posted on Jun, 1 2009 @ 01:26 PM
MasonicLight is right on in all of his posts.
I am an O.T.O. member and feel no need to hide that fact from anyone. Most O.T.O. members would openly share their affiliation as well. Of course, not
everyone advertises it on their MySpace or Facebook page, but most wouldn't deny it if asked. (Being a "Secret Society" in this case, means that
the Order or it's members won't disclose your membership, but you are certainly under no obligation to do such yourself.)
However, there are members in every walk of life, some members are very influential in occult circles, some are influential in masonic circles (we do
have a number of 33rd Degree Masons amongst our ranks), and some that are famous in Hollywood. At one point there was a US Senator that was a member
of the O.T.O. However, I think our most famous member has always been David Bowie.
However, I can assure you that even the highest ranking of O.T.O. members who have served on the Electoral College and obtained the highest degrees of
the Order, have little interest in NWOs or even politics. As the magickal work that is involved in these later degrees involves subjugating the Ego to
the Higher Self (symbolized by "Crossing the Abyss" or "Passing into Da'ath"), worldly matters tend not to important any longer to such
individuals.
There is no common religious doctrine in the O.T.O. Nor is there any mandatory teaching curriculum any longer (Liber MCLI which outlined a teaching
curriculum for the degrees is now entirely optional, up to the discretion of each individual initiate). The only thing any two O.T.O. members may have
in common is an appreciation for the philosophical "Law of Thelema" ("Do what thou will shalt be the whole of the law." "Love is the law, love
under will.") and an interest in various forms of occultism and ceremonial magick. Outside of that, they come in many different shapes and varieties,
from scholar to kook and everything in between.
Most importantly, since Hymaneus Beta (William "Bill" Breeze) became the O.H.O. of the O.T.O., the Order is nothing more than a Social Order with an
Initiatory Process. I guess, if you consider that, the O.T.O. isn't any different than the Benevolent & Protective Order of the Elks or the Fraternal
Order of the Eagles (except the O.T.O. doesn't have any of their own drinking halls, bowling alleys, or club houses).
To the O.P., the Secret Rituals of the O.T.O. published by Francis King was done so at a time when their were doubts that the Order still existed.
Francis King did such to ensure that these Rituals would not be lost. When it was made aware to him that the Order still operated, the publication of
the book ceased. It is not that the material in the book is "dangerous" or "incriminating" to the O.T.O. if it is let out to the public. However,
considering that the O.T.O. still practices that initiatory process means that it shouldn't be publicly available lest it spoil it for those
interested in undergoing that initiatory process. I personally use The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O. myself to review an initiation *AFTER* I've gone
through it myself, sometimes being able to see symbolism that I may have missed during the process (and I have gotten flak from some members for doing
such), so I personally am grateful that such material is freely available (with a little bit of effort on the individual to find that material).
However, it is important to note that the Initiatory Rituals that are detailed in that Francis King book are grossly outdated (they were from early
drafts that were co-written by Crowley and Theodor Reuss) and have changed numerous times since (both by Crowley and also by later O.H.O.s). Thus,
they are sometimes dramatically different from what the modern O.T.O. practices, although the symbolism, in most cases, remains the same.