A MODEST PROPOSAL for a Superstructure to Unite the Order Based on Liber AL vel Legis by PVN Basic Requirements 1. Formal Acceptance of Liber LXXVII & Liber CCXX, in writing, to be sub- mitted to the Order in any approved fashion. Check with your OTO, A.'.A.'., or 11-Star contact person for particulars. 2. Acceptance of the Star within & the taking of a self-designed oath committing oneself to the Great Work. Copy of the oath to be submitted, in writing, to the Order. Approval of the oath by any member of the Order establishes affiliation with the Order through the catena of initiation manifest through that member. 3. Promulgation of the Law of Thelema upon the outer by being a living example of what it means to be a Thelemite, rather than through overt proselytization. 4. Formal study of magick to create an intellectual & emotional framework upon which personal advancements may be hung for careful examination. 5. Creation & maintainance of various formal & informal avenues of com- munication among various members and Branches of the Order. 6. Each individual Powerzone (lodge, coven, tribe, etc.) of any Branch of the OTO, A.'.A.'., or 11-Star may impose certain other obligations upon probationary Candidates & members, and may test them in whatever way(s) they may see fit. 7. Anyone is free to work these grades, so long as it be their Will to do so. Those whose Will is to work these grades in concert with others may do so by becoming active members of at least one Branch of the Order which recognizes the guidelines of this superstructure. 8. No member of the Order may be forced to work with or accept initia- tion from another member. All affiliations within the Order are by mutual consent & are subject to change at any time. III The Grade of Man of Earth Aspirants to the Grade of Man of Earth undertake to perform a set of Herculean tasks designed to reify their magickal inspiration upon the physical plane in the here-&-now. Upon successful completion of these self-imposed tasks, the Aspirant is able to function fully within this Grade, provided s/he designed the obligations of the Grade with sufficient care & insight. The other Grades may be taken in any sequence, or all at once. The aspirant is warned not to put-off the obligations of this grade until the very end, for the aspirant who is able to manifest the Grade of Man of Earth has stability, a virtue which cannot be fully appreciated until its need becomes imperative. It is up to each aspirant to design his/her own set of obligations. The set given below may be used as a guideline. Obligations may be ammended, dropped, or adopted at any time. Absolute fluidity is a key to stability. Tamas Muldalahara is one of the titles of they who work this Grade. Xochipilli (patron deity of those who take calculated risks) is one of the Gods who oversees the Virtues of the Grade of Man of Earth. Gold is among the many colors pertaining to this Grade. 1. The Aspirant undertakes the design, creation, and consecration of a balanced set of magical tools. Such a set may consist of the 4 tradition- al weapons from Golden Dawn heritage, some power-objects/fetishes from a Shamanistic tradition, or some other set, no matter what. The set can be built-up over time, or created all at once. It is up to each Aspirant to use/test his/her impliments continuous- ly, maintaining balance among them as best s/he can. 2. The Aspirant undertakes to understand the meaning of hard work. This can easily be accomplished thru understudy & Mastery of a self-chosen Art, Craft, or Trade. It matters not whether the Aspirant pursues a society approved professional career -- such as doctor, ditch-digger, stateman, office worker, cop, or priest-- or a less respected trade (such as Quack, Welfare-bum, Terrorist, Embezzler, Mercenary soldier, or Harlot. Success is most easily insured by choosing a line of work closely related to one's natural inclinations, yet far greater success is made possible by choosing a line of work which is both difficult & demanding. Thru proper design, a difficult task will strengthen both mind & body, while dulling neither. If a particular line of work does not become a joy in-&-of itself, the Aspirant is free to change lines of work. The goal is total self- sufficiency upon the physical plane as well as an understanding of what part the Aspirant chooses to play in the Great Work. It is only thru a full understanding of how a system presently operates that changes may be designed & applied to society's flaws. This obligation may also be undertaken thru its mirror image. There are some who aspire to this Grade who will be totally antipathetic towards the concept of work. Such Aspirants are encouraged to explore laziness to the fullest. It has long been known that a lazy person will work much harder than his/her harder-working peers, to find ways of doing-away with the need to perform any unpleasant tasks. Laziness requires extreme agility of mind, body, & soul. The beggar who has `nothing to lose' is often more free to change a corrupt system than the bank president whose comfort depends upon maintaining the status quo, even though the banker's wealth and respectability give h-im/er greater leverage with which to affect change. If the aspirant can combine approaches, it will give h-im/er great power; vacillation between approaches can induce paralysis and the inability to act. 3. The Aspirant undertakes to create/build a living monument which trans- cends time. Immortality is a keyword for this Grade. Some choose to raise children, while others write books or create works of Art. Some found religions while others found nations. Some build financial empires while others plant gardens. Some work on ways to dis-incarnate/re-incarnate smoothly, while others work to reify immortality in the flesh. Publication or other means of dissemenation of one's own researches pertain to this Grade. The Aspirant may choose to work alone, or s/he may choose to work with others -- among equals, as a Master, or as a servant. II The Grade of Lover Aspirants to the Grade of Lover undertake to act spontaneously in ways designed to promote understanding, appreciation, & unification with others who are involved with different facets of the Great Work. The work of this Grade cannot be said to be completed until the Aspirant has attained enlightenment from every independent entity & collective structure in the Universe and has been able to show h-is/er enlightenment to each entity and group in return. They who have taken the oath of the Boddisatva work this Grade. The other Grades may be taken in any sequence, or all at once. The aspirant is warned not to put-off the obligations of this grade until the very end, for the aspirant who is able to manifest the Grade of Lover has the power of transcendence, a virtue which cannot be fully appreciated until its need becomes imperative. Those whose committment to the Great Work is weak or insincere are warned away from the full experience of this Grade, for addiction & Death lie in wait for those of weak Will. It is up to each aspirant to act spontaneously in accord with Will. The ideas given below may be used as a guideline. 1. The Whore of Babalon and the Virgin Mary possess attributes which pertain to the Grade of Lovers. 2. Luxuriant foods as well as fasting provide clues to inner needs. Both may be explored to provide insight. 3. Exploration of Sexual Taboo (from Chastity to acts of destructive ex- cess) provide clues to self in relation to others. Full expression of innermost desire can stimulate growth in unexpected ways. Those who have not cultivated the virtue of stability may be swept away completely. 4. Exploration of addictive substances assists the Alchemist in formula- ting h-is/er Will & in confronting the Death urge. Experimentation with addiction can be very unstabilizing for those who have neglected to build and nourish a living monument to their Will which is fully capable of transcending time (see point #3 in the previous section). 5. Eccumenical out-reach & Magickal Wars are both valid expressions of this Grade. I exort each to choose whatever methods/styles are in accord with h-is/er natural inclinations. Remain aware that losers often gain more than winners in wars & arguments. An open mind is a great asset for those undertaking this Grade. 6. Practice of Liber Astarte (either as a solitary rite, or thru joining a formal religion) can provide much insight into this Grade. 7. Practice of Liber Samekh is the internal reflection of Liber Astarte. Care must be taken so the little-ego &/or repressed demons are not deified in the process. To undertake a combined operation of Samekh and Astarte is the pinnacle of foolishness &/or the ultimate act of Self-Love (depending on your perspective). All sane persons are strictly warned away from such practices. Proceed with total abandon, or not at all. If you elect to proceed, in spite of these warnings, do not say that you have not been warned. I Grade of Hermit Aspirants to the Grade of Hermit undertake to balance manifest Godhood upon the physical plane in the here-&-now. S/He undertakes to be able to tap-into Universal wealth without the need to toil at any particular task. H-is/er whole existence is so enmeshed with the Great Work that the Universe maintains h-im/er in accord with h-is/er True Will, whether s/he be working or playing. Upon successful dissolution of Cause-&-Effect, the Aspirant is able to function fully within this Grade as a self-created God/dess, who stands outside of the framework of concensus reality & who is able to manifest h-is/er Will within the here-&-now. The other Grades may be taken in any sequence, or all at once. The aspirant is warned not to put-off the obligations of this grade until the very end, for the aspirant who is able to manifest the Grade of Hermit has absolute freedom of action, a virtue which cannot be fully appreciated until its need becomes imperative. Those who lack absolute confidence in their innermost motivations are warned away from the full experience of this Grade, for Absolute Freedom & Absolute Responsibility go hand-in-hand. Those who aspire to the Grade of Hermit are charged with the creation of & total responsibility for their own personal Universe and for its total interaction with all other Universes, both manifest and potential. A lack of understanding of one's own internal motivations &/or an incomplete integration of one's own internal Universe can be disasterous to those who aspire to Godhead. To speak further of this Grade would be both unneccessary & misleading.