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It might seem, at brief glance, that the program that “Building Community” is offering would lead to a heartless, labor-intensive environment that one would find in any large corporation. After all, there is talk of goals, management, training, and other elements found in today’s working world. Who would want to voluntarily join such an organization?
However, I recommend that one take a deep breath, and realize that the comparisons are superficial at best. The reason for this is that the underlying aims of the two are fundamentally different; corporations exist to maximize profit and the O.T.O. is designed to promulgate the Law of Thelema while also building spiritual and magical Thelemic communities. In corporations, having group cohesion and high morale are beneficial only insofar as they lead to increased profit. In O.T.O., these things are largely ends in themselves, since most people join voluntary organizations because they have access to like-minded communities that can help them in ways they cannot achieve alone. After all, for adepts who are solely interested in mystical attainment without the bother of dealing with other people have the A.’.A.’.
That being said, the O.T.O. is not simply a social club. When it comes to Thelema, it isn’t called the Great Party, it’s called the Great Work, and this applies as much to groups as it does to individuals. As such, we initiates are duty-bound, while active members, to help O.T.O. achieve its aims. We are all, starting from the degree of Minerval, soldiers in this volunteer army, and we have a job to do.
On the local level, our primary duties are the regular celebration of Liber XV and the administration of the Man of Earth rites of initiations. However, inherent in the system of O.T.O. is the development of communities, and this is an equal duty within our local bodies. Doing all of these things requires three things: members, dedication, and competence. “Building Community” has been about discussing ways to successfully attain all three.
But let us not forget that there is great joy in the work, and what is rewarding that did not require labor? After all the effort, what do we have in our coffers? The exultant celebration within our Gnostic Mass. The intensity of personal initiation. The warm reward of a dedicated community that both comforts and challenges us to excel. And finally, the supreme satisfaction of knowing that we are building an organization that can effectively spread the Law of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty!
Since Hymenaeus Alpha rebuilt O.T.O. in the early 70s, we have come a long way. We went from a couple dozen initiates to being an international organization with thousands of members. U.S. Grand Lodge has also lead the way in fulfilling the basic outline of the Order that Aleister Crowley laid out in his foundational documents. Yes, we have much to be proud of.
But we are not done. Not by a long shot. Thankfully, there are efforts to reverse the relative stagnation we’ve seen at the MoE level in the last decade. The Kaaba Colloquium offers conventions that discuss local body leadership and administration. Other individual members are putting forth great effort to introduce effective tools into our local bodies as well. In my series of essays, I have tried to address issues that pertain to the communal aspects of the Order. I have no doubt that others will continue to discuss and refine all these concepts.
My final word is that it is not enough to simply discuss these ideas. At some point, we will have to put them into practice. Local body leaders will have to take risks and try out new things. Not everything will work, of course, but this should not be a cause for avoidance. Body masters should be actively communicating with each other (and Grand Lodge) regarding what works and what doesn’t, so that we can further improve our methods and thus become yet more effective and rewarding. Yes, it will take courage, as do all actions that require stepping into the unknown. But just as we do so as individual initiates, so must our Camps, Oases, and Lodges brave the darkness as we grow, not just in size, but in capability, resources, and quality. Ultimately, we have a choice: we can continue to evolve or we can choose to die out. I believe the Order is worthy of the labor and pain necessary to thrive, and I will continue to do my small part to ensure that Ordo Templi Orientis reaches the glorious heights it was designed to achieve.
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