The Religion/Philosophy of Thelema The religion known as Thelema (also called Crowleyanity) was ‘founded’ in 1904 by the English poet, mountaineer and mystic Aleister Crowley (1875 - 1947), who is now regarded as its prophet. Those who follow Thelema are called Thelemites. Thelema emphasises individualism, and the uniqueness of each person's Will. Consequently, it is difficult to make blanket statements about its nature or the natures of its adherents. Even the label 'religion' fits Thelema awkwardly in some contexts – it is in reality a philosophy and a way of life, while overlapping with the set of practices and symbols commonly called Magick.

How Thelema Developed In 1904, Aleister Crowley was on honeymoon in Cairo with his first wife Rose, when she convinced him of some remarkable psychic ability she had suddenly acquired (see Crowley's Biography for further details). She instructed him to enter a room in their apartment at noon exactly, leaving at precisely 1 p.m., on three consecutive days, 8, 9 & 10 April. During those three hours he took dictation from a praeterhuman intelligence which identified itself as Aiwass. The resulting text was Liber AL vel Legis, known as The Book of the Law. This book probably presented Aleister with his first reference to the Scarlet Woman since his reading of The Revelation of St John the Divine in the Holy Bible as a child. The Book of the Law was to become the core of Crowley's religious and philosophical system he called Thelema (Thelema is Greek for ‘will’, referring to divine and human will). It contains three short chapters with a comment written by Crowley which he signed as Ankh-af-na-khonsu, the only known writings of whom appear on the Stèle of Revealing. Ankh-af-na-khonsu was a priest of the Egyptian god Mentu who lived in Thebes during the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth dynasty (circa 725 BC). He is best known as the creator of the Stèle of Revealing, a funerary tablet he created for himself to commemorate his death. Crowley arranged for a copy of the Stèle of Revealing to be made, knowing it had a message for him. From this point onwards, the stèle was to play a prominent role in his life, and the copy accompanied him wherever he went. Crowley summed up his Law of Thelema in three phrases: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

There is no Law beyond ‘Do what thou wilt’.

Love is the law, love under will. The ideal of Do what thou wilt and its association with the word 'Thelema' originated with François Rabelais, (c.1495-1553), a Benedictine monk, physician, and humanist scholar. Gargantua and Pantagruel was his epic, in which he attacked clerical education and monastic orders and expressed an appreciation for secular learning and a confidence in human nature. Like other humanists, Rabelais criticised medieval philosophy for being concerned with obscure, confused, and irrelevant questions, and expressed his aversion to medieval asceticism. He attacked monasticism as life-denying, and regarded worldly pleasure as a legitimate need and aim of human nature. His Abbey of Theleme is described as a kind of 'anti-monastery'. The inhabitants of the abbey were not governed by laws, statutes, or rules, but lived according to their own free will. It was from here that Crowley's system of Thelema developed, where he hoped to replace the world's religions with Crowleyanity. Thelema stresses individual liberty balanced by responsibility and discipline, the inherent divinity of every person, regardless of gender. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. The words of G.M. Kelly (http://www.gmkelly.com/) are apt at this point, "One should not slavishly and lazily accept the interpretation of the Law of Thelema habitually given by sensationalistic writers with no regard for truth and accuracy, fanatic and radical, religiously intolerant fundamentalist factions of the Judeo-Christian community, and the equally extreme, ego-serving Satanists who consistently go out of their way to pervert every possible religious and esoteric ideal and concept known. Each of these in their own way, for their own purpose, serve ego, the false self. Would it not be wiser to accept the Thelemite's interpretation of the Law of Thelema? Aleister Crowley has more than once explained the Law -- for example: "'Do what thou wilt' does not mean 'Do what you like.'" (Liber II: The Message of the Master Therion, to be found in THE "BLUE" EQUINOX, Vol. III, No. 1). That is to say, the Law is NOT a license to cater to the petty dictates of one's ego as the fanatic pseudo-xtians, intellectually perverse satanists, and ignorant, sensationalistic media insist." The discovery and manifestation of one's unique True Will is the central task of every Thelemite. According to Crowley, every individual has a True Will, which should be distinguished from the ordinary wants and desires of the ego. The True Will is essentially one's 'calling' or 'purpose' in life. Crowley's concept assumes that this includes the goal of attaining self-realisation by one's own efforts, i.e. without the aid of any divine authority. He also 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. He taught that the True Will of each individual was identified with his or her own Holy Guardian Angel. While spending the period of World War I in America, Crowley conferred upon himself the grade of Magus which involved his identifying himself with the word Thelema and merging his personality in it. Thelema “insists on the absolute sovereignty of the individual within the limits of his proper function.” It was in the winter of 1917/18, after Crowley had given a lecture on magick, he was introduced to Alma Hirsig, who in turn introduced him to her sister Leah some weeks later. Although he thought Leah was magnificent, they did not begin a relationship until twelve months after their meeting. He returned to London, penniless, a few days before Christmas 1919, his intention being to concentrate on the founding of his System of Thelema. Branded a traitor, he was spurned by those who knew him, so unable to raise funds he moved to Paris where he was joined on 11 January by a heavily pregnant Leah Hirsig along with her two year old son, Hansi, from a previous relationship. Shortly after their arrival he received the funds he had been craving by way of an inheritance (some reports suggest a sum of £3,000 from an aunt, although another figure quoted is £700). In February 1920 Leah, known to Crowley as Alostrael, the Ape of Thoth or simply the Ape as well as being his Scarlet Woman, gave birth to their child, a daughter by the name of Ann Léa (nicknamed Poupée), at 11 bis rue de Neuville, Fontainebleau. They engaged the services of Ninette Shumway as a housekeeper and nanny. She was an unmarried mother with a three year old son (Howard) whom Leah had met on the crossing from America. According to Crowley, “The girl was bloodless, drooping like a thirsty flower, and she dragged her brat along listlessly ...... he whined and wailed unceasingly like a puppy in pain. He clung to his mother with pitiful helplessness .... “ Crowley felt he was now at his peak (as well as being financially secure for a short while) and thus ready to convert the whole world to the religion of Thelema, or Crowleyanity. At the end of March, after consulting the I Ching, he left Paris with Ninette and the two boys, while Leah and Poupée went to Croydon to stay with an aunt of Crowley’s until suitable premises had been found.

The Abbey of Thelema Crowley and his three companions found the perfect place to establish the abbey, in a village in Sicily called Cefalu. In his own words, it was a villa that might have been 'made to order', fulfilling all his requirements. It had a well of delicious water and a vast studio which opened northwards. Crowley said, “The gods took no chances. They meant me to live there and guarded against any possible perversity on my part by planting two tall Persian nuts close to the house. They might have been the very same trees as those in the garden of the Villa Caldarazzo, which, as I have told, I had taken for a token in the days of Ab-ul-Diz." The truth about the 'villa' was somewhat different. It was basically a run-down one-storey rectangular farmhouse with 6 rooms, 5 of these radiating from a central one which became his temple. It had no gas, electricity or sanitation, the only water coming from a nearby well. However, included in the rent was a goat which provided the residents with milk - a real bonus! A couple of weeks later the Ape of Thoth arrived with Poupée when A.C. began to occupy himself once again with magick, poetry and painting; this included painting the walls of the abbey, mostly with erotic art. Students travelled to Sicily from around the world to ‘discover their true wills’ or real purpose in life. Before commencement of their training, all students swore an ‘oath of allegiance’. The actual training involved the breaking down of all artificial and societal inhibitions so the essential self could be liberated. At the same time, lessons in Yoga, concentration, and self-analysis were given. This training was essential to establish the Law as the ethical basis of the new social order. Sadly, Poupée died in October, some six months after the abbey had been established. His inheritance had been squandered, and he was laden with the responsibility of two mistresses and several children (not all of his own making). After the loss of Poupée he was not sure of which way to turn despite being a Master of every kind of magick; he spent long periods away in Paris and London. But it would seem the gods had not deserted him. 'In a flash of intuition, which came upon him with shattering force', he penetrated the ultimate mystery. This is the meaning of Crowley’s ‘godhead’. Crowley was already a Magus, but aspired to become the Ipsissimus, who is free from all limitations whatsoever, including good and evil, someone who is basically indescribable (as per Ain Soph in Kabbalistic doctrine) and above the grade of Magus, i.e., the highest grade attainable. But Crowley, for whom nothing was impossible, was not going to be restrained from 'reaching' this grade. The ceremony took place in the spring of 1921 when he was forty-five. As Ipsissimus he would be beyond the gods, beyond all mental concepts, which is probably why he had to steel himself for the deed, to acknowledge that he, even he, who was known among men as Aleister Crowley, was by insight and initiation the Ipsissimus. He wrote in his diary (The Magical Record of the Beast 666), "I am mortally afraid to do so. I fear I might be called upon to do some insane act to prove my power to act without attachment." He entered the temple, followed by the Ape of Thoth, but of the actual ceremony he says nothing, and at the conclusion, only "As a god goes, I go." He left the temple as naked as he had entered it, no longer as a saint (Saint Aleister Crowley, of the Gnostic church) but as a god. It should be noted that the Ape of Thoth found him unbearable after he had become the Ipsissimus, and shortly afterwards wrote about him in her magical diary that it was ‘damn hard’ to think of ‘the rottenest kind of creature’ as a Word (i.e. Thelema). In 1922, being even more desperate for money, he and Leah went to London where he signed a contract with the publishers William Collins to write a novel, Diary of a Drug Fiend, for which he received a meagre £60 advance payment. He rented a room in London and completed it in less than four weeks, Leah taking dictation in longhand of some 121,000 words in 27 days, 12 3/4 hours. He promptly took the manuscript to the publishers who gave him another cheque for £125 in payment of advanced royalties on his autobiography. They returned to Sicily immediately – with that much needed cash. Many well-known people came and went including Jane Wolfe, (a Hollywood silent film character actress who appeared in more than thirty films), C.F. Russell (Godwin), Frank Bennett (Frater Progradior) 1° = 10ø A A , and IX° O.T.O.), Mary Butts (a British modernist writer) and Cecil Maitland, while Crowley still spent much of his time flitting between Cefalu, Paris and London. Despite continual adverse publicity in John Bull magazine and the Sunday Express, the abbey and its residents were thriving. They seemed happy enough and quite oblivious to the fact that hygiene was non-existent; nobody bothered to wash (either themselves or their clothes). Basically, the place was squalid and insanitary. In addition to this, the children watched sex acts daily and had unlimited access to copious amounts of narcotics. Unfortunately, the abbey was doomed to failure. It was after one of Crowley's trainees, an undergraduate by the name of Raoul Loveday, died as a result of developing acute infectious enteritis that the Abbey's fate was prematurely sealed. Betty May, Loveday’s wife (who had disliked Crowley from the outset), returned to England and sold her story to the Sunday Express, a forerunner of the gossip and scandal tabloids of modern times. The headline on 23 February 1923 read 'NEW SINISTER REVELATIONS OF ALEISTER CROWLEY'. It concerned testimony that Crowley had been responsible for the death of her husband at the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalu, Sicily. Tales of horrors filled the pages of the English newspapers for weeks and months to come: satanic rituals, black masses, animal sacrifice, and even human sacrifice, were reported - or blatantly lied about, for many of the stories were simply not true or were just fanciful exaggeration. John Bull magazine ran headlines such as THE KING OF DEPRAVITY', 'A HUMAN BEAST' and 'A MAN WE'D LIKE TO HANG.' Once again Crowley was advised to sue, but on this occasion he simply couldn’t afford to even though he was certain to win the case. These adverse press reports, plus the imagined threat of secret societies, came during the time of the rise of Benito Mussolini’s regime in Italy. Shortly after these 'revelations' Crowley was summoned to police headquarters where he was shown an order from the Minister of the Interior expelling him from Italy, though he maintained no reason was given, and no accusation had been made. Crowley left the island on 1 May 1923 with Leah who was concerned about his health. After consulting the I Ching they travelled to Tunisia, arriving the next day, when he began a new diary which has been published under the title The Magical Diaries of Aleister Crowley Tunisia 1923. The last person to arrive at the abbey before Crowley’s departure was Frater O.P.V. (Norman Mudd), who had been initiated into the O.T.O. by C.S. Jones. Crowley had met Mudd some years before at Cambridge University shortly after meeting Victor Neuburg. At the time he was a member of the Cambridge University Free thought Association, as well as an undergraduate circle called the Pan Society, to which Crowley was often invited to present papers and lectures on mysticism. Mudd joined Crowley in Tunisia on 20 May. Many of the inhabitants of the abbey stayed after Crowley's departure, but eventually they all either drifted away or they themselves were expelled. The walls of the abbey which were covered in Crowley's sex magick artwork were later painted over with whitewash by the authorities to deter sightseers. They were rediscovered in 1955 by the film-maker Kenneth Anger who went to the abbey and uncovered the artwork hidden beneath the whitewash (see Images). It should be pointed out that Jane Wolfe contradicted all the stories printed at the time, and was in a position to do so as she was still in Cefalu nursing Raoul Loveday. She tells us that his illness came about not as a result of bad sanitation, but of his drinking from a polluted stream, the whereabouts of which everyone at the abbey knew and thus avoided. She goes on to say that 'no ceremonies of any nature took place during his illness, or at the time of his death'. During his time at the abbey, Crowley's addiction to both heroin and cocaine reached heights he never achieved as a mountaineer (incredible as they were), and ironically the abbey was the setting for his Diary of a Drug Fiend, a novel describing an idyllic 'Abbey of Thelema' in which King Lamus (Crowley) is the misunderstood mystic genius. Unfortunately, the actual abbey did not live up to his ideal. He was truly a prolific writer and found time to write a significant amount which included his long unfinished Commentary on The Book of the Law. His original commentary was published in The Equinox, Vol. I, No. 7. He reproduced the brief commentary to chapters two and three in his Extenuation, labelling it the 'old comment', to precede his 'new comment'. However, he omitted the old comment for chapter one, so to see this one must read The Equinox, Vol. I, No. 7., or alternatively The Law is for All edited and introduced by his one-time secretary Israel Regardie.

Thelemic Theology The religion/philosophy of Thelema suggests all manifested existence stems from the interaction of two cosmic principles: the infinitely extended, all-pervading Space-Time Continuum, and

the atomic, individually expressed Principle of Life and Wisdom. The interplay of these two principles gives rise to the Principle of Consciousness, which governs existence. In the Book of the Law, the divine Principles are personified by a trinity of ancient Egyptian Divinities: Nuit, the Goddess of Infinite Space,

Hadit, the Winged Serpent of Light, and

Ra-Hoor-Khuit (Horus), the Solar, Hawk-Headed Lord of the Cosmos. The Thelemic theological system utilises the divinities of various cultures and religions as personifications of specific divine, archetypal and cosmic forces. Thelemic doctrine believes all the diverse religions of humanity are grounded in universal truths, so the study of comparative religions is a very important discipline for many Thelemites. With regard to concepts of the individual soul, Thelema follows traditional Hermeticism, i.e. each person possesses a soul or ‘Body of Light’ which is arranged in ‘layers’ or ‘sheaths’ surrounding the physical body. Each individual is also considered to have his or her own personal ‘Augoeides’ or ‘Holy Guardian Angel’, which can be considered both as the ‘higher self’ and as a separate, conscious, divine being. Concerning concepts of the afterlife, life itself is considered as a continuum, with death an integral part of the whole. Mortal life dies so that mortal life can continue. The Augoeides or Holy Guardian Angel, however, is immortal and, as such, is not subject to life or death. Just as in Buddhist doctrine, a Thelemite’s Body of Light is considered to be subject to metempsychosis, or reincarnation, after the death of the body. The Body of Light is generally considered to evolve in wisdom, consciousness and spiritual power through cycles of metempsychosis for those individuals who dedicate their lives to spiritual advancement, to the point that its fate after death may ultimately be determined by the Will of the individual. Thelema incorporates the idea of the cyclic evolution of Cultural Consciousness as well as of Personal Consciousness. History is considered to be divided into a series of Æons, each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own ‘formula’ of redemption and advancement. The current Æon is the Æon of Horus. The previous one was that of Osiris, and prior to that was the Æon of Isis. The Æon of Isis is considered to have been dominated by the Maternal idea of divinity, and its formula involved devotion to Mother Earth in return for the nourishment and shelter She provided. The Æon of Osiris is considered to have been dominated by the Paternal Principle, its formula being that of self-sacrifice and submission to the Father God. The modern Æon of Horus is considered to be dominated by the Principle of the Child, the sovereign individual, and its formula is that of growth in consciousness and love towards self-realisation. According to Thelemic doctrine, the expression of Divine Law in the Æon of Horus is ‘Do what thou wilt’. This ‘Law of Thelema’, as it is called, is not to be interpreted as a license to indulge every passing whim, but rather as a divine mandate to discover one's True Will or purpose in life, and to accomplish it, leaving others to do the same in their own unique ways. The acceptance of the Law of Thelema is what defines a Thelemite, and the discovery and accomplishment of the True Will is the fundamental concern of all Thelemites. Achieving the ‘Knowledge and Conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel’ is considered an integral part of this process. The methods and practices to be employed in this process are numerous and diverse, and are grouped together under the generalised term ‘Magick’. Not all Thelemites utilise all the practices available; there is considerable room for each individual practitioner to choose practices which are more suitable to his/her individual needs. Some of these practices are the same as, or similar to, the practices advocated by many other great religions of the past and present such as prayer, meditation, study of religious texts (those of Thelema and of other religions as well), chanting, symbolic and initiatory ritual, devotional exercises, self-discipline, etc. However, some Thelemic practices which have been traditionally associated with what is generally known as ‘occultism’, i.e. Astrology, divination, numerology, Yoga, tantric alchemy, and discourse with ‘angels’ or ‘spirits’ are all taken by Thelemites as potentially effective means of obtaining spiritual insights into the nature of one's being and one's place in the universe, as well as the fulfilment of such through harmonious, evolutionary works. Thelema considers any action which is not directed towards the discovery and accomplishment of the True Will to be black magick. This includes acts of interference with any other individual's lawful exercise of their right to discover and accomplish their own True Will. Thelemic doctrine believes the disharmony and imbalance created by such actions results in a compensatory, equilibrating response from the universe; a doctrine similar to that of the Eastern conception of ‘Karma’. Thelema has no direct parallel to the Judaeo-Christian concept of the devil or Satan. However, a pseudo-personification of confusion, distraction, illusion and egotistical ignorance is referred to by the name ‘Choronzon’.

Thelemic Sacred Texts The major readings are those Class A publications by the Astrum Argentum A A known as The Holy Books. Click HERE to read each of The Holy Books of Thelema. Other texts relating to the System of Thelema which can certainly be considered important reading include: Liber LXXVII Oz – The Thelemic Declaration of the Rights of Man

Duty – Thelemic Rules of Conduct

Liber II – The Message of The Master Therion

Liber LXI vel Causae – Explains the History & Origin of the A A Other recommended reading includes: Magick in Theory and practice (MTP)

Magick Without Tears

Liber ABA (Book IV) See also Crowley's Publications for details of all official Aleister Crowley publications.

Thelemic Numbers & Words This section has been adapted and designed for those of you interested in true Thelemic studies to assist in the understanding of the meanings of certain words and numbers used in Thelemic literature. In Kabbalah, what is known and referred to as the science of Gematria states that any words which have the same numerical value are descriptions of a single event, or that such words define each other. Most of what follows should give you an insight into the Kabbalistic mysteries of The Book of the Law. 11 The Magnum Opus, or the Great Work. This is the blending of the Pentagram (5) and Hexagram (6), or of the Rose (5 petals) and Cross (Six-fold Cross). It is the number of AVD (Magick Force), and the special number of Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. In the first chapter of Liber Al vel Legis, Nuit states, "My number is 11, as all their numbers who are of us." It is also stated by Hadit in the second chapter, "I am the Empress and the Hierophant; thus eleven as my bride is eleven." The names HOOR-PA-KRAAT and RA-HOOR-KHUIT have 11 letters each, as does ABRAHADABRA (Word of Ra-Hoor-Khuit). There are 11 words in the Law of Thelema. 11=WE (See AL, II:64) and AHH (Ahah!). 15 YE (Yod-Heh, the Monogram of the Eternal). See AL, I:17, where it is stated by Nuit, "But ye are not so chosen." Not is LA (31). Yod-Heh is the God-Name of Chokmah, the ‘Sphere of Stars’, thus "YE" indicates the Stars of Our Lady Nuit. The word "not" indicates Nuit Herself. 15 is the Mystical number of Geburah, the Sphere of Mars, the Planet of Horus, so that "YE" are the children of Horus who are chosen in Nuit. 31 AL (God, The All), LA (Not, Nothing), KHV (Magical Self), and HVK (To Go, the function of a God). It is the number of ShT (Set) by way of the Tarot (Sh = Shin = Atu 20, T = Teth = Atu 11. 20+11=31). 31= HDT (Hadit), for H=Atu 17, D=Atu 3 and T=Atu 11, and 17 + 3 + 11 = 31. The number 666 when translated into Hebrew letters is Mem, Samekh, Vav. These letters correspond with Atus 12, 14 and 5. 12 + 14 + 5 = 31. Note in this connection that Path 31 of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life is the Path of the letter Shin, the special letter of 666. 31 is the number resulting from the addition of the Atus of Thoth which corresponds with ‘Aum-Ha’ (AOM-HA), when we attribute Heh to Atu IV, thus A = 0 + O = 15 + M = 12 + H = 4 + A = 0 (See AL, III:75); and 31=KVPh (COPH) by way of Tarot (See AL, III:72). 44 The sacred number of Horus. It is the number of AGLI (Drops), DM (Blood), DLI (Aquarius), and LHT (Flame). It is also the number of AHIH ChIH (I am Life). It is further the number AL-AChD (AL-ONE or ALONE. See AL, II:23), as well as the number of EAGLE (E = 5 + A = 1 + G = 3 + L = 30 + E = 5 = 44), and the Eagle is the Kerubic Hawk or Phoenix. Liber 44 is the Mass of the Phoenix. 44 results from the addition of the Atus of Thoth which corresponds with EAGLE (E = 17 + A = 0 + G = 2 + L = 8 + H = 17). Quartus Kerub (the Fourth Cherub, the Eagle or Phoenix) was born 44 minutes into the Sign of the Eagle (Phoenix) on October 24, 1964 e.v., in LA (Los Angeles), CA (California), USA. Los Angeles is the City of Angels (Kerubs), and LA=31; CA is State 31 of the USA. 44 results from the addition of the Atus of Thoth which corresponds with ‘Aum-Ha’ (AOM-HA), when we attribute Atu XVII to Heh, thus A = 0 + O = 15 + M = 12 + H = 17 + A = 0. In addition, 44 = IHVH when spelled in full as YVD-HA-VV-HA. 56 56 = NU. See AL, I:24. 56 = NAH (Beautiful, as is Our Lady Nuit). The number 56 is hinted at in AL, III:8, where it is stated "and none (= Nun = 50) shall stand before you (= Vav = 6)." 56 is the number of NO (NU). See AL, III:47, where it is stated "in these are mysteries that ‘no’ beast shall divine." Note that 5 + 6 = 11 = the special number of Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor-Khuit and Hoor-Pa-Kraat. 61 61 = AIN (Nothing=Nuit). Note in this connection that 61 is also the number of ALL (Aleph-Lamed-Lamed). 61 = ANI (Ego = All), ADVN (Master, Lord), and ONE (Vav-Nun-Heh. See AL, II:76, III:47.) One = Aleph = Atu0 = Hoor-Paar-Kraat = Child. 61 = WANGA (See AL, I:37). 61=NIA (See AL, III:72.) NIA represents the first half of the occult equation of Liber Legis. 65 65 = Nu (NV) + Had (HD). It is thus a number of Horus, the Child of Nu and Had. 65 = DNI (My Lord), HIKL (Palace), HS (Silence), LVX (Light), NVT (Not = LA = Nuit = Infinity), and HLL (Hell), the Inner Sanctuary. Note that 6 + 5 = 11. Also 65 translated into Hebrew letters is Samekh-Heh. Samekh = Atu 14, Heh = Atu 17. 14+17=31! Thus ADNI (65) is AL (31). 66 66 = NU + HAD. It is the mystical number of the Great Work (1--11) and the number of US (See AL, I:40 & 60). It is also the number of WILL (Vav-Lamed-Lamed) and the number of SU, the Voice of the Eagle (=Horus). 66 = HOOR (Horus) by way of the Tarot (H = Atu 17 + O = Atu 15 + O = Atu 15 + R = Atu 19 = 66). 66 = ALLH (Allah). 75 75 = NVIT (Nuit, the Star-Goddess), HILL (Lucifer, the Herald Star), and LILH (Night). 78 78 = AIVAS (Aiwass), ZMAL (Angel of Mars), TA-NICh (Ta-Nech, Parent of Ankh-af-na-Khonsu), OBAH (Obeah, See AL, I:37), ChNK (To Initiate), and MZLA (Mezlah, the Divine Influence descending from On High, whose Key is the Tarot). 78 is the number of cards in Tarot. 93 93 = OIVZ (Aiwaz), THELEMA (Will), AGAPE (Love), LGS (Logos and Legis, the Word and the Law), MGIKK (Magick), IAChChVS (Iachhus), BNI AL (Sons of God), TzBA (Will, Star, Army or Host), and LAShTAL (Magical Formula). 93 is also the numerical value of the Word of the Neophyte Grade of the A.•.A.•.. To read a comprehensive epistle on the derivation and use of the number 93 visit cornelius93.com/epistle93. 111 111 = ALP (Aleph) spelled in full. 111 = PLA (the Hidden Wonder – a title of Kether) which is the reverse of ALP (Aleph). PLA or ALP indicates the utterance of the Word from the mouth of the Child Horus, which is LA, written as AL in Hebrew, but as LA in English. LA and AL are two glyphs of One Word. P or Peh (the Mouth) is the root of LA/AL, and Peh is the letter of Horus. 111 = AOM (Aum) which is the Seal of the Child (See AL, I:54-56). 111 = NVNE (None. See AL, I:45 & III:8). 111=LOVE, ALKHEMI, MVNTV (Mentu, the Lord of War) and KVPH (Coph). See AL, III:72. Coph represents the second half of the occult equation of Liber Legis indicated by the numbers 8.80.418 of AL, I:46, for 8 + 80 + 418 = 506 = ShVR = Ox = Aleph = 111 = Coph, and 111 = Aleph = Atu 0 (The Fool) = Nothing = AIN = 61. Also, note that 111 = AChD HVA ALHIM (He is One God), APL (Thick Darkness), ASN (Ruin, Destruction, Sudden Death), MHVLL (Madness or the Destruction of Reason by Illumination), and OVLH (a Holocaust). 120 120 = SMK (Samekh) spelled in full, the letter of the Lesser Path of the Holy Guardian Angel (Atu XIV). 120 = KOL (Master). 120 = ON (the Sun God). ON is indicated in AL, III:46, where it is said, "go on, go on, in my strength." Note that in this connection the number of ‘go’ is 73, the number of Gimel spelled in full, the Greater Path of the Holy Guardian Angel (Atu II), and 73=ChKMH (Chokmah, Sphere of Chiah, the True Will.) 122 122 = two halves of occult equation united. For 8 = Atu 8, 80 = Atu 16, and 418 = Atus 21, 9, & 7. 8 + 16 + 21 + 9 + 7 = 61; and 61 + 61(AIN) = 122. 122 = ADVN AIN = Lord of Nothing. 122 = ANI AIN = Ego of Nothing (Ego is non-existent). 122 = ALL (Aleph-Lamed-Lamed) + AIN (Nun-Yod-Aleph). Note that ALL = AL (Hadit) and AIN = LA (Nuit). 131 131 = PAN (The All), SMAL (Samael, Hebrew Satan), and MKVSH (the title of Kether, the Crowned One). 156 156 = BABALON (the Victorious Queen), TzIVN (Zion, the City of the Pyramids), SVPhI (Sufi), MVSIKK (Musick), and PhOV (Crying Aloud). See also the section relating to Babalon - The Scarlet Woman’ below. 161 161 = KPh NIA (Coph Nia). Note that KPh is Kteis (Moon) and Phallus (Sun) in Greek. NIA is the Child of K (Kteis) and Ph (Peh). For NIA = 61 = AIN = Nothing = Atu 0 = Hoor-Pa-Kraat = Child. Or NIA = 61 = ALL = AL = Child. 61 = APP (Apep). Apep, the serpent, is a form of Hadit (AL). 210 210 = NOX (Nun-Ayin-Tzaddi), the Word of Hoor and the Key of the Abyss. 210 = ChRB (Sword). The Sword is the Weapon of Hoor. 210 = OMPEHDA(H). See AL, III:. 210 = 5 x 6 x 7 and 567 = 506 + 61 (two halves of occult equation united). 210 = ABRAHA (the Lord of the Adepts). 220 220 = Number of verses in The Book of the Law. 220 is 10 x 22. Thus it represents and concentrates all the Sephiroth and Paths of the Tree of Life. It represents The All. Note that 220 is 11 x 20, and 11 + 20 = 31, and 31 = AL (The All). 220 = BChIR (The Elect = The All). 222 222 = A numerical glyph of the Dual Aleph. It represents the two equal opposites indicated by the two halves of the equation of Liber AL. There are two Alephs, the seen and the unseen. 228 228 = KRVB (Kerub, Ox, Ruler of Earth), BKVR (First-born), BRVK (Blessed), and OTz ChIIM (The Tree of Life). The Kerub is Metatron, the Great Archangel who delivered unto Man the Sacred Mysteries of the Qabalah. Kerub is the Blessed First-born. 333 333 = ChVRVNZVN (Choronzon), the Terrible Demon on the Threshold of the Abyss. It is half of the holy number 666. 418 418 = ChITh (Cheth) spelled in full, HERV-RA-HA (Lord of the New Aeon), RA-HOOR (Solar Horus), ABRAHADABRA (Magick Word of the Aeon, the Word of Double Power), BVLShKIN (Boleskine, House of the Beast), RPSTOVAL (Ropstoval, the Solar Logos. See AL, II:76), AIWASS (Grk.), BES-NA-MAVT (Parent of Ankh-af-na-Khonsu), ATAH IAO (Essence of Sol), and BITH HA (the House of Hé, the Pentagram). 434 434 = KVPh NIA (Coph Nia) spelled in full. Coph Nia is the Secret Holy Force of the Wand of Double Power. See AL, III:72. 434 = AISh MLChMH (Man or Lord of War) and DLTh (Daleth). Daleth, the letter of Venus, is the Door to the Supernals and the Link between Chokmah (Coph) and Binah (Nia). 444 444 = RA-HOOR-KHV (See AL, II:64 & III:11). 444 is also the number of MQDSh (The Sanctuary). 451 451 = ThHVM (The Abyss), MIThA (Death), KONX OM PAX (Light In Extension), ATh HADM (Essence of Man), A.•.A.•. (Silver Star), ShNANIM (Angels of Tiphareth), and ShILOAM. "Liber Siloam" is a magical method of inducing Trance. 463 463 = RA-HOOR-KHVIT (Lord of the New Aeon). 463 = Tav-Samekh-Gimel, the three Paths of the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life. 463 = MTH HShQD (A Rod of Almond = the Middle Pillar). 506 506 = 8 + 80 + 418, which numbers indicate the second half of the occult equation of Liber Legis. See AL, I:46. Note that if we write 506 backwards we obtain 605, and 605 + 61 = 666. 61 = AIN = Nothing = the first half of the occult equation of Liber Legis. 506 = ShVR (Ox) and the Ox = Aleph = Atu 0 = Nothing. ShVR, by way of Tarot, produces 44 (Sh = 20 + V = 5 + R = 19 = 44). 44 = Sacred number of Horus. 555 555 = The Magical Number of the Pentagram, or Pentalpha, which is composed of 5 A’s. A is Aleph in Hebrew, and Aleph spelled in full is 111. 5 x 111 = 555 = HAD spelled in full. Thus the Pentagram is a symbol of HAD (Hadit), the flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every Star. 567 567 = 506 + 61, which numbers represent the two halves of the occult equation of Liber Legis. 567 = RAShVNI (First-born, the Child or Offspring of the mystical marriage and consummation of the two halves of the occult equation). 666 666 = AOM HA (111x6), THERION (Beast), ANKH-AF-NA-KHONSV(T), SVRTh (Spirit of the Sun), and ShMSh IHVH (the Sun of Tetragrammaton). 666 is the Most Holy Number of the Sun. It is symbolised by the letter Shin made of three Vavs (= 666). Shin is the letter of Path 31 on the Tree of Life and 31 = AL (The All). 666 is the mystical number of all the Paths of The Concealed Glory, for there are in fact 36 Paths of the Tree of Life, 32 of which are known, and four of which are secret. 666 is the occult number of the Hexagram, the symbol of the Sun, for a single line of the Hexagram contains three equal parts, each of which may be represented by the number 1, so that every line can be symbolised by the number 111. There are six lines in all, so that 111 x 6 = 666, the most Holy Number of the Sun. Each angle of the Hexagram is 60 degrees. 60 is the number of the Hebrew letter Samekh, which is the letter of the Holy Guardian Angel or the Solar Self in Man. Six angles of 60 degrees each equals 360 degrees, and 360 is the number of the Hebrew letter Shin spelled in full. Shin is the letter of the Sun and of 666. Also 666 is the number of a "Man" who lives in the Sun. 718 718 = STELE 666 (See AL, III:19).

The Thelemic Calendar, Date & Time When specifying dates in the civil calendar, Thelemites will often append 'e.v.', an abbreviation of the Latin phrase era vulgaris, or common era. The Thelemic calendar counts years from 1904 e.v., the year Aleister Crowley received Liber AL vel Legis from Aiwass. Each Thelemic year starts on the northern hemisphere Vernal Equinox, coinciding with the Thelemic holiday called the Feast for the Equinox of the Gods; it is often observed on March 20 of the common calendar but actually occurs at the exact time of the Equinox. Rather than simply giving the year count from 1904, the Thelemic calendar uses a two-tiered system: The upper level gives a count of twenty-two year periods since 1904.

level gives a count of twenty-two year periods since 1904. The lower level gives the years since the start of the current twenty-two year period. Both are zero-based, with non-zero numbers being represented as upper and lower case Roman numerals, respectively. So, for example, the civil year 1996 is (after March 20) Thelemic year IViv, because 1904 + (4 x 22) + 4 equals 1996. Some Thelemites assign the twenty-two years of each cycle to the twenty-two Trumps of the Tarot. The 22-year period numbers themselves are also assigned in this way, 1996 being doubly linked to the Emperor (Trump IV of the Tarot). Within each year, dates and times are often expressed by the positions of the Sun and Moon in the Tropical zodiac. For example, May 12, 1996 e.v. at 6 pm PST would be expressed as IViv, Sol 22° Taurus, Luna 29° Pisces. The Thelemic Time Server reports that the current Thelemic time is: ☉ in 22° ♐ : ☽ in 4° ♈ : Anno IVxviii a.n. The astrological terms can be replaced with the appropriate symbols if desired.

Thelemic Holy Days The official holy days of Thelema are set forth in The Book of the Law, Ch. II, v. 36-41, while the specific dates attributed to them are given in Crowley's commentaries: The Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times - observed at the Equinoxes and Solstices.

The Feast for the First Night of the Prophet and His Bride - observed on August 12.

The Feast for the Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law - observed on April 8, 9 and 10, beginning at noon on each day.

The Feast for the Supreme Ritual (the Invocation of Horus) - observed on March 20, and represents the opening of the Thelemic New Year.

The Feast for the Equinox of the Gods - held on the Vernal Equinox of each year to commemorate the founding of Thelema in 1904. In addition to the above rituals, three points of passage in the life of each Thelemite are observed: Birth is celebrated in a Feast for Life

Puberty is celebrated in a Feast for Fire (for a boy), or a Feast for Water (for a girl)

Death of an individual is commemorated in a Greater Feast for Death. Further information can be seen by visiting the O.T.O. website. Click HERE.

Thelemic Customs The majority of Thelemites record their personal practices, and their progress therein, in a Magical Record/Diary. Most will also practice a particular form of prayer (specified in Liber Resh vel Helios Sub Figura CC) four times daily. Thelemites normally take mystic names or magical mottos as a sign of commitment, customarily greeting each other with the phrase, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"; the customary response is, "Love is the law, love under will". Sometimes these phrases are abbreviated to the simple statement of the number "ninety-three", this number signifying both Will and Love. Most Thelemites perform rituals of various types, often as a way of focusing the Will on a given outcome or state of consciousness deemed necessary for their work. Some perform only solo rituals, but many participate in private or public group rituals. Group rituals commonly performed include the initiations and Gnostic Mass of the O.T.O. and Crowley's Rites of Eleusis. Although every Thelemite must interpret the Book of the Law for himself, most consider (in accord with Crowley's interpretation) that every person has a divine True Will, and that if everyone understood and acted upon their Will, there would be harmony in the world. However, since we are all still in the process of discovering our own True Wills, there is often conflict. For many Thelemites, a practical ethic of non-interference exists, because to interfere with another's Will and freedom is most likely to be in discord with one's own True Will. Consequently, most Thelemites and Thelemic communities share this ethic of harmony and non-interference, avoiding the presumption that anyone can know another's True Will better than that person can know it himself. This promotes an environment of mutual respect and trust, and encourages each individual to discover their own path of True Will rather than relying on the direction of others.

In Summary We are all aware of the fact that Aleister Crowley did not invent Thelema, but despite this he is now considered to be its 'prophet'. He spread the word about its philosophy and through his vast knowledge of magick tied each of the existing magical systems around its core. The Book of the Law is definitely worthy of study by all those enquiring about the Universe, as it synthesises all of Crowley’s teachings, in spite of the inherent problems caused by it being a so-called 'transmitted' document. It is vital you don't miss any of the other Holy Books he wrote, which are often mystical tracts of the greatest value. If you are a complete novice, we can only suggest you read The Confessions of Aleister Crowley before you even begin. This will at least explain the reason behind his writing certain books and the order in which they were written. Remember, Thelema emphasises individualism, and the uniqueness of each person's Will. The word will, referring to divine will, human will, and even the will of the Devil crops up frequently in the Holy Bible, the best known example probably being in The Lord’s Prayer - Matthew Ch 6, v 10: “Your (thy) kingdom come. Your (thy) will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” If you have the time to find more please let me know, but here are just a few of the many other occurrences of the word will to be found in the Bible: Timothy Ch 2, v 26: "…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 .” John Ch 1, v 12-13: “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.” Revelation Ch 4, v 11: "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." Romans Ch 12, v 2: “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.” You should not believe all the adverse publicity you can read about Aleister Crowley. Why not discover this exceptional individual for yourself? Reading The Confessions of Aleister Crowley will make you aware that he was no charlatan, and Magick without Tears is particularly good and clearly written, and even more useful if you are already a practicing Thelemite. The major problem anyone will encounter when trying to study Crowley is that it is extremely hard work – you really do need to have a thorough grounding in Ceremonial/Ritual Magick, and an in-depth knowledge of so many other schools of thought such as Kabbalah, Yoga, all major religions and divination (in particular Astrology, Geomancy and I Ching), to get a complete understanding of his work. Whatever you decide to do, don't forget it is your individual and True Will! Return to top of page.