From heidrick@well.com Mon Aug 19 09:17:53 1996 Received: from nova.unix.portal.com (nova.unix.portal.com [156.151.1.101]) by jobe.shell.portal.com (8.6.11/8.6.5) with ESMTP id JAA14333 for ; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 09:17:52 -0700 Received: from mh1.well.com (mh1.well.com [206.15.64.22]) by nova.unix.portal.com (8.6.11/8.6.5) with ESMTP id JAA02859 for ; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 09:17:33 -0700 Received: from well.com (heidrick@well.com [206.15.64.10]) by mh1.well.com (8.7.5/8.7.5) with SMTP id JAA11853 for ; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 09:19:02 -0700 (PDT) Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 09:19:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Bill Heidrick Subject: Re: queries To: xiwangmu In-Reply-To: <199608190938.CAA03747@jobe.shell.portal.com> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Status: RO 93 Mu, > 1) where did the term 'Caliph' actually come from, prior to the > usage with Hymenaeus Alpha? if in a letter from Crowley, in > what context? did Crowley have a particular meaning in mind? > did he ever explicitly state this if so? Still FAQ'n away? :-) Crowley originated the application of the term to OTO. It is from Islam, being the formal title of the line of authority descended from a lateral line of the relations of Mohammed, after failure of the direct lineal descendants. Crowley explained it to Grady in a few letters, stating that he wished to insure continuation of the headship of OTO by this means. Crowley told Grady to be ready to assume headship of the OTO in the event of a failure of Karl Germer to either make a success of leadership or to name his own successor. To this end, Crowley wrote a series of letters to Grady, giving him various authorities. Crowley also made somewhat lesser efforts to alert Frederic Mellinger to the possible need of taking headship of OTO, but did not give Mellinger any formal letters of authority. Finally, Crowley wrote to Grady with the instruction that Germer was "the natural Caliph", would be A.C.'s direct successor, but that Grady should continue himself in readiness to succeed Germer. -- This latter characterization of Germer as "Natural Caliph" is different from the Islamic, indirect line, usage. -- I've long thought that Crowley also had a pun on California in mind. > 2) what is the earliest version of the OTO Constitution, who wrote > it, and how was it presumed it could be changed, if at all, > by whom, etc.? 1906 e.v., by Kellner and Reuss. The 1917 e.v. revised Constitution was mostly done by Reuss. It could be amended by edict of the OHO, but there were provisions for cammeral amendment as well. The latter is published in Equinox III, 10. The present active form of the Constitution is the OTO International Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws -- which can only be amended tri-cammerally (Aeropagus, Supreme Council and OHO all concurring). > 3) what is the official OTO policy (as you see it) regarding > the conditions necessary for the acceptance of such things > as postal consecration of bishops, priests, priestesses, etc.? Not allowed. Consecrations of bishops and ordinations must be done in proper persona at this time. > 4) what is the EGU and what is its relationship to the OTO as > you see it? I haven't a clue what EGU is. EGC is one part of OTO, mainly responsible for the Gnostic Mass and interfaced to several degrees for ordination and consecration. > 5) what was the reasoning and precise timing (i.e. certain events > which brought it on) behind the withdrawal of the privilege of > of preview of initiation rite oaths? It was done a few years ago, with only my vote dissenting in the Aeropagus. The principal arguments I recall all went to the issue of secrecy of the initiation rituals. [some personal info removed as irrelevant] 93 93/93 Bill