Temple of Set, Don Webb, Michael Kelly

[marq88]

Hi.

I haven't seen much about the Temple of Set, in particular the work of Don Webb, Michael Kelly and some others on these boards.

What, if any, are the experiences / views of members with this articulation of the Typhonian Current?

Thanks in advance,

Marq88

[Gregory Peters]

Nov 13, 2015 11:04:48 GMT marq88 said:

Hi.

I haven't seen much about the Temple of Set, in particular the work of Don Webb, Michael Kelly and some others on these boards.

What, if any, are the experiences / views of members with this articulation of the Typhonian Current?

Thanks in advance,

Marq88

I don't see much connection, other than a mutual interest in a few areas (like Set). ToS seems to have a very different interpretation and philosophy.

[Gregory Peters]

I know ToS has the idea of Set as an "isolate consciousness", which seems very different from the more advaidic/sunyavada core of the Typhonian work.

[N0T 2]

Dec 11, 2015 22:34:20 GMT Gregory Peters said:

I know ToS has the idea of Set as an "isolate consciousness", which seems very different from the more advaidic/sunyavada core of the Typhonian work.

This is because the Temple of Set is just a front for US intelligence, and not a magical order. It's dark fluff to hoover up all the stray wierdos in that direction. A five second look into Aquino's background should suffice.

[kylefite]

"This is because the Temple of Set is just a front for US intelligence"

Not sure about THAT. I've known a few members in my time and one who left the group sent me loads of "members only" material. I was struck by the high degree of education and aptitude in the group. I didn't find anything to indicate the presence of US Intelligence. The membership, as I observed, was small, elitist and very serious and hard-working in their endeavors. I've very much enjoyed the online presence of two members in particular who are tireless artists and genuine human beings.

However, their understanding of LHP is very different than the term is used in Grant's works (which you've already pointed out). I no longer have my copy of Flower's "Lords of the Left Hand Path" but recall his brief treatment of Spare and Grant (if memory serves) shuttling them over toward the "RHP" for the Advaitic bent. So, our lingo always requires definition. The idea of "isolate intelligence" would be anathema to the "LHP" of the Typhonian Tradtion in which Gnosis the individual is understood to be a temporal egoic construct, emanating from (and subsumed into) Consciousness.

Even Crowley looks to this Vision in his Introduction to the Book of the Law where he writes: "Every event is a uniting of some one monad with one of the experiences possible to it. 'Every man and every woman is a star,' that is, an aggregate of such experiences, constantly changing with each fresh event, which affects him or her either consciously or subconsciously. Each one of us has thus an universe of his own, but it is the same universe for each one as soon as it includes all possible experience. This implies the extension of consciousness to include all other consciousness."

That last line moves in the opposite direction of "isolate intelligence." But Crowley has also been docketed as "RHP" from the same perspective.

[N0T 2]

I meant, it was begun as such, by Aquino, who had a professional govt career in psychological warfare when he joined-and-left La Vey's Church of Satan, which was obviously a target of government interest at the time. It would be very odd if these two activities are not related, and as I don't believe in Satan, my money's on the US intelligence apparatus, as they can actually pay your bills. I can't imagine his employers (at that time) having any other opinion of his association with the groups, than to use it operatively, to their advantage. 

On a perhaps more relevant note, was there any contact between the Grants and Aquino? Despite ostensibly sharing the Set connection during an important time, he is not discussed, unlike Bertiaux. What did Kenneth think of Aquino? And what does Aquino think of Grant? Actually maybe we can ask Michael Aquino directly, as he's still around, although he isn't mentioned once on the Temple's official "about" page, which would seem to me like they're dodging it.

I'm sure good people have since joined and done good things, but the way it began, shaky as.

[Gregory Peters]

I think they are straightforward enough for what they are doing. Different philosophy and school of thought. Their interpretation of Set, and even Thelema, is very different but it works for their purposes. Never got the impression it was a government op. On the contrary, it seemed Aquino dos a good job of exploring the US system of religious tolerance as it were ?

[merlin]

There might be respect for Grant's work and person among ToS members or from Aquino, but as far as I understand the Temple of Set is not at all into Qabalah.