Why no name change for this RC reformation?

One of the questions that I often kick around is: How much change has to happen before a Order becomes a new Order?

Is changing the Grade Signs enourgh?

The Passwords?

The Rituals?

The Oath of Obligation?

Curriclum?

The ultimate secret?

The focus of the system?

At what point in time, do the changes add up to a new Order? When does an Order have to adapt a new name because it is no longer the old Order?

Looking over the history of the Rosicrucian periodic reformations, we see the rituals change, the focus change, and we ALWAYS see a name change. Except for this time. This time, we saw the group claiming the reformation trademark the name and change everything else. Why?

The entire system has been changed (to keep the Current and Tradition pure from traitors to the system), but they are still using the same old name. And when one starts to kick around the possible reasons, well, I can't think of a good reason for the old name to be used with what is essentially a brand-new system.

Could it be that the Rosicrucian reformation is actually happening in another group? Could it be that the Golden Dawn is not where the reformation is happening?

It is something to think about.

Seven Days of Easter Kitties Day 4

Easter Kitty would like you to spare an egg.

A few years ago, I was working with some of the homeless teenagers here in Denver. (I was running a restaurant and I was willing to hire them---many of them deserve more help.) One of them told me that the key to invisibilty was the words, "Spare change." Given the evidence presented by this Easter Kitty, we can see that asking for "Spare Eggs" will not make you invisible.

Bullshit Dam Breaks

No, no, it is not what you think. It is a fireside chat from Marvin E. Quasniki, the candidate I support for President.

Seven Days of Easter Kitties Day 3

Separted at birth, the Easter Bunny and the Easter Kitten.

Today, not only do you get an Easter Kitty, you also get an Easter Bunny. How is that for entertainment?

Seven Days of Easter Kitties Day 2

It is a chick trying to eat the Easter Kitty.

Some people's cats are more patient than mine will ever be. If I tried to put a hat like this on one of my cats, I would lose an arm...well, maybe, I do have one cat that seems remarkably patient with my antics...but then again, I have not tried to put a set of bunny ears on him yet.

The Official BIORC stance on Secret Chiefs

Another thing I realized reading the internet today is given the wide views about the Secret Chiefs, that it would be useful for some to know the official Bast Temple (BIORC) stance on Secret Chiefs. Straight from the bylaws of the group, we have:

The lodge does not recognize the authority of the Secret Chiefs. The Secret Chiefs have been used to justify the abuse of power and authority in other groups. If the Secret Chiefs do contact a member of the lodge (Order), we will try to keep an open mind, but their suggestions and commands will not become law in the lodge unless approved by the voting members of the lodge. (Passed on 16 Sept 2001.)

By the way, this was in the bylaws long before any Bast Temple member heard of David Griffin.

And that is all the Bast Temple officially says about the Secret Chiefs. Sad, isn't it? You would think that we would be knee-deep in lore about the Secret Chiefs---after all, the Secret Chiefs have been behind all the important stuff in the system. But no, we merely note that we do not recognize their authority.

After I leave, I imagine that the bylaw will be rewritten to include "their representatives from other Orders." I will be the last member of the BIORC that Griffin can use the "your fellow members must be upset at your actions towards me and my Order" ploy against.

Black magic and me

Reading the internet, I realized that some people believe that when I mentioned using black magic last night that I was thinking of David Griffin.

Wrong.

No, I am thinking about my empty wallet. If I am going to dirty my hands with black magic, for instance use the Picatrix (which someone says is black magic), I am going to go after money. After all, I have student loans that are about to start coming due.

And considering that I am a writer, we all know any spell I use to increase my income has to be black magic...because all writers are evil, along with scholars and historians (I am just evil in spades, ain't I?).

Griffin and his Order do not have to worry about me using black magic against them. I got better and more important things to do.