The
Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A) is a school of the
Western mystery traditionWestern esotericism or Hermeticism is a broad spectrum of spiritual traditions found in Western society, or refers to the collection of the mystical, esoteric knowledge of the Western world...
based in
Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
which is registered as a non-profit tax-exempt religious organization. It was founded by
Paul Foster CasePaul Foster Case was an American occultist of the early 20th century and author of numerous books on occult tarot and Qabalah. Perhaps his greatest contributions to the field of occultism were the lessons he wrote for associate members of Builders of the Adytum. The Knowledge Lectures given to...
and has its roots in both the
Hermetic Order of the Golden DawnThe Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical order active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development...
and the Masonic
blue lodge systemThis article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
. It was later extended by Ann Davies.
The B.O.T.A. teaches by correspondence, covering
esotericEsotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
psychology,
occult tarotTarot reading revolves around the belief that the cards can be used to gain insight into the past, current and possible future situations of the subject , i.e. cartomancy. Some believe they are guided by a spiritual force, while others believe the cards help them tap into a collective unconscious...
,
Hermetic QabalahHermetic Qabalah is a Western esoteric and mystical tradition...
,
astrologyAstrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, and
meditationMeditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
techniques. It also holds a variety of ritual services and study groups, some open to the public.
Worldwide membership is around 5,000.
Origins of the name
“
AdytumThe adyton or adytum was a restricted area within the cella of a Greek or Roman temple. Its name meant "inaccessible" or "do not enter". The adyton was frequently a small area at the farthest end of the cella from the entrance: at Delphi it measured just nine by twelve feet. The adyton would...
” is Latin for “Inner Shrine” or “
Holy of HoliesThe Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem where the Ark of the Covenant was kept during the First Temple, which could be entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur...
” and “Builders” refer to the emulation of the Carpenter from Nazareth, Jesus, who some members of the B.O.T.A. believe was adept in the mysteries of building a living temple without hands .
History
The Order was founded 1922 by
Paul Foster CasePaul Foster Case was an American occultist of the early 20th century and author of numerous books on occult tarot and Qabalah. Perhaps his greatest contributions to the field of occultism were the lessons he wrote for associate members of Builders of the Adytum. The Knowledge Lectures given to...
. Case was a senior member of the
Hermetic Order of the Golden DawnThe Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical order active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development...
in the United States. After a disagreement with
Moina MathersMoina Mathers, born as Mina Bergson , was an artist and occultist at the turn of the 20th century. She was the sister of French philosopher Henri Bergson, the first man of Jewish descent to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1927...
, head of the Golden Dawn and widow of MacGregor Mathers, he left the Golden Dawn along with some former members and formed a separate order.
With the death of Paul Foster Case his secretary Ann Davies became the head of B.O.T.A.. The order flourished and expanded to Europe and Australia.
Beliefs
B.O.T.A. believes that the Qabalah is the mystical root of both ancient
JudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and the original
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. People of all faiths are accepted if they are mystically inclined.
For members of the B.O.T.A, the means whereby higher consciousness,
illuminationIn theology, light or divine light is a term used to refer to an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means, rather than through physical capacities...
and
enlightenmentEnlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
may be gained include both theory and practice. These teachings and practical secrets constitute what the Builders of the Adytum refer to as Ageless Wisdom. It is called “Ageless” because they believe it is not susceptible to the mutations of time. Ageless Wisdom is not viewed by the B.O.T.A as primarily a product of man’s thinking. It is “written by God upon the face of nature” and is always there for men and women of all epochs to read, if they can.
Regional organizations
B.O.T.A. has Study Groups and Pronaos healing ritual work in many cities throughout the world:
- Northeast US
- Midwest / Southeast US
- Southwest US / Rocky Mt.
- Northwest US
- Southern California / Arizona / Nevada
- South America & Mexico & Colombia
- Australia and New Zealand
- Europe
Study groups
These groups are open to all and afford an opportunity to interact with those who share a common spiritual teaching and practice. The purposes for the Study Groups include (1) developing
fraternalFraternal can refer to:*A fraternal benefit society is a non-profit, mutual aid organization that ensures members and their families and maintains an active lodge system. Members of a fraternal benefit society come together as local volunteer groups that conduct activities to benefit members and...
Love and Harmony, (2) developing
higher consciousnessHigher consciousness, also called super consciousness , objective consciousness , Buddhic consciousness , cosmic consciousness, God-consciousness and Christ consciousness , are expressions used in various spiritual traditions to denote the consciousness of a human being who has reached a...
, (3) incorporating the principles of Ageless Wisdom in everyday life, (4) learning to enjoy together the operation of the One Will (the will of God), and (5) providing an open door to the Mysteries to all who genuinely seek them.
Group ritual
Group Ritual Work has long been used in the
Western mystery traditionWestern esotericism or Hermeticism is a broad spectrum of spiritual traditions found in Western society, or refers to the collection of the mystical, esoteric knowledge of the Western world...
as a dynamic means of bringing about spiritual and fraternal insights. Open only to B.O.T.A. members, this ritualistic work occurs after
initiationInitiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
into Pronaos which includes an
oathAn oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
of
secrecySecrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups, perhaps while sharing it with other individuals...
. Its aim is to impress symbolism more effectively upon the aspirants' psyches through dramatic enactment, bringing the static images of the
B.O.T.A. tarot deckThe B.O.T.A. Tarot was created by Paul Foster Case, founder of B.O.T.A. and artist Jessie Burns Parke. Though the B.O.T.A. Tarot for the most part closely resembles the Rider-Waite deck, Paul Foster Case corrected what he felt were mistakes or "blinds" in the Rider-Waite edition.In "The Tarot,"...
into motion.
Sources
- Hulst, David Allen. The Western Mysteries. Llewellyn Publications; 2nd edition, 2002. ISBN 978-1567184297