Ordo Saturni
If today someone wants to become a member of Lodge Fraternitas
Saturni,
which was founded in 1928 by Gregor A. Gregorius, then he has the
opportunity to inform himself on account of the literature which
stems from the founder of the Lodge. He does not have to depend on
some pamphlets of a sensation seeking journalist or some "church-commissioner
in charge of sects".
Even the Fraternitas Saturni of today published a booklet with an "Imprimatur" (official
permission to print a book, which officially authorises it), similar
to the way it was practised at one time by the Roman Catholic Church: "Die
Fraternitas Saturni heute, Frater V.D. spricht mit Großmeister
Thot, Bad Münstereifel 1994." (The Fraternitas Saturni
today, Frater V.D. talks with Grandmaster Thoth.)
All quotations are taken from that booklet.
It mentions there: "For the first time in the history of the FS a sitting Grandmaster gives an interview and offers current insights into, the probably most well known magical Order of German origin." (p. 1)
Do the teachings and magical succession of today's Fraternitas Saturni (= Neo-FS) meet the intentions of the founder and of the old Lodge? Or did the Neo-FS develop new ideas which do not conform or are even contrary to the old teachings?
The Neo-FS answers this question itself to some degrees. "Extremely formulated, one could say that someone who today, only by motivation of his studies of the existing literature feels attracted to the FS, is seeking in the FS a Lodge, which actually doesn't exist anymore." (p. 46)
As far as the Neo-FS is concerned this is right!
The same however does not apply to the Ordo Saturni, which actually has the traditional teachings and it alone possesses the magical
inheritance.
In two areas we will show by example how much the Neo-FS distanced itself from the content of the original teachings and how it doesn't represent what it was under Gregor A. Gregorius and his immediate successors. It is simply not enough to use the authentic name. Because "name is clangor and smoke" as Goethe formulated it. And from oak sapling I expect an oak tree and not a cactus!
A Lodge who intents to be more than a study society has a body of teaching (grk. dogma), which is a binding element for its members, even more, it is constitutive. Dogma cannot be mistaken with narrow minded Dogmatism! Dogma (teaching) is a requirement for the cult (ritual), because the description of the cult-goal is dogma already, otherwise the cult-ceremony (ritual) would just be a nonsensical and needless playing around.
Gregor A. Gregorius has as founder of the Saturn Lodge postulated the Reincarnation- and Karma doctrine as unconditional prerequisite for the Lodge work. The February 1954 issue of "Blätter für angewandte okkulte Lebenskunst" contains two articles about this fundamental subject.
Not so with the Neo-FS. On page 66 it says: "Now what the
ideas about death or life after death are concerned, today, we
in the Fraternitas
Saturni are not dogmatic about this anymore and it is not important."
"
What really is supposed to survive?" (p. 67)
Gregorius is seen more as a talented organizer. The "elite" of
the Neo-FS
concludes about Gregorius: "He hardly created anything new." (p.
63) References to Old Lodge sources are also not allowed. "The
warning (i.e. to take sources too serious) applies by the way to
some degree also to the completely authentic writings, which in the
Fraternitas Saturni of today do not play a role anymore, because
one sees many things differently today." (p. 53)
What they say here, is in no way an adoption of the tradition to today's conditions. Which certainly would be justified, but it is a "false label" swindle. One decorates oneself with a respected name, but one can not or will not accept the content of the teachings.
And today's leadership of the Neo-FS believes that only they have the right perspective. The goals of the Neo-FS are hardly different from any therapy-group, which is confirmed by quotations by its "grandmaster": "I would even be happy, if the Lodge were able to help a limited number of people to reach their potential." (p. 36)
"In the Fraternitas Saturni we deal therefore with the
crystallisation of the 'I'." (p. 67)
To take SATURN as a code for these superficial processes proves that
they never penetrated into the Saturnian Mystery.
"It is a component of all great Initiation-systems that they claim to have something like an energy-field or energy-current, or a line of transmission in which initiations are bestowed, who in deed effectuate something. Something of this sort also happens in the Fraternitas Saturni." (p. 49)
Is this supposed energy-current of the Neo-FS identical with the power-field which Gregorius and the Old Lodge initiated? The way, in which the Neo-FS claims this, we deny this categorically! The passing on of the energy-current has to happen in a manner which can be compared with the "successio apostolica" of the Catholic Church, to which Gregorius refers with emphasis. Already in the antique mystery-schools, the initiates were marked with the seal of the Deity. They were branded so to speak with a seal (lat. caracter) which was inextinguishable (lat. indelebilis). In Sacramental-Magic it is the same process. Only the High-Degree holders (comparable with the bishops of the Catholic Church, who alone possess the full ordination authority), have the power to ordain and consecrate and are therefore succession- or linage holders. Only they are in the position to transmit the energy-current.
The Neo-FS perhaps has an energy-field, but not the same one which was inaugurated by Gregorius!
In spite of contrary statements, the Neo-FS has not even one High-Degree
holder from the time of Gregorius in their ranks, not even a Master
(12º - Gradus Solis). They may say publicly: "In fact,
Degrees are rather like admission tickets to a certain laboratory,
to a very certain area, which one examines." (p. 43)
But these Degrees do not represent a link to the energy-field which
was built up by Gregorius.
The Neo-FS is of the opinion that "there is no reasonable ground" (p. 33) to join the Ordo Saturni.
While they otherwise permit double-memberships, membership in the
Ordo Saturni is prohibited! "Why would one join the O.S. if
one can be a member of the authentic FS?" (p. 33)
The more the Neo-FS demonises a (supposed) adversary like the Ordo
Saturni, the more it believes that they can stylize themselves as
a "light-figure". To the rhetoric question of the Neo-FS
and their assertion to be "authentic" there is indeed an
answer: The "authenticity" of the Neo-FS exhausts itself
in continuity of the name in the sense of corporation law but not
in a continuity of the teachings (dogma) and consecration.
ONLY the ORDO SATURNI hands down, unbroken and pure, the old Lodge-Knowledge! ONLY the ORDO SATURNI has the High-Degree members from the time of Gregorius as Succession- and Linage -holders, who are entitled to ordain and consecrate!
We are not saying at all, that the groups, who lately spring up like mushrooms, and who for the most part disappear again quickly, that they do not have good intentions to do saturn-magical work. But they, exactly like the Neo-FS of today, do not have a connection to the energy field which was created by Gregor A. Gregorius and the High-Degree holders of the old FS. As a result they have lost the key to the Mysteries of the old Saturn-Lodge or they have never possessed it. Only the Ordo Saturni still possesses it today.
English language copyright by: ORDO SATURNI - Orient Toronto