*The Order of the Argentum Astrum (Silver Star) claims, like many other secret societies, that it has existed since Atlantis. Be that as it may, the Order has certainly played a major role in the evolution of Freemasonry, and has inculcated a mystical obsession with the star Sirius throughout other esoteric movements. For instance, there is a silver star in every Masonic lodge, and Gen. Albert Pike, the highest-ranking Freemason in 19th century America informs us in his Morals and Dogma of Freemasonry that this silver star is Sirius.
A special meaning is also given to Sirius in Theosophy and the Gurdjieff schools. Kenneth Grant, who once claimed to be the Grand Master of the Argentum Astrum, also said that the silver star was Sirius, and called it allegorically the sun behind the sun. The most famous occult order of the late nineteenth century, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, originally admitted only 32* Freemasons. Among its members were poet William Butler Yeats, actress Florence Farr (once Bernard Shaws mistress), novelist Arthur Machen. Golden Dawn literature describes a second, more esoteric order to which only the most worthy would be admitted; this was, again, the Argentum Astrum or Silver Star.
It is necessary to remind the candidate that each page of this manuscript should be burned as soon as it is read. In no case should a copy be kept in ones possession, even for a few hours. For any of this information to fall into the hands of our enemies, the Black Sorcerers, would be more disastrous than for all of us to be arrested en masse and executed.
Since our original concern was to protect the Widow and the Widows Son, and our long-range objective is as already explained (in pages which, we repeat again, should have been burned by the candidate before reaching this page), it is desirable that all the accepted ideas of humanity be undermined and subverted by any and all means possible. Faith (viz., belief without experience of personal contact with the Living One) is the great enemy, the iron out of which are forged the chains of tyranny and superstition which retard humanitys progress toward the Great Work. Doubt, in the form of dogmatic atheism, may also become just another faith, another prison for the mind.
What we wish to encourage is uncertainty. People must be convinced not just that the King may be a humbug, and the Policeman a thief, but that all systems of philosophy are equally dubious, that all Royal decrees are as absurd as picaresque novels, and that all facts not directly experienced should be viewed as works of fiction.
The candidate knows that as unrelenting doubt is our sword, paradox and satire are our catapults and cannons. We must learn to hide in ambush, as it were. Who is near me is near the fire. To know the Living One, humanity must come out of the cells and closets of ideas and dogmas; life must become an experience like unto reading a novel in which it is never clear from one page to the next whether the matter is comic or tragic, who is the hero and who the villain, what is meaningful and what is happenstance or coincidence.
He is nearest to enlightenment who walks into a dark cave alone, for such a one has no fixed ideas but is alert in every cell and watchful every second. We are all in such dark caves every day, as Plato tried to teach, but we do not realize it and our fixed ideas keep us sleepwalking when it is most necessary that we awaken.
Again we warn: before reading the next page, burn this page.
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
During the Age of Enlightenment on Terra Antigua, the continent of Europe was rife with dozens of Lodges, Orders, and Secret Schools. Each of these groups claimed to have the true secrets and knowledge which would lead the Seeker to Illumination.
Often, these groups would compete for members. They would also borrow, or even steal portions of their history, rituals, and structure from each other. It was also not uncommon for Seekers to belong to several competing Orders at the same time. These groups all shared another common heritage; that of the chance of discovery, exposure, and persecution by the European Monarchies of the time, and their common foe, the Black Sorcerers of Rome. For example, consider the fates of Jacques DeMolay and the Knights Templar; or the Bavarian Illuminati of Weishaupt. So much for Enlightenment.
At the time of our current romance, in the solar systems now known as Gallia, it appears that the Seeker is bound by an ancient proverb: The more things change, the more they stay the same. The greatest change is that there are now, to our knowledge, only five remaining Hermetic Orders for our beloved Monarch to expose, denounce and exile from New Paris and the Core worlds of Gallia.
You have now met one such Order, that of the Silver Star, Argentum Astrum, (A.:.A).
Your humble author is Grand Master of another such group, Le Neuf Soeurs, or Lodge of the Nine Sisters, an order of Speculative Masons named after the Lodge which was allegedly responsible for fomenting the French Revolution of the 18th Century. (S-9).
You will soon meet:
The Grand Orient Lodge, also known as the Ordo Templi Orientis, (O.T.O.);
The Order of the Rosy Cross, Fraternitas Rossae Crucis, (F.R.C.);
And, the Sisterhood of Lillith Velkor, (S.O.L.V.), She who stood against Gruad in Atlantis and was crucified, She who was perhaps the second wife of Adam.
Together, as the "Brotherhood of Light" (LVX|), we shall attempt to restore the true glory of Gallia.. Best exemplified by the Ancient Motto of France. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.. (Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood!)
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
Incoming Dictum
From: Fra. Fortunatus of the F.R.C.
Indeed, a time to draw ourselves to the table....A little of my own organisation...
The Order of the Rosy Croix, Fraternitas Rossae Crucis, (F.R.C.); Otherwise known as The Rosicrucians are a legendary and secretive Order dating from the ancient times before the clocks of Gallia and Sirius were even known to turn. Rosicrucianism is the theology of a secret society of mystics, holding a doctrine "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provides insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm."
It is symbolized by the Rosy Croix, also used in certain rituals of the Freemasons, an organisation in which it is said the Rosicrucians have an ever increasing influence.
Indeed, the Rosicrucians have buit a shrine to the Rosy Croix, a magnificent Temple without rival:-
According to legend, the Rosicrucian Order was founded by Fraterne Rocae Crucis, who studied in the ancient Holy Asteroid Fields of Gallia under various occult masters. During his lifetime, the order was alleged to be small, consisting of no more than eight members. When Fraterne Rocae Crucis died, the order disappeared, only to be "reborn" some 200 years later. And unto this day, there has always been a "founder" named F.R.C.
A lesser known legend tells of ancient parchments found deep in Omichron 80, proclaiming that the Rosicrucian order was created when an Allexandrian Gnostic sage named Ormus and his six followers formed the movement by fusing primitive Occult with Egyptian mysteries on Ancient Earth. Be that as it may.
In point of fact, what was known as the "Society of Rosicrucians" was most likely comprised of a number of isolated zealots who held certain austere views in common (which apparently was their only bond of union). There is no trace of a society holding meetings, or having officers, a bizarre Gallic reflection of the Temporary Autonomous Zoners of Sirius, a loose gang of immoral wasters who are said to worship a theoretical Goddess named Eris of the Geode.
The influence that Rosicrucianism has had in the modernizing of ancient Freemasonry has been subtle and it is likely that as the centuries have advanced, and additional ceremonies grafted on to the first three degrees of Masonery, Rosicrucian tenets have been wrapped in to traditional rituals.
One thing is ever certain, the Rosicrucians bide their time well and lurk in the sub strata of visibility whilst awaiting an appropriate stage. Should they ever combine forces with the other four remaining Hermetic Orders, it will indeed prove to be a powerful conjunction.
"The Meeting of the Brotherhood will come to order. What is the first duty of a Brother of Light?"
All: "To Guard the Temple!"
"And what is the Temple?"
All: "It is Within, and Without!"
"And what does a Brother seek?"
All: (Right arm raised, left arm extended outward to form an "L".)
All: (Both arms extended up and out, to form a "V")
All" (Both arms crossed at the chest, to form an "X")
"Who speaks for the Orders of Old?"
FRC: "Brother Fortunatus, for the Rose and Cross!"
OTO: "Brother St.Germain, for the Ordi Templar Orientis!"
A.:.A: "Brother Perdurabo, for the Argentum Astrum!"
OOL: "Sister Lilith, for the Order of Lilith Velkor"
"And I, Brother Cagliostro, for the Loge de Neuf Soeurs. Lux et Voluptas!"
All: "Lux et Voluptas!"
"The Brotherhood of Light is assembled. Brothers, I have heard a disturbing rumor. The Minions of the Black Sorcerers of Rome have survived, and may be among us again!"
"Gasp!"
"Who?!"
"The Knights?"
"It is not possible!"
(The Grand master raises his arms for silence.)
"We have been ejected from our Lodges in Gallia. We must fight for survival at every turn, both here, and now in the New Lands. It is ordained!
"We must congregate at the Pyramid of Privas, to seek Wisdom and Guidance, my Brothers and Sister. We will be blessed with Intiution and Will, as always!"
All: "As Above, So Below!"
"To your vessels, Outer Heads. We fly!"
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
Our Secret Brotherhood also shares history with another Freemasonic group from "Terra Antigua".
They are known as the "Ordo Templi Orientis", or "O.T.O."
The early history of O.T.O. is difficult to trace reliably. It originated in Germany or Austria between 1895 and 1906. Its' apparent founder was Carl Kellner (probably with the German spelling Karl), a wealthy Austrian industrialist, in 1895 (although nothing verifiable is known of the Order until 1904).
Theodor Reuss (1855-1923) collaborated with Kellner in creating O.T.O., and succeeded him as head of O.T.O. after Kellner's death. Under Reuss, charters were given to occult brotherhoods in France, Denmark, Switzerland, the U.S.A. and Austria. There were nine degrees, of which the first six were Masonic.
In 1902, Reuss, along with Franz Hartmann and Henry Klein, purchased the right to perform the Rite of Memphis and Mizraim of Freemasonry, the authority of which was confirmed in 1904 and again in 1905. Although these rites are considered to be irregular, they, along with the Swedenborg Rite formed the core of the newly established Order.
Another "splinter" group of Freemasonry is believed to have been the precursor of the O.T.O., that being the "Grand Orient Lodge of Oriental Freemasonry" , founded in Paris prior to the French Revolution. Members of this Lodge were suspected of helping to foment the Revolution.
A Lodge Member, Camille desMoulins, has been documented as inciting the famous "storming of the Bastille". Other suspected Members of this Lodge were Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson of the Americas.
Our current Outer Head of the O.T.O. in Gallia is "St. Germain", named after an early O.T.O and Grand Orient Member.
St. Germain was a magician, alchemist and High-Order Mason who travelled extensively throughout Europe, spreading the Masonic Word and Mysteries.
"Frater Perdurabo" (aka Aliester Crowley) was also a significant force within the O.T.O.; and introduced the concept of "Thelema", or "Will" to the Order. He was however, more active and associated with the Argentum Astrum, previously described.
To this day, part of the Brotherhood of Light's rituals includes Frater Perdurabo's famous Invocation:
"Do what Thou wilt shall be the Whole of the Law!"
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
And now, for a "cautionary tale" about the history of "The Order of Lilith Velkor":
Thirty thousand years ago, the greatest civilization known to man existed on the continent of Atlantis.
These Atlanteans knew nothing of Good or Evil, and did not fear death.
Among these Atlanteans lived one known as Gruad. Unlike the furred inhabitants, he was furless, and curious. Gruad was a scientist, but became tired of accumulating knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
"It's just another guise for the pursuit of pleasure, to which too many of our fellow Atlanteans devote their lives. Of course, there's nothing wrong with pleasure it moves the energies but I feel that there is something higher and more heroic. I have no name for it yet, but I know it exists."
Gruad believed that man was subject to law. "With humanity we can speak, as we speak of our own machines, in terms of performance expected and performance delivered. If a machine does not do what it is designed for, we try to correct it. We want it to do what it ought to do, what it should do. I think we have the right and the duty to demand the same of people that they perform as they ought to and should perform."
Other scientists disagreed. "But people are not machines, Gruad."
"Exactly," Gruad answers. "I have already considered that. Therefore, I have created new words, words even stronger than should and ought. When a person performs as he or she should and ought, I call that Good; and anything less than this I call Evil."
Within six months Gruad had formed an organization called the Party of Science. Their banner is an eye inside a triangle which in turn is surrounded by a serpent with its tail in its mouth. The Party of Science demands that Atlantis publish the natural laws Gruad has discovered and make them binding on all with systems of reward and punishment to enforce them. The word "punishment" is another addition to the Atlantean vocabulary coined by Gruad.
Another scientist, Ingel Rild, proposes the formation of a Party of Freedom to oppose Gruad. A third scientist, Sylvan Martiset, proposes a Party of Nothingness that rejects the positions of both the Party of Science and the Party of Freedom.
Soon, there is street fighting, atrocities, the infliction of punishment on harmless people by men wearing Gruad's eye-and-triangle badge. The Party of Freedom proclaims its own symbol, a golden apple.
Gruad tells a meeting of his Unbroken Circle that the tune has come to intensify the struggle. If they can't rule the Atlanteans, they will destroy Atlantis.
"Atlantis will be destroyed by light," says Gruad. "By the light of the sun." Gruad introduces the worship of the sun to his followers. He reveals the existence of gods and goddesses. "They are all energy, conscious energy," says Gruad. "This conscious and powerfully directed and focused pure energy I call spirit. All motion is spirit. All light is spirit. All spirit is light."
Under Gruad's direction, the Party of Science builds a great pyramid, thousands of feet high. It is in two halves; the upper half, made of an indestructible ceramic substance and inscribed with a terrible staring eye, floats five hundred feet above the base, held in place by antigravity generators.
A band of men and women led by Lilith Velkor, chief spokeswoman for the Party of Nothingness, gathers at the base of the great pyramid and laughs at it. They carry Nothingarian signs:
DON'T CLEAN OUR LENSES, GRUAD GET THE CRACK OUT OF YOUR OWN
EVERY TIME I HEAR THE WORD "PROGRESS" MY FUR BRISTLES
THE SUN SUCKS
FREEDOM DEFINED IS FREEDOM DENIED
THE MESSAGE ON THIS SIGN IS A FLAT LIE
Lilith Velkor addresses the Nothingarians, satirizing all Gruad's beliefs, claiming that the most powerful god is a crazy woman and she is the goddess of chaos.
To the accompaniment of laughter she declares, "Gruad says the sun is the eye of the sun god. That's more of his notion that males are superior and reason and order are superior. Actually, the sun is a giant golden apple which is the plaything of the goddess of chaos. And it's the property of anyone she thinks is fair enough to deserve it."
Lilith Velkor is eventually seized by Gruads followers, and taken to a dungeon. There an enormous wheel has been constructed with four spokes in the shape:
Lilith Velkor is crucified with ropes, upside down, on this device. Several members of the Party of Science lounge about, watching her die. Gruad enters, goes to the wheel and looks at the dying woman, who says, "This is as good a day to die as any." Gruad remonstrates with her, saying that death is a great evil and she should fear it. She laughs and says, "All my life I have despised tradition and now I despise innovation also. Surely, I must be a most wicked example for the world!" She dies laughing.
And so ends the tale of Lilith Velkor in Atlantis. She is cherished for her resistance to the concept of Law and Order, and for her defense of the Light within each of us.
She has been known and worshipped throughout history by many groups. As the Wife of Adam. As a Champion of Women. As a Symbol of Peace.
We honor her spirit even today, in the Brotherhood of Light.
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
Brother Theosophicus, our Abbot, has reported several recent trade runs by the Abbey in recent days. Industrial diamonds, military vehicles, and prometheum.
Brother Theo has established good rapport with several Council pilots.
We have heard reports that things do not go well between the Socialist Armies of Sirius and our "Eastern" Maquis Brethren. Perhaps they will eventually seek a more "spiritual-minded" group of Maquis to befriend.
I urge all you Brothers of Light to be compassionate to all in Sirius who do not pose a direct threat to our goals of Enlightenment, and re-establishing our Lodge once again on New Paris.
I have also heard rumors of a certain "Pierre Plantard", who may have also escaped the pogroms of the Gallic Royals in the Core Worlds. A sigil has been noted scrawled on the walls of some Partisan bases:
If the Priory has indeed survived, then we must seek them out, Brothers. Be watchful, be vigilant.
"Dou What Thou Wilt!"
Cagiiostro, Grand Master, LVX
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
I have this day made an "Overture" to the Leader of the Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army.
While these ancestors of the Terran Coalition may object to our "religious" background, I am hopeful that they will understand that the Brotherhood does not seek or worship the Ancient veangeful and demanding God of Abraham and Isaac; but instead pay tribute to the God who represents Freedom and Enlightenment for all individuals, the "God Within".
I will also stress, if contacted, that while some of us were of the "Nobility" on New Paris, our Lodge's membership also included faithful members of the common and working classes as well. For that reason, we do not seek to harm those who merely seek to survive, and eek out a living here in the "fringes" of House Gallia. We do not prey on those who are forced by circumstance to function under a harsh, Imperialistic regime for their daily bread. As the Argentum Astrum teaches, "Every Man and every Woman is a Star."
The coded instructions sent by the Makers of the Privas Artifact to the farthest reaches of the Galaxy included the blueprints which make every person dream of Freedom. Freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom to evolve to the Highest Levels of individual potential.
As long as the King sits on his throne in New Paris, and plays chess with the lives of his subjects, that Freedom cannot be realized.
Yours in Arcadia,
Cagliostro
<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast
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