General Discussions => Spirituality => Other => Topic started by: Illuminess on July 31, 2014, 10:18:36 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Illuminess on July 31, 2014, 10:18:36 PM
Post by: Illuminess on July 31, 2014, 10:18:36 PM
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
As my fellow illuminists know, magickal names are generally written in Latin, and Latin gives no room for gender fluidity (i.e. Frater Lux, Soror Caeli). I've seen a few posts in other forums about how being transgender may or may not fit in with this binary system.
Well, I feel there is answer to this:
It really has nothing to do with your personal identity. You could identify as agender, androgyne, or neutrois, and you will never fall out of place in the temple. The use of Male and Female pronouns has to do with the balance of their energies, masculine and feminine. Whichever one may identify with strongest could be the prefix you choose. If you identify with both equally, or neither, then choose one for the particular energy you may wish to portray in the ritual whether there are other participants or in solitary. You don't have to identify personally as a Frater or Soror. In magick you essentially must transcend gender as well as reconcile them on the spiritual level.
"The soul is beyond Male and Female as it is beyond Life and Death." — Aleister Crowley
Eliphas Levi's Baphomet is the symbol of this union. It is the "Great Androgyne" of occultism. In occult spirituality and philosophy it doesn't matter what your physical sex is; it's all about the symbolic.
"Every man and every woman is a star." — Aleister Crowley
This can say two things: we are all on our own individual orbit or path in the universe, and stars are simply points of light with no gender assignment, so everything is open to possibility. Planets are, of course, physically without gender, but in astrology they do have masculine and feminine associations.
So, despite the binary polarity of the universe, the soul is ambiguous. You have to let go of personal identity when doing magickal work, because beyond this flesh we are male, female, both and neither. Besides, Thelema is a philosophy (and religion) of tolerance, save of intolerance.
Love is the law; love under Will.
As my fellow illuminists know, magickal names are generally written in Latin, and Latin gives no room for gender fluidity (i.e. Frater Lux, Soror Caeli). I've seen a few posts in other forums about how being transgender may or may not fit in with this binary system.
Well, I feel there is answer to this:
It really has nothing to do with your personal identity. You could identify as agender, androgyne, or neutrois, and you will never fall out of place in the temple. The use of Male and Female pronouns has to do with the balance of their energies, masculine and feminine. Whichever one may identify with strongest could be the prefix you choose. If you identify with both equally, or neither, then choose one for the particular energy you may wish to portray in the ritual whether there are other participants or in solitary. You don't have to identify personally as a Frater or Soror. In magick you essentially must transcend gender as well as reconcile them on the spiritual level.
"The soul is beyond Male and Female as it is beyond Life and Death." — Aleister Crowley
Eliphas Levi's Baphomet is the symbol of this union. It is the "Great Androgyne" of occultism. In occult spirituality and philosophy it doesn't matter what your physical sex is; it's all about the symbolic.
"Every man and every woman is a star." — Aleister Crowley
This can say two things: we are all on our own individual orbit or path in the universe, and stars are simply points of light with no gender assignment, so everything is open to possibility. Planets are, of course, physically without gender, but in astrology they do have masculine and feminine associations.
So, despite the binary polarity of the universe, the soul is ambiguous. You have to let go of personal identity when doing magickal work, because beyond this flesh we are male, female, both and neither. Besides, Thelema is a philosophy (and religion) of tolerance, save of intolerance.
Love is the law; love under Will.
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Illuminess on August 21, 2014, 08:40:48 AM
Post by: Illuminess on August 21, 2014, 08:40:48 AM
"There is no 'reason' why a Star should continue in its orbit. Let her rip! Every time the conscious acts, it interferes with the Subconscious, which is Hadit. It is the voice of Man, and not of a God. Any man who 'listens to reason' ceases to be a revolutionary... It is ridiculous to ask a dog why it barks. One must fulfill one's true Nature, one must do one's Will. To question this is to destroy confidence, and so to create an inhibition... We are not to calculate, to argue, to criticise; these things lead to division of will and to stagnation. They are shackles of our Going. They hamstring our Pegasus. We are to rise up – to Go – to Love – we are to be awake, alert."
— Aleister Crowley
This quote from Crowley practically embraces all expressions of Will. I emphasised part of it that really gets the point across that we shouldn't wrack our brains as much as we do over transition or the ever so asked question "Am I really trans?" You just have to keep on track with one-pointedness, or it will just collapse over and over.
— Aleister Crowley
This quote from Crowley practically embraces all expressions of Will. I emphasised part of it that really gets the point across that we shouldn't wrack our brains as much as we do over transition or the ever so asked question "Am I really trans?" You just have to keep on track with one-pointedness, or it will just collapse over and over.
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Rose City Rose on August 21, 2014, 02:27:47 PM
Post by: Rose City Rose on August 21, 2014, 02:27:47 PM
That probably makes more sense to me right now than nearly anything else anyone has ever said to me on the subject of being trans.
Why do I even bother questioning, I ask myself? It feels so right when I just roll with it.
Why do I even bother questioning, I ask myself? It feels so right when I just roll with it.
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Wynternight on August 21, 2014, 02:35:52 PM
Post by: Wynternight on August 21, 2014, 02:35:52 PM
The flesh of the body I reside in is male, the brain is female, the Spirit is Spirit, my Will is to overcome all and Become. That, I think, is the test we who would do the Great Work must overcome to Cross the Abyss.
93 93/93
93 93/93
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Illuminess on August 23, 2014, 11:23:57 PM
Post by: Illuminess on August 23, 2014, 11:23:57 PM
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10522192_10154513153410253_7023477723653427542_n.jpg?oh=b2585bd692b8bbe1f46b7a7bd8cc4ee1&oe=545F1BE6&__gda__=1417494403_2e61a3f4d77f52d38d660173159ac4dc)
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Newgirl Dani on October 24, 2014, 12:48:45 PM
Post by: Newgirl Dani on October 24, 2014, 12:48:45 PM
93
Being an initiate of both A.'.A.'. and H.O.O.R., (I am not affiliated with O.T.O.)., I can say 'for me' I have no conflict. When I say 'for me', my personal plan is not to bring transition toward female to completion because my 'personal' strength will come from a balance. I can quote this from Magick Revised, "one of the first steps in magick is to find and define one's uniqueness". I am not issuing my stamp of approval for any Holy Order on this matter.
This statement is allowed due to #8 task of the A.'.A.'.
"8. He/She shall everywhere acknowledge openly his/her association with the A.'.A.'. and speak of It and Its principles (even so little as he/she understandeth), for that mystery is the enemy of Truth. "
93, 93/93
Dani
Being an initiate of both A.'.A.'. and H.O.O.R., (I am not affiliated with O.T.O.)., I can say 'for me' I have no conflict. When I say 'for me', my personal plan is not to bring transition toward female to completion because my 'personal' strength will come from a balance. I can quote this from Magick Revised, "one of the first steps in magick is to find and define one's uniqueness". I am not issuing my stamp of approval for any Holy Order on this matter.
This statement is allowed due to #8 task of the A.'.A.'.
"8. He/She shall everywhere acknowledge openly his/her association with the A.'.A.'. and speak of It and Its principles (even so little as he/she understandeth), for that mystery is the enemy of Truth. "
93, 93/93
Dani
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Illuminess on October 24, 2014, 09:03:30 PM
Post by: Illuminess on October 24, 2014, 09:03:30 PM
It makes me sad that the OTO continues to be so divided. I stick with "the method of science, the aim of religion". The A∴A∴ is a path for the individual who can attain initiation through rigorous discipline at his/her own pace and under no specific rules other than presented in the material. Nobody really needs to be wholly affiliated with an order that doesn't leave its students alone.
"In the true religion there is no sect, therefore take heed that thou blaspheme
not the name by which another knoweth his God; for if thou do this thing in
Jupiter thou wilt blaspheme יהוה and in Osiris יהשוה. Ask and ye shall have!
Seek, and ye shall find! Knock, and it shall be opened unto you!"
— Liber Librae
"In the true religion there is no sect, therefore take heed that thou blaspheme
not the name by which another knoweth his God; for if thou do this thing in
Jupiter thou wilt blaspheme יהוה and in Osiris יהשוה. Ask and ye shall have!
Seek, and ye shall find! Knock, and it shall be opened unto you!"
— Liber Librae
Title: Re: Thelema and Being Transgender
Post by: Newgirl Dani on November 07, 2014, 02:17:51 PM
Post by: Newgirl Dani on November 07, 2014, 02:17:51 PM
Quote from: Illuminess on October 24, 2014, 09:03:30 PM
It makes me sad that the OTO continues to be so divided. I stick with "the method of science, the aim of religion". The A∴A∴ is a path for the individual who can attain initiation through rigorous discipline at his/her own pace and under no specific rules other than presented in the material. Nobody really needs to be wholly affiliated with an order that doesn't leave its students alone.
"In the true religion there is no sect, therefore take heed that thou blaspheme
not the name by which another knoweth his God; for if thou do this thing in
Jupiter thou wilt blaspheme יהוה and in Osiris יהשוה. Ask and ye shall have!
Seek, and ye shall find! Knock, and it shall be opened unto you!"
— Liber Librae
I only stated my affiliation with A.'.A.'. and H.O.O.R so as to illustrate 'my' situation for any reader to whom this specification would be helpful, and these two paths toward the Great Work have no need for defensive actions. Dani