Frequently Asked Questions (and answers!)
- What is the Friary?
- Is the Friary some kind of church?
- What are your aims?
- What is the College of Seven?
- What is the Sacred Flame?
- What is the Apostolic Johannite Church?
- What do you mean by Apostolic?
- You use "Gnostic" a lot- what does that mean?
- What do you mean by "magick?"
- Is there any difference between the terms "Magick," "Esoteric," and the "Occult?"
- Is there a school building somewhere?
- Isn't occultism black magic?
- Are you affiliated with any other organizations?
- Do you have to be a Christian to be a member of the Friary?
- Is your material available in any other languages?
- How much does membership cost?
- Do I have to meditate for hours on end?
- Do I have to travel anywhere to follow your courses?
- Am I free to leave the school whenever I wish?
- How long does it take to complete the First Degree Initiate material?
What is the Friary?
The Friary is a modern Western Mystery School, sponsored by the Apostolic Johannite
Church. Our curriculum deals with the Magickal Arts, focusing on a
centuries old Gnostic system, but encompassing all esoteric systems,
East and West.
Is the Friary some kind of church?
No. We are a school. The Friary is sponsored by the Apostolic Johannite
Church, and while many members of the Friary do enjoy affiliation and
participation in the AJC, it is by no means a requirement- nor does it
offer special benefit, for Friary membership.
What are your aims?
The aim of the Friary is to help in spreading the esoteric knowledge in
an ethical way, regardless of religion, sex, nationality, race, age, or
social status.
What is the College of Seven?
Executive authority in the Temple is held by the College of Seven, the
High Priests of the Sacred Flame. The Grandmaster of the Friary, along
with being a Bishop of the AJC, is always chosen from among the ranks
of the College of Seven.
What is the Sacred Flame?
That special Divine Fire that ensouls the magician and allows him or
her to increase their state of Being, while moving always closer to the
Will of the Divine.
What is the Apostolic Johannite Church?
The Apostolic
Johannite Church is a Gnostic, esoteric and Apostolic Catholic
Church.
The AJC encourages intellectual and religious freedom and holds the individual conscience in high respect. You'll find love, acceptance, and fellowship within the AJC, whether you believe in the literal exposition of the scriptures or you accept an allegorical spiritual interpretation.
What do you mean by
Apostolic?
Apostolicity is the mark by which the Church of today is recognized as
identical with the Church founded by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles. It
is of great importance because it is the surest indication of the true
Church of Christ.
Either the word "Christian" or "Apostolic", might be used to express the identity between the Church of today and the primitive Church. The term "Apostolic" is preferred because it indicates a correlation between Christ and the Apostles, showing the relation of the Church both to Christ, the founder, and to the Apostles, upon whom He founded it.
"Apostle" is one sent, sent by authority of Jesus Christ to continue His Mission upon earth, especially a member of the original band of teachers known as the Twelve Apostles. Therefore the Church is called Apostolic, because it was founded by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles, ours more specifically, upon the Apostle John, called by Christ "the Beloved."
You use "Gnostic" a lot- what does
that mean?
We can do no better than to point you to Bishop Hoeller's (Tau
Stephanus I of the Ecclesia Gnostica) wonderful introductory article on
this very subject. While there, you might take advantage of the other
foundational, superb, and groundbreaking work this Gnostic Bishop has
created. Read the article HERE.
(offsite link)
What do you mean by "magick?"
Magick is the causing of change to occur in the subjective universe in
accordance with the Will. This change in the subjective universe will
cause a similar and proportionate change in the objective universe.
Examine this definition. A deliberate effort is made to alter one's subjective frame of reference, so that a thing that used to be conceptualized one way is now conceptualized in another. A distasteful situation may be adjusted to produce a favorable outcome; a live enemy may be adjusted to be thwarted or nonexistent; a desire of any sort may be realized.
Is there any difference
between the terms "Magick," "Esoteric," and the "Occult?"
The Definition of Magick is above, the others:
Esoteric- Designed for, and understood by, the specially initiated
alone; not communicated, or not intelligible, to the general populous;
private; interior; -- said of the private and more recondite
instructions and doctrines of philosophers. Opposed to exoteric.
Occult- Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural
influences, agencies, or phenomena. Beyond the realm of human
comprehension; inscrutable. Available only to the initiate; secret.
Hidden from view; concealed.
Is there a school building
somewhere?
Many members are geographically distant from one another. This
necessitates an organizational design geared more towards services to
the individual than to localized groups. Recognizing the value and
fellowship of a seminar environment, however, the Friary provides for
"Lodges." Lodges are often geographically localized, but some are
"correspondence" Lodges with global membership and interaction. While
each Lodge is under the trust and responsibility of a II°+
Sentinel, they are emphatically not "leader/follower congregations,"
but rather cooperative and interactive forums for individual Initiates.
Isn't occultism black magic?
The technology of magic is neutral. It is the intention of the operator
that determines whether the magic is "black" or "white" (which is to
say, "harmful" or "beneficial"). For this reason, occult schools have
carefully screened their candidates throughout the ages, and have
taught their Initiates to develop the highest in personal ethical
standards.
Are you affiliated with any other
organizations?
The Friary is sponsored by the Apostolic Johannite Church. Other than
this, the Friary is affiliated with no other organization- though we do
hold dear our mutual friendships and relationships with other groups
and Orders.
Do you have to be a Christian to be
a member of the Friary?
There are many paths to the Light, and we respect them all. One of the
first things an occultist has to learn is tolerance and understanding
of other religions. While the Friary does focus on Esoteric
Christianity, and use a great deal of Christian terminology and
symbolism, we count ourselves fortunate to have Wiccans, Christians,
Shamans, Buddhists, Hermeticists, Alchemists, Hindus and many others
among our members.
Is your material available in
any other languages?
At this time, the Friary material is available only in the English
language. Plans for expanding this are underway.
How much does membership cost?
The Friary charges no Initiation fees.
Lodges may, at the discretion of the Sentinel and the approval of the membership, have their own membership dues to help alleviate the cost of group gatherings.
Do I have to meditate for
hours on end?
The Friary does encourage regular meditation, for both Initiatory and
health reasons, but the length of time and regularity is determined by
the Initiate. No one will force you to do anything.
Of course, this means that in order to be a successful Initiate, you
must possess a drive, discipline, and self-motivation, because…
no one will force you to do anything.
You will succeed or fail on your own efforts and merits.
Do I have to travel anywhere to
follow your courses?
Degree Initiations must be given in person, and this does, at times,
require travel- either on the part of the Candidate or the Initiator.
To see if there is an Initiator within your area, please contact the Grand Lodge.
Am I free to leave the school
whenever I wish?
Yes. You can leave the Friary at any point in your studies and for any
reason. You do not have to state your reasons for leaving. We will not
try to stop you from leaving us; neither will we hang on to you in any
way, since we recognize that each individual has his or her own path to
follow. Should you find that our particular school is not what you are
looking for, we will be happy to recommend other schools if you so wish.
How long will it take me to complete
the First Degree Initiate material?
Each Initiate of the Friary may confer any Initiator degree
<below> the one the currently hold (for example, any II* may
confer the I*, and any III* may confer either the II*, or the I*), and
the Friary does not dictate to whom, or when these Initiations must be
given. Therefore, to answer the question, we must say "it depends."
The time it takes you to complete the First Degree material will depend completely upon you, and the discretion and discernment of the Initiator.