First half tyled to IV° and above, second half tyled to P.I. and above.

V° Workshop - Fr. Sabazius
A practical workshop on V° ritual performance, with discussion of basic symbolism.

Restricted to V° & above

The Cabalist and the Consul: Charles Stansfeld Jones and Malcolm Lowry - M. Dionysus Rogers
Crowley's "magical son" Jones is a pivotal and controversial figure in the history of Thelema. Many Thelemites--beginning with Crowley himself--have considered Jones' innovative qabalistic system to be a heresy against magical doctrine. Jones was at one time Supreme and Holy King of OTO for North America, and as such he ratified Crowley's succession to the office of OHO. This presentation will examine the relationship between Jones and the novelist Malcolm Lowry, to whom Jones taught qabalah and magic.

Open to all

Fraternal Heresy: Etiquette & Boundaries in a “F___ You” Organization - Lon Milo Duquette
The very term “Thelemic organization” is an oxymoron - a collection of individualists endeavoring to do their own will - this sounds like a recipe for chaos. Yet Crowley thought a New Aeon society could merge complete personal liberty with self-imposed spiritual discipline. The O.T.O. has become the largest and most “organized” Thelemic organization in the world. But at what point does compliance to discipline threaten the True Will of the individual? What does a Thelemite do when a High Degree Officer appears to be overstepping the bounds of Thelemic behavior? For the last 30 years since my Minerval initiation I"ve learned - When in doubt, say “F____ you!”

Open to all

Gnosticism, Enochian and Thelema: The Gnostic Roots and Thelemic Fruit of the Spirits Actions of Dr. John Dee & Edward Kelly - David R Jones
A textual analysis of the correlations in the metaphysical literature and praxis of these three traditions, and their contextual meaning using modern exegetical text criticism. Those who believe any analytical consideration of Thelemic or other Holy Texts to be blasphemous or restricted should consider shunning this discussion.

Open to all

The Heresy of Babalon - Cindy Weinstein
In the beginning there was no god, no man, no force to shape. But a power existed and a potential: the first power - Desire - the key to Babalon. Desire stirred the formless void and woke it from its sleep. Shocked and angry in the shattered silence force was born. But the force was without direction; desire drove it endlessly outward, expanding in all directions. It was Chaos, the chaos formed from the utterance of the logos. Chaos sought the object of its desire and so it was answered by the first vessel who is Binah and Babalon. And there was understanding.

Open to all

The Heretic Rabelais and The King of Wines - Scott & Lisa Coffin
This is our third wine tasting and will be our biggest to date, covering some interesting territory. Two Kings from the Gnostic Mass will be discussed but the main focus will be on Francois Rabelais. We will give an overview of his works as well as discussion on the tales Rabelais might have had in mind when he wrote about wine and man. Special attention will be paid to language and linguistic analysis. There will be information on historical individuals who influenced the wine industry: some were pagans made Saints, others Christians more concerned about wine than Christianity. The wines this time are the finest that we have ever served: the cheapest is $75 bottle of Merlot. The line-up is Champagne, Merlot, California Bordeaux, French Bordeaux, and a Vintage Port, and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you.

Restricted to adults 21 years of age and up

Heretical Comments - Dathan Biberstein
This presentation will look at ”The Comment“ in light of one's Oaths to the Order, current Order policy regarding its interpretation, its connection to heresy, the incidents leading up to its reception, Crowley’s perspective on it, and its application in respect to the Minerval degree.

Restricted to Minerval and up

Heretics Before The King: How To Handle Conflicts between the Law of Thelema and the Secular Law - Stephen Charest
Whether we like it or not, sometimes the law of Thelema doesn't agree with secular law. We'll have a look at three areas where Thelema may come into conflict with secular law: the public practice of Thelema; employment; and family law disputes. We'll examine a number of hypothetical and actual court cases involving other non-mainstream religions. Please note that this workshop is not designed to give legal advice for specific case. However, you“ll be better prepared to discuss any future problem with your own attorney. There will be a test.

Open to all

Parsifal, the Grail King, and the Path of Initiation - Dr. David Shoemaker
In this entertaining presentation, Dr. David Shoemaker will discuss the legend of Parsifal, the Grail King, and explain its connections with the Gnostic Mass, the formula of Tetragrammaton, and the personal initiatory path of every aspirant to the Great Work. The discussion will be enhanced by scenes from Wagner's opera, Parsifal, and related audio-visual material.

Restricted to Minerval and up

Sacred Humor - Craig Berry
Anyone who has been in the OTO longer than a week knows our fondness for joking about our deepest mysteries and highest aspirations. Some people interpret this as a lack of real commitment to the Work. Nothing could be farther from the truth! For in magick, being funny is a serious matter indeed. In this workshop, we will discuss the central role of humor in approaching the divine, in Thelema as well as other systems. (Note: If you don't get the jokes, it is safe to act like Frater Perdurabo.)

Open to all

Singing the Praises of "Sword of Song" - Dr. Richard Kaczynski
"The Sword of Song" is Crowley"s first great talismanic book. Issued in 1904 as an opulent limited edition of 100 copies, it featured a magic square on the cover with Crowley‘s name spelt in Hebrew to add to 666. The contents included poetic send-ups of Robert Browning; kabalistic journeys on the Tree of Life; serious essays on philosophy, science and Buddhism; and notorious bawdy in-jokes. Even more interesting is the story behind the book: parts of it were written on a mountain while delirious with malaria; George Cecil Jones lost a defamation case against a newspaper because of the naughty bits; and the book‘s contents-written in 1902-1903-provide tantalizing foreshadowing of "The Book of the Law." This lecture grows out of research conducted on a forthcoming annotated edition of "The Sword of Song."

Open to all

So You Want to Host a NOTOCON (Panel Discussion) - Eliza McBryde, Facilitator
Meet the National Notocon Committee and learn what it takes to host a national conference.

Restricted to Minerval and up

Sorcery! The Goetia Reviled - Fr. Lux In Tenebris & Fr. Aleph
Come learn more than you ever wanted to know about the dread Goetia, perhaps the most infamous text in the entire body of hermetic literature! With many years of experience with this magickal system between them, these two Brethren from the Knights Templar Oasis (Salem, MA) will explain the details of this work, its use, and their experiences with it. Considering both academic and practical aspects equally, this workshop will prove both informative and entertaining for magicians of any experience - whether a novice to the Goetia or a long time practitioner.

Open to all

Who Are the Heretics in the New Aeon? - T Allen Greenfield
The essential point of the presentation is to raise the question of whether, with the advent of the New Aeon, we may expect to gradually cease to be regarded as “heretics” and become more “the new normal” following upon the concept of the dawning of a New Aeon in 1904 e.v. This presentation will be interactive; I will encourage attendees to contribute their thoughts on what “markers” they themselves have observed to indicate heresy transmuting to the underlying world view one would expect in a New Aeon."

Open to all