Thelema is a philosophy of life based on the rule or law, "Do what thou wilt. " The ideal of "Do what thou wilt" and its association with the word Thelema goes back to François Rabelais, but was more fully developed^[1] and proselytized^[2] by Aleister Crowley, who founded a religion^[3] named Thelema based on this ideal. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer The word itself is the English transliteration of the Koine Greek noun θέλημα: "will", from the verb θέλω: to will, wish, purpose. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in Early Christian writings use the word to refer to the will of God,^[4] the human will,^[5] and even the will of God's opponent, the Devil. The Devil is the ^[6]

In the 16th century, François Rabelais used Thélème, the French form of the word, as the name of a fictional Abbey in his famous books, Gargantua and Pantagruel. The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel (in French, La vie de Gargantua ^[7][8] The only rule of this Abbey was "fay çe que vouldras" ("Fais ce que tu voudras," or, "Do what thou wilt"). This rule was revived and used in the real world in the mid 18th century by Sir Francis Dashwood, who inscribed it on a doorway of his abbey at Medmenham,^{[9][10][11][12]} where it served as the motto of The Hellfire Club. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Francis Dashwood 15th Baron le Despencer (December 1708 &ndash 11 December 1781) was an English rake and Politician, Chancellor Medmenham is a Village and Civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. The Hellfire Club was the popular name for a number of supposed exclusive Clubs for high society rakes established all over Britain in the 18th century ^[9]

The same rule was used in 1904 by Aleister Crowley^[12][13][14] in The Book of the Law. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 This book contains both the phrase "Do what thou wilt" and the word Thelema in Greek, which Crowley took for the name of the philosophical, mystical and religious system which he subsequently developed. This system includes ideas from occultism, Yoga, and both Eastern and Western mysticism (especially the Qabalah). The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Hermetic Qabalah (from the Hebrew קַבָּלָה "reception" is a Western esoteric and mystical tradition ^[15]

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, in speaking of svecchachara, the Sanskrit equivalent of the phrase "Do what thou wilt",^[16][17][18] wrote that "Rabelais, Dashwood, and Crowley must share the honor of perpetuating what has been such a high ideal in most of Asia. Shri Gurudev Mahendranath ( April 29, 1911 &ndash August 30, 1991) was a British Occultist, mystic, Writer, Svecchachara is the Sanskrit equivalent of the Greek word Thelema, interpreted by Aleister Crowley as "Do What Thou Wilt "^[12]

Contents 1 Historical background 1.1 Rabelais' Thélème 1.2 Francis Dashwood and the Hellfire Club 1.3 Subsequent historical references 2 Aleister Crowley's work 2.1 The Book of the Law 2.2 True Will 2.3 Skepticism 2.4 Cosmology 2.5 Magick 2.5.1 Practices and observances 2.6 Ethics 2.6.1 Liber Oz 2.6.2 Duty 2.6.3 Liber II 3 Contemporary Thelema 3.1 Diversity of Thelemic thought 3.2 Contemporary literature 3.3 Thelemic organizations 4 Thelema in comparative religion 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Sources 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links 10.1 Thelemic journals 10.2 Podcasts

Historical background

The word θέλημα (thelema) is of some consequence in the original Greek Christian scriptures, referring to divine and human will. Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer True Will is a term found within the mystical system of Thelema, adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais in 1904 with Aleister Crowley 's writing The number 93 is of great significance in the religion of Thelema, adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais by Aleister Crowley in 1904 Magick, in the broadest sense is any act designed to cause intentional change Within the modern system of Thelema, developed by Aleister Crowley in the first half of the 20th century Thelemic mysticism is a complex mystical path designed to Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera) from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the best the greatest The term Holy Guardian Angel was possibly coined either by Abraham of Würzburg, a French Cabalist who wrote a book on Ceremonial magick during the 15th century Aleister Crowley wrote The Gnostic Mass — technically called Liber XV or "Book 15" — in 1913 while travelling in Moscow Aleister Crowley ( 1875 - 1947)—mystic occultist and mountaineer—was a highly prolific writer not only on the topic of Thelema and Magick Aleister Crowley, the founder of the religion of Thelema, designated his works as belonging to one of several classes The A∴A∴ (Latin Argenteum Astrum or Greek Άστρον Αργόν, "Astron Argon", both literally "Silver star" alternately Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO ( Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and Religious Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica ( EGC) or the Gnostic Catholic Church, is the ecclesiastical arm of Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO an international fraternal Nuit (alternatively Nu Nut or Nuith is the speaker in the first Chapter of the Book of the Law, the sacred text of Thelema written or received in Hadit (sometimes Had) refers to the Thelemic version of an Egyptian god. Heru-ra-ha (literally " Horus sun-flesh" among other possible meanings is a composite deity within Thelema, a religion adapted from the philosophy of Babalon —also known as The Scarlet Woman The Great Mother or the Mother of Abominations—is a goddess found in the mystical system of Thelema, which was established Chaos (derived from the Ancient Greek, Chaos) typically refers to Unpredictability, and is the antithesis of Cosmos. Baphomet is a name of unestablished origin It first appeared in trial transcripts during the Inquisition of the Knights Templar in the early 1300s Choronzon (also known as 'Coronzon' or '333' is a Demon or Devil that originated in writing with the 16th century Occultists Edward Kelley Ankh-af-na-khonsu was a priest of the Egyptian god Mentu who lived in Thebes during the 25th and 26th dynasty (c Aiwass is the name of the being whom Aleister Crowley claimed dictated The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema, to him on April Maat or Mayet, thought to have been pronounced as *Muʔʕat (Muh-aht was the Ancient Egyptian concept of Truth, balance order— Law The Stèle of Revealing refers to an ancient Egyptian funerary artifact of Ankh-af-na-khonsu or Ankh-ef-en-Khons which played a role in the creation of the religion known Abrahadabra is a word that first publicly appeared in The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema. The unicursal hexagram is a Hexagram or six pointed star that can be traced or drawn Unicursally in one continuous line rather than two overlaid triangles Abramelin oil, also called Oil of Abramelin, is a ceremonial magical oil blended from aromatic plant materials One well-known example is from “The Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will (θέλημα) be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ” Some other quotes from the Bible are:

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done. " —Matthew 26:42

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. —John 1:12-13

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. —Romans 12:2

…and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. —2 Timothy 2:26

Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. —Revelation 4:11

In the 5th century, Augustine of Hippo wrote "Love, and do what you will" (Dilige et quod vis fac) in his Sermon on 1 John 7, 8. The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. ^[19]

In the Renaissance, a character named "Thelemia" represents will or desire in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of the Dominican monk Francesco Colonna. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (in English Poliphilo's Strife of Love in a Dream, from Greek hypnos, ‘sleep’ eros, Francesco Colonna (1433(? &ndash 1527 was an Italian Dominican Priest and Monk who was credited with the authorship of the Hypnerotomachia Colonna's work was, in turn, a great influence on the Franciscan monk Francois Rabelais, whose Gargantua and Pantagruel includes an Abbey of Thélème. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel (in French, La vie de Gargantua

Rabelais' Thélème

François Rabelais was a Franciscan and later a Benedictine monk of the 16th century. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Eventually he left the monastery to study medicine, and so moved to Lyon in 1532. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. It was there that he wrote Gargantua and Pantagruel, a connected series of books. The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel (in French, La vie de Gargantua They tell the story of two giants—a father (Gargantua) and his son (Pantagruel) and their adventures—written in an amusing, extravagant, and satirical vein.

It is in the first book (ch. 52-57) where Rabelais writes of the Abbey of Thélème, built by the giant Gargantua. It pokes fun at the monastic institutions, since his abbey has a swimming pool, maid service, and no clocks in sight. ^[7]

One of the verses of the inscription on the gate to Thélème says:

Grace, honour, praise, delight,
Here sojourn day and night.
   Sound bodies lined
   With a good mind,
Do here pursue with might
Grace, honour, praise, delight.

But below the humour was a very real concept of utopia and the ideal society. ^[20] Rabelais gives us a description of how the Thelemites of the Abbey lived and the rules they lived by:

All their life was spent not in laws, statutes, or rules, but according to their own free will and pleasure. They rose out of their beds when they thought good; they did eat, drink, labour, sleep, when they had a mind to it and were disposed for it. None did awake them, none did offer to constrain them to eat, drink, nor to do any other thing; for so had Gargantua established it. In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed,

Do What Thou Wilt;

because men that are free, well-born, well-bred, and conversant in honest companies, have naturally an instinct and spur that prompteth them unto virtuous actions, and withdraws them from vice, which is called honour. Those same men, when by base subjection and constraint they are brought under and kept down, turn aside from that noble disposition by which they formerly were inclined to virtue, to shake off and break that bond of servitude wherein they are so tyrannously enslaved; for it is agreeable with the nature of man to long after things forbidden and to desire what is denied us. ^[7]

Many scholars think the French author wrote from a specifically Christian perspective,^{[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]} while pointing to disagreements with the Church. ^[23][25] Alexander Pocetto of the Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales argues that Martin Luther influenced Rabelais. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer He draws many parallels between Rabelais and Francis de Sales. This article is about the Roman Catholic saint For churches named after him see Saint Francis de Sales church. ^[4] M. A. Screech emphasized the satirist's orthodox views. ^[21] Another source has Rabelais mocking Luther and the Church from a reformist perspective:

The informality of Rabelais' "masses" shows his agreement with Erasmus, who denounced the formalized ritual of the Roman Church as "Judaic. " Most Humanists and reformers decried the fixed and convention-bound celebration of the Last Supper, calling it idolatry. Rabelais' masses therefore show the Pantagrueline companions communing with each other, partaking of the "bread" and the "wine. ". . . Between radical reformers and arch conservatives in the Church, moderation is in danger of being crushed, and yet Pantagruel will maintain his ideals regardless of risk. ^[28]

Erich Auerbach in 1946 disagreed with all these, writing that the revolutionary thing about Rabelais' way of thinking

is not his opposition to Christianity, but the freedom of vision, feeling and thought which his perpetual playing with things produces, and which invites the reader to deal directly with the world and its wealth of phenomena. Erich Auerbach ( November 9, 1892 &ndash October 13, 1957) was a German philologist and comparative scholar Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On one point, to be sure, Rabelais takes a stand, and it is a stand which is basically anti-Christian; for him, the man who follows his nature is good, and natural life, be it of men or things, is good. . . ^[29]

Francis Dashwood and the Hellfire Club

Sir Francis Dashwood adopted some of the ideas of Rabelais^[30] and invoked the same rule in French when he founded a group called the Monks of Medmenham (better known as The Hellfire Club). Francis Dashwood 15th Baron le Despencer (December 1708 &ndash 11 December 1781) was an English rake and Politician, Chancellor Medmenham is a Village and Civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. The Hellfire Club was the popular name for a number of supposed exclusive Clubs for high society rakes established all over Britain in the 18th century ^[9][11][12] An abbey was established at Medmenham, described in the 1911 Britannica as follows:

At Medmenham, on the Thames above Marlow, there are fragments, incorporated into a residence, of a Cistercian abbey founded in 1201; which became notorious in the middle of the 18th century as the meeting-place of a convivial club called the Franciscans after its founder, Sir Francis Dashwood, afterwards Lord le Despencer (1708-1781), and also known as the Hell-Fire Club, of which John Wilkes, Bubb Dodington and other political notorieties were members. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The motto of the club, fay Ce que voudras (do what you will), inscribed on a doorway at the abbey, was borrowed from Rabelais description of the abbey of Thelema in Gargantua. ^[9]

We have little direct evidence of what Dashwood's Hellfire Club did or believed. ^[31] The one direct testimonial comes from John Wilkes, a member who never got into the chapter-room of the inner circle. John Wilkes ( 17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician ^[32][31] He describes their origin as follows:

A set of worthy, jolly fellows, happy disciples of Venus and Bacchus, got occasionally together to celebrate woman in wine and to give more zest to the festive meeting, they plucked every luxurious idea from the ancients and enriched their own modern pleasures with the tradition of classic luxury. ^[33]

The group derived more from Rabelais than the inscription over the door, in the opinion of Lt. -Col. Towers, who wrote "My interpretation of the caves remains as stated, that they were used as a Dionysian oracular temple, based upon Dashwood’s reading of the relevant chapters of Rabelais. "^[30]

Sir Nathaniel Wraxall in his Historical Memoires (1815) accused the Monks of performing Satanic rituals, but these claims have been dismissed as hearsay. Sir Nathaniel William Wraxall 1st Baronet ( 8 April 1751 &ndash 7 November 1831) English author was born in Queen Square ^[31] Gerald Gardner and others such as Mike Howard^[34] say the Monks worshipped "the Goddess. " Daniel Willens argued that the group likely practiced Freemasonry, but also suggests Dashwood may have held secret Roman Catholic sacraments. He asks if Wilkes would have recognized a genuine Catholic Mass, even if he saw it himself and even if the underground version followed its public model precisely. ^[35] The Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon minimizes the connection with Freemasonry. ^[31]

Subsequent historical references

Later, Sir Walter Besant and James Rice referred to Rabelais' Abbey of Thelema in their novel The Monks of Thelema (1878), as did C.R. Ashbee in his utopian romance The Building of Thelema (1910). Sir Walter Besant ( August 14, 1836, Portsmouth - June 9, 1901, London) was a Novelist and Historian James Rice ( 26 September[[ 843]] - 26 April[[ 882]] English Novelist, wrote a number of successful novels in collaboration with Walter Besant The Monks of Thelema was a novel by Walter Besant and James Rice. Charles Robert Ashbee (London May 17, 1863 &ndash Sevenoaks, Kent May 23, 1942) was a designer

People living between Rabelais and Crowley sometimes used the word "Thelemites" to mean people who do as they please. ^[36] Sometimes they even used the term positively, but did so with some degree of secrecy and deniability. ^[37]

Aleister Crowley's work

Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) was an English occultist, writer, and social provocateur. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer Rabelais was one of Crowley's heroes^[38] and his books Gargantua and Pantagruel may have provided Crowley with part of the philosophic basis for the Law of Thelema,^{[13][39][12][14][1]} namely the phrase "Do what thou wilt". ^[40] In The Antecedents of Thelema, Crowley referred to Rabelais as "Our Master",^[41] and Rabelais was also included among the Saints of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica along with Virgil, Catullus and Swinburne. The Gnostic Saints of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica are a series of historical and mythological figures revered in the religion of Thelema. Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or For persons with a Cognomen "Catulus" see Lutatius Gaius Valerius Catullus (ca Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909 was a Victorian era English poet ^[42]

In 1904, Crowley claimed to have received Liber AL vel Legis, the Book of the Law from an entity named Aiwass, which was to serve as the foundation of the religious and philosophical system he called Thelema. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 Aiwass is the name of the being whom Aleister Crowley claimed dictated The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema, to him on April ^[8][43] Crowley summed up his Law of Thelema^[44] in these phrases from the Book:

• "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"^[45]
• "Love is the law, love under will"^[46]
• "There is no Law beyond Do what thou wilt"^[47]

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath and others have written that Crowley revived the Thelemic Law from Rabelais. Shri Gurudev Mahendranath ( April 29, 1911 &ndash August 30, 1991) was a British Occultist, mystic, Writer, ^{[12][11][14][1]} Aleister Crowley wrote in The Antecedents of Thelema (1926) that Rabelais "set forth in essence the Law of Thelema, very much as it is understood by the Master Therion himself," and further that "the masterpiece of Rabelais contains in singular perfection a clear forecast of the Book which was to be revealed by Aiwass to Ankh-f-n-khonsu 370 years later. Aiwass is the name of the being whom Aleister Crowley claimed dictated The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema, to him on April Ankh-af-na-khonsu was a priest of the Egyptian god Mentu who lived in Thebes during the 25th and 26th dynasty (c "^[41] But Crowley biographer Lawrence Sutin disagrees, writing that in his opinion,

Questions of prophecy aside, Rabelais was no precursor of Thelema. Joyous and unsystematic, Rabelais blended in his heterodox creed elements of Stoic self-mastery and spontaneous Christian faith and kindness. ^[2]

The Book of the Law

Main article: The Book of the Law

Crowley's system of Thelema begins with The Book of the Law, which bears the official name Liber AL vel Legis. Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 It was written in Cairo, Egypt during his honeymoon with his new wife Rose Crowley (née Kelly). Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Rose Edith Kelly was born on the 23 July 1874 at 78 Cambridge Terrace Paddington, England, to parents Frederick Festus Kelly This small book contains three chapters, each of which he wrote in one hour, beginning at noon, on April 8, April 9, and April 10, 1904. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Crowley claims that he took dictation from an entity named Aiwass, whom he later identified as his own Holy Guardian Angel. Aiwass is the name of the being whom Aleister Crowley claimed dictated The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema, to him on April The term Holy Guardian Angel was possibly coined either by Abraham of Würzburg, a French Cabalist who wrote a book on Ceremonial magick during the 15th century ^[48] However, an analysis by Dan Evans shows similarities not only with Rabelais, but also to The Beloved of Hathor and Shrine of the Golden Hawk,^[49] a play by Florence Farr. Florence Beatrice Emery ( Née) Farr (7 July 1860— 29 April 1917) was a British West End leading actress composer and director ^[50]

Crowley wrote several commentaries on The Book of the Law, the last of which he wrote in 1925. This brief statement called simply "The Comment" warns against the study of the Book and discussing its contents, and states that all "questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings" and is signed Ankh-af-na-khonsu. Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 Ankh-af-na-khonsu was a priest of the Egyptian god Mentu who lived in Thebes during the 25th and 26th dynasty (c ^[51] The only known writings of Ankh-af-na-khonsu appear on the Stèle of Revealing. The Stèle of Revealing refers to an ancient Egyptian funerary artifact of Ankh-af-na-khonsu or Ankh-ef-en-Khons which played a role in the creation of the religion known

True Will

Main article: True Will

According to Crowley, every individual has a True Will, to be distinguished from the ordinary wants and desires of the ego. True Will is a term found within the mystical system of Thelema, adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais in 1904 with Aleister Crowley 's writing Id, ego, and super-ego are the three parts of the " Psychic apparatus " defined in Sigmund Freud 's structural model of The True Will is essentially one's "calling" or "purpose" in life. Crowley's concept assumes that this includes the goal of attaining self-realization by one's own efforts, without the aid of God or other divine authority. ^[52] Crowley was more specific about the True Will of women. He wrote that "women are nearly always conscious of an important part of their true Will; the bearing of children. To them nothing else is serious in comparison. . . "^[53] (For more context on Crowley's apparent sexism, see Aleister Crowley#Sexism). Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer

Crowley believed that in order to discover the True Will, one had to free the desires of the subconscious mind from the control of the conscious mind, especially the restrictions placed on sexual expression, which he associated with the power of divine creation. The term subconscious is defined as existing or operating in the Mind beneath or beyond Conscious Awareness. ^[54] He taught that the True Will of each individual was identified with the Holy Guardian Angel, a daimon unique to each individual. The term Holy Guardian Angel was possibly coined either by Abraham of Würzburg, a French Cabalist who wrote a book on Ceremonial magick during the 15th century The words daemon, dæmon, are Latinized spellings of the Greek δαίμων ( daimôn) used purposely today to distinguish the daemons ^[55]

See also: Thelemic mysticism

Skepticism

Crowley taught skeptical examination of all results obtained through meditation or magick, at least for the student. Within the modern system of Thelema, developed by Aleister Crowley in the first half of the 20th century Thelemic mysticism is a complex mystical path designed to In ordinary usage skepticism or scepticism ( Greek 'σκέπτομαι' skeptomai, to look about to consider see also spelling differences Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Magick, in the broadest sense is any act designed to cause intentional change ^[56] He tied this to the necessity of keeping a magical record that attempts to list all conditions of the event (see practices and observances, below). Magick, in the broadest sense is any act designed to cause intentional change ^[57] In Liber ABA (Magick, Book 4) Part 1 (written 1912-1913), Crowley makes this optimistic remark while drawing similarities between various influential religious teachers:

Diverse as these statements are at first sight, all agree in announcing an experience of the class which fifty years ago would have been called supernatural, to-day may be called spiritual, and fifty years hence will have a proper name based on an understanding of the phenomenon which occurred. ^[58]

Cosmology

Crowley's Thelema draws its principle gods and goddesses from Ancient Egyptian religion. The Stèle of Revealing refers to an ancient Egyptian funerary artifact of Ankh-af-na-khonsu or Ankh-ef-en-Khons which played a role in the creation of the religion known Ancient Egyptian religion encompasses the various religious beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Egypt from the predynastic period until the adoption of Christianity The highest deity in the cosmology of Thelema is in fact a goddess, Nuit. Nuit (alternatively Nu Nut or Nuith is the speaker in the first Chapter of the Book of the Law, the sacred text of Thelema written or received in She is the night sky arched over the Earth symbolized in the form of a naked woman. She is conceived as the Great Mother, the ultimate source of all things. ^[59]

The second principle deity of Thelema is the god Hadit, conceived as the infinitely small complement and consort of Nuit. Hadit (sometimes Had) refers to the Thelemic version of an Egyptian god. Hadit symbolizes manifestation, motion, and time. ^[59] He is also described in Liber AL vel Legis as "the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star. "^[60]

The third deity in the cosmology of Thelema is Ra-Hoor-Khuit, a manifestation of Horus. Heru-ra-ha (literally " Horus sun-flesh" among other possible meanings is a composite deity within Thelema, a religion adapted from the philosophy of He is symbolized as a throned man with the head of a hawk who carries a wand. The term hawk can be used in several ways In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the Species in the Subfamily He is associated with the Sun and the active energies of Thelemic magick. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. Magick, in the broadest sense is any act designed to cause intentional change ^[59]

Other deities within the cosmology of Thelema are:

• Hoor-paar-kraat (or Harpocrates), god of silence and inner strength, the brother of Ra-Hoor-Khuit. The child Horus represented to the ancient Egyptians the new-born Sun rising each day at dawn The child Horus represented to the ancient Egyptians the new-born Sun rising each day at dawn ^[59]
• Babalon, the goddess of all pleasure, known as the Virgin Whore. Babalon —also known as The Scarlet Woman The Great Mother or the Mother of Abominations—is a goddess found in the mystical system of Thelema, which was established ^[59]
• Therion, the beast that Babalon rides, who represents the wild animal within man, a force of nature. ^[59]

Magick

Main article: Magick

The magick of Thelema is a system of discipline for physical, mental, and spiritual training. Magick, in the broadest sense is any act designed to cause intentional change ^[61] Crowley defined magick as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will". ^[62] He recommended magick as a means for discovering the True Will^[63] and wrote about what the Law of Thelema says about, for example, working with the astral plane. True Will is a term found within the mystical system of Thelema, adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais in 1904 with Aleister Crowley 's writing This article is about a plane of existence In the context of Unicode, Astral characters consist of planes above the Basic Multilingual Plane. ^[64] Crowley described the general process in Magick, Book 4:

One must find out for oneself, and make sure beyond doubt, 'who' one is, 'what' one is, 'why' one is. . . Being thus conscious of the proper course to pursue, the next thing is to understand the conditions necessary to following it out. After that, one must eliminate from oneself every element alien or hostile to success, and develop those parts of oneself which are specially needed to control the aforesaid conditions. ^[65]

Practices and observances

The practice of magick in Thelema is largely an individual affair. Generally, practices are designed to assist in finding and manifesting the True Will, although some include celebratory aspects as well. ^[66]

Crowley integrated Eastern practices with Western magical practices from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of ^[67] He recommended a number of these practices to his followers, including:

• Basic yoga (asana and pranayama)^[68]
• Lesser ritual of the pentagram, for banishing and invocation (Golden Dawn)^[66]
• Liber Samekh, a ritual for the invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel^[66]
• Liber Resh, consisting of four daily adorations to the sun^[66]
• Keeping a magical diary^[69]
• Sex magic in various forms including masturbatory, heterosexual, and homosexual practices^[70]

Ethics

Thelema is a individual philosophy and does not have a concept of ethics in the usual sense. Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Asana ( Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended Pranayama (Sanskrit prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "lengthening of the prana or breath" The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram (or LRP) is a Magickal ritual that originated from the "Key of Solomon" and is used extensively by the Hermetic Order The Libri of Aleister Crowley is a list of texts mostly written or adapted by Aleister Crowley. The term Holy Guardian Angel was possibly coined either by Abraham of Würzburg, a French Cabalist who wrote a book on Ceremonial magick during the 15th century Sex magic or sexual magic is a term for various types of sexual activity used in magical, theurgical, or otherwise religious and spiritual Masturbation refers to Sexual stimulation especially of one's own genitals ( self masturbation) and often to the point of Orgasm, which Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[71] Crowley wrote in the "New Comment" to Liber AL vel Legis (II,28) that:

There are no "standards of Right". Ethics is balderdash. Each Star must go on its own orbit. To hell with "moral principle"; there is no such thing. ^[72]

Liber AL vel Legis does make clear some standards of individual conduct. The most primary of these is "Do what thou wilt" which is presented as the whole of the law, with no further law beyond it. It is also presented as a right—the only right—and an indefeasible one. ^[71] Some interpreters of Thelema suppose that this right includes an obligation to allow others to do their own wills without interference, but such a concept is absent from Liber AL. ^[71]

Crowley wrote several additional documents presenting his personal views on individual conduct in light of the Law of Thelema, some of which do address the topic interference with others: Liber Oz, Duty, and Liber II.

Liber Oz

Liber Oz enumerates some of the rights of the individual implied by the one overarching right, "Do what thou wilt". ^[71] For each person, these include the right to: live by one's own law; live in the way that one wills to do; work, play, and rest as one will; die when and how one will; eat and drink what one will; live where one will; move about the earth as one will; think, speak, write, draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build, and dress as one will; love when, where and with whom one will; and kill those who would thwart these rights. ^[73]

Duty

Duty is described as "A note on the chief rules of practical conduct to be observed by those who accept the Law of Thelema. "^[74] It is not a numbered "Liber" as are all the documents which Crowley intended for A.'.A.'., but rather listed as a document intended specifically for Ordo Templi Orientis. The A∴A∴ (Latin Argenteum Astrum or Greek Άστρον Αργόν, "Astron Argon", both literally "Silver star" alternately Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO ( Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and Religious ^[74] There are four sections:^[75]

• A. Your Duty to Self: describes the self as the center of the universe, with a call to learn about one's inner nature. Admonishes to develop every faculty in a balanced way, establish one's autonomy, and to devote to the service of one's own True Will. True Will is a term found within the mystical system of Thelema, adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais in 1904 with Aleister Crowley 's writing
• B. Your Duty to Others: admonishes to eliminate the illusion of separateness between oneself and all others, to fight when necessary, to avoid interfering with the Wills of others, to enlighten others when needed, and to worship the divine nature of all other beings.
• C. Your Duty to Mankind: admonishes that the Law of Thelema should be the sole basis of conduct. That the laws of the land should have the aim of securing the greatest liberty for all individuals. Crime is described as being a violation of one's True Will.
• D. Your Duty to All Other Beings and Things: admonishes the application of the Law of Thelema to all problems and states that "It is a violation of the Law of Thelema to abuse the natural qualities of any animal or object by diverting it from its proper function" and "The Law of Thelema is to be applied unflinchingly to decide every question of conduct. "

Liber II

In Liber II: The Message of the Master Therion, the Law of Thelema is summarized much more succinctly as "Do what thou wilt--then do nothing else". ^[76] The author also describes the pursuit of Will as tireless activity without attachment to result, writing "The conception is, therefore, of an eternal motion, infinite and unalterable. It is Nirvana, only dynamic instead of static—and this comes to the same thing in the end. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण "

Contemporary Thelema

Diversity of Thelemic thought

The core of Thelemic thought is "Do what thou wilt. The unicursal hexagram is a Hexagram or six pointed star that can be traced or drawn Unicursally in one continuous line rather than two overlaid triangles " However, beyond this, there exists a very wide range of interpretation of Thelema. Modern Thelema is a syncretic philosophy and religion. ^[77] One of the more significant influences on Thelema has been Asian Buddhist and tantric traditions. ^{[10][77][78][79]} It also has elements of inverted and heretical Christianity (primarily Gnosticism) and is considered a Left-Hand Path. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a Dichotomy between two opposing Belief systems whose meanings have varied ^[77] (Note, however, that Crowley used this term in a different sense in his writings. )^[80]

Many Thelemites avoid strongly dogmatic or fundamentalist thinking. Crowley himself put strong emphasis on the unique nature of Will inherent in each individual:

I admit that my visions can never mean to other men as much as they do to me. I do not regret this. All I ask is that my results should convince seekers after truth that there is beyond doubt something worth while seeking, attainable by methods more or less like mine. I do not want to father a flock, to be the fetish of fools and fanatics, or the founder of a faith whose followers are content to echo my opinions. I want each man to cut his own way through the jungle. ^[81]

Thus, contemporary Thelemites may practice more than one religion, including Discordianism, Wicca, Gnosticism, Satanism, Setianism, and Luciferianism. Discordianism is a modern Religion centered on the idea that Chaos is as important as order. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context The Temple of Set is an initiatory Occult society claiming to be the world's leading left-hand path religious organization This is an article about people who revere the biblical Lucifer ^[77] Many adherents of Thelema, none moreso than Crowley, recognize correlations between Thelemic and other systems of spiritual thought; most borrow freely from the methods and practices of other traditions, including alchemy, astrology, qabalah, tantra, tarot, and yoga. Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems Hermetic Qabalah (from the Hebrew קַבָּלָה "reception" is a Western esoteric and mystical tradition Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric The tarot (also known as tarocchi, tarock or similar names is typically a set of seventy-eight cards comprised of twenty-one trump cards, one Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the ^[77] For example, Nu and Had are thought to correspond with the Tao and Teh of Taoism, Shakti and Shiva of the Hindu Tantras, Shunyata and Bodhicitta of Buddhism, Ain Soph and Kether in the Qabalah. Nuit (alternatively Nu Nut or Nuith is the speaker in the first Chapter of the Book of the Law, the sacred text of Thelema written or received in Hadit (sometimes Had) refers to the Thelemic version of an Egyptian god. Tao ( 道, Pinyin Dào) is a metaphysical concept found in Taoism, Confucianism, and more generally in ancient Chinese philosophy De ( is a key concept in Chinese philosophy, usually translated "inherent character inner power integrity" in Taoism, "moral character virtue morality" Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Shakti, meaning sacred force, power, or energy, is the Hindu concept or personification of the divine feminine aspect sometimes referred Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric In Buddhism, bodhicitta (Ch 菩提心 pudixin, Jp bodaishin, Tibetan jang chub sem, Mongolian бодь сэтгэл) is the wish Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Ein Soph or Ayn Sof ( Hebrew אין סוף, literally "without end" denoting "boundlessness" and/or " Nothingness " Keter (" Crown " in Hebrew כתר) also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in ^[82]

Some organizations purport to stay true to Crowley's system, such as the A∴A∴ and Ordo Templi Orientis, though the current National Grand Master General of the U. The A∴A∴ (Latin Argenteum Astrum or Greek Άστρον Αργόν, "Astron Argon", both literally "Silver star" alternately Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO ( Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and Religious S. O. T. O. Grand Lodge dismisses Rabelais as "some meaningless diversion",^[83] an opinion which was quickly rebutted. ^[84]

Other organizations and persons who consider themselves Thelemites regard Crowley's system to be only one possible manifestation of Thelema, creating original systems, such as those of Nema (see below), Kenneth Grant, and Amado Crowley. Kenneth Grant (born 1924 is a British Occultist and head of the Magical order which he calls Ordo Templi Orientis but which is commonly referred to as Amado Crowley is an Occult writer Magician, and the head of a long-running magical order who says that he is the biological son of Aleister Crowley. ^[85] Some of these accept The Book of the Law in some way, but not the rest of Crowley's "inspired" writings or teachings. Others take only specific aspects of his overall system, such as his magical techniques, ethics, mysticism, or religious ideas, while ignoring the rest.

The Fraternitas Saturni (Brotherhood of Saturn), founded in 1928 in Germany, accepts the Law of Thelema, but extends it with the phrase "Mitleidlose Liebe!" ("Compassionless love!"). The Brotherhood of Saturn ("Fraternitas Saturni" FS is a German Magical order founded under the leadership of Eugen Grosche in 1928 The Thelema Society, also located in Germany, accepts Liber Legis and much of Crowley's work on magick, while incorporating the ideas of other thinkers, such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles S. Peirce, Martin Heidegger, and Niklas Luhmann. Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 Magick, in the broadest sense is any act designed to cause intentional change Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Charles Sanders Peirce (pronounced purse) (September 10 1839 &ndash April 19 1914 was an American Logician mathematician, philosopher Martin Heidegger ( September 26, 1889 &ndash May 26, 1976) (ˈmaɐ̯tiːn ˈhaɪ̯dɛgɐ was an influential German philosopher Niklas Luhmann ( December 8, 1927 - November 6, 1998) was a German Sociologist, administration expert and a prominent

In America, the writings of Maggie Ingalls (Nema) have inspired a movement called Maat Magick, along with an organization called the Horus-Maat Lodge, founded in 1979. Nema has been practising and writing about Magick (magical working as defined by Aleister Crowley) for over twenty-five years This movement combines Crowley's essential elements of Thelema with Nema's system based on the Egyptian goddess Ma'at, as established in her received work, Liber Pennae Praenumbra. Ancient Egyptian religion was Polytheistic and often Zoomorphic. Maat or Mayet, thought to have been pronounced as *Muʔʕat (Muh-aht was the Ancient Egyptian concept of Truth, balance order— Law HML aims to combine the current Aeon of Horus with the future Aeon of Ma'at, where the combined mind of humanity will awaken and mankind will achieve balance. Within the system of Thelema, history is broken down into a series of Aeons, each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own "formula" of redemption and

One can also find Thelemites in other organizations. The president of the Church of All Worlds, LaSara Firefox, identifies as a Thelemite and sex magician. The Church of All Worlds (CAW is a neopagan religious group whose stated mission is to evolve a network of information mythology and experience that provides a context and LaSara FireFox is a writer ritualist sex-positive activist and educator in the fields of sex sacred sex and sexuality A significant minority of other CAW members also identify as Thelemites. ^[77]

Contemporary literature

By far, the bulk of writing on the topic of Thelema remains that of Aleister Crowley. He was highly prolific and wrote on the subject of Thelema for over 35 years, and many of his books remain in print. During his time, there were a few who wrote on the subject, including Charles Stansfeld Jones and J.F.C. Fuller. Charles Stansfeld Jones (1886-1950 aka Frater Achad, was an Occultist and ceremonial magician. Major-General John Frederick Charles Fuller, CB, CBE, DSO, commonly J Since his death in 1947 only a few writers' accounts of Thelema have appeared in published books. Perhaps the four most published writers have been:

• Israel Regardie, who not only edited many of Crowley's works, but wrote a biography of him — The Eye in the Triangle — and penned many books on the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, such as A Garden of Pomegranates, The Middle Pillar, The Tree of Life, and The Golden Dawn. Israel Regardie (Francis Israel Regudy (born on November 17, 1907 in London, England, died March 10 1985 in Sedona The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of A Garden of Pomegranates is a 160 page book written by Israel Regardie in 1931 and the first edition was published in 1932 The Middle Pillar is an 82 page book written by Israel Regardie and was published in 1938 The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of
• Kenneth Grant, who has written many books on Thelema and the occult, such as The Magical Revival, Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God, Outside the Circles of Time, and Hecate's Fountain. Kenneth Grant (born 1924 is a British Occultist and head of the Magical order which he calls Ordo Templi Orientis but which is commonly referred to as
• Lon Milo DuQuette, a popular author whose books are mostly dedicated to analyzing and exploring Crowley's system, including such books as Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford, The Magick of Aleister Crowley, and The Key to Solomon's Key. Lon Milo DuQuette (born July 11, 1948) AKA Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford, American writer lecturer and Occultist
• Nema, whose Liber Pennae Praenumbra announces and explains the Ma'atian current has influenced Thelemites for over 25 years. Nema has been practising and writing about Magick (magical working as defined by Aleister Crowley) for over twenty-five years Maat or Mayet, thought to have been pronounced as *Muʔʕat (Muh-aht was the Ancient Egyptian concept of Truth, balance order— Law She now has several books on Ma'atian Thelema including her book, Maat Magick.

Other notable contemporary writers who address Thelema include Jerry Edward Cornelius, Gerald del Campo, Allen H. Greenfield, Christopher Hyatt, Jason Augustus Newcomb, James Wasserman, and Sam Webster. Allen H Greenfield (born 1946 also known by his ecclesiastical name Tau Sir Hasirim, is an American Occultist UFOlogist, Writer, editor Christopher Hyatt ( July 12[[ 943]]&mdash February 9[[ 008]] was an American Occultist, author and founder of the Extreme Individual Institute Sam Webster is a Writer, Thelemite, a member of the Golden Dawn tradition and Bishop Tau Ty of Ecclesia Gnostica Universalis, as

There are also numerous publications that print original Thelemic writing, such as the journals Cornelia, Journal of Thelemic Studies, Light In Extension, Lion & Serpent, The Scarlet Letter. (See External links).

Thelemic organizations

The two most prominent modern organizations were headed by Crowley during his lifetime, the A∴A∴—a teaching order designed to guide initiates through Crowley's mystical system of Thelema—and Ordo Templi Orientis—a fraternal order that initially developed from the Rite of Memphis and Mizraim of Freemasonry (which is considered irregular by most Masonic Grand Lodges and Grand Orients) and includes Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (which celebrates the Gnostic Mass). The A∴A∴ (Latin Argenteum Astrum or Greek Άστρον Αργόν, "Astron Argon", both literally "Silver star" alternately Within the modern system of Thelema, developed by Aleister Crowley in the first half of the 20th century Thelemic mysticism is a complex mystical path designed to Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO ( Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and Religious The Ancient and Primitive Rite is a Quasi-Masonic higher-degree Rite See also Freemasonry This article deals with organization in Craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry. Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica ( EGC) or the Gnostic Catholic Church, is the ecclesiastical arm of Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO an international fraternal A Gnostic Mass is a religious Mass administered by a Gnostic church.

Since Crowley's death in 1947, other organizations have formed to carry on his initial work — for example, Phyllis Seckler's College of Thelema, the Ordo Templi Orientis of Kenneth Grant, Society O. Phyllis Evalina Seckler (1917 - 2004 also known as Soror Meral, was a IXth degree member of Ordo Templi Orientis, and a student of Jane Wolfe, herself The College of Thelema is a California Non-profit religious organization founded in 1973 by Soror Meral. Ordo Templi Orientis ( OTO) is an Occult society in the United Kingdom interested in Magick and Typhonian concepts Kenneth Grant (born 1924 is a British Occultist and head of the Magical order which he calls Ordo Templi Orientis but which is commonly referred to as T. O. of Marcelo Ramos Motta, the Chthonic-Ouranian OTO, OTO Foundation, the Horus-Maat Lodge, the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Holy Order Of Ra-Hoor-Khuit, The Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn, The Order of Thelemic Knights, and Ecclesia Gnostica Universalis. Marcelo Ramos Motta ( June 27, 1931 – August 26, 1987) was a Thelemic writer in Brazil, member of A∴A∴. The Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn ( OSOGD) is an esoteric community of magical practitioners many of which come from pagan backgrounds

Other groups of widely varying character exist which have drawn inspiration or methods from Thelema, such as the Illuminates of Thanateros and the Temple of Set. The Illuminates of Thanateros is a magic society founded in 1978 that pursues Chaos magic. The Temple of Set is an initiatory Occult society claiming to be the world's leading left-hand path religious organization Groups such as Fraternitas Saturni, the Hawk and Jackal Covens, and the Thelema Society accept the Law of Thelema, but omit certain aspects of Crowley's system while incorporating the works of other mystics, philosophers, and religious systems. The Brotherhood of Saturn ("Fraternitas Saturni" FS is a German Magical order founded under the leadership of Eugen Grosche in 1928

Thelema in comparative religion

Bishop of the Free Catholic Church of Wiesbaden Federico Tolli, in his German book Thelema — Im Spannungsfeld zwischen Christentum, Logentradition und New Aeon, presented Thelema as the dialectical consequence of Christianity. The Free Catholic Church is a German derivative movement of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church. Christianity for Tolli exists as a community in Christ, whereas Tolli sees Thelema as a necessarily individualistic response to the world. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " ^[86]

Tolli discusses Crowleyan Thelema in the context of 'salvation history' (Heilsgeschichte). Tolli regards Crowley's Heilsgeschichte as one in which the whole Universe (therefore the Will of God) is to combine (analogous to the Alchemical formula 'coagula'). "Love", in the form of combinatory attraction ("Love is the law, love under will"), is a universal principle — therefore akin to the concept of natural religion. The main difference (for Tolli) is that in Christianity salvation of the entire Universe ("Ganzheit") cannot be made by 'solipsistic' man. Tolli sees Crowley as a failed — however talented — artist or "Mystagogie", but not as a "Satanist". For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context ^[86]

See also

Notes

Sources

• Free Encyclopedia of Thelema (2005). Thelema. Retrieved March 12, 2005. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Thelemapedia. (2004). Thelema. Retrieved April 15, 2006.

References

• Adams, Ron. Ecumenical Thelema in Ashé Journal, Vol. Ashé Journal (aka Ashé! Journal of Experimental Spirituality is a peer-reviewed publication examining experimental spirituality 3, No. 4, Spring Equinox 2004, pp. 71-78
• Alamantra, Frater. Looking Into the Word: Some Observations in Ashé Journal, Vol. Ashé Journal (aka Ashé! Journal of Experimental Spirituality is a peer-reviewed publication examining experimental spirituality 3, No. 4, Spring Equinox 2004, pp. 39-59
• Aeurbach, Erich (1946). Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature (50th Aniv. Edition). Princeton University Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0691113364
• Coppens, Philip (2006). Hell, no damnation. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
• Crowley, Aleister. The Book of the Law / Liber AL vel Legis. Weiser Books, 2004. ISBN 978-1578633081
• Crowley, Aleister. The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. Penguin, 1989. ISBN 978-0140191899
• Crowley, Aleister. The Equinox of the Gods. New Falcon Publications, 1991. ISBN 978-1561840281
• Crowley, Aleister. (1998). Magick: Book 4. 2nd ed. York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser. ISBN 978-0877289197
• DuQuette, Lon Milo. The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema. Red Wheel/Weiser. ISBN 978-1578632992
• Evans, Dave. The History of British Magick After Crowley. Hidden Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9555237-0-0
• Gardner, Gerald Brosseau. The Meaning of Witchcraft, p. 86. Red Wheel, 2004. ISBN 1578633095
• Hessle, Erwin. "The Ethics of Thelema" in The Journal of Thelemic Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Autumn 2007)
• Howard, Mike. The Hellfire Club, retrieved July 22, 2006
• Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev (1991). The Scrolls of Mahendranath. Seattle: International Nath Order. LCCN 97-132342
• Meretrix, Magdalene. The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering cataloging records in the Library of Congress in the United The Thelema Tradition in Witchvox, July 14, 2001
• Moore, John S. Aleister Crowley as Guru in Chaos International, Issue No. 17
• Orpheus, Rodney. Abrahadabra: Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thelemic Magick. Weiser, 2005. ISBN 1578633265
• Pearson, Joanne. A Popular Dictionary of Paganism, p. 44. Routledge, 2002. ISBN 0700715916
• Pocetto, Alexander T. Rabelais, Francis de Sales and the Abbaye de Thélème, retrieved July 20, 2006.
• Rabelais, François. Gargantua and Pantagruel. Everyman's Library. ISBN 978-0679431374
• Rabinovitch, Shelley; Lewis, James. The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism. Citadel Press, 2004. ISBN 0806524065
• Rubin, David Lee; Stroup, Alice (1999). Utopia 2: The Eighteenth Century. Rockwood Press. ISBN 1886365105
• Sainsbury, John (2006). John Wilkes: The Lives of a Libertine. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 0754656268
• Skinner, Stephen (ed). The Magical Diaries of Aleister Crowley: Tunisia 1923. Weiser, 1996. ISBN 0877288569
• Sutin, Lawrence (2000). Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, 2002. ISBN 978-0312288976
• Towers, Eric (1987). Dashwood: The Man and the Myth. Crucible. ISBN 0-85030-427-X
• U. D. , Frater. High Magic: Theory & Practice. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005. ISBN 0738704717
• Urban, Hugh. Magia Sexualis: Sex, Magic, and Liberation in Modern Western Esotericism. University of California Press, 2006. ISBN 0520247760
• Wasserman, James. Aleister Crowley and the Practice of the Magical Diary. Weiser, 2006. ISBN 1578633729
• Willens, Daniel. The Hell-Fire Club: Sex, Politics, and Religion in Eighteenth-Century England in Gnosis, summer 1992. Gnosis was a Magazine published from 1985 to 1999, devoted to the Western esoteric tradition. Retrieved July 22, 2006
• Wilson, Robert Anton. The Illuminati Papers. Ronin Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1579510027
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Further reading

• Frater Choronzon, THE HELLFIRE CLUB AND OTHER SWINGERS
• Del Campo, Gerald. Rabelais: The First Thelemite. The Order of Thelemic Knights.
• Melton, J. Gordon (1983). "Thelemic Magick in America. " Alternatives to American Mainline Churches, ed. Joseph H. Fichter. Barrytown, NY: Unification Theological Seminary.
• Starr, Martin P. (2004) A Hundred Years Hence: Visions of a Thelemic Future (Conference Paper presented at the Thelema Beyond Crowley )
• Starr, Martin P. (2003). The Unknown God: W. T. Smith and the Thelemites. Bolingbrook, IL: Teitan Press.
• van Egmond, Daniel (1998). "Western Esoteric Schools in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. " in van den Broek, Roelof and Hanegraaff, Wouter J. Gnosis and Hermeticism From Antiquity To Modern Times. Albany: State University of New York Press.
• Voxfire, Thomas (2004). "Something from Nothing: the Essence of Creation" in Essays for the New Aeon. Retrieved April 5, 2005. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

External links

• Thelema at the Internet Sacred Texts Archive — a collection of texts on the topic of Thelema
• The Law of Thelema — by Alexander Duncan
• Eidolons of Ash — by John Bowie
• Ashé Journal — Special Thelema Centennial Edition
• Thelema at the Open Directory Project

Thelemic journals

• Cornelia
• The Journal of Thelemic Studies
• Lion & Serpent
• The Scarlet Letter

Podcasts

• Thelema Coast to Coast

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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