Carl Kellner (mystic)

Carl Kellner
Background information
Born	Sep 01, 1851 Vienna, Austrian Empire
Died	Jun 07, 1905 - at age 54 Vienna, Austria-Hungary

Carl Kellner (1 September 1851 – June 7, 1905) was a chemist, inventor, and industrialist. Born in Vienna, Austria, he made significant improvements to the sulfite process and was co-inventor of the Castner-Kellner process.

He was a student of Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and Eastern mysticism. He was the putative founder of Ordo Templi Orientis and is sometimes referred to as "Spiritual father of O.T.O.".

Career

Carl Kellner is reputed to have developed the Ritter-Kellner process while working for Baron Hector Von Ritter-Zahony in 1876. In 1889, he established the Kellner-Partington Paper Pulp Co with Edward Partington.

The process for making caustic soda and chlorine by electrolysis of brine using a mercury electrode was developed independently by Mr Hamilton Y. Castner and Dr Carl Kellner in 1892. They established the Castner Kellner company jointly to exploit their patents in 1895.

It is not known when he obtained his doctorate but he used the title of PhD from 1895.

Freemasonry and esotericism

Kellner had become a Freemason in 1873, being initiated at the Humanitas Lodge on the Austro-Hungarian border, taking the motto of Brother Renatus. In 1885, Kellner met the Theosophical and Rosicrucian scholar, Dr. Franz Hartmann (1838–1912). He and Hartmann later collaborated on the development of the "ligno-sulphite" inhalation therapy for tuberculosis, which formed the basis of treatment at Hartmann's sanitarium near Saltzburg. During this period, Kellner became interested in the more esoteric aspects of Freemasonry, joining John Yarker's Rite of Memphis-Misraim. Hartmann's obituary of Kellner describes that in 1902 Kellner

...was personally initiated in Manchester by Brother Yarker into the 96°, and made Sovereign Honorary General Grand Master of our Order.

During extensive travels in Europe, America, and Asia Minor, Kellner claimed to have come into contact with three adepts (a Sufi, Soliman ben Aifa, and two Hindu Tantrics, Bhima Sena Pratapa of Lahore and Sri Mahatma Agamya Paramahamsa), and an organization called the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. These adepts are attributed with having initiated Kellner into the use of sexual magick (sometimes referred to as 'the sexual current' by ritual magicians). Kellner was also influenced by French followers of the American occultist Paschal Beverly Randolph.

Throughout his esoteric studies, Kellner believed he had discovered a "key" that provided a clear explanation of all the complex symbolism of Freemasonry, which, he thought, unlocked the mysteries of nature. Kellner also developed a desire to establish an Academia Masonica that would allow Freemasons to become familiar with all existing Masonic degrees and systems.

Ordo Templi Orientis

In 1895, Kellner began to discuss his idea for founding this Academia Masonica with his associate Theodor Reuss (aka Frater Merlin or Peregrinus). During these discussions, Kellner decided that the Academia Masonica should be called Ordo Templi Orientis (Oriental Templar Order). The occult inner circle of this order (O.T.O. proper) would be organized parallel to the highest degrees of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim and would teach the esoteric Rosicrucian doctrines of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light, and Kellner's "key" to Masonic symbolism. Both men and women would be admitted at all levels to this order, but possessing the various degrees of Craft and high-grade Freemasonry would be a prerequisite for admission to the inner circle of O.T.O.

Due to the regulations of the established grand lodges governing Regular Masonry, women could not be made Masons and were consequently excluded from membership in Ordo Templi Orientis. Reforming the Masonic system to permit the admission of women may have been one reason Kellner and his associates sought control over one of the many rites of Masonry, possibly to incorporate the practice of sex magic. They may have believed that sex magic was "...the key to all the secrets of the universe and to all the symbolism ever used by secret societies and religions."

The discussions between Reuss and Kellner did not yield any positive outcomes at the time, as Reuss was heavily engaged in reviving the Order of Illuminati alongside his associate Leopold Engel from Dresden. Kellner did not support the revived Illuminati Order or Engel. According to Reuss, after his final separation from Engel in June 1902, Kellner reached out to him, and the two agreed to move forward with establishing Ordo Templi Orientis by seeking authorizations to perform the various rites of high-grade Masonry. Reuss and Kellner jointly prepared a brief manifesto for their order in 1903, which was published the following year in The Oriflamme. However, whether Kellner lived to see O.T.O. evolve beyond these early plans is uncertain, since he passed away in 1905, shortly after the initial announcements were made.

Illness and death

In 1903, Kellner fell mysteriously ill and, after a lengthy hospital stay, traveled to Cairo's dry climate to recuperate during the winter of 1904–05. He returned to Vienna and to work in seemingly good health, but on June 7, 1905, he suffered a fatal heart attack. The coroner cited "chronic poisoning due to blood infection" as the cause of death. He left behind his widow, Maria, and four children: Elga, Nora, Edi, and Widi.

References

• Free Encyclopedia of Thelema (2005). Carl Kellner. Retrieved May 24, 2005.
• U.S. Grand Lodge, Ordo Templi Orientis. Carl Kellner. Retrieved 6 October 2004.

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Carl_Kellner_(mystic) ]

Sources

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