On the Law of Thelema

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

What do these words mean, and why are they central to the teachings of The First Church of Dana Scully, Scientist? These are questions which need to be answered, since we are a philosophical organization, and it is unfair to leave our members in the dark.

These words, which are to be found in The Book of the Law[1], are Thelemic—which comes from the Greek word Thelema, meaning Will. Apart from any religious or metaphysical meaning surrounding the Thelemic ethos, it has an ethical one, which is of supreme importance to us.

It is simply this: that each of us is here for a specific, individual reason, and it is up to each one of us to determine what that reason is, and do it. No one has the right to say what that is for another person.

This is, as Aleister Crowley said, the Law of Liberty, ensuring each of us the inalienable right to determine our own personal Wills. If one takes absolutely nothing else away from our teachings, that one will be worth having listened to.

How then, one may wonder, does this fit in with the Scullyist desire to maintain a reasonable and skeptical viewpoint in the midst of unreasonable reactions to inexplicable phenomena? Quite simply: the right to determine your own True Will, such as it may be, helps prevent being unduly influenced or coerced by others. This is supremely important for maintaining intellectual freedom, without which the Truth is unobtainable.

The question often arises, “what if my Will is to do something horrific?” Well, it may be, but it is surely the Will of many others to return the favor, so you may want to reconsider that.

In the case of the vast majority, who are not sociopaths, the pursuit of one’s will is often a lifelong study. It may be the will of a five-year-old to grow up to be a fire fighter, but rarely does it stay that way. The distractions and misdirections of life may cloud the vision; we recommend researching how these distractions may be lessened. Raja Yoga is often useful in making this easier, but this is merely one possibility.

There is a reason why the first line of the Book of Scullyation says:

“There is no Law beyond Do what thou wilt. And don’t forget it, if you know what’s good for you.”

This is, among other reasons, to tell you that you are free to determine your own life, first and foremost. Anyone who claims to have a right to tell you what your Will is is a tyrant, and we are not tyrants in this Church.  Keep looking for the Truth.

Love is the law, love under will.

In the Name of Her Cosmic Cuteness,

Jeffrey Sommer, Pontifex Maximus

First Church of Dana Scully, Scientist

November 21, 2017 Era Vulgaris.

[1] See the List of Recommended Reading.