by Sibling Aleph Yod
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Nuit and Hadit are two deities in the religion of Thelema, an esoteric philosophy popularized by British occultist Aleister Crowley in the early 20th century. Nuit is a goddess representing the universe, while Hadit is a god representing the center of the universe and all points of space and time. Nuit is described as the “Empress of Space,” evoking limitless openness and possibility. In contrast, Hadit is described as a “lord of limitation,” evoking constriction and containment within a particular point in space and time. Together, Nuit and Hadit symbolize two aspects of the spiritual experience, namely, the divine expansiveness and the individual’s journey of growth and self-awareness within a particular context. Through harmonizing both aspects, the Thelemic philosophy seeks to unify space and time, mind and body, and the earthly and spiritual realms.
The interplay between Nuit and Hadit is said to create the universe. Nuit is the primal power of the universe, the forms of undifferentiated unity and infinite potential while Hadit is the individual force that establishes perspective and brings into existence individual and finite phenomena. By uniting these two principles, Nuit and Hadit create an active interplay that results in a balanced and harmonious universe. This interplay of Nuit and Hadit is often represented as a yin-yang icon. This interplay includes all of the opposing yet complementary forces that exist in the universe, such as beauty and ugliness, good and evil, life and death. This interplay allows for the development of dynamic and creative existence, providing a base from which all manifestation can occur.
The precise details of what constitutes the “Great Work” will depend on each individual’s own spiritual journey and understanding. While there is no one definitive answer, it could be said that Nuit and Hadit, when reunited in consciousness, can bring forth divine wisdom and understanding, enabling the individual to realize the interconnectedness of all things and to live in harmony with the universe. This reunion is not merely a physical process, but a spiritual one. It calls for the understanding of the individual and the understanding of the Universe to unify and become one Understanding .
This can only be achieved after a long process of the individual committing themselves to the process of self-development and inner exploration. This is done through contemplation, meditation, magick, and various other spiritual practices that help to bring forth the truth within. As one moves through the process and develops a true understanding of the universe and their place within it, they can begin to realize the great potential of their own creative power.
We call on Thelemites to unite their divine expansive nature, symbolized by Nuit, and their divine contractive nature, symbolized by Hadit, within themselves and to dedicate their will and life in pursuit of the Great Work. The stellar union of these two powers will bring Light and the full realization of one’s greater nature and purpose. In those moments of divine illumination, one should also give heed to the highest promise of the Great Work — to go out into the world and enjoy life to the utmost. Let us, then, leap out into life and manifest the joy of Thelema in every moment.
Love is the law, love under will.
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Wonderful essay, thank you.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The Book of the Law, chapter 3: verse 22, the Sun-god Ra-Hoor-Khuit says in part:
“I am the visible object of worship; the others are secret; for the Beast & his Bride are they: and for the winners of the Ordeal x.”
The “others” include Nuit and Hadit. They are secret and only to be understood by the winners of the Ordeal X. Their natures cannot be read off a page, but only discovered through the practice of magick. Aleister Crowley’s “Great Work” is to contact your own Holy Guardian Angel, as he did in the writing of the Book of the Law at which time he contacted Aiwass. By then he was an expert at ritual magic and meditation. In his comment on chapter 1: verse 13, Crowley remarked: “It is said that for every step one takes towards one’s Holy Guardian Angel, He takes two towards his client.” The Great Work is about linking workaday waking awareness with one’s own inmost Will. In The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, page 72, he wrote “‘The libido of the unconscious’ is really ‘the true, will of the inmost self’.”
While I can see that you are sincerely trying to characterise Nuit and Hadit in your mind, initiation toward the Great Work is not to be had by thinking but by doing. The Ordeal X can only be won by doing asana (with pranayama, mantra, yantra in pursuit of dharana), the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram leading up to Liber V vel Reguli, and keeping a diary of your practices so you can measure your progress. Near the beginning of chapter 86 in The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, he says: “Imagine listening to Beethoven with the prepossession that C is a good note and F a bad one; yet this is exactly the stand point from which all uninitiates contemplate the universe. Obviously, they miss the music.” Distinguishing value judgements like beauty and ugliness or good and evil as “complimentary forces” misses the music.
And in Liber Aleph, chapter 31, he wrote:
“Know then, o my Son, that all Laws, all Systems, all Customs, all Ideals and Standards which tend to produce uniformity, are in direct opposition to Nature’s Will to change and to develop through Variety, and are accursed. Do thou with all thy Might of Manhood strive against these Forces, for they resist Change, which is Life; and thus they are of Death.”
You say “Nuit is described as the ‘Empress of Space.'” By whom? Where? I do not find that phrase in Crowley’s writings. Nuit says, in verse 22 of her chapter in The Book of the Law, “Since I am Infinite Space, and the Infinite Stars thereof, do ye also thus. Bind nothing! Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing & any other thing; for thereby their cometh hurt.” The word ‘religion’ comes from the Latin ‘ligere’, to tie, and ‘religere’ to bind. Religious doctrine binds worshippers to a uniform standard of thinking “in direct opposition to Nature’s Will to change.”
It does not matter what you believe. It matters what you do. Obedience is Death.
Love is the law, love under will.
In Chapter 1, Verse 27 Nuit is referred to as the Queen of Space, but you’re right, I don’t remember ever seeing the title Empress of Space.
Thank you for your thoughts on Thelema and the Great Work. You make some valid points about the importance of action and self-discovery in this pursuit, and I appreciate your recommendations for practices such as asana, pranayama, and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. It’s also important to remember that the Great Work is not about conforming to external standards or making value judgments, but rather about embracing change and personal growth.
I agree with your interpretation of Nuit’s advice in The Book of the Law to “bind nothing” and “let there be no difference made among you between any one thing & any other thing,” as this aligns with the idea of breaking free from external constraints and finding one’s own path. And while I can see where you’re coming from with the emphasis on obedience, I think it’s also important to remember that love and self-expression play a key role in Thelema. Love is the law, love under will.
Excellent.
Really enjoyed this.
Thank you