Date: Sun 24 Jan 88 22:22:22
From: Alfgar Maharg (on 107/293)
To:   All
Subj: Esotericon

                          Some notes on Esotericon V
               by a Partial, Prejudiced and Ignorant Participant


                   Part 1: "Bells? I ddn't ring any bells."

        This being the 5th convention, ritual coordination was in the hands of
our leading Cabbalist, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, who declared that we would
therefore work with fives; and in particular the elements (with the
quintessence of Spirit/Logos added to the material four). So we began the
occasion with five women most eclectically (Christian, Jewish, Norse,
Wiccan...) invoking the elements, after drawing the red cord between the
"point men" to form the largest of concentric pentagrams. As I received it, I
at once began thinking "....to the length of my cable tow." And as links and
cables recurred through the weekend, I wondered what the message for us was.

        Certainly, we ran into a host of "coincidental" links and connections
which s trained probability, starting as the motley crowd of attendees on
Friday promptly became a powerful and disciplined ritual assembly.
Juxtaposition of "unconnected" program events leaped out at us (aided by a
"feature" of the PA); people came up with assistance which "higher authority"
had "told" them to prepare for. And it was the most sucessful effort yet at
creating a common space where people from all manner of "occult" and
"alternative" backgrounds could meet and share without barriers.

        Your correspondent is able to provide little additional detail on
Friday night, between attempting to mount a malfunctioning modem party, and
being abruptly drafted for a rehearsal. From what was related I missed a bang-
up time at "In and Out of the Broom Closet", where the resident spook (the
kind who works for an unnameable agency) shocked everyone with Politically
Incorrect statements on his Warrior path. I was able to spend time with
Siobhan and David, and to meet Magenta, as well as Compuserve exile Felix
Culpa.

        The main program started on Saturday with _another_ opening ceremony,
featuring blessings in (of course) five traditions. Probably others will
report on what they did the rest of the weekend. I found myself tapped as one
of this year's quarter officers for The Catechism of the Grail, an Arthurian
ritual in the "high" occult tradition which Katherine Kurtz has led each year
she was present, always experimenting with slightly different versions (and
personnel). A very new part came as we distributed the "elements" of water and
air, and a series of what sounded for all the world like mass bells came
seemingly out of the air. It took a little while before we were sure we had
physically heard them, and more to trace it to the "meditation" in the next
room.


                       Part 2: May the Norse be with you

        I made a point of something I had missed before (the biggest problem
is always the lack of enough hours in the day), one of Renee Anderson's
Egyptian magic presentations. This one was a reconstruction of the daily
temple service, while our clergy exchange program in action provided the
assistance of Sharon  ("Generic Acolyte") Henderson and Katherine. The
experience was quite a new perspective for many of us. One thing some found
puzzling was the locution  which proclaims "I have come not to do the things
which should not be done."  (Just what is the point of going to the temple not
to do something?)

        The estimable Alexei Kondratiev spread his "Druidic Tradition" lect-
ures over two days, including insights on what really happened Christianity
came to the isles, and things about St. Columba the pastor never told you.

        Saturday night is usually the locus of most intensive activity. This
year the evening's main program opened with special guest Diana Paxson
officiating in "the Liturgy of the Lady", assisted by Selena Fox and L.A.
Hussey as the Mother and the Maiden, and further assisted by Alexei as the
Cantor and David Oster as the Guide. This particular rite is devoted to
encounter with the Crone, or "Wisewoman". And you must know two things
concerning the Wise Woman .... /////////////////////////////////////////////
(Sorry, I have not been able to look on the WW in the same light since _Black
Adder II_.) The event bore, ah, a certain resemblance to some other liturgies
one is acquainted with. I was personally gratified to note the use of the
"old" mode of passing the Peace "down the line", which I thought easier on the
self-conscious than the confused embracing commonly used in "mainstream"
churches these days.

        The customary not-so-small crowd was at hand for Katherine's pathwork-
ing (a form of guided trance meditation) session, a tradition which goes back
before there was an Esotericon when the germs of it all precipitated at the
Darkover Grand Council. At this one she tried the experiment of a physical
link between us ("I knew there was some reason I had that purple cord"), to
mixed reactions. As noted above, the cord fell into a serendipitous convention
theme. (Coincidence? No such animal.)

        And at deep night, it was time for Arwen to lead the hardy faithful in
"Norseworking". This actually operates as a sort of Esotericon Permanent
Floating Circle, where an experienced core group plus lots of enthusiasm gen-
erates power for heavy-duty healing work (for subjects both present and ab-
sent). The high demand on participants is good reason for making this the last
event of the day. But even after we finished at 2 AM, there was a call for
"filk singing in the Orly Room!" After _this_ they expect me to filk? I did
something sensible and went to bed.


             Part 3: The Michaelines are looking for a few good...

        Unsurprisingly, Sunday morning was marked by Mass. Katherine
celebrated the latest version of her "Michaeline" rite. This liturgical
experiment which started from a "Deryni" paradigm is designed to eliminate the
defects (from our view) of the western rite, restoring acknowledgement of the
"feminine" aspect of Godhead, and drawing on other neglected traditions (among
which appeared to be the Gnostic "Hymn of Jesus", and other portions which
sound Irish). Its "fictional" origins keep taking on unexpected life, and I
felt a catch in my throat at the suffrage "for those who must walk alone
because they are different". And more "coincidental" synergism appeared, when
precisely at Communion, "Shema Yisroel..." was heard from Jacqueline's ritual
in the next room.

        These manifestations of a "Deryni" (for want of a better label)
Christianity have been a focus for a growing group of us feeling out an
esoteric path in our own tradition, and it has reached the point where some
felt the need for a more formal framework for networking. As it happens, I was
the one who first said the word "3rd Order of St. Michael" while trying to
describe the collection of whatever-it-is-we-are, and it has been an object
lesson in "give a thing a name, and it will come to be". At this time we
reached the point of holding an "organizational" meeting, and the state of
affairs at present is:

     -- We exist.
     -- People who are interested in particular aspects will be spending the
        next eleven months or so hammering out forms for it. E.g., someone is
        working on a draft Rule, others collecting their ideas on liturgy, and
        so forth.
     -- And the next formal steps can be expected at Ecumenicon in July.

     (To those previously asked about this: I was asked not to "advertise",
but on the other hand this sort of medium is the most promising way to find
interested parties. Accordingly the best way seems to be to send matrix mail
if you or someone you know wants to be put in touch, and I will pass things on
to the prothonotary who is holding this together.)


                        Esotericon-- The Final Chapter

        After an uneventful panel on "Christian Mysticism", I found myself by
another "accident" in Selena's "Directions for Neo-Paganism" symposium. Some
of the concerns discussed were unity vs. diversity (There appeared to be
strong sentiment for keeping things based on small groups), attitudes toward
traditions and beliefs which differ from "Party Line Paganism", and coalition
with other religious groups on such issues as church-state relations.

        We then had to put everything back where it was on Friday before
starting the ward-releasing ceremonies, which went off with the same applomb
as before. And in the final announcements, we were assure that Esotericon VI
WILL be held, probably at the same location. Chairbeing Raymond Heuer reminds
us that 6 is the lowest perfect number, and pledges all efforts to provide the
perfect con-- including getting mailings out _early_.

        In the light of the last paragraph, observations on the site are in
order. Hotel relations were vastly better than at previous sites. (But then,
they could not get much _worse_.) An aggravating exception was the hotel
restaurant, where numerous complaints of delays and poor service were added to
high prices. My own encounter was of being directed to the "breakfast buffet"
on Saturday, only to find that there was hardly any food left.

        In summary, we experienced three days of the way it should be, where
those of all paths could meet in perfect love and perfect trust to share our
efforts as well as forming and renewing valued friendships. Towards the end, I
was pondering on how one might compose filk songs about the con itself (an
inveterate fannish habit), when I started to hear Arlo Guthrie riffing:

   "And if a HUNDRED people keep coming in and doing it-- he's going to
figure, it's a TRADITION.
   "And it is -- THE ESOTERICON TRADITION!"

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