College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

I was speaking with some atheist skeptic friends of mine about "the Church." You see, they are beginning to develop a post-critical appreciation of the power of symbol and ritual (all former Catholics but me), and we came up with the most peculiar comparison: we toyed with the idea of comparing the survival strategy of the Roman Church to that of Apple Computer, Inc.

It spawned such an interesting discussion for us (having mixed feelings about both) that I think I'll just leave it there without taking any position on it at all.

@nderabloodredsky said

""...its secret [O.T.O.'s] was more a matter of personal accomplishment than a form of verbal initiation. It is really useless to describe the method, not because it is a secret, but only because its successful employment demands the ability to concentrate the mind and to visualize keenly, and these are faculties not commonly found."

Can any one demonstrate or describe what the faculties of visualisation and concentration are? I assume that would be part of a standard meditation regime, right? Nothing having to do with sex, per se, right?"

Anything specifically connected with the O.T.O. method is under obligaiton, and I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss much about it.

However, you're asking a more generic question. Yes, Regardie's comment primarily refers simply to the ability to concentrate the mind and keenly visualize. It doesn't matter how you gain this ability. Training in classic dharana (see Liber E, for example) is the basic way, and there are numerous books about other means of improving concentration etc.

There are specific concentration practices taught in the VII° O.T.O., and these serve also as part of further practices distinctive to that system. But, for general preparation, general practices serve best.

@Jim Eshelman said

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@nderabloodredsky said
"thanks for your responses so far, but I just want to highlight that there is seemingly a conflict between the two quotes, one, that the HGA is equivalent to the Higher Self, and two, that it is not. So I am trying to determine which one it is."

Yes. There is both accidental and intentional ambiguity on this matter.

My view is that the question isn't relevant until one gets to the threshold of the event; and, at that point, the question becomes irrelevant. (That's not "fun with words." That's me using every trick I know to say what I mean.) "

Well, O.K. , but in the above quote, he says Crowley spoke in "no uncertain terms", so I don't see why there is ambiguity on this matter, accidental or otherwise.

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Honestly, I don't think knowing whether it is a or b is going to help anyone make the link faster. For example, it doesn't affect method. Furthermore, all the terms being debated have a totally different meaning in the face of the actual experience.

"Also, if HGA = True Will, and if HGA does NOT = Higher Self, then logically the True Will does NOT = Higher Self.
I am not convinced that the above argument is correct, so I am looking for other opinions...."

HGA does not equal True Will. Furthermore, the Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel is not the same experience as the Discovery of the True Will. (In some occassions, they may occur more or less at the same time.)

This is one of the most misleading yet commonplace errors floating around some Thelemic circles."

This helps. Thanks. I do wish you could answer some more of those questions, though.

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If it helps (though maybe it's too poetic to communicate conventionally), I settled sometime back on saying that the True Will is the Voice of the HGA speaking to and through us - often long before the K&C, and certainly after it."

Okay, I see the correlation. You've fit two pieces together, but what about the rest of the puzzle?

It seems rather useless to attempt "proofs" of the Book of the Law unless one's got the whole kit and caboodle.

@JPF said

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Would you agree with my terminology of "Serpent Power"? Or would you call it something else?"

Serpent Power, as I understand it, relates to the raising of the Kundalini energy, which is quite different from the sort of energy you describe.

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How would you categorise the difference? Is it one of quality or quantity?

Although this is not my top priority right now, the way I'm trying to change on this issue is to use my job as a sort of meditation exercise, while using my money to get to a place where I have more resources, rather than more expenses, should I lose my job. That way, a difficult job with high pay just helps me all around.

Try it one way, and then try it another. Then do what feels right. 😀

From what I understand, this is something done after the Q-cross and before the Pentagrams.

Thank you, I love ancient Egyptian art.

93 93/93

Sounds like an amazing class.

If you find anything interesting in your reading of the Stele that the Gardiner-Gunn translation missed, please post on this forum.

@Middleman said

"Big ups to the creators and members of this forum. It's great to find a relatively active Thelema forum with so much useful information. I've never seen a forum with so many views and so few replies. Lots of lurkers I guess."

I agree. Also, in attempting to answer your questions in another thread, I suddenly realised how difficult that is to do, firstly to try and figure out the meaning of your questions, and secondly to see if I could bring forth an answer. It's much easier to simply pick and choose the easy posts to respond to. All this led to the realisation that Mr. Jim Eshelman really makes this forum go. So my personal thanks to him, especially when I disagree.