What is the O.T.O.?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Feb 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

le-mat	21 Feb 2003
How it relates to Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris? What does it have to do with the begginings of Wicca? I've read Frieda Harris biography somewhere else and all these questions came up. Any thoughts? :confused:

wavebreaker	21 Feb 2003
I looked it up in my Encyclopedia of Tarot: O.T.O stands for the Order of the Temple of the Orient. The full text reads: Crowley also authored a guide to tarot, "The Book of Thoth", based upon designs with erotic symbolism produced for him by Lady Frieda Harris. Crowley, who died in 1947, was heavily involved with the Order of the Temple of the Orient or O.T.O., a German occult organization preoccupied with sex magic. That's all it says about it, no further information about what it has to do with the beginnings of Wicca. But since you know the full term now, maybe you could try Googling it?

jema	21 Feb 2003
O.T.O has their own website: http://www.otohq.org/oto/ you can read a lot about their history there and what role crowley played. as for his role in wicca it is widely believed that he wrote big parts of/ or at least inspired Gardner in writing Gardners Book of Shadows. a lot of the thoughts in wicca, many of the rituals etc have traces of thelema.

jmd	21 Feb 2003
It is also worth pointing out that the O.T.O. predates Crowley's involvement in the same, and that factional splits have occured. There is significant evidence that the early O.T.O. did not practice any form of sex magic.

Laurel	21 Feb 2003
Here are some websites with various opinions on Crowley and the OTO http://www.castletower.org/ http://www.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/hallo.htm http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/1896/earlyOTO.html http://www.93current.de/oto.shtml ~LAS

Kiama	22 Feb 2003
Wasn't the OTO a bit like the Golden Dawn? And was it earlier? I guess so. Ho does it relate to the beginings of Wicca? I'm not sure, but I have a theory based on Ron Hutton's 'Triumph of the Moon' and Philip Heselton's 'Wiccan Roots...' Gerald Gardner was influenced by the rituallayout and style of hte magical orders such as the Golden Dawn, which were in turn influenced by the OTO... Possibly. Anyone any ideas? Kiama

jmd	22 Feb 2003
The GD was formed before the OTO. What they each share, amongst other relevant factors, are their close ties with what is loosely termed 'fringe Masonry'. One link which gives succinct, and, as far as I can tell (and I either am or have been a member of some of the listed organisations), accurate information is Frater Melchior's site.

le-mat	22 Feb 2003
this is far more interesting that i've had imagine. thanks for the info, it was really useful.

The What is the O.T.O.? thread was originally posted on 21 Feb 2003 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.