function on both its administrative and magical raison d’etre. The lay membership has been able
to see the various aspects of the Order of Set in motion, such as the Council of Nine and the High
Priest determining policy change in keeping with the growth of the Æon, as well as observing the
Recognition - the Coming into Being of a new Master of the Temple, Magister Lynn Norton.
“Initiates, normally scattered and isolated throughout various parts of the continent, had the
opportunity to experience, in rituals, the essential, magical core which is, of course,
communication with the Set-entity. This witnessing should open doorways for them into their
own magical evolution in terms of personal relationship with the Prince of Darkness.
“The conclave had a variety of types of experiences, ranging from highly-charged ritual
atmosphere to fun & laughter and everything in between. It is really too soon to be able to assess
any but the obvious effects that Set-I will have upon the Temple of Set. Perhaps at this early stage,
though, it can be summarized by saying: ‘Set, we have gathered your great nobles unto you, and
we have felt you pass near to us.’”
_______________________
The Ipsissimus Has Evolved
- by Robert H. Moffatt III°
What is an Ipsissimus? The Collins Latin Gem Dictionary translates it as “His very own self”.
The ending “-issimus” is grammatically the superlative degree of “ipse”, meaning “self”; or closer
to Latin thought “he who is himself the most”. There is no concise English equivalent to
“Ipsissimus”. The Temple of Set, however, has Recognized that Michael A. Aquino is an
Ipsissimus.
High Priest Ronald K. Barrett hailed this Recognition under the stars on the 30th of June XIV
as a highlight to the III°+ working at XemSet, and again at the opening of the Set-I Conclave by
adding to the costume of the Exalted Man a medallion made of a disc of solid gold with a sterling
silver pentagram prominently overlaid. The beautiful piece was paid for by the Priesthood and
remains the property of the Temple of Set.
These events were charged with an indescribable degree of emotion that could not be
augmented by any amount of fanfare or ceremony.
The Ipsissimus was obviously deeply touched and at a loss for words to express his emotions at
the moment. “There are some experiences which cannot be described in words,” he said slowly.
“This medallion is not only ceremonial. It is not beautiful solely for the metals and craft which
compose it. It is meaningful because of the knowledge and the love with which the Temple has
seen fit to bestow it. I will never cease to respect it thus, and after my time has passed, it will be
returned to the Temple. The very ability of the Temple to Recognize such a degree evidences our
- 70 -
evolution since 1975. The work of the Temple has been like the splitting of the atom, the opening
of a whole sphere of existence, an arrival at intellectual activity on the level of Plato.
“For myself the degree of Ipsissimus is an initiatory state of being that is very personal. No
matter what you do, no matter where you go, whom you know, what success or failure you
experience - that part of yourself you bring out through being, becoming - the thing called
‘initiation’ - makes a difference in you, not as an animal but as an intelligence unique in the
universe.
“This is true divinity. The recognition of this makes us a new breed of atomic scientist. But this
is not like a new scientific discovery. This Æon is alive!”
Magus Barrett read the new By-Laws providing for the VI° and told of one of his workings
several months back when he heard Michael Aquino hailed as “the Exalted One, to be cherished -
a living symbol for us all”.
Before the medallion presentation and after the High Priest had opened the conclave,
Ipsissimus Aquino had remarked that: “The changeover of High Priests highlights this conclave.
What comes out here will be a foundation for the future. John Fowles’ reaction to the cliché ‘No
man is an island’, was ‘Rubbish! Each man is an island.’ We are like returning comets, gods and
goddesses, come hence to drink of each other’s universes in more vivid color. Here there are no
leaders, no followers. Everyone is a star.”
Ronald K. Barrett’s High Priesthood, which was to continue for the next two years, was one of
the most intensive, experimental, inspiring, and controversial experiences for the Temple of Set.
This revolved around two passions of his: the exploration and promulgation of his V° Word Xem
and the climate of initiatory dedication and advancement within the Temple. He saw the two as
interrelated, and his own office as High Priest a responsibility to advance them.
Barrett would later be [and still is] criticized for being intolerant and authoritarian: a High
Priest who used his office to create and enforce a sort of “initiatory totalitarianism” in contrast to
the individual-initiative climate characterizing the Temple previously and subsequently. I think
this misses the mark in two respects. First, his intentions were altruistic and heartfelt; he wished
nothing but to improve the Temple and the initiatory validity of each Setian. Secondly, the
Temple was then, as it continues today, very much an experiment-in-progress. At any one
moment one could not say how the current mix of ideas might work out, and the general practice
has been to give them their best opportunity for success. So it was with both Barrett and the
other Setians around him.
Barrett’s first major policy change was announced in the April 1980 Scroll of Set:
Lay Member Renewals Now Require Endorsement
- by Ronald K. Barrett V°, High Priest
If you are I° or II°, you may have noticed recently an attempt by your III° pyramid officials to
open communications with you. So that you will better understand why, let’s take a look at the
Temple of Set communications pyramid and its functions.
The pyramid came into being as the answer to the question of how the Temple of Set can best
serve the needs of Initiates both personally and comprehensively. While this does not mean that
we have [even remotely] adopted a spoon-feeding technique of initiation, it does mean that
initiatory guidance will be available on a more individual basis to those Initiates who truly apply
themselves.
Through the pyramid the I°/II° have direct access to a Priest or Priestess of Set who is willing
and able to assist them in finding answers to questions about magic, the Temple of Set, etc. The
Temple will also have a better perspective of the entire membership [even isolated Setians], and
this will help in making due Recognitions and in assessing the progress and needs of aspiring
Setians. The design of the pyramid ensures that everyone is heard and informed according to his/
her initiatory status and ability to understand. And of course the pyramid will necessarily clear out
the deadwood.
- 71 -
The pyramid requires the cooperation and participation of every member of the Temple of Set.
For a III° to assist or guide any lay Initiate, there must be some communication between the two.
It must be realized, however, that it is the responsibility of the I°/II° to initiate and then maintain
this communicat
ion. The Priesthood is quite willing to respond, but no III° is going to waste
valuable time and effort trying to prod the complacent or apathetic. Those who receive guidance
from the Priesthood will be those who are actively working toward magical evolution.
It is assumed that every Setian desires to aspire to the heights of his initiatory potential, or he
would not be a member of the Temple of Set. Not one of our Setian degrees is Recognized as the
end of magical evolution, and therefore any sense of “having made it” is false. The end of any
phase of initiation is merely the beginning of another, thus “creation and change are exalted above
rest and preservation”.
If one understands this, one should also understand why inactivity is intolerable in the
Temple. To allow an individual who has succumbed to the siren of contentment and do-
nothingness to enter or to remain among us would indicate that the Temple of Set had placed
emphasis on quantity rather than quality, and that most certainly is not true. Instead it is most
important to know and understand the above, because the pyramid is now in effect, and with the
pyramid comes the elimination of any trace of stasis together with the requirement of
demonstrated effort to evolve.
This does not mean that all Setians must become gods overnight, or that flags should be waved
every time a magical insight is had, or that a letter a day keeps an expulsion away. It does mean
that every Initiate must actively engage in Xeper, and to do so will require some occasional [at
least] guidance, point of reference, and higher perspective which are available from the
Priesthood.
Keeping in mind that magical/philosophical discussion is filtered as appropriate to each
degree, it seems only logical that all Setian Initiates should desire Recognition if for no other
reason than to have access to higher information. As stated above, the desire for personal
evolution is already assumed through affiliation with the Temple. To make a true Recognition,
however, the Priesthood must have an ongoing knowledge of the evolutionary progress of the
individual concerned, and this can occur only through contact whether that contact is through
letters, Pylon meetings, or private discussions.
A I° has basically two years to Become and to be Recognized Adept II°. This means that within
two years the I° must become demonstrably knowledgeable and skilled in the White magical arts.
If valid reasons or circumstances prevent a I° from accomplishing this, then an extension beyond
the two-year period may be granted [pending approval of the III° pyramid official], but this will
be a true exception and not the rule. Again, for Recognition to occur, the Setian I° will have to
establish an initiatory relationship with his/her pyramid officials.
A variation on this same principle applies to II°s. Recognition to the III° depends initially
upon two factors: (1) the individual Adept’s evolutionary quest into the Realm of Darkness, and
(2) the Gift of Set being given to the magician by Set himself. There is no time-factor imposed
during which this must occur, however, so a magician can remain II° indefinitely and still remain
a member of the Temple of Set, so long as that same magician can demonstrate that he/she is
working toward continuous magical growth and mental evolution ( Xeper). The keys here are will,
aspiration, and application. Remember that a magician is one who works magic, and if one is not
working magic, then one is not a magician/Adept. In short, the red medallion is no license to
relax.
Only a Master of the Temple can Recognize that an Adept has “Come Into Being” as a Priest or
Priestess of Set, but II°s are assigned to III°s (not IV°s) in the pyramid. The only way that an
Adept can be Recognized to the Priesthood is through the intuitive recommendation of the III°s to
their own assigned Masters. It only makes sense that if the II° does not communicate what is
going on inside of him to his III°s, it is highly unlikely that any evolution is going to be noticed.
Another reason for I°/II°s to keep in touch with the Priesthood and to remain active in their
efforts to evolve concerns the annual renewal. Let it be emphasized again that the Temple of Set is
progressive, evolutionary, and antistatic. All Setians who are active-status members of the Temple
are truly “active-status” or they are not Setian. Everyone who joins the Temple of Set joins it
100%, and that includes the Temple’s creative and changing motion. Anyone who has joined for
“kicks”, or for social reasons, or on a whim has joined for the wrong reasons. No one will remain a
member who does nothing, and if there are any among us who have joined for the wrong reasons,
- 72 -
or are doing nothing, the pyramid will very soon remedy that. This is because, with the now
effective pyramid, the I°/II° will be expected to produce appropriate evidence that they are
aspiring to Xeper forthrightly, or they will not be permitted to renew their membership. The
Executive Director has been instructed that, effective immediately, renewals will be accepted from
I°/II°s only when that renewal has been endorsed by the representative pyramid officials. Special
slips will be sent to the appropriate officials at the same time that the gold renewal slips are
mailed to the members whose renewal time is approaching.
that the member is worthy of that endorsement, but it will be the responsibility of the lay member
to provide that evidence - not the responsibility of the official to “dig it out”.
Another important point: When an official of the Temple takes the time and effort to sit down
and write out a letter that requires an answer, it’s safe to say that the letter was not written just
because someone needed some finger exercises. There is a perfectly good reason for such a letter,
even though it may not be immediately apparent to the recipient. That being the case, all lay
members will be expected to respond to correspondence which they receive from Temple officials.
It’s the courteous, respectful, and responsible thing to do.
To summarize, let me say that the pyramid is a tool of great precision and utility to the Temple
of Set and its entire membership. It ensures that every Setian has access to as much initiatory
guidance as he or she can possibly use. Through its use, the pyramid gives the Temple an accurate
view of itself so that no strength or weakness goes unnoticed. The pyramid also serves to filter out
the lazy, the idly curious, the incompetent, and any other kind of deadwood. In this way we may
look upon each other with a profound pride and respect in knowing that every Setian among us is
aiding in the forward thrust toward Xem.
Any questions that there might be regarding the Temple of Set pyramid should be directed to
your assigned officials, who will be only glad to answer them for you.
I think the pyramid is a great thing, and I think you’re going to appreciate it too - so “go for it”!
Xeper ir Xem.
The “pyramid” to which Barrett refers here had originally been conceived by Executive
Director William F. Murray as a way of ensuring efficient initiatory dialogue within the Temple.
The idea was that each Setian would be assigned one contact of a highe
r degree and two or more
of a lower degree. They would be expected to keep at least occasionally in touch, and to serve as
“first resources” in cases of questions & answers on Temple matters. Bill’s good intentions and
meticulous administration of the pyramid notwithstanding, it was not much utilized in an
atmosphere in which individuals went right on communicating [or not] as the direction and
mood moved them.
By tying annual membership renewal to endorsement by one’s pyramid-senior, Barrett
sought to force it to function as intended, force each junior-contact to do and be able to report
some personal initiatory progress, and force each senior-contact to devote some attention and
guidance to juniors. Not an unreasonable or oppressive set of expectations, it seemed; what no
one anticipated was the lack of response to it in practice, which immediately began to reduce
membership renewals.
Also evident in this article, though not generally perceived at the time, was Barrett’s re-
conceptualization of all of the initiatory degrees as a continuous I°-V° “ladder” up which each
Setian was expected to climb. Pre- and post-Barrett the I° was considered to be an initial-
exposure/mutual evaluation degree, the II° a recognition of full suitability as a Setian and
competence as an adept Black Magician, the III° as a uniquely-occurring metaphysical
relationship between some Setians and Set, and the IV°+ as specialized variations of the III°.
Under this original system, it was expected that most Setians attaining the II° would remain
there indefinitely, with of course limitless opportunity to exercise and extend their “Adeptitude”.
Barrett saw this as simply too vague; he wanted a more structured measurement of personal
progress, so he chose to redefine the numbered-degrees accordingly. Such a redefinition was not
- 73 -
formally announced as such, nor clearly/uniformly perceived throughout the Temple then or
later in Barrett’s tenure, and this confusion proved to be at the root of much of the later stress.
On July 19-22, 1980 the Temple’s Second International Conclave (Set-2) was convoked atop
the XemSet mountain in northern California. Every bit as productive and popular as its