Witchcult Today is a guild for everyone, be you novice, intermediate, or advanced. We are dedicated to educating and entertaining discussion about Thelema primarily; But we do not forget that Thelema holds roots in older ceremonial magic, and assisted in the foundation of newer ceremonial and non-ceremonial magic traditions. We accept discussion on Wicca and Witchcraft as well.
What is Thelema?
Thelema is a system of philosophy and religion based around a phrase in the Book of the Law. The statement reads, in two parts, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law," and "Love is the Law, Love under Will." The core of Thelemic thought revolves around this statement, which leads to a great diversity in how a Thelemite will view his or her Thelemic path; How a person decides to live a Thelemic lifestyle aside from the Law is completely up to him or her. For those that wish to delve deeper into mysticism, the human psyche, and the occult, Thelema offers a great deal of magical tradition to experiment and operate with. Magick (the Thelemic way of describing "The Great Work" wink is in no way required to be a Thelemite, however.
This video by Tannhaus on YouTube is a very good description (in his words) of what he considers Thelema to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms43lqpCY-A
Do what I will? Does that mean do what I want?
Thelema does not consider them to be one and the same. In fact, the phrase in the book of the law refers to True Will; The intersection of your personal will and destiny. Thelema encourages followers to discover their True Will and live to their greatest potential.
How was Thelema founded?
Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) in his travels wrote the book of the law as interpreted by his wife Rose during a series of rituals in Cairo. Crowley previously was a renowned member of the ceremonial magic organization Golden Dawn, and was a well known occult author; He published the Book of the Law in 1904, Founded the A∴A∴in 1907 (a Thelemic learning organization) and in 1925, took over the Ordo Templi Orientis, turning it into a Thelemic organization. The books he published and the organizations he ran after 1904 have made what Thelema is today.
Cult!
Not really. Thelema doesn't even require you to ever talk about it with anyone else -- it can be more or less just something to think about. Thelema is a religion to some, a philosophy to others.
Rubbish! Magic/Magick doesn't exist!
Magick, in the Thelemic sense, does exist to us. Crowley defined magick as "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will." Magick is not capable of defying the laws of the universe, or producing miracles, although "it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by nature."
What is Ceremonial Magic?
Ceremonial Magic is pretty much the same thing as it says -- magic with ceremony. It relies heavily on ritual drama to achieve different mental states for the aim of enrichment or gnosis. Organizations that predated Thelema often used ceremonial magic, and it continues to be used today; Adopted and morphed to fit into traditions such as Wicca (and more commonly, Witchcraft.)
What's inside/Why should I join?
Inside you'll encounter reading lists, individualized guidance, education, focused group discussion, art, music, creativity, contests, inspiration, and quite possibly more...
What do I say in my join request/how do I join the guild?
Be thoughtful or witty. Say something, but don't say nothing. The opportunity to tell the guild about yourself will be available once you're in the guild. Keep it short and to the point. A good place to start is, "Why do you want to join?"
Under construction
- You should know that due to the very limited amount of time I have on Gaia due to my personal life, along with the very small amount of Thelemites (and those interested) on Gaia, this guild moves slower than molasses. Joining and contribution is encouraged. I moderate when I can. I post when I can. Thanks for looking!
