Aeon (Thelema)

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In the esoteric philosophy of Thelema, founded by Aleister Crowley in the early 20th century, an Aeon is a astrological age defined by distinct spiritual and cultural characteristics, each accompanied by its own forms of magical and religious expression. [1] Thelemites believe that the Great Year of human history is divided into a series of these Aeons, each governed by a particular deity or archetype that embodies the spiritual formula of the era.

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The first of these was the Aeon of Isis, associated with prehistory, a time when humanity revered a Great Goddess, symbolised by the ancient Egyptian deity Isis. This was followed by the Aeon of Osiris, spanning the classical and medieval periods, during which the worship of a singular male god, represented by Osiris, dominated, reflecting patriarchal values. [2]

The current Aeon, known as the Aeon of Horus, is believed to have begun in 1904 with the reception of The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis), which Crowley maintained was dictated to him by a praeterhuman intelligence named Aiwass. The Aeon of Horus, frequently referred to as simply the Aeon and symbolised by the child god Horus, is seen as a time of greater consciousness, individual sovereignty, and spiritual awakening. Thelemites believe that this Aeon represents a departure from the constraints and dogmas of the previous Aeon, particularly the influence of the Abrahamic religions, and heralds an era of self-actualisation and the realisation of human potential. [2]

Within Thelema, each Aeon is characterised by its own specific magical formula, which is fundamental to the practice and understanding of Thelemic Magick. The transition between these Aeons is understood not merely as a change in religious or cultural practices, but as a profound shift in the underlying spiritual paradigm that governs human existence. [3]

Aeons

Aeon of Isis

The first Aeon, of Isis, was maternal. The female aspect of the Godhead was revered due to a mostly matriarchal society and the idea that "Mother Earth" nourished, clothed and housed man closed in the womb of Matrix. It was characterised by pagan worship of the Mother and Nature. In The Equinox of the Gods , Crowley describes this period as "simple, quiet, easy, and pleasant; the material ignores the spiritual." [4]

Lon Milo DuQuette wrote that this aeon was "the Age of the Great Goddess", [5] tracing its origin to prehistory and identifying its zenith around "approximately 2400 B.C." [5] In doing so, he was drawing upon the hypotheses of early 20th-century archaeologists such as Sir Arthur Evans, whose work at Knossos suggested a prehistoric, matriarchal, goddess-centered religion. Continuing in this vein, DuQuette described the period as one in which the hypothetical cult of the Great Goddess—a unifying figure behind many goddesses across diverse cultures—would have been truly universal and worshipped under myriad names and forms across the ancient world. However, DuQuette cautions against assuming that the magical formula of this aeon manifested solely through the worship of any specific anthropomorphic female deity. He explains: "Like every aeon, the magical formula of the Aeon of Isis was founded upon mankind's interpretation of the 'perceived facts' of nature, and our Isian-age progenitors perceived nature as a continuous process of spontaneous growth." [5]

Aeon of Osiris

According to Crowley, the classical and medieval Aeon of Osiris succeeded the Aeon of Isis and marked a shift from matriarchal, nature-based spirituality to a patriarchal religious structure centered on moral dualism, self-sacrifice, and submission to the Father God. Crowley identified Osiris as the archetype of the slain god, [6] whose death and resurrection formed the theological foundation for many religions of the period, including Christianity. [2] During this aeon, spiritual truth was seen as external and transcendent, mediated by priesthoods and scriptures. The individual was perceived as a fallen being, requiring redemption through obedience, suffering, or sacrificial rites. [7] He characterized this period as emphasizing the solar father figure, contrasted with the lunar mother of the Aeon of Isis, and anticipated its end with the birth of a new aeon focused on the divine child, Horus. [8]

The occultist Kenneth Grant later elaborated on Crowley’s framework, interpreting the Aeon of Osiris as an era of spiritual concealment in which esoteric knowledge was systematized, ritualized, and obscured beneath layers of dogma. He emphasized that the dismemberment of Osiris symbolized a fragmentation of primordial wisdom, and regarded the aeon as dominated by reflective, lunar consciousness rather than direct initiatory experience. [9] In his view, the transition to the Aeon of Horus marks a return to more immediate, transformative modes of spiritual engagement.

Aeon of Horus

The Aeon of Horus, identified by Crowley as beginning in 1904 with the reception of The Book of the Law , marks the current era in Thelemic philosophy. This aeon emphasizes self-realization, individualism, and the pursuit of one's True Will, symbolized by the child god Horus representing new beginnings and potential growth. Crowley described it as a time of the Crowned and Conquering Child, focusing on spiritual awakening and personal freedom. He also stated, "every man and every woman is a star", highlighting the unique and divine nature of each individual. [10]

Key figures such as Israel Regardie and Kenneth Grant highlight the transformative nature of this aeon, encouraging individuals to embrace their True Will and move beyond previous constraints. Regardie saw it as a shift towards new spiritual and psychological paradigms, [11] while Grant emphasized the break from the restrictions of prior aeons. [12] DuQuette elaborates on the Aeon of Horus as a period of growing individual consciousness and the realization of one's spiritual potential, contrasting it with the Age of Aquarius, which he sees as a smaller aspect of a greater spiritual age. [13] Gunther interprets the Aeon as a time of significant spiritual evolution, driven by the awakening of individual consciousness and the unfolding of the True Will. [14]

The Thelemic calendar uses a unique dating system incorporating Tarot trumps and astrological positions, aligning significant events with corresponding Tarot cards and the positions of the Sun and Moon, reflecting the Thelemic emphasis on synchronizing personal and cosmic cycles. Crowley detailed the practice of recording magical work in his writings on the magical record, emphasizing the importance of documenting spiritual progress. [15]

Aeon of Ma'at

Aleister Crowley believed that the Aeon of Ma'at will succeed the present one. [2] However, Crowley suggested that the succession of the aeons is not bound to the axial precession of the equinoxes in his 'Old Comment' to Liber AL chapter III, verse 34, where he states, "Following him [Horus] will arise the Equinox of Ma, the Goddess of Justice, it may be a hundred or ten thousand years from now; for the Computation of Time is not here as There." [16] According to one of Crowley's early students, Charles Stansfeld Jones (a.k.a. Frater Achad), the Aeon of Ma'at has already arrived or overlaps the present Aeon of Horus. [17]

Crowley wrote:

I may now point out that the reign of the crowned and Conquering Child is limited in time by The Book of the Law itself. We learn that Horus will be in his turn succeeded by Thmaist, the Double-Wanded One; she who shall bring the candidates to full initiation, and though we know little of her peculiar characteristics, we know at least that her name is justice. [18]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ DuQuette 2003, p. 15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bogdan 2012.
  3. ↑ DuQuette 2003, p. 14.
  4. ↑ Crowley 1974, ch. 8.
  5. 1 2 3 DuQuette 2003, pp. 16–17.
  6. ↑ Crowley 1973.
  7. ↑ Crowley 1974.
  8. ↑ Crowley 1991.
  9. ↑ Grant 1972.
  10. ↑ Crowley 1976.
  11. ↑ Regardie 1970.
  12. ↑ Grant 1999.
  13. ↑ DuQuette 2003.
  14. ↑ Gunther 2014.
  15. ↑ Crowley 1997.
  16. ↑ Crowley as quoted in Staley 1989.
  17. ↑ Nema 1995, Introduction.
  18. ↑ Crowley 1969, p. 400.

Works cited

  • Bogdan, Henrik (2012). "Envisioning the Birth of a New Aeon: Dispensationalism and Millenarianism in the Thelemic Tradition". In Bogdan, Henrik; Starr, Martin P. (eds.). Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 89–106. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199863075.003.0004. ISBN   978-0-19-986309-9. OCLC   820009842.
  • Crowley, Aleister (1969). The Confessions of Aleister Crowley . Hill and Wang. ISBN   0-80903-591-X.
  • Crowley, Aleister (1973). The Heart of the Master. Montréal: 93 Publishing.
  • Crowley, Aleister (1974). The Equinox of the Gods. New York: Gordon Press. ISBN   978-0-87968-157-9.
  • Crowley, Aleister (1976) [1909]. The Book of the Law: Liber AL vel Legis . York Beach, Maine: Weiser Book. ISBN   978-0-87728-334-8.
  • Crowley, Aleister (1991). Magick Without Tears . New Falcon Publications. ISBN   978-1-56184-018-2.
  • Crowley, Aleister (1997). Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4, Parts I-IV (2nd rev. ed.). Boston: Weiser. ISBN   0-87728-919-0.
  • DuQuette, Lon Milo (2003). The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of Rituals of Thelema. San Francisco and Newburyport: Weiser. ISBN   1-57863-299-4.
  • Grant, Kenneth (1972). The Magical Revival . Typhonian Trilogies. Vol. 1. London: Frederick Muller.
  • Grant, Kenneth (1999). Beyond the Mauve Zone. London: Skoob Books Publishing Ltd.
  • Gunther, J. D. (2014). Initiation in the Aeon of the Child: The Inward Journey. Nicolas-Hays. ISBN   978-0-89254-599-5.
  • Nema (1995). Maat Magic: a Guide to Self-Initiation. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser. ISBN   0-87728-827-5.
  • Regardie, Israel (1970). The Eye in the Triangle. Phoenix, AZ: Falcon Press.
  • Staley, Michael (1989). "The Heart of Thelema". Starfire. I (3) – via Ecclesia Gnostica Universalis.

Further reading

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