Membership Information

Prerequisites to join the O.·.A.·.I.·. include acceptance of the O.·.A.·.I.·. Petition and a single payment of $44.00 organizational fee. Aspirants (Probationers) are obligated to contribute a fee of $44.00 for organizational membership, including a completed ceremony of self-initiation, signed, and dated Oath. The membership fee is a single payment, exempt to members of the Lovers and Hermit grade. The membership fee is integrated to the corporeal functioning of the Order proper, group trips and passages to religious sites (oversees and domestic), the binding of official journals, internet and World Wide Web server space, and domain renewal, the O.·.A.·.I.·. Bibliotheca, and to the promulgation of the Great Work of the Order.

Candidates seeking to Petition for membership, and to initiate themselves in the initiatic System of the O.·.A.·.I.·., must be eighteen years of age or older and they must be serious in their efforts to understand and execute the Great Work. Men and Women of the Order are in no way obligated to religiously Self-Initiate into the Order and they may contribute to the Great Work of the Order in accordance with their own Will. They may remain Postulants {Probationers} of the Order in virtue of their own Free-Will & accord.

To obtain membership in the O.·.A.·.I.·. the following information must be submitted:

Persons may also submit the required information via Postal Mail to the addresses of the Order provided in Public Contact Information. Fee must be made payable to: O.·.A.·.I.·. Members living outside the United States need to contribute their dues with an International Money Order. Not all men and women whom Petition for membership in the Order are accepted. If the O.·.A.·.I.·. does not accept your Petition, your payment of annual dues will be returned to you.

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O

A

I

Man of Earth

The Lovers

The Hermit

1st Degree

2nd Degree

3rd Degree

Birth
Life Death

Neophyte
Adept

Magister/Magistra

Probationer and Man of Earth.·.

During the nine months period of probation, the Postulant must submit to the Order a 9-15 page thesis on any subject matter of his/her own choice. This thesis may be a self-examination, a biographic essay, or ritual; regardless of subject matter the thesis must be 9-15 pages. After nine months of probationary preparations and ritual work, if the serious Postulant is permitted to progress to Neophyte of the Order, s/he may then receive the Oath of the Probationer {Neophyte} and construct his/her own rite of Self-Initiation into the Man of Earth grade. The Probationer must then submit his/her signed Oath and Rite of Self-Initiation to the Imperator of the Order before formal performance of the Rite. It is only by official dispensation from the Imperator of the Order a Frater or Soror Probationer may then religiously initiate into the grade of the Neophyte I° Man of Earth. Subsequent to successfully performing a rite of Self-Initiation, a Frater or Soror will be certified as a Man of Earth. The Man of Earth grade consists of five years of applied psychology, ceremonial magic, academic studies, comparative art & religion, and self examination of a most fundamental nature. In order to initiate into the Lovers grade, the Man of Earth must first pass the tribulations and grade work, then submit to the Imperator a 15-25 page thesis or any subject matter of his/her own choice. This thesis may be a self-examination, a biographic essay, or ritual; regardless of subject matter the thesis must be 9-15 pages. The Probationer and Man of Earth are responsible for establishing their own curriculum of studies.

The Lovers.·.

After five years of studies, religious purification, psychological work, and spiritual consecration, the Man of Earth in the O.·.A.·.I.·. may seek further progression into the Order, to Initiate as an Adept o to partake of the theistic mysteries and tribulations of the Lovers Grade. If the Man of Earth is permitted to Initiate into the Lovers grade, s/he may then receive the Oath of the Lovers {Adept} and construct his/her own dire rite of Self-Initiation into the Lovers. The O.H.O. Imperator/Imperatrix must preside over this silent rite of self-initiation into the Lovers grade. The Man of Earth if necessary may coalesce their initiation into the Lovers grade with another concurrent initiation of the same intrinsic and esoteric nature in a different system; for example; the 5=6° Adeptus Minor Initiation of the R.·.R.·. et A.·.C.·. , the ceremony of the Master Mason and above degrees, O.·.A.·.I.·. Rite of Lilith, O.·.A.·.I.·. Mass of the Morning Star. It is only by official dispensation from the Imperator of the Order that the Man of Earth may then initiate into grade of the Lovers II°. Subsequent to the successful performance of a serious Rite of Self-Initiation, the Man of Earth receives certification as an Lover/Adept of the O.·.A.·.I.·.

The Hermit.·.

Subsequent to six years of applied work with psychotechnology, collegiate/trade/technical degree work, mastery of comparative arts & religions, mastery over two forms of divination, studies in history and history of "secret societies" and "fraternal organizations" and Adepthood in a school of Mysticism {e.g.Yoga, Tantra, Sufism, Gnosticism, Rosicruciana}, the Lover of the O.·.A.·.I.·. may seek further initiation into the Order, to take the grave "Oath of the Abyss" to partake of the mysteries of the Hermit grade in the Triad of O.·.A.·.I.·. The mysteries of the Hermit/Magister are at once carnal and insubstantial, æthereal and earthly, Qlifotic and unbeholden; left to the Magister/Magistra to declare and cultivate her/his Garden. The mysticism of the Hermit grade is theoretical. It is only by dispensation from the hand and seal of the O.H.O. Imperator/Imperatrix that the Lover-Adept may receive the "Oath of the Abyss" and initiate as a Hermit III°. The elect work of the Hermit is to become a 'Star of the Serpent,' and 'Epopt of the Illuminati,' S/He is then cast forth in the Black Sanctuary of the Pyramids strewn asunder upon the cremation grounds to await annihilation. the Hermit of elevates and illumines Mankind according to whichever forms of action and non-action their Law deems apt. The Hermit of the Abyss exists as Illuminati, invisible, insubstantial, earthly Potentate whom executes the Great Work.

The O.·.A.·.I.·. does not conduct Initiation Ceremonies for its Fratres and Sorores. The system of the O.·.A.·.I.·. is entirely a Self-Initiatic mechanism. In the O.·.A.·.I.·. no Frater or Soror can be Initiated by another, as it is by the virtue of his or her own interior illumination to enter into the Secret Sanctuary. The religious Body of the O.·.A.·.I.·. embodies Fratres and Sorores who are determined & daring enough to work out their own transcending and elevation, disciplined enough to do their own sacred inquisitions, and skilled enough to execute their own manifest destinies in the Great Work. Fratres and Sorores of the Order initiate and preside over his/her own black Arte under the designs of Illuminism and the Kindred Sciences, to be free of all social, political, & religious obstructions; to entirely rely upon his/her own will to execute the Great Work . The Hermit {Mystic} life and initiation commands an abandonment of security, conventionality, and safety, and repossession thereof. Initiation mauls the perception of truth and lies to where nothing is true and the personal will is seen as a bewitching naked illusion. The Body of the O.·.A.·.I.·. is a triad of self-progression and initiation, called the Man of Earth, the Lover, and the Hermit.

Initiation is the means of Self-reformation where men and women are strewn asunder into the endless Sea. The Path of Initiation arrogates strength & skill of Will, occult initiation is a dire ordeal of the deathless soul as the initiate is often bewitched by the devouring Dragon of Choronzon in the Veils of the bloody Abyss. The root of the word itself stems the Latin noun initium, which literally means 'beginning'; 'a commencement anew'. Thus initiation means the beginning of a new perception and attitude toward life, death, and rebirth. Moreover, it is the entry into entirely new archetypes of existence. Initiation means, above all, spiritual maturity and reformation -- a definite mark in the epoch of human spiritual history. It is in such a revelation of the secrets of one's intimate destiny, being, and True Will that the candidate accomplishes Initiation. Initiates of the arcane Arts, are the secret few lonely hissing serpents whom are above the worms of the river styx, learning well the lessons of the Path, ready to win the Rose of the Adept, and burn in the cremation grounds as a Babe of the Abyss.

Ritual and initiation are the greatest forces in religion, and in the human condition. Initiation, be it into a religious tradition or institution, or into a ‘private religious fraternity, breaches the boundaries of religious mystery and faith. Rituals that are obscured in secrecy and mystic epiphany propel one into a new physiological, and psychological dawning. Initiation rites evoke a new panorama of religious faith, approachable in this thesis under the auspices of psychology, sociology, and theology. Through ritual initiation the mystic journey of the soul, a reenactment of the romantic history of the soul, and a recapitulation of a divine heritage of the immortality of the soul are often portrayed in a stage of pageantry and solemnity.

Through initiation into the obscure and secretive mystery schools of religion, aptly hidden in the shadows of history, the seeker arrives at a knowledge and conversation with the Holy, the Other that satiates the intolerable ache of the soul to know itself and its creator. Instinct and a primal condition of religion latent in the human genealogy are awakened in ritual initiation. Initiation is meant to instill an indwelling, an epiphany, which activates in the human brain matrix, an innate sense of religion and the mystery of God. Initiation overcomes a spiritual poverty of the soul, exulting a primal condition that annexes the differences between Mankind and the Grand Architect of the Universe.

The virtue of mysticism and magic to the human condition is prevalent. The motive of world religious traditions is that all men and women perceive to a certain degree, the everlasting wail of the Buddhist ‘First Noble Truth,’ that everything is sorrow and religion consoles them by either an authoritative denial or perpetuation of this truth. This psychological ply is done via transgression of the situation itself, or by promising amends in other states of existence. A fundamental problem is that religions, without exception, often fail and become decrepit at the first tests of history and culture. The claim of religion is to excel, and incidentally, make obsolete the judgments of reason by reconciling mysticism and science. In this formula, a direct experience and more importantly expression of intelligences superior in kind to any incarnate human occur. Preconceptions of religion and the arts and sciences of the occult by the initiated scholar breed spiritual materialism and secular demonization.

Esoteric religion presupposes ideals of a discarnate intelligence or experience of ultimate reality, regardless of whatever linguistic intrusion humanity places upon it. This is exactly what no religion has proven scientifically, trapping the human condition in its finitude and trance of sorrow. This is the great melancholy of Mankind, in which men such as Marcus Aurelius, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche have forfeited my definition of religion. Professor William James cites this melancholy as the abode of the “sick soul” where flesh and spirit lust contrary to one another in a state of all-encompassing schizophrenia. This spiritual schizophrenia is a healthy one that induces men, and women, to initiate into secret societies, religious fraternities, that since ancient times acted as custodians of highest cultural concepts and a depository of ordained knowledge. Ceremonial initiations express a latent intolerable ache of the soul in Mankind to ameliorate this unbearable “sickness” by seeking a direct contact with the holy mysteries.

The solemn and overwhelming initiation rites of the Masonic lodges are symbolic pageantries suited to induce in the frightened and seduced soul a veneration of the divine mysteries, and admiration for the powers of nature and God. Candidates into Masonic initiations are prepared after thorough character examination and appropriate consecration and purification. Initiates of ancient philosophic societies such as Freemasonry, and the Rosicrucians, were regarded as possessing ordained knowledge, an illuminated intelligence, extraordinary faculties and powers. These adept-philosophers were truly enlightened human beings that have guided the manifest destiny of humanity by overseeing developments in the humanities, arts, advances in medicines and the liberal sciences, and great reformations to religion. The esoteric schools of the mystery traditions remain across history as a powerful force in the regeneration of human dignity, religious, and cultural institutions.

Ritual, ceremony, and initiation is a carnal act not achieved by conventional religious institutions or by the officiator whom performs it, or on behalf of the postulant. The experiences of the postulant in such initiation ceremonies as Roman Catholic ordination, the Native American Ghost Dance, and initiation into the Masonic Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, the York Rite, and Ancient & Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraim are fulfilling and described by candidates as “enlightenment” or “illumination.” Theologian Emile Durkheim explains, “religion is a feeling of mystery.”10 Durkheim states “..all that is religious is the notion of the supernatural. By that is meant any order of things that goes beyond our understanding; the supernatural is the world of mystery, the unknowable, or the incomprehensible.” Initiation into the Masonic lodges penetrates this veil of antiquity. What do we mean by initiation? The root of the word itself stems the Latin noun initium, which literally means ‘beginning,’ ‘a commencement anew’. The Greek word used is telein, which means ‘to accomplish’ or ‘to make perfect’. Thus initiation means the beginning of a new perception and attitude toward life, death, and rebirth. Moreover, it is the entry into entirely new archetypes of existence. Initiation means, above all, spiritual maturity and reformation, a definite mark in the epoch of human spiritual history. Initiation is veritable not by claims, but by Works. It is the work of the new initiation to make his, or her, life anew and to at last, “know thyself.”

Mircea Eliade highlights initiation as a repetitive symbolism, retrogression to the chaotic primordial events that shaped the proto-history of the species, thus a common theme in initiation is a reenactment of the interaction betwixt the divine hierarchy and the ancient world. All initiatory rites induce a physiologic and psychological rebirth, a resurrection by iconographic symbols embedded into the psyche of the postulant. Eliade classifies initiations into two categories: puberty rites and specialized initiations. Puberty rites are ceremonies by virtue of which adolescent members of the community gain access to sexuality and knowledge, often accompanied by dramatic pageants, not excluding corporal and genital mutilations. Specialized initiations are secret ceremonies where individuals undergo psychological transformation and become emissaries or protégés of the divine hierarchy invoked during initiations. Initiation is markedly similar to the phases of a rite de passage, consisting of preliminal, liminal, and post-liminal phases, so much so that we may, as an etic delineation, identify initiations as a form of rites de passage, as numerous others have already done. As rites de passage, initiations are a subclass of ritual.

Etically, we can say that initiations, as rites of passage, must have as their object a transforming effect upon their subjects. This transformation can be observed as a change of status for the subject. This change of status may be understood by the practitioners in a number of different ways; mundane, magical, or spiritual. From both and emic and etic perspective, initiations are always first-time rituals that cannot be repeated for the same candidate. Rituals of initiation are limited in scope of time from both an emic and etic standpoint. The rituals themselves are not ongoing and must end distinctly before the death of the candidate. In addition rituals are marked by distinct beginnings and endings. All initiation rituals within the Western Mysteries, and Masonic Lodges of the York, Scottish, and Memphis-Misraim rites, from both the emic and etic views, are seen as having a mythological element to them. Generally they are said to take place in a magical space outside of time and space, in the center of time and space or at some mythological location, such as the halls of Osiris from the Egyptian Book of Going Forth by Day, the construction site of King Solomon’s Temple or at the Rosicrucian’s mountain Abiegnus

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Ritual initiation is a carnal act. The sanctum sanctorum of Freemasonry of ornamented with the shining jewels of forgotten ages; its rituals, consecrations, and initiations, ring with the divinely inspired words of sages and seers. Albert Pike writes “..and so I came at last to see that the true greatness and majesty of Freemasonry consist in its proprietorship of these and it’s other symbols; and that its symbolism is its soul.” Initiation invokes a sacred timeless theatre where the human drama of the romantic history of the soul is imitated, be it in the Cathedral, Temple, Synagogue, or Masonic Lodge, a pageant of initiation that is complete with tragedy, secret teachings, ordained knowledge, entry into Light, and the Mystery.

The O.·.A.·.I.·. publishes two Chronicles per year, disbursed on predetermined Sabbats . These are the official Journals of the O.·.A.·.I.·., designed to instruct Fratres and Sorores of the Order in the groundwork of ceremonial magic & religious science. The Chronicles are distributed through the Internet and/or U.S. Postal Mail, free of charge, to Brothers and Sisters of the Order.

The O.·.A.·.I.·. does not practice, promote or advocate violence, hate or any
form of illegal activity. The system and work of the O.·.A.·.I.·. is spiritual in nature.

O	A	I
Man of Earth	The Lovers	The Hermit
1st Degree	2nd Degree	3rd Degree
Birth	Life	Death
Neophyte	Adept	Magister/Magistra