@Halcyon said
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Something similar to that (though a bit more extensive) is a standard, mandatory practice in both Course I of College of Thelema and the first initiated degree of Temple of Thelema."
Jim, do you find that this helps students formulate a clearer motto - as in a more personal/meaningful aspiration based on their background?"
That's not a task in front of the two groups I mentioned when they are doing this assignment. (For example, in Temple of Thelema they already have their motto by the time they undertake this.) However, yes, it would certianly have that benefit.
"Since I started reading Crowley's work over the last year I've often wondered why more explicit introspection was not included in the program."
Despite the writings of Freud and his peers and predecessors, psychology as we know it today was essentially unknown in the years that the A.'.A.'. system was created. - Despite this, there is a very great deal of introspection in the specific process, in A.'.A.'., by which one moves from 0=0 to 1=10.
College of Thelema and Temple of Thelema explicitly incorporate much of what has been learned (over the last century) about self-knowledge.
"In the A.'.A.'. curriculum character transformation is tackled (explicitly) after a while, but there doesn't seem to be the same taking stock period before hand - or at least little guidance seems to be given. Any thoughts on why this isn't stressed more explicitly in the A.'.A.'. curriculum?"
See above for the main reason. On the other hand - that's what why you've got a Superior in the Order! That individual is to serve as teacher, guru, therapist, guide, and numerous related roles, including to have sufficient insight and forthrightness to bring you to come up against character imbalances.