 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
A rough draft of the spiritual autobiography of Joseph B Wilson. The history that lead to Toteg Tribe.
Copyright 2003 by Joseph B Wilson
- Although he had helped Bill and Helen write their ceremonies and rituals, and those rites
contained elements obviously derived from ceremonial magic traditions, as well as other
published material, they did not appear to be contaminated with that guy's dark philosophy. They
did, however, collect bits and pieces from anywhere they could to add to their collection. I gave
them copies of Roy's letters, they obtained some of the Plant Bran material from Martha Adler, and
got a document called "The Rule of Daanan" from John Hansen -- all of which was absorbed into
their American Tradition in one form or another.
While I stayed with them I attended Bill and Helen's circles, and assisted in some initiations,
including that of Ann and Van Tipton who lived in San Bernardino at the time. It was an interesting
experience. I thought I got along well with those two, and Van and I had some long talks. I learned
from him that he also claimed a medical retirement from government service -- except that he had
been a CIA agent. I learned that while with "The Company" he had been part of the illegal CIA
operations in the United States. There was a period of several years of his life that he simply could
not remember, even under deep hypnosis. Those years had, apparently, been erased by The
Company.
Some months later Ann and Van traveled to New York where they were initiated into the
Gardnerian tradition and became authorized to establish that lineage in Southern California.
Afterwards they became very secretive and mysterious and had little to do with anyone outside of
the Gardnerian path, including Bill and Helen. I accepted the situation as more political silliness.
Both Bill and Helen told me they were puzzled and hurt about being shunned all of a sudden.
I immediately recognized that the "secret teachings" Bill and Helen gave their initiates were
plagerized almost word for word from the "Art and Practice" series by Ophiel, available from
Llewellyn Publications.
I was pleased to see that Helen had learned to be a skilled ritualist. Her theatrics, chanting and
invocations were extremely well done. I cannot judge her magical results.
Their personal relationship was nearly as stormy as mine had been with Daisy. Helen was
constantly nagging Bill in a grating high pitched voice. Bill was constantly shouting back. The only
place they got along was in the bedroom. I was in the middle and disliked the stress, but didn't
quite know what to do. The solution came shortly.
I met Mara Schaeffer at one of Bill and Helen's circles the first month I was there. She was 27
years old and the only child of an upper middle class family. Her father had paid for her college
education, and allowed her to cram a four year degree into something over eight years. She joked
to me that the only reason she got her bachelors degree is because she accidentally got enough
credits in philosophy to finally have a major! When I met her she worked as a teachers assistant at
a special education school for mentally handicapped children in North Hollywood.
Mara was not one of Bill and Hellen's initiates, but was considering becoming one. She had
previously been studying with Sara Cunningham, a woman who operated an occult shop and
fraudlently claimed to be a "Hereditary Celtic Witch." (Upon pressing her for evidence of this she
grew angry, and eventually stated that since her father was a "32nd degree Freemason and the
Masons are 'The Craft' she was too a Hereditary Witch!)
A review of the material Mara showed me let me know that what Sara called "witchcraft", and
charged $10 per lesson to teach, was Golden Dawn Qabalah, learned in part from books, and in
part from a prior administrative association with Israel Regardi. She also joined organizations
such as the Builders of the Adytum, photocopied their lessons, and gave those copies to her loyal
students.
In spite of her fraud, Sara had a loyal following that appeared to hang on every word she said. She
was an excellent showman. She had recently moved to the Grants Pass, Oregon area with the
intent of forming a commune with and for her followers.
Mara and I had a mutual attraction, and a week or so later I asked her to invite me over for one of
her home cooked vegetarian meals. She did so. I went to her house in Tujunga, a small rental no
larger than an efficiency apartment, on a Friday afternoon in early November and didn't return until
Sunday night. We had a delightful time, talking Craft, wandering in the foothills north of Los
Angeles.
Mara invited me to move in with her, so when I returned to Bill and Helen's Sunday evening it was
just to pack up the few belongings I had left there.
