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

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

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

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

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

Aleister Crowley on Race: An Overview

- November 8, 2018February 9, 20195

by Antonio Lau According to Lois G. Gordon, when Nancy Cunard met Aleister Crowley in 1933, her “extensive recollections of their meetings, including their participation at anti-fascist rallies and his consistent ‘anger against the persecution of the Jews and other ghastly events,’ convinced her that he ‘felt deeply about human injustice

Laborare est Orare: The Prayer of Labor

- September 3, 2018October 7, 20182

by Frater Enatheleme Note: This essay was originally written in Anno Legis IV:xv, and published first published in Lion & Serpent 12, No. 1. It has been revised and expanded for the broader audience and context of Thelemic Union, in celebration of Labor Day in the U.S., Anno Legis V:iv. Mother of fertility on