Protagonist and some Questions
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Hi. I am here because I am genuinely curious about Thelema. At the same time, however, I am a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, because I had a rather horrific run-in a few years back with some self-styled Crowley followers. I figure I need to face my fear if I'm to be a well-versed occultist, which is my goal, so here I am.
As Thelemites, do you feel that you follow Crowley, so to speak, or do you see him as being incidental to the Thelema? Do you believe he was a good example of a Thelemite?
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He was a prophet.
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@Protagonis said
"Hi. I am here because I am genuinely curious about Thelema. At the same time, however, I am a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, because I had a rather horrific run-in a few years back with some self-styled Crowley followers. I figure I need to face my fear if I'm to be a well-versed occultist, which is my goal, so here I am.
As Thelemites, do you feel that you follow Crowley, so to speak, or do you see him as being incidental to the Thelema? Do you believe he was a good example of a Thelemite?"
Neither A nor B exactly for me.
I absolutely don't think he's incidental to Thelema except in the sense that it would have awakened in humanity regardless. But he was the individual given the direct Third Order message to humanity concerning it, and that isn't trivial.
I respect him enormously. I don't consider him the last word on most things, but often consider him the best informed "first word." He was one of greatest initiates of recent centuries - if not the greatest.
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"As Thelemites, do you feel that you follow Crowley, so to speak, or do you see him as being incidental to the Thelema? "
I follow the example of his experience and techniques, but I don't try to imitate him as a person.
"Do you believe he was a good example of a Thelemite?"
Sure. That doesn't mean that he never struggled with personal limitations, though.
"I had a rather horrific run-in a few years back with some self-styled Crowley follower"
Join the club.
Crowley is a very deep, confusing, contradictory person. He requires a lot of patience, and approaching him at face value has led many a "crowleyite" into antisocial behavior.
In my estimation, the members of Temple of Thelema that post here are good examples of using and building upon his methods, without slavish attachment to his every mundane opinion.