I have created a written summary of this presentation in order to clarify how this progression through the stages of initiation relate to the myths surrounding Prometheus and how it maps onto the degree structure of the Titanic Order of Prometheus.

Stage 1: The Sub-Lunary (aka Elemental) realm is represented by the myth in which Prometheus creates humanity out of clay and gives us the gift of standing upright like the gods. This stage represents primal mastery of the physical realm starting with basic survival first and then moving on to increasing one’s health/fitness and wealth. In the Titanic Order of Prometheus (TOP) this work is the focus of the Cretus I° member.

Stage 2: The Planetary realm is represented by the mythology of Prometheus stealing the Fire of the Olympic Gods such as Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. This represents the forbidden knowledge held by each of the gods of Olympus (aka the planets) being obtained by the initiate. This stage is also described in occult terms as passing through the first Seven Gates. A backlash generally comes with any subversive act that undermines the power of the status quo, represented symbolically in myth by the binding of Prometheus to a rock and his regenerating liver being eaten by an eagle every day. In TOP this is the work of Fundatus II° members.

Stage 3: The Zodiacial realm comes into play with the myth of Hercules and his 12 Labours which represent the journey of the sun through the 12 signs of the zodiac each solar cycle. During his 12 Labours, Hercules kills the eagle and frees Prometheus from his shackles. This stage involves becoming aware of short term and longer term cycles and learning how to best harness the changing tides of energy and influence. This is the Eighth Gate and is the focus of Invictus III° members.

Stage 4: The Ninth Gate is Apotheosis, or attaining the state of divinity. This is represented in the myth of Chiron the Centaur giving up his immortality to Prometheus. This completes the full emancipation of Prometheus from his state of bondage. The work of the Accendo IV° member is focused on manifesting artefacts that encapsulate a portion of their soul. This frees the individual up from complete dependence on the physical body, as these artefacts will continue to influence the world even after the death of the creator’s fleshy body. These artefacts can be thought of as additional physical vehicles for the individual’s soul to influence the world.

Stage 5: Having achieved a high level of actualization, the Exemplar V° is in a position of great power. In order to maximize the benefit of this state it is imperative to metaphorically “pass the torch” or more accurately to help light the torches of others. This may take the form of mentoring students, sharing information with peers and even developing organizations such as businesses and Esoteric Orders which will perpetuate your corpus of archived knowledge well into the future in some way. This also includes the raising of children for those called to start a family of their own. In TOP we playfully borrow the metaphor of the Seven Year Reign of the Antichrist from the apocalyptic Christians. This is the short window of time in which you have the most power to make your mark in the world and firmly establish your own Titanic legend and legacy. There is no Promethean myth directly associated with this stage for the simple reason that the member is expected to ultimately write their own legend.

Stage 6: This is the state of having fully transcended the human flesh body and are now acting as a raw force in the world. We respectfully and reverently refer to the member who achieves this state as Numen VI°. Only in very rare cases would we describe someone who is still “alive” in the conventional sense as having achieved the stage of Numen VI°. In a practical sense, the recognition of a TOP member to this degree would look like a memorial service combined with a lifetime achievement award ceremony or induction into a Hall of Fame type celebration.

While TOP members get recognized for accomplishment in each of these stages in a logical progression for the sake of practical simplicity, the reality is that the work of each stage often overlaps with that of other stages. In addition, work at earlier stages don’t necessarily end when one begins work on the next stage.