What a terrible story.
It is ... and THAT is very Victorian ... its how things were back then . Ida was a hero IMO .
I even suspect that was what may have happened to my 'weird' Spanish granny tarot crystal ball reader
.... lots of women were put in 'institutions' back then .
The thing about Orders, is the order.
order is part of nature and life, in that realm, when order breaks down, chaos ensues. Or one returns to χάος.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_(mythology)
Its the first part if the first 'lesson' or 'knowledge lecture' .
Grades in order. Rules and learning things for tests.
IMO / E , many rules are to protect the members. And in the case where I was examined, I welcomed it.
Like I said about astrology ... I would not want to work on a chart, for days, and then try to discuss it in detail with an 'astrologer' that did not know the basics.
If I do it for someone that has no understanding of the terms and their implications, it takes a long time to explain it all... and I would want to be paid for that.
Wear this, memorize that, pay this, attend that and obey orders.
You make it sound like the military. Why do you think you have to comply with things you dont want to .... no one is forcing membership on anyone ... actually, that is something that gets cleared up at the beginning of the first ceremony, you can not join if you are 'pressed'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressment
At any time, you dont have to do what you think you should not ... just leave.
Think of it like yoga, the teacher is saying, do this, do that, dont wear tight clothes.
What ? Do you argue with her ? Do you turn up to do yoga in tight jeans and high heels, do you complain to the teacher that, it isnt what you want to do? I assume you would just walk out and try some other way of achieving 'union'.
It doesn't sound very creative.
That depends how one puts it/
I think the amazing costumes, the stories, the acting, the dramatic ritual, the special effects the ..... are all very creative. I believe our group was so good as we encouraged all this creativity and exploration ... but they were a bunch of 'closet thespians'.
Do people in Orders have some creative input to the process?
Depends which orders and which group of an order. I encouraged it.
But not from any person who walks in the door, and not from someone without an understanding of what they were doing.
Sure .... you can help me paint my masterpiece ... I could sure use some help ... ummmm... you do know HOW to paint though .... dont you ? - If someone says, no and then I offer to show them and they say 'I dont like to be told what to do."
I say - fine ... go away and paint your own masterpiece ... but dont mess mine up.
Or do I just happen to know and talk to people who didn't like being ordered
Its a common paradigm ... it was for a reason, but now it it backfiring on people. It has to do with the times we live in ... and how that energy was misused on people in the past.
Its a big subject and worthwhile of analysis ( I have lived in situations where both applied ... and the mess that ensued from an 'order-less' , free for all , chaos , had a big adverse effect , ecentually on many, their families and children. But balanced rightly and it was a utopian joy with kids that grew up to be amazing !
Here is a snippet from OTO teaching (and and GD ) .
Severity can be unbalanced force that creates cruelty and oppression, and mercy can be an unbalnced weakness that allows and abets evil to exist.
... oe something like that ( my google seach just dropped out )
and left unwittingly just before creativity would have ensued?
Possible .... ya gotta learn to crawl before you go down the hill on the bike 'Look , no hands ! '
... the trained artist again . Ever seen Nureyev leap ? He trained and followed orders and ... and when he lept ... he would just ' jump up there .... hang for a bit ............... and come down
beautiful, expressive creative freedom !
*in hushed voice*
what if the grades aren't in the right order for everyone?
That isnt that important on one level, some find earlier degrees very difficult, and latter ones already accomplished. Or visa versa . The other side is the crawl before walk.
Also 'revisiting' may not harm one at all. Like in martial arts; I might know advanced techniques , but when I go to session on basics with a new teacher, he might be able to show me some mistakes I picked up, that made my 'higher' techniques not as efficient or effective as they could be.
There are a zillion reasons for this order and many ways the order is applied. For example, no one can sit in the senate ( a body of OTO governance ) without some background in the first 3 degrees ( life birth and death ) ... knowing a bit about yourself ... a degree that serves ones fellows, some life experience, knowledge in a branch of learning (developed mind) and demonstrated ability in physical skills ( like yoga, athletics etc - developed body ) ... because one is expected to be considerate , wise, but not weak ... as one is deciding on issues that effect other people and the organisation.
Let's say hypothetically I was looking to choose an organisation. If I can't see what order the grades are in and what happens when, how can I possibly choose the best Order to join?
I would not join an order like that either !
OTO publishes a lot of such documents.
However, if one doent know, but one thinks one knows ... what then ? One is at the mercy of one's own proclivities. Thats why an objective view or system is needed at times.
I also see people rebel against this in martial arts " I wanna use the nunchuks ."
"No ... you have to learn stability and control first ! "
" No I dont ... look ! <twirl, twirl , spin ... >
CLUNK ! " OWWWWW owwww owie oww ! "
Thanks for the towel story ravenest
yes, it did get rather 'cool' there for a while
although that's a mental image I fear I won't be able to erase for some time!
That is just the light one needs to see their Lodge Master in occasionally
Genisis 9: 20 - 25