Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Introduction.

The hexagram ritual is required for any serious working. The Great Work happens in the space consecrated by the Hexagram. Work done under the auspices of the Pentagram may be supportive, but it is ultimately the realm of man and the material world. The hexagram is the realm of god and the spirit.

To put it another way, the pentagram raises one to the cross of the elements to allow one to exert force over Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. These, in turn, influence Malkuth. The hexagram rite places you in Tiphareth which is a far more stable location, being a sephirah. In addition, it brings in the energy of Geburah and Chesed. Even the supernals bring their influence down through the abyss.

The pentagram ritual is below the Veil of Parkoreth. The hexagram ritual is performed from the place of Knowledge and Conversation of one’s Holy Guardian Angel.

The importance of the hexagram ritual is shown by its inclusion in Liber O¹, the primary introductory text for Thelemic magick. Essentially, the hexagram ritual is in the same tier as learning how to assume a god-form, vibrate a holy name, perform the pentagram ritual, and of learning the basics of Astral Projection.

Crowley’s primary source for Hermetica was the Golden Dawn, and the Golden Dawn does have a hexagram ritual. In my copy of Regardie’s The Golden Dawn, it can be found on pages 287-299.² As David Cherubim points out in his commentary on his version of the ritual. The original Golden Dawn hexagram ritual begins and ends with a Qabalistic Cross identical to the Pentagram Ritual. Crowley changed this to the “Analysis of the Key Word”. This text is lifted from the Golden Dawn’s Adeptus Minor ritual³ (i.e., Tiphareth).

Basic Format of the Ritual

The rituals of the hexagram, both Lesser and Greater, follow a threefold format of “Analysis of the Key Word” (included the Signs +LVX), Invocation of the Quarters, followed by another “Analysis of the Key Word” to close.

The hexagram is a six-pointed star made of two triangles, one pointing down, the other pointing up. Each point is attributed to a planet, with the center being reserved for the sun. The planet for each point corresponds to whichever planet governs the sephirah to which that point would correspond on The Tree of Life with Tiphareth being its center. Starting at the bottom-most point, we have the Moon, Luna, attributed to Yesod. The Lower Right would be Venus, then Jupiter. The top point would be Saturn as the only sephirah in the supernal triad to have a planet. The top left corresponds to Geburah and thus Mars. Below that is the planet Mercury. We will discuss these in greater detail in the section on planetary and zodiacal hexagrams for the Greater Hexagram Rite.

The Signs +LVX

The Signs +LVX are given immediately after the Analysis of the Keyword. They are also referred to as L.V.X., Lux, or the Signs of Light. They, along with the god-forms for the Greater and Supreme Pentagram Rituals, are given at the beginning of Liber O⁴.

The traditional names for these signs are:

• + : Feet together, back straight, arms straight out to the sides, forming a cross. This is “The Sign of Osiris Slain.”

• L : A bit difficult to describe. Stand on the left foot. Bend the right knee back so that the toes are touching the ground. The right arm extends to the right, upper arm parallel to the ground, bending upward 90° at the elbow. The head is looking down the left arm which is also a 90° bend, but downward. It is called “The Sign of the Mourning of Isis.”

• V : Feet together, back straight, arms straight pointing upwards at 30° from spine (making arms into a 60° angle) and being “The Sign of Apophis and Typhon.”

• X : Feet together, back straight, cross the arms over the chest, bow head, and we have “The Sign of Osiris Risen.”

As we shall see, the commands from Liber AL⁵ to find new symbols (II:55) and to cleanse the rituals (I:49, II:5) will come into play later.

The Elemental Hexagrams

The Lesser Rite uses the Elemental Hexagrams. All are drawn starting with the uppermost point of the upward pointing triangle for the first, then from the apex of the second triangle. Invoking hexagrams are drawn clockwise, or doesil, and banishing hexagrams are drawn counter-clockwise, or widdershins. The Elemental Hexagrams are

• Fire: East: Two upright triangles with the apex of the second triangle located in the center of the first.

• Earth: South: The traditional interlocked hexagram.

• Air: West: The two triangles share a common base. A diamond with a horizontal line in the center.

• Water: North: The two triangles share a common apex. I think it looks like a goblet or grail.

ARARITA

Both the Lesser and Greater Rituals of the Hexagram make use of the term ARARITA. ARARITA is notariqon, that is, a Qabalistic acronym, for the Hebrew phrase “Achad Rosh Achdotho Rosh Ichudo Temurato Achad⁶” or “Achad Rayshethoh, Achad Resh Yechidathoh, Temurathoh Achod⁷.” Since I am not well-versed in actual Hebrew, I am unsure which of these two offered phrases is correct. The point is moot as I have, as yet, to find a ritual that uses the entire phrase. Regardless, the meaning of the phrase for which ARARITA is an acronym is, “One is His beginning, One is His individuality, His permutation is One.” 

Each letter has its own planetary attribution. The Golden Dawn attributions are, in order, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercury, and Luna. Note: this is just the standard Qabalistic ordering of the planets on the Tree of Life. Crowley, probably offended by the asymmetry of this arrangement, changed the attributions to place the three Alephs at Saturn, Venus, and Mercury. This places them all on the upright triangle. The descending triangle is formed with the two Reshes being at Jupiter and Mars, with the Tav being at Luna. Since Thelemic Magick is about Harmony and the Way, I find Crowley’s attributions more aesthetically pleasing in both an emotional and intellectual sense⁸.

Script for Lesser Hexagram Ritual

The following script for the Lesser Hexagram Ritual is adapted from Liber O⁹.

The Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram.

1. Analysis of the Keyword

   1. Stand upright, feet together, left arm at side, right across body, holding the wand or other weapon upright in the median line.

   2. Face East and say:

      1. I.N.R.I.

      2. Yod, Noon, Resh, Yod.

      3. Virgo: Isis, Mighty Mother.

      4. Scorpio: Apophis, Destroyer

      5. Sol: Osiris, Slain and Risen.

      6. Isis, Apophis, Osiris.

      7. IAO [Vibrate]

   3. Extend the arms in the form of a cross, and say: “The Sign of Osiris Slain.”

   4. Raise the right arm to point upwards, keeping the elbow square, and lower the left arm to point downwards, keeping the elbow square, while turning the head over the left shoulder looking down so that the eyes follow the left forearm, and say, “The Sign of the Mourning of Isis.”

   5. Raise the arms at an angle of sixty degrees to each other above the head, which is thrown back, and say, “The Sign of Apophis and Typhon.”

   6. Cross the arms on the breast, and bow the head and say, “The Sign of Osiris Risen.”

   7. Extend the arms again making the Sign of Osiris Slain and cross them again to form the Sign of Osiris Risen saying: “L.V.X., Lux, the Light of the Cross”.

2. Invocation of the Quarters.

   1. With the magical weapon trace the Hexagram of Fire in the East, vibrating, “ARARITA.”

   2. Trace the Hexagram of Earth in the South, vibrating, “ARARITA.”

   3. Trace the Hexagram of Air in the West, vibrating, “ARARITA.”

   4. Trace the hexagram of Water in the North, vibrating, “ARARITA.”

3. Repeat part one, “Analysis of the Keyword.”

Difference between Greater and Lesser Hexagram Rituals

While preparing this script, a question came up on Reddit¹⁰ regarding the Greater Hexagram Ritual. This resulted in a dialog with a user by the name of “automaticbiographies.” After some research, both in Regardie’s The Golden Dawn and online, primarily the blog “Within the Pyramid¹¹” which has a post on the topic, I discovered that I was actually wrong, but now that I have realized it, I am now correct, and one step closer to perfection. Truth is found in the Rubble of Falsehood. Anyway, in my defense, all I had when I crafted my interpretation was a copy of Liber O from Gems from the Equinox.

My interpretation of “In all cases use a conjuration first with ARARITA, and next with the name of the God...” was that, in a manner similar to the Greater Pentagram Ritual, one utilized two hexagrams per quarter. The first would be the elemental hexagram, charged with ARARITA, and the second would be the planetary hexagram, charged with the appropriate God-name. Liber O is a bit ambiguous.

However, in Regardie’s The Golden Dawn, on page 299, in an addendum, it tells us to vibrate the God-name + “ARARITA” + the letter for the planet in the word ARARITA. The whole ritual is very complicated, involving the elemental hexagrams being drawn from the planetary points, then the hexagram of the planet being done in the direction of the actual planet, etcetera. Anyone interested in all the details can look up the section in The Golden Dawn.

Fortunately, Crowley included the Hexagram Ritual when he corrected the rituals of “the old time.” All that is required is that one make the hexagram appropriate for the planet being invoked. For the Zodiac, one uses the hexagram for whichever of the traditional seven planets rules that sign (e.g., Leo would use Sol). The invocation of the Hexagram is done with the key-word ARARITA plus the appropriate god name (e.g., the hexagram of Leo would be “ARARITA YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH”).

God-names and Planetary Hexagrams

The Hexagrams and God-names for the planets and Zodiacal signs are as follows¹²:

It should be noted that the Hebrew terms are gender neutral. I just used the title appropriate for the sex attributed to the planet in standard Western Hermeticism.

Hexagrams are traced clockwise to invoke and counter-clockwise to banish. One starts with the point corresponding to the appropriate planet or sign. One then traces the second triangle from the opposing point. For example, to trace the Hexagram for Venus, one would start with the right corner of the upward pointing triangle, then the left corner of the downward pointing triangle. Jupiter would start with the right corner of the downward pointing triangle and follow with the left corner of the upward pointing triangle. Please refer to the diagram for more detail.

Thelemic Variation of the Hexagram Ritual

There are two common variations variations for creating a Thelemic Hexagram Ritual. You may use either or both. The first one is to utilize a unicursal hexagram. I am not that thrilled with this approach. While the unicursal hexagram is commonly associated with Thelema, it, like the cross, predates the system that is known for using it. According to SymbolSage¹³, the first known use was in 1588 by Giordano Bruno in a paper titled “Essays upon the Mathematics of Mordente.” Feel free to use it and let us know if there are any changes in efficacy. I will stick to the triangles. If for no other reason, then to give some continuity from the lesser to the greater versions of the Hexagram Rite.

The version I prefer is for the attribution of “new symbols” as per AL II:55. I was first told about these attributions by the author Gerald del Campo back when I was a wee lad and still a member of the OTO. I believe he got it from David Cheribum, though he may have just pulled it from his own initiatory knowledge. In a previous version of this work, it was pointed out that the forms were pulled from the V°. This attribution can be confirmed in The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O. by Francis King¹⁴.

Essentially, these are changes made by Crowley. They may only be relevant to the V°, but I do not feel this to be the case. The new symbols for the signs +LVX are:

• + : “The Sign of ‘Orus.”

• L : “The Sign of the Dance of Asi.”

• V : “The Sign of the Joy of Iacchus.”

• X : “The Sign of the Blazing Star.”

Note that this would necessitate modifying the “Analysis of the Key Word.”

• I.N.R.I.

• Yod, Noon, Resh, Yod.

• Virgo: Iacchus, Holy Father.

• Scorpio: Asi, Holy Mother.

• Sol: ‘Orus, Holy Child.

• Iacchus, Asi, ‘Orus.

• IAO [Vibrate]

Conclusion

As you can see, the Hexagram Rite was modified rather heavily by Crowley to begin with. However, the version in Liber O retains its old aeonic symbolism in its Analysis of the Key-word. I doubt anyone failed to see the rather heavy-handed symbolism of Osiris being Jesus, Isis being Mary, and Typhon being Satan. Since the advent of the Law, this symbolism, while still valid, has lost its impact. Instead, we have the dialectical process of Male and Female uniting to create a Child. The Thelemic attributions of the +LVX Signs utilizes the new formula of the new aeon, the Aeon of Horus.

I have included scripts for both the Lesser and Greater Hexagram Rituals as appendices. For those listening to the video, they can be found on my Locals page, link is in the description.

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Truth is found in the rubble of falsehood.

Love is the law, love under will.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Introduction.

Books are important. The ability to read is the primary difference between the modern occultist and those who should seek a different path. Modernity has constructed life such that it is difficult to survive even if one chooses to find a guru and study at the feet of a master. Even should one find a guru, one will need to supplement any teachings by consulting books as references. After all, the master needs to eat as well. 

In Asimov’s Foundation, one of the signs of the decline of the empire was that its scholarship was little more than shuffling around the scholarship of prior generations of scholars. Direct experiential knowledge of the topic was ridiculed as unnecessary. A similar problem is present in many modern works of occultism.

Regardless, many books are published each year. I hope this review, and those which follow, might help to separate the wheat from the chaff. A version of this review was previously published in the Coph Nia Wand 2015 and on the Devil with Unity blog.

Living Thelema: A Review

David Shoemaker, the Chancellor of the International College of Thelema, has presented us with a Thelemic beginners text, Living Thelema (2013), which provides an overview of the introductory material in the Thelemic tradition. He begins with some comments on basic practices, moves on to some things that are more directly related to his A∴A∴ lineage, and ends with some advice on how to live a Thelemic life. This material is aimed at those drawn to Thelema, but who do not have significant exposure to the works of Aleister Crowley or occultism in general.

An Overview

I should probably begin by stating that I am not a fan of beginner books. They tend, by virtue of being targeted at beginners, to reduce the material to a ridiculously unusable level. They try to cover for their paucity of information by utilizing bland platitudes which are, far too often, nothing more than standard opinions culled from Western (typically American) society.

I am not claiming that Dr. Shoemaker avoids these pitfalls. However, I found them to be far less egregious than other books in this category. The fact that Dr. Shoemaker can actually write makes this book stand out from others of its kind.

Interestingly, I read an article from Correspondance journal, Volume III, 2015, on the tendency to psychologize occultism as I was preparing this review. The target of the article was Dr. Israel Regardie. [Plaisance. Israel Regardie and the Psychologization of Esoteric Discourse] Like Dr. Shoemaker, Dr. Regardie was a psychologist. It is only natural, perhaps, that the disturbing tendencies to sacralize psychology and psychologize occultism are also present in Living Thelema. For the most part, this trend is a potentiality, but it is something to be aware of — and to be on guard against..

The book itself is divided into three parts: Tools for the Journey, Perspectives on the Path of Attainment, and Life Outside the Temple. The first covers basic terminology and rituals. The second moves to a more theoretical framework, discussing tools such as tarot and alchemy within the initiatory framework of the A∴A∴. The final section is sacred psychology. I am not dismissing the value of psychology, nor am I saying that it is not important for the magician to be balanced. However, I do feel that there is a risk of conflating spirit and mind. While the maxim “As above, so below” is a given, we must not forget that one is above and the other below — or, to use language more in keeping with Shoemaker’s book, it is a mistake to restrict the neshemah by the rules of the ruach.

The Bad

While the author’s background in psychology casts an interesting slant on the material, I find his selection of what to include and what not to include more interesting. For starters, the book does not include an index. Any book without an index is difficult to use as a reference. This indicates to me that the work is not really intended for actual use. At best, it is intended as a one shot that can be easily discarded after being read.

Further, despite several locations where it would be wholly appropriate, there is no reference to De Cultu. In Part One, there are various sections detailing the practices appropriate for the beginner. The importance of these practices is given time and again in Crowley’s work, but are listed and presented most succinctly in De Cultu.

While it is phased in, which, to me, would erroneously imply that the work is dangerous and/or complicated, most of the elements from De Cultu are present in Part One of Shoemaker’s book. While I do not recall it being explicitly mentioned, I will just grant him the study of the Holy Books. He discusses Liber Resh, the pentagram rituals, astral work, and yoga. However, of the three Masses listed in De Cultu, only Liber XV, The Rite of the Gnostic Catholic Church, is discussed in Living Thelema. According to Crowley, a Eucharistic rite should be performed daily. The omission is doubly strange as the performance of the Eucharistic rite ties with several points that he elaborates upon in his section on getting started — specifically, points 1) magical hygiene, 2) calling/directing magical force, and 6) forging a link with one’s Holy Guardian Angel.

This omission is common. Either because of its solitary nature (which allows the magician to partake of the sacrament outside the group) or because of the minor use of blood, the Mass of the Phoenix has fallen from favor. I am not saying that Dr. Shoemaker has caved to social pressures by excluding this rite from his section on the Eucharist. It may be an honest oversight. Perhaps his lineage introduces this practice later. However, it is obvious that by not including the directions from Crowley as listed in De Cultu, he bypasses the supposed controversy altogether.

Another issue I have with this book is that, in chapter six, dealing with the hexagram rituals, Dr. Shoemaker tells us that the elemental attributions given by Crowley in Liber O are incorrect. He states that the elemental directions given are those valid within the Vault of the Golden Dawn and instructs the reader to use the attributions for the Lesser Pentagram Ritual. He gives no explanation as to why the attributions are not relevant outside the vault, nor does he cite any source that uses his elemental attributions. Given that the Hexagram Rite is on a higher plane (in the author’s parlance, macrocosmic rather than microcosmic), and that various pentagram rituals have different attributions (e.g., the Star Ruby puts Fire-Leo in the East rather than Air), I would think that some justification for this change would be warranted. As it stands, it seems that Dr. Shoemaker just decided Crowley was wrong and just grabbed the attributions of the Lesser Pentagram Ritual from habit.

The Good

Part Two is where this book becomes interesting. Part One is rather mechanical, covering the basics of De Cultu. Part Two is where we can see some of the authors own opinions and ideas. Two chapters which stand out are the chapter on the Tarot, as it relates to the System of Initiation within the A∴A∴, and the chapter on the Chakras. The first is a practical interpretation of the poetic form presented in Crowley’s The Wake World. As an example, one starts in Malkuth, the grade of Neophyte. Moving to Zelator, which is attributed to Yesod, the Neophyte’s tasks are related to the Universe card (which is attributed to the path leading from Malkuth to Yesod). The presentation is clear and useful.

In Dr. Shoemaker’s chapter on the chakras, he bypasses the whole energy vortex slant, which was popularized by the Theosophical/New Age movement, and instead focuses on their relationship to the sephirah, i.e., their symbolic meaning, and thus to the related A∴A∴ degrees. He does not discuss the chakras in relation to the OTO, instead referring the readers to the diagram in the Equinox III:10. While I may have practical reservations about the mapping of the Hindu system to the Hermetic Qabalah as put forth by Crowley, it is important to know them to understand what Crowley means when he refers to the chakras. Dr. Shoemaker’s refusal to regurgitate the New Age claptrap that has accreted on the doctrine is refreshing.

Conclusion

Altogether, Living Thelema is a beginner’s book and suffers from many of the problems that all beginners books seem to have. I don’t see it as having a significant reread factor. Further, Part One could have been greatly reduced without loss. The chapters on the HGA and True Will are useful since they define these terms as the author uses them. The chapter on Ritual Construction is undoubtedly useful for the beginner. The rest could be replaced by a copy of De Cultu with footnotes on where to find the practices described.

Part Two is the more interesting section, and I would have liked to see this section expanded. The weakest parts seem to be the chapters on Alchemy, in particular, the one titled 21st Century Alchemy. Part Three was a total wash for me. As I mentioned earlier, I find the intersection of psychology and occultism to be limiting for occultism and unfair for psychology.

As a beginners book, it will have more value for the true novice than others of its kind. Since I found something interesting, it is actually at the top of the list. If you are a beginner, by all means, buy this book. Just promise that you will actually read the referenced Crowley materials, which, despite rumors to the contrary, are not that difficult.

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Truth is found in the rubble of falsehood.

Love is the law, love under will.

Our Method is Science

The Thelemic Gaze

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Thelema is a Spiritual Philosophy, more akin to Nikāya Buddhism than Christianity. Which means it can be applied to theological positions that are highly superstitious, wholly atheistic, or somewhere in-between. It should be noted that Crowley warned against dogmatically adhering to either extreme. This is likely because neither is a truly skeptical position as neither can be confirmed.

The A∴A∴ is the designated spiritual order of Thelema. One could think of it as a monastic hermetic order. Aleister Crowley gave it the motto of “We place no reliance on Virgin or pidgeon, Our method is Science, Our aim is Religion.” The occult and spiritual practices of Thelema are meant to be subjected to the Scientific Method. As this was the early 20th century, there are some minor differences between what was understood as the scientific method then and what it means today. As an example, Logical Irrelevance may not have been migrated into the Method of Science as Falsifiability in time for it to be incorporated into Crowley’s conception. However, Crowley’s dedication to the adherence of the Method of Science would mean that as the method advances so should our practice of that method.

Among the authors in the A∴A∴ Reading List is David Hume,a Scottish Philosopher known for his philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism. Among other things, he contributed to the development of the Scientific Method.

Thelema has several works which encourage skepticism, so I will finish with some discussion regarding The Book of Lies and Liber O, which were mentioned last episode.

The Method of Science

The Method of Science is not set in stone. It is a constantly evolving process. There is evidence that the Scientific Method, as we understand the term, was being utilized by the ancient Egyptians. This basic core was elaborated by the Greek philosophers, such as Aristotle or Plato. Christian theologians like Roger Bacon contributed as well. Skepticism was emphasized thanks to the contributions of people such as Francis Bacon, René Descartes, David Hume, and Galileo Galilei. The final “big name” for this list would be the alchemist Isaac Newton.

The concept of falsifiability was introduced around 1934. This principle seems to be an extension of the logical concept of irrelevance. Logically, any statement that cannot be demonstrated as false is irrelevant. Examples would include: God exists, all is Buddha Nature, or even logic is the best system. It should be noted that this is not a value judgment, merely a comment on a statements provability. It is unlikely that the concept of falsifiability was explicitly included in Crowley’s understanding of the Method of Science.

To put it simply, Falsifiability is the capacity for some proposition, statement, theory, or hypothesis to be proven wrong. This is tied to the null hypothesis. If the hypothesis of the experiment is A+B=C, then the null hypothesis would simply be A+B=!C (not-C), that is, getting any result that is not C. A common trap is to formulate the null hypothesis as A+B=-C (negative or opposite C), that is to formulate a failure as only being getting the exact opposite of result C. This is the scientific equivalent of doing a working for a million dollars and calling it a partial success because one finds a dollar on the street.

I’d like to draw attention to Newton’s contribution, as this would have been in Crowley’s conception. It is a bit difficult to follow due to its archaic syntax, but I will follow with my take after reading his list.

1. We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances.

2. Therefore to the same natural effects we must, as far as possible, assign the same causes.

3. The qualities of bodies, which admit neither intension nor remission of degrees, and which are found to belong to all bodies within the reach of our experiments, are to be esteemed the universal qualities of all bodies whatsoever.

4. In experimental philosophy we are to look upon propositions collected by general induction from phænomena as accurately or very nearly true, notwithstanding any contrary hypotheses that may be imagined, until such time as other phænomena occur, by which they may either be made more accurate, or liable to exceptions.

5. To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. 'Tis much better to do a little with certainty, and leave the rest for others that come after you, than to explain all things.

These are all straight forward, but the codification brings about a uniformity — i.e. we can assume that person A is doing the same as person B if they both claim to be following Newton’s steps. Likewise, two scientists from the same time period would be using the same steps in their Scientific Method. We can infer that Newton used Occam’s razor (principle 1), consistently applied cause and effects (principle 2 & 3), trusted that what he observed was correct & that he continued to observe in order to refine his understanding until he found something that disproved his hypothesis (principle 4), and that he tried to focus on one thing at a time (principle 5). This last point is important as the more items a hypothesis tries to cover, the more complex it becomes. The more complex the hypothesis, the harder it becomes to prove or disprove it. Many a charlatan has couched their lies or hidden their failures in unnecessary levels of complexity.

The current, as of 2022, Method of Science involves the following eight steps:

1. Define a question

2. Gather information and resources (i.e., observe)

3. Form an explanatory hypothesis (which includes the null hypothesis &/or falsifiability)

4. Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting data in a reproducible manner

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypothesis.

7. Publish the results

8. Retest (which is frequently done by other scientists)

• It should be noted that six jumps back to three until the scientist is satisfied.

Not all of these steps are utilized every time, neither are they always used in this order. For example, observation of some phenomenon (step 2) may cause one to formulate a hypothesis (Step 1).

Given that the Occult is often dealing with observable phenomenon derived from unobservable phenomenon: when applying the method of science to one’s own workings, the Thelemite must beware violating Newton’s 1st and 2nd principles, i.e., one should apply Occam’s Razor and consistently apply the same causes to the same effects. Finally, one must also avoid the problems rife in the scientific community (especially in the Social Sciences) of falsifying data.

David Hume

David Hume was, among other things, a Scottish Philosopher from the 18th century. He was highly skeptic, probably to an unworkable degree. It should be no surprise that he was a committed atheist. In my opinion, and for this talk, the key take-away of his philosophy would be that while we are capable of reason, it is a mistake to categorize people as rational. We mainly use our reason to justify our emotive responses. That is, we use our reason to provide a justification for feeling what we feel rather than as a method for determining what we should actually feel.

While Hume disagrees that it is possible, I feel that a “rational being” is one who, when faced with contradictory facts, can actually change their feelings. Amusingly, this is a feeling spurred by my emotional rejection of fatalistic determinism rather than by considered reason. At this time, it cannot be said to be either true or false.

By taking this into account, we can gain a greater understanding of people’s behavior. Social psychologist Jonathon Haidt references him in his explanations of modern social behaviors.

Haidt refers to Hume’s description as riding an elephant

• The elephant represents our feelings, the rider represents our ability to reason.

• When we don’t realize we are riding an elephant, it is hard to control

• The first step to understanding, & thus becoming a rational (or more rational) being, is to realize we are on an elephant.

• By realizing this we can direct the elephant.

• Never forget that the elephant is the bigger and stronger partner, and when it rampages, there is little the shrieking rider can do to stop it.

Haidt is important due to his studies in morality and the divide between Liberals & Conservatives, which is useful for understanding modern socio-political behaviors, both in-real-life and on-line.

Crowley

So, back to Thelema and Crowley.

In one of his works on practical instruction, Liber O vel Manus et Sagittae sub figurâ VI, part I, Crowley writes:

1. This book is very easy to misunderstand; readers are asked to use the most minute critical care in the study of it, even as we have done in its preparation.

2. In this book it is spoken of the Sephiroth and the Paths; of Spirits and Conjurations; of Gods, Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist.
   It is immaterial whether these exist or not. By doing certain things certain results will follow; students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them.

I want to draw particular attention to this last point. Despite the fact that Occultists regularly work with gods, angels, demons, spirits; and despite the fact that we use models and maps of the heavens and spiritual realms, we are enjoined to remain skeptical. Always remember, the map is not the territory, and the validity of things are found in their utility, “success is thy proof”. After all, there is a corollary between the successful utility of a concept and its conformity to objective reality or truth. We will elaborate on this point in future videos.

The Book of Lies, also known as Liber 333, contains two items that I would like to draw attention to:

In “Chinese Music “ (#45), which is the poem that has the infamous “I slept with Faith, and found a corpse in my arms on awaking; I drank and danced all night with Doubt, and found her a virgin in the morning.” States in its commentary:

“The attitude recommended is scepticism, but a scepticism under control. Doubt inhibits action, as much as faith blinds it. All the best Popes have been Atheists, but perhaps the greatest of them once remarked, ‘Quantum nobis prodest haec fabula Christi’ [How much profit the story of Christ], attributed to Pope Leo X

“The ruler asserts facts as they are; the slave has therefore no option but to deny them passionately, in order to express his discontent. Hence such absurdities as ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité,’ ‘In God we trust,’ and the like. Similarly we find people asserting today that woman is superior to man, and that all men are born equal.”

From this commentary, we can see that the “King” is defined by his ability to switch classifications in order to more accurately model reality in order to manifest their will. He is thus able to avoid dogmatic adherence to superstitious beliefs of either a sacred or secular nature.

In “Terrier-Work,” (#51), we have the text that reads: “Doubt. Doubt thyself. Doubt even if thou doubtest thyself. Doubt all. Doubt even if thou doubtest all. It seems sometimes as if beneath all conscious doubt there lay some deepest certainty. O kill it! Slay the snake!”

This would be the primary inspiration for this essay, which could easily be considered an extended commentary upon this chapter.

Conclusion

So, to recap:

1. The basic instructions for Thelema encourage both Skepticism and Critical Analysis

2. This can be seen by the doctrinal requirements of adherence to “The Method of Science” and recommendations of Skeptical Philosophers

3. I cannot recommend enough that any aspirant to Occult Knowledge, let alone Thelema, read “The Dangers of Mysticism”. Modern Spirituality, Religion, what was called the New Age movement, and even modern, western society have fallen into the trap Crowley warns against.

Truth is found in the rubble of falsehood.

Love is the law, love under will.

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References

Method of Science

• Wikipedia: History of Scientific Method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_scientific_method

• Wikipedia: Scientific method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method

• Falsifiability: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/falsifiability

David Hume:

• Wikipedia: David Hume: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume

• David Hume dot Org: http://www.davidhume.org/

Haidt:

• Podcast Interview & Transcript: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-righteous-mind-why-liberals-and-conservatives-cant-get-along/

• AEI article: https://www.aei.org/publication/liberals-or-conservatives-whos-really-close-minded/

Crowley:

• Liber O (hermetic.com): https://hermetic.com/crowley/libers/lib6

• Chinese Music (45): http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/crowley/lies/48.htm

• Terrier-Work (51): http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/crowley/lies/54.htm

• The Dangers of Mysticism http://lib.oto-usa.org/crowley/essays/dangers-mysticism.html