College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

@Uni_Verse said

"Exceed! Exceed!
(is what they read)
But ever unto Her
(is what is ...forgotten)"

Great post.

I'm not certain if my conception of Da'ath will be of any use here but for what it's worth here's my $.02.

I have done a lot of meditational work including a lot of work with the Tarot on the paths in the form of the Advanced TCR. One of my experiments was to begin at Malkuth using the 4 10 of the Minor Arcana and using the Major Arcana for connecting the Sephira. Of course this put me in a position to work through the Abyss and Da'ath. My understanding of it was that the Abyss was the place that you would go mentally if you weren't able to look in the mirror of the self and see yourself for who you truelly are. It is the reflection of your lower and base self. It is the exact thing we cannot look at objectively that keeps the average person from K&C with their HGA. What carries us across the Abyss is our strength of character gained through our dedication to our evolution. "Enflame thyself in prayer..."

As you can see from the statement above I see knowledge as self-knowledge and I also perceive that the Abyss is the ego. If the ego gets in the way of the aspirant there is no hope that they will cross the Abyss and all the knowledge of man will not reflect the Divine nature of our inner-star. The veils of ego will not unfold and no possibility of comprehension in the Supernals.

@Scapegoa said

"So by admitting to the fact that one may attain 7=4 on an intellectual level you have admitted that an *aspect * of 7=4 may be attained by other means, even though the person exhibiting such aspect may yet be admitted as only a 0=0, that does not detract from his intellectual attainment. And my point being that since one has shown to attain to 7=4 in one aspect despite this one aspect being inadmissible for full acceptance of the grade, it is impossible but to induce that the same person(s) or different person(s) may have achieved to another aspect of this grade by different means other than intellectually according to the aspect. To me then my first step would be to break each grade down analytically aspect by aspect, and to re-interpret each aspect in non-technical terms pertinent to the particular system. Intuitively such a process at its worst can only force new ways of looking at the system, and this is evolutionary not involutionary! and at its best consolidate and universalize standards within the esoteric community, and thereby even possibly extend its appeal. So to an extent you are right that i am concerned with the welfare of the profane, and I believe they are crossing over to us in light of current history, to me it seems obvious. I don't see any reason why we cannot go half-way with them and create a bridge for those who are sincere. It would have to be a cross- system collective effort, such that the garbage is weeded out, and the methods can be shown to be scientific. But that still is just an underlying theme, a possible added advantage, which may be based on a false assumption, this line of questioning is my way of furthering my own understanding."

While I am not an initiate of the A.'.A.'., but rather the OTO of which I only took my 1st degree oaths back in '94, I feel that I may be able to answer some of this from an outside perspective. I do not claim to have acheive K&C of my HGA but rather have spent more than 20 years practicing ceremonial magick. I have had friends who were initiates in one of the Thelemic orders or other, in the GD and in Wiccan circles. I was interested in the COT and AA over 15 years ago. I still could be but I am getting off the point. Why would it be necessary to have any connection with the self-initiation process? It isn't like you can't get the attainment on your own. After all isn't that what Abramelin is all about? The publishing of that book was a deomonstration of self-initiation. The originalSecret Cheif was a person who accomplished this very thing. The grading system is man made no matter how you look at it from whatever order. If there wasn't an ability to make this connection without initiation it wouldn't happen.

Most of the people I know who need to feel a connection with an order are doing it. Those that don't are less than interested in what an adept has to say about their accomplishments. Your connection with the "profane" is the grading system. If someone is prepared and wants to be subjected to it and are a worthy student I don't see the AA, COT or most other orders keeping them out. I think the saying goes, "When the student is ready, a teacher will appear..." or something like that. Like I said since the late 80's I've had several people in my life that I would consider to be enlightened and that has worked for me.

When I settle down and decide to stay in an area for long enough that I feel I can devote my time and energy in a matter appropriate for a better education I will seek it. For now I know my situation is in transition and I wouldn't be able to give the dedication to an order that I feel is mutually beneficial.

So I guess thanks for the sentiment but I'm not sure it's necessary.

Of course 4,000-8,000 years from now after the English language has been lost and replaced by Modernspeak there will be all kinds of confusion after they discover our lost and forgotten writings. I'm sure that the arguments over how to pronounce such words as knife or honest will abound. I think the content of the argument is interesting but really what do we solve by changing the names in the BotL? Not only was Aiwass bringing us the names of Gods of the Eqinox but there are also codes to be interpreted by the numerical value as well. As we understand the significance it will become clear, right?

There are many passages in holy books worldwide that are spelled incorrectly or spelled wrong for a purpose. I know that in my own operations I have bastardized the pronunciation of certain names in order to give it a new significance. So have many people before me. Let's take Astaroth and use it as an example, when I do Goetic work I work with Astaroth as a seperate entity but I also understand the Christian bastardization of Astarte.

As for Crowley's use of the more ancient Egyptian language at times and the Greek bastardization at others, I think he was using what would be most recognized. If I were creating a Tarot deck that was going to change what most people were familiar with (the traditional decks like the Rider-Waite example) I would want to try and give them something to be familiar with. He does go to correct the pronunciation in The Book of Thoth if memory serves.

Back when I was active was when Sekhet Maat, Panurge and Adonis Apophis were splitting offshoots of the Portland Camp. I was initiated in Portland Camp back in '93.

@Silenci said

"True.

I know this isn't very scientific to say but just judging from my personal interactions with other thelemites, there seems to be a disproportionate amount of yahoos compared to xians. Honestly I think you have to be unhinged to take any religion that serious but thelema so far has proven to me that it's good at breeding elitist, "chosen one" fools.

Besides all that, I've been watching this Donahue for years after he first appeared on Art Bell and his interview that night made me sit up and say, "this dude is potentially dangerous". Now some 5 years later he's killing animals and proclaiming he's the Shia messiah - AL-Mahdi."

I think that when it comes down to it most of the Christians I have every met or known were way more effed up. The difference is that their religion doesn't necessarily approve of some of their activities so they are better at hiding it. At least with Thelema they feel open enough to express it so you know them before they can jack all your shit.

There have only been a couple of instances that I know of where someone was booted from the OTO and it was for conduct. It wasn't because they got caught after 25+ years of child molestation. It was for behavior that would impede another persons free will. IMHO that with the Christian equivelant it isn't too much of a comparison.

I think all religions attract nutcases. If they are trying to fix their issues and without proper understanding and preparation and maybe even some professional help, they are going to go on the trip to crazyland. Happens all the time. It's what leads Christians to blow up abortion clinics.

Yeah, I came over a couple of weeks ago but really haven't had the time to look around until this morning.

I actually took much more than 3 months between my Minerval and 1st degree. Do it at your own pace and don't worry about how long it takes. It is entirely up to your own progress when you should be ready for the next initiation.

@Jim Eshelman said

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

When the Adept knows the name of his or her HGA, that, of course, is what should be used.

But Aiwass is of universal value. Aiwass is 93=418 - the direct messenger of HPK, the bearer of The Book of the Law to humanity. He falls not only in the category of Crowley's HGA, but of a high-ranking "secret Chief" with a specific purpose of communicating the current dispensation to humanity.

As such, vibrating the name aligns one with the ideas of 93 and 418 (among others) and with the Thelemic dispensation in general.

It is also a name in which all can participate, as in group work - when, even if one knows the name of one's own HGA, one generally wouldn't want to say it aloud."

So if we are supposed to keep the name of our HGA secret why would Crowley make his so public?

I have read the first couple of pages in this thread but don't have time to read all of them.

Here's my take on the purpose of the LBRP:
When I perform this ritual it is to clear my circle of physical distraction. The Banishing Earth Pentagram is to banish the physical influences that would distract me from completing whatever operation I am about to undertake. It is simply a way for me to train my mind to not be distracted and to snap to a magickal state of being. I feel mentally, physically and spiritually different once I enter my temple and start the performance of this ritual.