| church in California in 1975, and qualified for both U.S. federal and state tax exempt status that same year. BASIC BELIEFS: The Temple considers itself to be consecrated by and dedicated to Set, originally an ancient Egyptian deity. One rival cult, that of Osiris whose myths were erroneously assumed to be "pan Egyptian" by later civilizations portrayed Set as the god of evil. Setians themselves, however, did not then and do not now consider Set an evil figure, nor consider the Set Ian religion merely a refutation of conventional religion. Setians perceive the universe as a non conscious but ordered environment within which Set has, over a period of millennia, altered the genetic development of at least one form of life to create a species humanity possessing an enhanced, self conscious intelligence. The techniques and teachings of the Temple are designed to identify and develop this higher evolutionary potential in appropriate individuals. PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS: While Setians focus on their own individual capacities, they are also expected to have an appreciation of and respect for ethical behavior, to include the ideals of whatever social group or political state with whom they have chose to identify themselves. In addition to conventional means of influencing the environment about them, Setians also employ "magic," by which they mean universal forces and psychological influences generally unknown to or unrecognized by society. Setian magic is referred to as "Black Magic" to distinguish it from "White Magic" (invocation of non existent forces/influences for purposes of self delusion). The term "Black Magic" carries no connotation of evil or destructive intentions or ends. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The individual initiate is the conceptual focus of the Temple, as it is a device for the interaction of individuals as such. It is not a "mass" organization. Such structures as it incorporates are merely to enhance personal opportunities. The Temple as a California corporation is the property of the international Priesthood of Set, which delegates governing authority to the Council of Nine (board of directors). The Council in turn appoints the High Priest of Set, the Executive Director, and other officers of the Temple. The Temple includes a number of Orders, each supervised by a Grand Master. These Orders may be somewhat likened to the academic departments of a university, being vehicles for concentration and cooperation in specialized fields of philosophy and magic. Setians may also interact in Pylons, which are normally under the guidance of a Priest or Priestess of Set. Pylons are normally geographically localized, but also may extend over international distances. NATURE AND ROLE OF MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP: The Priesthood of Set is not understood to be a "leadership" or "pastoral" function in a structural or organizational sense. It is rather the direct, specific, and willful consecration of a particular individual by Set himself, formally recognized as such by the Temple of Set. Each Priest or Priestess of Set thus exercises the full religious authority of the entire Temple, subject only to the guidance of the Masters of the Temple. One member of the Priesthood is determined by the Council of Nine to serve as High Priest or High Priestess of Set. The Priesthood of Set is responsible to Set for the care of his Temple, and for reasonable guidance of and assistance to individuals who enter the Temple. The Priesthood is also responsible for dismissing from the Temple any person who cannot or will not uphold its initiatory or ethical standards. WORSHIP: There are not regularly scheduled, group "services" in the Temple. Nor would individual Setians be comfortable with the term "worship conveying as it does admiration of or devotion to a god or gods based on fear and faith. What the Setian performs instead are Workings of "Greater Black Magic" (as distinct from LBM discussed above), in which the personal consciousness is raised to direct association with that of Set. Collective GBM Workings involve any number of Setians may take place over ~great distances, or at gatherings called Conclaves. DIETARY STANDARDS: It is the individual consciousness that is sacred within each Set Ian. Therefore any substance which impairs or distorts the consciousness, such as hallucinogenic drugs or excessive alcohol, is disapproved of by the Temple. Other than this there are no dietary guidelines. FUNERAL OR BURIAL PRACTICES: The center of self consciousness of each initiated Setian the ba of the ancient Egyptians is perceived to separate from the physical body when the body ceases to be serviceable to it. The bodily remains themselves are then not considered to be sacred in any sense, although they may be cared for in any memorial way desired by the individual and his or her relatives. The ba itself does not separate from the consciousness of Set, nor from those of other Setians via GBM Workings. Therefore no ritualized mourning is necessary. Nor are non initiates of the Temple, whether officials of conventional religions or not, able or expected to perform any ceremony affecting the ba. MEDICAL TREATMENT: The Temple has no prohibitions concerning medical practices save those that would be offensive to the ethics of the individual Set Ian. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: a. Beliefs or practices which~might conflict with a member of the group serving in the military or obeying an order of a duly appointed superior: As an institution the Temple of Set has no policies which in themselves prohibit or inhibit an individual Setian's national military service. Mention should be made, however, of the Temple's strong emphasis upon individual and social ethics. If a Set Ian in the military of any country were give an order which he or she determined to be unacceptably unethical (not merely unpleasant or dangerous), the Temple would endorse that Set Ian's decision not to comply. The Set Ian would, of course, be expected to explain precisely upon what ethical grounds such a refusal appeared necessary. This expectation than any ethical refusal be explained is essential. Merely citing affiliation with the Temple of Set would not suffice. On the other hand, the mere fact that the Temple of Set did not have a written prohibition against some specific act would not prevent the Temple from endorsing a Set Ian's refusal to perform it if that refusal were precisely and conscientiously articulated. b. Attitude towards pacifism: The Temple of Set deplores violence or harm to any living being unless necessary for personal self protection or preservation. Where an individual Setian's service in a national armed force is concerned, the Temple accepts this as a device for the security of political states which humanity has not yet outgrown. If a Set Ian accepts citizenship in a particular state, then along with that social contract come certain obligations of citizenship, military service perhaps among them. c. Recruitment of new members: The Temple of Set considers a metaphysical philosophy to be an intensely personal decision, and that the Set Ian state of awareness and being cannot be "advertised" or "merchandised" in any way. An individual either inclines to this state or does not. Therefore the Temple does not "recruit"; rather it simply makes the fact of its existence known and explains enough about itself when approached to interest persons with Set Ian potential and disinterest those without it. GENERAL SOURCE BOOKS: Annotated reading lists of published works in many categories relevant to the Temple of Set may be obtained through the Temple office. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Executive Director Temple of Set P. O. Box 47037 San Francisco, CA 94147 (415) 771 9155 Electronic Mail: MCI Mail 314-3953 Telex: 6503143953 The Temple of Set does not participate in, or accept representation by the Corps of Chaplains in any branch of the armed forces of any nation. Inquiries may be addressed to the Executive Director at the Temple's office, and will be forwarded as appropriate. |
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| Black Rose Spiritual Center, Inc : Belief Systems |
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| Temple of Set |
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| ADDRESS: P. O. Box 47037 San Francisco, CA 94147 OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN: Within this religion its principles are termed "Setian," and individual affiliates are termed "Setians." As the original god Set was later caricatured as the "Satan" of Judaeo Christianity, Christians often interpret this religion as "Satanism" and its affiliates as "Satanists." Setians accept such labels only to the extent that the Christian Satan represents certain qualities of individualism and independence. Setians reject any interpretation of Satanism that glorifies or promotes evil or destructiveness. LEADERSHIP: Michael A. Acne, High Priest of Set MEMBERSHIP: Not published HISTORICAL ORIGINS: Together with the Priesthood of Horus, the original Priesthood of Set was the most ancient of the Egyptian religious orders, dating (by surviving predynastic images of Set) to at least 3200 B.C.E and by the Egyptians' own astronomically based records to approximately 5000 B.C.E. The Set Ian religion played a prominent role in Egyptian society throughout its development, to include being the state religion of the XIX XX dynasties of the New Empire. It appears to have been eclipsed approximately 1000 B.C.E. Thereafter what may be termed the "Satanic tradition" survived in successive Western civilizations in the form of philosophies and/or god figures focusing on "awareness and activity beyond the natural order." Such range from the Prometheus of the Hellenes and the Lucifer of Christianity to the individualistic philosophies of Pythagoras, Plato, and Nietzsche. The Romantic movement of the 1800s dramatized the Christian Devil as a heroic, Milton Ian symbol, thus setting the stage for the eventual formation of the Church of Satan in 1966. The Temple of Set was founded in 1975 by the international Priesthood of the Church of Satan (whose founder, Anton LaVey, had announced intentions to commercialize it). Simultaneously the anti Christian mythology and orientation of the Church of Satan were discarded in favor of the completely distinct character of the original Egyptian Priesthood of Set. The Temple of Set was incorporated as a non profit |
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