written by David Bersson
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Many years ago but not so many that it is not yet clear in my memory I had a reaction from a student who made the ridiculous remark that I take the Book of the Law literally. Knowing how the planes manifest as an initiate I was surprised that the member who stated this did not seem to be educated toward something that I considered to be a normal intellect. For a split second I was insulted and wondered what manner of a moron could make such an idiot statement but more or less remained silent where I realized that such concepts were not directly given a place in the sun where they shine with clarity and elaboration. This essay will assist not only that initiate who yet exists in our Hierarchy but has grown considerably over the years. At last I am giving a clear lecture on this tedious subject which will now be explained for those who are struggling with planes of existence of civilization or their manifested woven khu from the khabs.
The Book of the Law is adaptable to any level of civilization whether it is technologically advanced, medieval or even hunter gatherer. The Law of Θελημα does not bring you down to its level of civilization it adapts you towards the growth of a higher civilization. The concept of the Book of the Law's level of civilization is negated by its volition vibrating throughout every line. We call this vibration or current the 93 Current which manifests by pragmatic application of its supernal to manifest into the Plane of Disks. Θελημα has been often been simultaneously named the very system but this interpretation is for only a school of thought of another True Will. As any Divine Oracle which has been called a Class A Document it has truth on many planes. You must carefully distinguish between the concept of the Divine Oracle which is an important part of ancient polytheism and the concept of channeling which being a modern terminology comes from people on the level of the mere medium where stone age mysticism is the best they can do they channel any number of lowly spirits and ghosts and ignore the Divine Oracle which is always Supernal.
Θελημα is the word of the law and therefore volition vibrates every line. From this school of thought labeling Θελημα the system Itself might be misleading. I offer no objection to the previous interpretation merely to place this other insight as a primal insight on the table for initiates to develop.
Presenting this insight the Thelemite must ponder how this vibration of lines of volition will be pragmatically applied to any level of civilization to properly interpret the means to advance its civilization. A Thelemite in a hunter gatherer civilization might see certain traits in other tribes to be obsolete from the Curses in the Third Chapter and declare war upon that tribe to promote his insight or aspiration to improve his civilization. He might even callously proclaim they are no longer of this world and perpetuate a much stronger opposition than a Thelemite who exists in a Medieval Civilization where Knights, Kings, Wizards and the "Chivalry required" as the habit of aristocracy of that era. So his reaction to other nations or tribes might be of a completely different strategic war maneuver where examples and public proclamations on the superiority of his civilization might be given by means of example or even propaganda. Clearly, each level of civilization will interpret how to not convert and yet present its system of interpretation by some manner of example.
All this very important to ponder where we presently exist in a technological civilization and trying to toss the Book of the Law on the laps of present day aspirants without the commentaries and writings of the Master Therion might shift the entire civilization retrograde if a tyrant throwback of a more savage civilization were to try to apply it. This might result in the genocide of any number of cultures where ignoring Aleister Crowley's advanced insights would only create needless gestures of extremism. Clearly if the Book of the Law had been tossed on the lap of an ancient Egyptian Scribe in his native Hieroglyphics history might of entered a technological age centuries prior and old Egypt would of survived the various invasions to arise It to the pinnacles of civilization. Perhaps the Aeon of Asar had to work its influence upon civilization so the Aeon of Horus could manifest when it manifested in 1904 e.v.. I leave the mystical philosophers to fight it out and continue with my article.
The purging of the prophet of any number of systems should be carefully studied. The wisdom of insisting on the method of science with the aim of religion moves the Book of the Law to a civilization that can safely state is consistent with a technological civilization. Taking it from here nothing retrograde occurs from the interpretations of how civilization should advance. We now can meditate on how the Temple of Nuit is sacred to the space programs and other correspondences that would not exist with the hunter gatherer interpretation of the Book of the Law. Well, this interpretation might be valid for here on planet earth but we cannot anticipate how it would be if all Aleister Crowley's guidance with his writings were lost on a Goldilocks Planet being colonized where the colonist were to apply the Book of the Law for the new colony. In this scenario to develop our insight to see levels of civilization from the perspective of those who exist in different stages of civilization we have an alchemy of hunter gatherer civilization with advanced technologies. Naturally, if the Master Therion's writing are intact with the Book of the Law we have the human race starting over on a Goldilocks Planet where free from other nations or tribes might build an even more advanced civilization that presently exists.
Clearly, the alpha male tribe leader of a hunter gatherer civilization is going to make moves that might seem too literal to the more spiritually advanced High Priestess who wants to be girt with a sword and cease what she considers to be a misuse of power where she knows that all power is given to her and she must step up to show her insights so the tribal leader would see her advanced interpretation. This is clearly hypothetical but I present such scenario so meditations can assist the aspirant toward sublime correspondence for clarity.
This school of thought where we study levels of civilization retrograde in time or otherwise will assist the aspirant to perceive how a real Divine Oracle aka a Class A Document can exist on many planes of existence for whom ever dwells and is brought up in any number of levels of civilization. Shall we detail the case scenario of my Instructor, Marcelo Motta who attended Military school, endured a revolution in the sixties e.v., had to take his own family to court for his inheritance, had an Instructor (Karl Germer) that was in several concentration camps of the Nazis, who gave his preliminary insights in a Commentaries of the Book of the Law in 1975 e.v. where he found some of A.C.'s notes on the Book of the Law to be magically irrelevant! It should be worthy of comment that suddenly levels of civilization brings us to a deeper appreciation and understanding of his magical career and initiations where he constantly surprises Thelemites by persistent originality with insights. Or the failure of the aspirant whose father was a Baptist Preacher in the deep south where his upbringing was on a level of civilization so demanding that his inferiority complex made him fail compared to the other successful aspirant who father was a Mechanical Engineer at Carrier Corporation where industry, blueprints, and technologies was emphasized as early as elementary school. In this case scenario, we have more than one example how Government transition, educational or religious upbringing, and family career affiliation whether it is religion or science can influence the interpretation of a Divine Oracle like the Book of the Law in excellent examples of levels of civilization vibrating the 93 Current of volition to bring insights that would be unforeseen to each other.
So from this essay we can now begin a new series of meditations where levels of civilization where the Book of the Law is applied you can come to intelligent insights how literal decisions would be, should be or could be.
Love is the law, love under will