Thelema

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/thelema

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the classification?Western esoteric philosophy and new religious movement
2. What is the originating period?Early 20th century
3. Who created Thelema?Thelema was started by a man named Aleister Crowley in the early 1900s.
4. What is the Book of the Law?The Book of the Law is a book that Crowley said he heard from a spirit in 1904. It tells the main ideas of Thelema, like "Do what you want" and "Love is the law."

True Will: The unique, divinely ordained purpose of an individual, considered the highest spiritual goal to discover and fulfill.
The Book of the Law: The foundational sacred text of Thelema, believed to be a divine revelation received by Aleister Crowley.
Magick: The science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will, involving disciplined use of mind, body, and spirit.
The Great Work: The lifelong process of spiritual development and self-realization through the pursuit and enactment of one's True Will.