Sword of Light Camp
Ordo Templi Orientis
Dublin, Ireland
Welcome
Ordo Templi Orientis is a vehicle for individual personal development and social change. The mission of the O.T.O. is to assist every individual to uncover their true purpose in life, without infringing on the same right in others, and to provide the necessary tools to fulfil that purpose through initiations founded on universal spiritual and philosophical truths.
ABOUT
Sword of Light Camp is the only officially chartered Ordo Templi Orientis body in Ireland. We are based in Dublin but have members all over the country. Our purpose is to offer a social space where people interested in Western esotericism can come together to learn about and discuss topics relevant to O.T.O. and the broader fields of comparative religion, literature, philosophy and history. We do not impose any particular religious beliefs on our event attendees or members, and in general our membership is made up of a wide variety of faiths and spiritual paths. We have a coffee morning once a month in a public space in Dublin City Centre and all are welcome to attend. We provide the opportunity to join O.T.O. by taking a series of initiations however this is entirely optional.
HISTORY
O.T.O was founded at the end of the 19th century by German and Austrian Freemasons Carl Kellner, Heinrich Klein, Franz Hartmann and Theodor Reuss as an 'Academia Masonica' to study all appendant bodies of Freemasonry. By tradition however, the O.T.O. traces its spiritual roots to the foundation of the Order of Knights Templar in 1108 A.D. By 1912, when Aleister Crowley became Grandmaster for Britain, the scope of the organisation had expanded to include the knowledge of the following organisations; The Gnostic Catholic Church, The Order of the Temple, The Order of the Knights of St. John, The Order of the Knights of Malta, The Rosicrucian Order, The Antient and Primitive Rite of Masonry (33 degrees), The Rite of Memphis (97 degrees), The Rite of Mizraim (90 degrees), The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Masonry (33 degrees), The Swedenborgian Rite of Masonry, The Order of the Martinists, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, among others.
The O.T.O. has since expanded and has thousands of members across six continents (Europe, the Americas, Africa, Australia, Asia). Most countries contain Camps, Oasis, and/or Lodges. These are the three categories of O.T.O. local bodies. You can find a list of worldwide O.T.O. bodies here.
For more history and notable biographies please see the US Grand Lodge website.
MEMBERSHIP
You can attend public events at Sword of Light Camp for as long as you wish without joining O.T.O. however for many that is a natural progression as they learn more about Western esotericism. Joining Ordo Templi Orientis can only be conferred in an initiation ceremony properly performed by an officially chartered O.T.O. initiator. O.T.O. initiation is like a series of playlets where the candidate is both the lead character and the audience. Our initiation rituals are over 100 years old and follow a set procedure which means that after initiation you become part of a fraternity made up of thousands of members around the world who share the same experiences.
Please contact us and introduce yourself if you are interested in membership. We require that potential candidates for initiation spend some time getting to know us at social events before taking the introductory degree of O.T.O. called 'Minerval'. Please note that only individuals over the age 18 and of good character will be considered for membership. All O.T.O. bodies operate under local laws. Initiations never contain any illegal or sexual activities. People who apply for membership expecting opportunities for these to be provided will be immediately rejected. The O.T.O. is not a cult; no unusual demands of belief are made of any members. Initiations are designed to be safe and private. A candidate may leave at any time. The purpose of O.T.O. initiation is to develop the candidate into a better human being through the use of universal allegory and symbolism. We do not actively teach any particular system or practice of magic(k), however, local bodies may offer introductory classes, seminars, practical workshops, and instructional and reference materials on a variety of topics such as Qabalah, Yoga, meditation, history, mythology, symbolism, and comparative religion.
Please note that only serious enquiries will receive a response