The Western Esoteric Tradition Quiz

Answer: The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor

The works of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor date back to 1870, whereas the Theosophical Society was founded in 1875, the Golden Dawn in 1887, and the Ordo Templi Orientis between 1895 and 1906. There was a groundbreaking work, "The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor: Initiatic and Historical Documents of an Order of Practical Occultism" edited by Joscelyn Godwin, Christian Chanel, and John P. Deveney, which both discusses the organization in depth and presents a bunch of inner-Order works from the group.

Answer: The Golden Dawn

The Golden Dawn was the order which initiated Crowley into the esoteric tradition, and inspired his works for the rest of his life. There is a very good book by Peter Levenda, "The Dark Lord", which has a lot of good discussion on the need to understand the Golden Dawn to understand "The Book of the Law".

For example, the very idea of a transition from the age of Osiris to the age of Horus is rooted in Golden Dawn rituals.

Answer: Dr. Stephen E. Flowers

Dr. Stephen E. Flowers has his Ph.D in Germanic Languages and Medieval Studies, and describes his belief system as "Esoteric Runology" or "Odianism". He has been a part of many esoteric organizations including the Rune Guild and the Temple of Set, where he was Grandmaster of the Order of the Trapezoid.

He has many works under his name and the pen-name Edred Thorsson, both on runes and the Left Hand Path, such as "Runes and Magic: Magical Formulaic Elements in the Elder Runic Tradition". "Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic", and "Lords of the Left Hand Path: A History of Spiritual Dissent".

Answer: Dr. Michael A. Aquino

In his book "Mindstar", Dr. Aquino proposes and defends that idea that consciousness is a field, similar to gravity or magnetism, connecting the physical body to the Platonic Form or Soul of the individual. He bases his belief on the works of Dr. Harold Saxton Burr, who described the existence of "Life-Fields", which can be used to predict physical changes in the body (i.e. cancer, menstrual cycles, bouts of depression, etc.), and which Dr. Burr believed to prove a teleology to human existence.

Answer: The Ordo Templi Orientis

The OTO founder, Carl Kellner, claimed to have learned the secret of sex magic from three adepts versed in the practice. Under Aleister Crowley there were several degrees with sexual aspects: the eighth degree taught masturbatory and autosexual magic, the ninth taught heterosexual magic, and the eleventh degree taught anal intercourse magic. Cakes of Life were used in communion within the OTO, which Crowley claimed contained menstrual fluids.

Answer: Michael Bertiaux

Michael Beritaux is perhaps most famous for his text "The Voudon Gnostic Workbook", which details a lot of his work. Mr. Beritaux claims to have been initiated into Haitian Voudon by a long time practitioner while in the country in 1964. He has a long history of involvement with groups like the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua, The Choronzon Club, the Theosophical Society, and collaborates closely with The Black Snake, an independent organization. Beriataux was a major inspiration for occultist Kenneth Grant of the Typhonian Tradition.

Answer: Ronald K. Barrett

Ronald K. Barrett did not agree with the loose structure of the Temple of Set. He wanted to instill things like required readings and tests that one was required to pass to attain or even keep their degree. Whereas Dr. Aquino, the first High Priest, uttered the Word Xeper, the Word of Mr. Barrett was that of Xem, roughly representing an abstract, spiritual location where the Elect of Set would reside.

This is comparable to the City of Pyramids in Hermeticism, and Barrett describes the advent of Xem as crossing through the pylon gate into an Egyptian temple.

It is estimated that, with the changes Barrett made to the Temple of Set, by the time he was relieved of his position there were only a handful of members left within the organization.

Answer: The Rosicrucians

The Rosicrucian Park is the headquarters for the English Grand Lodge in America. It contains the museum, the administrative building, the Rosicrucian planetarium, the peace garden, the research library, the Grand Temple, and the central fountain plaza.

The entire park, except the planetarium, is built to look like ancient Egyptian temples. There is also a shrine to Akhenaten located at the park.

Answer: The Brotherhood of Saturn

This precise saying appears in numerous rituals created by the Brotherhood of Saturn. Unfortunately not much work has been done on the Brotherhood unless it is in German, but Dr. Stephen E. Flowers has a thorough English work on the organization called "Fire and Ice: The History, Structure, and Rituals of Germany's Most Influential Modern Magical Order: The Brotherhood of Saturn".

The Brotherhood met with Crowley when he was speaking to orders across Europe, but did not agree to unite under the same banner as Crowley.

Instead, they took what they wanted from Thelema, and mixed it with the Luciferian ideology related to Saturn.

Answer: The Order of the Serpent

The Order of the Serpent went public in 2017 and was only able to spread so quickly due to a persistent internet presence. Most recent before that was The Satanic Temple in 2014, then The Order of the Phosphorus in 2002, and finally the Order of the Trapezoid in 1982.

The Order of the Phosphorous is a Luciferian organization founded by Michael W. Ford, and the Order of the Trapezoid exists within the Temple of Set, and is dedicated to the revival of Germanic Magic. The Satanic Temple is an atheistic group of political activists who use Satan as a symbol of freedom and liberation.