The Book of the Law
Liber AL vel Legis sub figura CCXX
as delivered by XCIII = 418 to DCLXVI
A.·.A.·. Publication in Class A
Chapter I
1.
Had! The manifestation of Nuit.
2.
The unveiling of the company of heaven.
3.
Every man and every woman is a star.
4.
Every number is infinite; there is no difference.
5.
Help me, o warrior lord of Thebes, in my unveiling before the Children of men!
6.
Be thou Hadit, my secret centre, my heart & my tongue!
7.
Behold! it is revealed by Aiwass the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat.
8.
The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in the Khabs.
9.
Worship then the Khabs, and behold my light shed over you!
10.
Let my servants be few & secret: they shall rule the many & the known.
11.
These are fools that men adore; both their Gods & their men are fools.
12.
Come forth, o children, under the stars, & take your fill of love!
13.
I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy.
14.
Above, the gemmed azure is
The naked splendour of Nuit;
She bends in ecstasy to kiss
The secret ardours of Hadit.
The winged globe, the starry blue,
Are mine, O Ankh-af-na-khonsu!
(Source: thelema.org)
93
As it is written in The Book of the Law, the Law of Thelema is stated as “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” It is further said, “Love is the law, love under will.” The two primary terms in these statements are Will and Love, respectively. In the Greek language, they areThelema (Will) and Agapé (Love). Using the Greek technique of isopsephy, which applies a numerical value to letters, the letters of both of these words when added together equal 93: The relevance of this technique is found in the art of correspondence. When two words have the same value, they are said to have a meaningful connection. In this case, it is considered significant that the two central concepts of Thelema—Will and Love—are of equal value, and therefore have a direct connection. (Just a side note, I read on this same page that ‘93’ is also used as a salutation that Thelemites use to greet each other in person as well as an opening and closing for written correspondence. This custom comes from Crowley’s guideline that Thelemites should greet each other with the Law. However, reciting the entire Law grew cumbersome, in which they shortened it to simply ‘93’.)
Aeon of Horus
History is taken and broken down into a series of Aeons, each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own “formula” of redemption and advancement. According to Aleister Crowley, the last three Aeons have been (1) the Aeon of Isis, (2) the Aeon of Osiris, and (3) the current Aeon of Horus which began in 1904.
The modern Aeon of Horus, with our times of self-realization as well as a growing interest in all things spiritual, is considered to be dominated by the Principle of the Child. The Word of its Law is Thelema (will) which is complimented by Agape (love), and its formula is Abrahadabra. Individuality and finding the “True Will” are the dominant aspects; its formula is that of growth, in consciousness and love, toward self-realization. Of the Aeon of Horus, Crowley writes: And also:
(Source: thelemite)
Liber AL vel Legis: The Book of the Law
The religion known as Thelema was established with the writing of The Book of the Law. It was written (or received) by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904. It contains three chapters, each of which was written down in one hour, beginning at noon, on April 8th, 9th, and 10th. Crowley claims that the author was an entity named Aiwass, whom he later identified as his own Holy Guardian Angel. The teachings within this small book are clearly expressed in the Law of Thelema, expressed by these two phrases: Interpretation of this book is considered a matter for the individual, and openly promoting personal ideas about its meaning is strongly discouraged. Although Crowley expressed the desire to see the Law of Thelema promulgated in all areas of society, success in this endeavor is to be based on others willfully following the the good example of Thelemites rather than by evangelization or direct attempts to convert others. “Success is thy proof: argue not; convert not; talk not over much!” (AL III:42)
Thelema is a religious philosophy that was developed by the early 20th century British writer and ceremonial magician, Aleister Crowley. He believed himself to be the prophet of a new age, the Æon of Horus,based upon a religious experience that he had in Egypt in 1904 By his account, a possibly non-corporeal being that called itself Aiwass contacted him and dictated a text known as The Book of the Law or Liber AL vel Legis, which outlined the principles of Thelema.
The Thelemic pantheon includes a number of deities, focusing primarily on a trinity of deities adapted from ancient Egyptian religion, who are the three speakers of The Book of the Law: Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. The religion is founded upon the idea that the 20th century marked the beginning of the Aeon of Horus, in which a new ethical code would be followed; “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”. This statement indicated that adherents, who are known as Thelemites, should seek out and follow their own True Will rather than their ego’s desires. The religion also emphasizes the ritual practice of Magick.
The word “Thelema” itself is the English transliteration of the Koine Greek noun θέλημα: “will”, from the verb θέλω: to will, wish, purpose. As Crowley developed the religion he wrote widely on the topic, producing what are collectively termed the Holy Books of Thelema. He also included into it ideas from occultism, Yoga and both Eastern and Western mysticism, especially the Qabalah
