Marcelo Ramos Motta - Thelema

Thelema

Motta's first contact with Thelema was through John Symonds' book The Great Beast. Motta saw many connections between the Law of Thelema and parts of his initiations at FRA, but he had never heard about Thelema or Aleister Crowley. Furthermore, the book gave him some serious doubts about Crowley's initiations. After asking P. Krumm-Heller about the subject, Motta received from him considerable material about Thelema and Crowley, readings that completely changed Motta's opinion about Crowley and his methods and philosophy. Later, in the USA, P. Krumm-Heller introduced Motta to Karl Germer, leader of Ordo Templi Orientis at that time. Germer gave to Motta the choice between O.T.O. and A∴A∴ and Motta chose the latter.

Returning to Brazil in 1962, Motta translated and published Crowley's Liber Aleph and wrote Calling the Children of the Sun, the first Thelemic writing published in Brazil (later this work was suppressed by Motta himself for fear of political repercussions). From this year to 1987, Motta, as a member of A∴A∴ had numerous students under his tutelage, and tried to establish several O.T.O. Lodges in Brazil, with varied degrees of success.

Karl Germer died in 1962, and in 1969, Grady McMurtry assumed control of O.T.O. based on his letters of "emergency authorization" given to him by Crowley. In 1975, Motta published "The Commentaries of AL", being The Equinox, Volume V, Number 1. This book was published by Samuel Weiser, Inc., and contained the commentaries on The Book of The Law written by Aleister Crowley and by Motta himself. He also used this book to announce his claim to be the Outer Head of the Order of O.T.O. This claim culminated in 1978, when Motta sued several other Thelemites for ownership of Crowley's copyrights. However, his claims to the leadership of O.T.O. and the copyrights of Crowley's work were dismissed in a U.S. court.