Ordo Templi Orientis
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| In 1927 (though there is some doubt about this date) Schlag met Baron Bomsdorff-Bergen at Landshut; Schlag alleged that the Baron wanted to recruit him as a member of the O.T.O. [9] The Baron, supposedly formerly a producer at the Zurich Opera, appears as part of the O.T.O. phenomenon during the 1920s in Switzerland. Schlag was acquainted with Reuss's probable heir Hans Rudolf Hilfiker, as well as Baumgartner, Merlitschek, and the Abramelin group consisting of Egloff, Struppler and F.L. Pinkus (H.J. Metzger's 'spiritual father'). | 
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In 1929 Schlag fled the Nazis from Germany to Lucerne in Switzerland.
[10] When the Germans wanted him back, to conscript him
into the Bundeswehr in 1938, he tore his passport up and sent it back
pesonally to Hitler with a note saying: "You can wage your filthy war by
yourselves." Resultantly he lost his German citizenship, which
causd troubles with the Swiss authorities. The
Association of German
Scientists in Exile then offered him the citizenship of many different
countries, mostly South American. Schlag reflected on what would annoy
Herr Hitler the most (whom he had known face-to-face) and chose to
become a citizen of the republic of Haiti — a "Negro State" as
it was then called — whereupon the Nazis sentenced him to death for
"Race Treason" ("Rasse-Verrat"). As Haiti entered into war with
Germany, and Schlag refused to join the Haitian military, he lost his passport. Schlag had
conceived a particular interest in the whole continent of South
America; but above all Rio was closest to his heart. [11]
As a co-founder of the Swiss Parapsychological Society, Schlag coined the phrase "at the borderlands of psychology," and held courses on this subject at the Swiss Institute for Applied Psychology in Zurich during the 1930s. [12] Up to 1949 he gave talks to various institutes about discoveries to do with the psychological effects of Yogic exercises, and fulfilled a two-term visiting professorship in graphology at the University of Zurich. [13] 
Telephone Directory On December 5th 1948 Schlag was initiated in the Zurich 'Sapere Aude' Masonic Lodge, and on December 15th 1949 into the 'Ludwig Uhland' Lodge in New York; later he came to be disillusioned with both of them, and regretted ever having joined. [14] The only associations that he valued to the end of his life were the Masonic 'Quatuor Coronati' research Lodge, and his own Hermetische Gesellschaft (Hermetic Society). [15] At the beginning of the 1950s Schlag met Metzger for the first time; the latter had already started his own O.T.O. temple on the Soneggstrasse in Zurich. Acquainted with Eugen Grosche, whom he had already visited in Berlin during the 1930s, he also knew Friedrich Lekve, Henri Birven, and Friedrich Mellinger, who left all his books containing Crowley's personal signatures to Schlag; and in 1951 he visited Karl Germer in New York. After Schlag had been made wait nearby for ten minutes — while Sascha Germer used automatic writing to ask the spirits for advice — Germer's first question to him was "Have you got the ninth degree?" Schlag replied "No!" [16] If he had answered "Yes" it would have resulted in the appearance of the "Emblems and Modes of Use" document, [17] which was equivalent to the IX°. [18] Germer must have felt able to enlist Schlag as an O.T.O. member unconditionally, to have given him responsibility for the European O.T.O. Attempts to persuade him on the part of Germer's friend Tamara Bourkoun (who had previously led a Golden Dawn-type organisation) merely served to discourage Schlag. When Germer asked him what impression he had of Metzger, Schlag said he thought Metzger was "harmless," and hardly the right man for a leading office. Even so, Germer said he wished that Metzger was his successor. [19] Being a collector, Schlag had brought along his version of "Liber AL", [20] handwritten by C.F. Russell to show Germer, and claimed that it was Crowley's original 'Holograph Manuscript' of 1904; this assertion would later cause confusion for both Germer and Motta. After being let down by Metzger, the Grand Master of the Fraternitas Saturni, Eugen Grosche took pains to pass responsibility for Order activities to a capable man, at least within Germany. "It would obviously be quite right as far as you yourself are concerned with Switzerland, and even better where South America is involved, if you were to take the whole lot under your leadership again," Grosche offered to Schlag. [21] However Schlag never joined a Thelemic organisation, let alone led one. 
"...it should all be renewed under your leadership..." [From "Materialien Zum O.T.O."] 
Magick Without Schlag ?Documents on Oscar R. Schag in the context of Jane Wolfe, Marcelo Ramos Motta, Karl Germer, Hermann Joseph Metzger. In January 1955 Schlag visited Jane Wolfe, who was now a member of the Crowleyan O.T.O. in California, Phyllis Wade (Seckler) and the Burlingames. His visit had a great effect on Jane Wolfe's life, as she was convinced that he was a secret emissary of the AA. On Jane Wolfe, see John Symonds, King of the Shadow Realm p. 246 and "ITC" Vol. II Nº 5, p. 7. Jane Wolfe set her feelings about Oscar Schlag down in her diary: "Sunday, January 23 [1955]. At the Burlingames, after dinner in a restaurant. During the conversation I felt a vibration between S[chlag] and myself... Later I said to myself: This man has something for me. Tuesday afternoon, January 25, the B's, S. and myself, spent three hours with Phyllis and Mar[...] in Santa Monica. Phyllis, Jane and Schlag sat on a divan, Jane in the middle. Phyllis went out to make coffee — attention was centred elsewhere — S. said to me, 'To aid you is now my task.' Monday, January 31, during the half hour S. and I were alone at the B's he said: 'They have been watching you for some time.' I did not ask who 'They' were, assuming 'they' were from the Switzerland coterie with whom you [Germer] were in contact when I was back at H.Q. [Yet Schlag had never had any dealings with Metzger]. At some period of the nights of Saturday and Sunday, I was slightly, slightly aware of Schlag and assumed it was my thoughts. Monday afternoon he said 'You crossed the abyss. I helped you.' This stumped me completely. I stared in stony silence, my mind saying 'but it cannot be.' He noticed my reaction, and said 'There comes a curve in time which changed its course somewhat, and it was because of this curve that you could cross.'" This crossing of the Abyss was confirmed by Germer on March 10th 1955. "It was in this connection that S. spoke of the Great Angel HUA and the Unicorn. I give S. credit for one thing: 'You will be told what to do' — from my own being at the time." (Jane Wolfe to Germer, 20.2.55). "No: Schlag did not say he was a friend. What he did say TO ME was that you [Germer] and I [Jane Wolfe] were the only people in the United States who could carry on The Work... He cannot understand why A.C. selected an organisation such as the O.T.O. to promulgate his work. Schlag calls it a facsimile — that it is not genuine. He said: 'To think I have spent 25 years following something wholeheartedly, [see closing remarks on Carl Kellner!] and find it ends in something like this.' [and] that all of A.C.'s works were far superior before he took up O.T.O... I told Schlag the full meaning of Estai... He promptly took 777 and put this as 10 in the Table of Correspondences." (Jane Wolfe to Germer, 11.2.55) Another extract from Jane Wolfe's diaries: "Feb. 13... I invoke the Yi re Schlag: and receive 12, Lingam of Yoni. The great gone, the little come. I have felt for days that I did not want to write to Schlag. I cannot accept 'crossing the Abyss'. Feb 16. The result of my meeting Schlag was stimulating. I flowed out to people: energy came to me, I was prepared to function in my field. Now everything seems blocked..."" During his visit Herr Schlag received a hand-made ankh as a present from Jane Wolfe. His main memory of the household was that Phyllis Seckler and the rest of the residents "spent the whole day at home waving daggers about and performing the rite of the pentagram." "Dear Jane, Schlag visited me in N.Y. some 4 years ago, said: I bring you greetings from Mr. Lekve — when this was untrue. I arranged with him a meeting in N.Y. in Dec. 1953, when he had the conversation microphoned secretly. [Schlag: this sort of miniature mike hadn't even been invented then.] Ray [Burlingame] writes his address was given to him from Mr. Karl Germer, Hampton — which is untrue... 5 years ago he showed his teeth! ... Yet all he wants to get are the secret rituals of the O.T.O.'s higher degrees. [Schlag's remark to this allegation: no] ... "From Zurich, where he lives, I have the worst possible reports on his black-magical machinations, some of which have fallen back on him... He is a master at putting on the White A.A. cloak... Schlag sent a note to-day, wants to meet me. I will, with precaution. But on no account write to him" (Germer to Jane Wolfe, 14.2.55). And here is the report: March 6th 1955: "He is, a thing usually kept very secret, (and come to my knowledge only accidentally by a long way around) an extraordinarily gifted medium, but is at the same time magically positive. For his experiments — only the cream of psychiatrists were admitted — very strange results followed, ending in some cases with death, or incurable diseases. The greatest activity was around 10 years ago, most of the participants were middle age: most of those taking part with Schlag have died. The fate of every single one was 'extraordinarily peculiar' that took part in those seances. Most of them were personally known to me... Schlag is well respected and well known in psychiatric circles. He himself has made experiments on himself with all occult disciplines and research, and frequently came to hurt in his own health. Frequently his health is so down that he has to retire. etc... A friend of Schlag's, also a psychologist, has lately made every effort to enter our group. He does now know that we have "seen through" them... that these circles are absolutely hostile to the O.T.O. is evident. January 4th 1954 (same correspondent): "... he has contact with Clymer. Together with the Corona of the local psychiatric and psychological groups, whom I know well, he is said to belong to a Christian group of the Grand Lodge Alpina (Freemasonic)." Karl Germer's Intentions"He just phoned (Sch.) leaving to-morrow: wants an introduction to Metzger our printer [but Schlag had already known Metzger since about 1950]: to read Vol. III of 'Confessions' (in German) and 'Liber Aleph.' Thinks he could get a publisher for it in Europe, repeats once more: is eager to help, wants to know: how? I shall use this as a test: if he can get L. Aleph printed, o.k. I'll give him credit... All I can say: Schlag may be a representative of 333. And bad. But he may also be a vital force for 93. He is dead hostile to O.T.O. [Yet again no, said Herr Schlag]. He is dead against The Book of Thoth [because he followed the pre-Crowley Tarot]." [22] (Germer to Jane Wolfe, 25.2.55). "Schlag did not impress Phyllis... — except that Phyllis wondered if Schlag could not be helped to the right path... He told Ray he would like to find a Guru. [23] [Schlag declined ever having said so.] Perhaps he is now looking for help from you or us? He knows some Sex Magick, of course" (Jane Wolfe to Germer, March 5th 1955). "Your letter just knocked me flat. It shows the way Schlag has dripped his poison into your blood. Schlag = 333 by simple Qabalah... The only MAN who was contacted was Ray: and he was soon suspicious and — so he says — when he asked too much about the IX° — simply told him 'it is in the Book of the Law'... This is the blackest of all the black attacks on the very core of the Great Work itself... every Thelemite must now deeply cleanse him and herself of this subtle position... ANY, even the slightest correspondence with Schlag, by anybody, direct, or indirect, must not take place. Should I hear of it, they must be shunned absolutely, and finally... You happen to be the one and only who on the West coast represented 666 himself, having known him personally: so he worked on you specially." (Germer to Jane Wolfe, March 10th 1955). "Jane (Wolfe) went insane soon after being 'chosen' by him [Schlag]." [24] "I can assure you that this did not happen at all and I know since I was there." [25] Marcelo Ramos MottaIn January 1962 Schlag stopped off at the Hotel Miramar in Rio de Janeiro on the way to Bahía, and telephoned the O.T.O. member Motta. They duly met on January 24th, 26th, and 27th, as well as February 3rd. They talked shop about occultism, which Motta always believed helpful in recruiting people to the cause — hence as they talked of books and other innocent matters, Schlag would eventually agree to join the O.T.O. In his account of these events, Motta spoke of himself in the third person: "[Kempter] ran a successful international business credit bureau that doubled, of course, as an Israeli intelligence cell... Two weeks later he [Motta] received a phone call in English. It was from [...] Oskar Schlag, stated he had gotten Motta's name and address from Kempter. [During an interview on 22.2.88, Herr Schlag denied that he knew Kempter.] ...Schlag had not, of course, been sent by the Swiss O.T.O. at all... no one but the CA has ever thought that the CA is perfect. He had requested that Motta meet him before dinner not in the hotel lounge or the hotel restaurant, but in his room, where he introduced himself affably and then requested permission to make a telephone call. This he did in German, and his first words were 'Das Knabe ist hier' ['the boy's here'. Every German laughs here as correctly it would have been "Der Knabe ist hier"] ...Schlag's mistake consisted in that he had obviously not been briefed that Motta had studied German... Motta was able to learn that some sort of meeting was being arranged which had something to do with him.... (Schlag, albeit Motta would have been totally unable to perceive this at the time, was a triple agent: he worked for the Israelis, the CA. and the Vatican: but primarily for the Israelis, as do all Jews who are in this line of business...)." Herr Schlag did indeed get a telephone-call during his meeting with Motta; it was from one Herr Kindermann, and was to confirm the time of an appointment which depended on the length of the meeting with Motta. Herr Schlag said: "Nein, der komische Knabe ist noch da." ('No, the funny boy's still there.') "Schlag's dinner with Motta elicited three results that were particularly important for the agent: first, to his surprise and perhaps chagrin, he found that Motta liked the United States... Second, he found out that Mrs. Germer disliked Motta intensely, ... His technique in extracting this fact was purely routine; he commented to Motta, laughing as if it at a joke, that 'the people in California' had said that Mr. Germer used Mrs. Germer as a sort of oracle: that when she 'became inspired and spoke languages' in his presence he listened carefully and took her very seriously... He [Motta] commented, merely: 'She doesn't like me at all', ... (Motta still remembers the sly smile in the agent's face when being told of Mrs. Germer's dislike)... Finally, he elicited the information that Motta had printed 'Liber Aleph'... On his turn, Schlag unwittingly made one very revealing admission to Motta: he confessed that he not only considered himself the reincarnation of the 'Count of St. Germain', but also an avatar of the 'Master Racoczy' of the Theosophists. This placed him among false initiates under the influence of the Qliphoth, and increased Motta's wariness sharply." On reading these documents, Herr Schlag laughed, and gave his version of events: when Motta revealed to Schlag that he was the reincarnation of St. Germain and Racoczy, Schlag replied; "What, you too? Up till now I always thought I was!" — though the irony of this seems to have passed straight by Motta, as appears from a letter he wrote to Germer (dated 28.1.62) containing an account of the meeting. Schlag swore blind that he had never _ever_ heard "anything so stupid" said about him, adding in English: "I pulled his leg." [26] Motta believed that not only was he a reincarnation of the Comte de St. Germain (1710-1784), but also a rebirth of Edward Bulwer Lytton (1803-1873), 'Swami' Vivekananda (1862-1902), Zhuang Zi, and the Great Beast 666. [27] The Great Beast (or Crowley) had already claimed that he was a reincarnation of Lao Tse, Cagliostro, and Eliphas Lévi. Now for the rest of Motta's account: "Once during dinner Schlag excused himself, saying he must go to his room. Motta timed his return. He took fifteen minutes. (Schlag was setting up the details of what follows and changing the tape of his recording machine.) After dinner, Schlag insisted in escorting Motta down to the sidewalk and into a taxi. They took the elevator, the restaurant being on an upper floor of the hotel. There were three young people in the elevator together. As Schlag conversed with Motta one of the three, a beautiful dark-haired girl, handed Schlag a blood-red rose with a silent smile. Schlag professed great surprise and gratification. The three young people left the elevator on the next floor while Schlag discussed 'messages of the Hidden Masters' with Motta... On the steps outside the hotel entrance, still talking of 'messages' and 'messengers', Schlag mentioned how random and unexpected they can be, and suddenly bent and picked up a piece of paper that a man walking in front of them had let drop. The piece of paper was a purchase slip, and the amount was 365 cruzeiros. 'You see?' Schlag said triumphantly. 'The number of Abraxas!'. Unfortunately for him, the shot misfired. Motta simply thought, 'it is my number, and the message is for me'... Motta had promised to meet Schlag again to give the man his copy of "Liber Aleph". A few days later he got a letter from Mr. Germer: [28] "I warned you years ago against Schlag. He is a Jew, high grade old Mason, political trouble maker, psychologist, seems to have plenty of money, travels all over the globe, is in touch with such things as CA., F.B and what not. He has probably the greatest occult library extant, has every scrap that A.C. every issued, has things thelemic that I do not have myself. The last time I ever saw him was in New York in a hotel: he boasted that he had the only handwritten copy of The Book of the Law in A.C.'s hand. When challenged, he brought it down to the car, and I spotted at once the origin — to his great chagrin. He is often in South America: what he is doing there, I don't know... he had contacted the so-called 'Thelemites' in Los Angeles, Ray, Mildred, Jane, Phyllis, etc. They all fell for him. They considered him as an emissary of the White Lodge, as a Secret Chief, especially Jane, whom he saw alone, got from him a very great secret, and that she was chosen!! The only one who had her wits about her — and I say this to her Credit — was Phyllis. She retired for a moment into her room to listen to her Inner, and instantly kept him at bay during a long drive from L.A. to San Francisco." (Germer to Motta, 29.1.62) The copy of "Liber AL" mentioned here was a handwritten version on 74 sheets of cardboard, produced by C.F. Russell at the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalù. [29] Despite Gerald Yorke's expert opinion, given on September 25th 1963 that it was the Russell copy, Herr Schlag remained genuinely convinced until shortly before his death that his copy was the "original manuscript of Liber AL," or as Motta had it, "the bible of hell." [30] However the 'Caliphate' claims that it possesses the orginal manuscript of The Book of the Law, dictated to Crowley by a 'præternatural' intelligence, found in a chest amongst Germer's estate. [31] And indeed this is the sole original piece of Crowleyana that will not be found at the Warburg Institute or at the Harry Ransom University, Texas. Phyllis Seckler stated: "I can remember that he said he had original MSS. of Paracelsus and was instrumental, I believe in getting some of them published but he said there were one or two MSS. which he would not have published. I do not believe that Karl Germer ever wanted Schlag to be head of O.T.O. He became immediately suspicious of the man upon meeting him." [32] On February 3rd 1962 Motta met Schlag again, to deliver a copy of the "Liber Aleph" that Motta and Germer had just published in Brazil that year. Once again, we have Motta's third-person narrative: |
| "Schlag received him very politely, asked the price of the book, paid, and requested a dedication on the flyleaf. Motta immediately went on his guard: 'It is not my book', he said, 'and it is not a gift.' 'I don't mind', said Schlag warmly. 'I wish to have a memento of you. Please write something.' He proffered the book and a ready pen... Motta wrote 'To Oskar Schlag, with sympathy and admiration, Marcelo Ramos Motta' [33] and gave book and pen back to the owner. ... | 
Above: dedication from Marcelo Ramos Motta to Oscar Schlag. Below: Schlag's short letter to P.R. Koenig. [From: 'Ein Leben Für Die Rose'] |
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... Schlag took the book avidly, opened it quickly and read the dedication. His expression
changed. He looked up at Motta and said, surprise and irritation in his
voice: 'You don't think much of me!' 'I thought the dedication implied
otherwise', said Motta politely; inside he was laughing. (What Schlag
had been hoping for, of course, was something along the lines of 'To
365 from 666' or some such enormity. This would be useful to him on the
material plane in two ways; it would prove to him personally that he
had managed to achieve psychological domination over Motta through his
tricks; and could be shown to other Thelemites in the future as proof
of how much Motta admired and respected 'Abraxas' Schlag, therefore of
how worthy Schlag was of respect and admiration. On the magickal plane,
it would simply mean that Motta had gone totally insane and fallen
irretrievably under control of the Qliphoth, which was precisely what
the sinister forces of which Schlag was the tool were hoping for.)
This was not the last time Motta saw Schlag physically. Some days later the agent requested that Motta take him to see the Sugar Loaf and there asked to take a picture of Motta 'to remember him by'. Motta consented. 'Please hold your index finger up so I can focus the camera', Schlag pleaded. Motta dutifully held his finger up and was photographed in this attitude. He saw Schlag again smile as he took the picture, and realized he had fallen into a trap once more. But what about this time? (He realized what about much later, remembering the doctored photographs of Crowley and other serious initiates that circulate in sham 'occult' orders. His finger pointing up is a classic posture of 'Jesus' and other Christian 'saints' pointing to 'Heaven' in Roman Catholic paintings." Herr Schlag took two photographs of Motta, and in neither of them is a raised finger visible. Due to Schlag's photographs, Motta refused to be photographed until the rest of his life, with one exception in which he can be seen sporting a beard. [34] |
First two photos below: these two pics made by Oscar R. Schlag. Third photo: Motta with beard.
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"In possession of what he thought was his 'consolation prize' (and
possibly his revenge), Schlag stopped inflicting his company on Motta
at last. Two weeks later Motta received a telegram from Switzerland...
It said that Motta could rest assured that Schlag would not attempt to
interfere with his True Will. 'That's fine', thought Motta, 'but who's
to define my True Will? He, or I?'" (Motta's "Oriflamme", Vol. VI
Nº 3 of December 1983, pp. 489-498)
But in Motta's letters to Germer we find he has changed his view, or else found out something else: Motta to Germer, 25.1.62: "He spent most of the time trying to make me smoke some cigarettes of his, and when I finally did it seems to me that he felt some secret triumph — It is my personal opinion that he feels a very strong attraction for Thelema, although it may present itself under the form of hatred for it. — He is, in a certain sense, a sick man, hugging his own ego. — He told me that he felt 'compelled' to get in touch with me, and he asked, 'so, Mr. Motta, what are we going to do now?' Self (staring): 'We??? Mr. Schlag, why should WE do anything at all?' Schlag: 'Isn't there anything you want me to do?' Self: 'Yes. I want you to do your will.' — He is rather pathetic. He is connected with some priestly psychological seminar in some German city — ...and told me of some experiments one of the priests there made with split personality. The experiments were interesting in the sense that the priest produced changes of personality in himself by physiological stimuli — such as pressure on different regions of his abdomen with special belts." [This is apparently Motta's mistake; Schlag had been recalling his seminars on Staudenmaier's book "Magie als experimentelle Naturwissenschaft" ("Magic as an Experimental Natural Science") [35] at the Institute for Applied Psychology in Zurich]. "I would say he is a 'black brother' — but if that is what a 'black brother' is, I am rather surprised. I expected something stronger... the man has no organized consciousness..." [Motta also revealed that he hadn't tried to recruit Schlag into the O.T.O. — Schlag in the contrary maintained this.] "On the whole, I liked this Schlag person." Motta to Germer, 28.1.62: "He told me that he followed the old attributions of the Tarot, according to which 22 was his number, because he is the Fool." Motta followed this with a description of the St. Germain anecdote, almost the same as his other one apart from the addition of a Qabalistic skirmish. After this Schlag noted down the address of Motta's girlfriend; Motta gave it to him because he had unfortunately become rather drunk, and this loosened his tongue — something he later came to rue. Motta felt moved to give Schlag the general advice — in almost oracular tones — that he should dedicate himself wholly to Thelema. Motta thought that the astonished and unenthusiastic response was "because it is the ONE thing you are not willing to give..." Back at home Motta consulted the Book of the law for its oracular advice by picking a verse at random, and got Chapter II verse 21 as an answer: "We have nothing with the outcast and unfit: let them die in their misery. For they feel not. Compassion is the vice of kings: stamp down the wretched & the weak: this is the law of the strong: this is our law and the joy of the world. Think not, o king, upon that lie: That Thou Must Die: verily thou shalt not die, but live. Now let it be understood: if the body of the King dissolve, he shall remain in pure ecstasy for ever. Nuit! Hadit! Ra-Hoor-Khuit! The Sun, Strength & Sight, Light; these are for the servants of the Star & the Snake." The next day they would meet again. Schlag wanted to see Motta's AA initiation certificates, and telephoned Motta again to ask him about it. Motta didn't bring them, though, and Schlag said: "I had just talked to you on the phone when I heard a voice ask me, 'Do you really think you need that?'" Motta reported further: "he said he belonged to 'an Eastern fraternity'... [36] but that it worked with the remainings of a rapidly exhausting energy in the aura of the world... he told me that he had gone through all the exercises in the 'Equinox', but had contacted nothing... I asked, 'Did you ever officially become a Probationer of the AA?' He said no. I said, 'That explains it to me. You cannot contact the AA unless you go through the regular channel...' Schlag: 'I have always considered myself a sort of Brother in abeyance.' ...he is so obviously a Black Brother that it almost hurts." Herr Schlag commented on these documents when he saw them; Motta's report was true as to the details, but his interpretation of events was incomprehensible and unfair. And yet "Schlag was concrete proof that mysterious people were after" Motta and Germer. [37] "High grade old-æon mason: international intriguer: constantly slanders Thelemites: Jewish: [38] possibly financed by Zionist interest. Hates Aleister Crowley and Thelema: probable CIA, and other unsavory contacts. Was active in Brazil during the so-called 'Revolution' of 1964 e.v." [39] Motta was apparently thinking of the 'General's putsch' which lasted two days — March 31st and April 1st (!) — in which he'd lost all his money. Around this time he wrote the scripts of about twenty television programmes and did occasional work as an English teacher. [40] "The Junta used astrological and magical symbolism... Agents like Oskar Schlag were extremely useful to them in this." [41] But Schlag had only gone to South America for personal reasons, had never known much about astrology, and had always been vehemently outspoken against political tyranny. Then Motta seemed to have discovered some evidence about Schlag's "unsavoury contacts" when he quizzed one of his old schoolfriends, who was supposedly a "Captain in the Brazilian army": "The captain told him [Motta] that Motta had been under surveillance ever since his return from the United States: that the CA. had furnished the Brazilian Army's Secret Service with a file on Motta that stated that Motta was a homosexual, a drug dealer, a child molester, a Satanist and a Communist agent. Motta asked, 'Was this "information" furnished by a man called Oskar Schlag?' 'Oh, you know Schlag?' the captain replied in surprise. 'No, we had it through channels. Schlag does odd jobs for the CIA. sometimes, but he is not CIA. He works for the psychological warfare section of the Shin Beth. We don't trust them very much.' Motta asked, 'What's "Shin Beth"?' His friend (or, alas! ex-friend) explained that Shin Beth were the initials of the Hebrew name of the Israeli Intelligence Service." [42] Choronzon alive?Motta wrote to Metzger on March 29th 1963: "Schlag's influence... has been inflating your ego... Schlag is an 'Evil Adept' — which means simply that he is a man who, when doing the 5=6 work, united himself to his Evil Persona, instead of his Holy Guardian Angel, and is now a slave to Choronzon — Dispersion — in the person of an Abramelin demon... has the help, furthermore, of the Four Princes, which, at the passing of the old Aeon, assumed leadership, and impersonate the spiritual founders of, the four main religions of the Aeon past: Osirian Christianity, Brahmanism, Buddhism and Islamism... The Black Brethren, the Demonic Legions and Choronzon attack and can attack only through the ego... It is no coincidence that Schlag is living in Switzerland. I understand you mail your material to him. Another example of your blindness! Can't you see that this means that you voluntarily link yourselves to him! ... He has done as much harm to THELEMA as he can here in Brazil... I understand your father was head of the Swiss secret police, and that you were thus able to gather a very exact file on Schlag's activities... He wants to destroy Thelema, for he thinks himself the re-incarnation of St. Germain — the 'Master R.' of the Theosophists... Indeed, it was his Evil Persona which appeared, in its astral body, to Franker [Heinrich Traenker, who appeared in Swinburne Clymer's book under this name?] and to Arnold Krumm-Heller, and passed itself for their Guardian Angels... Do not think, however, that Schlag, in himself, is important. He is only the dupe and puppet of his Evil Angel — an Abramelin demon." For the rest of his life Motta remained convince that Schlag was his mortal enemy, and made muddled accusations against him in all his publications. In psychological terms Motta seems to have carried this obsession to extremes, even signing a letter (dated 14.3.1983) to the bookseller David W. Rose as "O. Schlag." When Gregory von Seewald (who kindly supplied this document) asked Motta about the circumstances in that same month, he got a letter from Martin P. Starr on April 24th that year containing further untruths about Schlag. After Motta's death (26th-27th August 1987) his students took up the same theme, suspecting that Schlag's "puppets" were everywhere. For example, Motta's designated heir William R. Barden branded his rival Daniel Ben Stone as "an Oskar Schlag plant" in a circular letter dated 28.2.1988. Germer's friend Tamara Bourkoun, who described herself as the most adavanced initiate in the O.T.O. and AA, [43] wrote to Schlag after Germer's death: "Mr H.[?] was possibly disappointed to learn that I [T.B.] did not care for Mr Germer's outfit in Boston by the way they seem to have one in Zurich also. Do you know them? Needless to say we do not want to associate with any of these post-mortem Crowley-outfits." [44] Ms. Bourkoun was an active Gnostic; Ms. Reverend Bourkoun was ordained as a Sub-Deaconess by Roger Caro on February 18th 1973, who was the Patriarch of the 'Eglise de la Nouvelle Alliance' which he had founded on October 12th 1972; she was also made a Deaconess by H.L. Jacques Lacroix on June 7th 1975, and a priest by Jean-Paul Charlet "Mr. Germer wrote me that he had Schlag's dossier from Swiss intelligence, sent him from Switzerland by Metzger, whose father was Chief of Swiss Intelligence (according to Mr. Germer, you understand: all this is hear-say to me)... The man travels extensively in South America, Europa and North America: his contacts are mostly Jewish, but sometimes German. He is in touch with the great majority of Jews working in publishing houses and he constantly feeds them false information about Crowley, about me, and about anybody whom he has any reason to believe might be a legitimate Thelemite. He tells them outright lies about us. We are neo-Nazis, we are drug-peddlers, we are satanists dedicated to abominable rites... I have met his contacts in Brasil and Samuel Weiser (Donald Weiser has stated, according to Wasserman writing to me, that Schlag is a personal friend of his)... I know that [Gerald] Yorke has disclaimed any knowledge of Schlag." (Motta to M.P. Starr, 29.1.81). "All that I can remember about Schlag is a letter from Germer to warn me against him and accusing him I think of being an F.B informer. I never met him and know nothing about his followers." Yorke to Starr, March 10th 1981. Yorke intercepted the brief correspondence on Schlag's visit in early 1963. Documents on Oscar R. Schag in the context of Jane Wolfe, Marcelo Ramos Motta, Karl Germer, Hermann Joseph Metzger. __________________Schlag maintained a friendly relationship with Metzger [46] and regularly sent money to Stein, for instance towards the cost of the bell which rang every Sunday from 1965 to announce the Gnostic Mass. Metzger had confidence in Schlag, which was certainly not the case with Fräulein Aeschbach. In October 1967 the first of a number of 'Alchemical Symposiums' took place at Stein; they were organised in collaboration with Urs Tremp, who published a magazine called "Essentia". The participants were Paul Ruediger Audehm, Walter Walter and Ute Englert, Gabriel Montenegro (who had positive things to say of Metzger while he was staying with Schlag), 'Frater Albertus' from America (a.k.a. Albert Riedel, the author of a number of books on 'practical' alchemy using flower extracts, and founder of the 'Paracelsus Research Society' in Salt Lake City), and Schlag himself, besides eight others. Schlag loved travelling to see every occult or 'historical' site for himself — such as Carl Kellner's grave, the ruins of Burg Krämpelstein, or else living in a Tibetan monastery for a whole year. He maintained a lengthy and intensive contact with Martin Erler with the aim of publishing magical rituals; in retrospect, they found each other unsuitable for one reason or another. When he sold Salvador Dalí's painting 'L'Énigme du désir', [47] and was asked why he'd done it, Schlag replied "I live from wall to mouth." Another work sold by Schlag, supposedly painted by Egon Schiele, revealed itself as a forgery after having already changed hands several times. 
According to Gerald Yorke, who knew Schlag well, and had the biggest collection of Crowleyana in the world (now lodged at the Warburg Institute) Schlag did not confine himself to collecting Thelemic material. His many-storied house, which was passed on to the Central Library of Zuerich after his death (for which it raised 100,000 Swiss francs per annum) was crammed to the rafters with esoteric material. There were unusual statues, complete editions of the most sought-after magazines, original manuscripts by Paracelsus and Eliphas Lévi, collections of letters by Joris-Karl Huysmans, old copies of the "Oriflamme"... in fact, the director of Zurich's Central Library called Schlag's library a "monument." [48] 
Catalogue of Oscar R. Schlag's book exhibition: "Wissende, Eingeweihte und Verschwiegene", Zurich 1986, p. 126-127. Acknowledgements of his help appear in Ellic Howe's books; Schlag was the graphologist who discovered that the Anna Sprengel letters, the basis for the founding of the Golden Dawn, were forgeries. Even so, Schlag refused to do a graphological analysis of Reuss's handwriting [49] for Helmut Möller. [50] He was also acknowledged by Frick, Hemberger, Szeemann, Leuenberger, and others. In 1986 the Zurich Central Library held an exhibition of the greatest treasures of his collection. Photographs of Schlag are to be found in Doris Quarella's book "Von Angesicht zu Angesicht" (Schaffhausen 1988) and in "AHA" magazine, February 1991, p. 5. 
P.R. Audehm recalled: "Metzger told me a good deal about Schlag in anecdotes. He said Schlag had crossed the abyss — the only person he knew who'd done it, and that he was the 'Secret Chief of the OTO'; but his was hostile towards many brothers, so one had to be discreet about him. And then again, he would revile him... and call him a destroyer, and so on. I got the impression that Metzger's relationship with Schlag was a kind of 'love-hate' business." [51] Horst E. Miers: "Nowadays the headquarters of the OTO is in Switzerland under the leadership of Oskar Schlag, H.J. Metzger and A. Borgert." [52] With the help of a lawyer called Dr. Delp [53] Schlag ensured that this entry was excised from subsequent editions of Miers' book, while the first edition would include an erratum-slip saying "Delete: 'Oskar Schlag'. (Oskar Schlag is neither a member nor a leader of the OTO)." [54] At the start of July 1989 Schlag was in Stein again to visit Metzger. But Metzger had suffered a stroke, and no longer recognised him; he asked him "Do you know Oscar Schlag?" Metzger died on July 14th 1990; Schlag on November 29th, leaving no fewer than three Last Will and Testaments. [55] Latent Homosexuality and Paranoia?Schlag advocated Leopold Szondi's claim that all homosexuality (latent or not) would sooner or later lead to to one form or another of paranoia — a surprising view, since Schlag was himself homosexual. [56] In Motta's case he thought that this hypothesis was proved, using as evidence the following extract from an eight-page letter Motta wrote to Karl Germer on July 2nd 1954; though adding that it should be viewed taking account of his other statements: "I used to excite a male dog I had, and the only reason I never had actual relations with female animals was that I was afraid of creating an 'astral race' of monsters... In high school I had homosexual relations with a negro boy... I had developed a complex of inferiority because of the size of my penis... my sexual impulses towards men are born of that complex of inferiority of mine: the idea of their big penis attracts me... If I only had a bigger penis... I am always afraid of having an erection: to make advances to a girl I have just met is difficult. To go to the Men's Room is a torture. I go around watching men's penis[es] almost involuntarily." And Motta ended his letter by mentioning that he was looking for a magical method of enlarging his penis. Schlag thought that there were a considerable number of homosexuals among the protagonists of secret societies, and that a similar state existed in Freemasonry. Schlag came up with his observation that a lot of German Masons made a Freudian slip for the German word for Freemason 'Freimaurer' which they spoke as 'Fraumeirer' (Jane Doe). There was one book that he could almost quote by heart: Hans Blühe's "Die Rolle der Erotik in der männlichen Gesellschaft" ("The Rôle of the Erotic in the Masculine Society", Jena, 1921). Blühe was also quoted by E.T. Kurtzahn , since the 'Gnosis of the Templars' was discernible in his book. [57] One of the last books that occupied Schlag before his death was William Burroughs' "Homo". [58] In a eulogy given on the occasion of Schlag's memorial service at the Nordheim crematorium in Zurich, Pierre E. Calame defined Schlag's self-sacrifice: "He gave up professional fame and the safety of the familiar to serve the noblest aim of man's spiritual liberation." [59] Carl Kellner's IncarnationWas "Quick", the German mass-circulation magazine, referring to Schlag when it spoke of "An old personal acquaintance of Crowley's, a graphologist in Zurich, still speaks today with respect of 'Old Crow'."? [60] Certainly at the start of my research for this study, Schlag claimed more than once that he had known Crowley personally. [61] But he quickly qualified this claim by adding that he hadn't done it 'in the flesh', as it were. It seems that Crowley appeared to Schlag on the astral plane — and that just twice; this took place not long before Crowley's death in 1947, and he appeared an exhausted figure to Schlag's inner eye. Crowley had used this astral meeting to give him a special mission to accomplish — but Schlag would never disclose just what this mission was. "Crowley had once looked at him in a strange way and said, 'I have something different in mind for you'." [62] Schlag was constantly bemused at the way the O.T.O. always managed to attract fresh recruits. To him the O.T.O. had lost any significance after Crowley became involved in 1912; and that with his take-over of the O.T.O., Crowley had himself suffered a loss of creativity. Schlag was proud of his Memphis-Misraim Charter, for which he had made a special trip to France to see Robert Ambelain. Almost unnoticeable on his desk, there stood a small statue with a plate mounted on it saying: "O.R. Schlag, Chancellor I.O." His esoteric motto was 'Anupadaka', which means 'ever young, without parents'; his magical symbol consisted of a figure of a man within an eye, upon which tears fell, while flames burnt below; over the waters flew a dove. Although Schlag was always very careful to protect his good reputation, he took no counter-measures against Adolf Hemberger, whom he had known personally. Hemberger described him as "a very good medium for necromantic and magical operations." [63] P.R. Audehm remembered a conversation between Hemberger and Schlag, where the latter had said that he thought that Hemberger lit fires by explosions, while he himself made fires through friction. [64] One member of Schlag's 'Hermetische Gesellschaft', Anneliese Bergmaier, and also a relative of Martin Bergmaier, said — after his death — that Schlag had considered himself a reincarnation of Carl Kellner.
Breakfast Rolls from the Next Table |
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Oscar R. Schlag's voice; in English, 1987 (1:13, 170 KB). |
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More about all this in: Andreas Huettl and Peter-R. Koenig: Satan — Jünger, Jäger und Justiz
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