Monday, February 25, 2008

An Etymological Take on Chapter III of Liber AL vel Legis

Many phrases and words in the Book of the Law, especially in the third chapter 'spoken' by Heru-Ra-Ha, cause natural aversions in readers. Is there a possible layer of interpretation of these tabu words approachable through their etymological roots?

Firstly, Crowley's commentary on this chapter should be mentioned:

The first two chapters of this Book describe Ideas without limit; the third concerns a fixed Event due to one union of them, namely the coming of

HERU-RA-HA.

The contents of the chapter are instructions to those who are to govern His Aeon in His Name; and these rulers will appeal to me The Beast 666 for a comment upon the text when need is.

Aum Ha.

He appears to be implying that the first two chapters refer to two ineffable Ideas (Nuit & Hadit) and the third is a conjunction of these two, applicable only to a certain Aeon (this falls in line with his Qabalistic mode of understanding Thelema which is apparent in the first chapter of Magick in Theory & Practice and elsewhere). This may make certain lines more intelligble (e.g. 'Fourties' refers to 1940s if this chapter is anchored temporally in 1904).

reward (III:1) - Etymologically, from 1300 the meaning of 'reward' meant, "a regarding, heeding, observation." In this sense, "Abrahadabra" is the observation, heeding, acknowledging of Ra Hoor Khut. " 'Ward' etymologically refers to, "a guarding, a watchman, a sentry," and so re-ward may mean "to guard, watch, etc. again."  Crowley writes, "Observe firstly the word "reward", which is to be compared with the words "hiding" and "manifestation" in the former chapters. To 're-ward' is to 'guard again'; this word Abrahadabra then is also to be considered as a Sentinel before the Fortress of the God."

hither homeward (III:2) - 'hither' suggests 'here' and 'homeward' suggests 'going in the direction of home'

defunct (III:2) - "The word 'defunct' is decidedly curious; the implication is 'no longer able to fulfil its function'." (A.C.) Etymologically, 'defunct' is from the Latin defunctus "dead," lit. "off-duty," which in turn is from  from pp. of defungi "to discharge, finish," from de- "off, completely," + fungi "perform or discharge duty."

War (III:3) - If we transliterate the letters of War into Hebrew we have Vav-Aleph-Resh, the enumeration of "Aur" (light) and "Ain Soph" (without limit). War also refers to the inherent conflict or agon of forces in all things (Heraclitus). Etymologically, cognates suggest the original sense of 'war' was "to bring into confusion," which has interesting implications when juxtaposed with the infamous quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche, "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star."

Vengeance (III:3) - Etymologically, 'vengeance' comes from the Latin vindicare "to set free, claim, avenge." Traditionally, Horus is the 'Avenger' of his father Osiris, who was tricked and dismembered by Set. In Crowley's "Supreme Ritual," which he used as his invocation of Horus before the reception, he writes, "Strike, strike the master chord! / Draw, draw the Flaming Sword! / Crowned Child and Conquering Lord,  /  Horus,  Avenger!"

island (III:4) - Crowley writes in his commentary to ch.61 of Book of Lies, "Oe= Island, a common symbol of Nibbana [known more commonly as Nirvana]." Etymologically, 'island' comes from the Proto-Germanic aujo "thing on the water" + land. An Old English cognate was ealand "river-land, watered place, meadow by a river."

Fortify (III:5) - 'Fortify' originally comes from the Latin fortificare, which comes from fortis "strong" + facere "to make"... or simply "to make strong." It has also meant specifically, "to strengthen mentally or morally" since 1477. It has also been attested to mean, "add liquor or alcohol" since 1880...

What makes Thelema unique?

What makes Thelema unique in...

Religion
  • Sin & shame - There is no Original Sin, there is no Fall of man - we are born free & pure in an act of love & joy; there is therefore no reason for guilt, shame, or veiling of one's inclinations in any way
  • Suffering is not ignored, avoided, or extirpated, but rather it is embraced whole-heartedly as one facet of Nature; all things have their complement, our notion of darkness balanced by that of light, and we may 'conquer' this by transcending opposites in Love (the result of which is Unity or '0'). 
  • Naturalism - its acceptance of all things in Nature, especially the natural facts of power (overcoming), love (union), and the necessity of both 'good' & 'bad.'
  • Self-centered  - let us not be ashamed of it, our philosophy is based on the self (but what does that mysterious word mean to you?), There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt. 
  • Purpose of rituals & feasts - rituals have the purpose of K&C of HGA (Union with God/union of Microcosm & Macrocosm/Samadhi/satori/Nirvana, etc.) but also simply to build up energy of various sorts; feasts are for the dispersal or releasing of energy for joy & gratitude

Philosophy
  • Dialectical monism - the scheme of creation (division) and destruction (union) espoused by Nuit in Liber AL I:28-30, "None... and two. For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of union. This is the creation of the world, that the pain of division is as nothing, and the joy of dissolution all;" This 'none' is 'one' with a ' better' (more effective insofar as One commonly denotes a limit, and/or posits a Not-One) name, and it may only manifest in terms of 'two'
  • Pantheism - God = All = Nature = Universe

Ethics
  • Amorality - Beyond good & evil there is the freedom of following one's natural Way
  • Suprarationality - the ethics of Thelema explicitly attack reason as "a lie; for there is a factor infinite & unknown; & all their words are skew-wise."

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Methods of mythness


Stories
  • Long (25+ pages): novels, epic poems
  • Short (~1-25 pages): myths, fables, short stories

Medium of fairy tales
  • Convey a basic moral lesson through actions & consequences of the characters; simple, catch, concise
  • Allow children to exert their powers of imaginative identification, sympathy, indifference, and exposes them to archetypal situations

Myths & memories (part 2)

What are the possible conditions for creation of these myths, stories, and fairy tales for Thelema?


Creation (One, which is None)
  • 0 - The impersonal continuous, non-dual is established as the 'starting point' (Nuit)
  • or 1 - The personal pantheistic omnipresent Self divides Itself (Horus)

  • The entrance into existence, necessarily being the entrance into duality (Coagula)
  • Though 'Godhead is devoured' by incarnation in Matter & Motion, it is the necessary formula of manifestation
  • Creation sets the stage for the acts of life - that is, acts of 'love under will' by the multitude of stars, whom are the 'company of heaven'
  • Creation as an act of joy, for potential love; not an Original Sin which requires redemption, or a Fall which requires rectifying

Virility
  • Tales of triumph (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) and victory, especially over the Conflict of Dualities, i.e. the attainment of Unity
  • They feel not - Showing of the inefficacy of weakness, sorrow, and despair; the showing forth of the natural virtues of things: strength, beauty, light, laughter, love, force, fire & freedom.
  • A natural exposition of the formula of IAO: the triumph that comes only through penetrating down through the bloated bowels of night/hell to emerge in the New Dawn
  • VIAOV as separation of Kings & slaves - V in VIAOV is "that which remains," and is enriched by the various Experiences of 'love under will;' the process naturally purges identification & attachment with the slaves (the 4 which perish), to relinquish Command to the rightful heir of the Self (the Quintessence, or 5th, which was, is, and will be); 
  • VIAOV as attainment - First V: Young Horus, IAO: process of attainment, Second V: Horus Crowned & Conquering, Parzival acquiring the Lance, the Fool recognizing his Royal Birthright

Absurdity of the dualistic mind
  • Fairy tales are the natural medium of conveying unfamiliar circumstances to the mind
  • Simply show interdependence of opposites/complements; our notions of light depend on those of dark, those of strength on weakness, those of order with chaos, etc.

The trance of Sorrow
  • The archetypal (especially in modern times) predicament of recognizing the futility of life's endeavors - both of the innate suffering in all undertakings but also the relative infinitesimal nature of our accomplishments
  • A privileged son/daughters experiences sorrow in seeing death (Buddha) or the futility of material endeavors (Crowley); this turns one's energies towards the source of the error, which is division... and union is obviously its reconciliation. 

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Myths & memories

Thelema needs myths, stories, and fairy tales.

Creation - 0 begets 2; Nuit divides for love's sake, for chance of union, and Godhead suffers the embrace of the Snake (duality) and Goat (desire/attachment). 

Virility - VIAOV & 'Solve et Coagula'... that is, the triumph of night; power through dissolution. The glories of life, death, and rebirth - the eternal solar formula.

Absurdity of the dualistic mind - C.S. Lewis found a strange world down a rabbit hole, yet our own belies a few peculiarities. Dispelling of dualities of all sorts & moral judgments through strange & absurd juxtapositions is needed... 

Reconciliation of None & Two - 'I am clothed with the body of flesh; I am one with the Eternal and Omnipotent Godhead.'

Trance of Sorrow - Conquering affluenza; the trance of disenchanted-with-the-American-Dream which begets the unconquerable urge to conquer (the final stage of which is necessarily 'Solve')

Friday, February 22, 2008

Fresh fever from the skies

I arise from the decapitated omnibegetting substance (and inevitably return)

Eye jarred by various vibrations, producing perception.

O various things born and blended together; all in and for our joys!

...what? Somewhere an old man is uncomfortably constipated.