The Order General of the Thelemic Order

Those who choose to associate themselves with TTO are expected to be at principal harmony with the Understandings and with the general disposition and direction of the order, and to conduct themselves as responsible, decent, individuals, regarding their siblings within TTO as family.

While it is impossible to prove anyone’s real intentions, it is not necessary to be blind to their manifest intent, especially behavior or declarations harmonious or inharmonious with the basic Constitutions of the Order. In any issue of judgment or discipline, manifest intent should be a principal guide as to disposition.

We hope disciplinary cases don’t arise. But we know from experience they do in any organization which grows to a certain size. When they do, we have a system in place that is human, compassionate, but does not blind itself to intent.

Many denominations have “Articles of Faith,” which state shared beliefs.  TTO has its “Understandings,” which are, to quote a famous pirate “more like guidelines.”  The understandings allow us to share general beliefs without forcing adherence to a strict or rigid set of absolutes. Members are expected to be “principally in sympathy with” the understandings, which is to say they mostly agree with them.  No one will ever agree on every detail, and as long as we have a common direction, we don’t need to.

The understandings present a socially progressive model of Thelema which sees:

* Gender as personal, with a strong acceptance of queer individuals and acknowledgement of the Queer roots of Thelema.

* Fascism and other forms of rule by the ignorant, or rule through bullying, as intolerable, without closing the door on meritocracy.

* Poverty and other social problems as things Thelemites must tackle.  We are not political and do not present political solutions, but we do not need to have a solution to all the world’s ills to categorically reject the vision of Thelema as empowering a Libertarian dystopia in which the privileged and classist dispossess subjugate, or maintain oppression of others for their own benefit in the name of “freedom.”

We presume that members of the TTO are, in their own right, powerful and formidable magicians or aspiring magicians.  To seek, understand, and affiliate with, the TTO shows a considerable quality of comprehension.

TTO is a network of individuals, sharing a similar if not identical vision, who wish to work together to share resources and identity.

TTO members are not children and should not be treated as if they are.  TTO will not call members “siblings” while supervising them as five year olds.  Likewise, as adults we are all expected to be responsible for their own actions, and prepared to answer for our acts.

TTO members will not chafe at restrictions while other magicians around them do things that they would like to, if only it were not against the rules.  Ephemeral threats of lawsuit are not sufficient to hobble innovation.  Many groups, across the US and around the world, do exciting and innovative work without being sued.  The corporate entity is a shield against suit.  Whenever possible our group response to “can I do that?” should be “let’s figure out how,” rather than “no you can’t.”

Our leadership will be chosen based on merit and experience, or by the will of the people.

If it seems remarkable that we allow our General Assembly the highest voice within the Order, consider this.  Our Lord and Master may be the Sun, but the sun is, itself, only one Star in the Company of Stars.  Those stars, when they come together, are more powerful than any single sun.  There is no part of us which is not of the Gods, and our Assembly, together, is the convocation of the Gods, more powerful than any Hierarch.

In terms pragmatic, rather than poetic, those denominations which have prospered in the last five hundred years are organized along modern, generally democratic, lines.  Certainly the Orthodox and Roman Catholic communions remain large, but worldwide growth is stalemated and in developed nations it is shrinking.  For denominations which do not enjoy the advantage of two thousand years of history, top-down organization schemes have worked poorly if at all.

TTO will not discriminate and will take affirmative measures to ensure against discrimination and allow equal and complete participation in all aspects of the Order on the bases of ethnicity, ancestry, appearance, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, sexual identity, sexual expression, International origin, age or disability.

In the Understandings of the Thelemic Order we put forward our core values.

We do not claim that those who do not generally agree with them are not Thelemites, however they are not Thelemites that it is gainful or healthy for us to maintain a close and unlimited association with, or to admit into our midst. We do not need to, and will not, accord endless tolerance to intolerance.