The Order of the Paraclete

The ORDER OF THE PARACLETE is "Christian", but since it admits (potentially) any form of Christianity it is infinitely flexible and expansive. The Paraclete, the One Who Is To Come, has been identified with Mohammad, and also with the "Holy Spirit" in the Millennialism of Joachim of Fiore, who saw an Age of the Father (Law) and an Age of the Son (Church) succeeded by an Age of the Spirit -- the utopian millennium, perfect freedom. As another millennium approaches, the O.P. will function to give an esoteric interpretation and an outward manifestation to this ideal. Beside the "Aquarian Jesus" of the Circle Seven Koran, the following Christian themes play roles in the form of the O.P. -- the Brethren of the Free Spirit, the Adamites, the Beghards and Beguines; the Christian Cabalists, alchemists, and hermeticists; Renaissance Neo-platonism and Magic; the Celtic Church and its links with paganism; certain forms of Gnosticism (the link to "Egypt"!); radical Protestantism, e.g. the Anabaptists, the Family of Love, the Ranters, the Antinomians, the Diggers, William Blake (Christian Druidism); the revolutionary churches of Spence and Weddeburn, the religious cult of Charles Fourier, the New Catholic Pantarchy of Stephen Pearl Andrews, etc.; also, the Wandering Bishops and the autocephalous churches movement, which played a major role in the original formation of the M.O.C. (hence the term "orthodox" and our title of "Metropolitan", for example) -- the emphasis on liturgy as magic defines O.P. praxis. Another major source of inspiration is the "Spiritist" tradition, the syncretism of Christianity and "HooDoo", African and Native ritual, iconography, magic, etc. -- the single most creative source of spiritual strength in America today.

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