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Interesting blog post by someone who was practicing the yogic flying and had a bad experience and talks of it as a cult. Additionally they talk about the negative effect yogic flying had on their knees

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Wefollowed the siddha directions faithfully. We paid a monthly fee to participate in group siddha meditations in a foam-lined warehouse in West Los Angeles. Although I devoted well over four hours a day to TM and the siddhis for well over a year, I did not experience anything Maharishi promised. Nor, from what I could tell, did anyone else.

BOUNCING ON OUR BUTTS (but no enlightenment)

What was called levitation was a total joke. While most people think of levitation as hovering in mid-air, in the TM world it consisted of mostly younger, more athletic siddhas hopping around on their butts on thick, dense foam pretending they were flying through the air. Maharishi had to do some fancy footwork to explain the absurdity of what was happening. In the process, he brilliantly redefined what normal, everyday people meant by levitation. He said the hopping was the "first stage" of levitation and called it "yogic flying." (This first stage has now lasted well over forty years.) Based on my total lack of results, I was happy that that since I was a TM executive, my course was free.

I also recognized that other aspects of TM were failing me. Importantly, my strong research background led to a troubling realization: nearly every study done by TM researchers was at least biased, short term, had no or inadequate control groups, and most were poorly designed. To be fair, I had to include the study that I co-authored at Folsom Prison in that assessment.

At that point, I stood at a career crossroads.

A NEW DAUGHTER

I thought that strengthening my skills in research design and analysis would make me a more valuable resource if the movement was interested in higher quality studies. If not, I could move on with a marketable skill set. In 1977, I was accepted into a Ph.D. program in behavioral science research in the UCLA School of Public Health. By that September, I was a full-time student, working full-time in my TM position, and doing my TM and siddha program four hours a day. Also, we had a new baby daughter.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JERRY JARVIS

My life was complicated, but it was about to become much simpler. For reasons that remain unclear to me to this day, TM's hierarchy changed dramatically. Without any explanation, Jerry Jarvis, who ran TM in the U.S., disappeared from the national center. Next to Maharishi, Jerry was the most beloved person in TM. I can't remember what we thought had happened to him; I only remember feeling uncomfortable that he was there one day and gone the next, with no explanation. Then, the office was reorganized and a bunch of dreary, dour, gloomy, cheerless replacements arrived. Within a few weeks, my wife and I, along with almost everyone else, were told to leave.

We continued to meditate, and our programs continued to average about two hours in the morning and two in the evening. I'd like to say I remember the time "flying" by, but it didn't. The program was highly structured. It included thirty to forty minutes of TM, repetition of the nineteen English phrases ( sutras) that comprised the various siddhis we were given, breathing techniques ( pranayama), yogic postures ( asanas), and rest periods. Every session was capped off with reading about Hindu gods who are fighting malignant demons in a Hindu scripture known as the ninth mandala of the rig veda. So much for TM claims not to be a religious practice.

LEVITATING IN THE GARAGE

Eventually, we stopped going to the group "flying" program. We put foam mattress pads in our garage and did our program at home. It gave us more flexibility and cut down travel time to and from the meditation warehouse, along with saving the monthly fee.

DEMOTED AND UNENLIGHTENED

Some months later, a woman who identified herself as from the TM national office called to inform us that we were no longer welcome at the group meditation center and that our admission badges had to be returned. When I asked why, she said we had "disowned the movement." We didn't care, because we had moved on with our lives. Still, it was strange as we had never said anything negative about Maharishi or the TM organization.

Although it was upsetting at the time, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Before long we saw that we had been lied to by TM and that the only thing achieved by 'Yogic Flying' was that you could cause damage to your knees. I eventually had a knee replacement. I left the cult. Many people were not so lucky.[This is an excerpt from Transcendental Deception. Get your copy at amazon.com]

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Aryeh Siegel is the author of TRANSCENDENTAL DECEPTION: Behind the TM curtain - bogus science, hidden agendas, and David Lynch's campaign to push a million public school kids into Transcendental Meditation while falsely claiming it is not a religion. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and family. Discover more at www.tmdeception.com

Blog 5

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YOGIC FLYING, SORE KNEES & GETTING CONNED BY TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

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Wefollowed the siddha directions faithfully. We paid a monthly fee to participate in group siddha meditations in a foam-lined warehouse in West Los Angeles. Although I devoted well over four hours a day to TM and the siddhis for well over a year, I did not experience anything Maharishi promised.

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We are speculating on a future where the Natural Law Party rose to success in the 1997 general election taking into account their past and present.

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Shipping to: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France, Australia, Russian Federation, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Sweden, Korea, South, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Austria, Bahamas, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Republic of, Malaysia, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macau, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay

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* Estimated delivery dates- opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.

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Vintage Rare Election T-Shirt Natural Law Party Hagelin 1996 Single Stitch SizeM | eBay

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Shipping to: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France, Australia, Russian Federation, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Sweden, Korea, South, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Austria, Bahamas, New Zealand, Philippines,

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"THE BEST GOVERNMENT IS NATURE'S GOVERNMENT - Natural Law - which governs our universe with perfect order and without a problem. Natural Law governs all life, from the galaxies to the solar system to our planet Earth; and certainly our own lives are governed by Natural Law. The Natural Law Party has the knowledge to bring the support of Natural Law to every individual and the whole of the United Kingdom. Our national life will be in harmony with Natural Law, and everyone will enjoy peace, happiness and prosperity. We have the scientific knowledge to create a government as efficient and nourishing as the government of Nature."

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1994 was a different time. Harry Potter was still three years away from publication, and John Major was Prime Minister. It is also the year of the now famous Natural Law party political broadcast above.

Now defunct, and leaving very little cultural impact, few know the Natural Law party's story. But that story is quite a rollercoaster, encompassing some of pop culture's greatest figures and spawning movements across the world.

The background

The Natural Law party was founded in March 1992, two years before that famous 1994 broadcast. Its core principles stem from the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and his philosophy of Transcendental Meditation. Initially from the Indian Himalayas, the Yogi had already built a global following for his teaching throughout the previous four decades.

You may have heard of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He had became spiritual advisor to the Beatles in 1967, though this formal association was relatively brief. By 1968, the group were on record calling their association a 'mistake' - while 'sexy Sadie' was reportedly written about Maharishi. There were even contemporary reports that the Yogi had attempted to attack Mia Farrow.

By the time the Natural Law party was founded, this rift had apparently healed somewhat. George Harrison kicked off their 1992 campaign with a star-studded fundraising concert at the Royal Albert Hall - which was his first full concert in the UK since 1969. He later reported that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had suggested that he, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr stand for election as MPs for Liverpool under the party's banner.
You may also be interested in: Why the SDP failed: Lessons for the future
In the end, the Beatles never became Natural Law candidates. Instead Dr Geoffrey Clements became the party's figurehead. Their first leader, he was a scientist by training, holding bachelor and doctoral degrees in physics from the University of Sussex which he earned between 1968 and 1974. He trained as teacher of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation while studying for these degrees.

Clements was a far more serious looking man. With his dull features and grey suits, he looked very bit the 1980s science teacher. This added to the bizarre nature of the party's message and goals, as he soberly delivered speeches on 'Yogic Flying' (in which a participant would bounce around with their legs folded) and other 'alternative' health and economy policies.

As leader, he stood for parliament in 1992 and 1997, and ran for London Mayor and headed his party's European Parliament list in 1999. He did not retain a deposit in a single one of these elections.

What did the party stand for?

The video above is a good representation of the party's core aims and ideas, surprisingly. The most concise glimpse into their worldview can perhaps be found in the forward to their 1997 manifesto, below:

"THE BEST GOVERNMENT IS NATURE'S GOVERNMENT - Natural Law - which governs our universe with perfect order and without a problem. Natural Law governs all life, from the galaxies to the solar system to our planet Earth; and certainly our own lives are governed by Natural Law. The Natural Law Party has the knowledge to bring the support of Natural Law to every individual and the whole of the United Kingdom. Our national life will be in harmony with Natural Law, and everyone will enjoy peace, happiness and prosperity. We have the scientific knowledge to create a government as efficient and nourishing as the government of Nature."
You may also be interested in: Sex, blackmail, and attempted murder: The Thorpe affair
Their policy programme was divided into five pillars for good government, to achieve the harmony with natural law they sought.

Firstly, they sought to develop each individual's consciousness through encouraging people to participate in Transcendental Meditation. This enlightenment would, in their view, lead to better decision making and reduce conflict. More realistically, it might have the secondary benefit of improving what we would now call mental health.

Secondly, they sought to reduce healthcare costs through training people to do their own health check ups. These checks would be very vague, and assessments would consist of self-pulse readings. It is not entirely clear if these personal health assessments would have replaced or complimented more traditional check ups.

Thirdly, they wanted to establish new groups of experts in their practices. These included in Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying techniques, as well as in the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Fourthly, they wanted to convince people to follow what they saw as natural law. In their view, this would reduce 'unfavourable' influences and improve the moral and spiritual standing of the nation.

Finally, they committed to ensuring that people's work and home environments supported their health and happiness. Unlike the other commitments, this sentiment may be seen in a modern manifesto, however this was to be achieved through following the general teachings of Maharishi.

Explaining this set of policy positions in 1999, Clements said, "When groups of people practise yogic flying it creates a powerful effect of coherence that radiates to the environment, decreasing stress and increasing integration and positivity in the area". The spiritual power of Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying techniques, per the party's worldview, would solve all of the country's ills through radiating the spiritual energy it created into wider society.

Their results

The Natural Law party was incredibly well funded. It contested 310 seats in the 1992 election. This would have cost £155,000 in deposits. The party won only 0.19% of the vote in constituencies in which it stood - losing every single deposit. This entitled them to the party election broadcast below:

The party had budgeted £1 million on the 1992 election. One of these was&nbspDoug Henning, who said that the 'dismal' number of votes he secured was a "reasonable return for a campaign which began only three weeks before polling day."

Two years later, Natural Law became the first UK party to put forward candidates for all 87 United Kingdom seats in the European Parliament Elections. The party won no MEPs in 1994. This is the year that they released the classic party election broadcast above.

Between 1992 and 1997, the party ran candidates in 16 of the 20 by-elections held. Every one of their candidates lost their deposit.

By 1997, the party had burnt through money and seen absolutely no electoral return. Yet they still ran a significant campaign, fielding candidates in 197 constituencies. This would have cost £98,500 in deposits. Again, this number of candidates entitled them to a political broadcast. The party secured 0.10% of the vote, with every candidate losing their deposit. And again they were entitled to a party election broadcast, below:

After 1997, the money seems to have dried up. The party ran candidates in only 8 of the 16 by-elections held between 1997 and 2001, and ran candidates in the 1999 European Election (party election broadcast ; here ) - again losing every single deposit - and did not run any candidates in the 2001 general election. The party folded shortly afterwards, and voluntarily deregistered with the Electoral Commission at the end of 2003 without contesting another election or by-election.

The legacy

There are no shortage of small parties in British politics. Many of them have been as persistent and as laughably bad. But few of them have been so bizarre, or at least so earnestly bizarre. There was something endearing about that. Similarly, few if any have ever had the financial backing to run in that wide a range of constituencies that they are entitled to a party political broadcast - so many, indeed, that there was a good chance they were on the ballot in your constituency.

Despite being relatively recent in the grand scheme of British politics, the number of odd political and quasi religious organisations currently present in British politics, and the fact that the deposit for standing at a general election has stayed at £500 since the 1980s, it seems unthinkable that we could have a party so odd stand in so many seats ever again. And for that they will probably be remembered.

What happened to the organisation? After the UK party was set up, branches were established across Europe and then America, Oceana and Asia. Few of these parties achieved similar levels of notoriety (possible exceptions include the USA, where the Natural Law party had a candidate for President on the ballot in 48 states in 1996, and Croatia where a member was elected to regional assembly in the 1990s), while most are now defunct. The only real exception is the Indian affiliate, the Ajeya Bharat Party, which has achieved minor success in national elections and is seemingly still active.

UK News Editor, Great British Politics.

Andrew Collins is currently the UK News Editor of Great British Politics. He has previously written for a series of industry magazines in the green tech and healthcare sectors, and holds an undergraduate degree in politics and international relations.

You can contact Andrew via email at: andrewcollins@greatbritishpolitics.co.uk

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Rockstars, big cash, and yogic flying: The story behind the Natural Law party

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1994 was a different time. Harry Potter was still three years away from publication, and John Major was Prime Minister. It is also the year of the now famous Natural Law party political broadcast above. Now defunct, and leaving very little cultural impact, few know the Natural Law party's story.

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other books and debates by or about Natural_Law_Party)

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https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/joep-van-lieshout-slave-city-516254

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Sorry to Bother You is a 2018 American black comedy-drama film written and directed by Boots Riley, in his directorial debut. It stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, and Armie Hammer. The film follows a young black telemarketer who adopts a white accent to succeed at his job. Swept into a corporate conspiracy, he must choose between profit and joining his activist friends to organize labor.

Principal photography began in June 2017 in Oakland. Sorry to Bother You premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 6, 2018, by Annapurna Pictures. The film received praise for its cast and concept, as well as Riley's screenplay and direction.

Cassius "Cash" Green lives in his uncle Sergio's garage with his girlfriend, Detroit, an artist. Struggling to pay rent, Cash gets a job as a telemarketer for RegalView. Cash has trouble talking to customers until Langston, an older co-worker, teaches him to use his " white voice", at which Cash excels.

Cash's coworker Squeeze forms a union and recruits Cash, Detroit, and their friend Sal. When Cash participates in a protest, he expects to be fired but is instead promoted to an elite Power Caller position. In the luxurious Power Caller suite, Cash is told always to use his white voice, and learns that RegalView secretly sells arms and slave labor from the corporation WorryFree.

Though Cash is initially uncomfortable with the job, he can now afford a new car and apartment and pays off Sergio's house (in the process keeping him from joining WorryFree) and his own rent. Working long hours, he stops participating in the union push and his relationship with Detroit deteriorates. When Cash crosses the union's picket line, one of the picketers hits him with a can of soda. Footage of the incident becomes an Internet meme.

Cash is invited to a party with WorryFree CEO Steve Lift, where he is goaded into rapping. Lift offers Cash a powdered substance which Cash snorts, believing it is cocaine. Looking for the bathroom, Cash discovers a shackled half-horse, half-human hybrid who begs him for help. Lift explains that WorryFree plans to make their workers stronger and more obedient by transforming them into "equisapiens". The transformation occurs when a human snorts a gene-modifying powder. Cash fears he just snorted the substance, but Lift assures him it was cocaine. Cash refuses a $100-million offer over five years to become an equisapien and act as a false revolutionary figure to keep the employees in line.

Cash discovers he dropped his phone when he encountered the equisapien, who recorded a plea for help and sent it to Detroit's phone. To spread the video, Cash appears on television shows, including the extremely popular I Got the Shit Kicked Out of Me, enduring humiliations and beatings to get the video played. The plan backfires. The equisapiens are hailed as a groundbreaking scientific advancement, and WorryFree's stock reaches an all-time high. Cash apologizes to Squeeze, Sal, and Detroit, and joins the union in a final stand against RegalView.

Cash uses a security code from the equisapien's video to break into Lift's home. He goes to the picket line, where the police start a riot and knock him out. The equisapiens overpower the police and free Cash. Detroit and Cash reconcile and move back into Sergio's garage, but Cash starts to grow horse nostrils. Fully transformed, he leads a mob of equisapiens to Lift's house and breaks down the door.

Boots Riley describes the film as "an absurdist dark comedy with aspects of magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing". The screenplay for Sorry to Bother You was inspired by his own time working as a telemarketer and telefundraiser in California and his need to put on a different voice to find success. Riley finished the screenplay in 2012, and with no means to produce it, recorded an album of the same title with his band The Coup, inspired by the story. The screenplay was originally published in full as part of McSweeney's issue 48 in 2014.

In June 2017, it was announced that production would go forward on Sorry to Bother You, directed by Riley, and that Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson and Steven Yeun had been cast in the film. Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Jonathan Duffy, Kelly Williams, Charles D. King and George Rush served as producers on the film, under their Significant Productions, MACRO, and Cinereach banners, respectively. The same month, Armie Hammer, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick and Terry Crews also joined the cast. In July 2017, Danny Glover, David Cross and Patton Oswalt joined the cast, with Kate Berlant, Robert Longstreet and Michael Sommers added later that month.

Principal photography began on June 22, 2017, in Oakland, California, and concluded on July 30, 2017.

It was rumored that Steve Buscemi performed Danny Glover's character's "white voice", but Riley said it was actually the film's sound engineer.

Following the premiere at Sundance, producer Megan Ellison gave Riley $200,000 for reshoots and an additional scene.

The film score was composed and performed by Tune-Yards. Riley and The Coup recorded an original soundtrack for the film as well, which was released June 13, 2018. The first single, "OYAHYTT", featuring Lakeith Stanfield, was released July 13, 2018.

Boots Riley has said that the film offers a radical class analysis of capitalism, not a specific analysis of the United States under President Trump. He wrote the initial screenplay during the Obama administration, and the target was never any specific elected official or movement, but "the puppetmasters behind the puppets." While most of the final script remained the same, minimal changes were made to avoid appearing to critique Trump specifically, including removing a line where a character says "Worry Free is making America great again," written before Trump used the line in his 2016 presidential campaign.

The film's title has a double meaning, referencing both the phrase's use by telemarketers and its general usage when telling a person something you know they might not like to hear, such as the film's anti-capitalist message. According to Riley, "the other side of it is that often when you're telling someone something that is different from how they view things, different from how they view the world, it feels like an annoyance or a bother. And that's where that comes from." The plot of a strike was used to reflect the need to "organize people in the workplace" and for workers to recognize their power.

When asked on his choice to cast Armie Hammer as Steve Lift, Riley said that Hammer was a "lovable dude" whose casting reflects the "new capitalism" in which the realities of working conditions are hidden, referencing lines such as "I'm not your boss, I'm your friend."

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2018. Shortly after, Annapurna Pictures acquired distribution rights. It also screened at South by Southwest on March 12, 2018. The film was initially scheduled to be released on June 29, 2018, but was pushed back a week to July 6, 2018, where it began with a limited release before expanding wider on July 13.

The film had difficulty getting international distribution. On September 18, 2018, Riley announced that Universal Pictures and Focus Features had picked up its international distribution rights. It premiered at the 2018 London Film Festival, followed by a UK release on December 7.

Sorry to Bother You was released on digital copy on October 9, 2018, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 23.

As of December 14, 2018, Sorry to Bother You has grossed $17.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $792,464 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $18.3 million, against a production budget of $3.2 million.

The film earned $727,266 from 16 theaters in its limited opening weekend, for an average of $45,452, the fourth-best average of 2018. It finished 16th at the weekend box office. It had its wide release, in 805 theaters, on July 13, alongside the openings of Skyscraper and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, and was forecast to gross around $3.5 million over the weekend. The film made more on its first day of wide release ($1.5 million) than it had in its full week of limited ($1.1 million). It went on to gross $4.3 million over the weekend, an increase of 485%, finishing 7th at the box office. The film was added to another 245 theaters in its third week of release and made $2.8 million, finishing 10th.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 285 reviews, with an average rating of 7.73/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fearlessly ambitious, scathingly funny, and thoroughly original, Sorry to Bother You loudly heralds the arrival of a fresh filmmaking talent in writer-director Boots Riley." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an 84% overall positive score and a 72% "definite recommend".

James Berardinelli of ReelViews said " Sorry to Bother You blends conventional comedy with political satire to produce a film that will generate laughter and a sense of discomfort in equal doses." David Sims of The Atlantic wrote, "The story's heightened reality works best when it's barely distinguishable from our own-though it starts to lose steam the more it drifts into fantasy. The movie is at times a mess, but a compelling one, and this debut from Boots Riley should herald a fascinating filmmaking career." Peter Debruge of magazine praised the film, calling it "deliriously creative and ambitious to a fault", but expressed reservations about its second half: "As the movie's allegorical relation to real-world problems blurs, audiences are left to wonder what Riley's point is supposed to be." Jesse Hassenger of described the film as "often wildly funny, and if its broad arc is familiar stuff about a down-on-his-luck everyman experiencing success but at what cost, at least the plot specifics are unpredictable". Randall Colburn of Consequence of Sound called it "a mess, but a glorious one" and said it "is fun until it's overwhelming, and Riley would likely have benefited from a good editor."

A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club reviewed the film at the Sundance Film Festival and dissented from his peers, calling it "a scattershot, intermittently pointed satire whose jokes and insights land with about the same (in)frequency." Dowd was critical of the writing and direction: "There's a messy, first-draft quality to how the film fits said ideas together, and a general sloppiness to the execution, with Riley botching the timing on too many jokes ... Sorry To Bother You is plainly a first feature, and that's no insult: Even as some of the film's comedy fell flat for me, I distantly admired its something-to-prove chutzpah."

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Sorry to Bother You is a 2018 American black comedy-drama film written and directed by Boots Riley, in his directorial debut. It stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, and Armie Hammer.

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Grand Lodge of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Peace, Tolerance, Truth:
Salutation on All Points of the Triangle;
Respect to the Order.
To all whom it may concern: Greeting and Health.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The letters O.T.O. stand for Ordo Templi Orientis, The Order of the Temple of the Orient, or, as it is sometimes rendered, The Order of the Oriental Templars. It is an Outer Thelemic Order dedicated to the high purpose of securing the Liberty of the Individual and his or her advancement in Light, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge and Power. This is accomplished through Beauty, Courage and Wit, on the Foundation of Universal Brotherhood.

"Success is your proof; courage is your armour; go on, go on, in my strength; & ye shall turn not back for any!"

- Liber AL III:46

The Law of Thelema can ultimately be fulfilled only through the efforts of each individual. Nevertheless, many worthy aspirants to the Great Work have a genuine need for information, guidance, fellowship or the opportunity to assist their fellow aspirants and serve humanity. Such aspirants will find welcome in O.T.O.

The United Kingdom Grand Lodge is a duly chartered Grand Lodge and National Section of Ordo Templi Orientis. All initiate members of O.T.O. who reside in the United Kingdom (including U.K. territories and dependencies) are members of the U.K. Grand Lodge. Membership in the U.K. Grand Lodge of O.T.O. confers membership in O.T.O. (International).

The O.T.O. is the first of the Old Aeon orders to accept The Book of the Law, received by Aleister Crowley in 1904 e.v., with its message of a revolution in human thought, culture and religion, based upon a single supreme injunction: the Law of Thelema - Do what thou wilt. This law is not to be interpreted as a licence to indulge one's every passing whim, but rather as a mandate to discover and accomplish one's True Will, leaving others to do the same in their own unique ways. ""Every man and every woman is a star.""

The structure of the O.T.O., like that of Freemasonry and the ancient mystery schools, is based on a graded series of initiations, or degrees. In these Degrees, the O.T.O. seeks to instruct the individual by allegory and symbol in the profound mysteries of existence, and thereby assist each to discover his or her own true nature.

The introductory Degrees of the O.T.O. progressively activate the psychic body of the Initiate. Every man and woman of full age (18 years), free and of good report has an indefeasible right to the introductory degrees of the O.T.O.

The O.T.O. has active branches in countries around the world and issues several periodicals, journals and bulletins from International Headquarters, including The Equinox, The Oriflamme and The Magical Link. Local bodies around the world also produce treasure troves of information. The interested are invited to write to the Official Local Body nearest for further information on activities, functions, regional publications or Ecclesiastic ceremonies.

In early 1996, a new corporation was founded to carry on the work of the U.S. Grand Lodge of O.T.O, while the existing corporation reorganised itself as the International Headquarters of O.T.O. On the 30th of March 1996 e.v., Sabazius X o was appointed as National Grand Master General for the U.S. Grand Lodge.

On the 1st of May 2005 e.v., a United Kingdom Grand Lodge was established. Acting O.H.O. Hymenaeus Beta XII o ceremonially presented Frater Hyperion X o to the Order at a celebratory Gnostic Mass at Conway Hall in Red Lion Square, London. This happy event occurred 93 years to the month after the previous X o for the U.K., Aleister Crowley, was elevated to that office. It heralds a new phase in the development of OTO in Europe.

On 16th April 2006e.v., OTO Australia attained Grand Lodge status under the leadership of Frater Shiva X o. Most recently, on 17th May 2014e.v., OTO Croatia was granted Grand Lodge status under the leadership of Frater Abrasax X o and OTO Italy was granted Grand Lodge status under the leadership of Frater Phanes X o, bringing the total number of Grand Lodges to five.

Love is the law, love under will.

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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. The letters O.T.O. stand for Ordo Templi Orientis, The Order of the Temple of the Orient, or, as it is sometimes rendered, The Order of the Oriental Templars.

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Full Episode: Cults, Explained | Netflix

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Home of the freemasons’ history. Visit a free museum in London today

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the natural law party: a new voice for america

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political science / political process / political parties

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political science / political process / political parties

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The Natural Law Party: A New Voice for America

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Buy The Natural Law Party: A New Voice for America 1st Edition by Roth, Robert (ISBN: 9780312193041) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Last time they contested hundreds of constituencies, and lost in every one. Now the party famed for advancing yogic flying as the panacea for most evils is watching the election from the sidelines, writes BBC News Online's Jonathan Duffy.

Never have all the world's ills appeared so eminently solvable as when the Natural Law Party lends its wisdom to the political debate.

While mainstream politics must recognise the process of change - "A lot done, a lot still to do" - the Natural Law Party deals in absolutes of an almost mystical certitude.

For the economy, it promised in 1997 to create an "ideal quality of life - prosperity, creativity and happiness [for all]", crime would be reduced by creating coherence in national consciousness, and defence would depend on an integrated national consciousness to make Britain invincible.

Laudable aims but questionable means seemed to be the response of the electorate. The party won just 0.3% of the vote in the 193 seats it fought in the 1997 general election, down from 0.4% in 1992.

This time around it is not even bothering, following a decision at the NLP's international convention last December to opt out of the electoral process in all 50 or so countries where it is active.

Dr Geoffrey Clements, who leads the UK arm of the NLP, blamed "the negativity and inertia" of the electorate.

Voters' scepticism was too great to "appreciate and vote for policies that are so universally good and beneficial," he said.

It's not an unusual claim for a politician - Tony Blair has frequently attacked the "forces of cynicism" - although given the NLP's reliance on positive vibes to deliver its policies, public suspicion is not altogether a surprise.

Costly business

The other reason for the party throwing in the towel is money.
The last general election burned a 250,000 hole in the party pocket, much of which went on forfeited deposits.
And it wasn't even good value in publicity terms. Although the party qualified for a prime-time election broadcast, Dr Clements says the media largely ignored it.

"The media seems to be very much against the interests of the newer parties, especially as the election comes near. There was no place for us on programmes such as Newsnight and Question Time," he complains.

The problem here might be that so much of the Natural Law Party's core doctrine is totally at odds with accepted political thinking.
So while other candidates might bat around finer points of fiscal policy in a hypothetical TV debate, the NLP's representative would likely wade in with the view that Britain's problems were down to the fact the prime minister lived in a house with a south entrance.
This was in fact one of the points made at the party's third international convention, in 1996, when blame was also heaped upon the Channel Tunnel, which provided a south entrance to the UK. Such things go against the principles of Natural Law.

Harnessing the force

Formed in Britain in March 1992, the party's principles are based on the premise that everything in the universe is administered by Natural Law.
Harnessing it, through practices such as yogic flying and Transcendental Mediation, would benefit mankind as a whole, the thinking goes.
The party claims a cut in crime levels in Merseyside during the 1980s was due to a sustained programme of yogic flying in nearby Skelmersdale.

An experimental programme, whereby 4,000 yogic flyers descended on Washington DC for two months, is said to have cut violent crime by 20% and reversed the declining fortunes of President Clinton's administration for the period.

It's the sort of performance data Jack Straw dreams about, but a long way from teenage curfews and mandatory sentencing.

Before their time?

Yet Dr Clements believes he has the ear of some of Parliament's top people.
"A lot of my own work during elections and also between the elections is chatting to politicians and seeing how we can make politics and administration more effective," he says.
The idea of Dr Clements shooting the breeze with John Prescott is maybe hard to swallow, but the party is not always as outlandish as you might think.

After all, William Hague is an exponent of Transcendental Meditation, and the party's long-held beliefs on preventative medicine and organic agriculture have come into the mainstream of late.

Crossing the box

"We've always felt that we didn't have any patent on ideas," says Dr Clements, who has clearly decided to sit out this election in style, speaking, as he was, from a hotel room in the Bahamas.

Surely it beats knocking on doors and standing on a High Street wailing through a megaphone?

Yes and no, says Dr Clements.

"Personally, I much enjoyed sharing ideas with other politicians; the debating and such. I won't miss the fact that we were denied adequate coverage."

So, without a Natural Law Party candidate on the ballot paper, will Dr Clements join the ranks of the apathetic on 7 June?

"No, I will be voting," he says. "I haven't decided yet, but I'll weigh up the candidates when I get home."

Those that ring his doorbell should be prepared for an unorthodox line of questioning.

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bbc news world uk international foreign british online service general election results politics political parties opinion polls constituencies candidates

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BBC NEWS | VOTE2001 | FEATURES | What happened to the Natural Law Party?

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Last time they contested hundreds of constituencies, and lost in every one. Now the party famed for advancing yogic flying as the panacea for most evils is watching the election from the sidelines, writes BBC News Online's Jonathan Duffy.

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Natural Law Party Election Broadcast 18 April 1997