INVOCATION OF HORUS 3-19-06
When I was in my late teens I was a serious born again Christian. While I was into Jesus, I found most of the church scene to be full of squares and desired more. So one summer I went to Chicago and spent a month with Jesus People USA.
Jesus People USA started as a busload of Christian hippies in the early 70’s. Convinced that the rapture would soon be upon us, they got into a bus and traveled the country witnessing about the man Jesus. Their bus broke down in Chicago and they stayed in a church basement. They ended up staying in Chicago and formed a community. This community would go on to buy a 10-story hotel and develop a number of outreach programs and businesses. The Jesus People hold their goods and property in a common fund, and all profits from the various businesses (screen printing, moving, house painting, roofing) go back into the community and various outreach programs. Their community is a successful egalitarian model mirrored by hippy communities all over. Except they are way into Jesus.
14 years later I find myself taking a train to the same neighborhood to go to an Invocation of Horus performed by the Chicago OTO. I was accompanied by Bridgette B., whom I had met 20 hours prior. I was grateful to have her companionship on this journey.
The ritual took place at the Chicago College of Healing Arts, which was a storefront. Inside, about 20 people were gathered in the lobby. We were told the ritual would start soon and were briefed on the details. We were given a handout for “Service Celebrating the Feast for the Supreme Ritual”. It detailed what we, as the people, were to say and sing in response to the minister. The two songs we were to sing were rehearsed in the lobby.
The ritual chamber was a multi functional room with residue of past classes on the chalkboard. The minister was a really tall man wearing all black, lots of eye makeup, and crowned with a black top hat. Seated were a black robed woman;the Seer, and a black robed man; the Beast. The atmosphere was intense and serious, but also harmless and ultimately positive. Much poetic verse was pronounced with earnest by the three black robed and we, the people, spoke verses from the handouts. Along with the verses, we, the people, also lifted our hands in trident agreement from time to time.
While complete details seem tedious and potentially disrespectful, I’ll say I felt privileged to enter this assembled circle of people earnestly looking to and interacting with antiquity. Aleister Crowley (it is pronounced like HOLY by people in the know) had performed this ritual over 100 years prior, and here it was being replicated by his followers. The assembled were calling to the ancient forces to bring them into Spring.
The best thing about the ritual was how happy and positive everyone was afterwards. It was as though a threshold had been crossed. After delivering the ritual in intense, almost sinister tones, the black robed ministers were now smiling and super friendly. Before leaving we met Dionysos Thriambos , a minister of this New Aeon Gnosticism. He told us about the upcoming Gnostic mass as well as his long involvement with this local branch.
To quote the Seer’s last closing statement: “Thus begins another Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child.”
Jesus People USA started as a busload of Christian hippies in the early 70’s. Convinced that the rapture would soon be upon us, they got into a bus and traveled the country witnessing about the man Jesus. Their bus broke down in Chicago and they stayed in a church basement. They ended up staying in Chicago and formed a community. This community would go on to buy a 10-story hotel and develop a number of outreach programs and businesses. The Jesus People hold their goods and property in a common fund, and all profits from the various businesses (screen printing, moving, house painting, roofing) go back into the community and various outreach programs. Their community is a successful egalitarian model mirrored by hippy communities all over. Except they are way into Jesus.
14 years later I find myself taking a train to the same neighborhood to go to an Invocation of Horus performed by the Chicago OTO. I was accompanied by Bridgette B., whom I had met 20 hours prior. I was grateful to have her companionship on this journey.
The ritual took place at the Chicago College of Healing Arts, which was a storefront. Inside, about 20 people were gathered in the lobby. We were told the ritual would start soon and were briefed on the details. We were given a handout for “Service Celebrating the Feast for the Supreme Ritual”. It detailed what we, as the people, were to say and sing in response to the minister. The two songs we were to sing were rehearsed in the lobby.
The ritual chamber was a multi functional room with residue of past classes on the chalkboard. The minister was a really tall man wearing all black, lots of eye makeup, and crowned with a black top hat. Seated were a black robed woman;the Seer, and a black robed man; the Beast. The atmosphere was intense and serious, but also harmless and ultimately positive. Much poetic verse was pronounced with earnest by the three black robed and we, the people, spoke verses from the handouts. Along with the verses, we, the people, also lifted our hands in trident agreement from time to time.
While complete details seem tedious and potentially disrespectful, I’ll say I felt privileged to enter this assembled circle of people earnestly looking to and interacting with antiquity. Aleister Crowley (it is pronounced like HOLY by people in the know) had performed this ritual over 100 years prior, and here it was being replicated by his followers. The assembled were calling to the ancient forces to bring them into Spring.
The best thing about the ritual was how happy and positive everyone was afterwards. It was as though a threshold had been crossed. After delivering the ritual in intense, almost sinister tones, the black robed ministers were now smiling and super friendly. Before leaving we met Dionysos Thriambos , a minister of this New Aeon Gnosticism. He told us about the upcoming Gnostic mass as well as his long involvement with this local branch.
To quote the Seer’s last closing statement: “Thus begins another Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child.”
posted by Francis Heinzfeller at 02:33
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