The
Modern Occultist
Interview #13
Maevius Lynn
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MODERN
OCCULTIST
Your
book opens with a fascinating observation: that Aleister Crowley, the most
prolific ritual writer in the Western esoteric tradition, left virtually no
specific rituals for the holy days he himself established. You describe this
silence as “conspicuous”—even citing Crowley's own famous quip about things
being “conspicuous by their absence.” What do you make of that silence? Was it
oversight, invitation, or something more deliberate on his part…?
MAEVIUS
LYNN
I think it is
interesting that despite the central, sacred text of Thelema, The Book of
the Law, calling for the celebration of the holy days, Aleister Crowley did
not write rituals for them. I suppose we will never truly know why, but I
suspect that it’s just simply a fact that he didn’t have enough time. Reading
through some of his biographies like Perdurabo you really get a sense
that he was always busy coming up with new ideas or new projects. These holy
days may just simply be one of things he regrettably never got to.
MO
All
too often, Thelema is reduced in “mainstream” conversation to a single
phrase—“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”—in erroneous ways that
flatten its actual philosophical depth (not to mention missing the entire
point!). Your book takes considerable care to explain that True Will is not
personal desire or ego-satisfaction, but something considerably more demanding.
For readers encountering Thelema seriously for the first time, how would you
describe the distinction between doing what one wills and doing what one
wants?
ML
Similar to the
holy days, the phrase “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” comes
from The Book of the Law. It is one of the most universally
misunderstood quotes from our holy book. The phrase is a call to discover your
innermost spark of divinity known as your True Will, and once you have
discovered it, to align your choices and actions to it. It’s a call to live
authentically and in alignment with this sacred, personal truth. This is not
about what you want to do. In fact, this is a rather restrictive proposition.
It is a call for you to do your True Will and nothing else regardless of
personal feelings or whims of fancy.
MO
Recently,
Modern Occultist made a point of profiling Rose Edith Kelly as a major
figure on our blog, and we were overjoyed to see the seriousness with which you
presented her own story and crucial contributions to Thelema. Your chapter on
the “First Night of the Prophet and His Bride” takes her seriously as a
historical figure in her own right—something which we LOVED. What do you feel
the tradition owes Rose, and how does restoring her to her proper place
in the history change our understanding of Thelema's origins?
ML
I am delighted to
hear that you enjoyed my exploration of Rose. She is the Bride referred to in
the First Night of the Prophet and His Bride, so it felt fitting to spend equal
time on her and the Prophet, Aleister Crowley. Women have always been there in
the fabric of this tradition and we are blessed to have such a colorful
character like Rose from its very inception. Even though she was not an
occultist, she was still a woman with an interesting story and contributions
worthy of remembering.
In my book I took
care to paint a big, detailed picture of the history and magick of Thelema as
it pertained to these holy days. This naturally includes figures like Rose who
are often left out. My idea was to put it all out there to broaden the reader’s
perspective. I constantly had advanced practitioners in mind. I purposely
included things you simply don’t find anywhere else. Although my book is also
beginner-friendly, there are some deep cuts and many new things. One of these
unique things was of course the perspective and contributions of women both
historical and modern.
I suppose I don’t
view this as a situation needing the work of restoration. For me it’s like
walking into your garden and finding a surprising beautiful flower no one else
has noticed. I am just simply the gardener who noticed it, started tending to
it, and called attention to it as a natural part of the landscape. It’s truly a
joy to tend the garden that I also grow in.
MO
It is
the stance of Modern Occultist that we are, indeed, in the depths of a
new phase of cosmological evolution—be it Crowley’s Aeons, or the “ages”
presented in historical astrology. Since the sheer concept of aeonic
succession—the movement from the Aeon of Isis through the Aeon of Osiris and
into the current Aeon of Horus—remains one of Thelema's most ambitious and
(often) controversial claims, as someone who lives inside this framework as a
practitioner, not just a scholar, what does it feel like to inhabit the
beginning of an aeon? And what does the tradition mean when it calls this the
“Aeon of the Child?”
ML
I suppose a good
place to start is what is “aeonic succession.” This is one of these ideas in
Thelema that is very important, but less often talked about. I talk about it at
length in my book because it is essential to understanding the holy day called
the Equinox of the Gods as well as the Thelemic Calendar. Aeonic succession is
essentially an astrological event that occurs at specific points in human
history. The length of an aeon is approximately 2000 years. In Thelema this is
interpreted as periods of human history having different celestial rulers as
well as a different magical formula. There are not exact dates for this and
many often interpret this as a more poetic understanding of human history.
In terms of what it feels like to move from the old aeon, known as the Aeon of
Osiris, into the new aeon, known as the Aeon of the Child or the Aeon of Horus,
it feels like what we are experiencing now. It’s a time of change. A joyful
embrace of the new while also the backlash of the old as it fades from
existence. The Aeon of the Child is simply the current aeon we are living in.
The child is the voice of the third chapter of The Book of the Law who
has ascended to the throne of heaven. What this means to you, as I explicitly
spell out in my book, is something for you to personally explore. Some
interpret this through a monotheistic or polytheist lens while others approach
it as a more atheistic outpouring of poetry reflecting human truths. The holy
books of this tradition and the ideas in them are not another dogma to conform
to. They are instead an invitation to explore, reflect, and mindfully
understand yourself and the world around you.
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MO
Your book is explicitly positioned as the first word on the Thelemic ritual calendar, not the last—and you describe it as a call to action for the ritualists of today and tomorrow. ( In the eyes of this magazine, that is one of your book’s greatest triumphs: the practical engagement of believers to take part in the evolution of an organic history.) Crowley himself expressed hope for a “genius” to work out the dynamics of the formula of Horus in ways he felt unable to accomplish fully. Jack Parsons kinda failed; as someone who has heeded that call and stepped into that creative space, what do you believe the ritual life of Thelema in the twenty-first century most urgently needs? And, or equal importance, what do you hope practitioners take from The Holy Year of Thelema as they build that life?
ML
It’s wonderful to
hear that. My book delivers both scholarly facts and the practical tools and
inspiration to actually do magick. I always think people, especially in this
fast-paced tech driven attention economy, could use more mindfulness and
awareness of self. I think that is one of the beautiful things ritual magick
delivers. Practicing magick forces you to slow down and mindfully engage with
yourself and your surroundings. I really do believe that a little bit of magick
is better than no magick. My hope is that readers walk away feeling empowered
to actually do some magick. I laid out a grand diversity of ideas on how to
approach the holy days found throughout the year from simple to elaborate. My
hope is that everyone has the time to celebrate themselves, their journey, and
do a little bit of magick along the way.
MO
Although
you’ve become both a practitioner and noted scholar on Thelema, did your own
personal journey in occultism begin there, or did you first dabble in other
magic systems or paths first? How did you start out on your path?
ML
My journey began
with a passionate study of philosophy which naturally led to exploring religion
more deeply and eventually getting into the occult. Although my path as a
seeker has brought me many places, accepting a label for myself or my beliefs
has always been a struggle. I am not fond of putting myself in a box. I think a
lot of people can relate to that.
Although I do now
begrudgingly accept the label of Thelemite, a term for practitioners of Thelema
that comes from The Book of the Law, I feel like I do much more than
that. I am not confined by that label. I have always dabbled in other things
and still do. Some of those things include Paganism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
MO
What
is one crucial activity or practice that you recommend to all practicing
occultists, whether just beginning their journey or are an experienced
practitioner looking for a daily addition to their system?
ML
I
think good general advice for anyone starting out is to develop a meditation
practice. Training the mind is the first step to doing anything else. If you
have the time, then developing this into a daily practice is ideal. There is a
wide range of different types of meditation and associated practices out there.
Keep this in mind when starting out. If something isn’t working out for you,
then try something else.
MO
What
is one book—either magic-influenced or otherwise—that you recommend all
occultists read as part of their path? (It doesn’t have to be Thelema or
magick; in fact, I like to recommend The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset
Maugham as a “primer” to all seekers, and it has zero to do with magic, but
everything to do with a personal spiritual journey…From there, I often
recommend Dion Fortune’s fiction!)
ML
My
recommendations always depend on the interests and goals of someone in
particular. We are all different people, so naturally our on-ramps to deeper
study will look different. That being said, if I had to pick something from my
personal favorites that I think more people will benefit from, then I am going
to recommend Magick: Liber
ABA, Book 4 by
Aleister Crowley. This book is sometimes lovingly referred to as “the big blue
brick.” It is a brick and that can be intimidating, but if it’s something you
can stomach, then it is absolutely worth it.
MO
The
readership of Modern Occultist is a balance of both practitioners and
academics (who look towards the history of occultism and esotericism from a
strictly theoretical / historical perspective). In your own philosophy, what
does being an “occultist” mean to you in today’s world.
ML
I
have a foot in both the academic world and the world of practitioners, so I
sympathize with the needs and interests of both. To me the best words and
definitions are ones that quickly and effectively communicate an idea.
Academics often have a very different frame of reference and context than
practitioners. It is in this gulf of difference where many ideas go to die
because they don’t share the same context or meaning of words. The word
“occultist” is one of those words. Other sources of great misunderstandings are
terms like “new religious movement,” “left hand path,” and “Abrahamic.”
All of that being said, I believe the best definition for “occultist” will be
entirely dependent on the context. Given the context that this magazine is
reaching a broad audience of both academics and practitioners, I propose to
define an occultist as someone who studies hidden knowledge often with mystical
connotations outside the scope of traditional organized religion.
MO
If
someone is interested in learning more about the many different branches of
occultism, but are unsure if Thelema is for them, what is a good way for a
“newbie” to begin their own spiritual research into finding a system that’s
best for them?
ML
First of all, I
want to tell every newbie welcome! If you feel an interest and calling to be
here, then you belong here. If you are in the exploratory phase, then I say
explore! You won’t know if a shoe fits until you try it on, so get to trying
things on. Try out different rituals and practices and see how they feel.
Thelema is an open practice. You don’t have to be born into Thelema in order to
dabble and try out some things. Some rituals I suggest trying out are Saying
Will over your main meal of the day as well as a daily solar adoration ritual
called Liber Resh vel Helios. Both of these rituals are found in my book, The Holy Year
of Thelema: A Guide to the Ritual Calendar of Aleister Crowley's Tradition. I also have a video demonstration of both of
these on my YouTube channel that may be helpful especially to more visual
learners. My YouTube link is: www.youtube.com/@MaeviusLynn
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(Every day, Modern Occultist News will present "This Day in Occult History" and your "Daily Occult Review" and will dive into the birthdays, rituals, breakthroughs, and crucial moments that shaped today’s many esoteric traditions. From the Hermetic revival to Witchcraft, from Crowley to cyberspace, we’ll bring the best stories and latest trends to today’s own modern occultists everywhere.)
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