Introducing O∴N∴: A Surrealist Occult Fraternal Order & Anti-Art Collective
Alice Scarlet Death
Last year I wrote a book called Liber Dada. I wrote about what I considered to be dada philosophies as well as surrealistic rituals that I would say fall under a dada label. I attempted to turn dada into a system of magick. I created and defined a fraternal order and named it O∴N∴.
The order is not a secret order. The rituals are published. The initiation ceremonies are published. Nothing is secret about it except its name. Many orders wish to keep its secrets from the profane so they do not desecrate them. That’s all well and good, but I feel like information should be freely given. If you do not understand it, perhaps that is part of what dada is about.
It isn’t supposed to make sense, and it isn’t supposed to have an aesthetic. Without these things, is it really a system of magick? I invented terms like anti-magick to go along with dada being an anti-art movement.
The idea behind anti-art is actually somewhat Saturnalian in practice. Another form of Babalon worship. It looks like chaos, but that’s only half the story. There may be some Discordian overlap, but this is not done in the name of Eris.
I veered away from typical chaos magick aesthetics that I learned from Liber Null and other sources. I took some of its philosophies and applied them such as gnostic states and various methods of achieving trance using elements learned from chaos magick.
In physics, if a particle and an anti-particle collide they cease to exist. Need I say more about how this translates to the occult? Masculine, feminine, and the inevitable annihilation both positive and negative energies. Dada was intended to reject convention and destroy aesthetics.
Dada magick is just a different perspective on concepts that already exist. It is definitely a much more nihilistic perspective, but just a different means to an end. I know it doesn’t make sense. If I’m rejecting aesthetic, how are the symbols supposed to have any significance? That’s something you’ll have to figure out on your own.
So this order was designed to be an anti-order, as it were. I wanted to make a surrealist anti-art fraternal magickal order. I wanted to provide an avenue for occultists to bring their creativity and cynicism together and make something beautiful.
There are initiations. The first five are attempts to wake up the aspirant to dada philosophy. All of the major philosophies can be expressed in these first five rituals. After that is an unnumbered degree called “The Invisible Sisterhood” where every initiate is responsible for creating their own initiations and creating their own orders within the order itself. The degrees after that are administrative or simply helping out people still stuck in “The Invisible Sisterhood.”
It is actually pretty easy to undergo the first set of initiations. You can either take them in person at local body, read the initiation and send letter explaining what you think it means, or record an online video of you and your friends performing the initiation ritual. I do not want to create barriers to access, but like any fraternal order there are different types of bonds formed at different degrees. I would hope that by the time you reach the imaginary degree, you have formed bonds with other members and create your own initiations that promulgate dada philosophies. It’s a slight vetting process, and to let those who are serious have access to the real meat of the organization.
The Invisible Sisterhood is the main goal and purpose of why I created this order. I want to bring together surrealist occultists and give them a fraternal space to be the anti-artists they were born to be. I want it to be an art collective. I want it to be a fraternal order. Why not both?
Dada is the main focus of O∴N∴ as an outward expression in a religious context. The fraternal aspect of the order is to give individuals a place to explore dada and whatever various names you may apply to anti-art.
We are not needy. There is no pressure to rise up in the ranks. In fact, if you get too high you have to start over. Dada means freedom. Freedom from convention. Freedom from religion is our religion. Unless you are infringing on someone else’s ability to be free, dada will welcome you.
There is nothing supernatural about dada and its aims are pantheistic in nature which end up being atheistic in practice for the same reasons anti-art is still art.
This type of order won’t be for everyone. I’ve been active in the noise community since 2002. I’ve been in college fraternities and magickal fraternities. I have taught classes on esoteric philosophy and organized events in the community. This is for the outcasts. The people who don’t have a community of their own. For the people who don’t “feel right” with the aesthetics modern esotericism has shoved down your throat. This is for those who are angry and must create. I have met these people over the years, and I could tell they felt like they did not belong. Sure, I could just practice my silly early 1900s philosophies at home by myself, but I feel like humans are social creatures. Keeping your magick at home is counterproductive. I want us to come together as a community in order to create, to destroy, and to have a place to belong.
And obviously you need a fraternal order to do that because it would make too much sense to just make a facebook group and call it a day. I’m probably just afraid of dying alone. If I die alone how am I going to do Ritual of the Fragment?
If you’re interested in learning more about the order, I’ve made a few pages that talk about things more in depth. You can find it at any time by using the drop down menu at the top of the screen. For your convenience, I have copied them below:
Initiation and Dues
Membership
Degrees
Government of the Order
The Invisible Sisterhood
