It's funny the associations the word "warrior" brings up for me. A warrior seems almost removed and separate to my understanding of war, as if the two were not connected. 'War' I associate with battles by governments, superpowers or industries, fought by others on their behalf, not something that is readily associated with nobility. Unlike the word 'warrior', which has associations more Arthurian, hand to hand combat with swords, and more personal. Somehow I'm very comfortable with that definition of warrior, when I'm not so consistently happy with war.
But a warrior must understand the strategy of war, both in war as part of a unit and individual combat. A 'war' with the self (the 'lower') self still needs a strategy of 'war' ... or you are just blindly fighting with yourself.
Where is the line between the realities of the universe (as understood in the BoL) and the recommended social actions of a Thelemite.
Very interesting question. Where IS it in BoL, directly and clearly for us non-adepts? - I believe that is why Crowley developed the OTO. In the rites of that Order (and the public documents) there appears to be advice on some very relevant aspects of social actions of a Thelemite.
Perhaps this can be read that you may encounter War and Vengeance, rather than you as a person 'should' embody or aspire to these qualities. If in fact we see them as aspects of RHK that we encounter when "off-path", maybe we are avoiding them (through action) rather than through Osiric suppression (or inaction).
If anyone doubts this they should read the introductory chapters to the 'Little red book' version (?) of the BoL.
What is Vengeance but the righting of a wrong, a payback in kind, a redressing of the balance.
Exactly! But its not a common thing that is openly accepted in our society. If you do wrong and say 'stuff the law!" and escape punishment, you might get hunted down and caught and punished. Nowadays, well, in the society I live in you will get a smack on the wrist, often for severe crimes. And thats one reason why the society is the way it is.
In other socities people really thought about wrong doing and the consequences of things to THEMSELVES, due to the possibilities of vengeance , if they didnt consider the karmic follow on. It can all seem a bit savage and primitive to us, but we are talking about things beyond our own cultural paradigm here (aren't we?). I've seen it in the animal kingdom, spent 1/2 hr watch the whole thing play out between birds : It was always okay (in my observation) for the passing kookaburras to travel past, low over the water, under the magpies tree that they liked to congregate in. One day, they decide to have a bit of fun and swoop down and attack a lone kooka. he freaked! Went racing off back over the water to the national park. 15 mins later I see a grey strange shape coming over the bay toward the house. As they get closer I realise its a mass formation of kookaburras, Man, You should have seen it, formation, tactics, did they clean up the magpies! After that, the situation returned to normal, no harrasment of lone kookas.
Hmmm.. If we posit a scenario where Aeon steals $100 from me, I would say karma is when I unexpectedly come into an extra $100 and Aeon unexpectedly looses $100, but vengeance is when I'm unable to get over my anger until I cause Aeon to loose $100, and even though I don't get my $100 back, it still feels good to make him suffer like I did.
Look, do you agree with vengeance or not?
If not, please PM me your credit card numbers and info.
Hmmmmm. All the fun is here...!
I've been lurking on this and a couple of the other related threads and this one really turned some lights on. Or is that just me realizing I am hanging onto the windowsill on the 5th floor of a burning building and I won't let me go??
Aeon's links were fantastic. Speaking as an artist - whenever I get asked, I agree that the only way to break the rules is to know them first. Art must have the devotion of religion in order to become its master for most of us and even then it is a struggle... At times I envy the flakes that are all airy fairy and without a clue and I watch in horror as so many people buy into it.
And now I am back off into my corner. I have so much to read because I am out of my league here!
Didn't we cover this in the first chapter study threads? We pointed out how A.'.A.'. material is devoid of this kind of guidance, but the O.T.O. papers are packed with it. Crowley knew that, "Do what thou wilt", simply wasn't enough for most people. They still needed a guiding framework at the beginning to stop them from getting it badly wrong.
Given what's just been said above, who is most likely to make a "great miss" when it comes to mundane, literal interpretations?
So it's not all words of the HGA? That's probabaly true until you've passed the second ordeal.
Crowley had a lot of good things to say in that intro, but some of his other writings in the same vein are just plain dumb and reveal a lot about his attitude towards chapter III. To Crowley's mind, if there were one chapter in Liber AL that contained "prophecy", it was the 3rd chapter. He was always looking for literal manifestations of this chapters message as a kind of proof of the revelation.
Is III:43 a description of the fate of Crowley's first wife, Rose? Er...sort of.
Is III:12-15 a prophecy concerning the death of Crowley's kids? Er...maybe.
This is the kind of stuff that people constantly do with the Quatraines of Nostradamus. 1999 came and went, and we're still here.
Yes, but this is a mundane, outer manifestation of what I was talking about. You know as well as I that in Thelema we view the Will as our path, our chosen orbit through the body of Nuit. But what happens when you try to deviate from that path? Corrective Karma. Is it punishment? No. It's basically a case of you pushing against the universe and the universe, seeking to re-balance the scales, pushes back.
But there are no absolute standards of right and wrong. An act that may tip the scales for one person, might not for another. Does act X conform or deviate from the Will? It all depends on the Will of the individual involved and the circumstances they find themselves in. Conventional notions of right & wrong, good & evil, don't enter into it.
Of course we also have to deal with the illusion of free will. (Don't confuse with True Will.) You're free to do whatever you want, right? Wrong!
In a sense you can exercise your free will and deviate from your True Will, until you get a karmic nudge.
Somewhere in Magick Without Tears Crowley compares the Will to a toboggan run. Your path/fate is laid out before you. But you can use your sense of free will to bash yourself into the walls all the way to the end if you like. But don't cry when you get a headache and feel sick half way down.
A day in the life of Ra-Hoor-Khuit.
Episode 1: The Benben Shop.
Pre-Adept: Hello. I'd like one of your best Benben stones please.
pre-Adept: Everyone tells me this place sells the best stones.
RHK: Indeed we do sir. But before we get to that do you have your elemental pyramid with you sir?
pre-Adept: Erm.... yes. Why do you ask?
RHK: Well you see it's the Law, sir. I can't sell you a Benben stone until I've checked the workmanship and quality of your pyramid. It's for your own safety sir.
RHK: I hope you don't mind me asking sir, but you did follow the approved pyramid building regulations?
RHK: Exactly sir. But are you sure you didn't cut any corners or use inferior materials.
RHK: [Suppressing a grin] Gooood. That's what I like to hear. We get all kinds of dodgy characters in here asking for Benben stones.
pre-Adept: [Profusely sweating] Oh, I bet you do.
RHK: Now would you mind placing it on the floor so that I can carry out the standard test?
RHK: Oh dear, oh dear.
RHK: That shouldn't have happened. A properly constructed pyramid shouldn't even crack or chip. As it is I'm afraid I can't sell you a Benben stone.
Episode 2: A holiday in Tiphareth.
With a hawk-like screech Samekh airlines flight 418 touches down at Peh airport. The passengers disembark. All of them are heading for the holiday of a lifetime in Tiphareth. All of them except one.
To Mr Wannabe-Adept the brochure description sounded absolutely fantastic.
Sun! Sea! Sand! and Six-Six-Six!
Carrying his personal baggage he arrives at the customs desk. Officer Ra-Hoor-Khuit is on duty today.
RHK: Do you have anything to declare sir?
RHK: Would you mind opening your bag sir?
RHK: Can you explain what these items are sir?
Wannabe: I have no idea how that women's lingerie and set of hand cuffs got into my bag. Honest!
RHK: Not that sir. THAT!
RHK: You do know that fear based, restrictive personality aspects are illegal contraband in Tiphareth?
Wannabe: I had no idea they were there. I've never seen them before in my life! You've got to believe me!
RHK: Come this way sir.
RHK: I'm sorry sir, but you are going to have to submit to full body cavity search.
RHK: Thou hast no right but to do thy will.
RHK: Before we get started I ought to tell you one thing.
RHK: We ran out of KY Jelly last week.
I am laughing too hard to offer any clever or witty response. I can barely type anyways.