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5.0 -- The Organization
5.1 -- Membership in the Temple
Note: Most of these sections are explored in more depth in the REF document.
- Exploration
Joining the Temple of Set is a serious decision. Anyone who is attracted to the
Temple of Set through the things you see and hear should investigate thoroughly
before applying for membership.
- Affiliation
Application to the Temple of Set may be made to the Executive Director or to
any Priest of Set. Information about this procedure is provided in the introductory letter.
- Assuming you're approved for membership (the Executive Director has
indicated that the majority of applicants are denied), you as a I° Setian you will
receive 1) the current edition of the Crystal Tablet of Set, which includes
all of the basic philosophical, magical, and initiatory material any Setian would need
to begin and accomplish his initiation to the II°, 2) a I° Pentagram of Set medallion,
and 3) a year's subscription to the Scroll of Set newsletter.
- You will have two years in which to achieve the II°, using the information
and inspiration provided by the Crystal Tablet, by correspondence and
other contact with Setians, and through your own work towards Initiation.
- Following from our choice to avoid all practices that would create a barrier
between us and our self-created divinity, the Setian can not in good faith hold
membership in any other religious organization after he has become an Adept.
Membership in organizations that advocate illegal action are likewise incompatible
with Setian affiliation. One cannot be for one's own Xeper, and be working to restrict
the Xeper of another.
- The application and its approval.
Though some applications are approved and acted upon quickly, other
applications for membership in the Temple of Set seem to take a very long time. Our
"staff" are all volunteers, and their administrative activities within the Temple of Set
are given appropriate priorities, behind personal initiation, family, and
career. Therefore, be prepared for some delay in the processing of your application. If
the delay seems overly long, it's always helpful to send a friendly query to the
Executive Director asking about its status.
One applicant asked on Xepera-l: "I sent off my letter of application about three weeks ago now- and I still haven't heard a word. Any idea how long it takes to get a response?"
- Adept Foster answered:
Once you've submitted your letter of application, it can take anywhere from one to three months before you hear anything. I know it sucks to have to wait that long without knowing, but these things take time- especially when you consider exactly HOW BUSY the Temple's Executive Director is (and that being the E.D. is a full time job, ON TOP of a normal, *paying* full time job- and then add in some time for family, other official Temple matters and their own personal Initiatory work!) All told, I'm surprised it happens as quickly as it does.
Just consider this a lesson in patience, and enjoy the anticipation. :)
- My answer was:
It's highly variable, depending on how busy our volunteer Executive Director is, and how busy her staff is, and how much difficulty she has finding an available Priest for the interview process. Then the question becomes how busy that Priest is, whether he has email capabilities, etc.
You can send a quick email to her at balfaq.ed@xeper.org and verify that she at least received your letter of application.
- Lewis Cawthorne asked on Xepera-l, Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998, Subject: TOS & Recognition
Not to put the cart before the horse, but I do
have one minor concern, how would an Initiate in a small town in North
Carolina with some resources at his disposal for traveling to other places
for contact with other Setians but probably without adequate resources to be
able to make it to a normal pylon meeting should one be within a reasonable
distance of his location (which there probably isn't) ever manage to have
enough contact with a Priest of the temple to be reconized as an Adept?
From: "Koyote", Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998
(All of this is from the p.o.v. of a first degree Setian with
little face to face contact due to where I am and my job hours- I work
most on weekends.)
Recognition, you should remember, is just that- Recognition. The
work must be done by you. Communicating that can take many forms other
than direct F2F. Publishing articles in the various newsletters,
communicating with other Initiates via direct email, phone
conversations, and attending larger gatherings (which occur in the
continental US many times each year) are all adequate.
From: "fun fear", Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998,
As an isolated Setian, I had similiar concerns, but I must agree with
Koyote. The Internet is a wonderful tool for contacting Priests and
Priestesses, and as Koyote suggested, writing articles for _The Scroll
of Set_ is equally rewarding. Also, there are several correspondence
Pylons available.
Beyond this, I have realized that one should _embrace_ one's isolation.
Just look to Set as an example: the apotheosis of the different and
isolate! You have _two years_ to get Recognized--plenty of time to
explore, make contacts with the Priesthood, and, if worthy, become
Recognized. You don't need a group to hold your hand to do it, I hope!
Embrace the isolation, ebrace the Darkness!
From: Balanone <Balanone@geocities.com>, Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998
It's a challenge. That hypothetical Initiate would have to Work at it --
corresponding with as many Setians as possible at the I* and II* levels (for
breadth of perspective) and with several members of the Priesthood. He would
have to take responsibility for maintaining correspondences, for
establishing new ones to replace old ones that move on, and for
demonstrating to the Priesthood his level of knowledge, his activity and
study, and his advancement, along Setian lines.
It's a job. It's not easy. Magister L. was the only Setian in Finland, and
he had to work to overcome the difficulties inherent in demonstrating his
Xeper into the II*. Magister W. faced the same challenges in Germany some
years earlier. Magister K and Magister A in the British Isles had it almost
as bad, but at least English was their native language (though they had to
deal with many curve balls tossed by our writing most Setian materials in
American English rather than British English).
It's not easy, as Priestess N, Adept B, Priest C, Adept D, Magistra H,
Priest R, Priest W, and several others can report (several were the only
Setians in their state, and a couple were the only Setians in their
country).
It's not easy, but it can be done, as these have shown. Only you can tell
whether you're up to the task.
From: Christopher Merwin, Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
As a Temple Initiate from a small town in North Carolina I think perhaps I
can help you with some of your queries. Due to the widespread
distribution of Temple members many Pylons are organized based around
correspondence, with email and Pylon newsletters as the primary form of
communication. In fact, due to the highly private and individualistic
nature of most Setians this is our prefered means of communication. ...
The ability for you to meet face to face with other
Initiates is left completely up to you and the other Initiates involved.
The largest obstacle to being a Setian in the Carolinas is the local
attitudes toward other non-christian religions, which any intelligent and
sensitive individual should be more than capable of handeling.
- Departure
You may choose to resign from the Temple of Set at any time for any reason.
The great majority of people who leave the Temple of Set do so simply by not paying
their annual dues, and letting their memberships expire. Many others send a simple
and courteous resignation letter to the Executive Director or any Priest.
A few members are automatically expelled upon the completion of two years of
membership during which they did not achieve the II°. There are surprisingly few of
these to my mind, probably because the Executive Director and Priesthood do such a
good job of screening applicants.
Fewer members resign because they encounter something within the Temple of
Set which they don't like, and fewer still are expelled because they prove to be
incompatible with Setian philosophy or life.
- Rejoining
Despite the claims of a few who state otherwise, the Temple of Set does not
pursue those who leave the Temple of Set. Whether that separation was friendly,
unfriendly, or automatic and impersonal, we feel anyone and everyone should be
allowed to go their own way, as long as they don't interfere with our Xeper or the
organization.
A few people who leave the Temple of Set do apply to rejoin the Temple.
Setians who have left the Temple of their own accord may be allowed to rejoin on a
case-by-case basis. The Temple is not designed as a revolving door, but we do
realize that may not have entered the Temple at a time conducive to their
development. Those that left impersonally or on an amicable basis are usually
welcomed back without hesitation. Those who caused problems during their earlier
membership or after their departure are carefully examined before they are
welcomed back into the Temple of Set.
- How long does the application process to the ToS
usually take?
The application process time is highly variable, depending strongly on
- whether there are any delays in the mail (especially for overseas applicants)
- the time availability of our volunteer staff (expect longer delays during conclaves and gatherings)
- whether your application is sponsored by a member of the Priesthood (which generally speeds up the process greatly)
- whether there is a local Priest readily available to contact you for an interview
- whether there are copies of the Crystal Tablet available to be mailed out immediately or whether they need to be printed first
- whether you are accepted or rejected (rejections tend to process faster than acceptances)
Though some membership applications are processed in as little as two weeks, it's not uncommon for incidental delays to extend the process to two months. If you are concerned about the delay, you may send a polite email or postal mail query to the Executive Director, who should be able to tell you how far the application process has gone.
As James F Foster wrote on Xepera-l:
General rule of thumb- before complaining about something, ask yourself:
"What am I doing to fix it?" If you aren't doing much on your behalf, why would anyone else?
Second general rule of thumb: Before complaining about someone else's (lack of) performance, ask if there's a problem with the paperwork and if there's anything you can do to help.
5.2 -- Relations with Other
Organizations
By its bylaws, the Temple of Set as an organization can have no formal
relationships or ties with any other organization. Individual Setians, however, can
work with or have dealings with other organizations and its members. There are two
limitations: 1) an Adept II° of the Temple of Set cannot also be a member of another
religious organization, and 2) no Setian may be a member of an organization which
condones or takes part in the violation of society's laws to the detriment of society.
That first limitation has often been a subject for discussion by people who don't
understand it or who want clarification. One clarification I posted to alt.pagan in 1996
was,
"The Temple of Set wouldn't care if a Setian chooses to participate in a Buddhist
retreat, an Indian sweat lodge, a Thelemic Gnostic Mass, a Passover Seder, a Pagan
circle, or whatever. Part of being an Adept Magician is being able to see and mesh
with whatever magic is taking place, understanding the causes of the ceremony and
participating in those causes as appropriate to our own Will.
"However, if someone claimed to seriously believe in the wheel of karma, and
that Xeper is valueless because until we can learn to avoid all participation in this
world we're doomed to ride that wheel cycle after cycle, then yes, that religious
belief would be opposed to the Setian principles of Xeper, and that person would not
be able to remain a member of the Temple of Set. The two philosophies are simply
incompatible."
The REF document includes sections which examine our history regarding
specific other organizations.
5.3 -- Why the Temple of Set?
The REF document examines the question "What does the Temple of Set have to
offer?"
5.4 -- Our Reputation(s)
Lupo the Butcher, in his "alt.satanism FAQ file",
states/stated: "The most vocal of groups which border upon Satanism, is the Temple
of Set of Michael Aquino and friends, which splintered away from the Church of
Satan in a disagreement over monetary policy. They have a number of nasty habits,
including the public publishing of names, addresses and workplaces of former
members as a harassment tactic, disinformation regarding Satanic and occult groups,
including their own, and a good deal of "we are the one true way" posturing."
See the section on Satanism for a summary of the
schism with the Church of Satan.
We do not normally publish the name, addresses, or any other information
concerning former members. We do not harass former members. Thousands of
exmembers have left the Temple of Set for many different reasons, without any
activity such as Lupo complains about.
See the REF document for more information.
5.5 -- Pylons and Orders
5.5.1 -- Pylons of the Temple of Set
Setians who live in the same area sometimes organize a local pylon in which
they can meet together regularly for discussions, study, ritual work, and other
activities. See http://www.xeper.org/pub/tos/pylons/pylons.htm for a good discussion of local
pylons within the Temple of Set.
In addition to local pylons, there are correspondence pylons which support the
Xeper of Setians who wish to participate in group discussions and activities by
correspondence.
5.5.2 -- Orders of the Temple of Set
IV° Setians, Masters of the Temple, may found Orders within the Temple of Set.
If you were to think of the Temple of Set as a college of higher learning, the Orders
could be seen as departments within the school, each concentrating on specific
flavors of exploration. They are places for the Adept to specialize in pursuit of the
specialized tools for their personal achievement. Some Orders, like the Order of the
Vampyre or the Order of the Trapezoid, are well known beyond the boundaries of the
Temple walls, while others have lower profiles.
The REF document includes more information, specifically concerning the Order
of the Trapezoid.
5.6 -- The High Priest
- The High Priest of the Temple of Set at this time is Magus Don Webb.
- The High Priest is chosen by the Chairman of the Council of Nine, and
serves indefinitely until he vacates the position or is removed from office by the
Chairman.
- The High Priest serves as the President of the corporation.
See the REF document for more information concerning the High Priest of Set.
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