The Use of Art in Thelemic Ritual

Figure i: Teth or Tau (2014), Reproduced by kind permission of the artist, A.Petersen

Abstract
This thesis explored and examined the use of art in Thelemic ritual, framed within a social
constructionist epistemology. Thelema is a new spiritual philosophy founded in the early 20th
century by the poet, mountaineer and wickedest man in the world Aleister Crowley.
Using primary resources such as person to person and email interviews with practising Thelemites,
and secondary resources such as web-sites, forums, pod-casts and other documents, I investigated
the role of art (visual, musical and other) and the different methods in which it was employed in
ritual settings by practitioners of Thelema. The conceptual framework expanded outwards as
interviews and related research were conducted.
The qualitative data for this dissertation, from a sample of Thelemites, is the clearest indicator of
how Thelemites use art in their ritual practices, given that no quantitative data was available from
previous studies or collected during the data gathering process of this thesis. The conclusion is born
as a result of analysis of information collected from documents and interviews and through the
research/data gathering process within a social constructionist perspective. The several main
findings - that Thelemites do (and do not) use art in ritual settings; that when utilising art, there are
numerous end results sought; and that Thelemites utilise a diverse range of art when doing so and
that they do not appear limited by their beliefs in choosing art to work with - seek to fill a gap in the
study of the Thelemic system and to contribute a significant addition to the existing body of
knowledge.
I argued that given the focus on the individuals progress within the Thelemic framework, all
conclusions about the use of art will centre on the individual; certainly broader conclusions can be
established through emerging patterns gleaned from responses but these broader ideas will always
be based within the individuals attitude to art use within Thelemic ritual.

Table of Contents:
Abstract..P.2
List of Illustrations and Tables......P.4
Chapter One Introduction..P.8
Chapter Two Literature Review..P.17
Chapter Three Methodology and Data..P.27
Chapter Four Analysis and Conclusions.P.31
Appendix Interview ScheduleP.40
References/Bibliography.P.41

List of Illustrations and Tables:

Figure i (Page 1): Teth or Tau, A.Petersen Reproduced by kind permission of the artist
Figure ii (Page 24): Sigil of Bune, reproduced from The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King
(Crowley, 2003, p.24)
Figure iii (Page 26): The Universe, reproduced from The Book of Thoth (Crowley, 2007, Front Cover)
Table I (Pages 29 - 30): Demographic Information of Interviewees

Art is a Gods way of discovering his own mysteries. Aleister Crowley, 1920

Chapter One: Introduction

So it must be around midnight Im guessing the time because Im naked and
have no time-piece - Im in the bush and I think the sacrament that I consumed
about 40 minutes ago is starting to kick in; the world is starting to bend a little at the
edges and colours are beginning to get a little brighter. I wouldnt say Im afraid but I
am wary; I dont really know these people and I dont know what theyre planning to
do. There is a huge bonfire blazing in front of me to my left, some kind of African
tribal fetish, and bizarrely to my right, a reproduction of one of Arcimboldos fruit
portraits. The whole area is decorated with copies of famous artworks, as well as
some original works by attendees. Weird organic sculptures loom out of the now
swirling haze and I note the reoccurring themes of nature, Mother Earth and genitalia
among many of the works. They all seem to be coming alive and moving. Perhaps
thats just an effect from the flames but I do not discount that it could be due to the
possible presence of hallucinogens in the wine that I drank at the start of the ritual.
There is a row of drummers, pounding out rhythms that are somehow
simultaneously primitive yet complex. Im digging their crazy bongo rhythms. The
drummers, like everyone else here, are naked and they look pretty damned good by
the light of the fire. There are people chanting and dancing; all naked. Naked, naked,
naked; and suddenly my mind returns to a question that is hardly original; why am I
here?

How would debates within the sociology of religion about definitions, rituals, practices and
beliefs make sense of this experience? What exactly is it that we are seeking? When we examine any
particular religion, or belief system, are we looking for the broadest reasons as to why an adherent
of any given faith does any given thing? Should we be attempting to discover and define what the
actual experience of communing with divinity is about, or should we focus our attention on the
methods employed to achieve that communion? As noted by Beckford and Demerath (2007, p.2)
sociology does not provide ultimate answers to ultimate questions. so what is the purpose of my
research? In a stance similar to many within the sociology of religion, which considers how the social
affects the religious and how the religious affects the social, I see my research as one way of
exploring and explaining how art affects the religious and vice versa. In essence my research will be
exploring how Thelemites define and use art in their rituals.

The relevance and currency of my research rests on the recognition of the Thelemic path, as
a new religion(Cowan, 2008); if, over the coming years, it establishes itself as a mainstream faith
such as Christianity or Islam then my research will contribute to a better understanding of the
Thelemic system and its adherents. If it fades away then my research will serve as a contribution to
the better understanding of a failed system of religio-spirituality; an exploration of belief and art in a
dead faith. Either way, my research is both current and makes a valid contribution to the study of
new religions in general and a better understanding of Thelema in particular. As noted by Bromley:
New Religious Studies (NRS) is emerging as a new interdisciplinary area of study in religion. (p.83,
2004) and his definition of what constitutes a new religion, as quoted by Robbins & Lucas in
Beckford and Demerath (P.229, 2007), will serve us well:
These groups lack congruence with both dominant social institutions and
dominant cultural patterns. In Meltons taxonomy, they stand outside dominant
religious families, and in Barkers terms, they are new movement organizations.
Because these groups are often rejected by dominant religious and social institutions,
they tend to exist in a high degree of tension with the larger social order.
My theoretical framework is thus; I am interested in exploring how art is used by Thelemites
in a ritual setting. Within this theoretical framework there are several other questions posed
including what does the Thelemite consider as art and where does it fit within debates about art,
and its (Thelemas) ritual uses of art? What is the end result sought by the Thelemite who uses art
(or not, as the case may be) in his/her ritual? In this exploratory study it will be argued that because
the Thelemic path emphasises the progress of the individual, it is logical that each individual will use
art in his/her rituals in their own individualistic way.
The existing literature (Tupman, 2003; Thelema 101, n.d; Chappell, n.d) suggests that the
Thelemic philosophy means something different to each of its followers; one of its tenets is Do
what thou wilt though this is not about satisfying egotistical desire this Will is the Divine Will of
the individuals inherent Godhead. The path of Thelema is unique for each person; each individual
must discover their true Will and execute it, thereby satisfying the purpose of their existence. The
article Thelema 101 succinctly sums Thelema as:
6

every person is a divine projection of the Universal All and, as such, has
within him or her a True Will that is the expression of ones deepest, most genuine
self. This genuine self acts in perfect accord with all of Nature and so by labouring to
apprehend and manifest this Will, one is able to live a life of greater harmony,
fulfilment, and joy. (Thelema 101, n.d)
The term Thelemic, and later the belief system, can be traced back as Thelema...a Greek
word meaning will or intention. It is also the name of a new spiritual philosophy... (Chappell n.d)
developed by the 19th century occultist and ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley, although one of
the earliest mentions of this philosophy occurs in...Gargantua and Pantagruel [authors italics]
written by Francois Rabelais in 1532. (ibid). The first holy book to be received by Crowley occurred
on three successive days, April 8th, 9th and 10th in the year 1904. (Crowley 2006 , p.7), and is
entitled The Book of the Law. This is also where we find Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong, if
he looks but close into the word. (op cit, p.31). The Book of the Law was said to be dictated to
Crowley by the preternatural entity Aiwass (Crowley 2006) and as noted by the Ordo Templi Orientis
(the first organisation to accept the book) The Law of Thelema can ultimately be fulfilled only
through the individual efforts of each person. (About OTO n.d).
It could be argued that the relationship between the individual and his/her deity is not
dissimilar to the relationship between the individual and his/her art; it is deeply personal, and often
incomprehensible to the outsider. This will be explored in this research. If we look at Paul WaldoSchwartzs (1975) Art and the Occult we can view his book as the formation of his ideas on what art
and the occult are or perhaps it would be more accurate to suggest that it is an exploration of what
art and the occult mean to Waldo-Schwartz. It is a map of the connections that he has made and
perhaps this is all art, the occult and religion are: an individuals connections, a mental dot to dot
map of the universe.
It is my intention to explore the relationship between art and Thelemic ritual practices by
analysing information provided in interview settings with Thelemites, as well as examining writers,
such as Tolstoy, who wrote in the same period as Aleister Crowley. I will also examine a variety of

web-sites and forums frequented by Thelemites in order to gain insight into how the Thelemite may
see the role of art in his/her ritual practices.
Initially I shall define how both the concepts of art and religion will be used in this thesis.
There are many debates around these apparently innocuous terms. Trying to define art (and indeed,
religion) is like trying to herd cats; much of the difficulty lies in achieving a general consensus from
everyone involved (and just who should be involved is another prickly question), how it should be
done, and then whether there is actually any discernible benefit in attempting to get said consensus.
As a background for this research more specifically for art - I selected Tolstoys What is Art?
(Tolstoy 1984) in an attempt to find a suitable definition - I was quickly disavowed of the notion that
finding a one size fits all definition would be easy. However, I found that these difficulties added to
the framework of my research.
Tolstoys essays and ideas of art, philosophy, beauty and religion were important dimensions
of the cultural context in which Crowley developed his tenets; a discussion of Tolstoys ideas follows;
it is interspersed with Crowleys writings on similar themes as points of comparison and contrast.
In his introduction to What is Art? W.Gareth Jones observes that Tolstoy sensed that there
must be something good and useful in art (in Tolstoy 1984 p. vi), and it could be argued what could
be more good and useful than throwing the mundane consciousness into a state of divinity (from
responses given during the interviews, this often appears to be one of the aims of the Thelemite in a
ritual setting)? Tolstoys starting position is that the true object of art is the purpose it may serve in
the life of man and humanity. Art is not an isolated commodity but one of the conditions of human
life. (op cit, p.xii) and Jones touches on Tolstoys use of the term infection as a means of creating
union (or at the very least empathy) among humanity. Jones also observes that True art is
inseparable from religious awareness. (op cit, p.xii). It might be asked: what is more important than
unity among people? Based on the evidence from interviewees (see Chapter Four), a Thelemite
might argue that perhaps the answer is unity with Self or godhood.

The idea of infection or the immediate communication of a feeling from the artist to the
observer is debatable. Simply by acknowledging the highly subjective nature of art may lead any
discussion down a metaphorical cul-de-sac. This debate will be discussed in the following chapter
especially in relation to sigil magick (It should be noted that I use the spelling of magick with a k, as
introduced by Crowley, unless quoting where necessary). Jones dismisses the notion of subjectivity
by referring to a footnote in Tolstoys work where it confesses to the reader that his main aim is not
to impose his own subjective taste (op cit, p.xiv); an apparent contradiction or is it?
Tolstoy begins his essay on art by noting some of the differences between the art of the
common/peasant folk and the upper classes of his native country Russia. It could be argued that the
dichotomy of quality between the art of both classes which he raises is transcended in the Book of
the Law, where it is stated Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing &
any other thing; for thereby cometh hurt. (Crowley 2006, p.27-28).
According to Tolstoy art involves the senses, thus he brings in the notion of beauty. He asks
what beauty is before citing Baumgarten, Schasler, Knight and Kralik whom he describes as learned
aesthetic writers (Tolstoy 1984 p. 25). Yet still he is no nearer to defining beauty so he calls on the
work of Sulzer, Mendelssohn and Moritz (op cit, p. 29) for further clarity. These attempts are met by
the almost contradictory stances of each writer; they all have differing views on what beauty is.
Tolstoy is undeterred and calls upon Hutcheson, noting that according to Hutcheson beauty does
not always correspond with goodness but separates from it and is sometimes contrary to it. (op cit,
p. 31). But Tolstoy does not stop there; he brings in Hume, Burke and Andre (ibid), Kant and Schiller
and Fichte (op cit, p. 33) to assist with the search. On Schelling, Tolstoy observes Beauty is the
perception of the infinite in the finite (op cit, p. 35) and Art is the uniting of the subjective with the
objective (ibid) these mystical sentiments conjure comparisons with Crowleys own argument that
There is a single main definition of the object of all magical ritual. It is the uniting of the Microcosm
with the Macrocosmor, in the language of Mysticism, Union with God. (Crowley 1997, p.144).
Regardless we may be no nearer to defining either art or beauty.
9

This research explores the Thelemites definitions of, and uses for art; particularly through
literature, web-sites and other direct sources - definitions supplied by respondents will be given later
in this thesis. Readers can decide for themselves whether respondents answers cloud or clarify the
issue further.
Tolstoy notes various philosophies (Tolstoy 1984 p. 28 to p. 46) on what beauty is, before he
distils it down to that which pleases us without evoking in us desire. (op cit, p. 49) yet he still
cannot reconcile himself to a definition of absolute beauty (ibid), going further to posit that There is
no objective definition of beauty. (op cit, p. 50). He concludes that beauty is a personal (and
therefore subjective?) concept. He then moves away from beauty to that which provokes empathy
(op cit, p.59):
To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced and having evoked it
in oneself then by means of movements, lines, colours, sounds, or forms expressed in
words, so to transmit that feeling that others experience the same feeling this is the
activity of art. Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously by
means of external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that
others are infected by these feelings and also experience them. [Authors italics]
He attempts to clarify his position by stating that art is a means of union among men, joining them
together in the same feelings, and [is] indispensable for the life and progress towards well-being of
individuals and humanity. (ibid).
Tolstoy then reflects on the relationship between art and religion, an area central to this
thesis, and he savagely and systematically deconstructs the role of the church in Christianity,
proposes the falsity of modern Christianity (though not the tenets of the original Christianity that
promoted equality and brotherhood), before moving on to aesthetic theory throughout the ages. He
identifies three feelings transmitted by the false art of the upper/wealthy classes; these are pride,
sexual desire and weariness of life (Chapter IX) before speaking of the artist as creating for an elite
group: the artist was involuntarily drawn to express himself by allusions comprehensible only to
the initiated, and obscure to everyone else. (op cit, p. 92). Tolstoy accords these three false
feelings as being felt almost exclusively by the upper classes and accuses artists of pandering to

10

these exclusive sensations which, he suggests, common folk are never likely to experience. Hence it
could be said that the upper classes are the initiated and these three feelings (which are also the
main subjects of the artists discussed by Tolstoy) are obscure to the average commoner. Again, this
idea of subjectivity is noted in the section on sigil magick.
Tolstoy, in his essay, chastises Wagner, Strauss, Brahms, Baudelaire, Peladan, Verlain and
Rodenbach for their obscurity; Kipling and Huysmans are in the cross-hairs, too. Tolstoy also
mentions his eldest daughter, Tatiana, who was unable to grasp the Symbolists, Impressionists or
Neo-Impressionists after a visit to an exhibition of their work. But it should be noted that Tolstoys
fury against the Symbolists and other art movements is formed solely on the opinion of Tatiana he
admits to not attending the exhibition himself. Poets and visual artists are not the only ones that
Tolstoy criticises; he berates the plays of Ibsen, Maeterlinck and Hauptmann saying It is said that
the very best works of art are such that they cannot be understood by the masses, but are accessible
only to the elect who are prepared to understand these great works. (op cit, p. 112) - he then
refutes this statement but what if there is a truth to it? In the Thelemic system explored in this
thesis the work of the neophyte involves dedicating him/herself to understanding his/her place in
the universe. This involves, according to Crowley, developing a new faculty (or perhaps, the
development and/or destruction of pre-existing perceptions). The reason for this is that the spiritual
path takes the aspirant across the abyss. This is not a physical journey; rather it is a meta-physical
crossing where the veil of routine perception is torn asunder. The aspirants mundane mind, which
has been developed over many years of egocentric behaviour, must be renounced and replaced by a
nobler faculty that which is above the abyss. The issue that any neophyte faces is that the lower
mind (which is below the abyss) cannot grasp the magnitude of that which is above the abyss; one
cannot fit a pint in a half pint pot hence a new faculty must be developed. These aims, for the
Thelemite practitioner, often involve the use of art to facilitate them, and are the background of this
inquiry.
Tolstoy, in his essay (op cit, p.114), further gathers that:
11

People talk about incomprehensibility; but if art is the transmission of feelings

flowing from mans religious perception, how can a feeling be incomprehensible
which is founded on religion, that is, on mans relation to God? Such art should be,
and has actually always been, comprehensible to everybody, because every mans
relation to God is one and the same.
This, to my mind, suggests Tolstoy saw all religious experience as essentially the same. I
would disagree but it is not within the scope of my thesis to argue this point; however, I would argue
that, if anything, the relationship between an individual and his/her chosen deity, and indeed the
relationship between an individual and any given artwork, is deeply personal.
Tolstoy finally settles on art as a feeling experienced by the artist. (op cit, p. 125). But we
cannot rest here, for Tolstoy then turns his critical sights on art critics and the nature of their
criticisms, stating (op cit, p.130) that
An artists work cannot be interpreted. Had it been possible to explain
[authors italics] in words what he wished to convey, the artist would have expressed
himself in words. He expressed it by his art because the feeling he experienced could
not otherwise be transmitted.
He berates the critics before delivering an attack on the later works of Beethoven, which he
condemns as artistic ravings (op cit, p. 133). After this blistering tongue-lashing he reiterates that
art is the transmission to others of a special feeling experienced by the artist. (op cit, p. 134).
But Tolstoy has not finished yet. He moves on to art schools, observing that Professional
schools produce an hypocrisy of art precisely akin to that of religion which is produced by theological
colleges for training priests, (op cit, p. 137). By now, it seems apparent to the reader that Tolstoy
prefers the work of the primitives, peasants or nave painters over the classically trained artists of his
day. Like a curmudgeonly old man, he spends the entirety of Chapter XIII dissecting Wagners
Nibelungen Ring where he concludes that This investigation has brought me to the conviction that
almost all that our society considers to be art, good art, and the whole of art, far from being real and
good art and the whole of art, is not even art at all but only a counterfeit of it. (op cit, p. 154). It is
interesting to note that Wagner is considered a saint in Crowleys Gnostic Mass (Crowley 1997
p.591).

12

Tolstoy again returns to his idea on the transmission of feelings from the artist to the
observer, further clarifying that If a man without exercising effort and without altering his
standpoint, on reading, hearing, or seeing another mans work experiences a mental condition which
unites him with that man and with others who are also affected by that work, then the object
evoking that condition is a work of art. (Tolstoy 1984 p. 163). He adds that A real work of art
destroys in the consciousness of the recipient the separation between himself and the artist (op
cit, p. 164) and Art like speech is a means of communication and therefore of progress, that is, of
the movement of humanity forward towards perfection. (op cit, p. 167).
Tolstoy moves on to ideas on religious perception which he defines as the religious urge of
any given era. He observes that If it appears to us that there is no religious perception in our
society, this is not because there really is none, but only because we do not wish to see it. And we
often wish not to see it because it exposes the fact that our life is inconsistent with that religious
perception. (op cit, p. 168).
He puts forth an interesting proposition that each religion of each previous age approved of
art that corresponded to the religious perceptions of that particular time, while art which was
contrary to that dominant religious perception was denied. He illustrates this by citing the
pantheism of ancient Greece where beauty, strength and courage were highly regarded, hence the
work of Homer was popularised while art which proclaimed sensuality and effeminacy was denied.
He then remarks on the Jews with their devotion/submission to Yahweh when the epics of Genesis
were raised high while idolatry and the worship of false idols (the tale of the Golden Calf is cited as
an example) was discouraged.
Tolstoy warms to the idea, and speaking on the application of religious perception says that
it lies in the growth of brotherhood among men in their loving harmony with one another. (ibid
p. 171), and that it is vital in the process of establishing the principles common to all men which can
and should unite them in one universal brotherhood. (op cit, p. 171).

13

He finds praise for artists whose work aims for the transmission of feelings of brotherhood: Dickens;
Victor Hugo; George Eliot; Kramskoy and Walter Langley are lauded as creators of good art that
produces this feeling of universal brotherhood (and fair play to Tolstoy; he includes most of his own
work in the bad class of art) and he again insists that our welfare lies only in the union and
brotherhood of man. (op cit, p. 200).
Tolstoy envisions a world where only true and good art exists (Chapter XIX) and in the
future all will learn music and graphic art (op cit, p. 205) and he observes that In our age the
common religious perception of men is the consciousness of the brotherhood of man we know
that the well-being of man lies in union with his fellow-men. (op cit, p. 222).
We have, therefore, Tolstoys definition of art, which I would sum up as essentially that
which creates empathy between man, woman and artist. Are we any the wiser? I think not,
however, given that Tolstoy was writing at the same time as Crowley (as well partaking of the
philosophical and cultural discourses of the era) I believe that Tolstoys writings on art are pertinent
to this thesis. To throw another spanner in the works, I quote Michael Karwowski, who paraphrasing
Professor John Carey, says that whether we like it or not, no objective criterion for judging a work
of art, any work of art, whether it belong to one of the plastic arts, to literature, music, or dance,
actually exists. (Karwowski 2005 p. 152). In an attempt to level the playing field (and in an almost
revolutionary fashion) Karwowski goes on to surmise It follows that the only possible definition of a
work of art, according to Professor Carey, is that it is anything that anyone has ever considered a
work of art, even if it is only a work of art for that one person. (ibid). This contrast between
Tolstoys definition of art, which involves all manner of empathy and connection and infection, and
Careys definition are matters for the purpose of this thesis in the thorny problem of defining
religion.
An immediate problem is the division among Thelemites as to whether their belief system
should be defined (and therefore limited) as a religion. Arguments abound in chat-rooms and
forums on the internet. The Ordo Templi Orientis, an international religious fraternity (OTO 2012
14

Fiscal Report p. 2) and the first of the traditional esoteric fraternities to accept the Law of Thelema
(ibid) states that the Law of Thelema is the religious revelation obtained by Aleister Crowley in
1904 (ibid). In his article Defining religion: a practical response, Bruce mentions Emile Durkheims
functional definition of religion makes its capacity to unite all people in a common consciousness the
definitive feature. (Bruce 2011 p. 111), which is strikingly similar to what Tolstoy is driving at in his
attempts to define art. Bruce himself applies a more substantive definition which is that religion
consists of beliefs, actions and institutions which assume the existence of supernatural entities with
powers of action, or impersonal powers or processes possessed of moral purpose. [authors italics]
(op cit, p. 112). Beckford and Demerath would refute the simplicity of this definition, and go further
to suggest a better approach is to regard the definition of religion as an open-ended, often
contested and on-going social process. (Beckford & Demerath 2007 p. 2). However, returning to
Bruces definition, I would perhaps question the idea of moral purpose when dealing with the
Thelemite canon of deities (the notion of conditioned morality is abhorrent to the Thelemic system)
but on the whole this definition is useful and appropriate, and thus will serve for the remainder of
this thesis. To summarise then: art is whatever we chose to make it thus and religion involves
acknowledging supernatural entities (be these gods, goddesses, demons, angels or elemental
spirits or even ourselves!).
For the purpose of this thesis, I shall identify Thelema as a religious movement, though
Crowley would possibly refute this; speaking to a pupil of Thelema in Magick Without Tears, Crowley
says Call it a new religion, then, if it so please your Gracious Majesty; but I confess that I fail to see
what you would have gained by so doing, and I feel bound to add that you might easily cause a great
deal of misunderstanding, and work a rather stupid kind of mischief. (Crowley n.d p. 147). Luckily
Crowley is not here to berate me for doing so. I also noted a rather divided debate on a Facebook
(June, 2014) page between a large group of Thelemites on the topic of whether Thelema was a
religion or not. Naturally there was no single, decisive answer; discussion appeared to focus on

15

Thelema as a religion, a philosophy and/or a path of mysticism though the topic was fiercely
discussed by all concerned in this particular forum.
Having defined the main key ideas of art and religion within this introductory chapter, the
next section will look at the diverse sources of research utilised for the literature review. This
includes academic papers, journal articles, websites and forums.

16

Literature reviews are critical compilations of previous research (Cuba 1993, p. 26)
Chapter Two: Literature Review
Extensive searches have failed to uncover any academic work specifically concerned with the
use of art in Thelemic ritual though I have been able to locate several related papers which have
proved invaluable to my research. Tupmans Theatre Magick: Aleister Crowley and the Rites of
Eleusis (2003), in which she attempts to recreate Crowleys original work as accurately as possible,
has proved particularly useful. The function of this review (as noted by Cuba) is to highlight and
critique those publications which are concerned with both Thelema and its use of art, regardless of
the medium of the art. I will also examine selected scholarly papers and literature which is
concerned with the study of religion from a sociological perspective which frames this inquiry, and
outline the framework within which this research has been conducted. A wide variety of websites
and fora were also viewed in order to expand my understanding of the topic.
Thelema:
As a relatively unbiased account of the life and times of Aleister Crowley, Israel Regardies
The Eye In The Triangle (1989) has been invaluable for this research, as has Tracey Tupmans Theatre
Magick. Both works provide seemingly non-sensationalist accounts of Crowley, and provide the
reader with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of Crowleys Thelema and basic theories of
magick. Francis Kings Modern Ritual Magic (1989) considers a wider and more detailed account of
Western occultism across the last two centuries, while J.F Browns Aleister Crowleys Rites of
Eleusis (1978) has also assisted in the understanding of both Thelema and how art (in this instance,
theatrical arts) is utilised in a Thelemic context.
Crowleys extensive writings were also examined; these writings consist of poems, essays
and Libers (instructions written by Crowley for adherents of the Thelemic system) and include such
works as Crowleys sex magick rituals (such as Liber Aash vel Caprcorni, Liber Cheth, Liber LXVI:
Stellae Rubeae and Liber DCCCXI: Energized Enthusiasm), as well as Liber Samekh, Liber XXXVI: The
Star Sapphire and Liber III vel Jugorum. This is not an exhaustive list of reviewed Libers but indicates
17

the diverse range of literature available to those wishing to conduct further research into Crowleys
writings.
The Book of Thoth (2007), written by Crowley under the nom de plume of Frater Perdurabo
(one of his magickal names) was extensively consulted as this publication, and the corresponding
deck of tarot cards, was mentioned many times throughout the interview process. The images for
the tarot pack were painted by Lady Frieda Harris, an associate of Crowleys, and an initiate into
Crowleys magickal order (Working Magically with the Tarot, n.d). One of the issues of dealing with
Crowley and art is summed up by Robert Buratti: Crowleys artistic theory was in complete
alignment with his magical view of the universe. This is one of the reasons why its difficult to place
him within any existing artist movement, as he looked at the world very differently to many artists of
his era. (Interview with Robert Buratti, n.d) but by a thorough examination of his works (both
written and visual) some conclusions may be tentatively put forth.
Tupmans Theatre Magick:
Tupman in her introduction argues that the Rites of Eleusis (a ritual performed by Crowley and
company for public consumption)illustrate one of the first attempts in the twentieth century to
consciously create a psychological connection between theatrical and religious practice within the
western hegemonic society. (Tupman 2003, p.ii to p.iii). She notes that time after time it is
spirituality that gives birth to the drama, rather than spirituality evolving from a performative
context. (ibid p.iii). Tupman here outlines a theme that will be considered and analysed in my
research; that the ritual may often precedes the art. She also observes that during the execution of
Rites Care was taken to present the audience with an atmosphere conducive to not only a theatrical
event, but also, hopefully, a consciousness-altering experience through sensory stimulation. (op cit,
p.20 p.21). There was also advice that audience wear colours corresponding to invocation: This
color coordination was another method whereby the audience members were to become not mere
spectators but actively involved in the ritual experience. Their choice of clothing became their
costumes, making them not passive observers but cast members, the theory being that the color of
18

their clothing would subconsciously influence their brain activity. (op cit, p.21). She makes the
salient point that this idea, of colour influencing psychology, has been readily adopted by interior
and product designers.
Sociology of Religion:
In his introduction to Durkheims classic The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, Robert
Nisbet notes that It is not in search of new truths about universe and self that the communicant
turns to his god; it is, rather, in the quest of the spiritual strength that only ones god can give him,
Durkheim argues, that accounts for religious experience. (Nisbet in Durkheim 1976 , p.ix). I would
argue that many Thelemites would heartily disagree with this assertion, but this will be explored and
tested in the data analysis, for the Thelemite, it is said, constantly seeks new truths, new pleasures
and new experiences. Durkheims classic work has had its share of critics. Anne Warfield Rawls
however, would refute this, as she states in her text Classical texts dont reflect dead mens ideas,
as it has become popular to say, rather they reflect the birth pains and continuing trauma of the
world we live in. (Warfield Rawls 2004 , p.ix). Rawls argument was quite persuasive; Durkheims
influential text was therefore considered in order to broaden my understanding of the study of
religion within sociology. For Durkheim the distinction of the profane and the sacred was the
greatest single distinction the mind is capable of; greater than distinction between good and bad,
right and wrong, the logical and illogical, or any other. (ibid). I would argue that most Thelemites, as
described in the literature, would reject Durkheims sharp distinction between religion and magic
where the latter does not produce communal ties (Durkheim 1976 , p.xi). It should also be noted
that this particular distinction of Durkheims was also debated by numerous ethnographers (ibid). I
would draw particular attention to Nisbets observation that It has been said that use of one
people, however intensively it may be studied, as confirmation of any theory of the nature of
religion is an abuse of scientific method. (Nisbet in Durkheim 1976 , p.xii). Of course, many others
have studied this phenomenon in diverse places and times from Durkheims starting point.

19

Regardless of the time and place from where Durkheim wrote, he made observations that
are still relevant today. When comparing Australian First Peoples to Christians, he notes that this
latter religion proceeds from the same mentality as the former, that it is made up of the same
superstitions and rests upon the same errors? (Durkheim 1976 , p.2) and that In reality, then,
there are no religions which are false. All are true in their own fashion; all answer, though in
different ways, to the given conditions of human existence. (Durkheim 1976 , p.3). Durkheim, it
should be noted, also stated that some are more superior to others, which apparently can be gauged
by the level of higher mental functions required (ibid). This is not dissimilar to Tolstoys theories on
the value of art where he alleges that some forms of art have more value than others, from certain
viewpoints. Of particular importance to this study is Durkheims argument that If it is useful to
know what a particular religion consists in, it is still more important to know what religion in general
is. (ibid). ( Cf Bruce, 2011.)
I am also indebted to the Anthropology of Folk Religion (1960) edited by Charles Leslie,
which gave me a greater understanding of both anthropology and sociology when I compared this
book, which was written in 1960, with more contemporary publications. I felt a particular affinity
with E.E Evans-Pritchards difficulties with language when researching the Nuer religion, where he
noted that If I speak of spear or cow, everybody will have pretty much the same idea of what I
speak of, but this is not so when I speak of Spirit, soul, sin, and so forth. (Evans-Pritchard in
Leslie 1960 , p.55); this statement was hauntingly similar to circumstances I regularly found myself in
during the interview process.
Art:
Tolstoys What Is Art? (discussed extensively in the Introduction) provided a useful introduction to
debates about art and its uses. I also was deeply inspired by Paul Waldo-Schwartzs Art and the
Occult, particularly by the statement: There is hope and life and light and vision, but there is no
reality, in the easy sense. [Authors italics] (Waldo-Schwartz 1975). Waldo-Schwartz draws upon a
wealth of art-work from renaissance paintings to photography to illustrate his vision of the nexus of
20

art and the occult. At one point, he likens a photograph by Theodor Schwenk (an image of a stream
of liquid flowing into a still body of water) to a totem, a fertilized egg, a mandala, a phallus, a pelvic
joint and an Easter Island head. He likens the pattern to an endless circuit on the Tree of Life, a
Wheel of Buddha, and the circular dance of Shiva (op cit, p.5-6). He saw the occult (and art) in
everything, and he saw their union as a rebellious outpouring against the rationalist and cold,
unfeeling attitude of science. For him, he kept an invisible fire alive, reflecting that:
even through the long reign of rationalist illusion, the artist-magician and
certain allies have kept a lucid consciousness alive, have perpetuated a wholeness of
symbols, have preserved a vision possible only along a frequency of truly occult
perception, and have seen to it that the converging dignities of art and magic remain
unite (ibid, p.3-4).
Waldo-Schwartz also noted the link between art (in this case, the tarot deck) and existence,
suggesting that the twenty-two major arcanas, keys or cards, express in symbolic language the
entirety of human existence. (op cit, p.10).
I found his discussions on the tarot to be of immense help when conducting interviews (see
Chapters Three and Four), particularly with those Thelemites who have an inclination use tarot
decks (or art derived from the tarot) in their rituals. To be able to discuss the cards in terms that
were grasped more fully by both myself and the interviewee allowed communication to flow easily
and clearly a rare thing when discussing occult practices. From my work as a journalist in this area,
I have encountered a great deal of misunderstanding (on both mine and the interviewees part)
when discussing such topics. Waldo-Schwartz provides an excellent example of this when writing on
The Fool tarot card:
Misdirected commentators take the fool for a symbol of distraction, oblivion. On the
contrary, he is the figure of a sublime and aloof consciousness beyond the human
state, oblivious to the lynx, the crocodile, the precipice about him. He is a perfect
equation of spirit. He is in the state of divine unity symbolised by Oneness. [authors
italics] (op cit, p.10).
Waldo-Schwartz compares the nautilus shell to galaxies and links both to the Fibonacci Curve (op cit,
p.20) as he attempts to illustrate the intimate relationship between the higher and lower aspects of
human existence, finally summing up the artists (and the magicians?) work with the statement that
21

The artist must deal with a concentric universe where to seek the heights means simultaneously to
explore the depths. (op cit, p.33).
Karl Stones The Moonchild of Yesod A Grimoire of Occult Hyperchemistry (Stone 2012) has
proved invaluable as a source of material concerning the merging of sigil magick with sex magick.
While Stones work can, at times, prove difficult to comprehend, it has the potential to provide the
researcher with a wide range of insights into the use of art (namely sigils) in ritual. Having discussed
Stones book with numerous Thelemites, it has become apparent that his work is often a touchstone
of inspiration within certain Thelemite circles. In order to better grasp key contemporary theories on
art, I must note Art: key contemporary thinkers (Costello & Vickery 2007) as a valuable source of
information and inspiration. This text was particularly useful in stimulating debate and discussion on
the topic of what constitutes art during interviews. I would also like to acknowledge the chapter on
Theory and Philosophy of Culture, which prompted me to further explore the works of Georges
Bataille, Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault. Batailles theories on the interplay between love and
death (both important topics in the Thelemic tradition) stimulated some very relevant conversations
during the data gathering period; as did Roland Barthes ideas on both the punctum; the private
meaning of an image upon the viewer, and the studium; an images range of available meanings
(Shawcross in Costello & Vickery 2007 , p.151). It becomes more apparent in the data section how
both terms assisted interviewees (both in cases where the interviewee was aware of these terms,
and when the terms were explained to the interviewee) in clarifying what they were attempting to
convey.
Sigil Magick:
A brief explanation of sigil magick is included as the use of such devices was raised in most of
the interviews conducted. It can be put no more simply than In general terms, a sigil is any glyph or
symbol with mystical or magical significance. (Max, n.d). The use of such symbols appears to be of
particular importance within Thelemic ritual; the sigils of spirits being invoked, planetary sigils for
celestial influences and sigils for the manifestation of desired changes were all mentioned in the
22

interview settings. The history of sigil use can be traced back across many centuries. Speaking of Dr
Dee, an Elizabethan mystic and magician to the court of (naturally enough) Queen Elizabeth I, Stone
observes Dee has shown that it is important to meditate upon the artistic configuration of
hieroglyphs (symbols) and sigils found within the magickal traditions. Very similar techniques have
been used by the eastern Tantras i.e. the Sri Yantra or the Kalachakra Mandala, where pathworkings
and visualisations are used as hieroglyphical engines to open gates to supersensual experience i.e.
the magickal radiations from that Star of Initiation. (Stone 2012, pp. 100-101). Stone continues
Through the use of automatic drawing and sigilization, mandalic astral doorways are constructed,
acting like initiatory currents, which connect the Adept with traffick from outer realms of cosmic
consciousness (op cit, p. 57) before he summarises that A Word or Sigil i.e. of an angel, demon
or loa, is the outer garment of a magickal radiation the Adept chooses to connect with. Words or
Sigils act like Keys of access to the magickal radiations by the sonorous placement of their letters,
vibrations and sensations which they induce within the body-mind. (op cit, p. 38). We can see that a
sigil is a visual representation of a spirit, much like a mobile phone number; the magician dials up
the spirit through the employment of the appropriate sigil. Stone also notes that music is an equally
effective medium: the induced, liberated rhythmic effects of poetry, prose and magickal ritual are
powerful keys, providing the link to distil the auric impressions of the cosmic archetypal
memory.[authors italics] (op cit, p. 51). The issue of subjectivity in dealing with sigils should be
apparent to the reader, as the meaning of glyph is usually inherently subjective and/or without
meaning for the profane.

23

Figure ii: Sigil of Bune reproduced from Alesiter Crowleys The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the
King (2003, p.20)
Framework:
I have taken the position of the social constructivist, as outlined by Burrs Social
Constructionism (2003), because I argue that the theories of the social constructivist map on in a
manner which is quite relevant and appropriate to this inquiry of the belief system (whatever that
may be) of the Thelemite tradition. As Burr (2003 , p.3) notes Social constructivism cautions us to
be ever suspicious of our assumptions about how the world appears. and she further warns that
we construct our versions of reality between us. (ibid , p.7). As noted by Crotty (1998 , p.67) The
interpretivist approachlooks for culturally derived and historically situated interpretations of the
social life-world. [authors italics] and this approach is reinforced by Flyvbjergs ideas that
Cognitivism, functionalism, structuralism, and neopositivism have so far failed to produce epistemic
theory, as have other objectivist strands of social science. (Flyvbjerg 2001 , p.48). By taking an
epistemological stance that is Interpretivist, it follows that my ontological stance will be one of antifoundationalism. While I would agree with Furlong and Marshs premise that there is a real world
which exists independent of our knowledge of it. (Furlong & Marsh 2010, p. 190), I reject in this
research the notion that it is a world which can be known (whatever that may entail). Burr claims
that constructivists see the person as actively engaged in the creation of their own phenomenal
24

world. (Burr 2003 , p. 19). This would, I presume, extend to the world/s created by the
Foundationalist, the Realist and the Objectivist. Objective reality may well be out there but it is
always viewed through a subjective eye (unless, of course, the ego; the root of the subjective,
happens to be blotted out for whatever reason/s).

25

Figure iii: The Universe, reproduced from Aleister Crowleys The Book of Thoth
(2007, Front Cover)

26

Chapter Three: Methodology and Data

Research/Data Gathering:
In The Research Process the Bouma and Ling make the observation that Knowledge does not
hang in space; it is a product of social processes. (2004 , p.3). Although it has been my experience
through this research that the magician/occultist (which many Thelemites also identify themselves
as) are often working outside of some established social processes though obviously there are
those that are also working within them too. It is interesting to observe that after discussing the
process for the production of knowledge the authors state that knowledge is both a product and
the property of social groups. (Bouma & Ling 2004 , p.4) which, it could be argued, is diametrically
opposed to the highly personal nature of an individuals relationship with his/her divinities. Bouma
and Ling (2004) give a very comprehensive overview of the different phases of qualitative research;
these involve clarifying issues for research and research methods to be employed; data
collection/evidence; and analysis and interpretation. The Research Process raises many issues and
questions including: how does the data relate to the research question; given the data, what would
you conclude; what are the limitations of the study and proposals for further research to clarify
questions raised by the limitations of the original study.
Bouma and Ling also advise that the research question should be limited in scope, narrowed in
focus and confined to a certain place and set of conditions. Therefore researchers are strongly
advised against making claims beyond the scope of the data and that conclusions are kept within the
level of the data. This has influenced both data collection and analysis in this thesis. As the authors
note A theory asserts a relationship between concepts. It states that some things are related in a
particular way. It is a statement of how things are thought to be. A theory is an idea, a mental
picture of how the world might be. (Bouma & Ling 2004 , p.19).
The work of OReilly and Parker (2012), Tracy (2010), and Mason (2010) have proved
immeasurably valuable in solidifying my understanding of qualitative research and the debates
within the research community. The practice of reflexivity during the research process was greatly
27

clarified by Linda Finlays Negotiating The Swamp (2002). This practice of reflexivity proved to be
very helpful during the interview process as it enabled me to be aware of the potential for leading
the interviewees to make statements that were in line with my own hypothesis about this research.
By reflecting on the possibility of my own influence, I was able, to the best of my
abilities/perceptions, to limit this influence on participants, thereby ensuring (relatively) untainted
data- gathering. Coupled with my experience as a journalist, where one is constantly trying to draw
out untainted information from interviewees, the concept of reflexivity cemented practices that I
had already employed.
As my research is of an exploratory nature, Stebbins Exploratory Research in the Social Sciences
(2001) proved to be of great assistance; his warning not to minimize the importance of the original
ideas that have just been brought to light. (2001, p. 5) has been at the forefront of my mind during
the research gathering process and conclusion. I have endeavoured to be careful to be aware of
concerns over decisions on sampling sizes, validity/selectivity of responses or the generalisations
gathered from these responses. I have attempted therefore to focus on the original ideas that the
research has uncovered from the research and the researched.
Rationale for qualitative research:
Coming from a background of journalism, I am deeply interested in the individuals story yet I also
recognise the inherent subjectivity of the responses gathered during the qualitative research
interviews that were conducted throughout this study. Where patterns and similarities arose within
the responses of interviewees, I noted them for future analysis but I do not claim that my conclusion
proves some previously unrecognised nomothetic law. My research remains wholly exploratory, and
indeed, my research is most certainly of an ideographic nature and I make no apologies for this. In
essence, qualitative research presents the most appropriate methodology for gathering information
pertinent to the research question, which is interested in the how rather than the how many. As
noted by Higgs (1997) Qualitative research [as opposed to quantitative research]is a more
appropriate method to explore how people think, talk, feel and interact. (p.23). This is backed up by
28

Minichiello, Aroni and Hays (2008, p.8)who say that qualitative research attempts to capture a
persons meanings, definitions and descriptions of events. Spickard (in Beckford and Demeranth
2007) quotes the work of Khan (2005) as an example of how the research labels of a purely
quantitative method would have missed the subtle intricacies of Trinidadian religious life. Spickard
goes on to note that survey research captures elements of peoples self-identities (op cit, p.123)
which I would suggest as being integral to my work. The fact that Thelemites wholly identify
themselves as Thelemites is central to the research being conducted.
Sampling/Recruitment for Interviews:
I already had an existing network of contacts within the Thelemic community because I have written
BA pieces on Thelema in the past. I re-established contact with interviewees from previous work and
also contacted artists from the Collective 777 website, a group of both Thelemic and non-Thelemic
artists. From the few initial interviewees I used the technique of snowballing; which involved
encouraging interviewees to provide my contact details to other Thelemites who could get in touch
if they felt that they wanted to be involved. As noted by Browne (2005, p. 48) the snowball
technique is particularly useful for recruitment within transgressive groups within society.
Overall I conducted two telephone interviews (one respondent was in Australia, one in the
United States of America) and one face to face interview (in Australia) and seven email interviews
(for full details on interviewees, see Table 1). Given the fact that the Thelemic community is rather
close-knit, and that I offered confidentiality, all interviewee names have been replaced with
pseudonyms.

Interviewee/Pseudonym

Age

Sex

Location

Occupation

Frater Cobbler

No Response

Male

USA

Psychiatrist

Frater Leaf

47

Male

Netherlands

Marketing Staff

Frater Bat

No Response

Male

Australia

Trainer

29

Soror Moon

No Response

Female

Australia

Artist

Frater Shamrock

29

Male

Ireland

Unemployed

Frater Blender

27

Male

No Response

No Response

Soror Meow

38

Female

USA

Artist

Frater Love

53

Male

USA

Salesman

Soror Love

45

Female

USA

Health Worker

Frater Sirius

62

Male

USA

Writer

Table i Demographic Information of interviewees

Research Limitations:
In addition to the documents, web-sites and literature analysis, this research is limited to a
preliminary investigation of Thelemites who use art in their ritual work; naturally the size of the data
sample could be expanded in future research. There is also the limited scope of the actual interview
structure to consider (see Appendix); as interviews progressed I often found the discussions veering
into unforeseen, yet extremely compelling, territory areas that are fruitful for further (and deeper)
research. The number of interviews conducted was also limited by the time available to me to
complete the research. Perhaps in the future, I would be able to expand the interview group to a
greater number and possibly achieve a greater gender balance. While my research is not overly
concerned with gender specific responses, I am sure this is an area that would yield great insight.
Given the limited number of respondents, the research on which this thesis is based can only be
taken as impressionistic and exploratory; future research may involve more specific exploration of
gender, ethnicity, sexuality or age though some broad conclusions are drawn from the age of
respondents in this chapter.
The ten Thelemites interviewed have provided responses that have allowed me to identify
patterns within their narratives; these narratives form the skeleton on which the flesh of discussion
and analysis will be hung in Chapter Four.

30

Chapter Four: Analysis and Conclusions

Thelema is NOT a religion. Thelema is a means of coming to an understanding of
religion and freeing oneself from the ego-centric and childish sense of need for a
religion (and this includes atheism, the negative of the positive, essentially the same
in essence), as well as a means of understanding existence and ones place in the
scheme of things. (Frater Sirius, 2014)
One of Crowleys earliest uses of art in ritual can be seen in The Rites of Eleusis (n.d), a series
of staged dramatic rituals for public consumption that combined poetry recital, violin solos and
dancing. Van Kleek (n.d) notes The Rites consist of seven ritualsfollowing Crowleys new method
of ritual composition. This method, he explains, was based on the ancient custom of invoking gods
by a dramatic presentation or commemoration of their legends. Crowley developed these
rituals within the conceptual framework of correspondences; an idea that is prominent in
sympathetic magick. The Witchipedia webpage (http://www.witchipedia.com/correspondencetables) entitled Magical Correspondences explains that Magical correspondence tables are like a
witch's cheat sheet. They list energetic and metaphysical connections between objects, beings or
concepts (Magical Correspondences n.d). In The Rites of Eleusis: Their Origin and Meaning
Crowley explains this further as
Take, for example, the first ritual, that of Saturn. Working on tradition, just
as Wagner did when he took the old Norse Saga for his world drama, we find Saturn
as a black, melancholy God, the devourer of his children. Ideas of Night, Death, Black
hellebore, Lead, Cypress, Tombs, Deadly Nightshade. All these things have a necessary
connection with Saturn in the mind of anyone who has read the classics. The first
condition of this rite is, then, to make the temple a kind of symbolic representation of
the sphere of Saturn. So the representative of Saturn wears the Black Robe. The time
is declared to be midnight (though, as a matter of fact, it is only twenty minutes past
eight -- this is an ordinary theatrical convention; and masons will think of certain
analogies in their own "Orgies"). If the brethren are fed, it is "on the corpses of their
children" as Saturn fed on his. If they drink, it is "Poppyheads infused in blood" -symbols of sleep and death. Saturn further represents the earth, the plane of matter,
humanity bounded by old age and death, humanity blindly groping after illumination
and failing to get it (Crowley n.d).
In his auto-hagiography The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, he notes of Victor Neuburg (the
dancer in these rites) The idea of his dance was, as a rule, to exhaust him completely. The climax
was his flopping on the floor unconscious. Sometimes he failed to lose himself, in which case, of
31

course, nothing happened; but when he succeeded the effect was superb. It was astounding to see
his body suddenly collapse and shoot across the polished floor like a curling-stone. (Crowley n.d).
This technique, which involves pushing the aspirant to a point of exhaustion thus creating a space
within the mind/body for the deity to indwell, can be seen as being diametrically opposite to that of
The Order of the Whirling Dervishes, a branch of the Sufi tradition of Islam, which regards that
Contrary to popular belief, the semazen's goal is not to lose consciousness or to fall into a state of
ecstasy. Instead, by revolving in harmony with all things in nature -- with the smallest cells and with
the stars in the firmament -- the semazen testifies to the existence and the majesty of the Creator
(The Fundamental Meaning of Sema [authors italics] n.d). This exertion can be likened to a mantra
for the body, as Israel Regardie observes So long as one can inflame [authors italics] oneself in
praying, working up as it were an inner frenzy of enthusiasm, that emotional intensity can be
counted on to hurl the soul over the precipice of everyday compulsive normality into a purely
noetic spiritual area, above the conflict-laden mind. (Regardie 1989 , p. 153).
Moving from dance to visual arts, William Breeze, current international leader of the Ordo
Templi Orientis, observes that the American painter Robert Winthrop Chanler (who was also an
acquaintance of Crowley) held a similar artistic theory to Crowley, and Breeze quotes journalist and
promoter Ivan Narodny as saying
According to Chanler, the origin of decorative art and portrait painting lies
in the magic of the days before primitive man built a temple and created his gods. It
was the idea of sorcery and spirits which inspired our barbaric ancestors to invent
symbols, sacred designs, amulets, talismans, ikons and vestments for the occult or
religious ceremonies. The idea of the spirit was intangible and could not be expressed
in articulate words; therefore symbols were created and images drawn or carved. Out
of those symbols and images evolved the folk arts. The caves of sorcerers were the
forerunners of modern art studio (Breeze 2013 , p. 45).
We are confronted with one of the great problems that we face - our attempts to make the
unformulated into the formulated; the intangible into the tangible; the unknown into the known. In
April 1920, Crowley established the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalu, Italy, where he promptly decorated
the walls of the villa with murals designed, from his perspective, to unshackle visitors from their

32

established moral foundations. He did this not for shock value or to excite the mind but, through
extended exposure and familiarity to the images, render the mind indifferent. Speaking of the mind
in Book 4, Crowley suggests
That image is that of a lake into which five glaciers move. These glaciers are
the senses. While ice (the impressions) is breaking off constantly into the lake, the
waters are troubled. If the glaciers are stopped the surface becomes calm; and then,
and only then, can it reflect the unbroken disk of the sun. This sun is the soul or
God (Crowley 1980 , p. 37).
Further, He urges Let the Student practise observation of those things which normally would cause
him emotion suggesting that dancing girls and surgical procedures are fruitful fields for the
beginner. (op cit, p. 95).
While limited by space, the selected examples indicate that the use of dancing, music and
art-works are all important tools within the Thelemites ritual although as demonstrated, they are
employed to serve two distinct ends. However, the two end-results demonstrated should not be
taken as the only results sought by Thelemites employing art in a ritual setting.
It could be argued that there are as many rituals as there are Thelemites, and with as many rituals it
could be expected that there would be as many diverse results sought. Naturally one could assume
that there are Thelemites who do not use art in their rituals but from the interviews, most did. For
now I return to the two examples covered previously: dance (performance art) and art (visual art).
In the first instance, the dance (or to be more specific, the performance art) is used to
inflame the practitioner, as in the example of Victor Neuburgs dancing, to a point of exhaustion. At
this point, the aspirants ego is blotted out and the chosen (or perhaps, if ill-prepared, unchosen)
deity or spirit is allowed to take up residence in the body. There are a wide variety of reasons why a
Thelemite might require a disincarnate being to take possession of the practitioner; these are
explored more fully in the interview findings and analysis. The second instance, as shown by
Crowleys obscene murals (visual art), shows the employment of often sexual or graphic images to
bring the viewer to a state of familiarity, with a view to achieving an eventual attitude of
indifference. It is argued by practitioners that the longer the viewer is exposed to the images, the
33

less effect the images have on the mind. This in turn means that the less movement there is in the
mind, the more likely that a state of exalted consciousness can occur. As a result of this research
into printed accounts, I was expecting respondents to confirm the particular uses of art as outlined
above. It may come as no surprise that I was swiftly disavowed of this notion.
The data gleaned from this qualitative research remains exploratory; it is not intended to
make any claims of nomothetic absolutism; if anything can be deduced from it, it is that, of the
Thelemites interviewed, some use art in such a way within their rituals, others use art in other ways
within their rituals, and that some do not use art at all in a ritual context.
One theme that arose in all interviews was that of self-discovery; all recipients expressed
Thelema as a way of discovering their true identity and purpose within the universe; Frater Cobbler
summed it as someone aspires to live a life in harmony with their true Will; to discover their true
Will and live it out, and if theyre doing that consciously and intentionally, I say theyre a Thelemite
and it doesnt matter whether they label themselves that, it doesnt matter, to me. Frater Bat took
this idea one step further, adding that Its responsibility, I think. Self-responsibility and self-reliance.
Thats a big one, man! Theres no real answer to that one. When attempting to clarify his position, I
asked if everyone has their own interpretation of what Thelema means to them. He clarified with
You could waffle on forever but I think, as far as self-reliance goes, theres self-harmony as well
which probably hasnt been expressed that much; the conscious ability to work on that as well not
just that material interpretation that people tend to fall back on. Essentially each Thelemite has
their own interpretation of what it means to be a Thelemite, and this is one thing that defines the
Thelemite; as Frater Leaf sums it up: It means being an individual that is responsible for his own
choices and actions.
Soror Meow, a visual artist living in the USA, said Ultimately the most important concept in
Thelema for me is that of Knowledge and Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel. For me, this
encompasses or relates to every goal in every religion, as I understand it: uniting with God,
becoming Enlightened, etc. For me this is the Love part (Love is the law) and it is the foundation or
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underpinning, to the best of my ability, for how I manifest that divine Love in my daily life (love
under will.) Thus Do what thou thou wilt for me, means the Work that I do to manifest divine Will
every day in my life to the best of my ability.
Other interviewees put it as simply as the art of honest living. or being a Thelemite
means abiding by no laws except your own. To find your True will or path in life as you see fit and
letting no other obstruct your choices. This also goes with letting everyone around you live in the
way they see fit as well, to not constrict anothers will..
This is certainly one of the challenges of writing on Thelema and interviewing Thelemites; it
is a very individual path and therefore all responses are of a highly individual nature, this makes it
very difficult to establish any patterns within interviewee responses. Thelema means something
different to each Thelemite. It is interesting to note the comment letting everyone around you
live in the way they see fit because during interviews the conversation would often move on to
the subject of other person/s Will. The majority of respondents indicated that it was important not
to interfere with the Will of another although one particular interviewee made a rather intriguing
comment that
There is the genuine Thelemite and there are what I call the pseudoThelemites who pretend to be Thelemites or actually believe that they are Thelemites,
but think and act in ways that are decidedly un-Thelemic; catering to the petty ego,
contrary to Thelemic philosophy and its direction, using Thelemic phrases and terms
incorrectly to justify satisfying the petty, personal desires of their ego while trying to
appear better than those who are of the religion, usually some form of Christianity of
Judaism, in which their parents raised them, childishly rebelling well past adolescence.
I am struck by the similarity between this comment and Tolstoys notion of the two types of
art created by the peasant and the upper classes. But the above comment reiterates the slightly
obvious point that there are those on the Thelemite path that do not recognise others, simply by
their admission to being a Thelemite, as true followers of Thelema. This raises another interesting
question; at what level of spiritual advancement does one have the authority to dictate to another
the nature of Will? There is a grade/degree system within the OTO (and many other magickal

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fraternities) so it could be (dangerously) presumed that those in the lower grades naturally
acquiesce to those in higher grades; the apprentice yielding to the master so to speak. Yet it does
not appear so clear cut as the rankings of an army regiment within the Thelemic system. According
to a page of the US branch of the OTO website(http://oto-usa.org/oto/initiation/), entitled Initiation
(2014) There are a total of 21 initiate degrees in O.T.O., including thirteen numbered degrees and
eight un-numbered, intermediate degrees or sub-degrees. The degrees of O.T.O. are divided into
three Grades or Triads: the Hermit, the Lover, and the Man of Earth further research in this area
is definitely suggested.
When asked about the circumstances that led respondents to the Thelemic path, most
respondents (bar three) spoke of a diverse range of previous spiritual paths and experiences leading
up to their conversion to Thelema. Some interviewees spoke of being raised in a traditional
Christian environment while others had dabbled in Brahmanism, Druidism and Buddhism prior to
discovering Thelema. One of those who did not have previous spiritual miles was Frater Cobbler,
now a practising psychologist. He was reading Carl Jung while maintaining a position of atheism.
Jungs writings spoke to him of the mystery of the inner life as Frater Cobbler says His [Jungs]
theories were speaking to me about the truth and the way that things work, and I realised I was
missing an inner journey of some kind, which eventually I came to realise was a spiritual journey,
how it was explained by Jung, so somehow I found Israel Regardies writings and that bridged well
with the psychology I was already studying, and once I found Regardie, it was very soon after that
that I started reading Crowley, and immediately I knew what I wanted to do.
The other two respondents (Frater Love & Soror Love) who were not involved in a spiritual
path prior to Thelema noted that they came to the path as a result of Discovering an intuitive
connection with many elements in its philosophical outlook. and Saw an ad for a Thelemic group,
wrote to them and liked what they said, and started my path. respectively. Others cited an interest
in Wicca and witchcraft, a Catholic upbringing and a love of folklore and mythology as their personal
backgrounds prior to the discovery of Thelema. It is worth highlighting the fact the majority of
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respondents clearly expressed a pre-existing religious stance and/or an interest in occult and/or
familiarity with spiritual literature before becoming Thelemites.
The question of the use of art in ritual the crux of this thesis - provided widely differing
views among respondents; eight out of ten (80%) of interviewees said that they did employ some
form of art in a ritual setting. Of the two people that said no to the use of art, one elaborated and
admitted to the use of tarot card imagery, which for the purpose of this study has been included
under the broad umbrella of art while the other stated that I starve myself of influences I starve
myself in a heavily filtering way and then, whatever happens, I know has a higher chance of being
meaningful and from myself. It is interesting to note that this response came from a Thelemite who
had been practising for twenty plus years and was aged 44. The preference to strip back the ritual
as ones length of service increases (and perhaps ones age may also be a contributing influence) is
definitely an area which requires further research.
The positive responses to the use of art in ritual included Frater Cobbler, who clarified the
issue with
There really are two sides to that for me; one is the art that is included in
formal rituals that might be part of the instruction, for example esoteric diagrams
sometimes, representative art that is teaching a lesson which is not purely abstract
design that might be a card from the tarot, or it might be from the traditional
Golden Dawn where you might have the Mythic Seals, or the Major Line of a certain
planet or something. Essentially its a certain type of visual art that is used to instruct
but then theres a whole other level where, if we can broaden the term art to include
for me personally things like music; when Im composing music, but most
especially when Im improvising music, for me, that is a form of ritual, its certainly a
form of meditation, but its also a devotional practice essentially because I feel like
Im opening up to the influence of spirit in much the same way as if I were doing some
sort of formal ritual.
This response is a good example of the practitioner incorporating music as well as visual art
in their ritual a reoccurring theme throughout the interview. Frater Leaf expands on this, giving a
reason and a definite example of circumstances in which the art is used: Visuals and art can be
valuable additions to incorporate into ritual as it helps to personalise and make clearer what the
ceremony is about. During funerals I use the projection of pictures, art and such that show aspects of
the diseased. It makes it into a more personal tribute than standard funerals where a few words are

37

spoken and some music is played. And yes, music can also be an important attribute in ritual. In my
opinion there is so much one can use in rituals and that is why a good ritual is never boring! Aside
from tributes such as funerals, art is regularly used in ritual practices such as meditation. Frater
Blender clarifies this with
[An] example would be a basic yogic exercise. Where you take a photo or
draw one of the seven lotus flowers, place the image at eye-level in a straight
position aligning your spine straight with the middle pillar. And concentrate upon the
image until its burned into your brain, close your eyes and let this mental image now
be placed on the appropriate chakra and let all the energy of this image flow through
your body. Record the results and move on to the others. You can do this with any
image really. Everything in this universe is infused with energy and it can be directed,
contained & absorbed.
Soror Meow (who is also a visual artist) gives a slightly different perspective to other
responses, saying that I almost exclusively use depictions of Deities. In practices like Golden Dawn
Initiations or Resh [a Thelemic ritual performed four times throughout the course of a day], for
example, one uses a technique called Godform Assumption, and a visual depiction of the God can
help one to assume, or visualize oneself, in the form of that God. This is also the case for Buddhist
tantric invocations - which is why that tradition makes use of thangka art. Similarly, if one is not
visualizing oneself as the Deity but instead is visualizing the Deity before oneself, the art helps to
make that visualization much more vivid and present. Also, I should add, since I paint Deities myself,
when Im working on painting a depiction of a particular God or Goddess, I often perform rituals of
or for that Deity before and at the beginning of starting the painting, partially so that I can get a
good visualization myself that I can then apply to canvas, and also in order to connect with that Deity
and draw their presence or energies into the painting. Therefore, the visualization and art works
both ways; one strengthens the other. Frater Shamrock added to this with Personally I work with
intentionally created spaces through altars exhibiting specially chosen objects, including both bought
objects and findings that have important symbolic and aesthetic significance. Installations are a
significant aspect of any ritual space which is very much what good altars are. I also love chalk

38

mandalas and circles, working with similar cosmological elements, but with very diverse expressions
each time. We have spiralling 6-7 foot quarter bannerswhich incorporate visual art.
This exploratory enquiry into the use of art in Thelemic ritual had made a contribution to the
literature and helps broaden the understanding of the use of art in Thelemic rituals. From the
responses given, it can be concluded that not only is a wide range of art employed, the forms of art
utilised are also diverse. The use of visual art such as tarot card imagery, as well as sigils, mandalas
and yantras (often from other belief systems), are used to catapult the adherents consciousness
into a heightened state of awareness. Other forms of art such as poetry and drumming are also
utilised to the same effect. The use of another religions iconography is a recurrent theme with
respondents quoting the imagery of Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity as being prevalent in
ritual settings. Occult symbolism such as pentagrams, hexagrams and protective circles are also used
widely to assist and maintain the Thelemites focus during the course of the ritual. This suggests that
the Thelemite is not hampered by ideas of dogma attached to any given image, be this religious or
otherwise; it is more a case of the Thelemite using whatever art (in whatever form) suits their
purpose best.
The final word will be left with Crowley who says Domine noster, audi tuo servo! Kyrie
Christe! O Christe! (Crowley 1997 , p.231), which we are assured, according to the author, is Latin
for O our Lord, hear thy servant! O Lord Christ! O Christ! (ibid).

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Appendix
Interview Schedule
Biographical Information:
1. Age
2. Marital Status
3. Occupation
4. Education
5. Children/Age
Research/Quantative Information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

How long have you been a practising Thelemite?

What led you to choose the Thelemic path?
What does being a Thelemite mean to you?
What types of ritual do you perform? Why?
Group work/alone?
Who with?
What form do these rituals take?
How are the mechanics of ritual agreed upon/worked out?
Where do you usually perform ritual work?
When do you usually perform ritual work?
Do you incorporate visual art into rituals?
Why/Why not?
What form does this take? What art do you use?
How do you select art work for ritual use?
What are the benefits of utilising art in ritual/why do you use art in ritual?
Do you have an interest in art outside of your practices? What kind? What form?
Are there particular works of art that you find more helpful than others?
As a result of using art in ritual work, have you found you have begun to dislike/like certain
works less/more?
What are some of the end results of your ritual work?
What are some of the negative/positive outcomes? Successes/failures?
What are some of the negatives/positives of using art in ritual?
Use of other forms of art in ritual? Eg singing, dancing, poetry, drumming etc
Are these used in combination with visual art?
Effective use singularly or in combination?
Anyone else you can recommend I speak to?

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