College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

Thank you for the great responses. I feel you have most sufficiently answered my question.

What do I need to memorize though? Surely someone who hasn't even become a Probationer can't be responsible for knowing all of the tables in 777?

Let me start off by saying that I am a Student of the A∴A∴ associated with the O.T.O. and I am posting here mainly because this is really the only active Thelema forum I know of. I have already sent the question the Order, but it is taking them awhile to respond.

My question is how should I go about studying the Student Reading Curriculum. For some books this is relatively "simple" for instance Raja Yoga. I am currently having the most difficulty with the material written by Crowley. How does one go about studying 777, The Goetia, or the more cryptic portions of The Equinox?

It is extremely frustrating. There simply must be a more productive way about going through this, or I fear I will never become a Probationer.

@The Ill-Made Knigh said

"93!
Wondering about Hrumachis, as mentioned in Liber AL.
Is the next Aeon to be of Hrumachis, or of Ma'at?
Can this be known? Should we even care, as Thelemites?
Opinion?
93/93"

The teachings of Horus have yet to even compare with the influence of those of Osiris who reigned the last generation. Until the teachings of Thelema become at least as popular as those of Christianity I don't think you have to worry about it. And I don't think that any of us will most likely see that in this lifetime.

Thank you to everyone who posted.

I now feel like I understand The Book of the Law. After thinking and meditating upon it today I feel as if I understand why the "restriction" is imposed. By accepting it, without the ability to make changes, leads us to naturally question it. It is only after we question it that we can realize its greatness.

I hope that wasn't too confusing.

"I think you are confusing "accept The Book of the Law" with "believe what The Book of the Law says." It doesn't mean that. But it does mean to accept it for what it is without any desire to make it into something else. It is also used mcuh as postulates are used in mathematics: This is our philosophical foundation, and working from these premises, such and so occurs. You don't actually have to believe anything. Instead, you are undertaking a years-long experiment of acting in a fashion consistent with a set of postulates. Nonetheless..."

Interesting. So are you saying that you could accept The Book of the Law as bieng false, yet still be considered a Thelemite? Any concept within mathematics could (and most likely would) be changed if deemed false. While this might is extreamly unlikely, if the founding mathematical principals were found to be wrong they would be changed. The idea that even if The Book of the Law is well established, the fact that it can't be changed under any circumstances seems to me to be ridiculous.

"...we're back at the point from the beginning: Scientific Illuminism is not a Thelemic matter per se. It's an A.'.A.'. guiding principle; but you won't find anything about it anywhere in The Book of the Law."

Perhaps Scientific Illuminism isn't technically a Thelemic principle. Still I don't understand why anyone wouldn't attempt to test the theories of Thelema, as this would make them simply mindless sheep. This to me doesn't seem like an A.'.A.'. idea as much as a common sence one. By making people accept a book without being able to make any changes, makes scientific testing useless. If the Book of the Law needs no changes why not let people come to this conclusion themselves rather than dictating it as a requirement of Thelema?

First of all I am new to both this forum and Thelema. It is not my intention to come off as trolling, by going against many of the accepted rules of Thelema such as discussing the Book of Law.

What originally attracted me to Thelema is the attempt is the application of the scientific method to religion. If my understanding is correct in Thelema this method is used to help each individual upon his or her spiritual path. Crowley wasn't a man who would accept anything without testing it for himself, and he certainly didn't want his followers to act as mindless cattle.

With this being understood, it seems hard for me to understand why nearly every Thelemic group has as a requirement to accept the Book of Law without wishing to make changes to it. If someone tested this for his or herself and found the book would not be of use to him or her, would that not make him or her a Thelemite? Does not the founding book of Thelema seem paridoxical to the nature of Scientific Illuminism?

I'm kind of jumping around, and to be quite honest I have just started. I have only finished the Tao Teh Ching and Equinox Volume 1. Currently I'm reading The Equinox Volume 2 and trying to grasp as much as I can of Liber 777.

Its dense stuff though. I expect to be in the student period **at least **6 months.

Hello I am Ioaness. I have been practicing ceremonial magick for about a year now, though I have been reading about it for much longer. The reason I came here is because I am new to Thelema, and I am attempting to study the student reading list of the A:.A:. which is quite a daunting task.

I am a classically trained pianist/violinist. Music is a large part of my life. I enjoy literature, animals, cinema, and art. Thats enough about me though, I am much more interested in meeting fellow Thelemites.