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

Want to sell your wares at NOTOCON VII?

Then visit our Vending page, vii.notocon.org/vending to submit your information. 

Vening is initially only open to O.T.O. members.  If space is available after April 1, non members may apply.

Love is the law love under will.

Since taking on the planning of NOTOCON VII, I have often been heard to say that I wanted to bottle my first NOTOCON experience in Salem and take it home to by brethren who didn’t make it to the conference. Additionally, in order to at least partially address the fact that only a fraction of our total number will make it to the conference, I’ve been pondering ways that we could, in spirit, represent the whole of who we are. To that end I am inviting each local body in North America and International to provide NOTOCON VII with group photos of your current local body membership to be displayed at the formal banquet on Saturday.

“Do good unto others for its own sake, not for reward, not for gratitude from them, not for sympathy. If thou art generous, thou wilt not long for thine ears to be tickled by expressions of gratitude.” – Liber Librae.

Come and join the fun-be a part of NOTOCON!

As we are all aware, volunteers are what make an organization like ours grow. Whether it be building a temple or organizing a potluck, the efforts of our brothers and sisters help to strengthen our community so that we may continue to prosper, spread the Law, and achieve our True Wills.

Volunteering for NOTOCON will not only help make this event the best that it can be, but will also give you the opportunity to work with and meet all kinds of new and interesting people!  Support NOTOCON by giving us a couple of hours of your time during the conference.  The experience will be it’s own reward! 

If you are interested, email Cristin and find out what help you can offer.

Love is the law, love under will.

Cristin Williams
Assistant Onsite Coordinator
onsite_asst@notocon.org

The following is an article written by Soror Isabella for Lion and Serpent, volume 6, number 4, after experiencing NOTOCON III.  The full article in it’s original format can be found here http://sekhetmaat.com/wiki/journal

 If you would like to contribute your own NOTOCON story, please send it to onsite@notocon.org

****

Divine Fraternity

A Report from the National

O.T.O. Conference

by Soror Isabella

 We arrived on Thursday afternoon. The hotel lobby was filled with Brothers and Sisters lugging bags, standing in line, and just sitting and watching the crowd. There was a nearly constant stream of greetings and waves thrown across the room, shouts of recognition and of joy, and running hugs. The air hung with anticipation; who would arrive next? NOTOCON 2001 was about to begin.

 After settling in, a couple dozen of us gathered on the patio for drinks in the late afternoon, pulling tables together, introducing ourselves to new friends, and catching up with old ones. I am always amazed at how easily Thelemites can identify each other. We need not wear a lamen shirt, or present ourselves in any particular way. We just know each other on sight, smiling shyly across the room until introductions are made.

The first event was scheduled for that evening, an art opening at a nearby gallery. The work of many Thelemic artists was shown, some well established masters, like J.F.C. Fuller, Austin Osman Spare, Harry Smith and Aleister Crowley himself, and some current artists, including our own Brother JT from Portland whose City of the Sun looked right at home. It was a divine feast for the eyes. I had never seen Fuller’s work before, and it took my breath away. Among the modern artists, Sister CT stole the show for me with her amazing rendition of the Stele of Revealing and a large, three-dimensional Tree of Life. The gallery was overflowing with people; we spilled out onto the sidewalk, sipping wine in the soft southern California air. A certain well-known Thelemic filmmaker drifted in and out of the crowd, and several non-initiates came to enjoy the show. The atmosphere was light and sparkling, with conversations bubbling up all round. Right then I knew this would be a weekend to remember.

Friday we attended an initiation workshop led by several prominent initiators; others spent the day touring the local sites in Long Beach. That evening, we gathered on the terrace for cocktails, munchies and opening remarks. It was hard to believe the conference was only just beginning. The portly and pleasant Deputy Grand Master gave a patently pleasing, paternal and poignant address, later proffering Pez to prominent people. The band played, the line at the bar remained steady, and the scent of the sea wafted in the air. Around nine o’clock, people broke into informal groups and went to dinner at some of the various restaurants in the area. Downtown Long Beach has a thriving nightlife  these days, and there was no shortage of places to choose from. I ended up with a large group at a Middle Eastern restaurant, dining well, and watching my brothers and sisters tuck bills into the belly dancer’s costume (and maybe tucking in a few myself…).   Many of us stayed up way too late in one of the many room parties in the hotel. Some of us even left various articles of clothing in those rooms.

Saturday morning the papers andpresentations began at the reasonably civilized hour of 9:30. (I slept through the yoga and Tai Chi sessions offered earlier.) There were always two concurrent events, and most of us wished we could have seen both. Luckily, the videos are available, and before too long we hope to have a full collection at the Center.   I attended Frater IO Pan’s talk on Tools of Divination, which presented an interesting approach to seeking the sacred wherever we are at any given time 

For lunch we headed to Divine Foods, a sumptuous ten-course meal prepared by Sister CT that included such delicacies as caviar, champagne sorbet, paté and many more dishes, all served with a wonderful wine designed to bring the divine directly to our palates. It was truly one of the most memorable meals I have ever tasted. 

Slightly groggy from all the food, I headed next to Sister Content’s discussion of Divine Pleasure, an engaging exploration of the history of the sacred prostitute. She is an excellent speaker and well versed in her topic, and could easily have filled the entire afternoon. 

Next we once again explored the divine as experienced through the taste buds with Sister LC and Brother SC at Divine Wines, which included a wonderful lecture and slideshow on the historical sacramental uses of that nectar, along with about eleven different vintages. 

After quite a bit of strong coffee and a bracing shower, we were ready for the Banquet of the Stars. Everyone donned their finest apparel and headed to the beautiful ballroom. Sabazius gave a moving address about the direction of the Order. I was reminded once again of how lucky we are in our King. His speech is available on the Grand Lodge website, and I highly recommend checking it out. He then announced the formation of the new O.T.O. Grand Lodge Building Fund, to a rousing round of applause. The dream of an OTO-owned building has been long held by many of us, and it now looks like it may be in sight, thanks largely to S&L from Oklahoma. 

Then the entertainment began with a sensuous and lovely dance by Sister L from southern Oregon, followed by a production of The Ship. As  far as we know, this was the first time The Ship has ever been produced. Brother CP produced, directed and starred in the show, and by the  end, nearly all of us needed to wipe the tears from our cheeks. It was the highpoint of the conference for me, and I’m afraid I cried like a little girl in the arms of Soror Ariche. 

Once again, many of us stayed up later than our bodies were content with, drinking, chatting, and just basking in the beauty of so many of us looking so lovely and dapper. I was touched at how hard people had worked and how much they had given to bring us to where we are today, not just in the hard work that went into The Ship, and into the conference itself, but the work over the decades that it’s taken to bring

this Order to where it is today. There were many old timers there, and the current O.T.O. is largely built on their sacrifices and their determination and will to realize Crowley’s vision. We owe a debt that can only be paid by building on their work for the next generations.

Sunday, I slept through yoga, tai chi, and Sister Constance’s Morning Devotionals, the last of which I had attended at the Portland NOTOCON. Brother Tim M. presented an excellent talk on Scientific Meditation, which looked to bridge the gap between science and the sacred. Then came an abbreviated version of Brother Lon and Sister Constance’s Gnostic Mass seminar, which many of us recall from their full presentation in Portland several years ago. This was the third time I’d heard their talk, and I continue to unfold into greater understanding of this ritual every time.  

The mood changed at lunch on Sunday. We all knew the weekend was coming to an end. Some people were already preparing to leave. We gathered on the same terrace that we had gathered on for the opening, exchanging email addresses, buying the last of the Tshirts, and saying the first of our goodbyes to those who were leaving. The door finally opened for Mass, and of course Sabazius and Soror Helena did a stellar performance as always. The communion cups were a deep cobalt blue, with the O.T.O. lamen and “Deus Est Homo” imprinted upon them in gold. Much to our surprise, we got to keep our cup as a wonderful souvenir. After Mass, we enjoyed the dessert buffet, and began more melancholy goodbyes. When it came time for closing remarks, our numbers were quite reduced. 

Sunday evening, many of us remained in the post conference haze, exhausted from too little sleep over several days, but still looking for just one more experience of the divine fraternal before we headed home. I joined up with about 20 folks at a local place for margaritas and Mexican food, and later found myself in the conference suite at a sedate after-party. The conference organizers glowed with both pride and sleep deprivation while their feet were lovingly massaged.

On Monday morning, the few remaining attendees said our final farewells over breakfast. We gathered our group and headed for LAX. Amazingly, it turned out that Sister MCS and Brother MS were seated next to us for the flight home, and we were able to enjoy their reunion with their pod at the gate in Portland as the final touch of the weekend.

Everyone who worked on the conference did an amazing job. I’ve been lucky enough to attend all three conferences, and the bar was definitely raised in Long Beach, particularly with the additional day for the initiation workshop, the art show, the “labs” of food and wine, and the stirring performance of The Ship. My hat is off to Sister KJ, Brother RC, and their amazing crew for a job very well done.

I sometimes wonder why I’m in the O.T.O., why I give so much for what often seems like minimal payoff (this usually occurs when the  enter hasn’t been left clean…). These large gatherings remind me — not of why I’m willing to continue devoting my life to Thelema by working in the O.T.O., but why I’m blessed to have the opportunity to do so.

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

Care Fraters et Sorors,

I just wanted to take a few moments to point out that we now have links on the promotions page of the NOTOCON VII site to the sheet music for the Anthem of the Gnostic Mass as composed by Frater H.K. 1131.

There is also an mp3 available for download for those who would like to practice with the arrangement prior to NOTOCON in August.

Anthem mp3

Amthem Sheet Music

We’ve been using this arrangement for several months in Seattle, and we are looking forward to joining our voices with those of our Brothers and Sisters around the Kingdom of the United States in celebration of our central ritual.

Love is the law, love under will.

Fraternally, Jon

Q) I’m planning on taking my next initiation between now and the conference. Should I wait to register?

If you take any O.T.O. initiation up to V° (beyond this will not affect your badge) between registering and July 31, 2009, have your initiator contact onsite@notocon.org to let us know so we can update the information displayed on your conference badge. 

Q) The registration page gives me the option of signing up for either the Minerval Colloquium or the E.C. Meeting (I am V°+). What if I want to do both?

A) You can! Though the Minerval Colloquium and the E.C. Meeting are running simultaneously, if you wish to spend a part of the day in each you are welcome to do so. Registration totals for both events will be combined to give us a head count for the lunch served that day.

A few of our presentations have limited registration.  Sign up now and save your seat! 

Frater Hunahpu and Soror Ixel Balamke are providing us with another wine tasting!  There are only 40 seats available to initiates of third degree or higher.

We Are One!!! We are None!!!: The Rite of Jupiter and the Art of Wine
We will examine the Rite of Jupiter and the art of making wine while tasting a variety of the finest local wines. This will be a unique wine tasting experience. The Rite of Jupiter demonstrates a knowledge of the initiatory mysteries of making wine within the sublime poetry which we will reveal while showing its more modern sister industry. We will enjoy some of the rare local wines usually only available at the winery or to a select few individuals, and will also share our tips for wine touring. This should be a magical experience. We will feature 6 wines this time; thus the price of $40. This is limited to 40 individuals and is tyled to the Third Degree.

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

The initiates of the Pacific Northwest O.T.O bodies are proud to invite you to join us for NOTOCON VII.  The conference, themed Unity Uttermost Showed, is revealing itself to be most excellent.  We have a really great lineup of speakers and several participatory rituals, and a venue that promises to be able to hold this, the largest O.T.O. party.   Don’t miss out on the action…register soon.

You may register by proceeding to vii.notocon.org/registration/. The cost of the conference is $225.00. Payment may be made via paypal, or by mailing in a check. Registration is not confirmed until payment is received.

While you’re at our website, you can check out our list of speakers and topics, find a link for booking your room at the Doubletree, and check out the NOTOCON blog for updates in the planning.  As we get closer to the conference, more details will be shared in the blog, so keep checking back, or subscribe via RSS feed.

NOTOCON is only a few short months away!  Start planning now to unite with your Brothers and Sisters in fraternity in Seattle.  Plan a group trip with your local body!  Call your friends on the other coast and make sure they will be there!  Register today at vii.notocon.org/registration/

Love is the law, love under will.

Sr. Melissa Holm
NOTOCON VII, Onsite Chair, USGL Conference Committee

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

I was very excited to be asked to put together Anthem music for NOTOCON VII using the Frater H.K. 1131 arrangement, and on October 26th we had a public celebration of Liber XV using the core of the choir we’re putting together, and some preliminary recordings of our rehearsal music.

This is a picture of some of our members rehearsing before Mass. We all got together at 3pm on Sunday to practice, then I got to do a run through with the team, and we celebrated Mass at 6.

This was my first opportunity to celebrate Mass using this arrangement, and I was very pleased. As Priest, it was gratifying the hear the congregation singing with so much power. Practice really did make the performance very moving, and I am really grateful to all the initiates and community members who came out early to practice, or who helped with the recording, as well as the member of the congregation who joined the chorus.

Now that we have a core of local singers, the plan is to add more voices to our practice version, and then to offer copies of the recording as an mp3 file to anyone who plans to attend NOTOCON VII so they can start rehearsing the choral parts themselves. Of course the sheet music is available in pdf format through Sabazius’ website. Anthem Sheet Music

Love is the law, love under will.

Fraternally, Jon