There’s a reminder posted over at the NOTOCON VII Blog that NOTOCON Speaker Proposals are due October 15th. You can also read the call for proposals and download the submission form from the Speakers page.

NOTOCON VII: the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference
August 7-9th, 2009 EV ~ Seattle, WA

Here’s something new today: the blog over at the NOTOCON VII site is now up with its first post. There’s a lot more planned over the next year, with lots of updates and interesting stories, so you might think about checking it every once in a while or adding it to your subscriptions: NOTOCON VII Blog.

In “Welcome to the NOTOCON Blog!“, Melissa, the onsite coordinator, says:

“It’s my wish for this blog to become a resource not only for the most timely updates about the conference, but also for insight into what it takes to put the conference together, memories of cons gone by, and tips for how to get the most out of your NOTOCON experience.”

And, that’s a great thing for those interested in not just updates, but also the shared history of O.T.O. and NOTOCON.

NOTOCON VII: the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference
August 7-9th, 2009 EV ~ Seattle, WA

Well, this is initiates only, but how interesting is it that there’s so much going on in the O.T.O. which is about exploring the feminine archetypes? Over at Sekhet-Maat Lodge there’s the upcoming The Heresy of Babalon workshop on Oct 25th, which seems like a great precursor to the Mystics, Mothers and Magicians conference in Nov:

This day long seminar and ritual is designed to immerse you in the concepts of the Divine Feminine in the New Aeon. Beginning with a discussion of man’s relationship to his gods we will move to an historical look at what may be seen as the seeds of the new aeon concept of female godhood. As the new aeon approaches we will examine the development of the Babalon archetype from The Revelation of John through Dee and Kelly, Crowley and finally Jack Parsons.

The second portion of the seminar will focus on the esoteric. A look at a new myth of creation, Babalon’s influences on the tree of life and an analysis of the Name. Finally, from this we will focus on these ideas and formulae with a system of magical and spiritual approach to Babalon – The Seven Stations of Desire. Here we will see how this formula is workable in the context of the ceremonial magician through a variety of means.

The Heresy of Babalon – Sekhet-Maat Lodge – October 25, 2008 EV

And, of course, there’s the Mystics, Mothers and Magicians conference, which is an off-year National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference, subtitled “Women and Goddesses of O.T.O.”, in Sacremento, CA on November 14-16, 2008:

Join with women and men of the Ordo Templi Orientis at the second biennial celebration of the female half of the Thelemic pantheon: Babalon, Nuit, and their physical counterparts on this material plane.

I suppose included in this current there was also The Birth of Maat at Sekhet-Maat too, just recently. All in all, a lot happening!

The Promotion and Lodging pages are up over at the NOTOCON VII site. So, you can find out more about the venue on the Lodging page. Also, you can check out the first downloadable flyer and the four web banners (like the one below) on the Promotion page.

NOTOCON VII: the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference
August 7-9th, 2009 EV ~ Seattle, WA

The call for proposals for workshops at the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference is now online at the NOTOCON VII ~ Speakers page. The proposals deadline is Oct 15th, 2008 for this conference in Seattle, WA on Aug 7-9th, 2009.

Registration for the conference isn’t open yet, but the reservation code for the hotel is available on the conference site for those wanting to get their rooms now.

NOTOCON VII: the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference
August 7-9th, 2009 EV ~ Seattle, WA

Yeah, so it’s not until next year, but the website is up for the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference which is happening in Seattle in August of next year. Actually, the conference is in Tukwila, but the organizing is being done through Horizon Oasis with the other PNW bodies helping out, such as Vortex Oasis and Sekhet-Maat Lodge.

Anyhow, it should be all kinds of interesting with chances to hang out with U.S. Grand Lodge and other luminaries, meet people from across the country and do lots of networking, and get an opportunity for much formal and informal learning. It’s something that only happens every other year, so going seems like an obvious thing to do.

Registration for the conference isn’t open yet, but the reservation code for the hotel is available on the conference site for those wanting to get their rooms now.

NOTOCON VII: the seventh biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference
August 7-9th, 2009 EV ~ Seattle, WA

Some friends of mine are in a “ritualized dramedy” they created on Fri, Aug 8th 2008 at Sekhet-Maat Lodge at 7:30pm.

Maat is one of the oldest Egyptian deities, and embodies Truth, Balance, and most importantly, the concept of social structure and understanding.

This ritual will invoke Her along with many other spiritual traditions, as an interplay between truth and lies, order and chaos, harmony and cacophany, melding together to show the form and beyond the form of evolutionary consciousness. Song and instrumentation will assist us on this journey, so bring your voice and your dancing spirit. All guests are encouraged to bring whatever books they consider holy to rest upon the altar for the ritual. All books will be returned unharmed.

Please bring a tasty dish to share potluck style. A cash bar will be provided.

Doors open at 7:30pm, ritual begins promptly at 8:00pm. No late admittance.

We ask for a $5 contribution to assist with the maintenance of our Temple.

All spiritual traditions are welcome, so please come to see how the OTO can honor you as well.

The Birth of Maat: a ritualized dramedy
August 8, 2008 ev – Sekhet-Maat Lodge

Sekhet-Maat is holding their annual Thelemic Symposium this month on Mar 29th at 6:30pm:

Thelemic Symposium is a panel discussion and question/answer session engaging the considerable experience and knowledge of three long-time Thelemites. We are proud to present this, the seventh annual Symposium, featuring panelists Hank Hadeed, Anita Kraft, and M. Dionysius Rogers.

Then, following the symposium is a reception with cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. And, there’s a performance of the Gnostic Mass on Sunday, Mar 30th at 3pm.

This seems like a good opportunity to find out more about what the O.T.O. has been, is, and hopes to be about. It’s also a chance to find out what’s going on with a vibrant current of western magick, if you are interested in the history of magick or in ceremonial magick in general.

Thelemic Symposium VII – Sekhet-Maat Lodge – March 29, 2008 e.v.

Another new year has come and again I find I am in such a different place than I thought I would be, or planned to be. I would have never guessed at the previous new year’s day that I would be where I am now. I could not have guessed that I would have spent new year’s eve with the people I did, in Portland, trying to build my life over again almost from scratch.

But, here I am. And, last night, there I was at a great party surrounded by people I have only known for a few weeks.

As someone observed of me, “You danced up a storm.” I was on the dance floor almost without pause from around 8pm until something like 1am. Oh, yes, I am sore all over, but it felt good to dance like that. I was definitely exercising more than just my body.

For about an hour before midnight, there was a live band, Zonewire. They were perfect for the space and place; kind of a mixture of many things, such as tool, ministry, test dept., and even bauhaus.

For the rest of the time, the music was pre-recorded stuff. That was a good mixture, but there were a couple songs that cleared the dance floor … only a couple though. However, there was one particular standout in the rotation that I hadn’t heard before, but found to be wildly great. The song was from a Tool tribute album “Third Eye Open” by The Vitamin String Quartet [also]. I’m looking forward to hearing more of that some time. But, the variety of music was interesting, especially since I had the chance to dance to music as wide ranging from The Cure’s “Love Cats” to music from Coil’s “Love’s Secret Domain”.

But, both exhausted and energized, at the end of the night I found myself driving home with a constant stream of tears flowing and crying at how far away I was from where I had hoped to be.

So, another new year has come and again I find I am in such a different place than I thought I would be, or planned to be.

How could this not be fun?

For $5, one can participate in a magickal divinatory mediterranean costume ritual potluck party! Via the Portland OTO Sekhet-Ma’at Lodge Events Calendar:

“Join Cassandra, the Last Princess of Troy, on Saturday December 15th, 2007 ev at Sekhet-Maat Lodge for one last night of dancing, reveling, ritual, and divination before the Greeks invade her doomed city.

This is a tarot divination ritual, so come prepared with a question (of any nature—your divination question is private for you and you alone). Greek-style garb (togas and robes) are highly encouraged but not required.

There will be a potluck feast after the ritual, so please bring a dish to contribute. Greek or Mediterranean style cuisine is encouraged, but any dish you’d like to share is appropriate. There will be a cash bar for all your beverage needs.

All non-members are requested to make a contribution of $5.00, but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.”

Although, I have to say that one should wear a chlamys or himation or something, but not really a toga, just saying …

One should do a google search on “himation” or “chlamys” or go to this page “How to wear the Greek chlamys” … and for a female option check out “chiton” and “peplos” or “How to Convert a Sheet into a Classical Greek Chiton” or “Greek Dress“.