Tannhaus

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YouTube and Revver user who made the video series "A Thelemite Speaks" in response to the growing speculation that Bree was a Thelemite. His series aim to debunk many of the popular misconceptions about Thelema and also offer advice to Bree and Daniel.

Tannhaus got his name from the medieval legend of Tannhäuser. The myth of Tannhäuser was possibly the last great pagan myth. In it, a germanic knight named Tannhäuser takes upon himself a quest to find a pagan goddess. In the end, we find Tannhäuser finally rejecting Christianity and returning to paganism. This idea of paganism triumphing over Christianity was a popular theme amongst late pagan myths when Christianity was pushing into their territories.

However, Aleister Crowley saw more in the story of Tannhäuser. He saw it as the progress of the soul and considered Tannhäuser one of the true Rosicrucian adepts in history. Tannhaus first became aware of this myth when he bought a book on medieval myths in his teens. He later heard parts of Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser, then finally discovered Aleister Crowley's work by the same name.

Background

Tannhaus was born in 1970 in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama to fundamentalist christian parents. He was raised according to their religious beliefs and became heavily indoctrinated. From 1985 until 1987, Tannhaus was actually a minister in the Church of God and actually served as children's church pastor for part of that time period. However, barely a month away from official ordination, Tannhaus stepped down from the pulpit. He could not reconcile the teachings of his denomination with his bisexuality.

Feeling rejected by God and looking at things from a Christian perspective, Tannhaus felt his only alternative, if he were an abomination to God by nature, was to serve Satan. So, he began praying to Satan and trying to live what he considered a proper life for an outcast from God. However, he soon began thinking outside the confines of Christian thought and started exploring religions for himself rather than believing Christianity's view of him.

This led Tannhaus to Wicca. He realized that the religion of his childhood's view of Wicca was totally false. Here he found acceptance and love. He started a BBS (Bulletin Board System), since these were still pre-internet days, devoted to paganism and the occult. This BBS was subject to an organized boycott by many Christian churches in the Birmingham area. He read books and whatever information he could find on Wicca and paganism. However, he was still not totally satisfied with his path.

One of the BBS's that Tannhaus regularly called for information on the occult was Modem Magick BBS in El Cajon, CA. This BBS was run by a sysop called Sis. Through her, he found that Wicca's roots actually lay in a religion called Thelema and a man named Aleister Crowley. He was able to get information from Sis, who was herself an OTO member, on the Ordo Templi Orientis and he wrote them a letter.

The OTO responded to his letter and gave him the mailing address for a local body of the OTO. He emailed, they responded, and he had his first physical contact with the OTO. In 1991, he took his first OTO initiation at Eulis Lodge in Atlanta, Georgia. He had finally found his spiritual path.

Since His First Initiation in the OTO

This was only the first initiation of several that Tannhaus would take. He associated with the local body in Birmingham and diligently studied all the books and materials he was presented with. He learned to think for himself and not to allow others to impose their beliefs upon him. So, when a situation arose where he had the opportunity to run a local body himself, he gladly accepted the challenge.

He accepted the mastership of Anubis Camp, OTO, and the body was officially transferred to him. Even though he had no experience running the local branch of an occult order, he had a great body of people with which to work with. Together they worked together exploring psychology, magick, religion, and anything relating to the occult. Membership was small, but devoted. Guests came and went, but the core members developed lasting friendships..some of which last even to this day.

The Call of New Orleans

When contacted by the pastmaster of Anubis Camp with the opportunity to visit New Orleans and help with initiations at Kali Lodge, Tannhaus jumped at the chance. He had never visited New Orleans and thought it'd be a great experience. Kali Lodge was run by none other than the famous voudou priestess Sallie Ann Glassman. At the time, she was not just a famous voudou priestess, but also a very prominent member of the OTO.

Tannhaus travelled to New Orleans and was captivated by the city. The French architecture and laid back style of the city gave it the air of another world compared to what he had seen before. It seemed that magick was in the air. However, the turning point of his life came at the end of his first visit. As a thanks to those who had travelled to New Orleans to both become initiated as well as help with initiations, Mambo Glassman held a voudou ceremony for them to attend. Tannhaus fell in love with it. It was unlike anything he'd seen before.

He went back home and sat up his own voudou altar. He began praying to the loa (the voudou equivalent of the Catholic saints) and exploring this new religion. His interest in it only grew. So, he took another trip to Kali Lodge. At the end of his second trip to New Orleans, Tannhaus remarked to Houngan Catela, the voudou priest that served the loa with Mambo Glassman, that he wished to move to New Orleans. Houngan Catela graciously offered him a place to stay.

Life in New Orleans

Tannhaus moved in with the Voudou priest about a month later after selling his house and moving to New Orleans. He lived with the houngan for about three months while he became established in the new city. The entire time, he was travelling to Kali Lodge to attend OTO and Voudou functions. So, once he was able to find an apartment near Kali Lodge, he took it and moved out of the voudou priest's house.

For the next two years, Tannhaus served the loa at Mambo Glassman's hounfor (voudou temple) and even played a djimbi drum during a ceremony featured in a PBS documentary on Voudou as well as taking part in ceremonies appearing in German newspapers and other media. During this time, Kali Lodge closed, but the hounfor remained open. However, he got a new job which caused him to have to move into the suburbs. It also took up much of the time that he was devoting to Voudou. So, regretfully, Tannhaus stopped attending the voudou rituals, but still has altars in his house and may one day take his own initiation in Haiti to become a voudou priest.

After the closure of Kali Lodge and the move into the suburbs, Tannhaus continued his life as a Thelemite and a voudouissant (voudou practicioner) even though he did not attend functions for either group. He kept in contact with members of the Ordo Templi Orientis and Houngan Catela even though he lost contact with him for a period of time. However, he was able to explore the Hare Krishna faith for a period of two years, even at one point considering himself a Hare Krishna devotee!

Exposure to Lonelygirl15

Tannhaus saw Bree's videos on YouTube after the press started reporting it was fake and became interested in the series. He visited the forums and was shocked to see the way people in the forums were portraying his religion. So, he decided to stay in the forums and help people to learn about Thelema. At first, he was attacked quite a bit. Eventually he even left the forums because he felt attacks against him were overlooked because of a bias against his religious stance. But, after about a month away, he returned to the forums when he saw that people were beginning to act more reasonable. He still occasionally reads the forums and also participates in the LGPedia.

A Thelemite Speaks Video Series

  • Episode 1 Parts 1&2 - Tannhaus speaks about how "Do What Thou Will" does not equal "Do what you want" and also how Thelema is not worship of the flesh. He also includes audio from the thelemacoasttocoast podcast where they mention lonelygirl15.
  • Episode 1 Part 3 - Tannhaus talks about refining Will and how Thelema and Buddhism are actually Western / Eastern approaches to the same thing
  • Episode 2 - What is magick? How do you do magick? Also, a song by a Thelemic musician.
  • Episode 3 - Tannhaus talks about a self image enforced on us by others, Ted Haggard, and judgement within fundamental Christianity.
  • Episode 4 - Charity from a Thelemite's perspective.
  • Episode 5 - Why do thelemic references to the Bible appear reversed from what Christians think? What is Gnosticism? Why are there blood or sexual fluids in the eucharist in the gnostic mass?
  • Episode 6 - Tannhaus thanks Alombrados Camp, OTO and talks about the practicality of magick.
  • Episode 7 - Tannhaus responds to Baphomet257 and talks more about magick and its uses.
  • Episode 8 - Individuals having individual beliefs.

Videos to Bree and Daniel

  • Daniel Daniel Daniel... Tannhaus dresses down Daniel for his lack of respect towards Bree as well as his conduct towards others.
  • To Bree Sympathizes with Bree on the lack of understanding/respect shown by others, performs part of the Star Ruby, and gives advice to her.
  • To Bree #2 Sympathizes with Bree concerning her doubts, talks about occult orders, and gives advice. Also talks about attacks in the forums.
  • Concerning the Death of Bree's Dad Reads Thelemic texts to Bree in an attempt to offer some comfort in her time of sorrow.

External Links

Both of the above links share videos as well as have unique videos.

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