Aleister Crowley, the famous occult magician and author, compiled a book in 1904 titled The Book of the Law, which was said to have been dictated to him by a spirit named Aiwass. This book was meant to usher in the Age of Horus, in which a new ethical code would be followed. The central message of this new ethical code, known as the Law of Thelema (the Greek word θελημα or thelema is translated as "will"), was: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law".
Crowley's Law of Thelema is a corruption of what we could call Jesus' Law of Thelema:
- "Thy will be done.” (Matt. 6:10)
- "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'" (Gal. 5:14)
Augustine of Hippo perfectly summarizes the Christian Law of Thelema in the statement: "Love, and do what thou wilt." In Latin, it is: "Dilige et quod vis fac" (Sermon on 1 John 7-8).
With love for both God and humanity in our hearts, we are above every law and obtain true freedom of the will. When we have this authentic love for God and humanity, we move from a selfish egotistical love to a selfless love that does not seek its own, in imitation of Christ.
