Thelema facts for kids

Thelema is a Greek word that means "will" or "wish." In old Christian writings, this word was used to talk about God's will, what people want, and even what the Devil wants.

Thelema is also a way of life. It was first written about by a French writer named François Rabelais in the 1500s. He wrote famous fiction books called Gargantua and Pantagruel. The main idea of this way of life was "Do what thou wilt," which means "Do what you want to do." This idea was later put into practice in the mid-1700s by Sir Francis Dashwood at a place called Medmenham.

This idea of Thelema was brought back in 1904 by Aleister Crowley. He wrote a book called The Book of the Law. This book included the Greek word Thelema and the phrase "Do what thou wilt." Because of this, Crowley used Thelema as the name for his own spiritual path.

What is Modern Thelema?

Different Ways to Understand Thelema

The main idea of Thelema is "Do what thou wilt." However, different people understand and use this idea in their own ways. Some people believe that Aleister Crowley was a special messenger or "prophet." Others see Crowley's ideas as just one way to follow Thelema. Crowley himself agreed with this. He said that he didn't want people to just copy his ideas. He wanted everyone to find their own path.

Many people who follow Thelema also learn from other spiritual ideas. They mix these ideas with Thelema in a way that feels right to them. For example, some believe that the Thelemic ideas of Nu and Had are similar to concepts like Tao and Teh from Taoism, Shakti and Shiva from Hindu Tantra, or Shunyata and Bodhicitta from Buddhism. Like Crowley, many Thelemites use practices from other traditions, such as alchemy, astrology, qabalah, tantra, tarot, and yoga. They choose what works best for them.

Some groups, like A∴A∴ and Ordo Templi Orientis, try to stick closely to Crowley's original system. Other groups build on his teachings and add new ideas. For example, the Fraternitas Saturni (Brotherhood of Saturn) started in Germany in 1928. They follow the Law of Thelema but add the phrase "Mitleidlose Liebe!" which means "Compassionless love!"

Another group in Germany, The Thelema Society, accepts Liber Legis and much of Crowley's work on magick. But they also include ideas from other thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche. In America, the writings of Maggie Ingalls, also known as Nema, led to a movement called Maat Magick. This movement combines parts of Thelema with Nema's system, which is based on the Egyptian goddess Ma'at. She wrote her own holy book called "Liber Pennae Praenumbra."

Important Thelemic Writings

Most of the writings about Thelema were created by Aleister Crowley. He wrote many books, especially about Thelema. During his time, a few other people also wrote about it, like Charles Stansfeld Jones and J.F.C. Fuller.

Since Crowley passed away in 1947, some new writers have continued to write about Thelema. These include:

• Israel Regardie: He helped edit many of Crowley's books. He also wrote a book about Crowley's life called The Eye in the Triangle. Regardie wrote many books about rituals and Qabalah, such as Garden of Pomegranates and Tree of Life.
• Kenneth Grant: He has written many books about Thelema and other hidden spiritual topics, including The Magical Revival and Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God.
• Nema: Her book Liber Pennae Praenumbra introduced new ideas about the Ma'atian current, which has influenced Thelemites for over 25 years. She has also written other books on Ma'atian Thelema, like Maat Magick.

Other pages

• Svecchachara

Images for kids

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  François Rabelais was a French writer who first wrote about Thelema.

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  Portrait of Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron le Despencer, who put Thelema's ideas into practice.

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  The Stèle of Revealing, an important artifact in Thelema. It shows Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit.

See also

In Spanish: Thelema para niños