Constitution of the

Introduction

To this "secret order" every wise and spiritually enlightened person belongs by right of his or her nature: because they all, even if they are personally unknown to each other, are one in their purpose and object and they all work under the guidance of the one light of truth.  Into this Sacred Society no one can be admitted by another unless he has the power to enter it himself by virtue of his own interior illumination, neither can anyone after he has once entered be expelled unless he should expel himself by becoming unfaithful to his principles and forget again the truths which he has learned by his own experience.

All this is known to every enlightened person.

But it is known only to few that there exists also an external, visible organisation of such men and women, who having themselves found the path to real self-knowledge, and who having travelled the burning sands, are willing to give to others, desirous of entering that path, the benefit of their experience, and to act as spiritual guides to those who are willing to be guided.

While numberless societies, associations, orders, groups, etc., have been founded during the last thirty years in all parts of the civilised world, all following some line of occult study, yet there is but ONE ancient organization of genuine Mystics which shows to the seeker after truth a Royal Road to discover the Lost Mysteries of Antiquity and to the Unveiling of the One Hermetic Truth.

This organization is known at the present time as the:

Ancient Order of Oriental Templars
Ordo Templi Orientis
Otherwise: The Hermetic Brotherhood of Light.

It is a Modern School of Magic.  And, like the ancient schools of magic, it derived its knowledge from the East.  This knowledge was never revealed to the profane, for it gave immense power for either good or evil to its possessors.  It was recorded in symbol, parable and allegory, requiring a Key for its interpretation.

The symbols and glyphs of Freemasonry were originally also derived from the more ancient mysteries.

These symbols of ancient Masonry, of the Rosicrucians, the sacred art of the ancient Chemi (Egyptians), of Homer's Golden Chain, like those of modern Freemasonry, etc., are however but different aspects of the One Great Mystery.  They all require a key to disclose the real underlying meaning.  There exists, however, but One Right Key, and moreover this one right key must be used the Right Way.

This key can be placed within the reach of all those who are prepared unselfishly to study and work for its possession, if they apply for membership to the Order of Oriental Templars (O.T.O.).

The O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis) is a body of Initiates in whose hands are concentrated the secret knowledge of all Oriental Orders and of all existing Masonic Degrees.  Its Chiefs are Initiates of the highest rank and recognised as such by all capable of such recognition in every country in the world.  The Order is international, and has existing connections in every civilised country in the world.  Every man or woman who becomes a member of the O.T.O. has an indefeasible right to the first three degrees of Masonry.1

The O.T.O., although an Academia Masonica, is not a Masonic Body, so far as the Craft degrees are concerned in the sense in which that expression is usually understood in England, and therefore in no way conflicts with, or infringes the just privileges of, the United Grand Lodge of England.  English Master Masons in good standing, by arrangement, on affiliation, are admitted at reduced charges.2  Members of the IX° become part-proprietors of the Estates and Goods of the Order.  For further information see the publications of the O.T.O., and the synopsis of the degrees of the O.T.O.3

CONSTITUTION

Article I

Article II

Article III

Article IV

Article V

Article VI

Article VII

Article VIII

Article IX

Article X

Article XI

Article XII

Article XIII

Article XIV

Article XV

Article XVI

Article XVII

Article XVIII

Article XIX

This revised edition of the Constitution has been approved by me, and is now issued under my hand and seal this twenty second day of January A.D. 1917, Anno Ordinis 799, on Monte Verità, in the Republic of Ticino (Switzerland).

Profane address: Casella postale 16935, Lugano (Suisse).
 

Notes
This constitution was promulgated in January of 1917 by Theodor Reuss in Ascona, Switzerland. The original issue also included a “Message from the Master Thirion (sic).”

The introduction is abridged from the “Preamble” and “First Instruction” from a manifesto of the “Hermetic Science College” issued by Reuss in London in 1906 (this piece is believed to be by Franz Hartmann; a slightly modified version appeared at the start of numbers 8 to 10 of Crowley's Equinox vol. 1, promoting the newly-launched Mysteria Mystica Maxima).

The synopsis of degrees is an elaborated and slightly modified version of one published by Reuss in the Oriflamme in 1912, and ignores Crowley's addition of a 0°, an XI° and a distinct XII° for the O.H.O. as well as various un-numbered intermediate degrees (Crowley's degree scheme was first promulgated in the 1912 Manifesto of MMM, a slightly revised version of which appeared in the Blue Equinox as Liber LII O.T.O.)

1: N.B. O.T.O. does not claim to “make Masons.” The position may have been otherwise under Reuss, but Reuss does not appear to have been completely clear on the difference between the three Craft degrees of Freemasonry and the so-called high grades.
2: The policy whereby Craft, Royal Arch and Scottish Rite Masons could affiliate at I° to VII° of O.T.O. was dropped (at least, it ceased to be a general rule; there is evidence that Crowley allowed it in individual cases at least as high as IV°/P.I. for Royal Arch as late as the 1940s) not long after this manifesto was issued.  O.T.O. differs sufficiently from Freemasonry that even a 33° of the Ancient and Accepted Rite would still have to start at Minerval like anyone else if he joined O.T.O.
3: For historical purposes, the synopsis of degrees which was originally attached to this manifesto is here included.  It does not, however, form current O.T.O. use which is closer to Crowley's 1912 degree scheme.  Reuss' three subdivisions of VII° are retained; VIII° has only two sub-degrees, Perfect Pontiff of the Illuminati and Epopt of the Illuminati, in contrast to Reuss’ four.
4: See Note 1 above.  This statement was not in the corresponding section of either the original 1906 Reuss Constitution or Crowley’s 1913 Constitution of MMM.
5: To repeat: O.T.O. no longer claims to make Masons.  Yarker's charter authorised Reuss to confer Memphis-Mizraim degrees on people who were already Master Masons in good standing, not to initiate to the Craft degrees which are common to, and the basis of, all Freemasonry.
6: Lat., “The end justifies the means.”

Key entry by Frater T.S. and Frater A.P.; HTML coding and notes by Frater T.S. for Sunwheel Oasis, O.T.O.

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