Community
I have undeleted the community for the moment. I have disabled posting access to everyone. I have had requests for this so that members can archive post. I have not made a final decision on permanently deleting this community.
You Will Do Well To Learn The Names
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
During my research of Thelema's use for Egyptian gods I've always wonder if I have been pronouncing them correctly. Ra-Hoor-Khuit, Tahuti, Ahathoor etc... If anyone knows of a website that has a list of how to correctly pronounce them, with perhaps a audio link as well that would be grand! I've looked up and down the veins of the web search engines and my effort produced nil. Any comments are appreciated!
Love is the Law, Love under Will.
L.V.X
< l j - c u t >
Promulgation of the Law
(Inspired by a recent thread) What have you done to promulgate the Law of Thelema? Anything? Does it matter? Should we be standing on street corners handing out tracts like the born again X-tians? (I like that one personally)
Seriously, the internet, while great for finding info, one already has to have a basic knowledge of Thelema before they can find websites and learn more about it.
It'd be nice to see it hit mainstream media like Wicca and Witchcraft have been doing for the past several years.
P.S. Writing 'Do what thou wilt' on bathroom stalls, while fun, doesn't count, nor does showing up on 'America's Most Wanted'. ;)
Seriously, the internet, while great for finding info, one already has to have a basic knowledge of Thelema before they can find websites and learn more about it.
It'd be nice to see it hit mainstream media like Wicca and Witchcraft have been doing for the past several years.
P.S. Writing 'Do what thou wilt' on bathroom stalls, while fun, doesn't count, nor does showing up on 'America's Most Wanted'. ;)
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Ordbajs
Living secluded from a proper Thelemic society can make funny things to you.
You read some discussions on here and realize how far far far distanced from ourselves and our personal workings we are.
Hands up, those who engaged in Thelema for the sake of ego boosting....
You read some discussions on here and realize how far far far distanced from ourselves and our personal workings we are.
Hands up, those who engaged in Thelema for the sake of ego boosting....
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Yoking the Unicorn
Attempting the practices of Liber III has been an enlightening experience. While going through the practice of yoking the unicorn so as to master my own use of language, I realized something that had long been unapparent to me.
Language is a very sophisticated and powerful tool.
However, one wouldn't realize this from observing everyone around us. The way they babble perpetually about nothing is akin to a carpenter swinging a hammer wildly at a pile of wood, all the while expecting to accomplish something.
Like any tool, it has a constructive purpose. Like any tool, it should be used carefully as well as precisely.
Apologies to all those this is obvious to. I'm new to this path, so I enjoy sharing my progress. :)
Language is a very sophisticated and powerful tool.
However, one wouldn't realize this from observing everyone around us. The way they babble perpetually about nothing is akin to a carpenter swinging a hammer wildly at a pile of wood, all the while expecting to accomplish something.
Like any tool, it has a constructive purpose. Like any tool, it should be used carefully as well as precisely.
Apologies to all those this is obvious to. I'm new to this path, so I enjoy sharing my progress. :)
Act.
I have a bit of a mission for Thelemites across the world, and all it requires is action. Here are the directions for a very powerful way of spreading the word of the Law:
A. get your phone book and look up bookstores
B. pick up your phone and proceed to call these bookstores
C. when someone answers, tell them that you would like to order copies of The Book of the Law, Book 4, Holy Books, etc.." go crazy with it, let's shoot for the dozens
D. never pick up those copies (unless you so Will)
I know that Barnes and Noble will not require you to pick up the books, and I believe that unless a bookstore asks you to put down a deposit of sorts then they won't require that you pick them up. What then happens is after a couple weeks the books are placed upon the book shelves. There is no greater way to even out the ratio of good occult books versus shitty teen witch books in your local book store's occult/new age section. I wouldn't suggest doing this to small book stores, let's just stick with the titans like B&N and Books a Million. Also, it may be funny to give the name and phone number, upon request from the vendor, of a local politician or zillionaire.
If for no other reason, do it so that there will be less foolish and childish books in the new age section, giving us magicians a bad name, and more ways to find Thelema. I'm sure we've all put on a frown when visiting a local occult book store that hasn't even heard the name Aleister Crowley.
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A. get your phone book and look up bookstores
B. pick up your phone and proceed to call these bookstores
C. when someone answers, tell them that you would like to order copies of The Book of the Law, Book 4, Holy Books, etc.." go crazy with it, let's shoot for the dozens
D. never pick up those copies (unless you so Will)
I know that Barnes and Noble will not require you to pick up the books, and I believe that unless a bookstore asks you to put down a deposit of sorts then they won't require that you pick them up. What then happens is after a couple weeks the books are placed upon the book shelves. There is no greater way to even out the ratio of good occult books versus shitty teen witch books in your local book store's occult/new age section. I wouldn't suggest doing this to small book stores, let's just stick with the titans like B&N and Books a Million. Also, it may be funny to give the name and phone number, upon request from the vendor, of a local politician or zillionaire.
If for no other reason, do it so that there will be less foolish and childish books in the new age section, giving us magicians a bad name, and more ways to find Thelema. I'm sure we've all put on a frown when visiting a local occult book store that hasn't even heard the name Aleister Crowley.
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My Reasoning, As promised
Some quick thoughts on the Gnostic Mass
Some people prefer to ascend the dais in order to partake of communion within the context of the Gnostic Mass (Liber XV). I have often come under attack for my position that this aggrandizement is totally unnecessary and actually detrimental to the efficiency of the Mass.
Let me begin by prefacing all of this with the following -- these are my opinions. Obviously I think they are correct, and if you disagree, you must refute these points, not dredge up obscure references to non-Thelemic texts, insult my mother, or whatever.
The Mass is a Religious Rite. As such its desired results fit into a certain category of Magickal workings. These results are listed throughout the text of the mass, but a nice list is provided at the beginning of the Mystic Marriage, "bestowing upon us health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfillment of will and of love under will that is perpetual happiness." Religious Rites are different from other Magickal Rituals in that the target for a Religious Rite is usually based upon a societal or community need, and that the participants may or may not be "initiates".
As with any magickal rite, there are officers who lead the rite. Everyone who participates in the ritual lends their energy and the head officer (in this case Priest) channels this energy and acts as a proxy for the other participants. Note that in Liber XV, the congregation is distinct from the priest and they receive their benefit (Communion) separately from the Priest, unlike the other officers which are assumed to be extensions of the Priest. A proxy is different from an intermediary. The Priest is not interceding between the Congregant and God, he is exemplifying the ceremony. The reason for choosing a head officer in any magickal rite is fairly straightforward, it creates a focus, which would inevitably be lost amid the clamor (if everyone attempted to do the ritual at once) or over time (if each person acted sequentially).
Since the Mass is a Magickal Ritual (albeit of the subset "Religious"), and positing that the chosen officers are competent in their roles, we should assume that the ritual actually worked. If the ritual did not work, and the communal blessings are not present, I have just wasted my time (& I can think of many things to do in that hour plus it takes to conduct the Mass).
The Priest in a Gnostic Church is not a mediator, but rather a proxy or representative. In this role, he is, as with any group ritual, charged with acting for and as the other participants. Thus, his words are every congregants words, his acts are those of every member of the congregation. If an individual congregant repeats some section his words are wasted, for all that is to be done has been done (I shall not address introduction of foreign elements to the ritual, for their detriment to the ceremony should be obvious). The congregants statement, which is clearly written out as "There is no part of me that is not of the Gods," is an affirmation an acknowledgement of the sacrament.
The question to ask now is "What are the repercussions of repeating something that does not need to be repeated?" At best, we should hope that nothing happens. Unfortunately, I do not feel this is the case. 777 exists so that we can fill our minds with a single thought which is compatible with the operation. All ritual should be performed so that stray thoughts cannot interfere. Doubts to the efficaciousness of the ceremony should not intrude upon the performance of the ceremony lest it fail in whole or part.
When you repeat these actions, you are saying -- in effect -- that the ritual did not work & are thus entering a flaw into the effectiveness of the ritual. By saying that the ritual does not work, you ensure that it does not -- a self fulfilling prophecy. By redoing the act of consecration, in whole or part, one strips the cookie of the energies which were manifest to it. If the congregant has any ability, he may be able to replace this energy with some stripped down (unless he re-performs the entire right) and weaker (deriving energy from himself only rather than from every person present). I will bypass discussion of supernatural/divine (other than the divinity of the congregants) elements, as they are not accepted by everyone -- however, it is doubtful that if such elements existed in the original blessing, that it would be present in the second weaker blessing.
I would like to wrap up this short piece with some basic Qabalism. The Temple of the Gnostic Mass is tied to the Tree of Life. Ascending the dais symbolizes crossing the Abyss. As the children cannot ascend the dais, they obviously give the host & wine to the congregant at the base of the dais. Thus the congregant must carry the elements across the abyss.
Symbolically, this is impossible. The nature of the Abyss is dispersion. All extraneous elements are stripped during the journey so that nothing is left. I do not recall any special clause for blessings on hosts & wine.
In so many ways, the ascension of the dais destroys the symbolism of the mass, so that the blessing of the congregation is destroyed, is it any wonder that so few communities have the bestowment of "health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfillment of will and of love under will that is perpetual happiness."
Some people prefer to ascend the dais in order to partake of communion within the context of the Gnostic Mass (Liber XV). I have often come under attack for my position that this aggrandizement is totally unnecessary and actually detrimental to the efficiency of the Mass.
Let me begin by prefacing all of this with the following -- these are my opinions. Obviously I think they are correct, and if you disagree, you must refute these points, not dredge up obscure references to non-Thelemic texts, insult my mother, or whatever.
The Mass is a Religious Rite. As such its desired results fit into a certain category of Magickal workings. These results are listed throughout the text of the mass, but a nice list is provided at the beginning of the Mystic Marriage, "bestowing upon us health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfillment of will and of love under will that is perpetual happiness." Religious Rites are different from other Magickal Rituals in that the target for a Religious Rite is usually based upon a societal or community need, and that the participants may or may not be "initiates".
As with any magickal rite, there are officers who lead the rite. Everyone who participates in the ritual lends their energy and the head officer (in this case Priest) channels this energy and acts as a proxy for the other participants. Note that in Liber XV, the congregation is distinct from the priest and they receive their benefit (Communion) separately from the Priest, unlike the other officers which are assumed to be extensions of the Priest. A proxy is different from an intermediary. The Priest is not interceding between the Congregant and God, he is exemplifying the ceremony. The reason for choosing a head officer in any magickal rite is fairly straightforward, it creates a focus, which would inevitably be lost amid the clamor (if everyone attempted to do the ritual at once) or over time (if each person acted sequentially).
Since the Mass is a Magickal Ritual (albeit of the subset "Religious"), and positing that the chosen officers are competent in their roles, we should assume that the ritual actually worked. If the ritual did not work, and the communal blessings are not present, I have just wasted my time (& I can think of many things to do in that hour plus it takes to conduct the Mass).
The Priest in a Gnostic Church is not a mediator, but rather a proxy or representative. In this role, he is, as with any group ritual, charged with acting for and as the other participants. Thus, his words are every congregants words, his acts are those of every member of the congregation. If an individual congregant repeats some section his words are wasted, for all that is to be done has been done (I shall not address introduction of foreign elements to the ritual, for their detriment to the ceremony should be obvious). The congregants statement, which is clearly written out as "There is no part of me that is not of the Gods," is an affirmation an acknowledgement of the sacrament.
The question to ask now is "What are the repercussions of repeating something that does not need to be repeated?" At best, we should hope that nothing happens. Unfortunately, I do not feel this is the case. 777 exists so that we can fill our minds with a single thought which is compatible with the operation. All ritual should be performed so that stray thoughts cannot interfere. Doubts to the efficaciousness of the ceremony should not intrude upon the performance of the ceremony lest it fail in whole or part.
When you repeat these actions, you are saying -- in effect -- that the ritual did not work & are thus entering a flaw into the effectiveness of the ritual. By saying that the ritual does not work, you ensure that it does not -- a self fulfilling prophecy. By redoing the act of consecration, in whole or part, one strips the cookie of the energies which were manifest to it. If the congregant has any ability, he may be able to replace this energy with some stripped down (unless he re-performs the entire right) and weaker (deriving energy from himself only rather than from every person present). I will bypass discussion of supernatural/divine (other than the divinity of the congregants) elements, as they are not accepted by everyone -- however, it is doubtful that if such elements existed in the original blessing, that it would be present in the second weaker blessing.
I would like to wrap up this short piece with some basic Qabalism. The Temple of the Gnostic Mass is tied to the Tree of Life. Ascending the dais symbolizes crossing the Abyss. As the children cannot ascend the dais, they obviously give the host & wine to the congregant at the base of the dais. Thus the congregant must carry the elements across the abyss.
Symbolically, this is impossible. The nature of the Abyss is dispersion. All extraneous elements are stripped during the journey so that nothing is left. I do not recall any special clause for blessings on hosts & wine.
In so many ways, the ascension of the dais destroys the symbolism of the mass, so that the blessing of the congregation is destroyed, is it any wonder that so few communities have the bestowment of "health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfillment of will and of love under will that is perpetual happiness."
Crowley on the style and grammar of the Book of the Law
In a recent discussion on the style and grammar of TBOTL, one very lovely and quite intelligent participant pointed out that the text contains grammatical errors and parts that are not well-written in terms of flow, only to be attacked by the in-house pecking order whose collective quantity of fecal matter has reached critical mass, as usual. A.C.'s comments on verse I:54:
"This injunction was most necessary, for had I been left to myself, I should have wanted to edit the book ruthlessly. I find in it what I consider faults of style, and even of grammar"
Prophet of L
"This injunction was most necessary, for had I been left to myself, I should have wanted to edit the book ruthlessly. I find in it what I consider faults of style, and even of grammar"
Prophet of L
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Wild Game Huntin'
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
"I have never said a dirty word about Jesus. Ever. But I can’t stand the people who follow him. I can’t stand people who follow anything but their favorite team. We are a society of cowards. How many Christians would go into the desert and survive for forty days and forty nights – with only water from the dew of leaves in the morning to drink, with only bugs and the occasional root of some bitter plant to eat, with no shelter from the scorching sun of the day or the chilling cold of the night, with no toilet paper? How many would do this? Maybe nine. Nine of the millions who call themselves Christians.
It takes hard work to become a captain of eternity. Jesus did really well on his test. On his own! With no cheating. But now there are millions of people looking over his shoulder, stealing answers. Why? Because they don’t want to find them on their own. It’s not like stealing a peek during a math test either – answers that work for one person don’t work for anyone else. You can’t steal life answers and pretend they’re your own. It’s like wearing someone else’s underwear.
The captains of eternity knew the secret. You have to find your own way. No matter how scary it gets, or lonely, or baffling or insane, you have to cut your own path. There is no shortcut to salvation. As soon as you butt in line with a bunch of other lazy and ignorant people and start following someone, it’s over.
These lines of followers stretch as far as the eye can see and everyone in line is pretty goddamn cocky about it. The Jews tell us they’re chosen, Buddhists are enlightened, Christians are saved, Hindus are reincarnated and Muslims devoted. And the rest of us? Walking our solitary walk? We don’t have a fucking chance. Do we? Balderdash. There are as many roads to paradise as there are people on the planet. Hallelujah. We’re all captains of eternity, baby. Fuck the long lines. Keep walking. Stay strong.”
Taken from The African Safari Papers
Love is the Law, Love under Will.
L.V.X
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