Skip to content
magical.skin
← The library

Thelema · Doctrinal essay

Liber II: The Message of the Master Therion

Aleister Crowley

The Equinox III:1 (1919), printed pp. 39–43; Keep Silence scan

A short account of will, freedom and love. Crowley distinguishes will from immediate preference, develops the image of individual orbits, and offers two readings of purpose.

Open the source PDF ↗

Where to begin

Begin on printed p. 41 / PDF p. 3. Follow the argument through p. 43: the closing account of love is part of the essay, not a separate commentary.

Keep in mind

The orbit image expresses Crowley’s theology; it does not establish that human purposes never conflict. The final page uses gendered and martial rhetoric. This is the 1919 printing, not the earlier pamphlet.

Sections in this PDF

Each link opens a place in the same 6-page file. PDF page numbers count from the file’s first page, not the printed numbers. If a link does not jump, enter the PDF page number.

Browse all 3 sections
  1. Will, preference and the star image Opening argument · printed p. 41 / PDF p. 3
  2. Two readings of purpose Middle argument · printed p. 42 / PDF p. 4
  3. The closing account of love Conclusion · printed p. 43 / PDF p. 5

Reading paths

  • Will and interpretationFollow Crowley’s distinction between will and preference, compare a difficult ethical sequence, and return to the discipline of a record.

Read alongside

Guide by magical.skin. The source opens on its host’s website.