College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

@Frater Tenc said

"I'm curious if anyone has an opinion on perhaps certain people with certain mindsets latching onto Thelema, who have a perpetual or frequent 'identity crisis' kind of aspect to their personalities, or lack of direction?

Take, for example, Borderline Personality Disorder - something I unfortunately have, and a sort of "Schizo-OCD" (think Howard Hughes). Anyway, it dawned on me that maybe myself and some others, perhaps use Thelema internally at least as an excuse not to set goals in life.

Why? It seems to me that avolition is in fact optimal to maintain as a Thelemite unless and until one has received his or her True Will. I have made contact with my HGA, and received his name. I've been the kind of person who is good at analyzing and even hyper-intellectualizing, but not actually making decisions, planning physical activity... basically poor executive function.
"

I think people who convert to different religions and philosophies already have this "identity crisis" aspect to their personalities, as you say and I don't think this is just an observation that relates to Thelema. Most people just take their religion to the grave no matter what happens in life, barring having a certain type of personality, and of course internal family group tribe vs greater society type of issues. Philosophies I believe are more malleable based on life experiences and exposure, but again I think people who change them have this identity crisis, just perhaps to a lesser extent.

"So Thelema may attract people who are incapable of making functional mundane decisions because you can only truly employ one's decision-making faculty when you are 5=6? If that were true wouldn't Thelema be attracting 90% of humanity? Lol."

No, I don't really think this is an issue with 90% of humanity. People may make decisions that we do not think of as good decisions, but they make them even if it just seems like they make them based on things set out by their families or communities. Most people don’t seem to have difficultly making choices even if they don't put much thought into them, perhaps because they don't put much thought into them, it makes it easy for them to make choices.

So Ultimately I don't think Thelema causes Avolition per se, but rather those who have it might be drawn towards Thelema as a tool to make decisions.

@Frater Tenc said

"So I've been wondering what could be the significance of the name Abel as my HGA?"

First of all, I doubt that you're cut off forever, though of course that's possible. I mention this not to question the legitimacy of the communication (I really have no opinion on that), but to give you encouragement. Since you got this communication while on drugs, maybe you don't want to rule anything out for the future, eh?

But, my unsolicited opinion aside, let's go back to the solicited opinion...

"Abel," in Hebrew, is spelled Hé Beyth Lamed. It enumerates to 37. This is most importantly the value of the Hebrew word y'chiydah (YChYDH), which literally means "the only one," and technically is the name of the consciousness attributed to Kether, equivalent to the Hindu Atma.

So, in Qabbalistic language, the message of being given this particular name likely is the same as saying, "I am the I Am, or that you should be regarding the voice as being y'chiydah.

37 is also the number of letters in "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." This, which seemingly identified itself with y'chiydah, is also expressing itself as embodying this phrase.

There are many more meanings of 37, which I encourage you to study in depth as a practice in unfolding the meaning of this communication for yourself. For example, according to Paul Case (I haven't checked this myself), each of the important titles and epithets given to Jesus in the New Testament has a value that is a multiple of 37.

Abel (HBL) literally means vapor, breath, vanity, that which is tenuous and fleeting, emptiness, vanity, nothingness, etc.

Several other inspiring Hebrew words add to 37. I leave these for you to uncover on your own; but I particularly mention LBH (an anagram of Abel, which means "your heart." Since 3 x 37 is 111, all multiples of 111 are multiples of 37 (for example, 666 ix 37 x 18).

It is Hebrew LHB (another anagram of Abel), meaning "flame," nd the Greek alea, "heat."

@Frater Tenc said

"Thank you, both. Jim, I like your insight and although I'm in the process now of reverting to my Roman Catholic faith "

This fascinates me...

looking forward to that thread!

I see that these days may come, but the Thelemic Monestaries will more resemble the great halls and cosmic temples of Atlantis rather than monks toiling on the side of a mountain.

Also, for what it's worth, forgery isn't really the right word here. None of the gospels (including the canonical 4) were signed. All of them (including the canonical 4) were written from an individual perspective that generally did not coincide with any of the others. 4 were chosen out of the hundreds by the church fathers to receive the approval of the church. That doesn't necessarily make them any more historical or legitimate than the others.

@Frater Tenc said

"Has anyone ever stumbled upon this site and its various articles?

www.parareligion.ch/

It is interesting, but I'm wondering how legit it might actually be.. starts out seemingly a bit passive-agressive by calling the OTO 'pseudo-Masonic' organization...but the proprietor claims Gnosticism is all about sperm as the seed of life, etc..

I'll post more as I find things in specific I want answers on, but if anyone has comments, let me know ::)"

93,

It has some interesting info on it but it is definitely with a bias against OTO, so take it with a grain of salt.

93 93/93

AFAIK, the various names of Horus, and variations thereof, were very popular and commonly used. Unlikely any direct Thelemic connections.

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

Good to know. It's not stupid or ignorant at all, considering you quickly realized all that. That's the way. 😀

Love is the law, love under will.

As long as we are apart of current states of reality. People and the their individual wills will inevitably clash. We are so far away from the concept of living in a world without such collisions. If we lived in a world without clashing then pretty much all the individual paradigms views of what is right or wrong, or acceptable socially or privately must eventually be absorbed by those who are not seeking to do their own will but by those who have issues with the will of others. The enemies of allowing will to reign are those brought on by the religions of our world.that practice a set standard of dillusional set of morals that are representatives of the paradigms of their individual religions.
And because.of these 'morals' the followers of these paradigms are ohligated to morally cleanse the world from.those of.us that would allow such free wills to.exsist.without clashing....

I totally agree.

The dance behind the ritual itself is where the real power originates. This is played out in the ritual by vibrating divine names in different quarters.

We should note all the elemental attributions to quarters as defined by sepher yetzirah, issaic the blind, etc.. to observe the cabalistic pattern of such a ritual.

😉

This thread is what lead me to this group. I was in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous for 10+ years but now have over 5 years of real positive quality of life sobriety since my last drink or drug. I must admit that actually working the 12 steps is what began me on a path of spiritual awakening. After haphazardly trying a few different common religions including the one I was raised with all with little or no results, I actually found some sort of connection with some form of God hanging out with a bunch of sober drunks and addicts. I didn't really choose AA. I was driven to AA by way of being beat into physical, mental and spiritual submission by my addictive demons.

AA not only saved my life, it gave me a chance to turn it into something magical and now everyday, good or bad, is nothing short of being wonderful and magnificent especially compared to before. That said, being born a non-conformist I have expanded on the 11th step and it has taken me places I deem inappropriate for discussion inside the meetings of AA.

About 4 years ago I starting reading books like "The Secret", (which I now personally find as a new hokey way to deliver an old magickal tool to the masses), The Abraham-Hicks Law of Attraction books/CDs, and a few other books on Intent, visualization and the Law of Attraction. I believe I have actually been successful in applying these techniques to my life as I have seen the types of positive changes in my career and my relationships that I had never experienced before. These positive results have led me even deeper into occult studies and practices and I have now found myself at the doorway to Thelema. So, now I find myself in an awkward position with my sponsor and have been contemplating how to let him in on my new found spiritual path. My perceived issues at stake are a) him being a practicing Methodist Christian and being unfamiliar or suspicious of anything occult and b) my ability to present these concepts to him in a coherent and meaningful way being relatively new to these ideas myself. This conversation with him is inevitably a matter of time and based on my past experiences with him I bet he will surprise me, and once again the fears are of my own making. We'll see.

Anyway, I love what has been said so far in this thread and I am so glad I am not the only one in recovery with these types of dilemmas. I will keep you guys posted 😄 - Indagator

Soap box?
We are merely sharing ideas, thoughts, experiences...
In the course of a discussion.
I am enjoying myself, I hope others are as well,
So I continue.

I think he might have been 😆

David Myatt famously praised 9/11. I was thinking about terrorism from a demand-based standpoint.

So we interpellate on the Earth, and peoples' sutures are projecting. So say I'm a martial arts expert. But you lose in some other sutured field of expertise. But that's not why, right?

But, as people know, to people, on the planet, that's why.

So you're still thinking about this guy when you notice there's terrorism on the planet. And hey, I'm pool on the Earth for terrorism. So say I join a terrorist organization to YOU.

And that's where there's terrorism on the planet to people, and say the pool generally doesn't want it on the planet. That's where we're afraid of terrorism. So we can describe/define terrorism as "annoying."

It reminds me of an episode of the Sarah Silverman Show, a show I didn't find that funny. There are two guys in a long-term relationship, and one of them suggests the other should try something new at the diner, say, a Tab soda. This is instead of a Coke, which he usually orders.

So the other guy's like, yeah, why don't I just order a Tab soda? And the other guy has to keep going along with it. Are you going to go back on that?

So we get really into Tab soda. And this goes on and on for the duration of the episode, to the point where they even drive a Tab soda car and visit the Tab soda factory. Cause yeah, why don't I order a Tab soda?

So we all have demand for terrorism, so say I'm a terrorist TO YOU, because I don't want your demand, but I'll pool it on the planet with terrorism.

So what this works out to is you get "that's who I am to people" with "not-pool" as a terrorist and "that's why."

So what I'm wondering is, was David Myatt just a really nice guy who they thought they pooled (but really didn't) and decided to go Tab Soda on the pool's demand with terrorist? Cause that's who I am to you?

I was looking at a picture of him at a monastary, and honestly, he looks maybe a bit awkward, like me in Facebook pictures at high school as an usher at a wedding.

And that's why he's Anton Long?

@Takamba said

"
@Q789 said
"After doing too many in one day i got a very stark feeling, like electricity had been running through me"

Is that like saying "After taking too many showers in one day I got a very stark feeling, like I stopped smelling my own stink?""

Or like saying,
"After not eating synthetic preservatives in food for ten years, I got a very stark feeling , like I stopped being so sluggish, lazy, and tired all the time, and stopped aging so fast."

😉

Here's to starkness then, my Friend.

Or you could like a planter play with the dirt between your fingers, noticing it's heat, it's granularity (not all earths are the same), it's connectiveness (if there's any "wood" tying it together), it's weight (humus is moist, sand can be dry, moisture holds more weight), the nature of it's richness, whether it's been supplied attentiveness by consciousness be it rain, worm, ant or you, and thus made more characteristic of a particular kind of earth, which indicates what kinds of elemental influences have been signature of it's nature.

This can provide a multiordinal dimensional intensity of engagement with the element earth. Not to be done without the astral and mental work, but, in it's own way, satifactorally satifying it. The Thelemite should not be afraid to get his hands dirty.

@Veronica said

"
"I doubt our lady Nuit would reveal drugs produced by her and her perfect Nature and our Mother Gaia that had been tampered with by someone's ancestors for addictive qualities. "

I think either I did not articulate myself well, or you didn't understand me.

When I read your post, I will admit that your choice of words rubbed me as someone who believes that Nature is for humans to do with as they please. You choice of words were almost identical to words I have heard come from people who have IMO exploited and misused natural resources.

But that could have just been my misunderstanding.

I was trying to articulate that these drugs you espouse, came about long before humans, and the properties you adore are actually beneficial to the plant and it's ecosystem.

The fact that you get high off them is IMO just like a pretty bow on top of a present, a nice bonus and a lovely touch.

I also was attempting to share with you that I have a firm belief that human ancestors, a long time ago knew about the Bonus properties, and like the bully on the playground, or the sweat shop operator, figured out that some people really need to be controlled, some really need a hand, and some are to smart and should be squashed down and sedated so that they don't interfer with the fantastic production of civilization.
I am sorry I don't understand the rest of your post, I think you are referencing AC, but IDK. I personally think it is utter BS to think that you need to consume a substance to alter your mind, expand you heart, or get light and lovey. But that's me, I have a unique composition, and a highly active pituitary gland which can secret all the nature dope I may need.

I believe that drug dealers are the second oldest professionals......

And Vlad, I am sorry I don't have any links to quick little reads about how I came to this belief. I have studied sociology, history, psychology as well as botany and chemistry. I can provide books if you are so inclined."

I am sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. I did used to be one of those people to abuse nature.

In fact, that was the plan for me. To eat away at a very tasty part of nature until I felt like I had hurt enough/felt enough/learned enough and didn't need it anymore.

Please understand, some people do opiates for decades before they come to the understanding.. but most of them do not practice Magick or meditation.

The effects I "adore" happen to be the fact that I haven't aged much in ten years, and in the past few years of not using habitually. Crowley goes into this a bit, but it's documented that Opiates keep one from aging. It's the human's responsiblity, if one goes this route, to figure out how to do this on their own.

That's the entire evolutionary process of herbal sacraments.

Did you know that when humans were first here, before they were slaves for mining and whatnot, they couldn't talk or communicate or take orders.

Psychedelic mushrooms were introduced and the language centers grew, the monkeys evolved, and then were smart enough to work and take orders, and eventually smart enough to rebel.

Believe me, it's all too often I hear people speak of these things and I hear the darkness trying to break though and influence negatively.

It has taken me years to break through such darkness. I feel the "darkness" that pervades me now is for others' protection, like the ape of Thoth.

Have phun, Kids. And remember, always unto our sacred Lady Nuit of the Stars!!

Anything else, and you're gonna have a trashcan full of vomit or something else nasty somewhere near you sometime soon. (Alcohol, Opiates, Coke, you name it.)

@Frater Tenc said

"93, all

I notice in The Equinox Vol I Section II where it has the LBPR, it says to use the wand to draw the pentagrams. I've been using a separate dagger from the "air knife" kept on my altar. One used in WWII actually that belonged to my grandfather. Is this okay, or should I be using the air dagger? Also: Should I get a separate long sword besides the ritual daggers I have? Or does Crowley mean the dagger when he says sword?"

Personally I'd not use a military knife in ritual, too many associations for my liking; something Virgin, i.e. not used before for anyone else would be best.

The whole air knife thing is very wiccan, I just have the one dagger as per liber ABA.

Also, I think when he says knife he means knife.