Do What Thou Wilt Shall be the Whole of the Law.
In this post I would like to discuss a common misconception about
Thelema, and that is the association with the lifestyle of Aleister Crowley.
After a great theosophical conversation with a classmate I was posed with a
very good question, “Do you agree with the way he lived his life, his actions?”
Honestly, I don’t think it matters. Yes, I think Crowley was
a philosophical genius and a great thinker, but that’s only my opinion based on
what I have read. The truth is that his
life and actions don’t make his philosophy better or worse. In fact, one has
nothing to do with the other. Just like the fact that Walt Disney was an open anti-Semite
doesn’t make Snow White a Nazi. There is A LOT of information about Crowley
available to the public these days, and most of it is false. But it doesn’t
change the philosophy he published. I want to stress the message, not the man.
Crowley himself urges the seeker to form opinions of their own,
which is kind of the point of the whole system. ( i.e. Timothy Leary- “Think
for yourself… question authority”). He also made no effort to defend himself
against the ridiculous, and sometimes comical, accusations made by the press of
his day. He expressed faith in the historical record to decipher the truth, and didn’t waste
his time trying to refute the opinions of what he called “the ignorant.”
Personally, I think he was attacked with so much bad press
and publicity because the things he said shook the foundations of lies that
people built their egos on. When you say something that makes people think, and
question themselves and their own actions, they automatically label you as
something evil, or immoral so that you can’t be taken seriously.
I want to end this post with a quote, because I couldn’t
possibly put it into better words. I am not sure the author, but I will post the URL of the page it came
from.
“A religious philosophy that requires no absolute belief,
but instead encourages its adherents to rely on the self instead of some externalized father figure; claims no route to salvation and celebrates the
biological facts of human existence, seems quite rational to me, which is why I
remain a member. Laugh all you like – we
can laugh at ourselves too. There will be no Thelemic fatwa coming your way,
because we don’t get touchy when people poke fun. We can accept that all
religions are absurd, but then so is modern life.”
Quote taken from
Love is the Law, Love Under Will.
93,
ReplyDeleteI believe you mean "the message," not "the massage."
Here is something I wrote on this topic: "I believe that Aleister Crowley is exactly the prophet we need in this day and age for one fundamental reason: he was a human being. He was a genius, but he was a human being (despite his attempts to be remembered as a solar myth!). Crowley pushed the boundaries in virtually every category of life and so we may admire him in this way, but we also see things that challenge us. Crowley played with virtually every taboo he could find and in this way he challenges us to confront our own demons and find our own beliefs about how we should live. Our reaction to Crowley can be seen as a microcosm of our own reaction to taboos in general. This is a valuable task in which each individual can engage: what did Crowley do that particularly offends our sentiments? What things are “too far” or “too much,” and – more importantly – examine why it is that you believe he went too far. In this way, in studying our reaction to the prophet of Thelema we can learn more about our own blind spots, limits, and boundaries.
Crowley’s sometimes outrageous behavior also reminds us that we are not supposed to imitate Crowley in any way; we are supposed to find our own Way. That is what Thelema is about. Thelemites are united in a mutual respect and reverence for Crowley, and we are united in a mutual quest to find our Selves. We are not all trying to be Crowley like Christians try to be like Christ or Buddhists like Buddha; we are all trying to be who we really are and that is what sets us apart." (http://iao131.com/2012/07/04/why-thelema-kicks-ass/)
93 93/93
131
93,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, I couldn't have said it better myself. Especially about Crowley not wanting us to be like him. I think that's one of the most important points I forgot to mention. Please visit the page again and comment as you see fit, I am an avid reader of your work on iao131 and I am flattered (for lack of a better word) that you took the time to read mine, it means a lot to me. Thanks again for your time and input, and thanks for your work on iao131, as a I have found it incredibly educating and motivational.
93.
-Thomas
Are you going to continue with this blog? I think its great. I just published a book called The Sekhmet Initiation and Crowley and his work has made such an impression on me that I have written him in as a character in the second book. A remarkable man for sure.
ReplyDelete"There is nothing wrong with your television. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are now in control of the transmission. We control the horizontal and the vertical. We can deluge you with a thousands channels, or expand one single image to crystal clarity and beyond. We can shape your vision to anything our imagination can conceive. For the next hour, we will control all that you see and hear."
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ReplyDelete“A religious philosophy that requires no absolute belief, but instead encourages its adherents to rely on the self instead of some externalized father figure; claims no route to salvation and celebrates the biological facts of human existence, seems quite rational to me"
ReplyDeleteAs someone that shares your enjoyment in comparaitve religion, I'm glad you didn't hold back on your belief. I think in this statement you are making your stance on your beliefs. I believe in a Heavenly Father who's Son is the only spirtual salvation. I don't expect everyone to get it, believe,or like it. We just need to except our differances and enjoy our religious freedom!
Thanks Dan, for thoughtful comment. I think you may be one of the only people to get what I was trying to say. When you said, "We just need to accept our differences and enjoy our religious freedom!" That hits the nail on the head. I am glad that there are some of us who are intellectual enough to understand other people's beliefs.
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