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Aleister Crowley: …a new religion he called Thelema, thelēma being the Greek word for “will.

Living Thelema: A Practical Guide to Attainment in Aleister Crowley's System of Magick

“The most thorough and understandable exposition of the underlying theories and the practical applications of the spiritual disciplines of Thelema currently available. A landmark work.” —Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Magick of Aleister Crowley

The system of spiritual attainment developed by Aleister Crowley is notoriously challenging in its scope.

Living Thelema, adapted from the popular podcast of the same name, brings a welcome approachability to Crowley’s material, without diminishing the depth of the system.
The author focuses on the practical and experiential aspects of the path of Thelema, allowing the reader to grasp the true transformative power of the system.

Beginners and advanced practitioners alike will find much useful advice here, as Shoemaker brings his ++++++++++++++++++charac++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++teristic down-to-earth style to bear on topics such as ritual and meditation practices, sex magick, astral projection, psychotherapy for magicians, the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, and that pinnacle of attainment known as the crossing of the Abyss.

The author’s background as a practicing psychotherapist allows an entirely unique fusion of esoteric wisdom and cognitive science.

“In this entertaining and (dare I say it?) lively book, David Shoemaker reminds us that Thelema is not just a philosophy or a study but a spiritual practice. From applied ‘how to’ advice to thought-provoking ‘how about’ posers, Dr. Shoemaker offers his personal take—informed by twenty years of walking the talk, along with his incisiveness as a professional therapist—on how to get the most out of the fundamental Thelemic practices of yoga and ritual, both inside and outside of the temple.” —Richard Kaczynski, author of Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley

David Shoemaker is a clinical psychologist in private practice, specializing in Jungian and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy.

David is the Chancellor and Prolocutor of the Temple of the Silver Star (totss.org), a ceremonial and initiatory order based on the principles of Thelema, Qabalistic psychology, and similar traditions. He is also a long-standing member of Ordo Templi Orientis and A.’.A.’.

In addition to his work in magick and psychology, David is a composer and musician. Learn more about David and Thelema by visiting livingthelema.com.
Product Details

ISBN: 9781578637799
ISBN-10: 1578637791
Publisher: Weiser Books
Publication Date: December 1st, 2022
Pages: 288
Language: English

In 1904, while on a honeymoon with his wife, Aleister Crowley claimed that a divine being called Aiwass visited him

It prompted Crowley to write, and at noon, for three days, he wrote a chapter each day that Aiwass dictated.

This text would go on to be known as The Book of the Law

Also called Liber AL vel Legis, the book became the basis for the belief system called Thelema.

The term "thelema" comes from ancient Greek, where it meant "will".

The foundations for Crowley's beliefs and that of Thelema are also in the writings of François Rabelais, a monk from the 16th century. In his books Gargantua and Pantagruel, Rabelais features the Abbey of Thélème with the words "Do what thou wilt" being the only rule for the abbey.

These words would become the main tenet of Thelema, with Thelemites working towards finding their True Will, or their destiny.

In addition to these tenets of the faith, there are other beliefs in Thelema.

There are several deities that Thelema recognizes, including Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit.

Many of the deities are derived from ancient Egypt, presumably due to Crowley forming the basis of the belief system while staying in the region.

While some Thelemites worship these beings, it is important to note that many followers observe other belief systems like Wicca, Neopaganism, and other similar ideas.

Another major concept that Thelemites practice is that of magic or, as Crowley preferred, Magick, which often helps with nature and getting closer to one's True Will

Aleister Crowley was born in 1875 in Royal Leamington Spa, England, into the upper classes.

His father was an heir to a brewing fortune and served as an evangelist when Crowley was growing up. However, Crowley detested organized religion and stayed in school through university, where he dropped out.

Once he got his inheritance, Crowley pursued other interests, including publishing a book of poetry and climbing some of the highest mountains in the world.

Aleister Crowley founded Thelema while on his honeymoon in 1904.
Photograph of Aleister Crowley holding a sword in religious garb, with Stele of Revealing.

It was also during this time, around the turn of the 20th century, that Crowley became interested in occultism.

He joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1898, but within six years had an experience on his honeymoon to Egypt that formed the basis for his own occult belief system of Thelema.

Crowley would form a group called A:.A:. (with each A followed by three dots), which is thought to stand for the Latin words for "silver star". Up until his death in Hastings, England, in 1947, Crowley sought to expand Thelema, releasing other writings and working on gaining a following.

While he remained unpopular throughout his life, Crowley began to be revered as a prophet in the latter half of the twentieth century. Today, many Thelemites consider him one of the most important people associated with Thelema.
History of the Thelema Religion

Thelema has roots in ancient Greece since the word "thelema" was one of two words for "will".

This version of will was associated with divine will, although its use was scarce among extant documents. François Rabelais, a 16th-century monk, wrote a series of books that include a location called the Abbey of Thélème, whose only rule was "Do what thou wilt".

This was a commentary on French society at the time, but the concept of "Do what thou wilt" would be influential to Aleister Crowley in later centuries. Englishman Francis Dashwood took inspiration from Rabelais when Dashwood founded a Hellfire Club.

Performing their ceremonies in a 13th-century abbey, the group was accused of worshiping Satan, something Thelemites would also be accused of.

It wasn't until 1904 that Thelema developed into its modern iteration under the guidance of Crowley.

Using The Book of the Law as a guide, Crowley began to disperse his teachings to others, acting as a prophet.

Some students included J.F.C. Fuller of British military fame and a following at the Abbey of Thelema that Crowley founded in Sicily following World War I.

Unfortunate circumstances regarding the death of a student led to Crowley's expulsion from Italy, and he wrote a few more works in England before passing away in 1947.

Following Crowley's death, Thelema continued to grow and expand. Some scholars have noted Crowley's ascendance with a cult following after dying.

Some important figures in the post-Crowley Thelema were Jack Parsons, Kenneth Grant, James Lees, and Nema Andahadna, who each contributed new writings and beliefs to the Thelemic belief system.

While it is impossible to know the current number of practicing Thelemites, due to things like mixing of beliefs or loose following of Thelema practices, there are certainly many followers of Thelema still in the modern world.

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Thelemite Beliefs and Practices

The beliefs and practices of Thelema are simple with few aspects followed universally.

One thing that all Thelemites believe is that, through practice, one will achieve their True Will. Once they do this, they will have their own Holy Guardian Angel like Aiwass was for Aleister Crowley.

Besides "Do what thou wilt", there are two other sayings that Thelemites follow; they include "Every man and woman is a star" and "Love is the law. Love under will."

These sayings help clarify that all people are individuals and that everyone is unique. It is also the belief of Thelemites, as Crowley stated, that it is the Aeon of Horus. An aeon is a period in human history defined by certain characteristics, although Thelemites don't explicitly define the time periods they cover.

Crowley, being a rebel against tradition and societal norms, declared the present era an age of individuality.

Aleister Crowley and the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù

All photos unless otherwise stated: Per-Erik Skramstad © Wondersofsicily.com

Abbey of Thelema, Cefalù (Aleister Crowley)

The current state of Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù, symbolic of his flawed experiment, seriously damaging people's mental health. Mary Butt, one of Crowley's recruits, pointed out, "It was one thing to partake in the rite of preparing the Cakes of Light, in which Crowley, in a scarlet-and-black robe, sacrified a cockerel for its blood, but quite another to participate in bestiality." Sexual magick was part of Crowley's philosophy, culminating with one of his disciples having engaged in sexual intercourse with a goat. The goat represented the Devil.

In 1920 Aleister Crowley set up his Abbey of Thelema outside Cefalù with his mistress Leah Hirsig, who was totally dedicated to him. Crowley hoped that this was to be the beginning of his new religion. He regularly took trips to Palermo (staying at Hotel des Palmes, where Richard Wagner some 40 years before completed Parsifal) and Naples in search of drugs, supplies and prostitutes. The trips were probably also made to escape the jealous arguing of his two mistresses at Thelema, Leah and Ninette, referred to by Crowley as 'first concubine' and 'second concubine'.

Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù

Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù

In 1921 Leah Hirsig writes in her diary:

"I dedicate myself wholly to the great work. I will work for wickedness. I will kill my heart. I will be shameless before all men. I will freely prostitue my body to all creatures."

CLICK HERE to go to the main page about Cefalù!

Aleister Crowley in Cefalù

In January 1920, Crowley moved to Paris with Leah Hirsig; they were soon joined in a ménage à trois by Ninette Shumway, and also by Leah's newborn daughter Anne "Poupée" Leah.

Crowley wanted to form a community of Thelemites, which he called the Abbey of Thelema after the Abbaye de Thélème in François Rabelais's satire Gargantua and Pantagruel. After consulting the I Ching, he chose Cefalù, Sicily as a location, and after arriving there, began renting the old Villa Santa Barbara as his Abbey on 2 April.

Original painting on the wall in Crowle's Abbey of Thelema

Abbey of Thelema.

Abbey of Thelema anno 2015.

Abbey of Thelema.

Abbey of Thelema: 1920–23

Crowley described the scenario as "perfectly happy ... my idea of heaven." Crowley and his followers wore robes, and performed rituals to the sun god Ra at set times during the day, also occasionally performing the Gnostic Mass; the rest of the day they were left to follow their own interests.

Undertaking widespread correspondences, Crowley continued to paint, wrote a commentary on The Book of the Law, and revised the third part of Book 4.

Crowley offered a libertine education for the children, allowing them to play all day and witness acts of sex magic. He occasionally travelled to Palermo to visit rent boys and buy supplies, including drugs; his heroin addiction came to dominate his life, and cocaine began to erode his nasal cavity. There was no cleaning rota, and wild dogs and cats wandered throughout the building, which soon became unsanitary. Poupée died in October 1920, and Ninette gave birth to a daughter, Astarte Lulu Panthea, soon afterwards.

New followers continued to arrive at the Abbey to be taught by Crowley.

Among them was film star Jane Wolfe, who arrived in July 1920, where she was initiated into the A∴A∴ and became Crowley's secretary.

Another was Cecil Frederick Russell, who often argued with Crowley, disliking the same-sex sexual magic that he was required to perform, and left after a year. More conducive was the Australian Thelemite Frank Bennett, who also spent several months at the Abbey.

In February 1922, Crowley returned to Paris for a retreat in an unsuccessful attempt to kick his heroin addiction.

He then went to London in search of money, where he published articles in The English Review criticizing the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920 and wrote a novel, Diary of a Drug Fiend, completed in July.

On publication, it received mixed reviews; he was lambasted by the Sunday Express, which called for its burning and used its influence to prevent further reprints.

Subsequently, a young Thelemite named Raoul Loveday moved to the Abbey with his wife Betty May; while Loveday was devoted to Crowley, May detested him and life at the commune.

She later claimed that Loveday was made to drink the blood of a sacrificed cat, and that they were required to cut themselves with razors every time they used the pronoun "I". Raoul drank from a local polluted stream, soon developing a liver infection resulting in his death in February 1923.

Returning to London, May told her story to the press. John Bull proclaimed Crowley "the wickedest man in the world" and "a man we'd like to hang", making various slanderous accusations against him, but he was unable to afford the legal fees to sue them.

As a result, John Bull continued its attack, with the stories also being picked up by newspapers in North America and throughout Europe.

The Fascist government of Benito Mussolini learned of Crowley's activities and in April 1923 he was given a deportation notice forcing him to leave Italy; without him, the Abbey closed.

Main sources: Wikipedia, Andrew and Suzanne Edwards: Sicily: A Literary Guide for Travellers.

Just opposite the entrance of the cemetary, there is a small road going upwards towards the football arena.

Follow this a couple of hundred meters, and you will see the football stadium to your right.

Crowley's house is right below the tribune with the metal construction over the seats (not more c. 80 metres from the stadium), so you must walk around on the other side of the stadium, passing the parking lot, and find a not very visible path leading down to some stairs, and then it's 20 meters to the house.

The Abbey of Thelema is almost invisible from the road

Cefalù-Palermo 69 km
Cefalù-Siracusa 249 km
Cefalù-Agrigento 134 km
Cefalù-Noto 275 km
Cefalù-Taormina 207 km
Cefalù-Catania 199 km
Cefalù-Trapani 169 km
Cefalù-Corleone 104 km

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