Satariel’s Shroud: Sex, Power and Ethics in Contemporary Thelema

- March 5, 2019March 4, 20196

By Shin Melitodes Dion Fortune (1890-1946) is a rather out-of-fashion occultist; she is rarely considered transgressive or florid enough to merit research in today’s edge-obsessed occult milieu. At one of the first academic conferences I ever attended I asked a fellow scholar what she thought of Fortune’s work. The scholar sneered, and said she had no

Charity in Thelema: Contributing to the Greater Community

- March 4, 2019March 1, 20192

by IAO131 Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Prologue Before even beginning to discuss the extent that contributing to the greater community is part of Thelema, it should be acknowledged that the “alpha and omega” of Thelema is Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the

Thelema in Innocence, Honor and Power Cultures

- February 27, 2019February 24, 20191

by Harmony Pax Societies around the world are made up of mixes of innocence-guilt, honor-shame, and power-fear cultures. These define average people’s worldviews and how they respond to different situations. They also define different possible approaches to Thelemic spirituality and philosophy. Innocence-guilt cultures are individualistic societies, such as liberal areas in the US and other

The Bonfire of the Thelemites: A Perspective on Duplexity

- February 25, 2019February 25, 20196

By Shin Melitodes [For the sake of full disclosure I would like to explain that I did my MA with Keith at the University of Amsterdam. I had some limited friendly interaction with him, and although we were not particular friends, I have no personal grudge against him, nor could

Aleister Crowley’s a Leftist? Politics straight from the Beast

- February 19, 2019February 19, 20194

by Frater Oz After the accusation that people like me "persistently interpret his (Crowley's) words to mean the opposite of what he says," I wanted to NOT re-write some things and put that accusation into perspective for the "Stamp and Trample" crowd, who seem to me to try do the very thing I

Breaking the Binary in the New Aeon

- February 12, 2019February 12, 20192

by Sib. Ayin / R.A.D. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Was Aleister Crowley (Baphomet) non-binary in terms of gender identity? A few sources seem to suggest he did not identify exclusively as "male" (in this life, or previous ones) despite his biological sex. If so,

What is the Future of Thelema?

- February 10, 2019February 10, 20193

by Soror صقر Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. For a movement born in 1904, one might think we'd have grown a bit larger by now... Yes, we have Organizations. There are Festivals. There are very serious Conferences with lots of Powerpoints, which have citations and probably too much text in them. We've got fancy books that

Why Beauty is Essential to Magick and Life

- February 6, 2019February 6, 20190

By Frater Entelecheia One of the great advantages of religious ceremony is that it mixes both dogmatic and creative elements. The dogma comes from the script of the ritual, the authority behind it, and the sedimented tradition it represents. The creative dimension comes from whatever aesthetic touch is brought to the

Many Truths and Many Spirits: A detailed response to Keith Readdy’s Book

- January 21, 2019February 6, 201919

by Frater Αγάπη και Φως Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Introduction I want to start by saying that I am an initiate of the O.T.O. and have been for over 20 years. I love my Holy Order and am committed to this for life. I have worked in multiple lines

Can a Thelemite be a Conservative?

- January 20, 2019February 6, 20194

by Frater Bec Pluribus Impar Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Our beloved brother Lon DuQuette wrote an article entitled "Can a Thelemite be a Liberal?" and treated the subject with his usual sense of humor. I and my colleagues have felt a different question is more