What is "Do what thou wilt"?

Thelema is not about labeling oneself.

The term "Thelemite" is only used once in the Thelemic Holy Books when it is said, "Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong, if he look but close into the word." (Liber AL I:40) It refers only to others labeling those who follow the Way of the Crowned & Conquering Child...

This same line ends with the eleven words, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"

"Do what thou wilt" is negative & destroying in the sense that it cuts through all

• Morality (as an a priori truth) [AL I:40; III:60]  
• Dogma (metaphysical sophistry as binding to our Going). [AL II:27-34]
  

But it is also positive & creating in the sense that

• it inherently leads us to the ancient injunction, "Know Thyself"
• This is the Great Work wherein we come to know ourselves as Ourselves, without limit and infinite.

 

We must perform the operation of Solve, dissolving into the formless Unity which is Naught, so that we may consolidate our Will in our Way, Coagula. In this, each moment is a new Sacrament, and a new branch of Joy. [AL II:9, 42-44, 66]

Then - being "chief of all" [AL I:23] - the Child of Thelema works her Will, guarding against the phantoms of Morality and Dogmatism with the merciless red flame which is as a sword of Ra-Hoor-Khuit [AL III:38].

The Path of Attainment

"Abrahadabra; the reward of Ra Hoor Khut."

- Liber AL vel Legis III:1

What does Attainment even entail?

Man is typically bludgeoned about by circumstance, unaware of a true locus of action within or without himself, unaware of his true identity.

This isn't inherently 'wrong' and certainly not 'evil:' it is the apparently typical human condition. But certain people are impelled to the Path of Attainment by their seemingly hopeless endeavor to find some lasting solace in the realm of multiplicity, or countless other reasons...

"I am the Hawk-Headed Lord of Silence & of Strength; my nemyss shrouds the night-blue sky."

- Liber AL vel Legis III:70

Attainment is two-fold:

1. Solve: the realizing of one's true Identity, the revealing of one's Self to oneself (Silence)
2. Coagula: the manifestation of that Identity in Motion, the performing of one's Will (Strength)

What man thinks is his 'self' and what he thinks is his 'will' are both ridiculously puny conceptions, based in nonsense. Attainment is therefore the identification of the self with the True Self and the aligning of the will with the True Will.

The mastery of Solve is the mastery of Mysticism, identification of Self with All. This is coterminous with understanding the Universe to be Continuous (0).

"I am the Lord of the Double Wand of Power; the wand of the Force of Coph Nia--but my left hand is empty, for I have crushed an Universe; & nought remains."
- Liber AL vel Legis III:72

The mastery of Coagula is the mastery of Magick, causing Change in conformity with Will. That is, Going one's natural & spontaneous Way. This is best done with a healthy, strong, and well-ordered body & mind.

"The ending of the words is the Word Abrahadabra. "
- Liber AL vel Legis III:75

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...