Temple of the Black Sun
TNS, also known as The Temple Of the Black Sun, was initially set up on the mainland of Australia in the 1970’s . It takes it’s name from various references throughout history such as in Alchemy, the sun in Amenta. The Gnostic Pleroma of fullness/emptiness. The experience of the Void as dimly recollected by the human nervous system.
It comprised of Magickians from various Magickal traditions, originating from Australia, New Zealand, North America, Great Britain and mainland Continental Europe. They brought to the syncretic hub of TNS experience and expertise from their various disciplines from their Magickal as well as their professional lives.
These included such diverse areas as Thelema, Zos Kia Cultus, Maatian Magick, Traditional Witchcraft, North American Native Shamanism, Taosim, Tantra, Earth Mysteries, Hermetism, Cabbala, Ceremonial Magic(k).Anglo-Saxon and Northern European Shamism.
From their professional life they brought with them expertise in diverse areas as Organic Chemistry, Modern Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Herbalism, Ernergick Medicine (Homeopathy, Flowers Essences, etc) Neuro-Science, Ancient History, Palaeontology, History, Linguistics, The Arts, Artisans, Writers, Journalists, Artists.
Their general discontent and frustrations of the inadequacies of the various established groups they had been working with brought them together. The catalyst was primarily the general anti-intellectual prejudice so prevalent amongst self styled “working Magickians and Witches”.
From their own personal Magickal Work, each had come to the same conclusion that a concentrated and condensed form of Magick lay at the core of all our various paths and that in stripping it all down to essentials they could then rebuild utilising the common factors which have been constant and consistently used by Magickians from the earliest of times, along with a renewed interpretation of these techniques with the latest fringe technologies and sciences. It was then realised that “There was nothing new under the [black] sun; only that which had been forgotten”.
After many experimentations, and not a little bit of foolhardy risk taking, they had formed a working model for Magick in its most general sense, placing great emphasis on practical techniques and physiological triggers which are well founded in ALL traditional forms of Magick. There was also much emphasis placed on “Sacraments”, both traditional as well as the trend of the day of utilising “smart drugs”, the ready availabity to modern medicines and most especially anaesthetics, which many of the members had access to allowed them to expand their repatoir of experiences.
All members from this core temple utilise what they have learnt from their work together and have incorporated such into their personal as well as professional lives.
With the coming of the 1980’s came news on the Magickal front that some notable Magickians in Britain had congregated under the aegis of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT). There was some amusement that the phenomenom of the IOT had its germ in suburban Sydney, Australia at a time when Peter Carroll was visiting whilst on his Grand Tour. Whilst in Australia at that time, Carroll worked with an “Entity” then known as The Church of Chaos. Carroll’s Magickal experiments were totally independent of the work being done at the same time by the various members that eventually became the core intitial group that evolved into TNS.
Once the members of TNS had had some dialogue with the IOT, they were astonished and quite pleased to find other people had come to similar conclusions with regard to Magickal Practice. A core group of TNS members agreed to participate in the ongoing work of the IOT and were asked to be its representative in the region in accordance with the ethos within the IOT at the time, which attempted to undermine the pre-existing old Aeon protocols of “Magickal Orders”, plus the need to accelerate the realisation of the agenda of the then IOT.
Consequently the then reigning Temple Master of TNS was made 1st degree and Section Head for Australasia. This was further extended for administrative and instructial purposes to incorporate New Zealand, South-East Asia, North and South America with much co-operation and synchronised workings. TNS was responsible for maintaining enrthusiasm within the ranks of the American IOT members, which at times floundered due to being ignored /snubbed by the British IOT, most especially after Carroll had formally resigned from the the eastablished “Pact” of the IOT.
TNS was resposable for introducing William S. Burroughs to Chaos Magick and assisted in the coordination of Burrough’s initiation into the Magickal Pact of The IOT.
TNS was the first to raise the matter concerning the establishment of multiple archives of the Pact’s work. The places proposed were Britain, Continental Europe, and the USA. TNS contributed to the IOT archival project.
TNS also prposed the position of “Elder” to accommodate those members who had served and contributed much to the IOT but felt they no longer could serve actively within the IOT. This came about as a reaction to the crisis that loomed over the IOT at the time Pete Carroll had resignred his position as Head of the Pact of The IOT.
The position of “Elder” was also granted to William S. Burroughs and others.
With the departure of Peter Carroll and his wit and foresight, the initial impetus was undermined by the successive administrative regimes. This was occasionally put into check, usually by the direct or indirect influence, ironically, from Carroll himself, working on the sidelines. It was never envisioned by Carroll that the IOT would last more than seven years. In hindsight such does seem to be the case. But again, like other similar ventures, the Phoenix does rise from the ashes. And again referring to a quote much liked by Carroll from Heraclitus “ You cannot step into the same river twice” .
Ironically when the original TNS temple decided that the IOT had become too corrupted and left the Pact, the then reigning Temple Master and Section Head was urged to take “Elder” status, who decided it was not appropriate.
At about the year 1995 it was felt that with Pete Carroll’s active departure from the Pact of the IOT, along with futile changes that were being deployed and incorporated into the Pact, it had ceased to function effectively as a Magickal entity[?] and had strayed so far from the original ethos of practical and explorative Magick as to become redundant from a Magickal perspective.
It’s legacy remains evident by the utilisation of its initial impetus now taken up by other groups working Chaos Magick not affiliated with the IOT. Also the seasoned Magickal reader will have noticed by now how much of the then neo-logism championed by the original Chaos Magickians (CM) - Ray Sherwin, Peter Carroll and others - have found their way into the most unlikely of “magickal” and even New Age writings, a point most likely lost on those self- same writers.
TNS went on to concentrate on its Magick unhindered by the administrative limitations that were attempted to thwart its progress.
Unbeknownst to TNS at the time of their departure from the Pact of the IOT, there was a global walkout by most existing temples as way of protest to the way that TNS had been treated. Many contacted TNS directly and affiliated with them in order to avoid the unmagickal behaviour coming from London.
Some of the archives from TNS had been banked with the various repositories. Many had not.
Now a selection of TNS Temple Papers (TP) known as “Between Spaces” is currently available. It is to be the first general release of what will become a greater body of work that has accumulated over the years whilst being affiliated with the IOT, plus works predating their association. More current works of TNS and their affilates will be released in the future.
--Soror Basilisk First Uploaded 15:46, September 21, 2009 (UTC)
Blog Upload September 8, 2015