Grady Louis McMurtry
Solar Lodge of the O.T.O.
Early Struggles of the ‘Caliphate’ O.T.O.

1. Context: The State of the O.T.O. in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s

During the late 1960s, the O.T.O. in the United States existed in a fragmented and uncertain state. After the death of Karl Germer, who had been Aleister Crowley’s appointed successor, the organization lacked clear leadership. In this vacuum, multiple figures across the world attempted to lay claim to the Thelemic legacy:

• Kenneth Grant in England pursued his own esoteric interpretations of Thelema.
• Hermann Joseph Metzger maintained an O.T.O. branch in Switzerland.
• Marcelo Ramos Motta led another faction in Brazil.

Meanwhile, in California, a small circle of Thelemites, including Grady Louis McMurtry and Phyllis Seckler, regarded the O.T.O. as being in a state of dormancy — a ‘Continuum’. Their gatherings at Seckler’s home laid the foundation for what would later become the ‘Caliphate’ O.T.O.

Amid this landscape, a new and controversial Thelemic organization emerged in 1966 in California, The Solar Lodge of the O.T.O. Under the leadership of Jean Brayton, this group claimed continuity with Crowley’s teachings. It was also known under alternative names such as the Velle Transcendental Research Association and the Riverside Lodge of the O.T.O.

McMurtry suspected that this Solar Lodge had not only appropriated the O.T.O. name but had also stolen actual books and manuscripts in order to establish an O.T.O. lodge. What began as an ideological rivalry soon escalated into a battle over stolen property, criminal allegations, and legal investigations.

2. McMurtry’s Accusations Against the Solar Lodge

The letters McMurtry sent between 1970 and 1973 document his efforts to alert law enforcement officials, the FBI, and the media to the activities of the Solar Lodge. His primary allegations included:

(A) The Robbery of Sascha Germer (September 3, 1967)

• The West Point O.T.O. library, containing Crowley’s personal diaries and Enochian manuscripts, was forcibly stolen in an attack on Sascha Germer.
• The perpetrators allegedly:
  • Sprayed tear gas into her eyes,
  • Injected her with drugs,
  • Destroyed her telephone,
  • Left her to die.
• She managed to escape into the woods and find help, leading McMurtry to denounce the act as not just theft, but attempted murder.

(B) The Theft of O.T.O. Materials from Other Locations

• January 1966: Rituals stolen from Mildred Burlingame.
• October 1966: Additional book theft from Burlingame’s collection.
• February 18, 1969: Robbery of Dr. Francis I. Regardie’s library.

McMurtry believed that Jean Brayton and her associates were responsible for all of these thefts, which he considered a deliberate attempt to appropriate O.T.O. history and power.

3. The 1971 Negotiation Attempt by Dick Brayton

A letter from May 1, 1971, written by Dick Brayton to McMurtry, offers a glimpse into the Solar Lodge’s attempts to negotiate with McMurtry. In this letter, Brayton acknowledged McMurtry’s authority as Caliph and proposed a merger of their factions (see original document).

Brayton’s letter reveals several key points:

• He sought a unification of the Solar Lodge with McMurtry’s O.T.O., arguing that this could “double” the number of Thelemites.
• He identified the “Pasadena scandal” — the “Boy in the Box” case — as the main reason keeping McMurtry from accepting the offer.
• He suggested Millie Burlingame as a mediator between the two factions.
• He asked McMurtry’s followers to write letters to Deputy District Attorney Gary Schroetter in support of Brayton and five other Velle members, who were facing prosecution.
• He aligned his request with the 21-page document “Plea for Religious Toleration,” which was later forwarded by McMurtry to law enforcement.

McMurtry rejected the offer, refusing to align himself with the Solar Lodge due to their criminal reputation and the ongoing FBI investigation. This rejection was a crucial moment in defining McMurtry’s strategy — he chose legal consolidation through copyright claims over numerical expansion through compromise.

4. McMurtry’s Dual Mission: Supporting the Investigation & Securing O.T.O.’s Future

McMurtry’s letters reflect two simultaneous goals:

1. Supporting Law Enforcement
   • He actively provided addresses, witness testimonies, and known locations of the Braytons.
   • He encouraged FBI involvement and attempted to push authorities to act faster.
   • He forwarded Brayton’s own letters, which included a potential address for Jean Brayton’s hideout.
2. Reclaiming the O.T.O. Name
   • He sought to distance his group from the Braytons, emphasizing that the Solar Lodge was fraudulent.
   • He rejected any negotiations that might have tied his O.T.O. to the legal troubles of the Solar Lodge.

5. Conclusion: What Do These Letters Reveal?

The McMurtry correspondence provides a detailed account of the early struggles to reclaim and legitimize the O.T.O. after Karl Germer’s death.

1. The Solar Lodge was a rival group that engaged in criminal activities, including book theft and child abuse.
2. McMurtry actively worked with law enforcement and journalists to expose the Braytons.
3. Despite his efforts, authorities were slow to act, and the Braytons briefly evaded justice.
4. McMurtry rejected an alliance with the Solar Lodge in 1971, choosing instead to distance his movement from their legal troubles.
5. His writings reflect both a legal and esoteric battle, where he denounced the Braytons not just as criminals, but as spiritual transgressors.

Ultimately, these letters document a pivotal moment in Thelemic history — a period of transition, conflict, and, eventually, the establishment of what would become the modern ‘Caliphate’ O.T.O.