I too merely stumbled across this site, endeavoring to reawaken the spark I once had many years ago. I was fortunate enough to join the BOTA while Rev. Davies was Prolocuctor General, Harriet Case was still alive and the Rev. Helen Miller was continuing to create lessons from Dr. Davies lectures (lectures that I transcribed from Dictaphone, diving her crazy by transcribing the lectures in too much detail, sorry Helen). Further, I was fortunate enough to serve administratively within the temple, working closely with Rev. Jacob Fuss, Dr. Davies' husband as well as Ann herself.
I knew Joseph Nolan (if I recall correctly Joseph was from the "Laguna" group, an accomplished jeweler and artist whose group painted the Tarot keys that adorned the Temple) as well as Rev.Gene who admonished me, when I told him I aspired to the ministry, to "consider becoming heterosexual" a comment which blew me away as I am not gay. If you knew Gene you would almost certainly have considered him a gay person.
I still can't believe the whole "gay" thing...Why? The Qabalistic view, explained to me by Dr. Davies herself, is this, and most of you who have tread the path already know part of the concept: We are all male and female. We change gender from plane to plane (male on the physical plane, female on the lower mental plane, male again on the higher mental plane, etc., and vice versa). We also change gender from incarnation to incarnation. The change does not occur immediately, male this time female next time, but over the course of several incarnations. While this change is occurring one becomes more of the opposite sex thereby creating effeminate men and masculine women. If I recall correctly she touched on this in her lecture series entitled "Qabalistic doctrines on Love and Marriage" which was astounding and a lecture series that I ascribe to my own successful marriage of 35 years.
It may also be true (and this is strictly my own observation here) that some of those undergoing the transformation may experience instabilities, psychically, due to the inconvenience of being trapped between genders. Those of you that are gay (and I mean no disrespect) have certainly known gay people that are decidedly unstable (have you not?) in social settings. But while I was there (three years in the office) I was intimate with the school and can state there was no bias whatsoever towards gays, although I was not part of the "Inner Circle" called "Chapter" (I pretty much knew them all but was not involved).....
The lessons were incredible, Pronaos was uplifting, I am so sorry I left, I am so sorry to hear of the split. I recognize none of the names now associated with BOTA, no wonder since it's been 30+ years......Dr. Davies was the most incredible human being I've ever met. I can remember attending her lectures and it would seem that the air would be so thick that it appeared hazy in the room. I miss it.
Like all organizations I guess it had to come to pass that things changed once the driving force, the incredible strength of spirit is gone. I clearly remember that Dr. Davies stated she would be the last Prolocutor General for this incarnation of the Golden Dawn (as I recall Ann herself referred to the BOTA as the "current incarnation of the Order of the Golden Dawn") so I'm guessing she knew the school would be at risk once she was gone.....LVX
PS If any of you find that I am inaccurate, please correct me...and I thank you in advance for it.
PSS I am not familiar with Paul Clark though, while I was there, a young man who was in the Air force would make regular trips to attend the "Inner" meetings and I believe his name was Paul. Dr. Davies spoke very highly of him as having been a member from his early teens and I believe too that he was being groomed, he had the "aura" all right. I don't know though......

One of our brothers back in Colorado completed a 13 year course with BOTA. He's a very fascinating individual. His name is Kevin Townley if you want to see his site. He's a real wellspring of info and teaches in Boulder.

I don't think discrimination based on an individual's identity (race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) is ever a matter of "spiritually protecting" that person. Since we are all sons and daughters of the Most High, those things which are a part of us are, by definition, a part of God. That is my theological position. BOTA and you are both free to agree or disagree. And I am free, as a gay man, to view any policy BOTA *may* have that says that gays and lesbians cannot be admitted to the inner circle as mere, crude bigotry rather than enlightened spiritual paternalism.

That said, my experience with BOTA is that the lessons were interesting and insightful. Many of the people in the study group and in the ritual group (Pronaus - sp?) were equally interesting and informative. I enjoyed my time in their company probably more than I realized at the time.

But in the end, I found the BOTA process to be so totally "cookie-cutter", controlling and controlled, and non-participatory that I opted out. I have obtained what I sought in BOTA in other organizations, including, in part, Freemasonry without compromise to my values or sacrifice in personal integrity and, ultimately, in a much more satisfactory and richer fashion.

That said, I have recommended BOTA to several people as a place where they can obtain a fairly solid grounding in the Western Esoteric Tradition as transmitted through the Golden Dawn.

I do wish BOTA were more of a .... living organization. Somehow, it's spirituality always seemed to me to have that same odd feeling that a house does after it has been abandoned for a time. The rooms have the same shape and the roof may be solid, but there is no mistaking an empty house for a home. Your experience may differ and, frankly, I rather hope that it does.