Llee Heflin (b. 1939) had joined the 'Caliphate' under McMurtry, later resigned and wrote his book "The Island Dialogues — Liber ALAL" (Level Press 1973) then went to live on Ibiza, an island off the coast of Spain. Heflin was instrumental in the Publication of the Thoth Tarot book and cards now so popular and which have played so important a role in the birth of the 'Caliphate'.



Let's hear Llee Heflin: "One night in a camp ground on Mount Shasta he 'happened by chance' to meet Mildred Burlingame (I think that was her last name). She, like Grady, had been active in the OTO associated with Jack Parsons and Cameron. She in turn introduced him to Grady and his wife Phyllis. He wanted me out there to meet them. It seemed like a logical next step. So I flew the SF [in 1969].

Having come from the Magickal experiences I had had in London and Italy, I found Grady and Mildred very disappointing. They appeared to me not to be very magickal people in their own right. Had it been me alone I probably would not have gotten involved with them. But C. was more far sighted in that respect than i was and was more willing to deal with the Magickally disadvantaged than was I at that time. So one night in some camp sight somewhere Hymenaeus Alpha (wearing a bath towel for a turban) and Soror (whatever) initiated C., me and two others into the OTO. the whole thing seemed pretty farcical to me but i went along with it going along with C. C. and I were made 9th degree that night. [taken from http://777lleeheflin.org/939393/index2.html Llee Heflin's on-line biography, URL now defunct]

Llee Heflin added in personal emails (July 2000): "My Magickal partner C. and I did all the work and then Grady took the credit and the money and ran (so to speak). When I saw what was coming down the pipeline I called Yorke and asked him to renege on his agreement with Grady and turn the job over to C. and me. He said that, although he personally would like to do so, he had already made the agreement with Grady and that Grady did have some basis for his claim to be in control of the project and therefore he could not do it. So with that I withdrew from the project my self."

About being the first person who was initiated by McMurtry: "Now about what I said about the OTO not existing as an active organization at the time Grady initiated me and my friends. Absolutely nothing was said by either Grady or Mildred Burlingame about the existence of an active OTO organization. Sure there were Grady and Mildred, and a few other individuals left over from the old Pasadena/LA days of Agapé Lodge. But to the best of my knowledge they did not themselves constitute an active organization or Lodge. It was my very strong impression from everything that was said during that period, and from the ludicrous nature of the actual initiation 'ceremony' (Grady was so nervous he could hardly talk) that that was quite likely the first time he had ever 'initiated' anyone. Afterwards he conferred the IXº on us and that was that. I don't remember that we really ever talked about the OTO after that. It was my impression that Grady had done nothing about trying to reactivate the organization until that time when he initiated us. And as far as I was concerned we had not formed an active Lodge of the OTO by virtue of that initiation. As far as I was concerned that event was a 'non-event'. It was a charade, a travesty of a Magickal initiation. There was nothing Magickal about it at all, as far as I was concerned.

What we went on to do (i. e. the publishing of LIBER ALEPH and the preparation for the publishing of the Thoth deck) we did as a group of individuals mutually interested in the work of AC. We were not acting as a manifestation of the OTO. I am fairly certain that this understanding was that of my friends as well. But I cannot say how Grady interpreted the situation. He may indeed have thought of us collectively as his OTO. But if that was the case that was certainly not how events unfolded. C. and I pretty much called the shots about how things were being done. And Grady and Mildred pretty much went along with it. I designed the layout of LIBER ALEPH and C. and I did all of the additional writing published with it if I am not mistaken. I was aware that Grady was not particularly happy with the situation as it was, i. e. that we 'youngsters' were not sitting at his feet etc. But he had no apparent Magickal 'fire' and no apparent Magickal 'vision' by means of which to be the 'leader'. C. and I and the others in our band of 'hippies' had experienced too much real Magick already to acquiesce to such a 'non-leader' as leader. Grady never once said, ' I am the Caliph! I am the OHO! We will do things my way!' We weren't the OTO. In reality there was no active OTO at that time except maybe in the minds of Grady and Mildred. I could have renounced my initiation, but I could not have resigned from the OTO since there was no organization to resign from. I hope this makes the situation clearer."



Today, Llee Heflin lives in Eureka Springs Arkansas. He is the head chef at a little restaurant there.

