The Imprimātur of A∴A∴

- March 18, 2019March 18, 20194

by Alan Willms Imprimātur is Latin for “let it be printed”. The term has been widely used by the Catholic Church in two senses: a) in old times, for authorizing the publication of a book, otherwise to be censored; b) in modern times, as an endorsement of the contents of a book, stating they

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

- March 5, 2019March 4, 20197

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

The Bonfire of the Thelemites: A Perspective on Duplexity

- February 25, 2019February 25, 20197

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

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

The Orgasmic Ordeal: Sexual Magic in Thelema

- January 5, 2019February 6, 20198

by Fra. In Sterquiliniis Invenitur “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.” ― William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Sexual magic is a magical

Sexual Abuse, Child Abuse, and Consent in Thelema

- November 20, 2018November 20, 20183

by Fr. Enatheleme Aleister Crowley did and said many things relating to his personal life and interests that are not Thelemic. His misogyny is a good example of this: in his diaries and personal reflections you can find pages and pages of hostility towards women, but the Thelemic literature is consistently