Crowley the Great Beast 666

It Ain't That Complicated

If you are here, obviously, you have an interest in the man and Thelema. I'm sure you've investigated other sites and found that while the words LOOK like English, they are...well, convoluted and impossible to understand.

I call it "Male Thelemic Meta-speak." Or, bullshit attempts to baffle brains. It ain't that complicated. Crowley developed a new way of living, a new belief system, for that particular time in history. His way of writing, expressing himself was that of his social class in England.

This is 2010. I live in North America; that type of archaic use of the English language is simply no longer relevant. Times change, society changes, language changes and beliefs change. I've happened upon a lot of Thelemites (for the most part, male) who simply don't get it.

They attempt to find things, to impose themselves on a system that is not that hard to understand, nor does it need to be picked apart until it makes no sense at all, anymore. However, they insist on dissecting it and then trying to put it back together again. As with most things men pick apart, there are always parts left on the floor.

Take it - take Thelema and put it into modern perspective, for crying out loud.

Pomp and circumstance was the order of the day during Crowley's life time. It was all about the show, regardless of the event. Dressing up in fancy clothes and looking important; sounding mysterious or grandiose was simply the style - it was what they did, back then.

This mindset lent itself to all facets of life, including Thelema.

A prime example is the Thelemic ritual. Frankly? That was then, this is now. Yes, I've tried it in the manner in which it was created and I felt like a pompous ass. Just because Crowley did it THAT way, doesn't mean that it is workable or even relevant now.

With all due respect to Lon DuQuette - a man I much admire - the whole intoning of Hebrew and arm flailing isn't necessary. Personally, I've done away with the Hebrew. It isn't a language that has any meaning to me. I'm a modern North American. There's no silly shouting or poking at the air. I get more out of my modern rituals than I ever managed with the old-fashioned Ceremonial thing. Ceremony is a play. It is a show. It has no place in belief, at least not in mine.

Are the Deities/Higher Powers so obtuse that English is not something understood? Is Hebrew all they understand? And it is my firm belief that the intent is the all important ingredient in any ritual. Ceremonial or otherwise. Language? Not at all. Any deity higher or lower power that doesn't understand intent isn't worthy of a ritual.

As man's consciousness rises, the trappings of belief fall away or rather they should. Thelemites are a little behind in that regard.

Imagine, if you will, that belief didn't evolve along with mankind? We'd still be sacrificing babies and livestock. We'd still believe that a thunderstorm is an angry god.

Belief must evolve along with the adherents. Look around at what happens when they don't...examples: the Westboro Baptist freaks or further east...the Vatican.

Thelema is based on a few laws:

The strong will survive.
Every herd has a leader.
Will is all.

The last one is the most important. How you celebrate, how you design your rituals or live your life is YOUR Will, not some overstuffed, pretentious asshead in a robe.

Every Man AND Woman is a star; there is no codicil stating that some are more important than others. EVERYONE is a star.

It really is time to move on and up, within Thelema. It is time to make this whole thing relevant and some relic of times gone by. It is not only possible to do but it is necessary. It is urgent. Thelema is in real danger of becoming, if not an oddity in time but a joke.