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Aaron That's really informative - would make a good little article - i'd be happy to reprint even that small summary in my newsletter mandrake speaks - personally i was quite (pleasantly) surprised at the way these interesting issues have emerged over time amongst the sethians. bb/93 mogg -----Original Message----- From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Aaron Cheak Sent: 04 April 2006 16:12 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Sethain Oh, and as to the reasons ... Aquino *wants* the Temple of Set (ToS) to proceed under new leadership; he intends the ToS to continue after the death of its founder (i.e. Aquino). Hence Don Webb, hence Zeena, hence Patty Hardy. Thus, it is quite likely that Aquino would not have reassumed his High Priest mantle if the Schrecks didn't cause the schism they did. Upon finding a suitable new High Priestess, Aquino seems to have stepped down again. Zeena, however, claims that as much as Aquino was willing to hand over the reigns (e.g. to her), he still exercised control over the ToS by means of behind the scenes politicking (primarily through the Council of Nine). This position would appear to be supported by the wealth of correspondence that transpired behind the scenes at the time of the Schrecks' schism. Further to the differences between the Church of Satan (CoS), ToS and the Storm (which I mentioned only in brief in a previous post) ... These are self-evident as soon as one compares LaVey's _Satanic Bible_, Aquino's "Black Magic" essay in _The Crystal Tablet of Set_, and the Schrecks' _Demons of the Flesh_. The divergences are in fact quite drastic. LaVey is barely interested in Seth or the Left Hand Path other than as diabolical synonyms. He is interested in the ego and it's gratification. Man is a natural animal. Aquino thinks the left hand path (LHP) is consistent with Socratic contemplation of eternal forms, and that Seth is himself the very form of isolate self consciousness which enables the contemplation of said forms. He is interested in the Self (with a capital S). Man (or rather, his psyche or soul) is non-natural. The Schrecks emphasise the feminine nature of the LHP and Seth's role as a violent initiator. They are interested in cultivating non-dual consciousness to effect liberation---the same goal as the right hand path---but through left-handed *means*. [1] Man---the physical body---holds the energies (Shakti, kundalini) necessary to liberation. [1] This is a fundamental difference between the ToS and the Storm: The ToS define the left and right hand paths as having different *ends* (LHP = separation of Self from Nature; RHP = union of Self with Nature). The Storm sees the left and right hand paths as both seeking the same end (liberation); the paths differ only in the *means* employed towards this end (the left hand path effects liberation in this life, is dangerous, is taboo breaking; the right hand path effects liberation over many incarnations, is safe, is orthodox). Also, whereas the ToS seeks to exalt the Self of Psyche against the natural cosmos, the Storm seeks to dissolve the ego/Self/intellect to effect a non-dual relationship with the cosmos. Also, for the ToS the cosmos is a dead mechanism (as per scientific materialism); for the Storm it is living and animated (as per the tantric notion of the world as power/Shakti/prakrti) More could be said. I've only touched on some very basic points. ~ Aaron At 11:46 PM 4/04/2006 +1000, you wrote: >At 09:26 AM 4/04/2006 -0400, you wrote: > >>If memory serves (and correct me if it doesn't), Aquino stepped down to >>be replaced by Don Webb, who then was replaced by Zeena LaVey/Schreck >>for a very short time. After that, Zeena broke off from the ToS, and >>Aquino became high priest again. I'm not sure as to the reasons behind >>Lilith's rise and fall, if they could be called that, or if the high >>priesthood has changed more recently. > > >Yes, this is all correct. I would only add that Aquino has stepped down >since taking up the mantle after the Schreck's schism, and Patty Hardy is >now the current High Priestess of the ToS.