O.T.O.
P.O.Box 430
Fairfax, CA 94930
USA

(415) 454-5176 ---- messages only.

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The Manifesto provides a concise summary of the variousthreads of initiatic tradition that make up the O.T.O.. It was first publishedfrom Boleskine circa 1912 E.V., and reprinted in The Equinox III(1)
(Detroit: Universal, 1919).--H.B.

Issued by Order: BAPHOMET XIø O.T.O., HIBERNIAEIONAE ET OMNIUM
BRITANNIARUM, REX SUMMUS SANCTISSIMUS

Peace, Tolerance, Truth; Salutation on All Points of theTriangle; Respect To the Order. To All Whom It May Concern: Greeting andHealth.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

1. The O.T.O. is a body of initiates in whose hands areconcentrated the wisdom and the knowledge of the following bodies:

m.

a.

The Gnostic Catholic Church.

b.

The Order of the Knights of the Holy Ghost.

c.

The Order of the Illuminati.

d.

The Order of the Temple (Knights Templar).

e.

The Order of the Knights of St. John.

f.

The Order of the Knights of Malta.

g.

The Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.

h.

The Hidden Church of the Holy Graal.

i.

The Hermetic Brotherhood of Light.

j.

The Holy Order of Rose Croix of Heredom.

k.

The Order of the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch.

l.

The Antient and Primitive Rite of Masonry (33 degrees).

m.

The Rite of Memphis (97 degrees).

n.

The Rite of Mizraim (90 degrees).

o.

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Masonry (33degrees).

p.

The Swedenborgian Rite of Masonry.

q.

The Order of the Martinists.

r.

The Order of the Sat Bhai, and many other orders of equalmerit, if of less fame.

It does not include the A...A..., with which august bodyit is, however, in close alliance.

It does not in any way infringe the just privileges ofduly authorized Masonic Bodies.

2. The dispersion of the original secret wisdom havingled to confusion, it was determined by the Chiefs of all these Orders torecombine and centralize their activities, even as white light, dividedin a prism, may be recomposed.

It embodies the whole of the secret knowledge of all OrientalOrders; and its chiefs are initiates of the highest rank, and recognizedas such by all capable of such recognition in every country in the world.

In more remote times, the constituent originating assembliesof the O.T.O. included such men as:

Fohi
Hippolytus
Laotze
Merlin
Siddartha
Arthur
Krishna
Titurel
Tahuti
Amfortas
Ankh-f-n-khonsu
Percivale
Herakles
Mosheh
Orpheus
Odysseus
Vergilius
Mohammed
Catullus
Hermes
Martialis
Pan
Apollonius Tyanaeus
Dante
Simon Magus
Carolus Magnus
Manes
William of Schyren
Basilides
Frederick of Hohenstaufen
Valentinus
Roger Bacon
Bardesanes
Jacobus Burgundus Molensis
King Wu
Ko Hsuen
Christian Rosenkreutz
Osiris
Ulrich von Hutten
Melchizedek
Paracelsus
Khem

Michael Maier
Menthu
Jakob Boehme
Johannes Dee
Francis Bacon
Sir Edward Kelly
AndrЉa

Thos. Vaughan
Robertus de Fluctibus
Elias Ashmole
Chau
Comte de Chazal
Saturnus
Sigismund Bacstrom
Dionysus
Molinos

And recently:

Wolfgang von Goethe
Friedrich Nietzsche
Sir Richard Payne Knight
Hargrave Jennings
Sir Richard Francis Burton
Karl Kellner
Forlong Dux
Eliphas LЉvi
Ludovicus Rex Bavariae
Franz Hartmann
Richard Wagner
Cardinal Rampolla
Ludwig von Fischer
Papus (Dr. Encausse)

The names of women members are never divulged.

It is not lawful here to disclose the name of any livingchief.

It was Karl Kellner who revived the exoteric organizationof the O.T.O. and initiated the plan now happily complete of bringing alloccult bodies again under one governance.

The letters O.T.O. represent the words Ordo Templi Orientis(Order of the Temple of the Orient, or Oriental Templars), but they havealso a secret meaning for initiates.

3. The Order is international, and has existing branchesin every civilized country of the world.

4. The aims of the O.T.O. can only be understood fullyby its highest initiates; but it may be said openly that it teaches HermeticScience or Occult Knowledge, the Pure and Holy Magick of Light, the Secretsof Mystic attainment, Yoga of all forms, Gnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, BhaktaYoga and Hatha Yoga, and all other branches of the secret Wisdom of theAncients.

In its bosom repose the Great Mysteries; its brain hasresolved all the problems of philosophy and of life.

It possesses the secret of the Stone of the Wise, of theElixir of Immortality, and of the Universal Medicine.

Moreover, it possesses a Secret capable of realizing theworld-old dream of the Brotherhood of Man.

It also possesses in every important centre of populationa hidden Retreat (Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum) where members may concealthemselves in order to pursue the Great Work without hindrance.

These houses are secret fortresses of Truth, Light, Powerand Love, and their position is only disclosed under an oath of secrecyto those entitled to make use of them.

They are also temples of true worship, specially consecratedby Nature to bring out of a man all that is best in him.

5. The authority of the O.T.O. is concentrated in theO.H.O. (Outer Head of the Order), or Frater Superior. The name of the personoccupying this office is never disclosed except to his immediate representatives.

6. The Authority of the O.H.O. in all English-speakingcountries is delegated by charter to the Most Holy, Most Illustrious, MostIlluminated, and Most Puissant Baphomet Xø Rex Summus Sanctissimus33ø, 90ø, 96ø, Past Grand Master of the United Statesof America, Grand Master of Ireland, Iona, and All the Britains, GrandMaster of the Knights of the Holy Ghost, Sovereign Grand Commander of theOrder of the Temple, Most Wise Sovereign of the Order of the Rosy Cross,
Grand Zerubbabel of the Order of the Holy Royal Archof Enoch, etc. etc. etc., National Grand Master General ad vitam of theO.T.O.

7. The National Grand Master General ad vitam is assistedby two principal officers, the Grand Treasurer General and the Grand SecretaryGeneral.

There are many other officers, but they do not concernthose to whom the present manifesto is addressed.

8. The whole of the Knowledge dispersed among the bodiesmentioned in paragraph 2 has been sifted and concentrated in the followingdegrees.

9. VIIIø

Oø

Minerval

Iø

M.

IIø

M. .

IIIø

M...

P...M...

IVø

Companion of the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch.
Prince of Jerusalem.
Knight of the East and of the West.

Vø

Sovereign Prince of Rose Croix. (Knight of the Pelicanand Eagle.)

Member of the Senate of Knight Hermetic Philosophers,

Knights of the Red Eagle.

VIø

Illustrious Knight (Templar) of the Order of Kadosch,and Companion of
the Holy Graal.
Grand Inquisitor Commander, Member of the Grand Tribunal.
Prince of the Royal Secret.

VIIø

Very Illustrious Sovereign Grand Inspector General.
Member of the Supreme Grand Council.

VIIIø

Perfect Pontiff of the Illuminati.

IXø

Initiate of the Sanctuary of the Gnosis.

Xø

Rex Summus Sanctissimus (Supreme and Most Holy King).

9. Every man and woman that is of full age, free, andof good report, has an indefeasible right to the IIIø.

Beyond this, admission is only granted by invitation fromthe governing body concerned.

The O.T.O., although an Academia Masonica, is not a MasonicBody so far as the `secrets' are concerned in the sense in which that expressionis usually understood; and therefore in no way conflicts with, or infringesthe just privileges of, the United Grand Lodge of England, or any GrandLodge in America or elsewhere which is
recognized by it.

10. Application for admission to the Order may be madepersonally at headquarters, between the hours of Ten A.M. and Twelve Noonon week-days, or by letter to the Grand Secretary General. In the formercase, applicants should be provided with the Twenty Dollars entitling themto the Third Degree; in the latter, it should be enclosed with the application.

The First Annual Subscription is payable on taking theThird Degree; if this is taken after June 30 in any year, only half theamount is due.

Subscriptions of old members are due on January 1, butthe Brother is considered in good standing, and he does not lose his rights,if it is paid by March 1. Should he fail to discharge his obligation bythis date, he ceases ipso facto to be a member of the Order, but may bereinstated on paying arrears and Five Dollars extra. If his lapse extendto the next year following, he can only be reinstated under special conditions,and by the express consent in writing of the National Grand Master Generalad vitam.

11. The Constitution, Trust Deeds, Charters, Warrantsand all other documents, are exhibited to candidates on their exaltationto the IVø, should they desire it.

12. Besides the free certificate of membership, specialdiplomas for framing are granted to all members at a uniform price of TenDollars. Special diplomas of the IXø, Twenty-five Dollars.

13. The privileges of members of the O.T.O. are very numerous.These are the principal:

a. They have not only access to, but instruction in, thewhole body of hidden knowledge preserved in the Sanctuary from the beginningof its manifestation.

In the lower grades the final secrets are hinted and conveyedin symbol, beneath veil, and through sacrament.

In this way the intelligence of the initiate is calledinto play, so that he who well uses the knowledge of the lower grades maybe selected for invitation to the higher, where all things are declaredopenly.

b. They become partakers of the current of Universal Lifein Liberty, Beauty, Harmony, and Love which flames within the heart ofthe O.T.O., and the Light of that august fraternity insensibly illuminatesthem ever more and more as they approach its central Sun.

c. They meet those persons most complemental to theirown natures, and find unexpected help and brotherhood in the whole worldwherever they may travel.

d. They obtain the right to sojourn in the secret housesof the O.T.O., permanently or for a greater or lesser period of the yearaccording to their rank in the Order; or, in the case of those of the Fifthand lower degrees, are candidates for invitation to these houses.

e. The Knowledge of the Preparation and Use of the UniversalMedicine is restricted to members of the IXø; but it may be administeredto members of the VIIIø and VIIø in special circumstancesby favour of the National Grand Masters General, and even in particularemergency to members of lower degrees.

f. In the Vø all members are pledged to bring immediateand perfect relief to all distress of mind, body, or estate, in which theymay find any of their fellows of that degree. In the higher degrees theBonds of Fraternity are still further strengthened. The Order thus affordsa perfect system of insurance against every misfortune or
accident of life.

g. Members of the IXø become part proprietors ofthe Estates and Goods
of the Order, so that the attainment of this degree impliesa return with interest of the fees and subscriptions paid.

h. The Order gives practical assistance in life to worthymembers of even its lower degrees, so that, even if originally poor, theybecome well able to afford the comparatively high fees of the VIIø,VIIIø, and IXø. On exaltation to the IVø each Companionmay file an account of his circumstances, and state in what direction herequires help.

14. In selecting members for advancement, attention ispaid to their devotion to the Order, to their intelligence in apprehendingthe nature of its teaching, to their zeal in spreading the principles ofthe Order so far as they themselves understand them, though always withthe discretion inseparable from the due guarding of the secrets,
and to all those qualities of courage, honour, and virtuewithout which man is not worthy of that name.

15. The O.H.O. is only known to members of the VIIIøand IXø.

The National Grand Master General ad vitam is not approachableas such by any person who has not reached the VIø.

All communications should be addressed to the Grand SecretaryGeneral, and all cheques drawn in favour of the Grand Treasurer General.

Issued by Order,

L. Bathurst IXø Grand Secretary General