How and why the order of the Templars was destroyed in one day. From a notebook

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On each face was written the consciousness of their physical strength and, at the same time, pride from belonging to a secret order, standing outside and above the rest of society, participating in an important and fascinating rite, the meaning of which the uninitiated can only speculate, and, moreover, false guesses.

Kurt Vonnegut. Utopia 14.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

As you know, the Templars, or Templars (from the Latin word "templum", i.e. "temple") were members of the spiritual and knightly (military monastic) Order of the Poor Knights (comrades) of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, founded in 1118 in Holy city of Jerusalem by the Burgundian nobleman Hugh de Payen (Payne), who became the first head (Grand Master) of the new pious chivalric brotherhood.

Initially, the Order of the Templars was called upon to protect pilgrims on a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher from Muslim Saracen robbers. By the middle of the XII century. The Knights Templar reached an unprecedented peak. There were almost 9,000 Templar commanders alone (commanderships, that is, autonomous territorial military-administrative-economic units) alone.

From 1300, the Order of the Templars was subjected to severe persecution by the French king, "collector of lands" Philip IV the Handsome. Hundreds of Templars were thrown behind bars, subjected to sophisticated torture in order to extract confessions from them in crimes against the crown and the church. In 1307, mass auto-da-fe began (public burning of accused templars at the stake). In 1312, the Knights Templar was officially abolished by a special bull of Pope Clement V (a Frenchman by birth and a subject of King Philip the Handsome, who helped him take the papal throne, which was soon transferred from Rome to the French city of Avignon, where he remained for 70 years).

On March 18, 1314, the Grand Master (Grand Master) of the Knights of the Temple, Jacob (Jacques) de Molay, went to the stake in Paris on charges of aiding the devil, worshiping the "idol of Baphomet", etc. Already shrouded in clouds of smoke, the old Templar cursed the king and the pope, swearing to them that they would outlive him by no more than 9 months. The prophecy of Master de Molay was fulfilled with amazing accuracy. Pope Clement V died suddenly a month after the burning of Jacques de Molay, on April 20, 1314. The King of France, Philip IV the Handsome (Le Belle), moved to another world on November 29 of the same year.

The Knights Templar and its history are shrouded in many legends. According to one of them, on the eve of the beginning of the repressions brought down on the Templars by King Philip the Handsome in 1307, members of the Order of the "poor knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon" managed to take most of their treasury out of France in 18 galleys in an unknown direction. And in the same 1307, Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich Krasny, while in Novgorod, where he was gathering forces to fight his opponent Prince Mikhail of Tver for the Great Table (the title of Grand Duke of Vladimir), met there these 18 ships with Templar refugees, who brought "an incalculable amount of gold treasury, pearls and precious stones." Bowing to the prince, the fugitives complained to him about "all the untruth of the prince of the Gauls and the pope." Prince Yuri immediately found the means to organize an armed struggle against Mikhail of Tver.

According to one version, in Moscow for a long time there was a commander's office (commandership) of the Knights Templar. Serving people from the West, who arrived in Moscow, according to chronicles, in 1305-1311, from the Horde, Lithuania and "from the Germans", were Templars who fled from the French king and the papal inquisition to the extreme East of Christian Europe.

According to one of the legends that have arisen around the Order of the Temple, in 1147 a certain Theophrastus (Theophrastus) de Mont-Olympus founded the secret "Order of the Asiatic Brothers". After the defeat of the Knights Templar, its eastern preceptories allegedly became the habitat of the "Asian Brothers". From this deeply secret organization, only a few documents have survived to this day - in particular, the so-called "Sealed Letter from Prague", which the Grand Master of the Order of the "Asian Brothers" Marquis (Margrave) François de Montresor (life time: the end of the 16th century) before sent to prison to his brother in Prague - the then residence of the Emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" Rudolf Habsburg, who gained fame as the "patron of warlocks" and known for his passion for the secret sciences (in particular, alchemy and astrology), as well as esoteric teachings.

Subsequently, in the history of Europe, various organizations, including Masonic and paramasonic organizations, arose more than once, declaring themselves the successors of the Order of the Temple, supposedly not completely destroyed, but surviving in the deep underground. These claims were fueled by one undoubted fact: the countless treasures of the Templars, which allegedly served as the main motive for the defeat of the Templars for King Philip the Handsome, disappeared without a trace and, despite all the attempts made, were never found.

Many of the later true (or imaginary) successors and followers of the historical Templars seriously professed the cult of "Baphomet" (which the inquisitors only accused the historical Templars of, and which far from all of them confessed - and many, having confessed under torture, subsequently retracted their testimony - for which, by the way, they ended up at the stake, as they fell into heresy again!). What do we know today about "Baphomet", who was allegedly worshiped by the historical Templars (not all, of course, but only a narrow "circle of initiates")?

Countless gossip, rumors, ambiguous interpretations. but nothing really reliable! The French archaeologist Jean Charpentier, an ardent enthusiast of the history of the Templars, discovered two underground sanctuaries in Provence and found statues in them - supposedly! - Baphomet. One of these statues depicted an androgyne (rebis, bisexual creature), dissected by a longitudinal purple stripe, standing on a crocodile; the other is an anthropomorphic (humanoid) creature entwined with a huge snake. Judging by the writings of the mystics and alchemists of the 15th and 16th centuries based on the Templar tradition, Baphomet should be attributed to the so-called Aeons-Demiurges (creators of the lower, material world) of the Gnostic pantheon. Gnosis (both pagan and Christian - although this division is rather methodological) is characterized by its absolute intransigence towards the "created world" ("lower deity", "demiurge" - literally; "half-creator", or "potter", sometimes referred to in Gnostic tradition "Yaldabaoth").

According to the Gnostics, the creation of the world is the result of a weakening or dispersion of the Deity, a manifestation of anti-theistic power. The "creation" of the world, that is, completeness, a certain degree of formalization of the material element, means for matter being left to itself, separation from the generative energy of cosmic Eros. Under such conditions, the matter, according to the Gnostics, begins to reproduce itself, splitting up in an infinite number of less and less diverse combinations. This leads to the subjugation, and then to the destruction of "Dynamis" - the creative masculine principle. "Dynamis", according to the teachings of the Gnostics, not only provokes birth, but also passes into the born and becomes active in it, forming an indestructible succession or phallic ligature of the Magic Spear. But this is just a guess. Torn off from Dynamis-Eros, the divine fire is sprayed, its formative energy is embodied in material substance; as a result, a created world is created, doomed to decay. And here comes the hypothesis about the Aeon-Mediator, which is able to stop the process of dissolution, harmoniously uniting Matter and Form. Hence the purple stripe on the statue of the bisexual Androgyne-Baphomet, combining part and whole, man and woman, past and future. Of course, these are all extremely difficult questions to comprehend.

19th century French occultist Eliphas Levi (former Catholic priest Alphonse Constant) in his famous work "The Doctrine and Ritual of Higher Magic" (the Russian translation of which was published in St. templars. On fig. 24 of the St. Petersburg edition we mentioned above depicts a bisexual androgynous monster with a female torso, eagle wings and the head of a goat, whose skull smokes with sulfur between its strongly parted horns. A pentagram (Solomon's star) burns in the androgyne's forehead, his belly is covered with fish scales, crossed goat legs trample the earthly sphere, left hand directed upwards, towards the growing moon, the right one - downwards, towards the moon on the detriment. The inscriptions on the hands of the androgyne - "coagula" and "solve" denote two fundamental principles of alchemy, expressed by the imperatives "bind" and "resolve" ("bind" and "solve"). A similar image of "Baphomet" is given (under the name "Chernobog") in the anti-Jewish work of I. Lutostansky "The Talmud and the Jews", and in the anti-Masonic book of S. Nilus "There is near at the door".

Meanwhile, there are reasonable doubts about whether this chimerical creature is related to "Baphomet", who was allegedly worshiped by the historical Knights of the Temple, convicted of heresy by the Pope and the King of France. According to the interrogation protocols of the templars, in some cases they spoke of worshiping an idol with a cat's head, but most often they spoke of worshiping a male head with a long beard and "eyes sparkling like carbuncles."

In general, "the water is dark in the clouds."

Penotus, one of the students of the famous physician and magician Paracelsus, gave the following explanation for the phenomenon of Baphomet; "Baphomet is the God of knowledge, not of the knowable." Probably, Penotus had in mind active, transforming, transforming knowledge. Be that as it may, whether the historical Templars worshiped "Baphomet" or not, but the cult of "Baphomet" professed by their successors and followers, in the light of the foregoing, can only be characterized as having a sharply anti-Christian character.

In the 20s. 20th century in Soviet Moscow there was a secret esoteric organization called the "Order of the Templars", the symbol of which was, however, not the traditional red cross for historical templars on a white field, but a completely atypical blue six-pointed star-hexagram (akin to the one that later adorned the state flag of the Jewish state Israel). The Moscow "Templars" were crushed by the organs of the GPU. Recently, protocols of their interrogations in 2 volumes were published in Moscow. As is clear from the interrogations, this occult lodge had nothing in common with the historical Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, except for a similar name.

At present, in the USA and Great Britain (in particular, in Scotland), along with numerous Masonic lodges of the Scottish rite, which includes Templar degrees, there are separate para-Masonic organizations "Order de Molay" and "De Molay Commandery", the latter having its own "youth wing" (ironically called "Masonic Scouts" by its opponents).

In the famous painting by the American battle painter Don Troiani "Farewell Salute to the Enemy" (reproduced on p. 186 of the illustrated "History of civil war in the USA"), depicting the surrender on April 12, 1865, of Confederate Confederate Army General John B. Gordon to Northern Unionist Major General Joshua L. Chamberlain, behind the latter one can see white, with a black border and a red pawled Templar cross, banner 1 th division, which is also the banner of the “Commandership de Molay.” On page 187 of the same book, there is a photograph of General Chamberlain with the same red palmate Templar cross on his uniform.

Along with the British (originally Scottish) Order of St. Andrew (also called the Order of the Thistle; the thistle flower is the national symbol of Scotland), in modern Western Europe (but also, for example, in Ukraine ) a number of Templar orders continue to exist - "The Sovereign Order of the Knights of the Jerusalem Temple", "The Order of the Knights of the Cross and the Temple", "The Order of the Crusaders of Montfort", "The College of Jacob (Jacob) Molay", "German (aka German) Order of the Templars "," The Supreme Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem ", etc., tracing their origin to the ancient Order, founded in the XII century in Jerusalem by Hugh de Payen. As a rule, they have the legal form of officially registered public organizations, created on the basis of rather vaguely formulated ideas of "Christian humanism" and engaged mainly in solving social tasks, the fight against poverty, the development of mutual understanding between peoples, etc. Unlike the Hospitaller (hospitable or hospitable) Orders (such as, for example, the Teutons, Lazarites, Johnites or Maltese), the modern (supposed) descendants and successors of the medieval Templars prefer to labor mainly in the field of patronage or general support of cultural and spiritual life, run their own schools, etc.

At the end of October 2009, the Vatican released 700 pages of secret archives concerning the Templars. One of the published documents - the so-called "Chinon List" - testifies that, as a result of a special investigation carried out at the direction of Pope Clement V in the first half of the 14th century, the accusations of heresy were dropped from the Order of the Templars and its members, which served as the basis for their arrest. , torture, execution by burning at the stake and confiscation of property. However, for many centuries the results of the investigation were not made public.

In 1980, the "Confederation of the Orders of the Templars" (Confoederatio Ordinis Templarii) was founded in Rome, not recognized, but not banned by the Vatican. However, the modern Templar Orders are mostly busy fighting each other and endlessly arguing about which Order is the true (legitimate) successor to the ancient Temple. Some of them are engaged in charity and officially declare that they profess the ideas of "tolerance", i.e. national and religious tolerance, mutual understanding between peoples, etc. Naturally, all this bears little resemblance to the behavior of the original, medieval templars, for whom the most optimal option for "development of mutual understanding between peoples" was a horse attack on "infidels"; and the "poor brethren" were not too fond of charity, because they needed every coin to fight the Saracens.

But even assuming that at least some of the majority of the modern "Orders of the Temple" really come from the ancient brotherhood of Hugh de Payen, all the same, they, over the centuries of their secret existence, most likely lost the right to be called his rightful successors. And above all - because they stopped fulfilling the main vow of the Knights of the Temple - to guard pilgrims on the way to the holy places. After all, to protect the pilgrims secretly is absolutely impossible.

For the most part, modern templars are knights, but not warriors and not monks. They do not live in castles and monasteries, they do not guard pilgrims either openly or secretly, they have completely different ideals and pursue completely different goals.

The only exceptions are members of the legitimate successor of the medieval Order of the Templars - the Supreme Knightly Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (Latin: Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani), whose Grand Magistrate is located in Porto (Portugal).

This is the end and glory to our God!

Reviews

What do you mean? "Legitimate" means "in accordance with the law"; "legitimate", "authoritative". A legitimate monarch (in particular, a king) is a monarch (in particular, a king) who occupies the throne of a country in accordance with that country's law of succession to the throne. Philip IV the Handsome is the legitimate son, heir to the throne and successor of his father, the legitimate (legitimate) King of France Philip III the Bold, who occupied the throne of France after his father in accordance with the law of succession to the throne. Consequently, Philip IV the Handsome is the legitimate (legitimate) king of France. Why do you have doubts about this?

Well, how can I tell you, I just met the opinion that the Capetian branch is not entirely legitimate as the heirs to the throne of the Franks. There is an opinion that Hugo Capet did have something to do with the death of Louis V, the son of Lothair, but the rightful heir to the throne of the Franks was just Charles of Lorraine from the Carolingian family (and this is not counting the numerous love affairs of queens and kings and their result, although the era of the reign of bastards begins after the death of the Order). But the Carolingians also came to power by betraying the majordomo Pepin the Short, who betrayed his king Childeric III, the last representative of the Merovingian dynasty, who descended from the Trojans, namely from the family of King Priam - Paris (Parisius-Paris-Paris, Lutetia Parisiorum ).

And then I will continue the thought: But what am I leading to, and to the fact that the Order of the Knights might know something like that much more. The fifth Albigensian crusade looks all the more strange, and besides, the grandfather of Isabella of Aragon was a participant in it. And by the way, the Order of the Templars patronized the Albigensians. Why did I talk about this, because the official version of the defeat of the order does not look logical. And therefore, if all the same, the Carolingian-Capetian-Habsburg family is not the legitimate heirs of one of the most powerful kingdoms in Western Europe, then the history of the defeat of the Albigensians, and then the Templars, begins to take on a completely different color.

In my opinion, the version about the origin of the Merovingians from the Trojans is no less legendary than the version about their origin from the earthly offspring of the Savior, or the version about the origin of Ivan the Terrible from "Prus, brother of Caesar Augustus", the Scandinavian kings - from the god Odin, etc. Such fantastic genealogies were widespread in the Middle Ages. The Knights of the Order of the Temple conscientiously participated in the crusades AGAINST the Albigensians (otherwise it would be strange to expect from warrior monks, whose spiritual leader was the Pope - the inspirer of these crusades).

But the chancellor of the counterfeiting king Philip the Handsome, Guillaume de Nogaret, (the actual murderer of Pope Boniface VIII, patron of the Order of the Temple) was indeed the son of heretic parents who belonged to the Albigensian Cathar sect. Grandfather Nogaret was condemned as a heretic by the Roman Catholic Inquisition in Toulouse during the Albigensian Crusade. So he harbored a grudge against everything Roman Catholic, including the papal throne and the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple.

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So many fiction and popular science books have been written about the Knights Templar in our time that it is rather difficult to add something new. Therefore, we will not consider in detail how the order appeared, but will try to understand why in a relatively short period of time it achieved such power and what caused the ruthless destruction of the Templars in most European states. The Order of the Knights Templar, also called the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Holy of Solomon or the Order of the Temple, was founded in 1119 in Jerusalem by the French knight Hugo de Payens. The headquarters of the order was in a former mosque built on the ruins of Solomon's temple. Presumably, from the Latin word "templum" - a sanctuary - the knights of the order received the name "Templars", "knights of the Temple". At first, there were only a few people in the order, whose main goal was to provide a safe path for the pilgrims on the way between Jerusalem and Jaffa. The ranks of the brotherhood quickly replenished, and it was mainly the French who joined it. The official transformation of the brotherhood into an order blessed by the Church to fight the infidels took place only ten years later. Among the founders of the Order of the Temple was a famous theologian and preacher, recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, Bernard of Clairvaux. This man enjoyed great influence - the kings heeded his advice, and the popes recognized his wisdom. Bernard of Clairvaux himself wrote a charter for the order, which was approved by Pope Honorius II in 1128, for which, for the first and last time in the history of the Catholic Church, a special church council was convened in Troyes, in the possessions of the Count of Champagne. A peculiar form was approved for the order - white clothes with a red cross on the left side of the chest and on the left sleeve. However, one should not think that all the knights wore white cloaks. Many of them did not wear white Templar clothes, but only sewed a red cross, and, as usual, on their chests when they went on a crusade, and on their backs when they left the Holy Land.

The Order of the Templars from the very moment of its foundation was distinguished by duality: it was both military and monastic, which was theoretically impossible, since the monks could not violate the commandments, among which "thou shalt not kill." However, the Templars were able to combine these mutually exclusive concepts. All members of the order took monastic vows: poverty, purity and obedience. However, according to the statute, they were exempted from performing part of the commandments and services, since they had to protect the life and freedom of holy places and Christian pilgrims. Only an unmarried man could become a member of the order: a bachelor, a widower or a monk, and only a free man - a knight, a landowner or a townsman, a feudal lord or a prince. A knight could also be refused admission to the order if it was believed that his presence could bring trouble, for example, if creditors began to demand his debts. The nationality of the applicant did not play a special role, although the majority of the Templars, as we have already mentioned, were French. It was strictly forbidden to accept only Jews into the order. Among the Templars were also ordinary priests who sent church services. Before each battle, they confessed brother knights and celebrated the sacrament of the Eucharist. The priests also took care of the order's hospitals. By the way, the Templars had the best surgeons in Europe. The order provided itself with everything necessary, all the daily work and hardships of life fell on the shoulders of the labor brothers, who were several times more than the knights, but their rights in the order were very insignificant.

However, already a few years after the founding, the Knights Templar paid minimal attention and effort to the protection of pilgrims. main goal the order was the acquisition of wealth and influence. Very soon, sayings “drinks like a Templar” and “swears like a Templar” appeared in the Holy Land. The knights who fought with the Saracens did not deny themselves pleasures, at the same time robbing not only infidels, but also fellow believers and capturing crowds of slaves, who were either used in the order along with animals, or sold at a profit.

The loss of Jerusalem in 1244 did not greatly affect the activities of the Templars. In the XIII century. the order reached the peak of military, political and economic power. The Templars owned about five thousand commanderies, castles, estates and hospices, of which 53 fortresses were in the Asian possessions of the crusaders. There were about 15 thousand knights in the order. They owned the first and largest banking system, which both ecclesiastical and secular authorities willingly used. At first, banking was only to provide support for the pilgrims and the security of their funds, but soon lending to travelers or taking property for safekeeping became a custom. Money started to grow and brought considerable income. The Templars were very strict about money. Honesty was their trademark. The numerous and well-trained army of the order made it possible to create an extensive trade network between Europe, Jerusalem and other states of the East and effectively manage it. A strong own fleet made the trade routes laid by the order practically the only safe way to trade with the East, that is, the Templars became, in fact, the monopoly owners of all rights to trade with Muslims. This brought huge sums to the treasury of the order and ... insanely irritated the church and secular authorities, who began to fear a powerful force that suddenly appeared in Europe and claimed dominance. The Templars developed an efficient and simple system for transferring funds - anyone could deposit money into an "account" in one country and receive it in another by presenting a written notification. It was the Templars who introduced bank checks, which are used all over the world today.

To top it off, the order was completely independent of any territorial secular and ecclesiastical authorities. They could not expel the templar from the dwelling or take away the property even by order of the Jerusalem king - this required a special order from the Pope. Moreover, the subordination of the Templars to the pontiff was more nominal than actual. First, they won the right to change and supplement the order rules without consulting the Pope, and then, when their financial empire swept the whole of Europe, the Pope simply became their debtor and was not eager to quarrel with the creditor.

In fact, the order became the first international organization in history based on military force and an extensive financial network. At the same time, the Templars performed all their actions under the cover of secrecy and no one could know in advance about their plans. Mysteriousness and power aroused at first hidden, and later obvious hostility of the Church and monarchs. The Knights Templar inspired especially strong fears in the King of France, Philip IV the Handsome, since it was there that the order was most powerful. The king failed to take possession of the order from the inside, becoming one of its leaders, so he decided to destroy dangerous competitors. By order of the king, his confessor (who was also the Grand Inquisitor of France) Guillaume of Paris began to collect information compromising the Templars, using knights expelled from the order as informants and witnesses. By 1307, the list of accusations was ready, messengers with a secret order of the king went to all parts of the country, and on September 13, 1307, the royal troops captured all the castles of the Templars in the country. Temple, the heart of the order in Paris, was surrendered without a fight - the knights opened the gates and let the guards in. Over the next few days, more than five hundred knights were arrested.

Everyone was well aware that the reasons for the arrest of the Templars were exclusively political, but the templars were charged ... with black books and blasphemy. Church commissions were created, which included bishops and representatives of mendicant orders: Carmelites, Franciscans and Dominicans. Since the Cistercians and Benedictines participated in the founding of the order, they were removed from the investigation. Under interrogation, the Templars categorically denied the accusations. First of all, they were accused ... of the sin of Sodom, which was allegedly encouraged by the leaders of the order. The Templars did not deny that at the initiation ceremony the neophyte was kissed on the navel, tailbone and lips. No one could explain the meaning of this rite: those who were not initiated into the mysteries of the order themselves did not understand it, copying the actions of the elders, and those who were admitted to secret knowledge were in no hurry to share them with the judges. During interrogations, the commanders admitted that they were rudely advised to newcomers: “If you are cold, you will warm up with your brothers,” but such jokes among the soldiers were in use not only among the Templars. More serious was another accusation. On the basis of the testimonies of the exiled knights and the confessions extracted under torture, the templars were accused of denying the crucifixion of Christ and spitting on the cross. The Templars could not object to this accusation. Indeed, newcomers to the order were told that Jesus had not been crucified and that the cross was not a holy symbol, but an instrument of death. After that, the newcomer had to spit on the cross. The Templars were also accused of idolatry, since almost every priory had its own "idol" - the so-called "heads of Baphomet", made of bronze heads, which sometimes had three faces, horns, eyes inlaid with jewels. Among the Templars, these artifacts were considered symbols of wealth and prosperity, but the judges easily saw evidence of devil worship in them. The verdict was unequivocal - devil worshipers, alchemists and usurers must be destroyed, which suited the Pope and the King of France as well as possible. The investigation dragged on for seven years, and the judges and investigators, who did not even show sympathy, but simply objectivity in relation to the Templars, were immediately removed and replaced with more "compliant". The knights who refused in court from the testimony torn out under torture were immediately sent to the stake.

Pope Clement V, who initiated the trial against the Templars on the orders of Philip, for a long time refused to make a final decision. Only the threat of the king of France to organize a trial on charges of heresy and blasphemy against his predecessor Boniface VIII forced the pontiff to make a fatal decision. In effect, the Pope "traded" the Templars for the preservation of the principle of papal infallibility. March 18, 1314 the case of the Templars was completed. The last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, and the second person in the order hierarchy, Prior of Normandy, Geoffroy de Charnay, were burned on the Ile de la Cité. This cloudy day marked amazing event- Jacques de Molay turned to Guillaume of Paris, who had finished reading the sentence, and spoke. For a moment it seemed to those present at the execution that some kind of high power. The old man said: “We are guilty before the Almighty, but we do not plead guilty to what the judges accused us of. We are guilty of the fact that our spirit was weaker than the flesh, and under torture we slandered the order of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.” The judges of the tribunal looked at each other. After a short consultation, Guillaume of Paris announced: “Since these heretics have not repented, continue to persist and spew blasphemy against our holy mother Church, we depart from them and hand them over to the secular authorities.” When the fire flared up, the Master said loudly: “Pope Clement V, in forty days you will come to me. King Philip IV of France, in less than a year you will join us." He didn't make another sound.

Jacques de Molay's prophecy came true exactly. On April 20, tormented by terrible pains, Pope Clement died - doctors, trying to cure the pontiff of pain in his stomach, prescribed him crushed emeralds, which tore his intestines. In November, Philip IV fell off his horse while hunting, injuring his spine. The paralyzed monarch was brought to the palace, where he died a few days later. Immediately, strife began in the state, the heirs began to share power. The sons of Philip IV, one after another, died childless, and Edward of England began to claim the throne of the French kingdom. The war between England and France dragged on for more than a hundred years. The country that killed the Knights of the Temple almost ceased to exist itself. Some mystics believe that only the atoning sacrifice of the Virgin of Orleans saved France from final destruction.

In other European states, the monarchs were no less willing than Philip the Handsome to seize the possessions of the disgraced order. In Italy, the rulers unconditionally followed the instructions of the Pope to destroy the heretics, but only a few templars climbed the fires, and in Germany they completely limited themselves to confiscation of property. Some scholars have even suggested that Freemasonry was founded by the Templars who went underground. Surprisingly, even now we almost daily encounter the symbols of the Templars, because their emblem - a red cross on a white field - is the sign of the international Red Cross. As for the silver and gold, which the almighty order allegedly owned, it was not possible to find it. Neither the court, nor the Inquisition, nor investigators, nor historians have been able to find traces of the wealth of the Templars.

A difficult topic is why the Order of the Templars disappeared, perished. I do not have sufficient knowledge in the history of the Knights Templar, so I set out to compile an overview using various sources from the Internet.

The Order of the Templars was created after the 1st Crusade in Palestine. It is believed that they created it to protect the pilgrims to Jerusalem (although this is an ostentatious purpose). It was officially recognized by the Catholic Church in 1128 at the Council in Troyes. The charter of the military monastic Order was written by Bernard of Clairvaux. He also became the initiator of the 2nd Crusade. All the first templars participated in the crusade, ie. they carried the faith in a completely inhumane way - with a sword and a spear.

Today they talk a lot about the secrets and mysteries of the most mystical monastic brotherhood - the Order of the Templars. It is still unknown how the “poor knighthood of Christ and the Temple of Solomon” (this was the official name of the Knights Templar) became the owner of untold wealth and the largest European landowner. For example, based on historical facts, researchers argue that the Knights Templar was much richer than any ruler of Western Europe.

In addition, founded in 1118, in 50 years the Knights Templar became the most influential and powerful organization in Europe. The Templars financed the construction of cathedrals, built roads, became international bankers. There is also evidence that the Templars sailed to America - much earlier than Columbus.

What did the Knights Templar do in Europe?

The Order of the Templars grew rapidly, owned lands in all countries of Western Europe, especially in France, Catalonia, and Italy. Also:

They had many privileges from the Pope and from the overlords.
The Templars came up with a non-cash method of transferring money, in which gold no longer needed to be carried with you, but it was possible to receive it by loan letters from treasurers in the priories. And since these priories, like a web, covered the entire then Christian world. No other secular pawnbroker could provide such a service to clients, but it was easy for the templars. In addition, it was they who came up with the system of checks and letters of credit to bearer, and introduced such a concept as a "current account".
The Templars issued money loans to sovereigns, moreover, on the security of profitable lands, and even state treasures!
They struck the French kings with a blow of unprecedented strength: they minted and began to keep a standard gold livre in their Temple. So now any gold coin that was different from it was declared counterfeit and was not accepted by them in the calculations!
They built and maintained roads. Taking a check with him, the pilgrim could not carry money with him, but exchange it at any preceptory (comturium) of the templars, this made it senseless for the robbers to attack for the purpose of robbery.
They created their own fleet, received a monopoly on transportation in the Mediterranean, making excellent money on it.

The influence of the Knights Templar was especially strong in France. It was there that the end of this organization was put. The Templars concentrated great wealth. The French King Philip IV was not burdened moral character, but was called Handsome, decided to do away with the order. Philip Handsome helluva lot indebted to the Order. Many sources write that this is how the king decided to get rid of the debt - to destroy the credit institution.

Actions of King Phipip IV

Whether only the idea of Philip the Handsome killed the knights-templars, or there were other reasons, weaknesses within their organization, it is difficult for us to judge. The archive of the Knights Templar, as well as their gold reserves, according to the official version, disappeared. The king of France got rid of the order, but did not find their wealth. Perhaps Philip IV, being a contemporary of the events, saw something else, for example, internal strife in the Order, the confrontation of some forces fighting for power and influence and took advantage of the situation.

The elimination of the Templar order was clearly a planned action, and these plans were not formed spontaneously. To begin with, the order was deliberately accused of heresy. Not subject to local kings, subject only to the Pope (and even then formally), exemption from taxes only added to the hatred of the templars.

At night on October 13, 1307 by order of the King of France, all the Templars in the country were arrested, and all their property fell under it. The investigation was conducted for several years, and it would even be strange if during this time most of the knights did not confess to the most terrible deeds for a Christian: that they worshiped the devil, desecrated Holy Communion, desecrated a crucifix, killed newborn babies, sin of Sodom and many other equally vile sins.

The executioners had no choice but to send the knights to the stake. None of the laws of the kingdom worked for the Templars. Whereas a witch who renounced heresy was usually spared and released, a Templar who renounced heresy was sentenced to be burned at the stake.

Curse of Jacques de Molay

It is stubbornly told that the master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay, before being burned at the stake, summoned King Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V and the closest adviser to the monarch de Nogaret to the Judgment of God. Jacques de Molay cursed them and their offspring: “Papa Clement! Knight Guillaume de Nogaret! King Philip! In less than a year, I will call you to the judgment of God and you will be rewarded with a just punishment! Curse!! A curse on your family up to the thirteenth generation!!!”

Two weeks later, Pope Clement V died suddenly of an illness. Almost at the same time, death overtook the colleague of the French king de Nogaret. They say that Nogare's death was hastened by Countess Matilda Artois, who did not hide her disgust for Nogare and said: "God is merciful and if he is in no hurry to fulfill the curse of the Master of the Templars, I will help him!" And Philip the Beautiful did not live long - in November of the same year, when he defeated the order, he suddenly died of a stroke.

The fate of the king was shared by the three sons of Philip - the people called them "damned kings." For 14 years, they alternately died under very mysterious circumstances, leaving no offspring behind. The death of the last of them, Charles VI, interrupted the reign of the Capetian dynasty. But the new French Valois dynasty, which took the French throne, also faced unheard-of disasters. In 1337, the famous Hundred Years War began.

During the war, one of the Valois - John the Good died in captivity by the British, the other - Charles V lost his mind. tragic fate befell all the representatives of the Valois dynasty:

killed in the tournament Henry II (1547-1559),
Francis II (1559-1560) died as a result of a medical error,
was poisoned by Charles IX (1560-1574),
died at the hands of the fanatic Henry III (1574-1589).

Failed to escape the curse of Jacques de Molay and Bourbon dynasty who replaced the Valois on the throne: the first of the Bourbons, Henry IV, died from the killer's knife, and the last Louis XVI ended his life on the scaffold. The following fact is interesting: before the execution, the king was imprisoned in the Temple Tower, which was previously considered the stronghold of the Knights Templar. Eyewitnesses of the execution claim that after the execution of the king, a man shouted: "Jacques de Molay, you have been avenged!"

Secrets of the Knights Templar

In the history of the Templars there are more mysteries than clues.

Where could such a number of material and spiritual treasures of the templars be hidden?
Why the Templars were so active in reviving the legends of the Brotherhood round table and the glorious King Arthur?
Were the knights really the guardians of one of the greatest relics of Christianity - the Holy Grail?
Where did thousands of knights of the order draw such tremendous spiritual power from?
And who were the Templars really - the servants of the Lord or the subordinates of the dark forces?
Were they heretics or victims of slander?

Even the sources of the Templars' wealth raise questions. Many believe that the templars received numerous donations from the aristocracy and monarchs. But donations went not only to the order of the templars, why in the XII-XIII centuries the strength, influence and wealth of the Templars far exceeded other concessions?

How did the Templars get so much silver? They generously paid with silver coins. But during the time of the Templars, there were no significant deposits of silver in Europe. Where did they get silver in such huge quantities?

Causes deeper, consequences longer

There is another assumption: since the templars maintained normal relations with the Muslim world, it is possible that it was the well-established trade with the Saracens that brought the knights huge income. Many researchers express the opinion that the significant financial transactions carried out by the Templars without regard to the rulers of European states and the Church, as well as numerous "manipulations with material values" accelerated the death of the Order of the Temple. The question is not clear, how did a powerful military-religious order, which has professional warrior-monks, dutifully allow itself to be destroyed?

Historians believe that the creation of a powerful paramilitary structure with huge funds at its disposal had far-reaching plans. Most likely the goal was to create a united Europe with a single government and economy. At the basis of a single European economy, the Templars intended to put a monetary system similar to that which operated in the order. It was planned to put the Merovingians at the head of a single political power in Europe, who were declared to be direct descendants of Christ. The knights of the order set themselves a daunting task, which even now no one can cope with.

Modern bankers, no doubt, recognize that the Knights Templar created a stable credit and financial system with its debt obligations (bills) and loan interest. The Templars managed to build a pan-European usury network, very similar to the modern banking capital system. They were not afraid to violate the prohibition of the church, which does not allow Christians to profit from the interest on loans, i.e. receive unearned money. Only Jews were forgiven for engaging in this type of activity, considering them to be Gentiles - let's recall Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and Pushkin's "The Miserly Knight".

By the way, the ban on usury in Islam is still in effect (I wonder if Islamic states know about this?). It seems that the main reason that the Knights Templar failed to carry out the planned radical changes in Europe in the 14th century is that Europe itself was not ripe for such advanced transformations.

Philip the Handsome was not allowed to know about all the plans of the Templars. But he considered dangerous for his empire and for himself personally the influence that the templars had acquired over the years of their existence. The Templars, on an equal footing, communicated with the mighty of the world, had stable ties with regions of the whole world, could manage any secret sects and teachings. I must say that Philip himself also hatched plans to receive the crown of the Roman Empire, but he was afraid that the Knights Templar would interfere with the implementation of his ambitious plans.

The treasury of France was devastated, the indignation of the people was growing, and the Templars, to their misfortune, were not only fabulously rich, but were also the main creditors of Philip the Handsome. His actions towards the order of the templars led to the fact that Philip the Handsome entered into world history not as a ruler who cares for the triumph of law and the glory of religion, but as a robber and murderer, on whose hands the blood of members of the Templar order.

Not everyone died, but it was not possible to revive the past

But not everywhere the Templars were persecuted and destroyed. Scotland was one of the countries that gave them asylum. Many knights of the order joined the ranks of other military monastic orders, among them the Order of Malta, the Order of the Temple of Solomon, the Order of the Knights of Christ (Portugal). So, Vasco da Gamma and Prince Enrique the Navigator were knights of the Order of Christ. The prince contributed to the development of shipbuilding in Portugal, he equipped ships to explore new lands and they sailed under the flags of the Templars. The symbols of the Templars were on the ships of Columbus when he crossed the Atlantic.

Why was it that the Order was so seemingly easily disbanded in one night, and its riches and documents were not found?

In fact, the Order of the Templars could only be part of another, the so-called ... Zion Order, which appeared at the turn of the XI-XII centuries. Very reminiscent of modern corporations. One belongs to the second, and the second is part of the first - about corporations.

What was this order, whose name comes from the name of the abbey of St. Mary and the Holy Spirit on Mount Zion, with a rigid hierarchy, divided into seven degrees? In 1118, his fifth degree - the Crusaders of St. John - became the Order of the Knights of John of Jerusalem (Hospitallers, Johnites), and almost simultaneously the Templars also stood out from it, and then Warband. That is, all these three orders were only legal parts of an illegal association.

With the fall of Palestine, the Order of Zion goes further into the shadows, but still manages its legal "branches". And, according to the authors of the version, foreseeing the sad fate of the Knights Templar, the “Zionists” took action. The decision they made was cruel: not to waste efforts on the compromised templars, but to save the main thing - their supranational empire, its wealth and connections.

And of course, the Zion Order did not want to give anyone its gold, which only nominally belonged to its branch in the person of the Templars.

And, since, according to the authors, the “Zionites” guessed about future events a few years before they all happened (and where did such insight come from, did no one really blurt out?), Then they had time to take out their wealth. Where did they take him? To England, which they chose as an instrument of revenge on France for ... the destruction of their branch - the Knights Templar. That's even how! Therefore, when the Hundred Years War began in 1337, all the money ended up there. Hence all the military successes of the British. After all, England at that time, compared with France, was poor country, and suddenly such military achievements and successes? What kind of "shishi", you ask? But on which - on the "gold of the Templars"!

Reading the article will take: 3 min.

A note in the Internet news publication oko-planet that accidentally caught my eye made me think a lot. What if the oldest secret societies still exist today? What if over the centuries they have accumulated colossal forces and means to control the Earth? The idea is not new - it has repeatedly formed the basis of films and books, but that is fiction ... And yet - have you ever had a fantastic idea: put money into a bank account a hundred years in the past, then find yourself in the future and receive enormous interest in full? Now imagine the richest organization of the past making such a contribution for 500 years...

Pectoral cross of the Templars

679 years ago, the last known Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of the Temple, Jacques de Molay, was burned alive at the stake.

Grand Master of the Order of the Temple - Jacques de Molay

The Knights Templar became in those days a threat to the power of kings, a threat to the power of the Pope - the funds of the order were so great that not a single treasury of the royal houses of Europe could compete with them. The templars gave loans to the kings, charging them interest and receiving rich estates and lands as payment for their debts! For Philip IV the Beautiful, the King of France, the decision was obvious - to negotiate with the Vatican and set the Holy Inquisition on the Templars: the Order of the Knights of the Temple - to dissolve, the top of the organization - to put to death, property and treasury - to be divided between the crown and the Vatican. Everything happened almost according to the scenario of Philip the Handsome: the supreme templars were put to death, their estates and lands were divided, but the main thing - the huge treasury of the Order - disappeared without a trace. The executioners of the Inquisition could not find her traces, she disappeared, as if she had disappeared into the air ...

There is an entry in the Novgorod chronicles from 1307 - “overseas kaliki arrived in Novgorod on 18 ships with a great treasury, they bowed to Prince Yuri of Moscow with it. And those kaliki fled from the wrath of the prince of the Gauls ... ”In the textbooks of the history of Russia, the moment before the Battle of Kulikovo is well described - when the monk Peresvet came out against the hero of the Tatar-Mongols. Only there it is not reported that the monk was a Templar, a knight of the Order of the Temple! How else to explain that the crosses of the templars are carved on the gravestones of Peresvet and his partner Oslyabi?

See for yourself, their tombstones in the Moscow Simonov Monastery, in the days of the USSR, the Palace of Culture of the plant named after. Likhachev. The symbol of the Templars - a scarlet rose - is clearly visible on the lattice of the preserved part of the monastery.

David Noel James, Lord and Peer of England

Last November, a member of the British House of Lords - Lord David Noel James, Baron Blackheath - delivered a lengthy and confusing speech in Parliament. In it, he voiced an offer made to him by representatives of a certain "Fund X" - a gratuitous contribution of 5 billion pounds to the economy of England. And, as Lord James very ornately described the situation, these funds belong to some ancient society that has accumulated colossal gold reserves equal to “all the gold that has been mined on Earth in a historical period”! His speech was abruptly cut short by the Speaker of the British Parliament before the lord could explain what exactly he was talking about ...

It is known that in last years representatives of the Templars are trying to obtain from the Vatican a confession of falsely accusing the Order of the Temple and legalizing their society, thanks to Dan Brown, better known under a different name - the Priory of Sion. These events do not fit in my head ... what else will emerge from the darkness of history over the years?

It was assumed that the O.T.O. will become a kind of Masonic Academy, which will combine the wisdom of all Masonic degrees. However, this did not happen.

O.T.O. he never became a part of regular Freemasonry, if only because he adhered to the principle of equal rights for men and women, and, therefore, accepted the latter into his ranks. In addition, the O.T.O. considered belief in God (or gods) a personal matter of each person, and therefore mono-, poly-, and even atheists could join it.

Finally, O.T.O. and Freemasonry was interrupted in 1920 when the Congress of the "World Federation of Universal Freemasonry", held in Zurich, rejected the proposal of Reuss - then head of our Order - to make Thelema the basic law of Freemasonry. After Reuss's death (in 1923), he changed the initiatory rituals of the O.T.O. so as not to violate the legal privileges and recognized powers of modern Freemasons. So in our time, membership in the O.T.O. does not mean the award of any Masonic degree whatsoever.

Now the O.T.O. is a completely independent Order, which may include Christians, Buddhists, Wiccans, Freemasons, etc. In a word, representatives of any religious denominations and esoteric societies.

What is the Order today? Eastern Templars? Its center is located in the US state of California. There are historical reasons for this. It was in California that the Agape Lodge existed - the most numerous and capable branch of the O.T.O. at the time of Crowley's death, it was in this Lodge that he worked, whom, along with Crowley, he named his heir.

After the death of McMurtry in 1985, the Sovereign Sanctuary (the highest body) of our Order elected as its external head Hymenea Beta, which heads the O.T.O. and to this day.

The Order currently has over 4 thousand people and has its representations more than 60 countries.

The right to conduct initiation into the Order is enjoyed by its branches in 20 countries:
Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, as well as the Grand Lodges of Australia, USA and Great Britain.

At the O.T.O. there are no luxurious temples and office buildings; there are no crowned persons and presidents in its ranks. It is not customary to give diamond cufflinks to your masters or invite "new Russians" to you, as well as nouveaux riches in other countries. O.T.O. does not court the official power either. Only person, who receives a "salary" in the Order, is the external head of the Order, while she is quite modest.

O.T.O. does not engage in paid training of "magicians", and membership fees here are purely symbolic. So, for example, for Russia for dedication to the degree Minerval(zero degree) will be charged the amount of $6.30 (this money goes towards the agape fraternal meal, which is an integral part of the initiation), the membership fee for the year in the Minerval degree is also US$6.30(with this money published Magick Link("The Magical Link") is the newsletter of our Order, which is received by every member of the O.T.O. With this money, the travels of brothers-initiators to those countries where local branches of the O.T.O. they themselves do not have the means and opportunities for this.

Initiation fee and annual membership fee for I degree also constitutes, respectively, US$6.30 and US$6.30.

The structure of the O.T.O., like that of the Masonic brotherhoods and the ancient secret schools, is based on a successive series of initiations to appropriate degrees, most of which are awarded ceremonially. In initiatory rites of various degrees, the O.T.O. seeks to help the individual understand through the language of allegories and symbols the deepest mysteries of Nature, and thus help him to comprehend his own true identity, true Will.

Membership in the Order A person can become a member of the Order only after passing a special initiation ceremony, which is performed by an initiator who has permission from the leadership of the Order. Active membership is divided into 21 degrees, - 13 numbered (from 0 to 12) degrees and 8 unnumbered subdegrees, which are intermediate.

Initiatory degrees of O.T.O.

Human Earth (Third Triad)	0°	Minerval	"Degrees of the Oasis"	Mysteria Mystic Maxima
	I°	Man and Brother/Woman and Sister
	II°	Mage
	III°	Master Mage
	IV°	Perfect Mage and Companion to the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch
	P.I.	Perfect Initiate or Prince of Jerusalem
Beyond all Triads	K.E.W.	Knight of East and West
lovers (Second Triad)	V°	Sovereign Prince of the Rose Cross, and Knight of Pelican and Eagle
		Knight of the Red Eagle and Member of the Senate of the Knights of the Hermetic Philosophers
	VI°	Illustrious Knight (Templar) of the Order of Kadosh, and Companion of the Holy Grail
		Grand Inquistor Commander and Member of the Grand Tribunal
		Prince of the Royal Secret
	VII°	Theorist, Very Illustrious Sovereign Grand Inspector General
		Magician of Light and Bishop of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
		Great Magician of Light and Inspector of Rites and Initiations
Hermit (First Triad)	VIII°	Perfect Pontiff of Enlightenment
		Mist (Epopt) Enlightenment
	IX°	Initiate of the Sanctuary of the Gnosis
	X°	Supreme and Holy King (Rex Summus Sanctissimus)
	XI°	Initiate of the Eleventh Degree (This degree is technical, and has nothing to do with the overall plan of the Order.)
	XII°	Frater Superior, Outer Head of the Order

According to the Book of the Law, degrees in the O.T.O. divided into three categories or "Triads":

Earth Man;
Enamored;
Hermit.

"Whoever calls us Thelemites will not be mistaken if he carefully considers the word. For there are Three Degrees in it: the Hermit, the Lover and the Man of the Earth". (The Book of the Law Ch. I; verse 40)

The First Triad consists of 5 numbered degrees, while Minerval is considered as an introductory part to the First Degree, and the IV° degree as an appendix (addition) to the III°:

Each of the degrees of the first triad corresponds to one or two of the seven chakras.. The initiation ritual itself activates the corresponding chakra in a person. More precisely, it removes the "blocks" that interfere with the free operation of these energy centers. What causes chakra blockage? The reasons for this can be very different. These can be childhood traumas, difficult family conditions, physical and emotional traumas, and, finally, simply a lack of attention from others.

Correspondence of the degrees of the first triad O.T.O. and chakras

The logical sequence of taking degrees is made clear through the chakra system. Thus, the degree of Minerval establishes a certain conditional boundary, activating the location of the Kundalini Serpent and the "third eye". The next three degrees (I° - III°) move down the spine, successively activating the throat chakra, the heart chakra and the navel chakra. The fourth degree returns to Ajna, thus completing the circuit begun in Minerval, reactivating the "third eye". To strengthen this cycle. Only when blocks are removed from all chakras, the highest chakra - Sahasrara (Crown) is activated.

It is believed that if a person experiences communication problems, his fifth chakra (Vishuddha - the plane of human existence) is blocked, if health and material problems constantly arise, then, obviously, problems with the first chakra (Muladhara - the plane of the physical world), etc. .d. Of course, you should not understand everything in a simplistic way. After all, for some, problems, for example, with Vishuddha, are aggressive and permanent disputes, for another - a refusal to communicate.

For the previous initiation to have a full and proper effect on the initiate, a certain time is required, therefore it is assumed that between initiations should elapse approximately 9 months or a year (the only exception is associated with the Minerval and I degrees. In special cases, they are allowed to be taken on the same day).

Of course, the initiation ceremony is not a universal means to remove the blockage from the chakra once and for all. Therefore, the effect of initiation can be very different. For some time the chakra can be activated, but if the work with it is not continued, then after a short time it will "close" again.

Minerval (zero degree)

Conception. Here a person is considered a guest of our Order. This is an introductory degree of initiation, it gives the candidate the opportunity to think and decide whether he needs to become a full member of the Order. In the language of symbolism, this is defined as the attraction of the human "ego" (wandering God) to solar system, or, if you like, conception. Minerval is a "welcome guest" of the Order, although not a full member. A member of the Order in the degree of Minerval cannot lead an O.T.O. Camp. or give a recommendation for entry into the Order to someone else. The time spent in the Minerval degree is not limited. You can apply for an I° initiation immediately after being initiated into the Minerval degree, but you can also take time out to consider whether or not you should make this decision. If you want to stay in the Minerval degree, that's absolutely fine.

First degree - Man and Brother (Woman and Sister)

Birth. This initiation ritual makes a person a full member of the Order. During the initiation into the First Degree, a spiritual bond develops between the initiate and the Order, which a member of the O.T.O. never loses again, even if he withdraws from active activity in it.

Second degree - Mage

human life. A person lives life and gets acquainted with its basic laws, from the point of view of Thelema.

Third Degree - Master Mage

Man knows death.

fourth degree

It consists of two parts:

Perfect Magician and Companion of the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch
Man enters the World beyond Death.

Perfect Initiate or Prince of Jerusalem (P.I)
Annihilation or Perfect Beginning.

After the fourth degree follows intermediate degree Knight of East and West, which is a kind of "bridge" between the Triad Man of the Earth and the Lover. From this degree onwards, advancement in the Order is by invitation only.

As Aleister Crowley wrote, "All subsequent (higher) degrees develop mainly the symbolism of the II degree, that is, they are a kind of guide to the Candidate as to how he should act; and gradually communicate to him the Magical Secrets that make him the Master of Life."

Further advancement in the O.T.O. usually a matter of several years. A certain amount of time is required for the previous initiations to have their full and proper effect on the initiate.

Rituals and training from V° to IX° degrees - instructions for Initiation into the Mastery of Life; The instructions that lead into Hermetic Philosophy, Kabbalah, Magick and Yoga are all aimed at preparing for Initiation into the one Supreme Mystery.

Triad of Lovers

V° Sovereign Prince of the Rose Cross, and Knight of the Pelican and Eagle, Knight of the Red Eagle, and Member of the Senate of the Knights of the Hermetic Philosophers

VI° Illustrious Knight (Templar) of the Order of Kadosh, and Companion of the Holy Grail, Grand Inquistor Commander, Member of the Grand Tribunal, Prince of the Royal Secret

VII° Theorist, Highly Illustrious Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Magician of Light and Bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica, Grand Master of Light and Inspector of Rites and Initiations

Hermit Triad

VIII° Perfect Pontiff of Enlightenment. Mist (Epopt) Enlightenment.

IX° Initiate of the Sanctuary of the Gnosis.

X° Supreme and Most Holy King (Rex Summus Sanctissimus). This is a technical degree. It is received by the National Grandmaster General of the O.T.O. in a separate country.

XI° Initiate of the Eleventh Degree. This degree is technical and has nothing to do with the overall plan of the Order.

XII° Frater Superior or O.N.O. - Outer Head of the Order

It is worth noting that the names of the nine degrees are taken from Masonic sources: the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch, the Prince of Jerusalem, the Knight of East and West, the Sovereign Prince of the Rose Cross, the Knight of the Red Eagle, the Illustrious Knight (Templar) of the Kadosh Order, the Grand Inquistor Commander, the Prince of the Royal Secret and Sovereign Grand Inspector General.

In addition, membership in the Order is divided into two classes: from the degree of Minerval to VII ° members of the O.T.O. form a brotherhood which is called "The Greatest Hidden Secret"("Mysteria Mystica Maxima" or M. .M. .M. ..). Members of the Order from VIII to X degree form Hermetic Brotherhood of Light(Fratemitas Lucis Hermeticae).

Branches of the O.T.O.: CAMP, OASIS and LODGE

In addition to the administrative and governing bodies in the O.T.O., there are three levels of official local initiated bodies (local bodies): Camps, Oases and Lodges.

Camp

The base level is the Camp. Camps can be as simple as study groups or as complex as miniature lodges. Camps may or may not initiate, but even those with a Charter may initiate no higher than III°.

The camp may be established by a single dedicated member of the O.T.O. who has a degree of at least First. He may perform tasks such as organizing a regional office, making initiations, issuing publications, maintaining a computer site, and so on. Camps must keep efficient records of financial transactions and have a reliable mailing address.

Oasis

The next level of difficulty, higher than the Camp, is Oasis. In many ways, the Oasis is a miniature Lodge. With regard to its members, the Oasis must carry out the basic functions of the Lodge: to conduct teaching in the form of classes and/or mailing of written materials, to endeavor to celebrate the Gnostic Mass regularly, and to carry out initiations from 0° to III°.

The oasis must be created by at least three dedicated members, one of whom must be at least a Grade Three. Usually, oases are created from existing Camps. Since the Oases are the initiating organs, they must have all the means necessary to carry out initiations up to and including the third degree. The Oases have the same financial and reporting responsibilities as the Camps.

Lodge

local authority top level under the jurisdiction of the Electoral College is the Lodge. The Master of the Lodge must have an Initiation in the Order not lower than V°, and also have the Right of Initiation to a degree not lower than III°.

The Lodge must independently carry out the initiations of members up to the III° degree inclusive and have everything necessary for the implementation of the IV° and P.I. initiations, even if the Head of the Lodge does not hold the Right of Initiation to these degrees.

Generally, the minimum distance that Lodges must be 50 miles apart, except in densely populated cities. The terms of reference of Lodges and Oases are similar. In addition, the Lodge may be required to assist the Order in legal matters. Lodges are required to keep a complete set of documents, in addition to what is normally required of the lower levels, and also to issue manuscripts, periodicals and other publications or other works that contribute to the dissemination of the Knowledge of Thelema. All Lodges are supposed to try to celebrate the Gnostic Mass as often as possible. The two main functions of the Lodge are: (1) to serve the bulk of its members; and (2) in case of misfortune that may befall the Grand Lodge, prolong the life of the Order.

Despite the requirements of the Order's 1917 Constitution that no one may be a member of more than one Lodge at the same time, today's O.T.O. does not restrict membership in local bodies.

O.T.O. in Russia

The Moscow branch of the Order - "Pan's Asylum" - was created on the basis of a charter issued by the Supreme Council of the Ordo Templi Orientis on April 15, 2000. The basis of the Camp "Pan's Refuge" was Russian members of the Order who were initiated in other countries.

The first initiation into the O.T.O. in Russia took place in Moscow on August 30, 2002. On May 18, 2004, by decision of the Supreme Council of the Order, the Camp "Pan's Refuge" was transformed into the Oasis "Pan's Refuge". He was also given the right to independently carry out initiatory work in 0 - III degrees. On January 13, 2008, the Oasis was upgraded to Pan's Sanctuary Lodge. Today in our country there are four branches of the O.T.O.: Lodge "Pan's Refuge" in Moscow, Camp "Sphinx" in St. Petersburg, Camp "Sofia" in Voronezh, Camp "156" in Chelyabinsk.

Any person who has reached the age of majority and recognizes, to the best of his own understanding, has the right to declare his desire to become a member of our Order. But at the same time, he must submit the recommendations of two guarantors from among the members of the Order. To do this, he must prove that he is seriously interested in magic, wants to learn and can participate in joint magical work.

Membership in our Order opens the way to Knowledge, but does not give any privileges on the material plane. Every new member of our Order has a hard job ahead of us. However, he is entitled to expect that his brothers and sisters in the O.T.O. will always be ready to help him in this matter.

You can contact the Order at