Finding my True Will
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Discovering the True Will is, to boil it down to its simplest elements, a process of observation and “course-correction.”
The True Will (hereafter referred to as “will” for ease of typing) is, to use Crowley’s definition, “a course, depending partly on the self, and partly on the environment.” It is thus a term for the natural inclinations of a person in conjunction with the realities of his or her environment. All people would naturally do their will if it were not for one huge problem: the mind tends to distort one’s perception of both self and environment, throwing up conscious and unconscious barriers.
The result is internal dissonance and dissatisfaction. The purpose of studying and practicing a subject like Thelema is to develop a practical method of reducing this internal dissonance over time by ameliorating the distorting tendencies of the mind.
Crowley summarizes the problem that Thelema is designed to solve with a useful example:
"A man may think it is his duty to act in a certain way, through having made a fancy picture of himself, instead of investigating his actual nature. For example, a woman may make herself miserable for life by thinking that she prefers love to social consideration, or vice versa. One woman may stay with an unsympathetic husband when she would really be happy in an attic with a lover, while another may fool herself into a romantic elopement when her only pleasures are those of presiding over fashionable functions."
In other words, our minds tell us that we should do this or that; we intuitively feel we are this or that kind of person, but our Selves are left unsatisfied when we follow these phantasms of the mind.
So how does one discover the will?
First, let’s be clear: the will isn’t something you choose. If you could just choose whatever you wanted to be your will, then Thelema would be completely pointless. You could just pick any old thing and be done with it.
Since the will is comprised of the individual’s natural inclinations, common sense ought to tell you that you don’t get to “pick” it. You don’t “choose” any of the things you’re naturally inclined toward: you discover them through investigation. The word “discover” is useful if we consider that its etymology literally means to remove the covering from something (to dis-cover). The process of discovering the will is less the process of seeking and finding than it is the process of removing veils.
The “process of elimination” model proposed by your OTO friends isn’t exactly wrong – it’s just imprecise and vague. It implies too much of a conscious effort, when the task is really one of clearing away obstacles to perception and awaiting the patterns of one’s natural inclinations to make themselves apparent (also known as “awaiting the indwelling of the Spirit,” to doll it up in flowery – but also unnecessarily obfuscatory – language)
Discovering the True Will, then, entails increasing one’s powers of observation and turning that observation on to the Self and the thoughts in which the mind wraps its perception of Self. The process of discovery requires the individual to locate the specific ways that the mind distorts one’s impression of the universe and (especially) of the Self. It’s vital to understand that this isn’t something you can do in abstract or vague terms: your observations should reveal very specific ways that the mind distorts impressions.
The “discovery” of the will (the dis-covering of it) consists of catching your mind distorting impressions in real time, during your day-to-day life – catching your mind attempting to substitute its preferences for the real preferences of the True Self – and course-correcting in the moment, allowing the actual inclinations (i.e. the “True Will”) to “pour through the veil,” as it were. Doing this is a skill, and like any other skill – say, like driving or playing a musical instrument – it takes time and practice before it starts to become second nature.
Honestly, the advice you have been given by others in this thread is pretty terrible – and to be clear, I’m not attacking people: I’m critiquing ideas. I present the following paragraphs in the spirit of encouraging others to refine their thinking.
The awful advice given so far has been a mixture of flaky sound bites (“Be brave, also. With this, you cannot fail”), meaningless and extremely vague platitudes (“trust your intuition”), and practices that have virtually nothing to do with discovering the True Will (making someone an object of “unreasonable devotion”). You’re not going to gain any insight into yourself by telling yourself that you’re brave all the time, trusting your precious feelings, or devoting yourself to some dude. The only way you’re going to gain any insight into yourself is – hold onto your hat – by observing yourself, frequently and in lots of situations, watching how you react and watching how your mind reacts, and trying your damndest to be honest with yourself.
I realize it must be tremendously comforting to think that all you have to do is just “trust your intuition,” but think of how pointless that advice is: if all you have to do is “trust your intuition,” then why would you need to study a subject like Thelema or put in any work at all?
No, just as someone might “intuitively” think she prefers social consideration to love (or vice versa) by following a “fancy picture” of herself, it’s all too easy to chase after mental phantasms under the banner of “trust* your intuition.” If Thelema is to mean anything at all, it is to require real work and brutal self-honesty. You’re simply not going to gain any insight into yourself by telling yourself that you’re “brave” or by endlessly repeating rituals dreamed up by Victorian freemasons. You’re going to have to hunker down and put in some real effort to get anywhere.
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@Los said
"The awful advice given so far has been a mixture of flaky sound bites (“Be brave, also. With this, you cannot fail”),"
Firstly, it was referring to the Great Work in particular (magical and mystical practices, and what he needs to have in place to do them). Secondly, it's out of context: "this" refers to all the stuff I said before bravery also. (You might disagree with the other stuff too, of course.)
"meaningless and extremely vague platitudes (“trust your intuition”),"
Not meaningless at all. It's not blind trust. Honesty with oneself also comes into play. Sometimes, we have to take risks. As long as we stay on track, no problem. If he perseveres on the Work, he will succeed. None of this contradicts your (mostly very sound) advice, but different people have different needs, and there's no way to set specific guidelines to apply to all. Hence the Great Work.
"and practices that have virtually nothing to do with discovering the True Will (making someone an object of “unreasonable devotion”)."
Well, I wasn't the one who wrote that, but you have totally, utterly missed the point. Sorry.
"You’re not going to gain any insight into yourself by telling yourself that you’re brave all the time,"
Gain insight? Maybe, maybe not. That was not my point. But by being brave (not just telling yourself you are), you keep going on the way, which includes gaining insight into yourself. How could a coward succeed?
"trusting your precious feelings,"
Feelings? Correct, no.
"or devoting yourself to some dude."
If "some dude" is the HGA, then yes, you will gain insight into yourself. But I know that was not what was being referred to, and again I say you missed the point of that.
"The only way you’re going to gain any insight into yourself is – hold onto your hat – by observing yourself, frequently and in lots of situations, watching how you react and watching how your mind reacts, and trying your damndest to be honest with yourself."
Not the only way, but yes, all of this. Being honest with oneself was one of the first things I said.
Just responding to this particular critique. No bone to pick.
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@Los said
"The “discovery” of the will (the dis-covering of it) consists of catching your mind distorting impressions in real time, during your day-to-day life – catching your mind attempting to substitute its preferences for the real preferences of the True Self – and course-correcting in the moment, allowing the actual inclinations (i.e. the “True Will”) to “pour through the veil,” as it were. Doing this is a skill, and like any other skill – say, like driving or playing a musical instrument – it takes time and practice before it starts to become second nature."
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,
Spot on!
I think this is essentially what others here have been pointing to also .. except your description seems more concrete, practical and useful to me
Thank you!Love is the law, love under will,
Frater Katanoese -
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,
A quick update -
After a bit of research, I came upon "Sample Ritual #9" in 776 1/2, which resonated strongly with me, and seems to describe a procedure I can benefit greatly from in my situation .. That is - purifying the personality and perceptions, prompting the Khabs to flow out and purify the Khu / aura, and thus hopefully the True Will can not only shine forth and become perceptible to the consciousness, but also become more effective in my life through the more effective and attuned Khu ..I now plan to start preparations for this performance by procuring the necessary ingredients and instruments.
I also think it will be a good idea for me to practising "Liber ThIShARB" for a time before the actual ritual as a preparation.Please share your informed opinions on my plans, and any experience you might have with this procedure that you think will be useful
On my way to the "Treasure House of Images"!
Love is the law, love under will,
Frater Katanoese -
@Katanoese said
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,
A quick update -
After a bit of research, I came upon "Sample Ritual #9" in 776 1/2, which resonated strongly with me, and seems to describe a procedure I can benefit greatly from in my situation .. That is - purifying the personality and perceptions, prompting the Khabs to flow out and purify the Khu / aura, and thus hopefully the True Will can not only shine forth and become perceptible to the consciousness, but also become more effective in my life through the more effective and attuned Khu ..I now plan to start preparations for this performance by procuring the necessary ingredients and instruments.
I also think it will be a good idea for me to practising "Liber ThIShARB" for a time before the actual ritual as a preparation.Please share your informed opinions on my plans, and any experience you might have with this procedure that you think will be useful
On my way to the "Treasure House of Images"!
Love is the law, love under will,
Frater Katanoese"0=0 is a funny time, or it was for me. You are not at that point expected to attain particular results, but instead are investigating various things to see what works and what doesn't. At the end of your year your superior would then be armed with your diary and therefore in a position to see what you might need.
Trying to find true will is the work of the Outer College, more specifically it's the work of an 5=6 so you are not expected to do it all before you are even admitted to the AA as a Neophyte.
My advice; enjoy you time as a Probationer, try everything that strikes you as interesting, get experience and get into the habit of putting everything into your diary and reflecting on it and observing the process without jumping to conclusions.
Don't try to run before you can walk.
Consult your Superior, it's what s/he is there for.
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@Archaeus said
"Trying to find true will is the work of the Outer College, more specifically it's the work of an 5=6 so you are not expected to do it all before you are even admitted to the AA as a Neophyte."
Conscious awareness (and even articulation) of True Will is usually a result long before 5=6. There is a tendency to confuse discovery of the True Will with Knowledge & Conversation of the HGA.
Sure, one doesn't have "to do it all" as a Probationer. But that's no reason not to give it a hell of a start if one is so motivated.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@Archaeus said
"Trying to find true will is the work of the Outer College, more specifically it's the work of an 5=6 so you are not expected to do it all before you are even admitted to the AA as a Neophyte."Conscious awareness (and even articulation) of True Will is usually a result long before 5=6. There is a tendency to confuse discovery of the True Will with Knowledge & Conversation of the HGA.
Sure, one doesn't have "to do it all" as a Probationer. But that's no reason not to give it a hell of a start if one is so motivated.
"That's a very good point actually, thanks for making the distinction. I guess during my own 1=10 I got a much clearer idea of my own True Will, and even had the full blown Vision of Adonai (Much to my shock
) But didn't get any closer to K&C, of which I am in no way qualified to talk about. -
@Archaeus said
"That's a very good point actually, thanks for making the distinction. I guess during my own 1=10 I got a much clearer idea of my own True Will, and even had the full blown Vision of Adonai (Much to my shock
) But didn't get any closer to K&C, of which I am in no way qualified to talk about."Mine (TW disclosure) came in 2=9. It was the big event of 2=9 in many ways, so it's always felt to me like the Tifereth phenomenon reflected into the field of the Moon.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@Archaeus said
"That's a very good point actually, thanks for making the distinction. I guess during my own 1=10 I got a much clearer idea of my own True Will, and even had the full blown Vision of Adonai (Much to my shock) But didn't get any closer to K&C, of which I am in no way qualified to talk about."Mine (TW disclosure) came in 2=9. It was the big event of 2=9 in many ways, so it's always felt to me like the Tifereth phenomenon reflected into the field of the Moon."
I wouldn't say I've had a full disclosure, more like a series of not-so-subtle hints as to where I should be looking. I got the name of my HGA during 0=0 and had the vision (actually a dream in which I was introduced to A.'.) came along 7 months into 1=10, around the same time a lot of other things in life started to "straighten themselves out".
I can see though how a person might mistake emergence into Yetzirah for K&C, because for me it's been something of an epochal change of perspective and something that I didn't expect to happen in quite such a marked and literal way.
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@Archaeus said
"I can see though how a person might mistake emergence into Yetzirah for K&C, because for me it's been something of an epochal change of perspective and something that I didn't expect to happen in quite such a marked and literal way."
And remember, this is the level comparable to the old GD 5=6: The A.'.A.'. 2=9 initiation is adapted from the GD 5=6 ritual formula; and the functional difference between First and Second Order G.D. was the Assiah vs. Yetzirah distinction. (The same is true in A.'.A.'., actually, since the Second Order formally begins with 2=9.)
My reason for mentioning this is that a lot of the better stuff in print from the old G.D. paradigm will describe 5=6 (including K&C) in terms that are highly characteristic of A.'.A.'. 2=9. These writings can be misleading, especially because the phenomena sound so on-target for what one might expect from the images and words of K&C of HGA.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@Archaeus said
"I can see though how a person might mistake emergence into Yetzirah for K&C, because for me it's been something of an epochal change of perspective and something that I didn't expect to happen in quite such a marked and literal way."And remember, this is the level comparable to the old GD 5=6: The A.'.A.'. 2=9 initiation is adapted from the GD 5=6 ritual formula; and the functional difference between First and Second Order G.D. was the Assiah vs. Yetzirah distinction. (The same is true in A.'.A.'., actually, since the Second Order formally begins with 2=9.)
My reason for mentioning this is that a lot of the better stuff in print from the old G.D. paradigm will describe 5=6 (including K&C) in terms that are highly characteristic of A.'.A.'. 2=9. These writings can be misleading, especially because the phenomena sound so on-target for what one might expect from the images and words of K&C of HGA."
That's pretty much the kind of material I've been reading, it's quite plain how the old GD ZAM grade etc correspond to what we now call 2=9 and so on. During my own 1=10 (which I'm still in, but only by a matter of weeks) I went through the old Golden Dawn material as part of a general exploration of the lower part of the Tree of Life, doing everything in Assiah/Malkuth as it were and pathworking my way up to Tiphareth. The whole period was pretty full on, especially as I'm doing a degree at the same time.
I understand that ritual CXX is analogous to the old GD 5=6 (The numbering is a give away) although I've refrained from reading any of the online versions because I don't want to spoil it for myself.
Getting back to the original poster though: If there's one thing I've learned and thus advise I would give is that the best results don't so much come when you are looking for them, but come along almost despite your efforts, in ways that can be very suprising and as a result of simply planing a regime of study and practice and sticking to it. Quite simply, follow out the tasks of each grade faithfully and sure as 1+1=2 the results will follow.
But yes, aspiration to the HGA helps; which is why a 0=0 wears the robe of a 5=6 (more or less)
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@Katanoese said
"After a bit of research, I came upon "Sample Ritual #9" in 776 1/2, which resonated strongly with me, and seems to describe a procedure I can benefit greatly from in my situation .. That is - purifying the personality and perceptions, prompting the Khabs to flow out and purify the Khu / aura, and thus hopefully the True Will can not only shine forth and become perceptible to the consciousness, but also become more effective in my life through the more effective and attuned Khu .."
Don't take this the wrong way, but what exactly makes you think that performing a ritual is going to enable you to gain insight into yourself, let alone enable you to discover your True Will?
Yes, I understand that you say the goal of the ritual is to "purify the personality and perceptions, prompting the Khabs to flow out" and yada yada yada, but what makes you think that performing a ritual will do this? The fact is that no amount of "ritual work" is going to get an individual even a jot closer to discovering his true will.
I've said elsewhere in many places that one needs a crystal clear understanding of the goals and what one is trying to do and how the practices are supposed to achieve those goals, and here's a practical example of why it's important.
As I explained earlier in the thread, the work of discovering the True Will is a process of observing your Self and adjusting behavior in real time. The vital part is doing it in real-life, day-to-day situations. That's how you "purify the personality," although that's not the most precise phrase to use, since you're not really "purifying" anything but rather learning to see past certain illusions. You don't "purify the personality" by sitting around and playing imagination games. That's just going to generate more illusions.
Now, if you were to say that you think performing this ritual might impress certain ideas upon your mind, which you would carry with you into your daily life and thus find assists you with the real work of observing your self in day-to-day life, then at least that would make a little bit of sense. I still would dispute that the ritual work adds anything substantial to the process, but at least you'd have a clearer idea of what's actually going on, and you'd be in a position to investigate yourself and see if, in your case, the ritual really does add anything substantial to the process.
For the most part, I consider all of this ritual stuff a complete and total distraction, more likely to mislead than help, and I think engaging in it should be primarily because you enjoy performing the rituals and enjoy the feelings they create in you, not because you think they're going to do anything in regards to giving you insight into yourself.
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@Los said
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For the most part, I consider all of this ritual stuff a complete and total distraction, more likely to mislead than help, and I think engaging in it should be primarily because you enjoy performing the rituals and enjoy the feelings they create in you, not because you think they're going to do anything in regards to giving you insight into yourself.""Thou hast no right but to do thy will."
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@Los said
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For the most part, I consider all of this ritual stuff a complete and total distraction, more likely to mislead than help, and I think engaging in it should be primarily because you enjoy performing the rituals and enjoy the feelings they create in you, not because you think they're going to do anything in regards to giving you insight into yourself.""The word of Sin is Restriction."
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I appreciate the extremely selective quotation, guys, but being able to rattle off phrases that you think are relevant isn’t a substitute for understanding those verses in the first place.
For starters, "Restriction" has a specific meaning in Thelema -- restricting the manifestation of one's True Will by following mental illusions instead of attending to reality (Crowley puts it: "This is sin: / To hold thy holy self in"). As part of manifesting the True Will, one needs to have a clear understanding of the terrain through which one is navigating.
It's not "Restriction," then, to recommend that someone have a clear understanding of reality and what's going on. For example, a math teacher isn't "restricting" you by telling you when you've made an incorrect answer, a history teacher isn't "restricting" you by telling you what actually happened in history, and I'm not "restricting" you by telling you that you need to have a clear understanding of what you're doing if you want any of this stuff to work.
Ironically, it would be "Restriction" to insist on trusting one's own precious feelings and "intuitions" instead of bothering to figure out what's really going on.
As far as "thou hast no right but to do thy will" goes, one cannot follow that verse without understanding what True Will actually is, and properly understanding how that term is defined in Thelema isn't "restriction": it's foundational to doing any work at all toward discovering it.
As I was pointing out, if we define True Will as Crowley did, which involves gaining insight into one's Self, then one needs to be asking questions such as "How could doing some ritual or sitting around imagining something possibly give me insight into myself?" Coming up with a critical and serious answer to such a question isn't "Restriction": it's the one possible way to avoid Restriction.
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@Los said
"I appreciate the extremely selective quotation, guys, but being able to rattle off phrases that you think are relevant isn’t a substitute for understanding those verses in the first place.
For starters, "Restriction" has a specific meaning in Thelema -- restricting the manifestation of one's True Will by following mental illusions instead of attending to reality (Crowley puts it: "This is sin: / To hold thy holy self in"). As part of manifesting the True Will, one needs to have a clear understanding of the terrain through which one is navigating.
It's not "Restriction," then, to recommend that someone have a clear understanding of reality and what's going on. For example, a math teacher isn't "restricting" you by telling you when you've made an incorrect answer, a history teacher isn't "restricting" you by telling you what actually happened in history, and I'm not "restricting" you by telling you that you need to have a clear understanding of what you're doing if you want any of this stuff to work.
Ironically, it would be "Restriction" to insist on trusting one's own precious feelings and "intuitions" instead of bothering to figure out what's really going on.
As far as "thou hast no right but to do thy will" goes, one cannot follow that verse without understanding what True Will actually is, and properly understanding how that term is defined in Thelema isn't "restriction": it's foundational to doing any work at all toward discovering it.
As I was pointing out, if we define True Will as Crowley did, which involves gaining insight into one's Self, then one needs to be asking questions such as "How could doing some ritual or sitting around imagining something possibly give me insight into myself?" Coming up with a critical and serious answer to such a question isn't "Restriction": it's the one possible way to avoid Restriction."
If you can answer the question "Why am I doing this" with anything other than "it is my Will," then you aren't doing your Will, you are doing the "why." Why am I doing this? To gain something other than this? That is not "pure will."
[Edit: I'm not responsible for Bereshith's interpretations of what I write]
[Edit: PS. Nowhere in the Book of the Law does it mention "True Will."]
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@Takamba said
"If you can answer the question "Why am I doing this" with anything other than "it is my Will," then you aren't doing your Will, you are doing the "why." Why am I doing this? To gain something other than this? That is not "pure will.""
But this thread is in the context of someone trying to figure out how to discover his True Will. An aspirant cannot sensibly answer the question "How do I discover my True Will?" with "It's my True Will!" That's a bunch of nonsense.
In order to answer the question "How do I discover my True Will?" a person needs to know at least:
--What the concept "True Will" means
--The steps a person should use to discover True Will
--Why he should think the particular steps in question actually do lead to the discovery of the True Will
--The specific criteria by which he can judge that the steps have actually worked to allow him to discover the True Will.Crystal clear understanding of these things is vital for success: a person can't shrug this off or just declare, as policy, that whatever they do is already their True Will. It makes nonsense out of the whole idea of working to discover the will, and it makes Thelema meaningless.
Discovering the True Will is a task, and there's no reason to suppose that it doesn't require a crystal clear understanding of the subject, like any other task.
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@Takamba said
"[Edit: PS. Nowhere in the Book of the Law does it mention "True Will."]"
Yeah, but the guy who invented Thelema -- Aleister Crowley -- created and defined that term in a very specific way. If one is interested in practicing Thelema, and doing it intelligently, one needs to know what it requires and how to do it. Merely guessing or merely trusting what someone else says isn't going to cut it, unless one is looking for some kind of religion.