I was in one. Termed "initiation into the inner sanctum".
It was done around a fire adjacent to the pond. Black robed 'n hooded as mentioned above. Wierwille intoned ;ots of mumbo-jumbo, accomapanied by the occasional fire flash (he threw handsful of theatrical fire flash powder kept in his robe pocket).
Supplicants were given a "host" in a mock communion. The "host" was a nasty root substance from India that burned for days.
"Inner sanctum" it was not. That was reserved for those "mature enough" to "handle it".
Yeah, I remember there was some talk about this (maybe it was from you, TheEvan).
It just sounds so bee-zarre -- spending all that time on costumes, effects, planning for a mock ceremony -- when what they told everyone they were about was "moving the Word."
What was the point of it? To separate the "spiritually mature?"
It all just sounds like so much immature male machismo. I can't imagine some Branch leader getting away with a thing like that. Smacks of Wierwille again abusing his power, just because he could.
Thanks for sharing regarding the esoteric initiation ceremony. I had never heard a word about it until I saw this interesting thread. However, it does not now {ex-twi} surprise me whatsoever. This type of ceremony would be typical in the ancient pagan mystery religion initiations as well as initiation into various esoteric hermetic societies. The primary purpose of the ceremony was essentially thought reform, of the abrupt highly emotional conversional form, of the inductee. It also served to mark the top level insiders & generate commaraderie among them.
In view of TWI, your information reinforces my opinion that a significant portion of TWI material was taken from non-biblical arcane hermetic sources, both proximate {Kenyon} and remote {the ancient, mediaeval, & renaissance}. This is a significant reason why I think veepee made such an issue of the supposed 'Great Mystery.'
It also interesting to note the paradox of veepee denigrating such traditions as noted in Babylon: Mystery Religion, & The Two Babylons, when he himself covertly promoted teaching along the very same lines, albeit with an apparent biblical veneer.
Also veepee's hermetic proclivities would explain several other things. It is interesting to me that veepee would often open the section of the AC dealing with the 'revelation manifestations' with the account of Baalam, 'the copped out prophet.' It's as though vpw's guilty conscience is breaking through the explicit teaching to project that he feels himself to be a copped out prophet, apostle, etc.
Also, vpw's hermetic orientation would help to explain why he liked to open pfal with jn10:10 regarding the thief. Once again, I think vpw's corrupt conscience is projecting to us in the midst of pfal, essentially that vpw will try to steal, kill, & destroy those he has deceived into TWI for the purpose of fulfilling his own selfish lusts.
Are you saying you think the Doc brought out these teachings consciously in that manner, or he was subconsciously projecting. My offhand guess would be the latter. Interesting thoughts.
My husband went through the "ceremony" at summer school. It was a big fat joke, which has now, many decades later, been blown way way out proportion. The substance consumed was the root of a local weed called Indian turnip, not some mysterious substance from India. It has a taste similar to horseradish, and burns like horseradish also. It was more like a fraternity stunt than some black mass type of activity.
They were given water to wash it down, which merely spread it more liberally around their mouths.
I personally think it's a sorry joke, but husband suffered no ill effects and took it as it was meant, a joke on the gullible summer school students.
Now let's don't start ragging on my husband for being stupid or something, okay? You don't even know him and he is one of the smartest people I ever met.
Sorry to end the mystery and thus, probably, the fun.
vpw was probably subconsciously projecting his guilty conscience via his choice of passage to use {he could have used many others than the interesting one he chose}
Corn Wizard vpw was consciously teaching the passage but not realizing his guilty projection
Sorry to end the mystery and thus, probably, the fun.
On the contrary, I got quite a giggle out of the whole thing.
I liken the entire progression of TWI 1 classes to initiation into a "secret" WayWorld society, and the picture that comes in my mind is the scene in the movie Animal House where Kevin Bacon's character is hazed into a fraternity by being swatted with a paddle by guys in hooded robes:
Foundational Class
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Intermediate Class
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Collateral Classes (CF&S, Renewed Mind, et. al.)
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Advanced Class
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Way Corps.....
Well, you get the idea.
I find it bizarre that they would do something like that, even in jest, but I'm not surprised.
My husband went through the "ceremony" at summer school. It was a big fat joke, which has now, many decades later, been blown way way out proportion.
Indeed.
Way back when during Summer school, some of the people at the Way used to observe birthdays by throwing you in "the pond". Everyone would sing Happy-Happy birthday to you at lunch, then you'd get hoisted off to the pond back by the barn. Mostly young folk, the yungins. It was fun. Although it bore a striking resemblance to an ancient Aztec ritual of baptism where adults were tossed into pits of ground cocoa bean and poppy buds for the yearly Sacrifice to the Coke God, it was basically just a fun thing.
Background: Indian turnip was used by American Indians for stomach and bowel complaints. The plant is white, and its root resembles a small turnip. The Indians ate the berries and leaves surrounding the flowers, but considered the root poisonous. The fresh rhizome is very toxic, and can burn the mouth in the raw state, but once dried, loses its astringent quality. The Iroquois used the Indian Turnip as a food and as a medicine. The Osage and Shawnee Indians used the Indian Turnip for fevers and coughs.  For malaria, they combined it with snakeroot and wild cherry bark for a tonic to be taken after the fever broke. The Ojibwa and Menomonee Indians used the root for eye sores, and the Medkwakis used the chopped root on snakebites.
(short derail ---- ) When working at Morgan-Monroe State Forest (Indiana -- 1975-78) a coupla my co-workers were into herbs, and dug up jack-in-the-pulpit roots, ginseng roots and other stuff as well any time they found a plant.
One was curious, and bit into the jack-in-the-pulpit root raw, and yes -- his mouth was on fire for the rest of the afternoon! Watered Garden was surely right about that!!
Indian turnip is Jack-in-the-Pulpit (one of my favourite plants, next to the Columbine).
Yes, Watered Garden ... that was exactly it ... Dr. Wierwille did it at the end of Advanced Class '73 at HQ ... it was on the same field that ROA 1971 was held on ... rather freaked me out (I was only 18) ... but I did have enough sense to let my "jack in the pulpit" drop through my fingers onto the ground ... I was "spiritually aware" (HA!) enough to realize it was probably something hot ... TF
toad, you cheated too? I thought I was the only one!
I also was at the AC73 one. I agree, I think it was presented as a fun, youth camp type silly thing. However, I do know a few who took it more seriously that year, but give them a break, Everyone was young and naive, or we wouldn'ta been there!
Way back when during Summer school, some of the people at the Way used to observe birthdays by throwing you in "the pond". Everyone would sing Happy-Happy birthday to you at lunch, then you'd get hoisted off to the pond back by the barn
Yeah while singing O we love you love you love you......... and any day generaly close to your birthday worked just as well......
I'll buy it that it was a prank. But what I DON'T get is all the preparation behind it. Throwing you in the pond is one thing -- no cost involved, and very little planning. Impromptu.
But this ceremony thing -- costumes, special effects, the fire, digging up Jack-in-the-pulpit root, laughing at his own followers. WTF? Did they use their ministerial/academic robes? Can you imagine any other pastor of any other congregation doing something like this?
And I doubt a branch leader would have ever been allowed to do such a thing.
Although I don't see anything "spiritual" behind this display of "boys will be boys," I see a lot of psychological insight into the heart of a guy who couldn't care less about his "people."
WW I'd say you are correct. i can't speak firsthand it did not happen at the one I took but two people from here took the AC in 1971. They talked about it a few times their perception was about the same as here it was a joke. In those days there were few grads around and people looked up to them in a sense. We had no Corps grads in the city so they were our elders so to speak.
It was rare that you got to hear much about the AC so there was this mystery about it ,and I believe that they were not supposed to share much about it and most took that to heart and did not. So when you went to the AC I think in some ways that mystery was carried into the class when you attended coupled with the fascination of the devil spirit realm. Their perception was they did it as a joke with a lesson, it was like hey guys this is not some mysterious thing here that you all have been expecting.
The ceremony described here sounds like the initiation I went through in college for Thespian(drama) society). We didn't eat anything hot, though, but had a blind fold on, and everyone wore old black robes from the costume room.It was purely fun
My dad was a regional director for a fraternal organization( Loyal order of Moose) which did alot of rituals and ceremonies in robes and little hats etc. I witnessed a few in college because dad would travel and pick me up on a trip to take me home. Man, going to Dad to a polka night in Havre, Montana, what a memory. Most of them had a bar and a Ladies lounge, where I was supposed to hang out, but I watched a couple rituals...solemn, all about protecting the herd stuff, very symbolic with hand motions. Guys with small town jobs in feed stores and gas stations dressed in velvet robes, being all mysterious... It was probably fun for those guys though. Seemed religious to me.
Ah, yes, the secret initiation into "the inner sanctum". I remember it well. I guess it must have been the summer of 1973, or so, during the Advanced Class. Most of the details listed here coincide with my memories of the incident. We had to vow a "pledge of secrecy" to never tell a soul about it. Sure, I knew it was all a sham, but it surely seemed ironic that this fairly elaborate ritual was being conducted merely hours after we had just been taught that even casual associations with mystic observances could lead to "spiritual weakness". In retrospect, it simply demonstrates to me that Wierwille didn't honestly believe a word of what he had taught us that day. I suppose some might even say he was mocking our gullibility. (Not for the validity of the ceremony, but for believing there was accuracy in what he had taught.) In a way, I think you might also see it as a type of obviation and introduction into "the lock box". An obviation in that any exposition of a REAL "inner sanctum" would be doubted and an "introduction to the lock box" by virtue of introducing the "pledge of secrecy". I know it burned like beejeebers. That part, at least, was real.
I think it gave him a chance to be viewed as some kind of hero, too.
Here we were, dabbling in the forbidden, sticking our hands in the fire, so to speak, and yet his mere presence and "believing" saved us from being burnt. <_< Yep, he was soooo spiritual, he could get away with tempting the debuhl.
When I first started reading some of the responses, it freaked me out! I had never heard about this.
Then I read responses that said, oh it was just a joke, not a serious event.
Then, My question is, Why do it at all?? What was the point of this? I've never heard of a christian church who is actually an upstanding church doing something like this as a "joke".
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WordWolf
Here's a little of what I found so far:
"..a Way 'inner-sanctum' initiation ceremony. Anybody ever go through that?
I did. Wierwille conducted it as 'the grand wizard'.
Yes, that's what he called himself.
Various unidentified Corps in the black-hooded robes assisted.
The proceedings were ostensibly tongue-in-cheek."
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TheEvan
I was in one. Termed "initiation into the inner sanctum".
It was done around a fire adjacent to the pond. Black robed 'n hooded as mentioned above. Wierwille intoned ;ots of mumbo-jumbo, accomapanied by the occasional fire flash (he threw handsful of theatrical fire flash powder kept in his robe pocket).
Supplicants were given a "host" in a mock communion. The "host" was a nasty root substance from India that burned for days.
"Inner sanctum" it was not. That was reserved for those "mature enough" to "handle it".
Ahem
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shazdancer
Yeah, I remember there was some talk about this (maybe it was from you, TheEvan).
It just sounds so bee-zarre -- spending all that time on costumes, effects, planning for a mock ceremony -- when what they told everyone they were about was "moving the Word."
What was the point of it? To separate the "spiritually mature?"
It all just sounds like so much immature male machismo. I can't imagine some Branch leader getting away with a thing like that. Smacks of Wierwille again abusing his power, just because he could.
Regards,
Shaz
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jkboehme
TheEvan,
Thanks for sharing regarding the esoteric initiation ceremony. I had never heard a word about it until I saw this interesting thread. However, it does not now {ex-twi} surprise me whatsoever. This type of ceremony would be typical in the ancient pagan mystery religion initiations as well as initiation into various esoteric hermetic societies. The primary purpose of the ceremony was essentially thought reform, of the abrupt highly emotional conversional form, of the inductee. It also served to mark the top level insiders & generate commaraderie among them.
In view of TWI, your information reinforces my opinion that a significant portion of TWI material was taken from non-biblical arcane hermetic sources, both proximate {Kenyon} and remote {the ancient, mediaeval, & renaissance}. This is a significant reason why I think veepee made such an issue of the supposed 'Great Mystery.'
It also interesting to note the paradox of veepee denigrating such traditions as noted in Babylon: Mystery Religion, & The Two Babylons, when he himself covertly promoted teaching along the very same lines, albeit with an apparent biblical veneer.
Also veepee's hermetic proclivities would explain several other things. It is interesting to me that veepee would often open the section of the AC dealing with the 'revelation manifestations' with the account of Baalam, 'the copped out prophet.' It's as though vpw's guilty conscience is breaking through the explicit teaching to project that he feels himself to be a copped out prophet, apostle, etc.
Also, vpw's hermetic orientation would help to explain why he liked to open pfal with jn10:10 regarding the thief. Once again, I think vpw's corrupt conscience is projecting to us in the midst of pfal, essentially that vpw will try to steal, kill, & destroy those he has deceived into TWI for the purpose of fulfilling his own selfish lusts.
:o
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TheEvan
Are you saying you think the Doc brought out these teachings consciously in that manner, or he was subconsciously projecting. My offhand guess would be the latter. Interesting thoughts.
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Watered Garden
My husband went through the "ceremony" at summer school. It was a big fat joke, which has now, many decades later, been blown way way out proportion. The substance consumed was the root of a local weed called Indian turnip, not some mysterious substance from India. It has a taste similar to horseradish, and burns like horseradish also. It was more like a fraternity stunt than some black mass type of activity.
They were given water to wash it down, which merely spread it more liberally around their mouths.
I personally think it's a sorry joke, but husband suffered no ill effects and took it as it was meant, a joke on the gullible summer school students.
Now let's don't start ragging on my husband for being stupid or something, okay? You don't even know him and he is one of the smartest people I ever met.
Sorry to end the mystery and thus, probably, the fun.
WG
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jkboehme
vpw was probably subconsciously projecting his guilty conscience via his choice of passage to use {he could have used many others than the interesting one he chose}
Corn Wizard vpw was consciously teaching the passage but not realizing his guilty projection
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Kevlar2000
On the contrary, I got quite a giggle out of the whole thing.
I liken the entire progression of TWI 1 classes to initiation into a "secret" WayWorld society, and the picture that comes in my mind is the scene in the movie Animal House where Kevin Bacon's character is hazed into a fraternity by being swatted with a paddle by guys in hooded robes:
Foundational Class
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Intermediate Class
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Collateral Classes (CF&S, Renewed Mind, et. al.)
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Advanced Class
*swack!*
"Thank you sir, may I have another?!"
Way Corps.....
Well, you get the idea.
I find it bizarre that they would do something like that, even in jest, but I'm not surprised.
Anymore.
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Linda Z
I agree completely with Watered Garden. It was a joke, like snipe hunting at summer camp, and I thought it was hilarious.
We did it in the Family Corps out on U. Harry Hill, with VP, Del D, and Gary Curxxs presiding.
Anyone who took it seriously must have been very young and very, very naive, because it was obviously tongue-in-cheek.
There are/were plenty of things wrong with twi, but this silly little "ritual," IMO, wasn't one of them.
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socks
Indeed.
Way back when during Summer school, some of the people at the Way used to observe birthdays by throwing you in "the pond". Everyone would sing Happy-Happy birthday to you at lunch, then you'd get hoisted off to the pond back by the barn. Mostly young folk, the yungins. It was fun. Although it bore a striking resemblance to an ancient Aztec ritual of baptism where adults were tossed into pits of ground cocoa bean and poppy buds for the yearly Sacrifice to the Coke God, it was basically just a fun thing.
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dmiller
(short derail ---- ) When working at Morgan-Monroe State Forest (Indiana -- 1975-78) a coupla my co-workers were into herbs, and dug up jack-in-the-pulpit roots, ginseng roots and other stuff as well any time they found a plant.
One was curious, and bit into the jack-in-the-pulpit root raw, and yes -- his mouth was on fire for the rest of the afternoon! Watered Garden was surely right about that!!
Indian turnip is Jack-in-the-Pulpit (one of my favourite plants, next to the Columbine).
Â
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dmiller
Jack-in-the-Pulpit ---
This plant even looks like a *guilty projection* about to happen!
ok --- back to topic.
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ToadFriend
Yes, Watered Garden ... that was exactly it ... Dr. Wierwille did it at the end of Advanced Class '73 at HQ ... it was on the same field that ROA 1971 was held on ... rather freaked me out (I was only 18) ... but I did have enough sense to let my "jack in the pulpit" drop through my fingers onto the ground ... I was "spiritually aware" (HA!) enough to realize it was probably something hot ... TF
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jkboehme
It's alive, it's alive, Arisaema triphyllum is really alive!
Now class, it's only axiomatic that the Corn Wizard would exhibit phototropism for Arisaema triphyllum & vice versa.
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HAPe4me
toad, you cheated too? I thought I was the only one!
I also was at the AC73 one. I agree, I think it was presented as a fun, youth camp type silly thing. However, I do know a few who took it more seriously that year, but give them a break, Everyone was young and naive, or we wouldn'ta been there!
~HAP
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WhiteDove
You mean Sith Lords?
Well I guess Hollywood stole more than Athletes of the Spirit from TWI........ :blink:
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WhiteDove
Yeah while singing O we love you love you love you......... and any day generaly close to your birthday worked just as well......
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WordWolf
Even "the Way:Living in Love" had a pic of the
"God's blessings on you-SPLASH!" run to the pond.
======
Ok,
so, judging from the one-sidedness of the
posts,
I take it that NOBODY had an experience
that was any "darker" than a stupid prank,
nothing worse than
"Repeat after me,
'I, state your name'..."
correct?
So, then,
we can put this little thing to bed, then?
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shazdancer
Well, WW, not quite.
I'll buy it that it was a prank. But what I DON'T get is all the preparation behind it. Throwing you in the pond is one thing -- no cost involved, and very little planning. Impromptu.
But this ceremony thing -- costumes, special effects, the fire, digging up Jack-in-the-pulpit root, laughing at his own followers. WTF? Did they use their ministerial/academic robes? Can you imagine any other pastor of any other congregation doing something like this?
And I doubt a branch leader would have ever been allowed to do such a thing.
Although I don't see anything "spiritual" behind this display of "boys will be boys," I see a lot of psychological insight into the heart of a guy who couldn't care less about his "people."
Regards,
Shaz
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WhiteDove
WW I'd say you are correct. i can't speak firsthand it did not happen at the one I took but two people from here took the AC in 1971. They talked about it a few times their perception was about the same as here it was a joke. In those days there were few grads around and people looked up to them in a sense. We had no Corps grads in the city so they were our elders so to speak.
It was rare that you got to hear much about the AC so there was this mystery about it ,and I believe that they were not supposed to share much about it and most took that to heart and did not. So when you went to the AC I think in some ways that mystery was carried into the class when you attended coupled with the fascination of the devil spirit realm. Their perception was they did it as a joke with a lesson, it was like hey guys this is not some mysterious thing here that you all have been expecting.
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Bramble
The ceremony described here sounds like the initiation I went through in college for Thespian(drama) society). We didn't eat anything hot, though, but had a blind fold on, and everyone wore old black robes from the costume room.It was purely fun
My dad was a regional director for a fraternal organization( Loyal order of Moose) which did alot of rituals and ceremonies in robes and little hats etc. I witnessed a few in college because dad would travel and pick me up on a trip to take me home. Man, going to Dad to a polka night in Havre, Montana, what a memory. Most of them had a bar and a Ladies lounge, where I was supposed to hang out, but I watched a couple rituals...solemn, all about protecting the herd stuff, very symbolic with hand motions. Guys with small town jobs in feed stores and gas stations dressed in velvet robes, being all mysterious... It was probably fun for those guys though. Seemed religious to me.
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waysider
Ah, yes, the secret initiation into "the inner sanctum". I remember it well. I guess it must have been the summer of 1973, or so, during the Advanced Class. Most of the details listed here coincide with my memories of the incident. We had to vow a "pledge of secrecy" to never tell a soul about it. Sure, I knew it was all a sham, but it surely seemed ironic that this fairly elaborate ritual was being conducted merely hours after we had just been taught that even casual associations with mystic observances could lead to "spiritual weakness". In retrospect, it simply demonstrates to me that Wierwille didn't honestly believe a word of what he had taught us that day. I suppose some might even say he was mocking our gullibility. (Not for the validity of the ceremony, but for believing there was accuracy in what he had taught.) In a way, I think you might also see it as a type of obviation and introduction into "the lock box". An obviation in that any exposition of a REAL "inner sanctum" would be doubted and an "introduction to the lock box" by virtue of introducing the "pledge of secrecy". I know it burned like beejeebers. That part, at least, was real.
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waysider
I think it gave him a chance to be viewed as some kind of hero, too.
Here we were, dabbling in the forbidden, sticking our hands in the fire, so to speak, and yet his mere presence and "believing" saved us from being burnt. <_< Yep, he was soooo spiritual, he could get away with tempting the debuhl.
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newlife
When I first started reading some of the responses, it freaked me out! I had never heard about this.
Then I read responses that said, oh it was just a joke, not a serious event.
Then, My question is, Why do it at all?? What was the point of this? I've never heard of a christian church who is actually an upstanding church doing something like this as a "joke".
This is not funny to me at all......
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