Thelema is an esoteric philosophical and Satanic system founded in the early 1900s by the influential British occultist Aleister Crowley. Jack Parsons was a loyal disciple and devotee of Crowley.
Thelema's core principles were established through Crowley's foundational text, The Book of the Law. This text was reportedly dictated to Crowley in Cairo, Egypt, in April 1904, by a superhuman being named Aiwass.
The Three Fundamental Principles
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
This classic Satanic statement is of primary importance means adherents should seek out and follow their True Will. True Will is defined as, not as following the will of God, but following one's "authentic" purpose or ultimate mission, extending beyond mere selfishness or ego. The pursuit of the True Will involves the total expression of the self on all planes of being and experience.
Love is the law, love under will
This second statement means the nature of the Law of Thelema is love, but love is subsidiary to finding and manifesting one's authentic purpose.
Every man and every woman is a star
This is understood as a reference to the body of light, said by Plato to be composed of the same substance as the stars. It means that individuals fulfilling their Wills are like stars in the universe, occupying an independent time and position in space, largely without undue conflict with other stars.
Thelema is defined by Crowley as Magick, specifically the science and art of causing change to occur in Conformity with Will. The system draws on a mélange of different practices, incorporating ancient Egyptian deities, Pagan rites, Freemasonry, and elements of Eastern and Western mysticism.
Practice and Rituals
Thelemic practice integrates esoteric doctrines with ritualistic experimentation, often involving elements of sexual magic (Magick with a 'k' refers to a magic ritual). In the Thelemic system, sex is considered a sacrament.
Sin and Free Will
The concept of Sin in Thelema is inverted, to be defined as that which restricts the will. The libertarian spirit of the Thelemic organisation, the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), made it an accommodating home for unconventional & degenerate lifestyles, as the ethos of permissiveness was part of the practice.
Agape Lodge
Parsons and his first wife, Helen, were initiated into the Agape Lodge of the O.T.O. in Pasadena in February 1941. Parsons quickly rose to become the acting master of this lodge around 1943–1944. Lodge members often engaged in open sexual relationships, believing that sexual ecstasy could lift one to a different plane of consciousness.
Gnostic Mass
Weekly performances of a Gnostic inversion of the Catholic Mass served as both a sacrament and a recruitment method for the O.T.O.. The Mass, which lasts around 40 minutes, is sexually suggestive, with the priestess removing her costume entirely at the midway point. Communion involved consuming Cakes of Light, eucharists made of flour, honey, oil, ash, and sometimes bodily fluids such as semen or menstrual blood.
Magick and Science
Parsons believed that Thelema's magick could be understood through quantum physics, viewing rocketry and the occult as two sides of the same coin: one freeing the body and the other freeing the mind. Parsons applied his scientific training and precision to ritual, adopting a methodology of disciplined experimentation and painstaking attention to detail.
The Three Æons of Development
Crowley synopsised human development into three Æons:
The Pagan Period (Æon of Isis)
The worship of Nature, of Isis, of the Mother, and of the Past. This period was described as simple, quiet, easy, and pleasant, where the material ignores the spiritual.
The Christian Period (Æon of Osiris)
The worship of Man, of Osiris, and of the Present. This period was one of suffering and death, where the spiritual strives to ignore the material.
The New Æon (Æon of Horus)
The worship of the spiritual made one with the material, of Horus, of the Child, and of the Future. The nature of Horus is one of blind, terrible, unlimited force.
Parsons believed this new age, which began with the breakdown of patriarchy, was disruptive, bringing confusion and terror (citing World War II and the Atomic Weapons. Parsons saw the need for Babalon (the Scarlet Woman) to be invoked as a feminine complement to Horus, to balance the age with love and understanding, to prevent annihilation.
The Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.)
The O.T.O. (Order of the Temple of the East) is the international magical fraternity that promotes Thelema.
Structure: The O.T.O. is loosely based on the structure of Freemasonry, with instruction primarily through ritual initiations and the study and practice of the inculcated principles.
Origin and Leadership: The order's origins can be traced back to European Freemasons of the late 1800s. Crowley joined the O.T.O. in 1912 and soon controlled it, reinventing the quasi-Masonic group with Thelema at its core.
The Agape Lodge: The Pasadena chapter, known as the Agape Lodge, was the only property functioning O.T.O. Gnostic Mass temple in the world at one time. Parsons was appointed head of the Agape Lodge after Crowley decided to remove the former leader, Wilfred Talbot Smith, in 1943.
Sexual Magick: The O.T.O. practices involved sexual magic and the idea of "free love," aligning with the Thelemic doctrine of Do what thou wilt.
Parsons' Departure: Parsons eventually resigned from the O.T.O., criticising its bureaucratic structure as antithetical to Crowley's vision of individual sovereignty. Crowley, in turn, reorganised the lodge and removed Parsons from power following the controversial Babalon Working.
Attainment and The Abyss
Thelema includes a graded system of spiritual attainment, notably through the training school known as the A.'.A.'. (Astrum Argentum).
True Will Realisation: The highest grades culminate in the realisation of the student's divine purpose, or True Will.
Crossing the Abyss: The concept of the Abyss is central to advanced Thelemic attainment. It represents the chasm between everyday human consciousness and super consciousness. This final step, typically reserved for advanced students, is guarded by Babalon. By submitting to Babalon and emptying one's life force into her chalice, the initiate transcends duality and becomes a Mage.
The Oath: The most dangerous aspect is the Oath of the Abyss, where the magician swears to accept everything that happens as a direct communication of the divine with their soul. This commitment to a start raving paradigm, where everything is a message, carries the warning that the practitioner can go crazy. Parsons swore the Oath of Magister Templi, crossed the abyss, and declared himself Belarion, (Antichrist) in December 1948.