Post by jadedsage on Aug 10, 2004 13:42:13 GMT -5
by Magdalene Meretrix with gracious assistance from the Reverend Rob and David R. Jones
(magdalene@realm-of-shade.com)
History
In April of 1904 an astonishing event changed the life of Aleister Crowley: poet, mystic and Golden Dawn occultist. While he and his wife, Rose, were vacationing in Egypt a mysterious entity initiated contact with the couple. First the voice moved Rose to lead Crowley to the funerary stele of an ancient Egyptian priest named Ankh-af-na-Khonsu. Later Crowley heard the voice over the course of three days. The voice, which belonged to a divine entity, commanded Crowley to transcribe his words, culminating in a piece of writing called Liber AL vel Legis, sub figura CCXX, or The Book of the Law.
Although Crowley resisted much of the teaching of The Book of the Law for many years, ultimately he accepted the role it assigned to him as Prophet of the New Aeon. The entire process is described in detail in Crowley's Equinox of the Gods and Book 4, Part 4. The Book of the Law is short - only 220 verses in length - but packed full of poetic, cryptic passages filled with Egyptian and apocalyptic Christian symbolism as well as strings of letters and numbers which appear to be an unsolved code.
Like many esoteric scriptures, there are several potential meanings to the verses in Liber AL, often apparently contradictory meanings. Crowley later wrote a short comment which included the line, "All questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings, each for himself." This line is generally interpreted to mean that each person must interpret Liber AL for themselves and none other.
In 1922, Crowley became the Outer Head of Order of the group known as Ordo Templi Orientis (Order of the Eastern Templars). Under Crowley's leadership, the O.T.O. adopted The Book of the Law as its holy book and Crowley revised the order's rituals to bring them in line with the teachings of the path of Thelema.
Core beliefs
The core beliefs of Thelema can be summed up in one phrase from The Book of the Law: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." (AL I:40). As one Thelemite I know put it, "That's the whole of the Law. All the rest is just commentary."
This phrase cannot be properly understood without knowing what Crowley meant by "will." Will is the English translation of the Greek word "Thelema" for which the path itself is named. It is the word one finds in the Greek version of the Christian Bible in the phrase "Thy will be done." Will is not wish or whim or want or karma or desire or predestination: it is a spiritual imperative that comes from the deepest, most true source of one's being.
The phrase from Chapter 1, verse 40 may be familiar to you. It is the phrase that was carved over the doorway to the Abbey of Thelema in Rabelais's Pantagruel. Pantagruel was a fictional story of a utopian society, written in 1532. Crowley borrowed some, but not all, of Rabelais's philosophy in constructing the path of Thelema. This phrase may also seem familiar because of the relationship between Crowley and Gerald Gardner. Crowley was inspirational to Gardner in the latter's revival of the Old Religion (Witchcraft) and Gardner used much of Crowley's poetry, both as written and re-done, in building the new traditions and rituals of Witchcraft.
Two other verses are particularly important to note when attempting to sum up the core beliefs of Thelema. The first is, "Love is the law, love under will." (AL I:57). Thelema has occasionally been accused of being a cold-hearted path because of this teaching. There are some who would consider putting love under will to be a perversion of love. Different Thelemites will, of course, interpret this phrase differently. Here is one possible interpretation: will is what makes us capable of love. Another possible interpretation: Love is the Law and doing one's Will is the Law. These two forces must be balanced with neither being allowed to run rampant. Love under will does not necessarily mean that love is beneath or lesser than will, but rather indicates a love aligned with spiritual imperative. Anyone who has roughly pulled their child out of a busy street, left an abusive lover despite still being deeply in love with her, or refused to lie to an alcoholic spouse's boss will recognize "love under will" though they may refer to it by another name such as "loving strictness, " "enlightened self-interest, " or "tough love."
Another important verse to consider, for those who wish to better understand Thelema, is: "Every man and every woman is a star." (AL I:3) As with all passages from The Book of the Law, this verse is open to a variety of interpretations. A common interpretation is the dual message that men and women are equally high in stature and that each of us is a powerful force. A common belief among Thelemites is that, were each of us to do our will, we would be like a universe of stars, majestically moving through time-space and rarely clashing with one another. While there is a strong imperative within the Thelemic culture to seek and pursue one's will, many Thelemites would agree that doing one's will would not involve forcing others to be or do that which they themselves do not will to be or do - simultaneously realizing that it is difficult enough to know one's own will and virtually impossible to discern the will of another.
A question that periodically arises both within and without the Thelemic community is whether Thelema should be considered a Neo-pagan path or not. In his writings, Crowley refers to himself with all apparent sincerity as a Satanist, a Christian (the truest of all Christians, in fact) and a Pagan. Likewise modern Thelemites can be found who identify themselves as Satanist, Christian, Pagan and any combination of these categories. In fact, there are even Thelemites who consider themselves to be atheists or agnostics. With the typical paradoxical thinking of mystics from any of the world's religions, some Thelemites see no inherent contradiction to being all of these categories simultaneously. It is also not uncommon, however, to meet Thelemites who are vehemently opposed to any of these labels, especially the title of Christian.
Thelema encompasses not only a diverse range of religious categories but also a range of expressions. While some Thelemites consider Thelema to be a religion, others would be more likely to call it an occult path and still others regard Thelema as a philosophy. The only single unifying factor one can apply to all Thelemites is the personal pursuit of Will.
Organization of groups
The various groups today which follow the Thelemic path can be loosely classed in three groups: initiatory orders, teaching organizations and churches.
The largest Thelemic initiatory order today is the O.T.O. Several other groups have splintered off the original O.T.O. or formed independently. Some examples include S.O.T.O. (the Society of Ordo Templi Orientis), O.T.O.F. (Ordo Templi Orientis Foundation) and H.O.O.R. (Holy Order of Ra-Hoor-Khuit). Thelemic initiatory orders tend to function in groups, called bodies, and the initiatory structure tends to be divided into three grades known from lowest to highest as the Man of Earth, the Lover and the Hermit. This division is based on a verse from The Book of the Law, "Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong, if he look but close into the word. For there are therein Three Grades, the Hermit, and the Lover, and the man of Earth. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." (AL I:40)
Each of these three grades are typically further subdivided into degrees. For example, the Man of Earth triad of O.T.O. contains degree 0 (Minerval) through the Fourth Degree (Perfect Initiate). After an intermediate degree, the Lovers triad takes up again with the Fifth Degree.
Among Thelemic teaching organizations, the largest is the A.'.A.'. It is difficult to ascertain how many people are in the A.'.A.'. because there is more than one branch of the A.'.A.'. and membership is intended to be secret—a member is only supposed to know the person immediately above them who is teaching them and the person or people immediately below them who they are teaching. In addition to the A.'.A.'. there are other Thelemic teaching organizations such as the College of Thelema.
The A.'.A.'. grades are structured similarly to the Golden Dawn grades (see John Michael Greer's Golden Dawn essay at this site for more details on the grade structure.)
Thelemic churches are those groups whose central function is to practice Liber XV, the Gnostic Mass. The Gnostic Mass is a publically performed mystical ritual written by Crowley. In many aspects it resembles the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church with some Greek Orthodox touches thrown in. Some Thelemites enjoy debating and discussing the meaning and purpose of the Gnostic Mass while others find other aspects of Thelema more essential to them personally. The largest Thelemic church is the E.G.C. (Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica - "Gnostic Catholic Church") which is closely affiliated with the O.T.O. The term "gnostic" is used primarily to indicate the concept of divine wisdom being directly available to an individual without need for an intercessor (though there are clergy in the E.G.C., they play a more pagan than Christian role in the religious society.) The term "catholic" is used in the sense of "universal" or "for all people" rather than to indicate a connection with the Roman Catholic Church.
It is important to note that membership in any organization or church is not an absolute requirement to be a Thelemite. Many Thelemites remain "solitary, " unaffiliated with any group. Many people may be Thelemites without even being aware of it.
(magdalene@realm-of-shade.com)
History
In April of 1904 an astonishing event changed the life of Aleister Crowley: poet, mystic and Golden Dawn occultist. While he and his wife, Rose, were vacationing in Egypt a mysterious entity initiated contact with the couple. First the voice moved Rose to lead Crowley to the funerary stele of an ancient Egyptian priest named Ankh-af-na-Khonsu. Later Crowley heard the voice over the course of three days. The voice, which belonged to a divine entity, commanded Crowley to transcribe his words, culminating in a piece of writing called Liber AL vel Legis, sub figura CCXX, or The Book of the Law.
Although Crowley resisted much of the teaching of The Book of the Law for many years, ultimately he accepted the role it assigned to him as Prophet of the New Aeon. The entire process is described in detail in Crowley's Equinox of the Gods and Book 4, Part 4. The Book of the Law is short - only 220 verses in length - but packed full of poetic, cryptic passages filled with Egyptian and apocalyptic Christian symbolism as well as strings of letters and numbers which appear to be an unsolved code.
Like many esoteric scriptures, there are several potential meanings to the verses in Liber AL, often apparently contradictory meanings. Crowley later wrote a short comment which included the line, "All questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings, each for himself." This line is generally interpreted to mean that each person must interpret Liber AL for themselves and none other.
In 1922, Crowley became the Outer Head of Order of the group known as Ordo Templi Orientis (Order of the Eastern Templars). Under Crowley's leadership, the O.T.O. adopted The Book of the Law as its holy book and Crowley revised the order's rituals to bring them in line with the teachings of the path of Thelema.
Core beliefs
The core beliefs of Thelema can be summed up in one phrase from The Book of the Law: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." (AL I:40). As one Thelemite I know put it, "That's the whole of the Law. All the rest is just commentary."
This phrase cannot be properly understood without knowing what Crowley meant by "will." Will is the English translation of the Greek word "Thelema" for which the path itself is named. It is the word one finds in the Greek version of the Christian Bible in the phrase "Thy will be done." Will is not wish or whim or want or karma or desire or predestination: it is a spiritual imperative that comes from the deepest, most true source of one's being.
The phrase from Chapter 1, verse 40 may be familiar to you. It is the phrase that was carved over the doorway to the Abbey of Thelema in Rabelais's Pantagruel. Pantagruel was a fictional story of a utopian society, written in 1532. Crowley borrowed some, but not all, of Rabelais's philosophy in constructing the path of Thelema. This phrase may also seem familiar because of the relationship between Crowley and Gerald Gardner. Crowley was inspirational to Gardner in the latter's revival of the Old Religion (Witchcraft) and Gardner used much of Crowley's poetry, both as written and re-done, in building the new traditions and rituals of Witchcraft.
Two other verses are particularly important to note when attempting to sum up the core beliefs of Thelema. The first is, "Love is the law, love under will." (AL I:57). Thelema has occasionally been accused of being a cold-hearted path because of this teaching. There are some who would consider putting love under will to be a perversion of love. Different Thelemites will, of course, interpret this phrase differently. Here is one possible interpretation: will is what makes us capable of love. Another possible interpretation: Love is the Law and doing one's Will is the Law. These two forces must be balanced with neither being allowed to run rampant. Love under will does not necessarily mean that love is beneath or lesser than will, but rather indicates a love aligned with spiritual imperative. Anyone who has roughly pulled their child out of a busy street, left an abusive lover despite still being deeply in love with her, or refused to lie to an alcoholic spouse's boss will recognize "love under will" though they may refer to it by another name such as "loving strictness, " "enlightened self-interest, " or "tough love."
Another important verse to consider, for those who wish to better understand Thelema, is: "Every man and every woman is a star." (AL I:3) As with all passages from The Book of the Law, this verse is open to a variety of interpretations. A common interpretation is the dual message that men and women are equally high in stature and that each of us is a powerful force. A common belief among Thelemites is that, were each of us to do our will, we would be like a universe of stars, majestically moving through time-space and rarely clashing with one another. While there is a strong imperative within the Thelemic culture to seek and pursue one's will, many Thelemites would agree that doing one's will would not involve forcing others to be or do that which they themselves do not will to be or do - simultaneously realizing that it is difficult enough to know one's own will and virtually impossible to discern the will of another.
A question that periodically arises both within and without the Thelemic community is whether Thelema should be considered a Neo-pagan path or not. In his writings, Crowley refers to himself with all apparent sincerity as a Satanist, a Christian (the truest of all Christians, in fact) and a Pagan. Likewise modern Thelemites can be found who identify themselves as Satanist, Christian, Pagan and any combination of these categories. In fact, there are even Thelemites who consider themselves to be atheists or agnostics. With the typical paradoxical thinking of mystics from any of the world's religions, some Thelemites see no inherent contradiction to being all of these categories simultaneously. It is also not uncommon, however, to meet Thelemites who are vehemently opposed to any of these labels, especially the title of Christian.
Thelema encompasses not only a diverse range of religious categories but also a range of expressions. While some Thelemites consider Thelema to be a religion, others would be more likely to call it an occult path and still others regard Thelema as a philosophy. The only single unifying factor one can apply to all Thelemites is the personal pursuit of Will.
Organization of groups
The various groups today which follow the Thelemic path can be loosely classed in three groups: initiatory orders, teaching organizations and churches.
The largest Thelemic initiatory order today is the O.T.O. Several other groups have splintered off the original O.T.O. or formed independently. Some examples include S.O.T.O. (the Society of Ordo Templi Orientis), O.T.O.F. (Ordo Templi Orientis Foundation) and H.O.O.R. (Holy Order of Ra-Hoor-Khuit). Thelemic initiatory orders tend to function in groups, called bodies, and the initiatory structure tends to be divided into three grades known from lowest to highest as the Man of Earth, the Lover and the Hermit. This division is based on a verse from The Book of the Law, "Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong, if he look but close into the word. For there are therein Three Grades, the Hermit, and the Lover, and the man of Earth. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." (AL I:40)
Each of these three grades are typically further subdivided into degrees. For example, the Man of Earth triad of O.T.O. contains degree 0 (Minerval) through the Fourth Degree (Perfect Initiate). After an intermediate degree, the Lovers triad takes up again with the Fifth Degree.
Among Thelemic teaching organizations, the largest is the A.'.A.'. It is difficult to ascertain how many people are in the A.'.A.'. because there is more than one branch of the A.'.A.'. and membership is intended to be secret—a member is only supposed to know the person immediately above them who is teaching them and the person or people immediately below them who they are teaching. In addition to the A.'.A.'. there are other Thelemic teaching organizations such as the College of Thelema.
The A.'.A.'. grades are structured similarly to the Golden Dawn grades (see John Michael Greer's Golden Dawn essay at this site for more details on the grade structure.)
Thelemic churches are those groups whose central function is to practice Liber XV, the Gnostic Mass. The Gnostic Mass is a publically performed mystical ritual written by Crowley. In many aspects it resembles the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church with some Greek Orthodox touches thrown in. Some Thelemites enjoy debating and discussing the meaning and purpose of the Gnostic Mass while others find other aspects of Thelema more essential to them personally. The largest Thelemic church is the E.G.C. (Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica - "Gnostic Catholic Church") which is closely affiliated with the O.T.O. The term "gnostic" is used primarily to indicate the concept of divine wisdom being directly available to an individual without need for an intercessor (though there are clergy in the E.G.C., they play a more pagan than Christian role in the religious society.) The term "catholic" is used in the sense of "universal" or "for all people" rather than to indicate a connection with the Roman Catholic Church.
It is important to note that membership in any organization or church is not an absolute requirement to be a Thelemite. Many Thelemites remain "solitary, " unaffiliated with any group. Many people may be Thelemites without even being aware of it.