From the moment of its [re]creation in 1975, we have instinctively felt the Temple of Set to be something unprecedented on this world. It crystallized a premise at once more ambitious and more subtle than that of its Church of Satan prelude. And unlike the cynical pessimism of the Church, the Temple has always had about it a wondrous exuberance, an electrifying optimism, a promise of wonders and marvels to be enjoyed by all who ventured through its pylons. We may not have anticipated all of these discoveries accurately on our first exposure to them – and on occasion some Initiates have found the light too intense for their self-possession – but such growing pains as we have experienced have never eclipsed the magic and magnificence of the Æonic current. And no one who has experienced initiation as catalyzed by the Temple, whether temporarily or over an enduring period, has been unaffected by it.
Dr. Michael A. Aquino, June 1996 Scroll of Set upon stepping down as High Priest of Set
A few key observations:
The Temple of Set has always been philosophical and frankly contra-ideological in its orientation. Setian Philosophy orients to the Universe in a sense of exuberance, optimism, wonder, and enjoyment. If you find someone passing off reactionary pessimism as “Setian” there is a good chance that individual has missed a point or two along the way.
(Confused by the difference between ideology and philosophy? This might help with that. )
Setemheb 