Congratulations on your advancement to the rank of 8/8 in the Octagon Society. You’ve completed your spiritual journey through our ranks. As an 8/8 you have complete access to all Eight Laws: the Law of Acceptance, the Law of Happiness, the Law of Joy, the Law of Peace, the Law of Forgiveness, the Law of Strength, the Law of Teaching, and the Law of Unconditional Love.
Please don’t feel that having attained the rank of 8/8 you’re a full-fledged alchemist. You probably aren’t. Like most of us, you’ve most likely made some progress on your spiritual path but you haven’t reached the end of the path just yet.
You’re invited to revisit the Eight Laws and engage in the suggested tasks again at regular intervals in the future. The second time through this process you’ll learn even more about yourself and the Divine. In fact, we encourage you to go through this process a total of eight times. The Octagon Society is built on the number eight:
• Eight Laws
• Eight ranks, 1/8 through 8/8
• Eight separate and distinct tasks for each rank
• Eight repetitions of the process of working with the Eight Laws
• Eight foundations for the work of the Order of the Temple of Solomon
• Eight preparatory skills for the work of the Order of Spiritual Alchemy
• Eight officers in the Council of Guardians
• Eight affiliated orders and organizations*
*The eight affiliated organizations in the heyday of the Order of Spiritual Alchemy were as follows:
• Universal Gnostic Church
• Universal Seminary
• Order of the Universal Monk
• Order of the Universal Nun
• Order of Spiritual Alchemy
• Holy Order of the Golden Dawn
• Modern Order of Essenes
• Ancient Order of Druids in America
Of these, the Ancient Order of Druids in America is active and the Order of Spiritual Alchemy is in the process of becoming active again. The remaining groups are currently dormant. This may change if there is enough interest in any of them.
The Examination
Once you have completed the work of the Octagon Society and attained the rank of 8/8 you are eligible to seek membership in the Order of the Temple of Solomon, the second of the three levels of the Order of Spiritual Alchemy. In the Order of the Temple you will be able to take your studies of spiritual alchemy to the next level and add alchemical work with your thoughts to the work you have already done with your feelings. In order to do so, however, you must pass an examination in the work of the Octagon Society, and pay a lifetime membership fee of US$80.00. This is the only fee you will be required to pay at any point for membership in the OSA.
To take the examination, once you have completed the Octagon Society work, please visit the Contact page and email the office. Include your legal name, your year of birth, and the state or province and the country where you presently live. You will receive the examination by email in return. Complete it and email it back, and further instructions will follow. Only if you pass the examination will you be asked to pay the lifetime membership fee. Thereafter you may proceed to the further lessons the OSA has to teach.
Membership in the Order of Spiritual Alchemy is open to men and women of good character, 18 years old and up, without reference to religion, ethnicity, nationality, or country of origin.
Heritage of the Order of Spiritual Alchemy
The history and origins of the Order of Spiritual Alchemy were discussed in the first post in this sequence. While the OSA has been dormant for some years its lineage remains unbroken. On 8 September 2021, Chief Guardian Charlene Mullen appointed John Michael Greer to the Council of Guardians and resigned her position in his favor. The return of the OSA to active operation is now under way, and anyone interested in contributing time and effort to this project will be very welcome. Those who complete the work of the Octagon Society lessons, pass the examination, and become members in good standing may also be eligible to be appointed to a seat on the Council of Guardians.
As circumstances permit, a website, a moderated forum for members, and copies of the Octagon Society lessons in several convenient formats will become available. I will post details here as the process unfolds.
Adept Master Alchemists:
William Robert Harrison, III 1878 – 1894
Jonathan Alden 1894 – 1911
Mrs. Jonathan Alden 1911 – 1923
Chief Guardians of the Temple:
James Fillmore Harris 1923 – 1928
Clarence Rutherford 1928 – 1934
William Eugene Thompson 1934 – 1938
Olive (Mrs. William) Thompson 1938 – 1943
Hellen (Mrs. Clarence) Rutherford 1943 – 1947
Juliet Ashley 1947 – 1965
Rhodonn Starrus (Matthew Shaw) 1965 – 1971
Betty Jean McCloud Reeves 1971 – 1982
John F. Gilbert 1982 – 1999
Rita Baker 1999 – 2005
Charlene Mullen 2005 – 2021
John Michael Greer 2021 –