Love is Law, Love under Will
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Do What Thou Wilt Shall be the Whole of the Law
I Am, Michelle, a budding Thelemite residing in NYC. I recently discovered this forum and have been pleased with the energy and level of discussion. This intellectual brother/sisterhood has been really inspiring; so I decided to pose a question that has been coming up for me quite frequently of late:
“In the beginning [are] the word[s]: **‘Love is the Law, Love under Will.’** And these words are with God; and these words are God.”I have been contemplating the dictum “Love is the Law, Love under Will” and would like to know if a literal interpretation of the phrase as referring to Netzach under Chokmah on the Tree of Life is too narrow a focus.
It strikes me that in the (few) esoteric texts that I have read so far; one is constantly reminded that “Above is below”; but I have yet to see it written that ”Left is Right.” Also, “there is Love and there is Love”; but not “there is Will and there is Will.”
In essence, I Am really seeking to understand which sephiroth may be properly considered as reasonable interpretations of our mantra “Love is the Law, Love under Will.”
Love is the Law, Love under Will.*
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@Quad Nine 9 said
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall be the Whole of the Law
I Am, Michelle, a budding Thelemite residing in NYC. I recently discovered this forum and have been pleased with the energy and level of discussion. This intellectual brother/sisterhood has been really inspiring; so I decided to pose a question that has been coming up for me quite frequently of late:
“In the beginning [are] the word[s]: **‘Love is the Law, Love under Will.’** And these words are with God; and these words are God.”I have been contemplating the dictum “Love is the Law, Love under Will” and would like to know if a literal interpretation of the phrase as referring to Netzach under Chokmah on the Tree of Life is too narrow a focus.
It strikes me that in the (few) esoteric texts that I have read so far; one is constantly reminded that “Above is below”; but I have yet to see it written that ”Left is Right.” Also, “there is Love and there is Love”; but not “there is Will and there is Will.”
In essence, I Am really seeking to understand which sephiroth may be properly considered as reasonable interpretations of our mantra “Love is the Law, Love under Will.”
Love is the Law, Love under Will.*"
93
I see a certain amount of Christian influence in your initial quote, seems to be quite common with Thelemites, it makes me wonder how much of Thelema is genuine religion and how much is simply reactionary?
Netzach under Chockmah is one way of looking at it, perhaps the most obvious, you could also go across the tree of life and say Hod under Geburah.
But it's worth remembering that these only imply a certain kind of love. If you wanted to go further up the tree then you could say that Binah under Chesed is also something worth thinking about.
You can play all sorts of games with the tree of life
It does not state implicitly in Liber Al that there is Will and there is will (Note the capitalisation), but if you wanted to think about that then you might do well to look at it in terms of the Bible *"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."*Luke 22:42.
Or if that makes you want to vomit think of it like this: you could either follow the will of little mind, or the Will of Big Mind, i.e, the universal Will, which is the way of the Tao.
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93,
Thanx for your response. I had not considered Chesed under Binah; and will begin to do so. The Tree is very elastic yes, and one can have fun with it; but it is always good to have a firm foundation.
I Am not sure I completely understand the point you make when you say:
“I see a certain amount of Christian influence in your initial quote, seems to be quite common with Thelemites, it makes me wonder how much of Thelema is genuine religion and how much is simply reactionary?”
I believe you are on a slippery slope with the phrase “genuine religion and how much is simply reactionary?” as a reaction to Christian influence on the practice of Thelema. I only need point out the problem of seeing religions as either genuine or false, and certain reactions (perceived as inappropriate) as invalid.
My background is Christian, but I Am sure you know that the roots of Christianity is the Kabballah. I could have used a number of other reference points; but I was hoping to make a number of points with the chosen quote, two major ones as follows: 1), I wanted to make a point about “B” – ginnings and Beth and the Tree of Life as a House and the significance of “what goes under what”…Love under Will. 2), the primacy of the Word “Love” as both the Law, and under Will. In essence, if “Do What thou Wilt * the whole of the Law” and “Love is the Law” then Love = Will. And therefore perhaps it is not “my will be done” but “OUR will be done.”
“There is Love and there is Love…the Serpent and the Dove” and we are implored to chose both. Might not Hermes and Venus be for us Chokmah and Binah united in Daath?
So, yes, one “could either follow the will of little mind, or the Will of Big Mind, i.e, the universal Will, which is the way of the Tao.” Question is, is the “little mind” and the “big mind” clearly delineated on the Tree of Life? Is it too simplistic to interpret the “little mind” as HOD and the “big mind” as CHOKMAH?
If there was a class of young Thelemites who wanted to understand the basis of their religion (encapsulated in dictum "Love is the Law, Love under Will") as interpreted on the Tree of Life; what general response would suffice, so that each student could leave the class with a reasonable grounding on which to build his own sacred temple?
Love is the Law, Love under Will.
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"If there was a class of young Thelemites who wanted to understand the basis of their religion (encapsulated in dictum "Love is the Law, Love under Will") as interpreted on the Tree of Life; what general response would suffice, so that each student could leave the class with a reasonable grounding on which to build his own sacred temple?"
If I had to explain life( which religion is a model of) I think I would give an introduction to the library of congress. In theory e library of congress has catolouged everything, and assigned it keywords, title, author and subject headings.
Everything is worthy of being catalogued and included. Somethings, because of the type of media it is, or the content could be assigned to many different holdings, collections, departments, and it is up to the catolouger to discern the best fit.Yet, this little monkey doesn't climb much in the TOL, but I seem to spend more time on the life of tree
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Too much climbing the Tree of Life can make you crazy -- take me, for example!
Here's one: Law is Libra and Lamed. "Love is the law" because Venus rules Libra. But "love under will" because Saturn (restraint) is exalted in Libra. Will, being idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and unconstrained, is Aleph.
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@Quad Nine 9 said
"I have been contemplating the dictum “Love is the Law, Love under Will” and would like to know if a literal interpretation of the phrase as referring to Netzach under Chokmah on the Tree of Life is too narrow a focus."
"Too narrow" in the particular sense that it's only one angle of the matter (and only one choice of particular language for expressing that angle).
I do think, though, that it's one perfectly valid modelling. Just don't get stuck in it being the whole (or only) truth.
"It strikes me that in the (few) esoteric texts that I have read so far; one is constantly reminded that “Above is below”; but I have yet to see it written that ”Left is Right.” Also, “there is Love and there is Love”; but not “there is Will and there is Will.”"
Interesting observation. In thinking what the latter phrase would mean, it would seem to express some distinction between (say) infinite (divine) will and the personalty's "will." The thing is, "personality will" is a fiction. That personality has no actual will (though it seems to have a lot of won't!). The personality is a vehicle of Will, an avenue of expression of will. Therefore, "there is Will and there is Will" would be a lie. (Suitable mystery of duality, that!) - On the other hand, love is pervasive, and finds its expression at every level.
"In essence, I Am really seeking to understand which sephiroth may be properly considered as reasonable interpretations of our mantra “Love is the Law, Love under Will.”"
If I were to give a root idea, it would be Chokmah-Binah. But these root ideas then find other expression as one moves down the Tree. That is, their dance continues all the way to (and into and through) Manifestation or Actualization in Malkuth. Mostly, though, I think of these lower expressions as contexts within which the root Chokmah-Binah dance continues.
For example, the phrase can be understood easily as "love [i.e., union] in conformity with one's True Will." Or, more basically and usefully in life, "love as choice."
BY THE WAY - Are you aware that Temple of Thelema has an ongoing (and, as I understand it, fairly popular) open study group in Manhattan? The Aiwass Study Group contact information is here: helema.org/college_of_thelema/locations.html
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93
I suppose the whole thing about the origins of religion, and false/real religions is slightly off topic, so I won't rattle on about it in your thread, I just noticed it coming up in your post and it piqued my interest.
For the record though, I do think that a lot of Crowley's leanings were hugely reactionary, an a lot of that got into Thelema, not that I'm against that, because I am a Thelemite myself, and raised Catholic.
Getting back to the point though; we are advised to choose well, not choose both, when distinguishing between Love and love (Liber Legis I:57). This is definitely something that need some serious thought, especially once you move beyond the theory in this system.
I'm not sure where your going with B-ginnings on the tree of life, I thought it began with A-leph. All in all though I feel that Love/Will duality is a blind, the separation only occurs through misunderstanding, these two should be mutually supporting, to the point of actual identity one with the other (In an ideal world) So yes, Our Will be done in a sense, although it's expedient to regard oneself as the centre of the cosmos, single and sovereign, and not to worry about what other self perceiving "centres" are doing. If you are doing your Will and they are only doing their will, then your momentum will pull you through.
I think it too simplistic to regard any particular pairing of Sephirah as the ultimate root in something as fundamental as Love/Will, although any pairing could be useful under any particular set of conditions, it might be a good exercise to pair them all up in order : Kether-Chesed, Chesed-Binah, Binah-Chockmah etc, etc, as well as the aforementioned examples, it would be a good way of getting a grip of how they interact, (in fact I'm tempted to do that myself just to see what comes out).
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93,
Gmugmble, Indeed, too much hanging out on the Tree of Life can make one crazy…thank God!!!
I think the responses will help to steer me to the saner side of crazy; which is perhaps what Veronica intimates by “the life of the tree.”
I like the astrology…it resonates. I have begun working with/through it. The Woman girt with a Sword as both Love and Will…so that AdjustMaat/Truth becomes the union of Love and Will…
Jim, The Chokmah-Binah connection is easier to visualize, I can both see it and feel it.
Much food for Thought in personality as vehicle/expression of Will and “personality will” as fiction. What of left and right? If above is below, isn’t left right?
Archaeus, I understand what you are saying about useful versus fundamental pairings, but I think Chokmah-Binah is a good useful place to start.
I will look into the Aiwass Study Group.
Love is the Law, Love under Will
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I'd say that Chockmah/Binah is pretty fundamental actually ( I just re-read my firs post and noticed that I'd put Chesed/Binah, That was a mistake, I apologize for the confusion).
But yes, it is all a lot to chew on, but everyone need s a hobby
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