Had my Minerval a couple weeks ago.
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I was initiated at Crux Ansata Oasis, July 27. I've been to their Gnostic Mass every month for over a year, now, so I've made friends with just about everyone. It was such a great experience.
I intend to go for my first degree in the future, but at the moment I'm joining the Army, so it could be a while. My only hope is that there'll be an OTO nearby wherever I'm stationed.
Besides the instructions I was given, what else can I do to prepare for the first?
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@Miles said
"Besides the instructions I was given, what else can I do to prepare for the first?"
As far as I know, you prepare by thoroughly learning the lessons that the initiation ceremony teaches and by putting them into practice in your everyday life.
Unlike the A.'.A.'., whose grades are supposed to signify personal attainments, OTO grades signal the beginning of a path to a personal attainment. I once heard it put something like this: your initiation ceremony gives you a little push and does about 5% of the work. After that, 95% of the work is up to you.
What you get out of your initiation is roughly equivalent to what you put in. If you study the ceremony you just went through, take classes on it, discuss it with others, attend (or perhaps participate in as an officer) that same initiation when others undergo it, you'll probably get a lot out of it.
I'm not an OTO member, but I've read enough about the system to know that that's about the gist of it.
Best of luck to you.
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@Los said
" I once heard it put something like this: your initiation ceremony gives you a little push and does about 5% of the work. After that, 95% of the work is up to you. What you get out of your initiation is roughly equivalent to what you put in. If you study the ceremony you just went through, take classes on it, discuss it with others, attend (or perhaps participate in as an officer) that same initiation when others undergo it, you'll probably get a lot out of it. "
This is a fair generalization of how to approach ritual.
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I did my minerval almost 10 years ago, at the now gone 93 Oasis. It was a nice ceremony, but at the time I had only attended one gnostic mass, had only really met a few people, and didn't really put the work into studying the symbolism and taking classes. I was a really shy person at the time, and for whatever reason, I felt somewhat intimidated by the whole process. Nobody was being intimidating in any way mind you (quite the opposite actually), but I just felt so lost and confused at the time that I never really felt much connection and almost immediately after that I lost contact with most of the members.
I've matured a LOT since then in many ways, and recently have been attracted to thelemic thought and practice, though I'm not sure if I would have the time now to commit myself to a fraternal organization. If the wife lets me, I might do the weekly magick classes again at Lon Milo Duquette's house. He's a riot.
Didn't mean to hijack your thread, I'm glad you had a wonderful experience. To add to the thread, yea, I didn't put much into it, and didn't get much out of it. So, there's that!
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93,
You were presumably given a study guide with more things to do and read than is humanly possible. That is probably a good place to start.
I would also recommend studying the nature and meaning of the oath you presumably took, and also studying the lessons that were presumably imparted to you.
If you want a more specific answer, feel free to PM me or email me.
93 93/93
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Hi,
I've been snooping around here for some time now for study & I was initiated into the OTO this weekend in Sweden
It was an unusual experience for me but I liked it very much. I had a fear that I would lose focus or in other ways destroy the experience but all in all I think it felt very good & "right"..
I will study the documents & Liber al Legis for some time now & see how it feels in a couple of months.
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Miles,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
Congratulations!
@Miles said
"Besides the instructions I was given, what else can I do to prepare for the first?"
I would say that the best preparation for the first degree would be to relax into the minerval degree and forget all about advancement for a while. I would say that your mind is already wondering about things which currently serves no purpose at all.
Patience my friend... Personally I always have the heart telling me to go when I am ready to go. I put my faith in the heart and not in a wandering mind. I had the second degree about 3-4 years ago, and I care not at all whenever I will ever take the third degree or not...
Relax and enjoy your initiation and once again:
Congratulations!
Love is the law, love under will.
Peace
