General Information and Admissions
Polcies
 
Thank you for your inquiry. The
Temple of Set is an institution
unlike any you have previously
encountered.Before you can make an
informed decision concerning possible
affiliation, it is necessary for you
to consider the history of the
Temple,its basic tenets, its current
design and programs, and the benefits
incurred by each Setian.
 
History of the Temple
 
While the Temple of Set was formally
incorporated in 1975 CE,its magical
and philosophical roots are prehistoric
originating in mankind's first
apprehension that there is "something
different" about the human race-a
sense of SELF CONSCIOUSNESS that
place humanity apart from and above
all other known forms of life.
 
Ancient religions of which those
of Egypt are generally acknowledged
the eldest- either exalted or feared
this self consciousness.Those which
exalted it took the position that the
human psyche is capable of opposition
to and domination of the forces of
nature.Those fearing it warned man
such a presumption of independence
would be sinful and dangerous.
Therefore, they said, such "will to
power" should be concealed,sublimated
-and if necessary punished and
exterminated-that mankind might
return to an Eden-like "state of
nature" untroubled by the burdens of
having to take responsibility for
decisions,judgements, and actions
based upon an essentially personal
determination of "good" and evil".
 
    The psyche worshipping religions
were more intellectually demanding
than their nature worshipping
counterparts, since it is more
difficult to reason a path through
one's span of conscious existence
than it is to be swept along by a
current of semi-rational stimulus and
response.The reasoning religions-or
schools of initiatory philosophy-
attained levels of abstract knowledge
that made them mysterious to the
masses.In a few societies,such as
Egypt and Greece,such groups were
respected and admired.More often,
however, their exclusive elitism and
"supernatural"activities made them
objects of resentment and persecution.
 
   While all philosophical schools
embraced the psychecentric
consciousness to some degree,there
were very few that made it avowedly
and explicitly the focus of their
attention.The divine personifications
(gods)of such schools have come down
to us as symbols of what worshippers
of non-consciousness consider the
supreme evil: the Prince of Darkness
in his many forms. Of these the most
ancient is SET, whose Priesthood can
be traced to predynastic times.Images
of SET have been dated to ca.3200
BCE,with astronomically based
estimates of inscriptions dating to
ca.5000 BCE.
 
   The original Priesthood of Set in
ancient Egypt survived 25 recorded
dynasties (ca.3200-700 BCE).It was
one of the two central Priesthoods in
predynastic times,the other being
that of HarWer(Horus the Elder).
Unification of Egypt under both
philosophical systems resulted in the
nation's being known as the "Two
Kingdoms" and in its Pharoahs wearing
the famous "Double Crown" of Horus
and Set.