In the O.T.O. Manifesto, it is claimed that one should exist "in every important centre of population" and that their exact location would be secret, known only to those who are entitled to use them. In Liber CI and LII it is stated that Grand Lodge may extend an invitation to a member of any Grade to stay in a profess-house as a "reward of merit." However, in "Eden and the Sacred Oak" Crowley suggests that an Abbot may receive "at least one person every night who is not a member of the Order, should such an one apply," suggesting that the location is not necessarily to be secret and that even non-members may know of it and enter therein. The decision to make the profess-house known to strangers is up to the "Viceroy of the Province."
CI also declares that the home of any member of the Hermit Triad "is, ipso facto, a Profess-House of the Order."
Functions of the Profess-Houses
Crowley gave several descriptions of what profess-houses are for, including:
* A place where members may "members may conceal themselves in order to pursue the Great Work without hindrance" (LII)
* "They are also temples of true worship, specially consecrated by Nature to bring out of a man all that is best in him." (LII)
* "These houses are secret fortresses of Truth, Light, Power and Love" (LII)
* Education for "Children of the Order" (CI)
* Special profess-houses will be established for the convenience of Sisters who are pregnant or mothers "so that the frontal duty of womankind may be carried out in all comfort and honour" (CI)
* They should store Libraries, which are to be open to all members (CI)
In "Of Eden and the Sacred Oak" Crowley goes into great detail concerning profess-houses and how members should behave there. Some of his central points---which he describes mostly as "suggestion only"---are:
* Each house should develop its own unique character and "should develop strongly its own specific tradition"... "the model may be a madhouse or a university, a nunnery or a brothel."
* The Abbot has absolute authority in his/her house
* An ideal profess-house would "enshrine four or more dedicated ministrants to the O.T.O." who would have absolutely no say in governance
* "Dignity and etiquette are to be strictly observed"
* The central theme of every house should be some sort of labor and every one is "in some sort a work-house."
* Exalted pleasure should also be a central theme, and that the "Abbot of every Profess-House is therefore expected to be an Epicurus, a master of pleasure, an instructor in delight; and he is to know how to obtain all joy, and to be able to teach others to obtain it, by means that are within the reach of all men, excite no envy, and beget no selfishness."
* The Abbot may take in one non-member a night to stay, and may offer assistance gladly if needed, which "should not be regarded as charity, but as a tribute to the heroism of one who has incarnated in a world whose view is veiled from the uninitiated by the hoodwink called 'Suffering.'"
* All residents should perform Resh regularly
* "All residents in the Profess-Houses of the Order are expects to cooperate in the service of the house to some extent, according to their capacity and bent."
Regarding length of stay
Only CI gives details on rules regarding length of stay at profess-houses:
VI°. Two weeks.
VII°. Two months.
G.T. One month.
Overseas travellers of any Grade: One month.
S.G.C. Three months.
P.R.S. Six weeks.
VIII°. Six months.
XI°. Permanently.
"Brethren of advanced years and known merit" may retire at a profess-house.
However, in "Eden and the Sacred Oak", Crowley writes that a "guest" has the right "to enter a Profess-House for the appointed period of three days, when the Lodge of the guest is in the same province as the Profess-House, or one month, when it is in a different province, is paramount, and overrides the rights of the Abbot to close his door."
Comments
Will profess-houses ever be a reality? Crowley certainly wanted them to be. Of course, there are some things we would have to clear up eventually, such as rules regarding length of stay, authority and governance, and how the hell we're going to pay for them. Nevertheless, when I study our foundational documents regarding long-term goals, profess-houses keep coming to the fore, and seemed to be of far greater value (or at least interest) to Crowley than local bodies. I get the impression that the entire goal of Man of Earth bodies was to "train" members to a point where they would be able to reside in profess-houses, and that the Great Work of the Order would come from them.
Is this still the plan? Are profess-houses now seen as an historical idea? Might it be more realistic and efficient to combine the idea of profess-houses with our current trend of establishing buildings for local bodies?
Whatever the answer, we are clearly very far away from seeing any established. Still, I am curious to know what people think about the idea of profess-houses and if the Order should work towards them or not. Ideas?
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Comments
(much in the same way that dues, when originally paid to Uncle Al himself, seemed to simply support the Supreme and Holy King's rather bohemian lifestyle, rather than the Order itself)
One of the reasons that Yorke was able to convince the authorities in UK that the little box with money under Crowley's bed belonged to the O.T.O. and hence could not be seized as part of the brankruptcy that was Crowley's life in latter years, was that he could tell them that Crowley refused to make use of the money he had received, they were as he told Yorke money for the Order's publication fund. In fact when Crowley was so sick that he had to see a doctor but could not afford it Yorke told him to use the money in the box and Crowley refused to use it because it was not his to use.
There is also the following to consider. Crowley spent a lot of his own inheritance on his occult career that our movement is founded on and the publicatins. He bequethed his literary works to the Order as a gift and it is by far the single most productive income we have today.
Crowley did sponge off individual acolytes and other gullible people with an act that puts even the most able charlatan to shame, but there is not a lot of evidence of him regularly using Order money for his own gain.
But it would all have to be outside the structure of OTO I think, as I don't think the legalities and risks are something that OTO would want to try to managed.
Everyone in the order can afford a place to live, so why can't a group of people subsidize one for a profess house?
If a local dues requirement ever becomes a reality, that would really help.
That being said, I share your feeling that Profess-Houses are an important part of the OTO design. In fact, Liber 194, which we are using as our blueprint, makes this very clear:
In other words, we've arguably jumped the gun by building USGL's governing bodies before we have eleven (!) Profess-Houses in operation.
Yes, I am not at all sure that A.C. would have been pleased by the idea of a "Lodge" that did not have a facility dedicated to its sole use 24/7, whether rented or owned. A Lodge might even double as a residence, provided that it was first and foremost a Lodge (at which one or more members happened to reside), not somebody's house (at which Lodge events were held with the owner/renter's permission).
In other words, we've arguably jumped the gun by building USGL's governing bodies before we have eleven (!) Profess-Houses in operation.
This is an interesting point.
THis seems rather unlikely to me, for a couple of reasons:
1) He mentioned almost everything else. He went into a lot of detail regarding his dreams for the Order.
2) Aside from possibly Cefalu, what other local bodies under Crowley's direction (i.e., not those in the U.S., I mean bodies of which he was a member) actually had their own buildings?
"10. Property thus given will be administered if he desire it in his own interest, thus effecting a saving, since large estates are more economically handled than small. But the Order will use such property as may happen to lie idle for the moment in such ways as it may seem good, lending an unlet house (for example) to some Brother who is in need, or allowing an unused hall to be occupied by a Lodge."
I also believe this was so assumed that it wasn't worth mentioning. It would be like pointing out that when a dinner party is given, food should be prepared and a table and chairs provided for the guests.
...Very interesting point about the 11 profess-houses!
"It also possesses in every important centre of po�ulation a hidden Retreat (Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum) where members may conceal themselves in order to pursue the Great Work without hindrance.
These houses are secret fortresses of Truth, Light, Power and Love, and their position is only disclosed under an oath of secrecy to those entitled to make use of them.
They are also temples of true worship, specially consecrated by Nature to bring out of a man all that is best in him."
As Starr points out in his book the Unknown God this is a reference to sacred temple prostitutes not professhouses as such. Crowley goes into some detail about this in a letter to McMurtry which Starr also quotes on the subject.
Other than that, great post.
Well I don't think everyone is to be trained in that way, but I certainly think that the Great Work would come from these profess houses, given that 124 states that the profess house is the Oak from which streams the rivers of eden which nourishes the community around it.
This is obviously our knightmonk class who had dedicated their life to the Order and as such has to live under more monastic type bonds which give them greater freedom to fulfill their wills. It would also solve all the other problems we have with the upper degree requirements of seclusion.
I also think that if profess-houses are established, they will serve as facilities for local bodies, as has happened in the past with "unofficial OTO residences". The Parsonage is an example.
Will profess-houses ever be a reality? Crowley certainly wanted them to be. Of course, there are some things we would have to clear up eventually, such as rules regarding length of stay,
I think the mention of three days and one month is a reference to any member below the VIth degree. Books 101 and 124 was written at the same time so it is unlikely that Crowley would disagree with himself on this provision.
authority and governance,
The Abbott's will is paramount as long as he doesn't set up against his greater will which he is sworn in to as per the regulations of the Order. Is there any unclarity here?
and how the hell we're going to pay for them.
I think Crowley intended them to pay for themselves, like many of the monastic types of catholic reatreats, by producing stuff for the community at large (be it a school, a nunnery, a madhouse or a brothel ;) ).
I also don't read the resh regulations and certain of the other regulations (such as his crazy scheme of abolishing artifical lightening) as suggestions only btw but rather as activities the house must engage in as long as it does not interrupt initiations or other similiar ceremonies.
The suggestions only remark is to the specific character of the house in my reading of the text.
Haven't read all the comments yet, but so far this is very good post, applause to all of you.