Grade System of the O.T.O.A.

Students of the Monastery of the Seven Rays form the body of the O.T.O.A. that corresponds
to the four years of the Monastery studies.

The Magical Grades of the O.T.O.A. and their cabalistic correspondences are as follows:

I Probationer, corresponding to MALKUTH.

II Novice, corresponding to YESOD.

III Student for Priesthood, corresponding to HOD.

IV Lay-Brother, corresponding to NETZACH.

V Initiate, corresponding to TIPHARETH.

VI Initiate Coën, corresponding to GEBURAH.

Consists of Tantric Magic and covers Mystic Masonry 1 through 5 .

VII Knight of the Rainbow, corresponding to CHESED.

Tantric Alchemy and covers Mystic Masonry 6 - 41. It is equivalent to subdeacon.

VIII Companion Coën, corresponding to BINAH. Tantric Alchemy and Magic containing
essentials of the kundalini yoga, within an esoteric system and Hoodoo tradition.

IX Knight of the Sun, corresponding to CHOKMAH.

Tantric Magic and Mystic Masonry 42 - 77. It is equivalent to diaconate.

X Master Coën, Sovereign of the white city of the central Sun, corresponding to KETHER.

Advanced Tantric Magic and Alchemy.

XI Templier Noir (Black Templar), corresponding to KETHER-DAATH-CHOKMAH.

. Luciferian Gnosticism and Esoteric Engineering based upon Tantric Magic and Alchemy
and Mystic Masonry 78 - 89

XII Adept Priesthood, corresponding to KETHER-DAATH-BINAH. Advanced Esoteric

Engineering and Tantric Magic and Alchemy.

XIII Templier Rouge (Red Templar), corresponding to DAATH.

Pure Magic and Gnosticism, exploration on the esoteric world on the back of the Tree of Life.
Mystic Masonry 90 - 93.
XIV Reaux-Croix (Initiate), corresponding to Negative TIPHARETH. It is equivalent to
consecration to the episcopate. Techniques of Vudu-Tantric magic, or the Afro-Atlantean
logic which explores the back of the tree of life.

XV Reaux-Croix (Companion), corresponding to Negative YESOD. Mastery of the final

lodges of wisdom and union in the Haitian rite "Chenu". Mystic Masonry 94 - 97.

XVI Reaux-Croix (Master), corresponding to Negative MALHUTH.

The ultimate Mastery of the Afro-Atlantean and Franco-Haitian Magical Laws.

THE HISTORY OF THE O.T.O.A. (1921-2001)

In 1905, the Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraim was introduced into Germany from
England by John Yarker, 97, who was then the Grand Hierophant of the rite. The first German leaders
were K. Kellner and Theodor Heuss, who created a magical order known as the Ordo Templi Orientis
by means of a reduction of the magical grades of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim from 97 to 9, with a
10th grade, which was purely administrative.

Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine was born in Leogane, Haiti, on January 11, 1869. He died in Boston in
1960. He had been initiated into the four grades of Voudoo, both religious and esoteric, by the time he
was consecrated as a Gnostic patriarch in 1899. In 1910, he received the succession of the O.T.O.
from Encausse, who had received it about 1908. Encausse gave Jean-Maine his magical
consecrations in order to establish a magical order similar to the O.T.O. in Haiti. Following the return of
Jean-Maine to Haiti, the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua was created officially December 22, 1921.
Latterly the Couleuvre Noire was organized in Haiti, in 1922, on the basis of the Haitian O.T.O.A.

Following the death of Encausse in 1916, the French O.T.O. underwent an internal schism. One
group, led by Jean Bricaud, appealed to Theodore Reuss for a new line of succession and initiation.
Reuss gave this neo-Gnostic order his approval and transmitted to them his magical line: of
consecration. Jean-Maine found himself at the head of the original order, which followed the original
constitution of Papus and Synesius. He decided to move to Spain, where the original order was
stronger, and thus in 1919 relocated in Madrid. There he learned that as early as 1907 Jean Bricaud
had organized a Gnostic church by separating himself from authority of Synesius. Disturbed greatly by
these conflicts within the Gnosis, Jean-Maine consecrated as his vicar for Europe Martin Ortier de
Sanchez y Marraga in 1921. Jean-Maine departed for Haiti, and upon arrival there entered into an
arranged marriage with the youngest daughter of the Voudoo patriarch in Leogane. Only one child
was bom of this union, which was based upon the magical idea of producing an ideal body for the
incoming soul of an advanced adept. This child, a son, was born on January 18, 1925, and named
Hector-Francois. The child was circumcised according to Voudoo rites by his father, who later baptised
him into the Gnosis.

Gradually, the Couleuvre Noire developed and absorbed the O.T.O.A., the later alone continuing in
Spain, under Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine's authority. In France, the O.T.O. of Bricaud became more
and more centered about his used occult book store. Aleister Crowley had inherited the O.T.O.
authority for England and Germany with the death of the Grand Master Reuss, about 1921. In
Scandinavia, however, there continued an O.T.O. jurisdiction, following the original constitution of
Papus, and linked to the Gnostic Church of the Ophites, which had been organized within the O.T.O.
current by Jean-Maine about 1912. This Scandinavian Gnostic order is now entirely under the
jurisdiction of the Monastery of the Seven Rays. From 1922 until his death in 1960, Jean-Maine
devoted himself to magical studies and the education of his son Hector-Francois. Both men held the
offices and magical orders of Masters Zothyrius, Mercurius, Aquarius and Capricorn, which officers
and orders held latterly by Michael Bertiaux.

Jean-Maine on several occasions sought to bring about unity within the total Gnostic family and sought
to communicate this idea to Bricaud and his successors. However, out of fear of a magical takeover,
making use of the techniques of esoteric Voudoo, the records of the older Gnostic churches were
destroyed, making any evidence of Jean-Maine's link with Encausse difficult to prove. Only in the
Spanish Sovereign Sanctuary of Memphis-Misraim, from which all French occultists admit that
Encausse derived his Memphis-Misraim authority, were these documents cherished. As these
documents form the basic link between the Monastery of the Seven Rays and

the systems of esoteric and Gnostic Voudoo, they are guarded carefully, in order to keep them from
being destroyed by those who wish to deny Gnostic initiation to the black race. This is the reason why
the Order of Martinists in Paris does not give out the initiations of the Rite of the Elect Priesthood to
any Haitians, for they fear that such Haitians would find out about their original right to these grades of
magical attainment and theurgy, and then set about to destroy the entire facade of modern Parisian
occultism. For this reason, the only valid Haitian Gnostic bishops will be found within our tradition, and
at present subject to the Jurisdiction of the Haitian Patriarch, Docteur Pierre-Antoine Saint-Charles.

In Haiti, Hector-Francois Jean-Maine sought to revive an interest in the work of O.T.O.A. This order
had developed in Spain along very interesting sexo-magic lines. Therefore, in 1948-49, he began to
work the rites and degrees (there were 16 magical degrees) of the O.T.O.A. under the form of
Lycanthropie Kabbalistique, which is a very highly developed form of sexual magic reserved for the
best adepts of the Couleuvre Noire. This magical current, which was formally established in January,
1949 drew upon the Gnostic, Ophidian, Naasenic and Tantric ideas of the original constitution of
Papus. On January 5, 1949, Hector-Francois, entirely nude and with his body painted with the red,
orange, yellow, cream and purple symbols of the highest adepts of Lycanthropie Kabbalistique,
opened the Temple of the Two Yggdrasills (the Solar-Legbha and the Stellar-Legbha) by performing
sexo-magical rites before the assembled Grand Master of the Haitian Esotericism. With this type of
work, he soon ritualized the entire Ophidian system of magical points, which is discussed in the
Monastery of the Seven Rays courses. With the ejaculations of each orgasm, he materialized to
sensible form the mighty Choronzon and other beings from beyond the limits of our universe, who are
ever seeking to pour into this world and reestablish their rule forever.

In order to show that the O.T.O.A. was different from the Couleuvre Noire and in no way connected
with the O.T.O., on January 17, 1949, Hector-Francois proceeded to a high mountain, outside of
Leogane. There at the top of the mountain, and attended by 16 master-initiates of the O.T.O.A., he
began the process of calling down the Host of Heaven. Again, entirely nude, with his body painted with
the magical symbols of the 16 magical planets of the Gnostic cosmology, the 24-year-old magician,
possessed by the Cosmic Serpents, danced the mysteries and performed sexo-magical rites with the
attending priests. The resulting materializations in the orgasmic aether served to show that the Haitian
O.T.O.A. had captured the true magical current of the age and that Hector-Francois was indeed the
magical high-priest of the new age of magic.

In 1955 Hector-Francois, with the approval of his father, transformed the O.T.O.A. into a Gnostic and
Ophitic church. The reason for this was quite simple. First of all, he was interested in the possibility of
unification and simplification in all areas of initiatic activity. Knowing that there were other groups
making use of the name O.T.O., he sought to avoid any confusion between his magical order and
work and the non-Voudoo orders of Western Europe. Secondly, he wished to develop his own system
so that it would be possible to explore newer areas in sexual magic, without any idea of having to fulfill
the requirements of an already-existing magical order. With this in mind, he sought to develop his own
Temple of Lycanthropie Kabbalistic. Because of his many travels in connection with his education, and
especially in regard to his researches in Africa for his dissertation on those magical plants that had
been brought to Haiti by the Voudoo high-priests who came as slaves in the early colonial times, he
was able to make many contacts with magicians and sorcerers in various parts of the world. By means
of exchanging initiations with these adepts, he was able to develop a truly universal gnosis of sexual
magic. His father died in 1960, and the government of the Gnostic Church of Mempnis-Misraim was
given to Docteur de Sanchez y Marraga, who ruled the widespread, but very small, order of adepts
from his monastery in Spain. Yet, due to his many health problems, he found the responsibilities far
too heavy to bear, and pleaded with Hector-Francois to assist him.

Michael Paul Bertiaux was bom in the USA in January, 1935 and studied theurgy under Haitian
masters and Voudoo adepts from 1963-1975. On August 15, 1963, while he was visiting in Haiti,
Docteur Jean-Maine explained to Bertiaux that he was about to leave for Madrid to be consecrated to
the patriarchate of the Ecclesia Gnostica, and wished to know if Docteur Bertiaux would be willing to
assist him in his esoteric work. An agreement was worked out, and Jean-Maine entered into a magical
pact with Bertiaux. Upon his return to the USA, Docteur Bertiaux then devoted himself entirely to the
cause of esoteric studies, while keeping himself in telepathic contact with Docteur Jean-Maine.

Hector-Francois Jean-Maine was consecrated to the Gnostic patriarchate on November 2, 1963. This
Feast Day of the Catholic religion, and known as All Soul's Day, is sacred in Voudoo as the Festival of
the God of Magic, the Mighty Guedhe-Nibbho. Shortly afterwards Docteur de Sanchez y Marraga took
seriously ill and died. However, for the next five years, he was held astrally within the magnetic sphere
of the Earth by magical means, and fed with sexual energy of Hector-Francois, in order to help him to
learn every detail of his magical office. Indeed, it was by this method that de Sanchez y Marraga
assisted Hector-Francois in the magical consecration of Docteur Bertiaux in 1966. Since 1966, as the
influence of the Gnostic Church has become world-wide again, Docteur Jean-Maine had been able to
release the astral self of Docteur de Sanchez y Marraga, and then to rule the rite ancient et primitif de
Memphis-Misraim, assisted by Michael Bertiaux and the other Gnostic patriarchs. In 1970, Hector-
Francois consecrated Docteur Bertiaux as the Sovereign Grand Master of the O.T.O.A., following his
election to that office by the Grand \ Masters of Spain, Haiti and Louisiana-Illinois. This grade is
usually held by the assistant to the" Grand Hierophant of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim.

Between April 10 and 17, in the city of Liege, Belgium, in the year 1973, there was held a meeting of
the worldwide synod of Gnostic Bishops of the true Gnostic succession and communion. The following
organizations were present through their representatives:

1. The Monastery of the Seven Rays

2 . The Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis
3. The Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraim
4. The Ecclesia Gnostica Ophitica
5. The Universal Martinist Federation of Initiatics
6. The Albigensian Gnostic Rite of Haiti
7 . Die Vereinigung fur gnostisches und magisches Christentum
8. Die Vereinigung fur gnostische und theurgische Ontologie das esoterischen Christentum. (7 and 8
are Swiss Gnostic and magical orders, based upon Catholic tradition and initiatic order-foundation)
9. The Esoteric Rite of the Rose-Croix
10. The Church of the Mandala of Giordano Bruno
11. The Fraternitas Hermetica
12. The American Synod of Gnostic Bishops
13. The QBLH Alchemist Church
14. The Martinist Order of Rose-Croix and Aleph-Initiates
15. The Interior Sanctuary of the Elect Priesthood
16. The Naasenian Gnostic Brotherhood of Initiates and Adepts

These mystical orders of initiation, derived from the ancient Gnostic and Hermetic traditions of western
occultism, approved the publication of the magical history of the Ecclesia Gnostica (Rite of Memphis-
Misraim) as well as the exchange of initiations and consecrations among all adepts present. These
orders of magical adeptship agreed to the formation of a world-wide magical brotherhood of adepts, to
be located within the Inner Retreat of the Monastery of the Seven Rays, and having as its name "le rite
ancient et primitif de Memphis-Misraim", wherein each constitutive body, order or society, will be able
to provide the initiatic traditions and work for the various sections within the Memphis-Misraim degree
system. As a result of this action, Docteur Jean-Maine, the Grand Hierophant of the Rite of Memphis-
Misraim, becomes the ruling adept of each of the 16 member orders and their sub-orders.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's, at the request of the synod of the Bishops of the Ecclesia Gnostica
Spiritualis, Docteur Bertiaux wrote the four years of lesson courses, which form the basic course of the
Monastery of the Seven Rays Outer Retreat, directed from the Inner Retreat in Chicago.

Originally, the Monastery of the Seven Rays was a Roman Catholic and Benedictine institution, as its
name implies. Much of this original tradition still seems to survive in many of the practices of this
school. In the 18th Century, the Monastery was a center of research for the Gnostic Catholic Church in
Spain. This Church must be understood to be of the "Old Catholic Spiritualist" tradition and not
connected with Aleister Crowley's group.
In the present century, the Monastery became the center for a series of courses and magical
instruction. The Monastery was also reorganized due to the activities of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim,
a one time Masonic order that is now entirely theurgical in its work. The Outer Retreat of the
Monastery became the school for an international correspondence class in magical subjects, while the
Inner Retreat, which is not physically located in Spain, became the center of research and initiation.
The teachings of the Monastery are derived from Gnostic, Bon'pa, Tantric, Voudoo, Cabalistic and
Extra-Terrestrial Sources. Although the Monastery's aims have always been in accordance with
Thelemic principles, stating clearly in the early stages of the course that self-discovery is the ultimate
goal of occultism, it has always been absolutely non-dogmatic in its approach. However, some adepts
of the Inner Order realized the importance and the desirability of participating in the Work of the New
Aeon and on August 15, 1973, formal acceptance of the Law of Thelema was allowed. From August,
1973, Hector-Francois Jean-Maine asked Marc Lully to serve as Grand Master-Conservator of the
O.T.O.A. for a two year term, in order to integrate the New Aeon posture into the O.T.O.A. among
young students. Marc Lully served in his office until he moved on to work with the psychiana
movements in spiritualism.

On 1975, Docteur Bertiaux was appointed by Jean-Maine as Grand-Hierophant Conservateur of the

Rite de Memphis-Misraim, and the same year he appointed Ken Ward, a Canadian chela of the
Monastery, to serve as the liaison for Thelemically-oriented Monastery students and raised Ward in
1976 to the rank of Grand Master of the O.T.O.A. in order to direct the research circle and
communication program and publications of the Monastery students who were formally committed to
the Law of Thelema,
Since this year the O.T.O.A. was operating within the MS7R system and headed by the Grand Master
Ward, who was in direct contact with the Inner Retreat and the Grand Hierophant Bertiaux. It began to
issue a quarterly publication called Instrumentum available only to the members. The O.T.O.A.
became then a non-initiatory order in the usual traditional sense. The Order became also a non-
teaching one, although discussion and exchange of ideas was encouraged between members. The
Monastery of the Seven Rays became a part of Technicians of the Sacred and still is the teaching
vehicle for the O.T.O.A. The official public organ of the O.T.O.A. and the L.C.N. is a publication
entitled Societe Journal. Instrumentum is the quarterly journal for members only of the O.T.O.A. and
L.C.N.

In December, 1981 Ken Ward retired himself from the outer activities of the O.T.O.A. and named
Manuel C. Lamparter as the Sovereign Grand Master under the sanction of Docteur Bertiaux. Docteur
Lamparter was a personal chela of Michael Bertiaux and a student of the Monastery of the Seven
Rays since 1976.

Under Docteur Lamparter, the O.T.O.A. continued the same lines given by Ken Ward in establishing
friendly and fraternal links with other Thelemic and Gnostic groups around the world. In December,
1982 Manuel C. Lamparter was consecrated Gnostic Bishop by the Most Reverend Rosa Miller in
Seville, Spain. Tau Rosa was in possession of all the valid Gnostic successions, and she accepted the
request of Docteur Bertiaux to go to Spain in order to consecrate Manuel C. Lamparter there. In 1983
the Spanish Gnostic Church was reorganized by Lamparter under the name of "Ecclesia Gnostica
Latina" (Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualia) on the basis of the O.T.O.A. structure and the teachings of the
Monastery of the Seven Rays.

In December, 1988 Courtney Willis was appointed Sovereign Grand Master of the O.T.O.A., by
Docteur Lamparter, under the sanction of Docteur Bertiaux. In 1989 Michael Bertiaux declared
Courtney Willis as Ogdoade-OrefoVIII while Manuel Lamparter resigned all offices in the OTOA by
1995. Docteur Willis, also a personal chela of Michael Bertiaux, is a natural magician and leading force
in the neo-African religious and magical movement. Docteur Willis was so able to carry on the tradition
of the Franco-Haitian O.T.O. (F.H.O.T.O..) as he was given the ritual process of the Obligation of the
Secret by Michael Bertiaux which was not passed to Ken Ward or Manuel C. Lamparter as Sovereign
Grand Master of the O.T.O.A., and without it authority for the F.H.O.T.O. can not be possessed.
Docteur Willis was appointed Sovereign Grand Master Absolute (S.G.M.A.) of the O.T.O.A. by Michael
P. Bertiaux and he has and continues to be the head and supreme authority for the O.T.O.A.,there is
no other. So in 1991 Docteur Willis was given the true and valid succession to the O.T.O.A. directly
from Michael Bertiaux.

In May ,2005 David Beth of Germany was appointed Sovereign Grand Master of the O.T.O.A., by the
Sovereign Grand Master Absolute, Docteur Courtney Willis. Docteur David Beth continues the rich
traditions of the O.T.O.A., and brings with him knowledge, experience and integrity .
.
Under Docteur Willis and Docteur Beth the O.T.O.A. continued friendly and fraternal links with
magical, Gnostic, Thelemic, neo-African, African and occult groups world-wide. But it was no longer a
"Thelemic" organization, and became more Gnostic and magical in nature, because Courtney Willis
wished to return to the spiritist roots in Voudon or the original and esoteric intentions of the Jean-
Maine Famille, with the encouragement of Michael Bertiaux.

Nowadays, the O.T.O.A. is a Gnostic-magical organization. There are 16 grades and degrees (seen
as an extension of the four elements into the four dimensions of space consciousness) which are felt
to be necessary simply as a structural tool. These grades and degrees are not to be considered as
status symbols, one being as equally important as another. The O.T.O.A. is intended to function as a
magical machine powered by the occult energy of its members. This is why structure or degree system
is important. Any efficient machine must be precisely structured; otherwise, energy is lost. This energy
cannot be lost needlessly because it

History of La Couleuvre Noire

For the history of L.C.N., the reader is referred to the following article by Frater Joseph.

The publication of Kenneth Grant's very excellent book (The Magical Revival, London:
Frederick Muller, Ltd., 1972) serves to show for the first time in public print connections
between the O.T.O. magical work of Aleister Crowley and the Haitian Voudoo and Gnostic
Magic. In fact, it is Mr. Grant's contention the Crowley’s magick, and especially his sex
magick, are identical with the magic and especially the magie sexuelle of the French and
Haitian Gnostic adepts. In view of this connection, it might be useful to give some
information on the Franco-Haitian O.T.O.A."Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua" and its origins
and derivatives.

It is now fairly well known that Crowley received the initiatic succession of the Ecclesia
Gnostica Catholica from Theodore Reuss in 1912, at the time of his consecration to the order
of the bishop for O.T.O. Reuss had received this succession in 1909 from Gerald Encausse,
Grand Master of the Martinist Order and bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica. Reuss and Encausse
had exchanged initiations, with Encausse receiving the initiatic succession of the highest
degrees of the O.T.O. from Reuss for France and the French-sneaking countries.

Gerald Encausse, born July 13, 1865 at La Corogne, Spain, and known as "Papus" had
reestablished the Martinist Order in Paris. In 1890, he had been consecrated along with the
mystical writer Paul Sedir (Yvon Le Loup) and the occult-book publisher Lucien Mauchel, to
the episcopate of the Ecclesia Gnostica, by Jules Doinel (Tau Valentin II). Those who have
read Crowley's autobiographies know that Encausse inherited John Yarker’s Rite of
Memphis-Misraim (which was originally French, but which had been transferred to England
via the U.S.A., between 1860 and 1875, and which actually was the basis of the German
O.T.O. since Sept. 1902) with the event of Yarker’s death in 1913. Thus, Encausse was
known to be connected with Egyptian and mystic masonry, Gnosticism, Martinism, and the
Rose-Croix (through Stanislas de Guaita), the Elus Cohens, and P.B. Randolph's "Fraternitas
Lucis Hermetica", which operated in French along sexual magical lines. It must be
understood, however, that the O.T.O. which Encausse received from Reuss did not contain the
secret degrees and work which Crowley was to develop within his own branch of that order.
We are discussing the earlier period, 1909 to 1912, which is prior to Crowley's entry into the
work.

One of the adepts known to Encausse, at the time in Paris, was a young Haitian Gnostic
bishop, Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine. He had been consecrated to the episcopate by Tau
Synesium (who had been consecrated by Papus, Sedir, and Mauchel) and by one mysterious
Tau Orfeo VI (a Spanish Gnostic bishop of the golden line which drew upon one Albigensian
and Memphis-Misraim currents) in 1899, at the age of 30. Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine took
as his episcopal name in Ecclesia Gnostica, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I. Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine
was born on January 11, 1869 in Leogane, Haiti, and died in Boston, in 1960. Because of his
position in the occult history of the times and because of his connections with French and
Spanish occultism, he was able to receive all the most important initiatic successions and
currents and transmit them to other members of his race and also to that one line of Gnostic
bishops which is derived from him and which has also absorbed the successions and currents
of the American neo-Crowleyan derivatives.

In the Haitian Voudoo, esoterically considered, we must make two important distinctions.
First of all there was already an order comparable to the O.T.O. of Karl Kellner and Theodore
Reuss. I refer to the order and rite created by Toussaint-L'Ouverture, which drew upon French
cabalism, illuminism, and Dahomeyan African currents. All students of Haitian Masonry are
familiar with this rite, which is entirely too little known, hut which cannot be discussed in this
essay for reasons of space. Secondly there is a very important distinction to be made between
these mysteries of Voodoo which are parallel to the VIII and IX degree-work of the O.T.O.--I
refer to the "mysteries de la solitude" and "mariage mystique"-and those mysteries of the very
esoteric Voudoo, which are close to the XI and even higher work of Crowley's O.T.O.-here I
mean the "mystery Luage". Thus, it is important to note that both Crowley and this line of
esoteric Voudoo admitted to the development in sexual magic and to the existence of secret
degrees of attainment. In this sense both the Haitian Gnostics and Crowley were to go beyond
the O.T.O. of Reuss and Encausse.

It is noteworthy to mention that Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine received the Voudoo grades of

initiate, servitor, priest, and high-priest in Haiti, in his own father's temple in Leogane, before
seeking his occult fortunes in Paris and Madrid. Also, there was a family tradition that the
Jean-Maine line was traceable back to a French slave-owner, in Leogane, who had died there
in 1774, a common enough claim. In this case, the slave-owner was the adept Martines de
Pasquales who had founded the Order of the Elus Cohens, that theurgic current into which
Louis-Claude de St. Martin (born January 18, 1743), the founder of Martinist mysticism had
been initiated in France.

Prior to his consecration to the episcopate, Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine was ordained to the
subdiaconate, diaconate, and priesthood by Tau Orfeo VI, orders of the sacred ministry of the
Gnostic Church which fully matched in magical current his first three degrees in esoteric
Voudoo, given to him by his father. Between 1899 and 1910, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I worked
with the scattered followers of the African-American adept P.B. Randolph (born October 8,
1825) forming the loosely structured "Fratemitas Lucis Hermetica" which worked the sexual
magical techniques of their teacher and the three mysterious degrees of his inner order. It has
been well established by historians that the O.T.O. of Kellner and of Reuss in Germany
received most of its sexual magical teachings from P.B. Randolph's "Magic Sexuelle".
 It might be added that the MSS. of Randolph's work was also used by a group of Polish
female bishops, the Mariavite Church, who assisted their male counterparts, until suppressed
by the Roman Catholics. Recently, Randolph's "Fratemitas Lucis Hermetica" in France is
headed by a Mariavite Gnostic Bishop, Msgr. Robert Bonnet. Also, it might be noted that
Randolph's sexual magic in MSS. was translated into French and published by none other
than that Polish high-priestess Maria de Naglowska, before 1931. Finally, it should be noted
that Maria de Naglowska studied Voudoo with the pupils of Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine
between 1921 and 1930.

About 1910, Encausse gave the X degrees of the O.T.O. to Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I "for Haiti and
the French West Indies". A branch of the Fratemitas Lucis Hermetica was also planned. Jean-
Maine's consecration took place in Paris. Encausse who had received most of the higher
grades of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim, received a few more from Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I, who
had received them from Tau Orfeo VI. Encausse, always the gracious Frenchman and never to
be outdone, exchanged what he had received from Yarker, and Reuss. However, it must be
understood that the succession of Yarker was that of paid-for

diplomas and existed only on paper, while that of Tau Orfeo VI was sacramental in character
and based on the magic of the Ecclesia Gnostica. Business difficulties and the war kept Tau
Ogoade-Orfeo I from returning to Haiti until 1921. In order to build up the Spanish Gnostic
Church, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I moved to Spain in 1919, and in 1921 consecrated his successor
in Europe for the Spanish Gnostic Church-Rite of Memphis-Misraim occult system. His
successor took the name of Tau Ogoade-Orfeo II, and with his headquarters in Madrid,
directed the work of the Ecclesia Gnostica and the magical and Gnostic-esoteric orders of
Memphis and Misraim. For under the combined influences of the O.T.O., Martinism,
Gnosticism, and Voudoo-not to mention the Fraternitas Lucis Hermetica-the Spanish and
Haitian branches of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim gave up entirely their quasi-masonic
character and became completely esoteric and Gnostic orders of magic, i.e., The Gnostic and
Esoteric Order of Misraim. or of Egypt and the Gnostic and Esoteric Order of Memphis,
within the larger, totally occult and much more ecclesiastical "Ancient and Primitive Rite of
Memphis-Misraim". This point must be emphasized because there are other branches of the
Rite of Memphis-Misraim which claim to continue a masonic character, while it is only
interested in continuing the Gnostic and apostolic succession and the magical currents of
initiation.

Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I returned to Haiti in late 1921 and married. A son was born November 18,
1924, who was named Hector-Francois. While in Haiti, Tau-Ogoade-Orfeo I created the
Haitian Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua--the O.T.O.A.-officially organized in 1921. It was
structured to work in 16 degrees, rather than the X of the Encausse-Reuss order, or even the
XI of Crowley’s rite. Elements of Voudoo, magic, and Gnosticism were worked into a system
which "went up the Tree of Life and then down the back". It would be considered a very
dangerous system by Golden Dawn standards, but then the Haitians had been excluded from
Martinist-derived Golden Dawn by reason of their race, so don't judge them too harshly. I am
certain they never regretted anything they did!

In 1922, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I created the magical order "La Couleuvre Noire" ("The Black
Snake"), which worked four degrees, with a probationer's and administrative degree added to
make it six grades in all. The relationship of the O.T.O.A. to "La Couleuvre Noire" can be
best described on the analogy of the relationship of the O.T.O. of Crowley to the G.B.G. and
the Choronzon Club of the American Neo-Crowleyan derivatives, except without the loss of
any magical vitality on the part of "La Couleuvre Noire", as it was founded by the chief of the
O.T.O.A. and not by a pupil. In 1930, "La Couleuvre Noire" and the O.T.O.A. were made
departments of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim, together with the Gnostic Church and the
Fraternitas Lucis Hermetica in Spain and Haiti. In 1968, this was extended to the U.S.A. and
the French West Indies.

In 1960, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I died in Boston, U.S.A., while on a tour of the Gnostic groups in
France, Spain, Belgium and the U.S.A., which were under his jurisdiction. His authority was
passed on to Tau Ogoade-Orfeo II, the Spanish occultist and Gnostic with the provision that
the son of Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I was to be consecrated to the episcopate and inherit the order
and its rites. This was accomplished in Madrid, on November 2, 1962, when the son of Tao
Ogoade-Orfeo I, Docteur H.-F. Jean-Maine was consecrated bishop and elevated to the
patriarchate of the Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis by Tau Ogoade-Orfeo II. The new bishop-
primate and patriarch took the name of Tau Ogoade-Orfeo III and thus continued the Gnostic
succession of Haitian bishops and Grand Masters of the O.T.O.A.

On January 18, 1966, an American Martinist, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV, born January 18, 1935,
was consecrated to the episcopate for the Rite of Memphis-Misraim. The consecration took
place in Chicago, with Tau Ogoade-Orfeo II and Docteur Jean-Maine acting as the co-
consecrators. Later, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV received the complete magical consecrations and
currents of the Ecclesia Gnostica Hermetica on August 10, 1967. The Ecclesia Gnostica
Hermetica carried the magical currents of the secret work of the O.T.O. and the Choronzon
Club, and thus united the Crowleyan (Germerian) and Neo-Crowleyan (Choronzon Club and
G.B.G.) successions with the Gnostic and Hermetic traditions inherited from the Vilatte
succession of bishops. The Patriarch of the Ecclesia Gnostica Hermetica Tau IX (33=36) was
the consecrator of Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV. Then, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV exchanged the
episcopate and Patriarchate in the Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis with Tau IX (33-36) by
making him XVI (33=36) of the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua. Again, on December 25,
1967, another Gnostic succession from Msgr. Vilatte was received from Tau IV (13=16) the
missionary bishop of the QBL Alchemist Church of Illinois (Egyptian Apostolic Succession)
by Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV. This is the same apostolic succession which the French Martinist
and Gnostic bishop Msgr, C. Chevillon passed on to the Swiss O.T.O. bishop who inherited
the Crowleyan order from Karl Germer. Astrologers should take note that Tau IV (13=16),
born January 5, was consecrated to the QBL Alchemist episcopate of the Vilatte succession
on November 4, 1967. Tau IV (13=16) previously consecrated in Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis
to the episcopate on January 18, 1967, assisted in the exchange of consecrations and
successions on August 10, 1967.In 1989 Tau Ogoade-OrfeoIV appointed Ogoade-OrefoVIII
(Courtney Willis)as the Sovereign Grand Master Absolute of the La Couleuvre Noire,born on
December 19,1955 is the spiritual son of Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I..On September 7th, 1991 Tau
Ogdoade-Orfeo VIII was consecrated as Hierophant of the La Couleuvre Noire by Tau
Ogoade-Orfeo IV. Thus, the American O.T.O. and Gnostic successions were united with the
Franco-Haitian and Spanish successions. The events of 1966-1969 are discussed in the 5th
Year course of the Monastery of the Seven rays.

It should be understood by the readers that the O.T.O. and the Martinist lines of initiations
were continually being linked by means of the Gnostic episcopate. Also, the succession of the
esoteric Voudooists and the O.T.O. successions were united by Gnosticism, in the magical
Rite of Memphis-Misraim., and in the magical world of the south side of Chicago Afro-
American spirist-gnostics during the 1960's.
 On August 31,1968, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV consecrated the Haitian occultist Docteur Pierre-
Antoine Saint Charles, born July 21, 1934, to the episcopate of the Ecclesia Gnostica
Cabalistica, the newly consecrated and elevated bishop taking as his patriarchal name Tau
Eon III, Tau VIII (29=32). Thus, in another Haitian adept and Gnostic voodooist were united
the following lines of succession which parallel those of Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I in 1910: (1) the
Encausse succession of the S.I.I, of Martinism; (2) the O.T.O. Eclessia Gnostica Hermetica
and Chronzon Club successions from Tau IX; (3) the Vilatte succession of the Gnostic
episcopate, now possessed by all of the heirs of Crowley's order; (4) the Memphis-Misraim,
Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis, and Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua successions from Tau
Ogoade-Orfeo I; (5) the Voudoo succession of the four degrees (mentioned earlier in this
essay), which Docteur Saint-Charles received from his Haitian traditions, Tau Eon III then
exchanged his Voudoo consecrations in their esoteric and magical, rather than religious,
currents with Tau Ogoade-Orfeo IV, for the successions of the Ecclesia Gnostica. These
Voudoo currents were further developed when Tau Ogoade-Orfeo III added the magical
current of the esoteric Voudoo high-priesthood to the succession of the Ecclesia Gnostica
Spiritualis. Thus, the lines of esoteric Voudoo and Aleister Crowley did meet in a definite
succession of Gnostic bishops, and in the dynamics of thelemic Voudoo. Note: This
succession is also possessed by the present (1989) Caliph of the O.T.O.-forming a link
between Crowley and the magic fire of Haitian Vudu.

In order to add more Haitian magical elements to the current, on July 27, 1970, Tau Ogoade-
Orfeo IV consecrated to the episcopate in Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis Tau Ogoade V (Tau
XV, 57=60) the well-known Haitian scientist, born July 27, 1930. The newly-consecrated
bishop is the great-grandson of Haitian presidents Michel-Cincinnatus Leconte and Nord
Alexis.

And so the magical currents flow on and on and on. About the Ecclesia Gnostic Spiritualis,
yes, it is still in existence. In fact, in the words of John Yarker, when describing the Rite of
Misraim, "In a quiet way it is still conferred in this country under its own Supreme Council",
composed of the Voudoo Gnostic bishops of 1989, and the Franco-Haitian ghost of "Le
Maitre Therion".

LOVE IS THE LAW, LOVE UNDER WILL.

The La Couleuvre Noire is a priestly order of service to the spiritual being of the voudon
religion in its esoteric andgnostic formulation. The Couleuvre Noire was founded in Haiti in
the 1920's as part of a reform and simplification of the theurgical orders and rites used in
Haiti since the 18th century. Techniques used in the La Couleuvre Noire are based on the
long established magical, priestly and theurgical practices of service to of the invisible
presence and for the promotion of the power of the spiritual light and to fight against
objective and psychic evil.

Sovereign Grand Master ABSOLUTE

Tau Ogdoade-Orfeo VIII
The magical Order of La Couleuvre Noire (LCN) was founded by Lucien-Francois Jean Maine, the head of the
O.T.O.A.. La Couleuvre Noire is an order of esoteric voodoo and consists of 6 degrees – a probationer degree, 4
active degrees and one administrative degree. The 4 active degrees of LCN are the following:

I°: The 'Lave-Tete' or 'Initiate'

ii°: The 'Canzo' or 'Serviteour'

III°: The 'Houngan' or 'Priest'

IV°: The 'Baille-ge' or 'Hierophant'

Even though they maintain close relations, The O.T.O.A. under Sovereign Grand Master Absolute Courtney
Willis and the L.C.N. are totally seperate orders.

Inside Voudon Gnosis

This essay is a shortened and edited version of a talk given by David Beth (Tau Melchizedek)
at Treadwells, London, in January 2007. We will touch upon the Monastery of the 7 Rays and
the 4 Year Courses and their place within the continuum. The Voudon Gnostic Workbook will
be mentioned and its connection to the LCN. Rites of Initiation, sexual magic, the mysterious
points chauds and conferements will all be part of this essay.

Monastery of the Seven Rays and the 4 Yr Courses:

The Monastery is technically a separate and independent body but factually is connected to the
O.T.O.A. and acts as its major teaching vehicle through the 4 Year Courses of the Monastery (which
will soon be 8 Courses). In regards to the Courses, there is often initial confusion and many people
experience this at first, including myself when I began the work years ago. This confusion however is
caused mainly by the quite demanding nature of the material, it being very technical and abstract at
times, presenting a network totally different to any of the systems you usually encounter, and thus also
contradicting things one may have previously learned.

However, the courses demand a lot of close attention and they are not designed to be understood
rationally only, on the contrary, the principles are to be integrated into your magical persona in order to
really get the full benefits. Michael Aquarius is a 'Being' speaking through and related to M.B. and it
makes sense when he claims he is the master of everything (related to the system) as the system and
universe of the courses is M.B.s magical universe or rather M.A.s magical universe in which he is the
supreme ruler. A very logical gnostic argument.

The Courses state clearly that this system presented in the courses is a subjective system, created by
M.B. with certain 'aid' from higher beings, utilizing the keys and secrets of his occult backgrounds,
O.T.O.A., L.C.N. etc. So what you get is a product of this 'using of the keys' which is perfectly
designed to lead by example, to help a student step by step to create his own magical universe, to
inspire students to build their own magical world rather than becoming mere imitators.

One thing you can be sure of - all that is presented in the Courses works beyond any doubt. There are
no mathematical equations to support this, but we are talking about a gnostic type of science and
knowing. It is the transformative qualities and usability towards a gnostic transformation which are
proven beyond doubt. And keep in mind, you are not supposed to copy everything that is said in the
Courses - you need to understand the principles and then construct your own magical universe - this is
the treasure of the courses as such, applicable for anyone. For Initiates of the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N.
these materials of course possess many more additional qualities and usabilities - and we have many
additional materials, guidance and initiations, etc. to supplement them.
The secrets are not in a a book! The Courses are not the secrets of the Orders and nobody will be
able to penetrate to the deeper layers of the O.T.O.A. as such, who has not got anykind of link to the
Orders and any kind of guidance,. The same applies to work with the VGW as will be explained in due
course.

The original Monastery courses, at least the major part, was written by Bertiaux on commission for an
esoteric Templar group active in Europe and South America mainly. These people were brought to
Bertiaux by Jean Maine.

Bertiaux wrote chapter after chapter sending them to this group. Now it is easy to see that what went
into the monastery Courses were, amongst other things, direct results obtained through O.T.O.A. and
L.C.N. work and teachings, but to this Bertiaux added a lot of other ideas coming from his diverse
spiritual and intellectual background like theosophy and philosophy and created a complete path to
Gnostic initiation. So what we see here in the courses is partly a result of working with O.T.O.A. keys,
they are not the keys themselves.

Bertiaux intended the Courses to be of gnostic and magical inspiration, something that people like
Kenneth Grant understood well and they used it. The Courses did not however provide initiation into
the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N. or the Voudon Gnostic current in their own way.

When that templar group disintegrated, Bertiaux and the Orders bought back the copyrights because
they thought the materials to be too precious to get lost in history and used the Courses as the basic
training tool for the correspondent students of the O.T.O.A. It was found that the ideas and tools
presented in the Courses provided a perfect basis for higher work in the Voudon Gnostic societies.
These outer students or the outer order was headed originally by Ken Ward. So this is when the
Courses became an integral part of the O.T.O.A. curriculum and the basis for initial study. For those
aligned with the O.T.O.A., the Courses hold many surprises and many doors are inserted which lead
the observing and dedicated student deep into the labyrinth of the Voudon Gnosis. With the help of
mentors and guides within the orders, the student is led on a magical journey. Potential students can
get many extra papers, initiations and empowerments upon showing that they successfully enter the
deeper layers of the order's work through the Courses.

The Voudon Gnostic Workbook and the La Couleuvre Noire (L.C.N.)

The VGW has a slightly similar history as the Courses. Some of the initial papers making the core of
the VGW were intended as scripts for a weekend seminar on the LCN in New York. That seminar
never materialized but H. Slater of Magical Childe was so impressed with the papers that he asked
Bertiaux to expand on them and then to publish them as a book. This was done and what we got was
the great VGW!

The VGW was thus not written to give away the keys to the Voudon Gnostic system, but to explain
how things may work there and examples of what is being done. It is clear by reading it, that many
extra initiations and empowerments are needed to be successful in that work. Here again, the role of a
mentor and guide comes into play. The L.C.N. is also a very specialized course of studies which is not
for everyone. It deals with very negative qualities (not in the profane human sense) and to work with
these is not business as usual for the western initiate. If one truly enters the LCN type of work, lots of
mental stability and equilibrium is required - we do not banish!

To really work the L.C.N. type of system in its deeper aspects, personal tuition and guidance are
absolutely needed as is the Aflatus, the mysterious direct connection through the Voudon Gnostic
current and its spirits. Without this, all the higher work with the VGW and ultimately L.C.N. is
impossible.

In accordance with the true ancient magico-mystery traditions, the keys to the work with the systems
are given orally in personal initiation and via esoteric transmission. No other way is possible.

Rites of Initiation:
In the O.T.O.A. as well as the L.C.N. there do exist initiations. However, up to now there have never
been formal initiations into the 16 degrees of the O.T.O.A., simply because the degree system is only
supposed to be a guideline to what the students are studying. All degrees have the same importance
and no one member is better or 'higher' than another. There are a few people in the orders who
possess a superior position, due to administrative or sacramental reasons.

We see no reason to give out formalized initiations a'la O.T.O., Golden Dawn etc. as we do not see a
real magical power and value there. We consider these initiations dramatic theatre style activities
designed to work on the psyche of the candidate and in good cases this may be so. These rituals are
sterile, often out of date and relied on the surprise effect which often they do not have anymore.

As said before, in the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N. there exists initiations - they are given to special students,
who have distinguished themselves and have proven their loyalty and abilities. Those are the people
who enter from the outer orders (studying courses, etc.) to the inner orders and layers. Here there
exist quite a large number of initiations and empowerments, which are given from a 'master' to a
student. There are different kinds of such 'rites'. At this point, only a handful of masters are able to give
out any kind of initiation; L.C.N. type of initiations and higher initiations and empowerments are only
given by Michael Bertiaux, Courtney Willis and David Beth (Tau Melchizedek).

Empowerments and initiation rites are being given in a 'freestyle' shamanistic method, meaning that
whilst they do follow certain guidelines and esoteric rules, they are individually prepared and given to
each candidate who is ready to receive them.

One such initiation into the LCN type of work requires amongst others the anointing and activation of
certain points on the naked body of the initiand, while the initiator who is possessed by the patron
spirits, speaks and chants in the Langue Mystere which to 'receive' and 'utter' he was trained. The
initiations and empowerments in the LCN are only concerned with magical transmissions.

It is not unusual for a candidate to experience vision, trance, possession and extreme emotions and
altered states of mind totally different from the experience of a usual initiation ritual. Pure spirit force is
activated here and is transmitted from the master to the candidate in order to unlock power zones in
the body, or to activate sexual centers or prepare the 'meat' to receive spirits as permanent residents.

Other initiation rites are hinted at in the VGW, although they are at times quite conceiled. We
can refer you here, for example, to the Guzotte papers of the VGW.

Sexual Magic:

Speaking about Guzotte, this is a good time to move into the field of sexual magic. Of course many
know that the work of the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N. is based on a sexual magical structure. For those who
have studied the 2nd Year of the Monastery Courses, know just how elaborate and multilayered
sexual magic can become. I am very confident in fact that the sexual magical system taught in the
O.T.O.A. is far more complex and elaborate than most if not any other sexual magical system out
there.

As we have no time to enter the whole field of the sex-magic of the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N. I have picked
out one area, the very elemental type of sexual magic we also use in the Orders.

Here now we are concerned with the sexual magic of the very powerful elemental voudon sorcerer. It
is the kind of magic that generates the most powerful magical energies as it draws from the most
archaic and aboriginal elements of man and indeed his animal-heritage. The untamed raw animalstic
powers are accessed and released and can be put to use by the sorcerer. Plus this is a way of
working directly with certain groups of spirits accessible only though such more extreme forms of
sexual magical work.

We are not concerned here with a theoretical and methaphorical idea of sexual magic or a description
of only inner processes. This form of sexual sorcery is physical, it is extremely challenging to the
mental stability and it is about the 'descent'. There seems to be a contradiction here. Should we not
only be concerned with the 'higher', the ascent, higher evolution, higher goals and higher striving of the
Soul? This exactly is what we aim for, but to empower and forward these goals, we can make use of a
source of power which rests within the aboriginal, archaic Self of man which he still carries along with
him to this day.

Many are aware that the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N. include some of the most highly elaborated forms of
gnostic thought and magical philosophy. In fact Master Bertiaux said once that without having studied
Hegel and the German philosophers which he considers highly esoteric, one cannot be his student.
He and other adepts of the orders have and had great intellectual training and were thus able to
incorporate highly abstract and theoretical systems of philosophy and thought into the occult and
gnostic framework of the Orders. But unlike the philosophers, who were in most cases 'only' thinkers,
maybe esoteric thinkers, but not occultists, the adepts of the O.T.O.A. & L.C.N. were indeed able to
bring these systems alive in a magical way, to empower and feed these theoretical systems and turn
them into practical magical and spiritual systems for the use of spiritual and magical evolution.

They empowered these theoretical and philosophical and highly elaborate systems with the most
primitive, powerful and elemental kind of sexual energy accessible, thus uniting two powerful poles
and giving birth to a new creation.
In the elemental temples of the orders we are convinced that we must build out of and focus the
energy upon the low and elemental powers. We want to stir up ancient powers and cosmic emotions
and memories. We prefer the low to the high vibrations to achieve this.

In the secret research laboratories of the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N., especially during its Haitian phase and
in the 60ies and 70ies in the US as well as in the branch of the Choronzon Club closely tied to the
Voudon Gnostic continuum, much work in these fields was conducted. Only very few and naturally
talented magicians, both male and female, are able to enter the deepest layers of this area. These
temples are fully operative within the continuum of the Jean-Maine Voudon Gnosis today.
In the following you can read an excerpt from a secret paper authorized for the inner elemental cell of
the OTOA by the Choronzon Club within our continuum:

Seated in his throne in the north of the temple, in the place of the least light, the master will sing the
conjuration of elemental being: "Numesama, Alfragor, Darteama, Kasqecot -
I am without beginning and without end, I am the wideness of space and the thinness of time, I am
nothing and I am everything, for my name is darkness and my essence is the firstborn of all potencies.
Come forth and worship me, I am your master and your god"

The servitors will now break forth and worship the master and his body with their lips, mouths, tongues
and hands. The Master rises and is possessed by the invisible and terrible powers of darkness and
weirdness, as strange voices are heard and a great fear descends upon the assembly, a fear of death
and loss of one's very being. The Master begins the second conjuration in a mysterious tongue[….]

And then later in the text the Master proclaims: 'I am Gog and Magog, there is no power to restrain
me!' - if he wishes to practice ritual sexual intercourse of any type, he will hold them and have them
stand next to his throne.

This was a very tame part of this rite which is also an initiation rite. But I think you can see the point
and the direction it takes.

Lycantrophy, time travelling and esoteric psycho-analysis are all amongst the techniques employed by
the initiates of these elemental sexual temples.

The adept will be confronted with forms of energy and practices which he may find extremely
unsettling and against his civilized nature, so only those who feel a calling to travelling back to the
beginnings of time, to the creature of instinct and raw power will be able to sanely survive this trip.

During the work with the elemental sexual sorcery there are often times when we work directly with the
spirits who of course do not suffer the same problems as we humans do. They have not the same
moral codes or confinements.
The guardian spirits of the voudon gnosis delight in sexual magic as it is a direct link to them and a
way of communication and exchange. And it is not the theoretical highly abstract forms of sexual
magic or what some people call Right Hand Path sexual systems or what usually is understood by Left
Hand Path magic in the West, but the most direct, primitive forms of sexual sorcery that creates the
most powerful effects when working with the dark mysteries of the Voudon Gnosis. In these our dark
temples of primitive powers, the sexual magic of secret cults of ancient times are being continued.

In the initiations into the dark mysteries of the High-Priests of Hades, of Guedhe-Nibbho and Bacalou
Baca, strange rites are carried out which bring us back into contact with the elemental powers of our
pre-civilized Self.

We will not go into detail here and explain exactly the rites and methods of those specialized inner
order cults as this is reserved only for those few adepts actually entering this field of work. Only so
much. To work in this field, it is not only necessary to have a fundamental understanding of the usual
forms of sexual magic, like we find in the O.T.O.-system or in the other systems of the East and West,
but one must have done intense and thorough investigations into the self and must have thrown off
most of the conventional and modern shackles that keeps the primal man in bondage, also and
especially regarding sexuality.

A preliminary work before entering the shadow sorcery could be the work explained in the Guzotte
papers of the VGW, especially the development of the 'Eros of Les Loa' and of course the
development of the points chauds.
All this involves a very explorative mentality and the potential initiate must be ready to venture far into
the dark realms of the Self and magical universes.

These inner cults of elemental sexual sorcery are not the same as the inner cults usually spoken of
when discussing the more advanced work of O.T.O.A. & L.C.N. These inner cults and inner order work
can be very well accessed without ever moving into this field of which we speak here. In fact most
inner order adepts will never enter and descend into those temples of the High Priests of Hades as
they lack the natural predisposition for such work.

For most members and higher adepts of the OTOA and LCN it is more than sufficient to make use of
the results of the fusion of the highly elaborate and advanced thought systems with the most
elemental and primitive sexual magic. They will surely be able to reach the highest summits of spiritual
and occult attainment.

Their talents and abilities are put to use on other fronts and research laboratories of the inner Orders.
Their contact with sexual magic will also be very challenging and intense of course as the sexo-
magical energies are the foundation of all our work. And surely they will be able to use all the results
and benefits created by the adepts of the elemental sexual temples as well as those adepts will be
able to use their results and their creations.

But there remain those masters in the secret laboratories and temples who will continue to explore
further those dark realms and perform these rites of sexual magic to create pools of strong raw
elemental energy and power from which all the High-Priests of the O.T.O.A./L.C.N. can draw energies
to empower or initiate their students along the lines of the system.

Lycantrophy

We have mentioned Lycantrophy, which in the L.C.N. is a very important mode of work. It is used by
the Shadow Power Shamans from our tradition. Kenneth Grant has hinted correctly at some of the
reasons as to why we employ this work.
Always keep in mind that the system of Les Vudu is a very spontaneous one, one of possession and
rapture, not unlike the cults of Dionysius in the ancient world. So if we want to work with Lycantrophia,
we do not use a precisely written out formula, but we have a 'way of procedure' and an interpretation
of our actions.
You do not prepare for possession by animal spirits, but you may open your psychic doors, by setting
up a room for this purpose, by the use of perfumes, oils, incense etc. This way you can set a stage for
the spirits. These spirits however must not be ami-animals, goody goody spirits, or friendly, but
probably are raw elemental forms governed by basic desires. Once the spirits have come upon you,
the energy is very Dionysian and very wild. Loas for this work would include Ti'Moufette and Mystere
Blatte.

Conferements:

We will only shortly address the issue of the Conferements here. The only reason to speak about this
in the first place is the seemingly great misunderstanding and confusion some people have when
using the phrase in connection to our work.
First of all, there never was an ultimate or final conferement in what we call the Hyde Park days of the
orders in Chicago, nor was there one before.

However the orders do employ a series of 16 conferements used as 16 empowerments to activate 16

different powers within the body.

Today, after the O.T.O.A. and L.C.N. have come together under one leadership, there exists a certain
conferement now which bestows the sacramental powers of the Orders, meaning the ability to give
empowerments and initiations and to carry on the lineage of the Voudon Gnosis. This sacramental
power is only possessed by Docteurs Courtney Willis and David Beth by direct transmission from
Docteur Bertiaux. This power has never been previously transmitted or given and can only be given in
a personal and direct way.

Points Chaud:

As the Points Chaud are a very important and a central component of the work of the Voudon
Gnostics, let us discuss some basic ideas. This is also apparently needed as all over the cyberspace
people claim many things in regards to the points chaud, too often displaying their ignorance about it.

The Points Chauds are intelligent entities and dynamic processes of energies.

They have their roots and source of power in the bisexuality of esoteric voudon and thus are ultimately
principles and communication-energies of Les Vudu, the Gods of the Voudon Gnostic World.

We have 336 hot points - 16 basic axioms and the 64 magical interpretations plus the 256
amplifications.

After they have been opened they merge with the mind and psychic field of the Voudon Gnostic
initiate. As they are radiations of the Voudon Gnostic archetypes and spirits, they are being sustained
by these specific energies unique to our system. And thus one can loose the activated point chauds if
one becomes disconnected from the current.

All of these points need to be inducted into the individual system of magical operations (his [in]visible
bodies) in order for an initiate to function perfectly as a voudon Gnostic magician.

The Points Chauds are centers that when activated can release specific Kalas/Ojas manifested
through sexo-magical work.
So how are the points chauds given or received? Well, there are different ways in our system to do
this. Let us briefly touch upon the system described in the VGW and it relates again to the Guzotte
system.

We know by now that one needs to be attached formally and magically to the Voudon Gnostic System
as a preliminary.

Q: Are the Points-Chauds of this system entities or are they processes?

A: Both. Everything in this field is both an intelligent entity (beyond human levels of intelligence) and a
dynamic process or energy. When the candidate is with the system, these points-chauds merge with
his mind and psychic field.
They do not when the same person is separate. They are like psychological complexes of the most
creative sort, which being radiations of the archeytpes are sustained by the planetary energies in
question. Hence, it would be possible to lose the powers if you withdrew from the gnostic continuum of
the system."

The points chauds are closely associated to what we call the 'presentments' which are in their
essences very powerful 'appearance elementals'. These Presentments are the way in which Les
Vudu, the Gods of esoteric Voudon, interact with the body of the initiate. It is the communication of
initiatic energies.

These Presentments now need to be developed and then become Hot Points. This development must
take place through viewing and understanding the Presentments as Pheonismes. The understanding
is done through a process of 'esoteric logic of the body' as Bertiaux terms it. This process is both
individual and experiential but also guided through initiatic transmissions from the High Priest.

Pheonismes are thought forms of an extremely sensual and sexual and exotic character. Wherever
the Pheonismes are present the athmosphere is one of intense lust and excitement. The Pheonismes
are also artificial elementals and thus can come and go from the magician.

When this process of understanding the presentments as pheonisms is achieved, the pheonisms
become hot points and then can be mapped out in the various power zones of the body.

Upon receiving the points chauds a link is established between the sexual energies and the cosmic
lifestream.

The perfect voudon Gnostic whose points chauds have been opened also thus becomes a living
vampire (but in a very different way than is usually thought).

David Beth (Tau Melchizedek)

S.G.M. O.T.O.A./L.C.N.

The Collection of Pacquets in the Empowerments of Ambaktu

By Michael Bertiaux

Inside of the empowerments of Ambaktu, especially in its esoteric phase, we find the build-up
of centers of power, the gradual coming together of forces, and the collection of energies of a
tangible and exact type. We understand this to be the collection of pacquets. The life and
power of the empowerments have been concentrated in these points of force, which are of a
collective nature. They appear to be collections of esoteric hot-points. From the Vudu, I have
received the following explanation:

The smaller the area of space, the more concentrated would seem to be its powers. This has
been shown by the ways in which the energies envelop themselves or intensify so that the
appearance they have Is as a continuous turning inwards or moving into a more and more
closely defined and combined space. The powers that are in space are the powers which the
realm of space possesses. They a.e the powers which imagination has discovered within the
compactness of space. This happens in any collection or series of spells so that they are in
every way more and more closely identified with themselves, especially with the many and
varied forms of themselves, because they are trying to be known to themselves in the same
area as they occupy. They want to know themselves without any intermediary, without any
pause in the act of knowing. So everything in the science of Vudu will turn in upon itself and
come to know itself more by this self-involvement. This seems to make the power stronger
and to make it appear as if it derived its powers from becoming more and more confined to
ever smaller spaces- Ghuedhe, or the Saturn-Pluto complex of the Voudoo Mysteries, appears
to teach by example this process as he is the ruler of this ideal.

So we can understand that space is power in a latent or diffused and extended way and when
it is concentrated it becomes power-bearing in an ever-increasing degree. This space is also
the place of imagination, or the magickal use of imagination, where the priestly power is to be
found as diffused and spread over the entire place of work. Then when it is brought into inner
and Light pockets, or brought together in bundles and collections, like any other object might
in the physical world, it takes on a power and a uniqueness of force. It becomes energy and
life; indeed, it expresses itself as a life of its own. This power can then be used by the priestly
hand to direct the mysteries exactly and without any loss of energy, as the fuel of mysticism
and the physics of initiation. When we want to talk about how it is that the Vudu Mysteres
work in the world of matter, we simply have to focus upon what it is that. is given as pure
energy and how it is managed by the priestly hands. From this living form of being, which is
the spiritual level of reality, we see in the abounding and absolute compactness of space the
reason for the existence of these energies and their level of productivity. They are constantly
making powers by their pushing inwards upon themselves. This pushing inwards of the
powers, which gives to the powers their unique quality or the force of the divinity, which we
associate with such empowerments, when given, creates its own space- but it also takes over
the exoteric spaces around the inner spaces so as to form a pattern of protection and a pattern
of energy. Each priestly initiator has seen the powers when they are grouped about the
esoteric and exoteric placements. These are the powers which have a special uniqueness and
special form of divine mao-work. By an esoteric method known only to himself, the priest can
trace in the body of the student, who must be a chela, the pathway of the occult energies and
how in the field of energies, the powers are laid out or distributed. He will do this work by a
special and secret method which allows him to locate the powers in their ideal placement,
rather than in their approxirriate distribution. Remember that the priest must locate these
powers where they are supposed to be and then compare them to where they might be. He
then must move the back to where they should be, if there is any distance between the ideal
and the real placement. For if there is any distance, it must be explained. The distance occurs
largely as the result of the activities of past lifetimes. The practice of certain theurgical
operations, especially those of a highly personal and subjective form, will tend to draw the
points of power away from their original and archetypal spaces, or spiritual placements. When
this happens, the first work is to try and find out where the powers are and bring them back to
where they belong. There are special rituals, which are done to achieve this and these rituals
are always effective in achieving a return to the basic placement of power.

Naturally, the mystical relationship between the Guru and the Chela must be established and
of a very long duration, because they must hold together an astral and mental webwork, which
serves as the occult connective between lifetimes. These mystical and magickal powers are in
every sense eternal, since they otitlast the episodes of time or temporal incarnation, which
each chela must experience as he grows more and more deeply into the mystical energies. In
the past perhaps the relationship between the Guru and the Chela was not as ideal as it -Is
supposed to be or should be considering the work in metaphysics. Now, in this lifetime, as the
energies are now available for exploration and research, the chela can achieve the true level of
being and the true awareness of mystical growth. He must come back to where the power of
the Guru is to be found, and this is measured by the distances between what is the space of the
collection of pacqtiets and what it should be. Then the mystical healing can begin.

Question: Are there examples,of these distances between powers in the traditions of the
Vudu-gnosis, as contained in the Old Roman Catholic Church from Atlantis?

Answer: Yes. The mystical traditions of the Atlantean Church have come down to us in forms
of special rituals, which are either Old Roman Church in form or based on the Vudu-
Mysteries. These traditions are built up in order to overcome the distances between the Guru
and the Chela. They are designed in order to overcome the distances between the ideal and the
form of reality found in the chela. There is always a kind of separation between the old ways,
which are the ideal, and the ways we find the energies present in the chela when he first,
appears to us. But the work can be done in order to make him free from the differences
between the ideal and what has come with him into this lifetime. This means that while there
is a certain distinction to be experienced in the act, of incarnation, the act itself can be
corrected by a magickal or theurgical operation. This is shown in the Tibetan and Old Roman
Catholic elements, as we find them in the Vudu-Process. The actual techniques of exorcism
and purification, which are made use of in the process are actually or dynamically given as
ways of restoring balance. It Is particularly important to know fliat the old systems work very
effectively, because they are using the same forms from lifetime to lifetime.

Question: Does the sex of the priest make the power of the sacrament work in this process of
the restoration of balance?

Answer: The Atiantean methodology made it necessary for the priesthood to be composed of
males, since it drew its occult power in this respect from the male mysteries. This is repeated
in the patterns of the Old Roman Church of Haiti and also in the Tibetan Esoteric work. For it
was taught that the male chelas would become male priests by means of these mysteries of a
metaphysical view of male sexuality, based on physical incarnation as a fact. In order to
overcome the imbalance of the energies, the chela would incarnate in a male body and so all
of the collections of pacquets, or gatherings of energy at this point, were to be seen as a focus
of the male powers and empowerments.

Question: And was there not a secret map to be found in this process, which guided the old
form of priestly magick in the directions of the restoration of balance?

Answer: The Old Roman Church of Atiantis and, Haiti did teach the existence of such a map
to be found in the body of the chela, which showed actually where there were differences
between the ideal or true placement of the powers in their collection of pacquets and what was
the actual result of the process of incarnation, because the energy levels at the moment of the
act of incarnation were so diffused. This diffusion was the cause of the error or degree of
imbalance, which the laws of the gnosis and 'Its special operations sought to restore and make
definite and strong.
We should now come to look at the methods which were used by these priests in order to
make a return to the original powers a reality. Here is the esoteric exercise used for correcting
the collection of pacquets as used by the late Archbishop Cyrus A. Starkey of the Old Roman
Catholic Church of Haiti:

1.From what sources did Bishop Lucien-Franoois Jean-Maine derive his special occult and
gnostic powers and abilities, as well as his special role in the evolution of esoteric
consciousness?

2. Bishop Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine did not derive any special powers from the Doinel line
of Gnostic Bishops in France, for he made claim to the succession of Doinel through his own
contact and consecrations by Synesius.

3. 1 don't think that his contacts with the bishops of the Vilatte succession were particularly
helpful in this respect, either.

4. For while a few magicians were made bishops, this did not make the bishops they
consecrated into magicians, so we have to look elsewhere for our explanation.

5. It is possible that bishop Jean-Maine had special powers given to him from his contact with
his father and grandfather, who were magicians

6. If so, that power would be highly elemental and may be viewed as a mixture of raw
Voudoo and extremely corrupted practices of a Martiniste-Martinesiste type.

7. This would be of what had survived of Esoteric Martinism in l9th century Haiti and it
would be a type of Angelic magick mixed with an explicit and primordial sorcery.

8, Then, when he came to France he made contact with some priests and bishops of a
magickal line, which also had a succession from the Roman Catholic Church.

9. Then he made contact with Father Boullan and with some of the other magickal bishops
and was himself consecrated a bishop

10. During some time while he was a young man, he developed his powers because he always
had a position of leadership in these Gnostic Churches and Esoteric Groups; also, at an early
age we find evidence of his doing very difficult forms of magickal research.

11. My own opinion is that Bishop Lucien developed a particular method of gnostic magick
and used it to power the work he was doing in the Gnostic Church.

12. Would it be true to say that Bishop Lucien used Esoteric Voudoo methods extensively and
that they were not recognized by his contemporaries?

13. I think so, because we have to remember that Voudoo in any form was not known or
recognized as such; especially since various corrupt practices of Voudoo mixed with
Martinism could not be identified properly, except by highly specialized experts

14.Since the magickal work of Bishop Lucien was done secretly, his esoteric society could
not be observed as work; although it was understood by be dedicated to real sorcery and as
having a male membership of expert sorcerers, dedicated to the Famille Ghuedhe and not
recognized as any European mystical society.

15. It should be understood, also, that Bishop Lucien put great emphasis upon types of
Voudoo initiatic practice, which were foreign to the European tradition, making use of many
secret forms and techniques, which were identifiably Youdooesque.

16. The reason that we know this information about Bishop Lucien is that his son Bishop H.F.
Jean-Maine made use of these traditions and explained and identified them and isolated them
in terms of which of their historical components were esoteric Martinist and which were
Voudoo of the School founded by his father. In our school, every exercise makes use of these
components, which were present in the work of Bishop Lucien. This means that the chela will
he able to distinguish between the components or elements of Esoteric Martinism including
the mystical traditions of the Elus Coens, those principles which were a form of corrupt Elus
Coen practice, various esoteric developments of skills and methods from Martinism and from
the corrupt forms of the Elus Coens work, come forms of gnostic magick and magickal gnosis
from a wide variety of sources, various corrupt forms of occult knowing and revelation,
variuos types of esoteric Voudoo, which were heavily influenced by both Legbha and Famille
Ghuedhe traditions and finding expression in the inner gnosis of La Couleuvre Noire and,
finally, various mediumistic influences, especially the mediumistic work which was related to
the Gnostic Church of Doinel, but developed independently by Bishop Lucien, who was a
very powerful trance medium.

Also, the student who becomes a mystical chela should strive to be highly inventive, for as the
work of Bishop Lucien contains many modifications of traditional materials, which we are
able to distinguish, so the chela will bring through as the result of his work with his own
collection of psychic pacquets many innovations and developments out of the traditional and
historical materials to which he is introduced by way of initiation into the Atlantean Mystery
School Readings. It is by this means that he will be able to restore the balance of the old
powers and occult energies, which are present in his soul, awaiting reawakening and the
empowerments of the priestly mysteries.