Book of Law

[Student of the wise]

Hey... has anyone ever read 'The Book of Law' by Aleister Crowley?

http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/engccxx.htm


Some crazy stuff right? what does it all mean?

[Silverfire Darkmoon]

I take it you refer to 'Do what thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law...the Law is Love, Love under Will'. Which has been explained to me as meaning: Every individual has something they are destined to do. This is their 'Will'. You should always act in accordance with what your Will dictates. Your Will theoretically does not conflict with that of anyone else. I believe this corresponds with 'Every man and woman is a Star' somehow.
'Love under Will' I'm not that sure of.

[Paracelsus]

There is rather more to the Book of the Law than that simple statement of Thelema -
Yes, it is fairly difficult to read, I'm certainly not sure that it is in fact the work of the "discarnate entity" Aiwass, though Crowley certainly seemed to think so, and many Thelemites do today. I personally do not find it teribly inspirational.

[Student of the wise]

But do ya think it has a hidden meaning? I have this hunch that it's deeper than just 3 books and 3 manifestations. I'm accually dicecting it now and I'm gonna look at it from a different point of view. Like in the forst book there was references to numbers and mathematical terms... ex:

Numbers/Book 1

4. Every number is infinite; there is no difference.

24. I am Nuit, and my word is six and fifty.

25. Divide, add, multiply, and understand.

45. The Perfect and the Perfect are one Perfect and not two; nay, are none!

46. Nothing is a secret key of this law. Sixty-one the Jews call it; I call it eight, eighty, four hundred & eighteen.

47. But they have the half: unite by thine art so that all disappear.

56. Expect him not from the East, nor from the West; for from no expected house cometh that child. Aum! All words are sacred and all prophets true; save only that they understand a little; solve the first half of the equation, leave the second unattacked. But thou hast all in the clear light, and some, though not all, in the dark.

60. My number is 11, as all their numbers who are of us. The Five Pointed Star, with a Circle in the Middle, & the circle is Red. My colour is black to the blind, but the blue & gold are seen of the seeing. Also I have asecret glory for them that love me.


What looking at it from this point of view gives it new meaning?

[sari0009]

Together, The Book of the Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Law)with Crowley's later work The Comment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comment_of_Ankh_F_N_Khonsu), the two seem to suffice as a warning regarding over-reaching/studying and trying to find wisdom in the mix of someone else's subconscious/alien/angel/guide/whatever (The Book of the Law), and other's 'official' rules (in The Comment), which I'm breaking by discussing the subject.

I think Crowley's works seem to back up "do what thou wilt," considering all the ethics and other stuff one would have to consider to best live out such an ideal.

Problem is, his work does so in a convoluted (mental gymnastics type of way) peculiar to Crowley.

For many, such things lead to these: Question everyone and everything. Live the life examined. Think things through and make your best choices (why not excellence?).

For others, some choose that they take it to more rigid defense of and myopic focus of pointing to Crowley's work -- offering a dueling opposite to a variety of other interpretations.

With that, I leave off of this thread.

[morningstar2651]

Speaking of the Law of Thelema, I was watching The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (go ahead, laugh, I'm a geek), and at the beginning of the episode, Mandy said "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." (for reference, the episode titles are Five-O-Clock Shadows/Terror of the Black Knight)

[Student of the wise]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Nice! Thankz

[Seren_]

But do ya think it has a hidden meaning? I have this hunch that it's deeper than just 3 books and 3 manifestations. I'm accually dicecting it now and I'm gonna look at it from a different point of view. Like in the forst book there was references to numbers and mathematical terms... ex:

Numbers/Book 1

4. Every number is infinite; there is no difference.

24. I am Nuit, and my word is six and fifty.

25. Divide, add, multiply, and understand.

45. The Perfect and the Perfect are one Perfect and not two; nay, are none!

46. Nothing is a secret key of this law. Sixty-one the Jews call it; I call it eight, eighty, four hundred & eighteen.

47. But they have the half: unite by thine art so that all disappear.

56. Expect him not from the East, nor from the West; for from no expected house cometh that child. Aum! All words are sacred and all prophets true; save only that they understand a little; solve the first half of the equation, leave the second unattacked. But thou hast all in the clear light, and some, though not all, in the dark.

60. My number is 11, as all their numbers who are of us. The Five Pointed Star, with a Circle in the Middle, & the circle is Red. My colour is black to the blind, but the blue & gold are seen of the seeing. Also I have asecret glory for them that love me.


What looking at it from this point of view gives it new meaning?


Crowley was massively into gematria, where letters have a numerical value and when words are reduced to their numerical value they are seen to have a similar meaning. You should probably look into it if you haven't already.

[Student of the wise]

Crowley was massively into gematria, where letters have a numerical value and when words are reduced to their numerical value they are seen to have a similar meaning. You should probably look into it if you haven't already.


OHHHHH!!!!! A SECRET CODE?!?!?!?!?! Hmmm... I should get my brother to help then... he's into stuff like that. I dunno what you call it, I do recall a word for it though... anywho you would be given a couple sentences (or in my brothers case pages apon pages) that looks like gibberish ex: 'JUD NDHYS MISKDO. KSO LISGD KAISGYD!!!! LDLDLDLDLD' Then somehow you figure out that each letter accually stands for some other letter. I think it's all trial and error, but all I know it my bro is really good at that... too bad he sucks with numbers. But I suck with words and english (but yet I read 'The Book of Law'.. go figure *smiles*) yet I'm awesome with numbers.

Thankz for the lead *gives you a hi-5*

[Seren_]

Cypher is the word you're looking for, I think. Gematria's not quite like that. It's based on the Hebrew alphabet, where each letter represents a number as well as a letter. When two words can be reduced to the same number, they have the same meaning. Usually the meaning is associated with a holy word that represents an aspect of God in a Qabalistic sense.

[mol]

Crowley was massively into gematria, where letters have a numerical value and when words are reduced to their numerical value they are seen to have a similar meaning. You should probably look into it if you haven't already.

Crowley was also massively into hallucinogens...so take his gematria with a grain or two of salt...maybe ninety-three grains.

[Student of the wise]

Crowley was also massively into hallucinogens...so take his gematria with a grain or two of salt...maybe ninety-three grains.


yea I know that as well.... but after reading it I think it does have a deeper meaning that hasn't been cought onto yet. *giggles* Then again maybe I'm just that bored too... but my search continues

[Ben Gruagach]

For those who are interested, there are a lot more of Crowley's writings available for free at http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/

[Seren_]

Crowley was also massively into hallucinogens...so take his gematria with a grain or two of salt...maybe ninety-three grains.

:T Yeah, that too.