Membership in Ordo Templi Orientis. is based upon a system of initiations or degrees which use ritual drama to establish fraternal bonds between members as well as impart spiritual and philosophical teachings.
There are thirteen numbered degrees and twelve un-numbered degrees which are divided into three grades or “triads”—the Hermit, the Lover, and the Man of Earth.
Admittance involves initiation and the swearing of an oath
Advancement through the Man of Earth triad requires sponsorship. advancement into the degree of the Knight of the East and West and beyond requires one to be invited by ranking members.
The ultimate goal of initiation in O.T.O. is “to instruct the individual by allegory and symbol in the profound mysteries of Nature, and thereby to assist each to discover his or her own true Identity”