31 Jul B.O.T.A
I entered from the parking lot into the tiny kitchen where smatterings of junk food were laid out on paper plates for fellowship after the service. The door opened onto a large room with gleaming linoleum floors and about 30 people sitting on folding chairs, mostly middle-aged and solid-looking although in the back of the crowd sat two young hipsters. The sanctuary and altar were graced with colorful paintings of Tarot cards, and a handful of robed participants were seated on the right. Quite a few closed doors around the hall led to other parts of the building.
The ceremony was solemn and organized much like the Protestant church services I attended as a child, although the content was, of course, quite different. The Reverend Ann Davies gave an uplifting, vaguely motivational sermon while the congregation chanted phrases one wouldn’t hear outside these walls.
Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) was founded in L.A. by occultist Paul Foster Case (1884-1954) in 1922. BOTA has its roots in the Masons and the Golden Dawn (see page xxx), with whom Case had a disagreement and left to start his own Mystery School. “Builders” stands for carpenters (like Jesus), and “Adytum” is Latin for “inner shrine.”
BOTA is most noted for its correspondence courses which teach Tarot, astrology, Qabalah (Kabballah), meditation and other esoteric techniques. All beliefs are honored as part of the Ageless Wisdom, although Qabalah is seen as the base of both Judaism and Christianity. Most of Paul Foster Case’s writings can be found on the Internet for free as part of the public domain.
The physical location in Highland Park offers healing work and rituals for its members. There are offices and a gift shop. The work has been continued by Reverend Davies, under whose guidance BOTA has flourished and spread to Australia and Europe.
Although the service seemed middle-class-safe and even a bit sleepy, one has to wonder what is going on behind all those doors? What is the meaning of the chants and robes? What secrets is BOTA in touch with? A lovely shroud of mystery hung over the whole affair.
On the way out, I approached the young hipsters and asked what they thought, assuming unfairly they’d react judgmentally. “As a serious student of the occult,” the man said as his kohl-eyed companion nodded, “I like a lot of what they’re up to.”
Services every Sunday at 11
5101 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
www.bota.org
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.