American Goetia: The Bill of Rights

I have been most amused in scanning the blogosphere. Apparently, the famous lodge that had some difficulty has inspired some former or current members to begin developing a Bill of Rights for those in esoteric groups. I will not discuss my views on that matter specifically. I have also noticed a Pagan Bill of Rights trying to make its rounds on Face Book. I look at these and figure that I tapped into an emerging stream of thought well in advance.

Such a Bill of Rights is integral to the American Goetia (tm) system I am developing. The difference is that it has nothing to do with group structure. Practitioners are required to develop their own bill of rights. This document, expresses things so fundamental to the nature of the practitioner, that reciting or declaring them begins to build the authority necessary to do this sort of work. These have to be deeply held core principals essential to the integrity of the practitioner's soul manifestation in this lifetime as far as s/he is capable of understanding it in the moment. Obviously, any given set of declarations can be amended or redacted over time. This is no small work. Serious soul searching is required. Those who have not done this work, may find the practice of American Goetia (tm) very problematic.

I did note that Crowley, in Liber Oz, may have had the same sort of idea. I am working on my own such bill now and so are my partners. At the moment, I am patterning my ideas on my own thoughts plus these works. I expect the list to expand over time but the eventual document to be rather short and concise.

• Crowley's Liber OZ
• The United States Bill of Rights
• An Early Document in US History about Religious Tolerance and Freedom. This was enacted in North or South Carolina about the time of the Revolution. I am tracking it down.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Four Freedoms.

Most of the research and ideas of the system, not just the Bill of Rights, comes form the peculiar "American experience." By that I mean the United States of America, culture views, myths and thoughts. It would be an error to assume these will be lauded in some patriotic system. Patriotism has nothing to do with it.