Brother XII's "House of Mystery"


Nanaimo's millennial cult--BROTHER XII AND THE AQUARIAN FOUNDATION

"Although idyllic in description, it was not long before tales of misappropriation of funds, tyranny, threats, sexual misconduct, psychological and physical abuse surfaced in a number of court cases. The main characters involved, Brother XII included, were all mature, educated, and serious students of esoteric subjects. They did not reflect the typical membership of a cult, at least as popularly conceived. They were neither young, unsophisticated, nor irresponsible individuals that joined but rather highly articulate and successful individuals, among whom was the novelist and short-story writer Will Levington Comfort. The outcome of this misadventure was ruined lives, people separated from their wealth, disillusionment, and the strange disappearance of Brother XII himself. All this happened between 1928 and 1933. Surely, this movement must be considered a direct precursor to modern cults..."