From Fall 2001 to Spring 2009 I served as Sentinel of the Black Sun Rising Pylon in New York City. Previous to that I had been one of its founding members and had help shape, and was shaped by the Work wrought in its Name. More than any other institutional instrument of the Temple of Set, it was this experience that has informed by a sense of Setian Initiation in its many facets.
My guide for the Black Sun Rising Pylon was the experiences of those within the Bull of Ombos Pylon, shared by its Sentinel Emeritus, then-Magus Don Webb, in Sesh Ari Arit. I had felt strongly that the Bull, more than any other single Pylon, had shaped what we knew of Pyloncraft, but also the Aeon of Set itself. Two Ipsissimi, one Maga, several Magisters and countless Priests and Adepts were graduates of the Bull. Luckily I had a manual to guide to towards trying to replicate this.
Black Sun Rising may not boast quite the same results, however, our experiences lead to longer more mature Adepthoods, deeper explorations of Setian methods, and a promiscuous integration of various styles, manners and methods of Work. These aspects, in turn, have affected the Temple more widely overtly and more subtly. One thing that BSR was not, however, was prolific in its output to the wider Temple. This series seeks to correct that by extracting from my experiences with the Pylon those methods, challenges and creative visions which may in turn help to guide you towards the practice of Pyloncraft.
I will be approaching the subject of Pyloncraft by covering first the definition and institutional parameters of a Pylon. Following this, I will be discussing the formal roles of Sponsor, Sentinel, and Member of a Pylon highlighting the responsibilities and powers of each. I will be looking into some of the methods to formalize the activities of Pylons such as inductions, leave-takings and the like. I will discuss the handling of Recognitions of members within a Pylon, both in terms of celebrating these events and noting how they can create new challenges. I will then turn to what will likely be the bulk of the discussion, namely ideas for activities, explorations, and adventures in Pylon Work. Finally, I will deal with doing “outreach” in your area in order to find those who would take the name of the Prince of Darkness as a part of their own. As usual, unexpected turns, new additions, and copious outside resources are likely.
This will not be a one-way information dump. I highly encourage participation in the series as it is written, as well as your reflections upon Pyloncraft as well. Your experiences have and will shape how the Temple used Pylons and the voice of those experiences will become greater through sharing.
Institutionally Pylons are the result of By-Laws Section 12. Often the way in which the By-Laws shape our operations gets overlooked, yet they can provide the simplest "rule" for understanding what is essential to Setian Initiation. As such I have reproduced Section 12 below.
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Article 12. Pylons
Section 12.01. Definition
The term “Pylon” designates a suborganization of the Temple of Set supervised by one or more II°+ Initiates as Sentinel/Co-Sentinels. A Pylon may be concerned with either general or specialized initiatory interests, and is normally but not necessarily geographically-localized.
Section 12.02. Creation/Dissolution
Any III°+ Initiate may create or Sponsor a Pylon, but may not serve as Sentinel of more than one Pylon at a time. If an Adept II° is to serve as Sentinel, the Pylon must be sponsored by a III°+ Initiate. A Pylon may be dissolved by decision of its Sentinel, its Sponsor, or by decision of any Master of the Temple as communicated to the Sentinel, Sponsor, Executive Director, and High Priest. If a Master of the Temple determines to dissolve a Pylon, the Pylon will cease activities immediately. The Pylon may resume activities if the High Priest reverses the Master's decision within 30 days following notification.
Section 12.03. Authority
The Sentinel of a Pylon exercises complete authority over that Pylon subject to these By-Laws, any policies of the High Priest concerning Pylons published in the Jeweled Tablets of Set, and approval of the Sponsor (if the Sentinel is II°).
Section 12.04. Admission/Expulsion
SubSection 12.04.1. Decision
Pylon admissions or expulsions are decided by the Sentinel. Such Pylon admissions or expulsions will not affect the standing of the individual involved as an Initiate of the Temple of Set. All Pylon admissions and expulsions must be promptly reported to the Executive Director by the Sentinel.
SubSection 12.04.2. Additional Pylon Memberships
A member of the Temple of Set may belong to a maximum of one Pylon unless the Sentinels of that Pylon and any proposed additional Pylon(s) agree that additional Pylon membership is acceptable.
Section 12.05. Access to Activities
Only current Initiates of the Temple of Set shall be admitted to Pylon activities, the only exceptions being that prospective members or member spouses/significant others may be admitted to non-ceremonial-working meetings and social gatherings by advance permission of the Sentinel.
Section 12.06. Insignia
Pylon insignia may be worn either together with Temple of Set insignia or alone. When worn together with Temple insignia, the Pylon insignia must not conflict with, displace, or cover it.
In addition to the Pylon provisions of the By-Laws, there is a general guideline that Pylons require a minimum membership of three Setians. This should be a Sentinel and two additional Setians.
The Temple on a policy basis recognizes two types of Pylons: geographic and correspondence.
Geographic Pylons cover a territory which allows for the regular interaction of its membership face-to-face, in addition to whatever technological methods they may utilize. The scope of this geographic area is not tightly defined, however in most cases a geographic Pylon covers a single metropolitan area or other close geographic regions.
Correspondence Pylons are not tied to any geographic area and conduct the majority of its Work via letter, email, voice or video chat, and simultaneous Workings. Early correspondence Pylons tended to be tied to specific themes or areas of focus, however with the development of the Element system at the start of Working II this has become less common. The Temple's primary correspondence Pylon, the Gates of Hell, has the longest and most storied history of any Pylon in the Temple.
The primary operation of Pylons is at the discretion and decision of members of the Priesthood of Set. A Priest can create a Pylon of their own or can authorize Adepts to act as Sentinels for Pylons. In the latter case, they act as Sponsors for Pylons. It is to this role of Sponsor that I will be turning my attention.
In general, Sponsors are also considered members of a Pylon. In some cases, such as when the Sponsored Pylon is a great distance from them, this may not be the case, however. The Sponsor's role is that of guiding the Sentinel and the Pylon to ensure that it remains on purpose as a tool for Initiation and to act as a consultant to the Sentinel for a project that they wish to pursue.
The Sponsor's main power in the context of the Work of the Pylon is their ability to dissolve the Pylon should they see fit. This dissolution can happen as the Pylon runs its course of Work, or it can come as a result of breaches by the Pylon's Sentinel and/or members. Dissolutions for the later reason have been rare, though the power to do so remains vital. As an extension of this protective power a Master of the Temple (IV°+) has the capacity to dissolve a Pylon immediately.
The Sponsor's role should largely be reactive more than active. They should allow Sentinels to explore as they will provide that these explorations meet the ethical and Initiatory criteria of the Temple of Set. They will do well to help Sentinels and Pylon members further develop their ideas through dialog and participation rather than attempting to impose their vision on how the Pylon ought to Work.
For those Sponsors who are not active members of the Pylon under their supervision, some form of reporting protocol should be developed with the Sentinel. The two should remain in regular contact regarding the unfolding process of the Pylon's Work. This can be done through whatever means the Sponsor and Sentinel decide upon, such as written accounts, phone conversations, Skype conversation or face to face interactions.
Any changes in the Pylon's constituents, such as new members or the departure of past members, should be sent to the Executive Director to ensure that the Temple's records are up to date. One of the tasks of the Sponsor is to ensure that the Sentinel has been maintaining their contact with the Executive Director on these matters.
One of the pitfalls of Sponsorship that I ran into in my time was becoming the Sponsor for BSR after I had stepped down as Sentinel. After seven years of being the driving force of keeping the Pylon in action, I had a difficult time moving into a reactive, consulting role. When the new Sentinel did things in a different manner than I would have, I had a tendency to step in too soon and too often. This led to my resignation as Sponsor and to a brief hiatus from BSR so that the Sentinel and the Pylon could adjust to its new conditions without me getting in the way. This is more likely in cases where the Sponsor is past-Sentinel, however, any Sponsor can fall into this backseat driver error.
Another potential pitfall for Sponsors is being absent from the Pylon's growth and development. Their primary role as Sponsor was to allow for the Pylon to come into existence, and afterwards, they have let to develop without any interaction or oversight. In the few cases where something like this has happened, the Sponsor will often discover that the Pylon has moved in unexpected and potentially bad directions in its growth.
One of the biggest threats to the health of a Pylon which the Sponsor should be aware of is an insular tendency. This arises when the Pylon begins to think of itself as being the primary vehicle for its member's Initiation rather than as one tool in the greater toolkit of the Temple of Set. Should you find a Pylon that more strongly identifies as their Pylon than they do as Setians, this is a warning sign. Push the Pylon to interact with the wider Temple, write for the Scroll, and for members to pursue Work in Elements and Orders as appropriate.
While the Sponsor of a Pylon is largely reactive the Sentinel is the active force of the Pylon. They are empowered to conduct their Pylon's business as they see fit, provided it remains within the institutional and ethical boundaries of the Temple of Set. The Sentinel can set the criteria for membership in their Pylon, the frequency of meetings and activities, and the general tone of their Pylon's approach.
Because the Sentinel is the primary active force of the Pylon, it is not uncommon for nearly 70% of the Pylon's Work to fall upon them, at least at first. As long as the Pylon remains grounded in Xeper as its fundamental value, the Pylon can be approached via nearly any style of operation. While you are on your own in terms of developing your own approach, this next section of my discussion will focus on different styles of approaching Pylon activities as well as resources to help expand your approaches.
In Sesh Ari Arit then-Magus Webb provides a model of a Pylon Meeting based upon how the Bull of Ombos operated in the early 1990s.
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The Symbol of the Pylon is displayed. People arrived in classy dark clothes.
People arrive at the time indicated, and are greeted by the Sentinel, who gets them a beverage and hands them to 3 X 5 index cards, and a pencil.
People sit down quietly and write a question on each card that they would like to discuss.
The Sentinel gathers the cards, and asks, Does anyone have any results from last months Working they would like to share?
The Sentinel gives any Temple news that he or she has. He or she also announces any on-going regional projects.
Then he or she shuffles the cards and reads the questions. After each question, everyone responds. No one is quiet, and the Sentinel may hush people who talk too much.
After this session, the Sentinel asks, Has anyone had any breakthroughs they would like to tell us about since our last meeting?
After this a copy of the Working is passed out. People are allowed to read through it in silence. Then it is discussed both in theory and practice.
Whoever is leading the working assigns parts, the Sentinel may wish to help in this process.
Afterward there are light snacks and beverages, and the Sentinel asks, What were peoples impressions of the Working?
Everyone talks, and the discussion can meander as needed.
Before people start to leave, the Sentinel tells everyone when the next two meetings are going to be; what activities will be done; and who is in charge of the Workings, presentations, and so forth.
As people leave, everyone tells them Xeper. People leave in such a manner as to be protective of the Pylon (i.e., they put their medallions up, don't stand on the front lawn and smoke in vampire outfits unless the Sentinel has OKd it, and so on)
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This is the best model for a new Pylon to Work on during its first six months, at a minimum. The reason for this is that it teaches certain habits to its membership.
The first habit is to actively pursue questions. Of all of the things the Temple can teach, teaching how to discover and pursue interesting, transformative questions is at the top of the list. Learning to approach the world as a source of questions to be pursued is one of the means of finding your connection to Runa.
There are various ways to discover questions. They may come from confusion regarding certain Setian ideas, from the CT, the RL, or from recent Scrolls and TS1 posts. This may be more philosophical, derived from their Work and an attempt to translate what they are learning from their Work for others. It may be drawn from contemporary events. Nearly anything is potentially appropriate, though an attempt to force disclosure of highly personal information should be seen as suspect.
The second habit is writing Workings a month in advance. Doing so allows the participants to learn the mechanics of the Working and to cultivate the appropriate resource states and mindset. This will allow them to get the most out of the Working. It will also allow them a chance to personalize any section they have been requested to perform. I will be writing more upon the creation of Group Workings later thin this series.
The third habit is treating Pylon meetings as beginning something more and other than something of the work-a-day world. Being expected to dress well, engaged in intense, reflective but unpredictable conversation, and perform rites of Greater Black Magic become a kind of sacred act set apart to inform the rest of life.
