A Thelemite belief is that humanity can be divided into a series of Aeons that was accompanied by its own forms of magical and religious expression. The Aeon of Isis, the Aeon of Osiris, and the Aeon of Horus. Crowley believed that Magick was a bridge between art and science with the involvement of mystic forces.
Isis was the Egyption Goddess of fertility. The Aeon of Isis was characterized by maternal values such as the pagan worship of mother nature and pagan worship. This Aeon took place during the pre-Christ era.
The Egyption God Osiris was the God of the underworld. He symbolized death and resurrection. This era was marked by self sacrifice and submission. These values are reflected in Christianity and Islam, the dominant world religions during this period.
Aleister Crowley believed he ushered in the Aeon of Horus, where individuality and the exploration of self will are the dominant belief systems. I find it intriguing that commercialism, psychology, and secular societies encourage core elements present in the basic premise of Crowley’s book of the law – or “Do what thou wilt.”
Crowley’s second most important book was “The Vision and the Voice.” He believed that along the journey to self discovery the individual could find harmony with the universe and develop the ability to openly communicate with higher powers. Through meditation, concentration, and discipline an outer body experience could be achieved. I feel the techniques Crowley developed were the foundation for current belief systems that provide a methodology to astral projection exploration in the modern age. In the 1970s, the CIA embarked on a mission to study the possibilities of psychic powers and the existence of a sixth sense. Crowley’s rituals and techniques added a learnable methodology to ancient mystic beliefs that influenced humanity’s pursuit for discovering a connection between spirituality and science.
- “Thelemic Mysticism.” Wikipedia, 31 Dec. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelemic_mysticism.
- “The Vision and the Voice.” Wikipedia, 17 Oct. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vision_and_the_Voice. Accessed 1 Jan. 2022.
- “Aeon (Thelema).” Wikipedia, 24 Dec. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeon_(Thelema). Accessed 1 Jan. 2022.
- The Legends of History. “Aleister Crowley: The Father of the Occult (Occult History Explained).” YouTube, 17 June 2020, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV1CaWJxD6Y. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
- “ISIS Goddess | Goddess of Fertility| Egypt Goddesses – AskAladdin.” Egypt Travel Experts, ask-aladdin.com/egypt-gods/isis/.
My upcoming short film, Mountain Cult, incorporates themes of Astral Projection and occultism. You can view the trailer below.