Thelemic Ethics and Rights (Video + Script)

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

• I believe I mentioned this last video, but
• I am changing my ending track. I am tired of getting an automated copyright flag, disputing it with the Creative Commons license, and then having them approve some and disapprove others. Annoying.
  • The New Track is “The Charon” by Keosz from the “Entity EP”.
  • My Opening is still “Chant of Night Blades” by Kai Engel form the “Deathless: The Renaissance” album.
  • Links are below.
  • My use should not be taken as endorsement of my content by either artist.
• I went to Enoshima yesterday
  • Honored Benzaiten and The Dragon God. I also stopped by a Shingon Temple, but there was no fire so I didn’t stay long.
  • It was hot and muggy, but the discomfort will fade away and I will treasure the memory.
• My favorite Japanese gods are Inari, Benzaiten, Kannon, Jizo, and Tenjin.

So on with the video

• Thelema is an individualistic philosophy.
• Thelema borrows heavily from Nietzsche.
• Thelema also borrows heavily from various spiritual and religious practices from around the world
• Finally, it also borrows from Science, both Soft and Hard.
  • Please see my video on Thelema and the Scientific Method.
• Thelema positions itself as the inheritor of the past ages of mankind.
  • Rather than being post-modern, it attempts to inject a meaning and purpose back into life.
  • The influence of the Christian/Modern age cannot be undone, nor should it.
  • Those who seek to undo time are delusional
  • Also, those who seek to continue on the path of modernity to post-modernity are lost, directionless, and adrift.
  • This can be seen in the fractious and unrealistic behaviors of the more extreme elements of society
  • The seeds of modernity sown by Christianity have their natural culmination in behaviors of the SJW crowd.
  • Water flows downhill. Going back would merely return us to where we are today. This is the path of least resistance.
  • Thelema is resistance. A fight against the Spirit of Gravity. An upheaval which will divert the river onto a new path.
• Which brings us to the topic of this video.
  • The highest state of Overcoming is knowing one’s will. This typically involves work, discipline, and time.
  • One’s Will is the summation of one’s being. So how should one act until one achieves knowledge of their will?
  • Also, what if it is not one’s will to seek one’s will. Not everyone is meant to be a magician, hermit, or priest.
  • How should the Baker and the Banker act?
• Crowley penned three documents which are helpful in this regard.
  • Liber OZ sub figura LXXVII
  • Liber Libræ sub figura XXX
  • And an essay titled “Duty”
  • These documents form a basis for a Thelemic Society

Liber OZ sub figura LXXVII was written by Crowley to explain the “Rights of Man” in simple words of one syllable.

• It should be born in mind that this was written back when Man was still commonly used to refer to all humans of both sexes
• I’ve actually had some morons try to tell me that they didn’t apply to women (usually feminists)

Liber OZ is divided into 5 sections

1. Moral
2. Bodily
3. Mental
4. Sexual
5. And the right to Resist Tyranny

The title contains the mark of the beast in the seven pointed star (associated with Babalon) & several quotes from Liber AL.

• The symbolism of the graphic is rather obvious and outside the scope of this video. 
• Also, the I will also set aside discussion of the verses. 
  • I’ll include a link to the commentary of Liber AL for those interested.

So let us move on to the enumerated Rights. They are pretty straightforward, so comment will be minimal.

• 1) Man has the right to live by his own law—to live in the way that he wills to do: to work as he will: to play as he will: to rest as he will: to die when and how he will.
• 2) Man has the right to eat what he will: to drink what he will: to dwell where he will: to move as he will on the face of the earth.
• 3) Man has the right to think what he will: to speak what he will: to write what he will: to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as he will: to dress as he will.
• These first three points pretty much cover all the basics for the life of a true Anarch or Autarch. Note that this is specific to the individual. No one else has to like it. And except for the last two items of section two, no one else is necessarily involved. If I choose to dwell in another persons house, or choose to move through another persons property, this may cause conflict. We will deal with that in section five.
• 4) Man has the right to love as he will:—“take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where, and with whom ye will.” —AL. I. 51
• This often involves another person. As indicated, will tends to have a special meaning in Thelema (which itself is a word indicating Will). 
• I will quote a small portion of Crowley’s commentary on this verse: “But he should not injure himself and his right aforesaid; acts invasive of another individual's equal rights are implicitly self-aggressions. A thief can hardly complain on theoretical grounds if he is himself robbed. Such acts as rape, and the assault or seduction of infants, may therefore be justly regarded as offences against the Law of Liberty, and repressed in the interests of that Law.” (New Comment)
• I recommend reading the whole thing.
• 5) Man has the right to kill those who would thwart these rights.
• This is the most controversial of our rights. This is where the Will is so important. Is what you are trying to do important enough to kill? If I deem it is my will to dwell in your house, and you seek to stop me, then by section five, I have the right to kill you. However, in section one, you have the right to die when and how you will. Thus, you have the right to kill me. It can get complicated. Crowley added some more considerations in “Duty”. 
• However, we can also look at this as a form of the “Mandate of Heaven” (ala Confucius). The fact of there being a conflict is indicative of having lost the “Mandate of Heaven”, or, in Thelema, of one party not being in accord with their Will.
• This can easily go down a Theological rabbit hole, so suffice to say, no one wants to live where we are in constant danger of being killed, so this should probably be viewed as something to be reserved for an extreme case.

Liber Libræ sub figura XXX is an official instruction of the A.’.A.’.

• As such, it has a much more spiritual and occult tone.
• I will skip over much of it and only point out parts that would be of use to the layman
• The full text can be found in the link provided in the comments.

The title gives an indication of the tone of the work.

• Libræ refers to the astrological sign of Libra, the Scales
• XXX is the number for the Hebrew letter Lamed, which refers to an “Ox Goad”
  • The Goad is used to keep the beast moving in the proper direction, that is to guide it in the proper direction
  • Lamed is also attributed, in the Hermetic Qabalah, to Libra
• Thus the book (Liber means “book”) is meant to guide the aspirant in the proper path, that of balance.
• Liber Libræ is also referred to as “The Book of Balance”.

So, some of the relevant portions

• 0. Learn first — Oh thou who aspirest unto our ancient Order! — that Equilibrium is the basis of the Work. If thou thyself hast not a sure foundation, whereon wilt thou stand to direct the forces of Nature?
• 5. Yet, oh aspirant, let thy victories bring thee not Vanity, for with increase of Knowledge should come increase of Wisdom. He who knoweth little, thinketh he knoweth much; but he who knoweth much hath learned his own ignorance. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool, than of him.
• 6. Be not hasty to condemn others; how knowest thou that in their place, thou couldest have resisted the temptation? And even were it so, why shouldst thou despise one who is weaker than thyself?
• 9. A man is what he maketh himself within the limits fixed by his inherited destiny; he is a part of mankind; his actions affect not only what he calleth himself, but also the whole universe.
• 10. Worship and neglect not, the physical body which is thy temporary connection with the outer and material world. Therefore let thy mental Equilibrium be above disturbance by material events; strengthen and control the animal passions, discipline the emotions and the reason, nourish the Higher Aspirations.
• 11. Do good unto others for its own sake, not for reward, not for gratitude from them, not for sympathy. If thou art generous, thou wilt not long for thine ears to be tickled by expressions of gratitude.
• 12. Remember that unbalanced force is evil; that unbalanced severity is but cruelty and oppression; but that also unbalanced mercy is but weakness which would allow and abet Evil. Act passionately; think rationally; be Thyself.
• 15. Nevertheless have the greatest self-respect, and to that end sin not against thyself. The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.

So, the target for this is for “newbies” — people who are joining the group. Just in case it isn’t obvious, these are people who are not yet aware (or fully aware) of their Will. This is a general instruction meant to guide people along the path to become Thelemites.

• The general themes are toward restraint, to avoid false vanity, to respect and honor oneself, to do things for their own sake.
• I want to bring special attention to items 12 & 15.
  • We can see these in modern politics. Calls for unbalanced mercy are routinely made in Identity Politics, Migration Policy, etc
  • Failure to practice unbalanced mercy are met with equally unbalanced severity, as can be seen by anti-fa, BAMN, etc
  • As an aside, the terms mercy and severity refer to the right and left pillars of the Hermetic Qabalah (I am unsure if they are also in the original Jewish Qabalah).
  • Thelema, being a Middle Path tradition (as is the original Buddhism), exhorts us to follow the Middle Pillar (aka Aaron’s Rod).
  • 15 makes an allusion to the unpardonable sin of Christianity (there is only one). Which is to sin against the Holy Spirit. As we are all gods, we are holy spirits, thus the only unpardonable sin is to sin against one’s self.
  • Obviously, any harm to ourselves cannot be forgiven, as that harms effects are everlasting, but we can overcome by ceasing to sin against ourselves.
  • The nature of this sin against ourselves? “Knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices”.
  • If only the entire world ran on that principle.
• Again, this work is pretty straightforward, and I think most of my commentary would be redundant repetition of the obvious.

With this we have pretty much covered the individual. We will move into the final work, “Duty”.
The best I can find for dating “Duty” is circa 1921. The manuscript is not dated and it was not printed during his lifetime. However, it does show Crowley’s thoughts on how Thelema would be applied to a broader context.
While several unofficial versions appeared from 1978 through 1994, the OTO published an official version in 1998.

• The linked version below is to the OTO website.
• Duty is divided into four parts.
• Part A covers one’s Duty to oneself. This holds a theme similar to the prior two works.
• Part B covers one’s Duty to other individual men and women. These are:
  • To seek union/interaction with others for mutual development
  • To avoid interfering with another’s will
  • If two wills do come into conflict, to battle as brothers. Conflict of this type is a form of Dialectic.
  • To, if it is one’s Will, instruct others who ask or to instruct those who are about to infringe on one’s will.
  • To recognize the divinity in others, just as one recognizes it in oneself.
• Part C covers one’s Duty to mankind.
  • This is to establish the law of Thelema.
  • This Law being a Law of Liberty, the aim of the legislature must be to secure the amplest freedom for each individual in the state, eschewing the presumptuous assumption that any given positive ideal is worthy to be obtained.
  • Crime is also viewed as interference with the Will of another.
  • And here is my guiding principle: “The rule is quite simple. He who violated any right declares magically that it does not exist; therefore it no longer does so, for him.”
  • Those who kill declare that they have no right to live. Those who steal declare that they have no right to private property. Those who interfere with another’s Freedom of Speech declare that they have no right to speak.
• Part D covers one’s Duty to all other beings and things.
  • This is summed up by applying the Law of Thelema to everything.
  • For those who want something a little more concrete, “It is a violation of the Law of Thelema to abuse the natural qualities of any animal or object by diverting it from its proper function, as determined by consideration of its history and structure.”
  • Essentially, treat yourself and the world with respect.
  • Clear-cutting the forest violates the integrity of the forest and its biodiversity. Logging does not, so long as what is taken is necessary and sustainable. Coercive behavior towards your fellow man is unacceptable. Really, most of the sane aspects of conservative and liberal practical ideology are all predicated on this simple principle.

Duty delineates a Thelemic Society.

• The purpose of a Thelemic Society is to enable its members to accomplish their wills
• The individual is paramount.
• However, the individual does not exist in isolation.
• The individual belongs to a network of relations which, if properly established, serve to enhance and define the individual.
• Since we define our universe via our perceptions, when we deny another some right, we are declaring its invalidity.
• We cannot demand a right that we have declared invalid by virtue of denying it to another.
• If you attempt to deny me a right, e.g. my right to physical integrity, you exclude yourself from my consideration of you on that right.
• E.g. if you try to hit me, I can hit you back.

Alright, so what does all this mean? I’ll attempt to synthesize these works. This is my interpretation. I will undoubtedly integrate knowledge from other works, both Thelemic and non, into this. I will endeavor to attribute them all appropriately.
It is important to remember that Thelema is about the will. Its purpose is to assist you in manifesting your will. However, it may very well be that it is some people’s will to not explicitly know their will — and this is fine. Existence is pure joy, so as long as what you are doing is filling you with joy, we can infer that you are doing your will. Librae and Duty are geared toward people who have not yet attained knowledge of their will.
My key take-away for interpersonal relations is that you deny yourself any right that you deny to another. The murderer has no right to life. The Thief has no right to enjoy the fruits of their labor — especially property. The person who would remove another’s right to speak has no right to free speech. It is actually very simple. I know I have been harping on this theme, but it is something that I believe in passionately.
Now, what about OZ? What about those who have come to understand their own wills. This is a common enough concept, rife throughout religion and philosophy. The Stoic Sage, the Taoist Sage, the Confucian Superior Man, the Christian “Saved” (at least in some conceptions), and (I would argue) Nietzsche’s Ubermensch exist in an exalted state where the common rules do not apply. They are not, however, free from physics or its spiritual equivalent. OZ specifically exists for these people, and it can be summed up as “You have the right to do your will and destroy those who would prevent it”.
Now, it may be your will to travel a path that will result in conflict. That does not mean that it is your will to win that conflict. Your will may be to conflict with another will and from that dialectical conflict, a proper path will emerge. Crowley does advise caution. He tells us that, while it may be our will to descend a cliff, it may not be our will to do so by stepping over the edge and plummeting to our death.
Many of these topics are elaborated in Magick Without Tears, a work Crowley completed just prior to his death.

• It generally represents his final thoughts on a topic
• In some cases, this represents a contradiction of earlier positions
• A classic example argued in Thelemic Circles is whether Thelema is a religion.
  • To sum up, our system is a religion just so far as a religion means an enthusiastic putting-together of a series of doctrines, no one of which must in any way clash with Science or Magick.
  • Call it a new religion, then, if it so please your Gracious Majesty; but I confess that I fail to see what you will have gained by so doing, and I feel bound to add that you might easily cause a great deal of misunderstanding, and work a rather stupid kind of mischief.
  • The word does not occur in The Book of the Law.
  • MWT: XXXI: Religion–Is Thelema a "New Religion"?

So, yeah, I hope this was informativeTruth is found in the rubble of falsehood
Love is the law, love under will.