Christianity vs. Thelema in Regardie's One Year Manual
-
I don't own Regardie's One Year Manual but I've read through it. I am intrigued by its history - because he mentions he first published it with Christian references. I also noticed he refers to the HGA as one's "inner warrior."
I would appreciate any knowledge of the above. The "Christian" version - 12 steps to spiritual enlightenment - is out of print and costly. I'm really curious what he wrote as an alternative to the Thelemic etc. framing he later reverted to.
Also curious about this "inner warrior" concept. It appeals to me, but I'm wondering if this was solely his phrasing, presumably chosen to reflect a Horus-archetype, for this book alone.
As a wider topic, I'm curious how Regardie fused all this stuff, because it seems to me he adopted Thelemic principles as well as Christian etc. without labeling himself too strongly.
-
Sorry, both of my copies are 1981 or later (the rewrite). I thought I had a first edition, but I was thinking of a different book.
@Escarabaj said
"I also noticed he refers to the HGA as one's "inner warrior.""
Without looking at the book per se, I'm guessing...
But the "inner warrior" metaphor is pretty common with earlier writers. Just go to Amazon.com and search for books with the search words inner warrior and you'll see quite a range of titles circling around related ideas, all the way back to D.J. Woods' The Inner Warrior published in 1900. (I was thinking that the word imagery might also have been based on the very popular Dan Millman book, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior - but that came out in 1980, later than the first edition Regardie's Manual.
"As a wider topic, I'm curious how Regardie fused all this stuff, because it seems to me he adopted Thelemic principles as well as Christian etc. without labeling himself too strongly."
Well, he was a very accomplished initiate. It's popular in some circles to disparage his actual attainment, but that approach is, at best, ignorant. Actually, if one hasn't commited to being a voice for a particular system, it's not at all difficult to move more or less seemlessly through different systems. And, since Regardie's stated mission was to bring Aleister Crowley and the Golden Dawn (two things - not one) to a larger audience, and since the G.D. has he knew it was anchored in Christianity, this wasn't difficult.
Don't forget that the name which he was called by those of us who knew him - the term of affection - was "Francis," and that Dion Fortune gave him that because his spirit and demeanor reminded her of St. Francis of Assisi.
-
Thanks Jim. For the benefit of those curious: I did further research (aka looking at a copy of the book) and found he is quoting Mabel Collins' Light on the Path. I don't know much about her at all, except it seems to predate Liber AL. I was surprised because I figured the "warrior" motif was something Regardie was using as a way to give the HGA a Horus-motif in the spirit of Thelema; and perhaps he was, but I was unaware of the term already existing.
@Jim Eshelman said
"
Actually, if one hasn't commited to being a voice for a particular system, it's not at all difficult to move more or less seemlessly through different systems.Well, he was a very accomplished initiate. It's popular in some circles to disparage his actual attainment, but that approach is, at best, ignorant.
"I am curious about your remarks above. If you can move seemlessly through systems, why commit to one to begin with? For example, is Thelema primarily "relevant" in its approach to the HGA - and everything after that becomes somewhat arbitrary?
What sort of circle disparages him? Hard-core thelemites?
-
@Escarabaj said
"I did further research (aka looking at a copy of the book) and found he is quoting Mabel Collins' Light on the Path. I don't know much about her at all, except it seems to predate Liber AL."
She was an early 20th Century mystic, quite popular - the book was very highly regarded. She was a prominent Theosophist and - going entirely by memory (since I'm not at home where my catalogue is located) - I don't think she was actually a GD member, but she hung out with many of them.
"I was surprised because I figured the "warrior" motif was something Regardie was using as a way to give the HGA a Horus-motif in the spirit of Thelema; and perhaps he was, but I was unaware of the term already existing."
It's common in Christianity - the whole "Onward Christian Soldiers" thing.
"If you can move seemlessly through systems, why commit to one to begin with?"
Some people have the dharma of being responsible for the delivery or spreading of a particular system. Whatever they do in their private work, their public message is more or less on one track.
"For example, is Thelema primarily "relevant" in its approach to the HGA - and everything after that becomes somewhat arbitrary? "
I think there's little or nothing about the HGA that is distinctive to Thelema. It's a preexisting doctrine brought foirward.
"What sort of circle disparages him? Hard-core thelemites?"
Hard core Thelemites of a particular flavor, especially those who have wanted to claim AC copyrights for themselves and habitually sneer at him for having published AC material differently than they would have.
-
@Escarabaj said
"I did further research (aka looking at a copy of the book) and found he is quoting Mabel Collins' Light on the Path. I don't know much about her at all, except it seems to predate Liber AL."
The Kindle edition of Light on the Path is free, or you can download it from Project Gutenberg. It's an interesting read.
-
@Escarabaj said
"
What sort of circle disparages him? Hard-core thelemites?"
Also, there is a group (more likely a person) saying that Regardie was disappointed with GD magick, “because it did not work”.