Fraternity and Discipline

written by David Bersson
November 1st, An CXXI 2024 era vulgari

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law

A query how to develop Fraternity balanced by Discipline if you only associate with your Instructor above you; and your students beneath you. The best balance from my perspective is, of course, you display Fraternity and Discipline to me; and I balance this exchange where I Discipline you with my audit, and permit you that Fraternity where I have decided or judged you worthy of continued exchange. You show Fraternity to me; and I generously balance the Scales where I display Discipline to you with audit. It boils down to who is really working whether this balance can be retained where the scales fall one way or another. Eventually, adjustment over time balances the scales but being young and sensitive you are slightly hard pressed when discipline is emphasized.  After all, if you turn in a magical record to me expecting me to pass you when you clearly have done a mere month’s work over a year don’t behave like I’m being callous to you. Let us explore those issues and at least try to inspire an aspirant out there to work with the required seriousness where they have actually accomplished their Oath to the satisfaction of the Order. Of course, if you are a member in the secret Society Ordo Templi Orientis this involves group work. It would be a separate essay to necessarily give an honest perspective on this.

Well, if you’re just sitting around doing nothing, just sitting around doing nothing, just sitting around doing nothing, perhaps this essay might inspire you to get off your ass and do some magical work. Oh my, I really should bring up those who do essay or even video. Of course, we are emphasizing practitioners rather than some want a be, would be, could be, should be or hood me with sidewalk philosopher occult scholar irrelevancies. Note the work of the wand and the sword are excellent companions where the wand is will; and the sword is the intellect. Indeed, we take our magick seriously with the highest regard for those on the Path; and will have to object with the usual skepticism those lost in eye candy, sensationalistic ramblings.

Say, you, you, over there in the unpressed Philosophus Robe! Hey, I'm talking to you! You’re just standing around doing nothing and are in serious trouble if you permit yourself to slip on the sidewalk philosopher status. No, you pipe smoking stereotype of a master debater, you. You already have an Oaths and Tasks galore. It is absolutely not necessary for you to invent some Oath of Holy Obedience. This is already included in your Oaths with the Order. Pull your head out of your ass or go the way of a Chaos Magician or worse an Arabian Fortune teller (1) who thinks there exist “believing Jinn”! How many mother freaking incarnations do I have to keep coming back to teach you again and again, incarnation after incarnation?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, novice lecturer number two bites you on the ass with ruach manipulations where neshemah is clearly absent. Well, if sharks exist in the lecture hall most certainly we also have a few who are assisting the Great Work. Shall we cover both where the clarity of our acknowledgment of the fit is balanced by warnings of the unfit or inexperienced? After all, it never gets a positive response when you tell them to eat the shit out of the asshole of a syphilis infested dog so I will approach these issues without such a compromise in soapbox. I absolutely would never say such a terrible remark. So don’t expect it. In addition to another remark I would never make, such as hideously screaming at the unfit inquiring whether you I am expected to wipe their asses for them shall not be an approach where such a query could only result in negative exchanges. Rather, we will pass ourselves off as normally civilized by tackling the issue by what everyone knows. After all, the discipline in “Fraternity balanced by Discipline” simply doesn’t need go to such dramatic extremes. Most certainly, if you cannot measure up I’m certain when I discover you’re a spineless little turd you’ll find your own way to the exit without such drama.

As everybody knows, we present a Path of Spiritual Enlightenment and magick which emphasizes a process of integration where if even the preliminaries of initiations are experienced you become the person you really are rather than other Systems which through deterioration throughout the ages have questionable motivations. How vital it is to meditate on True Self, True Will and the reality that everyone is a unique star on their Path. This is very important to realize depending on who you are and what you really are, and what you’ve experienced it is you who will interpret our Holy Books from whatever lens you perceive. No doubt, the official commentaries are important to study but you must realize that you are who you are and are therefore going to arise with insight that might very well if you persist in spite of the strain of Saturn or the Lord of Time you can be assured that you will reach a specialized school of thought based on your True Self. Without a doubt, the amount of self discipline that over a period of time results in our high standards of Adept or Master can only be taken seriously by those who actually persist. I dare say, you’re not going to become an Ipsissimus by the end of the week nor attain Knowledge and Conversation with your Holy Guardian Angel the day after tomorrow. Have patience with yourself and realize you had better do far more study and practice prior to giving a lecture. You state you enjoy educating aspirants on our system? Well, if you are really an Adept or Master you will not need to tell me that you are. Of course I respect you. This does mean I must not ignore that unless I remain firm with my skepticism my audit will be compromised.

You take your chances when dealing with Me, of course, How do you know that as a consequence of your apparent sincerity I shall eventually view you higher in character than others where I shall demand more of you? Can’t answer that, can you? The others feel nothing and who am I to attempt to save them if they have sentenced themselves to the mediocrity that is so viciously self imposed by not taking us seriously? Without lust of result, of course. Which brings me to what might be something of a callous stand against mister innocent when I actually demand they adhere to their Oath and Task where they haven’t measured up by binding their words with their deeds. If you’re not serious go solitary, for all I care, or find another Instructor. It is entirely up to you whether you permit yourself to fade away with idleness or end up asking me stupid questions that waste my time. Well which is going to be? Meritocracy where through real efforts you attain or mediocrity where you stagnant in the middle ground rather than climb the mountain? Is it a brand new novelty of an idea to tell you that eventually parameters and coordinates will eventually awaken with your insights with our Holy Books depending who you are, or rather, what your True Self shall radiantly observe? No doubt, I have tread the Path for many years and I am still learning. You must realize if you think you know everything already you’ll only remain with the repeated words of others rather than original insight based on your own initiations. Let's face it. When you’ve decided you have reached some imaginary place in your Path where you are satisfied with your attainments you either make a claim that has no body or end up attaching yourself to a black brother current. The key is never to be satisfied with what you’ve attained.

On a more positive note I do enjoy very much those Thelemites who have really learned from experience and do essay and lecture. They contribute on other planes and I most certainly shall not criticize them. My point is for you to concentrate on your own Great Work; and perhaps some of those outside our circle who attempt the Promulgation will have an approach that might be inspiring.

It is always something of a pleasure to read an essay or even observe a video done by a Thelemite. It is rarely a pleasure when someone who is not a Thelemite tries to expound or pretend that they can get anything straight. After all, a Thelemite who has moved forth on the Path to unfold his True Self by unfolding his complexities shall be going to give his or her reality and observations on the experience of his or her uniqueness through that peculiar lens of who he or she is; and give a fresh perception on magick and even a metaphysics from their unique perspective. In every unique case, how you expound will be who you are and are even becoming where every Thelemite will partake of the essence of the overall curriculum with satisfying and thought provoking insight different depending on the star they are. With the novice trying to explain what we are; and even a history shall in too many cases slip away from the truth and move to the cliff of sensationalism where they drop to their death on the rocks of twisted motivations. On the other hand, some level of initiation will have occurred with the majority of Thelemites by the time they venture to lecture where something can be gained from them even if they are a remote distance from an official school of thought. Even more so cleanly defined when they expound how they have worked out some insight of magick, important experience, crucial caveat, pertinent vision, conquered practice, deliberated insight, experience of phenomena, description of vision, recommended book, view of the universe, and other of those key experiences that include None of the above or something of the beneath or all of the beyond.

You will not be passed to the next Grade unless you fulfill your Oath. It is easily observed who is really giving the essay or lecture that has real experience. At least, for us. No matter how fine the lecture is those who have had the experience of Hierarchy where Fraternity is balanced by Discipline this the difference between an initiate who has experienced initiation and those who do magical practices rather than magical gestures. They can be ecological; but this is not the Great Work.

Over a long period of time you will observe the Hierarchy does not just creak along. It has balances, adjustments with its exchange. Fraternity balanced by Discipline has to be experienced to truly develop its skills as an Instructor.

Love is the law, love under will



(1) Although not every Arabian Fortune Teller will present this idiocy that the Jinn have converted to Islam; and the one I am writing of should of gone back to being a belly dancer. She didn’t know the first thing about the black art, magick and had no experience with the Seals of the Genii in Liber 231. It was once an entertainment to take a girlfriend to a fortune teller; and a unique adventure with a lover. Well, that was years ago. Today although Arabian Fortune Tellers have become nearly as rare as chicken’s teeth I am not criticizing all of them. The Arabian Fortune Tellers who have discarded Islam like trash into the gutter are the most efficient. The Fortune Tellers who are involved with the Path of Wicca or Witchcraft would be my preference today who are more commonly found; and are far more sophisticated in their readings than many. Well, taking a girlfriend to a fortune teller on a date after the fine restaurant did make for an adventure. I admit I let them decide which Fortune Teller to go to giving them the options.

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