Finding True Will through non-spiritual means?
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Hello Everyone,
I saw the General Discussion thread on a vocational book "Let Your Life Speak," which was described as being Thelemic despite being written by a Quaker. I went out and read the book and I think my question merits a new thread...
It got me thinking about great figures in society who, ostensibly to me, have been doing their Wills from early on.
If some folks are born inherently knowing their True Will, or at least gaining it after non-occult/Thelemic means, what does that say about those of us who do have to quest after it spiritually?
Does trying to climb up the Tree already mark your True Will off as being linked to occultism, etc.? Otherwise, why were you not born discovering your Will unconsciously through bricklaying, baking cookies or stockbroking?
I guess I am curious if it's a case of predetermination: you are attracted to spiritual practices because they are the key for you, but not necessarily for all people. Either that, or those who "unconsciously" do their True Will have done spiritual work somewhere along the line...?
I'd be interested in hearing some ideas on this...
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I don't see any other way but that at some point you must be spiritual whether you realize it or not. The idea of searching for your true will is already spiritual.
I believe there are many alternatives though that may not seem spiritual but can get you on your way. Writing is one of those for me. When you write (intensely) you are engaging with yourself in conversation, almost, in a way, a pre-step to the higher self or HGA. All writers keep a journal--a writer's notebook, that is akin to the magical diary (notebook). Both contain ones experiments and results and measure progression over time. You can look back at where you were, where you are going, and you may eventually find yourself in touch with your true will.
Crowley himself started with writing, didn't he?
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@Escarabaj said
"If some folks are born inherently knowing their True Will, or at least gaining it after non-occult/Thelemic means, what does that say about those of us who do have to quest after it spiritually?"
If some people vacation in the Ozarks, what does that say about people who don't?
You have quite the enthymeme there. That is, you have several hidden, unstated premises in your logical construction. If you laid them out, I wonder if even you would think that all of them were true.
There are so many different reasons that different beings choose different life-paths that one can't expect to accurately jump to the right conclusion about what they're up to.
"Does trying to climb up the Tree already mark your True Will off as being linked to occultism, etc.?"
Possibly. But not necessarily. No more than boarding a bus to New York City means you won't take the subway once you arrive.
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@Jim Eshelman said
" You have quite the enthymeme there. That is, you have several hidden, unstated premises in your logical construction. If you laid them out, I wonder if even you would think that all of them were true.
There are so many different reasons that different beings choose different life-paths that one can't expect to accurately jump to the right conclusion about what they're up to."
I do make a lot of premises... perhaps some are not as solid as I thought. I'm really wondering why some people need to do this sort of work and others just have it come, ostensibly, "easy" to them. I wish I titled the thread differently: I suppose any means is ultimately "spiritual" but I specifically mean people who don't really walk any occult path per se, they just "know" what they're meant to do and do it without thinking about it.
Specifically concerning Let Your Life Speak and the question of vocation, it seems to me that most career high-flyers have always known what they wanted to do. Of course exceptions abound, but when I think of great artists, business leaders, etc. it seems most just do what they do right out of the gate.
The last sentence of yours I quoted above is helpful to me... reasons *behind * life-paths are not going to be obvious to me.
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True Will? Don't believe in it. Pure Will is another matter.
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93,
I also purchased and read the book and found it extremely helpful. I think Quakers are awesome.
As to your question, I think it depends on how you qualify the term "spiritual." When Crowley defined Magick as "Bringing about change in accordance with will," (not sure if that "will" should be capitalized), he essentially argued that even the most mundane actions could be an act of magick if resulting from one's will, or True Will... whichever.
Likewise, I think almost any act can be considered spiritual depending on how one defines "spiritual.". Writing to me can be a very spiritual act, as can sex, listening to music, even sitting around doing nothing (as the Quakers would argue.) If you define a spiritual act more narrowly as any act that tends to bring one in closer contact to one's True Will, then I still think anything could be considered spiritual. In Hinduism there is the Karma, I forget which one, of using philosophical discourse to reach enlightenment. Not particularly suitable for me, but, there it is.
As for why certain people may seem to be moving "faster" than others, I think Jim hit the nail on the head. Who can say why a spiritual being is on the course that it is? As an example, I have a friend who has the same Myers-Briggs personality type as I. This means, for those who believe in the legitimacy of personality tests, that our preferences, ways of thinking, and general life pattern should be similar. However I've always felt like her life better reflected this set of personality preferences more than mine ever has, that is, she has always gravitated directly towards stereotypical "INFP" activities and decisions while I have more often attempted to cram myself into molds that didn't fit, after some time realized my error, and moved on.
At the risk of sounding self-aggrandizing I nevertheless feel that it is a mistake to claim that she is clearer about things than I, or that she is closer to her True Will than I. Perhaps it is part of my True Will to fail often, which as Parker's excellent book points out, is a perfectly valid means to increase your understanding of yourself.
Now one of my underlying assumptions here is that True Will and the Law of Thelema exist independently of Crowley's conception, or The Book of the Law's explanation. As a result I am rejecting wholesale the contention that one needs any externally-dictated practice, philosophy, or whatever in order to know and accomplish one's True Will. The only practice any individual being needs is the one that will lead to success, and who can say which that will be?
On a final note thanks to whoever posted the original book recommendation (sorry, I forgot who). I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I rarely enjoy recreational reading these days.
Love=Law
- C