Babalon Rising manifests the freedom of Thelema. This is the second year I’ve attended, and I learned even more than the seven things I learned from Babalon Rising on my first trip. At a time when online rhetoric hardens positions and isolates communities, a four day camping festival in the rural Midwest brings a broad diversity of people together to live the freedom promised in Liber Oz. Dress: This is the most visible sign of freedom. Babalon Rising is a... Read more
What is the benefit to creating a magical womb? This operation renews the body and spirit. When I perform the Star Garnet give birth to myself. While I experience this renewal as a woman, the Star Garnet is a magical operation which can be performed by any gender. Read more
The earth echoes through the religions of the world. Even religions which have explictly rejected the divine female and divine imagery cannot ignore the power of the earth. Read more
Thelemites and Witches generally define ourselves as non-Christian so we wouldn’t normally think about celebrating Easter. But the Gnostic Mass and the Witchcraft circle are both eucharistic rituals which directly relate to the mysteries of Easter and Passover. You can think of them as a stack: the Witchcraft circle rests on the Gnostic Mass, which rests on the Christian Mass, which rests on Passover. These rites all tie the sacramental eating of food and drink to the promise of eternal... Read more
Ra-Hoor-Khuit speaks: “I will give you a war-engine.” It is the high holy days for Thelemites. Today we commemorate the reception of Chapter 3 of the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley and Rose Kelly Crowley on April 10 1904. Where Nuit sings of love and Hadit whispers devotion, Ra Hoor Khuit thunders war. Crowley interpreted this literally. Horus, the crowned and conquering child, would usher in a new era through a bloody sacrifice, a Great War that would... Read more
Hadit speaks: “Remember all ye that existence is pure joy.” It is the high holy days for Thelemites. Today we commemorate the reception of Chapter 2 of the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley and Rose Kelly Crowley on April 9 1904. The play of Nuit and Hadit is a love story. It is the love story, the one in which the universe is created, played out in the loves of all the goddesses and gods. This love story... Read more
Nuit speaks: “Every man and every woman is a star. ” It is the high holy days for Thelemites. Today we commemorate the reception of Chapter 1 of the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley and Rose Kelly Crowley on April 8 1904. Revelation has gone out of fashion. The words of the gods are no longer self-authorizing. Since the Enlightenment elevated human reason over divine inspiration, the messages of prophets have been met with skepticism. This is in... Read more
Does my body demonstrate my spiritual worth? I’ve been meditating recently on the body as a focus for spiritual practice. As a Thelemite I know that I am spirit in matter. My soul has touched down to earth in a body. Leaning into physicality, embracing my body’s needs and pleasures, offers me opportunities for illumination. Through body my soul evolves. Does this development also reflect in my body? Does the state of my body visibly display my soul’s accomplishments? Does... Read more
The body is a powerful spiritual focus. I take a stretching class at the gym on Tuesday mornings. The teacher begins by telling us “come back to the body”. This is my cue to collect my thoughts from all the places they’ve scattered: out to my house, checking on my friends, dipping into memories, scurrying ahead to the future. I settle into the strength of my back, the firmness of my support, the steady rhythm of breathing. What if I... Read more
As a Thelemite use the word faith differently than most people do. I don’t mean a belief that isn’t backed by science. That kind of faith doesn’t work for me because I’m a scientific illuminist. Aleister Crowley described scientific Illuminism as “the method of science, the aim of religion”. I incorporate scientific knowledge into my practice and test what I plan to do before I put my weight on it. So when I say “faith” I am using the term... Read more
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