Temple of Set

The Temple of Set was founded in 1975 by Lieutenant Colonel of the US Army Michael A. Aquino, with several members of the Church of Satan ^[1] , who left because of differences in administrative and philosophical issues with its founder, and, according to Aquino, out of disgust for corruption in the Church of Satan ^[1] . The Temple of Set was registered in California in the same year as a non-profit organization ^[2] .

The temple follows a selective membership policy. Less than half of all applicants are accepted, the probationary period is two years ^[3] . Membership of the Temple has a fairly high turnover rate . Most members ultimately leave the Temple of Set for a variety of reasons. ^[4] Only a small part of the Setans remain over a decade. Members pay membership fees. The temple accepts members from all over the world, although it is largely an American organization.

The philosophy of the Temple of Set can be characterized as the philosophy of “ rational egoism ”: self - improvement by self - education , experimentation and initiation . This process, individual for each Setan, is called inside the Temple the Egyptian hieroglyphic term “heper” ( eng. Kheper ) or “ziper” ( eng. Xeper ), as the Temple of Set prefers to write it. This term is derived from the Egyptian ḫpr [xɛpɛr] . "Zipper" symbolizes the scarab beetle , meaning the rebirth of the individual and immortality in the Temple of Set ^[5] .

Setians recognize several levels or degrees of initiation, and in general it is similar to the hierarchy of the Church of Satan . The hierarchy has six levels:

• Setianets ( English Setian , First Degree)
• Adept ( English Adept , Second degree)
• Priest / Priestess ( eng. Priest / Priestess , Third degree)
• Magister / Magistra Templi (Fourth Degree)
• Magus / Maga (Fifth Degree)
• Ipsissimus / Ipsissima (Sixth Degree)

• The Official Site of the Temple of Set
• Interview with Zeena Dominic Tisleder