Prytani Coven: A coven that was fairly loose and lame. Everything was VERY secret, so secret that the initiations were right out of Mastering Witchcraft. Cool people. Good memories, but pretty lame magickally speaking. I took 2nd degree.
XAOS Cabal: Lame name, but if I remember correctly it was what we decided to call the group that met every Tuesday at the Equinox in Longbranch. The group was founded with the intent of becoming an OTO chapter, but members from the Temple of Set, Witchcraft as a Science, Gardnerian Wicca, and various others started taking part that had no interest in joining the OTO. Eventually it dissolved, but was my first serious exposure to working magick in a group.
Ordo Templi Orientis: Took Minerval in 1995 at Tahuti in New York. 1* and 2* at William Blake in MD. Founing member of Thelesis Lodge, which was run from my Living Room for its first 2 years. At my 2nd degree initiation I knew that I wanted to take no further initiations from OTO and basically went inactive as far as the order at large is concerned. I was however extremely active in Thelesis for the next 10 years, and felt no burning need to resign until last years Notocon address. I politely resigned but am still a regular lecturer and "elder" at Thelesis. I made some of the most wonderful friendships and connections through OTO.
Chthonic Auranian Temple: When I joined in 1998 it was the Chthonic Auranian OTO. The Temple was founded in 1985 at a time that all the various OTO factions were fighting and the current seemed ready to implode. We changed the name a few years back to play nice and accommodate the many members that belong to both. Carrying the current of both the Caliphate and the Typhonian current, the temple celebrates the wild freedom inherent in Thelema and strives to incorporate all extremes as per the lessons of Liber Tzaddi. Though we don't meet in lodges, do group ritual, or even have much discussion amongst ourselves as an Order, I consider it one of my most important groups I belong to.
Ngakpa Zhonnu Khang: My Buddhist Sangha. Informal group of non-monastic vajra bretheren that have taken lots of wangs and retreats together and occasionally do puja together. The Philly Ngakpa Sangha is starting to meet regularly, but I can't be there as much as I would like. Focuses mostly on Nyingma and Bon practice, but occasional Kagyu, Sakya, and even Gelug aspects crop up from time to time.
The Sangreal Sodality: I have been a member of the Terra Sancta chapter since 2002. We work Grays system of Khabbalah and our group has been involved in a continuous exploration of the paths for six years. We are about halfway done. I love being the youngest and most magickally inexperienced member of a group.
The Wild Hunt Club: Afraid I cant reveal much about this except that we meet four times a year.
Old Snake Cabal: A Philadelphia Cell of the Chthonic Auranian that met for several all night psychedelic explorations. We haven't met in years and one of our brethren is now deceased so it's pretty well defunct. It was however quite fun while it lasted...
Esoteric Order of Dagon: joined in 2005 as Frater Dugpanath to explore the Lovecraftian currents. What can I say, some times the old ones knock on my door and wont let up until I do their nefarious work. Though the Order is mostly in silence at the moment, I have had some cool experiences through working within the sanctuary.
Old Catholic Church of the Gallacian Rite. Old Catholic Church Split off from the Catholic Church in the 1870's. The Gallacian Rite is a subdivision within the church. More mystic than simply Gnostic Christianity.
Well, there ya go.
I like groups for working towards specific things, but tend to steer clear of orders, especially teaching orders. I prefer my connections to be person to person rather than through a group. I relate to most of my Guru's without belonging to the various Dharma Centers and organizations that spring up around them. Similarly I have found that the only use I got from the OTO and other teaching groups was from individual mentorship from people within it rather than going through a "system". There has only been one person to actually work their way all the way to 9th anyway, so what does that tell you?
(The pic is of The Church of Mystic Light in Flanders NJ. It was the meetingplace of our Sangreal Sodality for years until one of us moved to Philly and it was no longer a central meeting spot. Its a REALLY AWSOME place to do magick though. Stained glass windows of the Tree of Life behind the altar.)
Origin: lilith-dark-moon.blogspot.com