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It will be seen that the formula - 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law' has nothing to do with 'Do as you please.' It is much more difficult to comply with the Law of Thelema than to follow out slavishly a set of dead regulations.
Aleister Crowley
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the complexity of true freedom and will in the context of Thelema, contrasting it with mere hedonism.

Aleister Crowley's quote draws a distinction between superficial freedom, represented by 'Do as you please,' and the deeper, more challenging concept of 'Do what thou wilt,' which signifies following one's true will in alignment with the Law of Thelema. This thought proposes that genuine personal freedom requires introspection, growth, and responsibility, making it a more profound journey than simply indulging in one's whims.

Themes

FreedomWillThelemaLawPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion on personal development, one might quote this to highlight the importance of pursuing one's true passion.

More from Aleister Crowley

People think that talking is a sign of thinking. It isn't, for the most part' on the contrary, it's a mechanical dodge of the body to relieve oneself of the strain of thinking, just as exercising the muscles helps the body to become temporarily unconscious of its weight, its pain, its weariness, and the foreknowledge of its doom.
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There is a single main definition of the object of all magical Ritual. It is the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm. The Supreme and Complete Ritual is therefore the Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel; or, in the language of Mysticism, Union with God.
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I was not content to believe in a personal devil and serve him, in the ordinary sense of the word. I wanted to get hold of him personally and become his chief of staff.
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Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action.
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I do not want to father a flock, to be the fetish of fools and fanatics or the founder of a faith whose followers are content to echo my opinions. I want each man to cut his own way through the jungle.
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The essence of independence has been to think and act according to standards from within, not without.
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