The Ethics of Thelema
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE ETHICS OF THELEMA A Collection of Essays, Featuring THE LAW OF LIBERTY A Tract of To Mega Qherion 666 That is a Magus 9=2 AA THE MESSAGE OF THE MASTER THERION DUTY by Aleister Crowley LIBER LIBRÆ The Book of the Balance Published by College of Thelema Los Angeles, California www.thelema.org Copyright 2011 College of Thelema, All Rights Reserved The four essays incorporated herein are in the public domain. Copyright is claimed by the publisher only for the form of the collection and collateral text. SECOND EDITION, July 2011 Published by: THE COLLEGE OF THELEMA A Not-for-Profit Religious Corporation Phyllis Seckler (1917-2004), Founder James A. Eshelman, Chancellor Temple of Thelema is an initiating Order – a modern Mystery School that focuses on the spiritual transformation of its mem- bers through progressive training in magick, mysticism, and es- oteric psychology. All work of Temple of Thelema is founded on the teachings of a received text titled Liber Legis, or The Book of the Law. The primary message of Liber Legis is expressed by: the Greek word THELEMA (qelhma), “will,” referring to the True Will, dharma, or Divine Word inherent in each person the Greek AGAPÉ (a*gaph), “love,” specifically bhakti, or passionate love of the Divine, as a basis for authentic human love the precept that, “Every man and every woman is a star” – each of us a spiritual being alive in a universe of unending wonder and choice Most work of Temple of Thelema is performed in private by in- itiated members. As a service to aspirants, the Order also main- tains a public discussion forum at www.heruraha.net. All interested in initiation in Temple of Thelema are invited to review the information page at the end of this monograph. CONTENTS The Law of Liberty ..............................1 Liber DCCCXXXVII (Book 837) AA Publication in Class E The Message of the Master Therion ...4 Liber II (Book 2) AA Publication in Class E Duty .......................................................6 by Aleister Crowley Liber Libræ .........................................11 Liber XXX (Book 30) AA Publication in Class B THE LAW OF LIBERTY A TRACT OF TO MEGA QHRION 666. THAT IS A MAGUS 9=2, AA Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I all free, all independent, all shining gloriously, each one a radiant world. Is not that good tidings? I am often asked why I begin my letters in this Then comes the first call of the Great Goddess way. No matter whether I am writing to my lady or Nuit, Lady of the Starry Heaven, who is also Matter to my butcher, always I begin with these eleven in its deepest metaphysical sense, who is the infi- words. Why, how else should I begin? What other nite in whom all we live and move and have our greeting could be so glad? Look, brother, we are being. Hear Her first summons to us men and free! Rejoice with me, sister, there is no law beyond women: “Come forth, o children, under the stars, & Do what thou wilt! take your fill of love! I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy.” Later She explains the mystery of sorrow: “For I II am divided for love’s sake, for the chance of un- ion.” I write this for those who have not read our “This is the creation of the world, that the pain Sacred book, The Book of the Law, or for those of division is as nothing, and the joy of dissolution who, reading it, have somehow failed to understand all.” its perfection. For there are many matters in this It is shown later how this can be, how death Book, and the Glad Tidings are now here, now itself is an ecstasy like love, but more intense, the there, scattered throughout the Book as the Stars reunion of the soul with its true self. are scattered through the field of Night. Rejoice And what are the conditions of this joy, and with me, all ye people! At the very head of the peace, and glory? Is ours the gloomy asceticism of Book stands the great charter of our godhead: the Christian, and the Buddhist, and the Hindu? Are “Every man and every woman is a star.”1 We are we walking in eternal fear lest some “sin” should cut us off from “grace”? By no means. 1 The quotations in this Message are from Liber Legis, “Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fine ap- The Book of the Law. No substantial new editing was parel; eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and undertaken for this edition except for minor corrections wines that foam! Also, take your fill and will of in quotations from Liber Legis. – ED. 1 love as ye will, when, where and with whom ye tuous night-sky. To me! To me!.” And with these will! But always unto me.” words, “The Manifestation of Nuit is at an end.” This is the only point to bear in mind, that every act must be a ritual, an act of worship, a sacrament. III Live as the kings and princes, crowned and un- crowned, of this world, have always lived, as In the next chapter of our book is given the word masters always live; but let it not be of Hadit, who is the complement of Nuit. He is self-indulgence; make your self-indulgence your eternal energy, the Infinite Motion of Things, the religion. central core of all being. The manifested Universe When you drink and dance and take delight, you comes from the marriage of Nuit and Hadit; with- are not being “immoral,” you are not “risking your out this could no thing be. This eternal, this per- immortal soul”; you are fulfilling the precepts of petual marriage-feast is then the nature of things our holy religion – provided only that you re- themselves; and therefore everything that is, is a member to regard your actions in this light. Do not crystallization of divine ecstasy. lower yourself and destroy and cheapen your Hadit tells us of Himself: “I am the flame that pleasure by leaving out the supreme joy, the con- burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every sciousness of the Peace that passeth understanding. star.” He is then your own inmost divine self; it is Do not embrace mere Marian or Melusine; she is you, and not another, who are lost in the constant Nuit Herself, specially concentrated and incarnated rapture of the embraces of Infinite Beauty. A little in a human form to give you infinite love, to bid further on He speaks of us: “We are not for the poor you taste even on earth the Elixir of Immortality. and sad: the lords of the earth are our kinsfolk.” “But ecstasy be thine and joy of earth: ever To me! “Is a God to live in a dog? No! but the highest To me!” are of us. They shall rejoice, our chosen: who sor- Again She speaks: “Love is the law, love under roweth is not of us.” will.” Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever “Beauty and strength, leaping laughter and de- toward it without allowing aught to stop you or turn licious languor, force and fire are of us.” Later, you aside, even as a star sweeps upon its incalcu- concerning death, He says: “Think not, o king, lable and infinite course of glory, and all is Love. upon that lie: That Thou Must Die: verily thou shalt The Law of your being becomes Light, Life, Love not die, but live. Now let it be understood: If the and Liberty. All is peace, all is harmony and body of the King dissolve, he shall remain in pure beauty, all is joy. ecstasy for ever.“ When you know that, what is left For hear, how gracious is the Goddess: “I give but delight? And how are we to live meanwhile? unimaginable joys on earth: certainty, not faith, “It is a lie, this folly against self.” “Be strong, o while in life, upon death; peace unutterable, rest, man! lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture: fear ecstasy; nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.” not that any God shall deny thee for this.” Is this not better than the death-in-life of the Again and again, in words like these, He sees slaves of the Slave-Gods, as they go oppressed by the expansion and the development of the soul consciousness of “sin,” wearily seeking or simu- through joy. lating wearisome and tedious “virtues”? Here is the Calendar of our Church: “But ye, o With such, we who have accepted the Law of my people, rise up & awake! Let the rituals be Thelema have nothing to do. We have heard the rightly performed with joy & beauty!” Remember Voice of the Star-Goddess: “I love you! I yearn to that all acts of love and pleasure are rituals, must be you! Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am rituals. “There are rituals of the elements and feasts all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the of the times. A feast for the first night of the innermost sense, desire you. Put on the wings, and Prophet and his Bride! A feast for the three days of arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto the writing of the Book of the Law. A feast for me!” And thus She ends: Tahuti and the child of the Prophet – secret, O “Sing the rapturous love-song unto me! Burn to Prophet! A feast for the Supreme Ritual, and a feast me perfumes! Wear to me jewels! Drink to me, for I for the Equinox of the Gods.