Thelema I Am Not Frater Barrabbas

Many years ago, after Star Trek (the original series) had gone off the air and the fan mania began to really spike to a desperate level, Leonard Nimoy wrote a book that sought to explain to that fan base that he was just an actor, and he was not Spok. Mr. Nimoy discussed how some fans had approached him with absurd requests that only the character Spok could have done, such as mind-melding or other attributes associated with the TV show character. This caused Leonard Nimoy some consternation, since he was, after all, just an actor and not an alien named Spok. So he wrote this book to explain what was patently obvious to himself and many others; that he was first and foremost a plain old working stiff like everyone else. There was nothing sensational about him, nothing special - in fact, he didn't even consider himself a talented actor.

This was a rather modest pronouncement, since out of the entire cast of Star Trek, Mr. Nimoy has shown not only a competent acting ability, but also abilities in the disciplines of script writing, movie directing and producing. Even so, you have to admire him for telling his public that he wasn't Spok. (Contrast that to Clayton Moore, who all but told his public that he was the real "Lone Ranger.") The character Spok was just something that Mr.Nimoy had invented, a kind of acting persona useful for a TV show that only lasted a few seasons. Little did he know at the time that the character Spok would become so well known and loved by his fans that it would take on a life of its own in their minds and imagination. What he had to do was create some boundaries for himself so that others would realize that Spok was a fictional character.

So why am I relating this story and what does it have to do with the surprising title of this article? The reason is subtle but also obvious. My pen name, Frater Barrabbas, is a fictional persona that I use to promote the books that I have written, my system of magick and the magickal order that I represent to the public. While I may illuminate ideas, insights and opinions that do indeed belong to me, my author's persona, Frater Barrabbas, doesn't really exist. In truth, I am just an ordinary person who has had some rather unusual life experiences, but then again, so have many other folks. My intention is to share ideas and perspectives about ritual magick, and to aid and assist my readers in mastering their own process and doing the magick for themselves. What I am not trying to do is to create a cult of personality around myself.

However, I have recently been getting, from time to time, more unusual emails making fairly outrageous requests of me. A few have presented me with terrible life issues that are afflicting them, and have asked me to intervene so that through magick I might miraculously change their fortunes. These requests, if they are true, deeply touch me with sadness, but there is little that I can actually do to help them. Most people send me kind words or encouraging compliments, others tell me that they disagree with what I have written - all of this is well received and appropriate. Yet it seems that I am starting to get more outrageous emails as my popularity and notoriety expands, so I felt compelled to write this revealing apologia.

I have found that when I write articles and state my opinions to the public, and even banter with other occultists, it's always within the persona of Frater Barrabbas. Seldom do I actually reveal my true self hiding behind the scenes, since that real person doesn't want publicity or any notoriety to intrude into a very private life and career. While it might be true that such a revelation might not jeopardize my mundane existence, I have found that it is more expedient to use a pen name. Using an author's persona also forces me to apply a great deal of professional discipline when dealing with the public. This means that I must overcome my true feelings about a matter and respond in a tactful and dispassionate manner, even if that means stepping away from a hotly contested issue for a time and writing about it later when my passion has abated. I have learned the hard way that to write scathing or threatening emails, articles with a lot of cuss words or flaming replies to those who disagree with me is highly unprofessional, and it's also really stupid! If I act like an obnoxious idiot, then that will really distract and interfere with the real purpose for my writing, which is communicating my ideas.

To understand why I use a pen name, you would have to go back to where I lived in the past couple of decades. Some years ago I lived in a part of the country where sectarian prejudices could indeed make life difficult for me if it were known that I was a hard core occultist. I have always felt that it was prudent to mask myself with a pseudonym in order to safely present my beliefs and practices to the public. Even though I have moved away from that part of the country, the habit of using a pen name has continued. My author's mask is not particularly opaque or very effective, since anyone who really wants to know who I am could find out on the internet without too much difficulty. I am continuing to use this pen name to establish some boundaries within my life, and not out of misplaced fear, and I am hoping that my readers understand this point.

Does that mean that I am a fraud or somehow duplicitous? Actually, no! What I say in my books is true, as far as I know, and much of it is based on my own real experiences. My biographical pieces do indeed reveal my actual history, but mainly through a tightly focused occult lens. My mundane life and its various happenings haven't been fully revealed in any of my articles or writings. There is still quite a bit about me that is kept private and locked away in my heart and soul. That part of me is the real me, and it powerfully affects who I am and how I act towards others; but it's not the part of me that I reveal when I am writing as Frater Barrabbas.

For instance, I certainly wouldn't talk very much about my love life unless it had a bearing on the topic at hand, and then it would be made into more of an interesting story, colored by my occult proclivities and esoteric understandings. I am writing to present my ideas, thoughts and reflections, and at times I might take a few liberties with the actual facts to get those ideas communicated. I don't lie or make up stuff; I just don't tell the whole story, or I might even embellish a fact or two. I also omit things that I consider to be too personal and too revealing about the real me. I am sure that you can find those omissions, especially when I briefly mention something and then go on without explaining it much. The details of my mundane life are really no one's business but my own, so I do have boundaries that I seek to maintain.

Additionally, my persona, called Frater Barrabbas, has a certain personality that doesn't really represent me in a clear light. Frater Barrabbas is all about the glamor of occultism and ritual magick, and not much else. That really isn't who I am, since I have a life style, a career and an important relationship that I am often engaged with. If you read too deeply into the Frater Barrabbas persona you would think that all I do is work or study magick nearly 100% of the time. A misconstrued impression is that Frater Barrabbas is an unrelenting, self absorbed, occult fanatic. He has shown a tendency to be arrogant, impatient, judgmental, overly intellectual, too confident of his "truthiness" and even sometimes a bit of a prick (according to my girl friend). That isn't the real me, since I am often scratching my head about something that I am trying to figure out, or failing to adequately judge people or situations. I have a somewhat weaker personality with less intense opinions than how my persona is presented. I have doubts, fears and worries - pretty much like most everyone else. I am not insane (certainly) or delusional, and sometimes I revel in not thinking about anything serious or philosophical at all. Sometimes I just enjoy having some mindless fun. That's the real me behind the occult author facade, but of course, there's a lot more, too.

So if I say as a reminder to everyone that I am not Frater Barrabbas, then you might understand that I am just stepping away briefly from my author's mask to speak to you as a real person. It won't happen often, but at least you have been advised about this little fact. I am hoping that by writing this article that I might be able to stop some folks from sending me outrageous requests that I could never accomplish. I don't know the winning lottery number (if I did, I would use it myself), I can't levitate or cause others to fly, and I am not a miracle worker. As I have previously stated, my purpose for writing is to help people learn to use their own magickal powers. Even so, magick is really a human phenomenon. It can bend probabilities, but it rarely causes miracles. Since I am writing through an author's persona to help teach others what I know, it doesn't mean that I am all knowing or all powerful. Far from it! I am just a human being with certain particular virtues and flaws. If you send me an outrageous email request or come up and ask me to perform miracles for you, then I will have to back off and politely say to you, "I am sorry, but I am not that Frater Barrabbas!"

Frater Barrabbas

Suggested ebooks:

Aleister Crowley - The Star And The Garter
Andrew Lang - The Witch And Other Stories
Leo Ruickbie - The Winter Sabbat

Thoughts About The Second Order And Adepthood

I have been carefully studying a recent transmission from the spokesperson for the secret chiefs of the HOGD faction of the Golden Dawn, translated and edited by David Griffin for the benefit of everyone. This transmission is entitled "Traditional Initiatic Meaning of the Three Grades of the R.R. et A.C.," and was written by Lux Et Tenebris. You can find the article here. I managed to copy the text into a word-processing file so I could print it out and truly study it. I don't often bother doing that with the blogs that I read, but this one merited a more careful study. What was being transmitted was truly remarkable, and it was obviously far beyond anything else that I have read on the same subject. The only problem that I had with this writing is that is was prompted by the never ending conflict in the GD community, and the need to distinguish a true revelation from one that is contrived or "reconstructed." The constant conflict is a sad reminder about how polarized and fragmented the GD community is in these dark Typhonian times.

Most of the Golden Dawn organizations seem quite unable to write about anything substantive when it comes to the degrees beyond Adeptus Minor. I would suppose that it might have something to do with the fact that the Golden Dawn material which is in the public domain only goes that far, and the various degrees and lore beyond that point have been, at least up until to now, merely suppositional. Some might say that the higher degrees of the second order (5th, 6th and 7th) are too secret and mysterious to talk about, or that those who could talk about them are oath bound and constrained to be silent. Of course, that hasn't stopped some in the Golden Dawn community from writing and talking about nearly everything in a public forum, so I suspect that it mostly has to do with the fact that the higher degrees are essentially undiscovered country for most GD organizations.

Yet in this specially transmitted document are the definitions of the initiatic degrees of the vaunted second order of the Ruby Rose and Golden Cross, written by someone who is the gate-keeper for the third order. You should expect that such a revelation would be quite remarkable if it were indeed a communication from the secret chiefs. Such a communique would have to walk a very fine line between being revelatory, and revealing confidential and oath bound information. I have carefully read over this transmission and I have found it to be profoundly revealing and truly amazing. Here was the blue-print to the second order of adepts written out for all to read and ponder, and little or nothing was remarked on it in the blog-sphere by other GD organizations.

I have shared this transmitted document with my peers, and they all agree that it is remarkable and quite amazing. I have seen nothing like it in the various Golden Dawn material that I have in my possession or have ever read about. It is deep, profound, and also, quite insightful. I found myself saying, "Of course, it was all so obvious!" at various points while I was reading it. If anything could convince me that the various claims made by David Griffin of being in contact with secret chiefs were true, this brief transmission should prove it beyond dispute. So I was that impressed by what I read, yet I saw immediately that there were some distinct differences between the second order as defined by Frater Lux Et Tenebris, and the way that the second order is defined in the Order of the Gnostic Star. They are analogous, but also different.

The second order initiations and ordeals of the Order of the Gnostic Star were developed by me over a long period of time - in fact over thirty years. I had an initial vision and plan that I was following, but I also discovered that it could be determined by the Sephiroth and Pathways of Tiphareth, Geburah and Chesed. There would also be a crossing of the lesser abyss that separates the lower sephiroth from the higher, but that would also be covered by the various ordeals associated with first four elemental degrees. There is indeed a theme of death and resurrection involved in the transition from 4th through 5th degree, and it reaches a climax in 5th degree. But beyond that point, the other themes associated with the second and inner order of the Gnostic Star are quite different.

Once the soul is challenged and mortality truly realized in an integral manner, then life itself becomes sacred, reaching its summit when an initiate undergoes the rites of the Sanctum Regnum and masters the Seven Rays of the Hierophant. If fifth degree is that of the sacred magician-priest, then the sixth degree is the sacred kingship (or queenship) and the seventh, that of the master of the initiatic temple as hierophant or magician-bishop. Each of these three adept degrees requires a mastery of a whole new level of being, and are quite distinct from each other. The three degrees of the adept in the Order of the Gnostic Star represent the resolution of three very important aspects of life itself, these are self-mastery, mastery of one's world, and mastery of the double gateway of the spiritual source. Let me briefly discuss each of these initiatory grades and their associated ordeals, although I will not be able to reveal the actual details, such as the ritual workings and how they might be deployed. That information is, of course, still confidential and keyed to obligatory oaths.

As I said, these three degrees are based on the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, as are all the degrees of the Order. The Tree of Life is the map for achieving the ultimate states of illumination and spiritual mastery. Magickal ordeals that can encapsulate the Sephiroth and associated Pathways will likely emulate the actual internal processes that powerfully transform and spiritually evolve a person, from individual consciousness to cosmic consciousness and at-one-ment with the Godhead. The essential theme for the second order for the E.S.S.G. is that of the Tetra-sacramentary and the Stellar Rites of Gnosis. The four sacramental systems are associated with the four essential gnostic systems of initiation and magickal transformation. These systems are called Thelema, Agape, Thanatos and Eros, and they represent the transformative powers of the True-Will, Love, Death and Desire, which join together to formulate what is known as the Star of Individuation, or Astris. The Star symbolizes what is known as the Stellar Gnosis, or where the individual reaches a maximum state of spiritual autonomy and self-determination, and only then is brought into union with the presiding and internal Godhead. In this manner, the Atman is awakened and made ready for the next series of ordeals, which are begun with the abysmal crossing.

If we look at the Sephiroth of these three degrees, we can determine the logic and wisdom of the initiatory ordeals and understand the ascension of the adept into the high adept.

TIPHARETH - This is the fifth degree, known as the Adeptus Minor in the GD, and it represents the process whereby the initiate has overcome the obstacles of the four elements, and now is able to constitute the quintessence, which is pure Spirit. The initiation ordeal is where the candidate undergoes the spiritual knighthood of Sol Invictus and the Osirian mystery of Death and Resurrection. There is also an ordination and elevation to the sublime station of magician-priest, and there is the first attempt at the Bornless One Invocation Rite. The candidate also begins the long process of performing the first in a series of the Transdimensional Gate Vortex workings, where he or she enters into the domain of one of the eighteen triangular shapes found in the lattice structure of the Tree of Life. (Still, the key to this degree is the complete mastery of the self.)

GEBURAH - The sixth degree, known as the Adeptus Major in the GD, is where the initiate must master the very processes of life itself and the world that he or she lives in. This is a process of distillation, purification and the elimination of the irrelevant. The initiation ordeal is that of the Sacred King or Queen, and the establishment of the Sanctum Regnum. The ordeal is where the initiate has successfully constituted the four complete temples of Thelema, Agape, Thanatos and Eros, including their avatars, sacramental relics and spiritual hierarchies. Mastery of the Tetra-sacramentary is absolutely necessary before this ordeal can be considered fully accomplished. Often, it is also important for the initiate to complete all of life's tasks in regards to establishing a material basis for life, building a home, bonding with a mate, raising a family and becoming an important functionary in one's community. Some of these accomplishments are more important than others, and they are relative to the life path of the initiate.

CHESED - The seventh degree, known as the Adeptus Exemptus in the GD, is where the initiate must take the manifested Tetra-sacramentary and forge it into the fifth sacrament, which is the Star, or Stellar Gnosis. From this fusion emerges the true mystical and spiritual power of the Seven Rays and the underlying pattern Undecigram. The sacred pattern of the eleven consists of the seven spiritual virtues of the Goddess merged with the four powers of the God. I can only give these hints to you without much details, thereby showing that these mysteries are fully developed in the lore of the Order. At this stage, the initiate also performs the Abramelin Lunar Ordeal and fully manifests and merges with his or her higher self, in preparation for the ultimate abysmal crossing. The initiate of the seventh degree is also consecrated as a magician-bishop (hierophant) and learns to master the seven rays system, which is based on the planetary attributes (and deeper correspondences) of the seven Sephiroth of the Qabbalah. A successful resolution of these tasks and ordeals will help the initiate acquire the mastery of the double gateway of the Absolute Source (as the Supernal Triad).

What I have communicated here may seem somewhat opaque or full of symbolic jargon, but they can represent actual accomplishments in the material world, analogous to the highest achievements of a truly gifted mastery of life. The three degrees can be thought of then as representing the ordeals and achievements of self, community and one's ultimate legacy, but within a completely occult context. To become an adept is to become spiritually wise. Looking at these achievements in this simplified manner should make them appear to be quite transparent, despite the magickal context of the Order and its symbology. An adept level of initiation is then a mastery of one's life; and what lies beyond the life cycle of a mortal human being consists of the mysteries of the higher adept and the Supernal Triad of the Tree of Life.

Frater Barrabbas

Aliester Crowley

[from http://www.geocities.com/allaxul9/set.html ]

Set: A Predecessor of Satan?
By Fenris Wolf

"Set goes into Satan a whole lot easier then Satan goes into
Set. A good anology would be a man (the "Set-oriented"
occultist) attempting to fit a good sized elephant into a
shoebox. It simply can't be done."
-Fenris Wolf, A thought

You hear about it among some circles-namely, "Satan is a
bastardized version of Set", or, more kindly, "Set is the
predessesor of Shaitan and Satan." But honestly, is this true?
The author says not. For one, notice the areas of any influence
that Set would have on the, perhaps you could say, "designing" of
Satan. For one, I could be wrong, but I don't believe that
Christians where paying all that much attention to the Egyption
religion, much less "design" as it where, Satan after Set. As the
Christian knee-jerk reaction is to ultimately paint ALL foriegn
symbolic "Gods/Goddesses" as "Evil", it's hard to believe that
they sat down and said, "Ok, now which one is the Evil god in the
Egyption religion? It is best we "design" Satan after him."
Doubtful. I have no proof that they didn't, but just through the
use of common sense-doubtful.

Plus, if Set was truley a 'main' influence on Satan, then why is
there so little resemblence? The Devil and his minions have of
corse been depicted in many different ways over the last few
thousand years, but never as ant-eater or ardvark looking
creature*. Satan has been, in most cases, depicted as rather
fearsome, or at least mischevous. No, rather, if any thing was a
"main" influence on Satan, it would have to be the greek gods Pan
and Dionysus, who's resemblence is uncanny to him.

But lets go beyond looks-how about characteristics? Satan has
always been a figure of intelligence, ultra-pridful,
ultra-lustful, and extreme rebellion-while in the Egyption sense
of things, Set really only existed as a god of destruction, such
as draught for instance. There where other deities, such as
Thoth, Amon etc that represented intelligence and Darkness/The
Hidden respectfully. So therefore, one could possibly gain more
correlation between Amon and Thoth with Satan, then one ever
could with Set.

Bogus occultist Micheal Aquino (from hearon out known as "Mikey
Abeano") claimed something along the lines that Set embodied all
of the Aespects that the Christians used to "create" or "design"
Satan, but this is inherently false. He claimed that various
characteristics, such as "honor, honestly, intelligence, etc"
where of Set. As far as honor goes, in a well known tale about
Set, it was said that he, in his hurry to be born, tore himself
out of his mothers womb. With all due respect to the symbol of
Set aside-thats hardly very 'honorable'. Secondally, we have
honestly-The Devil has been portrayed in many ways, with normally
positive qualities, but being an honest joe wasn't ussually
always in the cards to be honest. Lastly, as said before,
attributes like intelligence, power, etc, while they might have
been placed by the Egyptions onto Set simply because he was a god
(as all mythologies portray they're deities as intelligent,
powerfully suppierior to mortals anyway) they wheren't his "Main
line" if you catch me. Rather, as said before (sorry if I'm
repeating himself) but Set was more destruction oriented and
such, and any portayles of Abeano and others as the epitome of
intelligence and power are simply-as Rev.Hr.Vad once told
me-placing on him attributes that he did NOT have before.

On another way to refute that Set is the 'predessor of Satan'
what about the other, hundreds of gods/goddesses that easily fit,
or are at least related to the Satanic type? Could not Loki and
his progency, when combined wholesale (more on this in another
essay) be concidered Satan? Plus, there was no way that the Norse
mythology could have influenced Satan-yet it is still EXTREMELY
similar to Satan-so in otherwords, there are these "Satans" in
every religion, new and old!(even in new age, although they're
harder to see more on this later too)

As the Italian Fascist Dictator once said (I'm quoting from
memory, forgive me if I'm somewhat off) "We are not like the
English...we call our bread bread, and our wine wine, we tell
things for how they are". In otherwords, unlike Kenneth Grant and
Aliester Crowley, who both where/are intelligent men, people like
Dr.LaVey didn't beat around the bush-they where direct. He called
his Satan Satan, he did'nt make up other names for him.

(Also, I'd like to say that I don't have anything against Set as
a devil, as he certainly was, but I do have something against
this symbol being portrayed as some sort of major Satanic deity
or whatever.....lets face it people, Set was more of a predessor
to Gonzo then he was to anything else!"

Copyright XXXV A.S. / 2000 c.e. by Fenris Wolf. All Rights
Reserved.

END

Suggested ebooks:

Kenneth Grant - Aleister Crowley And The Hidden God
Thomas Voxfire - What Was Aleister Crowley