We now conclude, from part 1 and part 2, with a consideration of Aleister Crowley and the (in)famous motto “Do what thou wilt.” Crowley referred to himself as “Baphomet,” “The Beast 666,” “To Mega Therion (the great best)” and was known as the wickedest or most wicked man in the world.
Chapter 3 of the Book of the Law begins by stating, “Abrahadabra; the reward of Ra Hoor Khut.” And now you know whence came the magic (or, in reality magick) word which is in so very many children’s stories: from a real life demon if not satan himself (the issue of abrahadabra versus abracadabra is another issue altogether).
Verse 3 is an intro of sorts, “I am a god of War and of Vengeance. I shall deal hardly with them” and so this is well in keeping with the previous encouragement of ruthlessness and lack of compassion. This war god commands that an island be fortified and v. 6 “Dung it about with enginery of war!” Disturbingly in vss. 7-8 the war god states, “I will give you a war-engine. With it ye shall smite the peoples; and none shall stand before you.” One reason that this is disturbing because one of Aleister Crowley’s followers was Jack Parsons of JPL: Jet Propulsion Labs or as some have it, Jack Parsons Lab. Parsons was, literally, a very advanced rocket scientist and satanic black magickian who was also a cohort to L. Ron Hubbard, performed what is said to have been a dimensional portal opening ritual/working at what later became the infamous Area 51 and who’s life ended in a literal blaze of glory, of sorts, as he blew himself up in an experiment accident.
From the first segment, you may recall exhibit number 666; the Stele of Revealing which the war god tells Crowley to get and “set it in thy secret temple…it shall be your Kiblah for ever.” Kiblah is, in Islam, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca which is the direction to which Muslims orient themselves for prayer. Thus, the stele 666 is to be the spiritual compass for the Crowley.
Verse 10 ends with instructions that the stele be locked in a glass container wherein “It shall not fade, but miraculous colour shall come back to it day after day.” This, says v. 11, “shall be your only proof. I forbid argument. Conquer! That is enough.”
Then, vss. 11-12, instructions are given for worship:
Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords & with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let blood flow to my name. Trample down the Heathen; be upon them, o warrior, I will give you of their flesh to eat! Sacrifice cattle, little and big: after a child.
Following are encouragements, of sorts, vss. 16-18, “…fear not to undergo the curses. Ye, even ye, know not this meaning all. Fear not at all; fear neither men nor Fates, nor gods, nor anything….Mercy let be off; damn them who pity! Kill and torture; spare not; be upon them!”
Verse 19 refers to “That stele” which presumably is the one numbered 666 and it is said that “they shall call the Abomination of Desolation.” Verses 21-22 further instructs, “Set up my image in the East: thou shalt buy thee an image which I will show thee…The other images group around me to support me: let all be worshipped, for they shall cluster to exalt me. I am the visible object of worship; the others are secret; for the Beast & his Bride are they…” So, not only idolatry being commanded but it appears that Aleister Crowley and Rose themselves are to be worshipped.
Verse 23 gives instructions for a perfume which is to include “rich fresh blood” and v. 24 notes that “The best blood is of the moon, monthly” meaning menstruation, “then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what.” Of this bloody mixture of menstrual or child or priestly or other blood they are to, as per v. 25, “make cakes & eat unto me.”
Apparently, not well fed on blood of whichever sort you can get your hands upon, and by whatever means, you are to go on a murderous rampage as, v. 27, “these shall breed lust & power of lust in you at the eating thereof.” So now to v. 26, “These slay, naming your enemies; & they shall fall before you.”
We previously saw that one to come after Crowley was said to be able to elucidate the long sequence of mysterious letters and numbers. This personage appears to be referred to as in in v. 34, “Another prophet shall arise, and bring fresh fever from the skies; another woman shall awake the lust & worship of the Snake; another soul of God and beast shall mingle in the globed priest; another sacrifice shall stain the tomb; another king shall reign; and blessing no longer be poured To the Hawk-headed mystical Lord!”
Indeed, this is all very inside stuff and so some of its meanings are unknown, some unknowable, some contain multiple meanings, etc. For example, “fresh fever from the skies” may refer to chemtrails. That “another woman shall awake the lust & worship of the Snake” may be a reference to the Yoga boom in the USA and beyond. The reference to “another soul of God and beast shall mingle” sounds a bit like Genesis 6:4, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” And on it goes attempting to guess at what a demonic entity was saying to deceive a satanist.
There are also instructions given on the binding of the Book of the Law and the distribution thereof, v. 39:
All this and a book to say how thou didst come hither and a reproduction of this ink and paper for ever — for in it is the word secret & not only in the English — and thy comment upon this the Book of the Law shall be printed beautifully in red ink and black upon beautiful paper made by hand; and to each man and woman that thou meetest, were it but to dine or to drink at them, it is the Law to give. Then they shall chance to abide in this bliss or no; it is no odds. Do this quickly!
We are then back to death and destruction as per v. 42, “…destroy the traitors…them attack without pity or quarter; & destroy them utterly. Swift as a trodden serpent turn and strike! Be thou yet deadlier than he! Drag down their souls to awful torment: laugh at their fear: spit upon them!”
There is also a dire warning, and prediction actually, in v. 43:
Let the Scarlet Woman beware! If pity and compassion and tenderness visit her heart; if she leave my work to toy with old sweetnesses; then shall my vengeance be known. I will slay me her child: I will alienate her heart: I will cast her out from men: as a shrinking and despised harlot shall she crawl through dusk wet streets, and die cold and an-hungered.
Well, apparently at least two of Aleister Crowley’s scarlet women did not heed the warning as they ended up in insane asylums.
But beyond being warned, there are instructions:
44. But let her raise herself in pride! Let her follow me in my way! Let her work the work of wickedness! Let her kill her heart! Let her be loud and adulterous! Let her be covered with jewels, and rich garments, and let her be shameless before all men!
45. Then will I lift her to pinnacles of power: then will I breed from her a child mightier than all the kings of the earth. I will fill her with joy: with my force shall she see & strike…46. …will bring you to victory & joy: I will be at your arms in battle & ye shall delight to slay…
So the instructions are to embrace pride, wickedness, adultery, materialism, power hunger, slaying and the breeding of a certain child. This concept is sometimes referred to as a “moon child” and some, such as Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard tried time and time again to produce one (leaving devastated women and aborted babies in their wake, see: L. Ron Hubbard’s son speaks out: Scientology or satanology?).
Now, we will learn that, well at least and unlike most Atheists and occultists, this creature does not, in a manner of speaking, discriminate as per vss. 49-55:
I am…the blasphemy against all gods of men. Curse them! Curse them! Curse them! With my Hawk’s head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs upon the cross. I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed & blind him. With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and Din…I spit on your crapulous creeds. Let Mary inviolate be torn upon wheels: for her sake let all chaste women be utterly despised among you!
After being told, in vss. 56-59, that “for beauty’s sake and love’s” cowards and fools are to be despised and “As brothers fight ye!” v. 60 states, “There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.”
Since, as per v. 61, “There is an end of the word of the God enthroned in Ra’s seat” the command is, v. 62-70, “To Me do ye reverence!…I am the Hawk-Headed Lord of Silence & of Strength…my left hand is empty, for I have crushed an Universe; & nought remains.” And with a few more verses ends the Book of the Law.
We began this series by asking just what “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” meant within the context into which it is sometimes put “Love in the law, love under will” (a context into which it is not always put when the Book of the Law itself repeats it). What is “love” (and don’t say “baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more”) and “will”? Well, clearly, from the Book of the Law’s context the will is that of the various demonic beings dictating it and the love is immoral, uncompassionate, pitiless, bloodthirsty unlovely lack of true love.
Note that some people, including Aleister Crowley himself, have noticed a similarity between “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” and St. Augustine’s much earlier “Love and then what you will, do” or “Love, and do what thou wilt.” Here is what Augustine wrote in Tractatus VII, 8:
Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what thou wilt: whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace; whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct, through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.
Thus, he correlates love with good and therein doing what one wills: in love and for goodness.
Of course, Augustine’s greater context is that of Christian theology so note the following:
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another (Galatians 5:13).
Also, consider the following:
One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, o Israel! The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31).
And, of course, “God is love” (1st John 4:8) and “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
Based on the context of the Book of the Law and on his personal infamous behavior and worldview; Aleister Crowley can make no such claims.
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Here are some relevant books:
John Weldon and John Ankerberg:
Knowing the Facts about Divination Practices and Occult “Games”
Walter Martin’s The Kingdom of the Occult
Ron Rhodes’ The Truth Behind Ghosts, Mediums, and Psychic Phenomena
Philip G. Davis’ Goddess Unmasked – The Rise of Neopagan Feminist Spirituality
Davis “argued that Wicca was the creation of an English civil servant and amateur anthropologist named Gerald B. Gardner…the origins of the Goddess movement lay in an interest among the German and French Romantics-mostly men-in natural forces, especially those linked with women. Gardner admired the Romantics and belonged to a Rosicrucian society called the Fellowship of Crotona-a group that was influenced by several late-nineteenth-century occultist groups, which in turn were influenced by Freemasonry.”
Ronald Hutton’s The Triumph of the Moon
Hutton “conducted detailed research into the known pagan practices of prehistory [but] could find no conclusive evidence of the coven from which [Gerald] Gardner said he had learned the Craft, and argued that the ‘ancient’ religion Gardner claimed to have discovered was a mélange of material from relatively modern sources.”
Robin Briggs’ Witches and Neighbors
Briggs “pored over the documents of European witch trials and concluded that most of them took place during a relatively short period…The accused witches, far from including a large number of independent-minded women, were mostly poor and unpopular. Their accusers were typically ordinary citizens (often other women), not clerical or secular authorities. In fact, the authorities generally disliked trying witchcraft cases and acquitted more than half of all defendants. Briggs also discovered that none of the accused witches who were found guilty and put to death had been charged specifically with practicing a pagan religion.”
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