THE
ARCANE
ARCHIVE

a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.


TOP | RELIGION | THELEMA

THE RULE OF THE ABBEY OF THELEMA

from
http://teootsd.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/the-rule-of-the-abbey-of-thelema/

The Rule of the Abbey of Thelema
Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy. (CCXX, i, 61)
Thus ye have star & star, system & system; let not one know well the other! (Ibid, i, 50)
1. The residents of the Abbey of Thelema shall consist of aspirants to the Silver Star.
2. The new brother or sister shall take a new name based on the Holy Books of Thelema, by which they shall be known to all.
3. Neither the Abbey of Thelema nor its residents shall discriminate against any person because of their race, national or ethnic origin, sex or sexual preference, or age.
4. The Abbey of Thelema shall be non-sectarian.
5. The Abbey of Thelema is ecologically responsible and deplores the continuing desecration of the body of Our Lady Babalon (the Earth).
6. The study and discussion of the Book of the Law is forbidden.
7. All residents of the Abbey shall follow the Ten Precepts of Eyl.
8. The Word and the Letter of Truth, and the sole Rule of Life, is to be found in the Holy Books of Thelema (Official Publications of the A?A? in Class A). These books represent the utterance of an Adept entirely beyond criticism, and may not be changed. The individual right of interpretation is, however, absolute. The Chief of All may only add books to the Canon on the Authority of the Collegium Summum.
9. The Head of the Abbey of Thelema is the Abbot or Abbess. They are appointed for life.†The Abbot or Abbess manifests the True Will of the Abbey, speaks for the community, and is the sole source of power, strength, and authority within the Abbey, the Abbeyís Magical Link to the Highest. Each Abbey shall have its own Abbot or Abbess, and no Abbot or Abbess shall have power or authority over more than one community.
10. Members of the Abbey shall swear a Vow of Holy Obedience to the Abbot or Abbess through their immediate superior.
11. The maximum number of any community shall be eleven. However, abbeys may associate together in larger communities, in which case a council of abbots or abbesses shall govern them. In no case shall any such council exceed eleven members.
12. Each Abbot or Abbess shall appoint their successor in writing at or prior to their death. Failing that, the responsibility of the new Abbot or Abbess shall automatically fall to the resident with the highest standing in the community, based on attainment, grade, seniority, and age, in that order. If no clear successor emerges, then the successor shall be chosen from the viable candidates by lot. Residents that are under any penance are ineligible for consideration.
13. The Abbot or Abbess may be removed from office only by the unanimous consensus of all the inhabitants of the Abbey or the administrative council or the governing council (if any), other than the Abbot or Abbess themselves, or if they become legally unable to exercise the responsibilities of their office due to physical or psychological infirmity.
14. The Abbot or Abbess may appoint officers to carry out the practical and administrative work of the Abbey, at their convenience, in which case they shall receive the same obedience of the community to which the Abbot or Abbess is entitled, subject to their authorization and approval.
15. The Abbey shall maintain a Thelemic temple in accordance with the specifications prescribed in the Thelemic Holy Books.
16. Every member of the Abbey may wear a bright blue tau robe, lined with scarlet and provided with a hood, with a golden girdle optional. Members of the administrative council shall wear a scarlet tau robe, lined with blue. The Abbot or Abbess shall wear a bright blue tau robe, as above, emblazoned with the Eye of Horus in scarlet.
17. All male members of the Abbey shall shave the head with the exception of a single lock in the centre of the forehead, or an inverse tau at the hairline made with vermilion sandalwood paste.
18. All female members of the Abbey shall wear their hair bobbed and died with optional red or yellow henna.
19. The children of the Abbey shall be encouraged to go naked in order to free them from the bond of sexual shame.
20. Upon reaching puberty, each child may become a full member of the Abbey, should they choose to do so.
21. Every member of the Abbey shall be bound by a Vow of Holy Obedience to the Abbot or Abbess and by a Vow of Simplicity. Concerning the Vow of Chastity, it is not here written.
22. The day shall be divided by a tom-tom, bell, or other alarum, at 6 a.m., 12 noon, 6 p.m., and 12 midnight, followed immediately by a communal Adoration of the Sun, according to the formula of Liber CC, followed by one hour of solitary meditation, except on Sunday.
23. Meals shall be taken once daily at mid-morning. All meals shall be eaten communally in silence, and shall be preceded by the saying of Will. All members of the Abbey shall fast between meals, save for the imbibition of water. The mid-morning meal shall be accompanied by red wine.
24. The morning shall be dedicated to work and physical development. The afternoon shall be dedicated to intellectual study, magick, or meditation, according to the memberís grade and inclination. The evening shall be dedicated to the communal recitation of the Cries of Adoration of Liber CMLXIII, or other chants, performances, readings, celebrations, drumming, or other observances, with the approval of the Abbot, except on Wednesday.
25. The Abbey shall consist of five grades consisting of one year of service; two years of physical development; three years of intellectual study; four years of magical work; and five years of mystical work. Those who complete this regimen shall constitute an administrative council that shall assist the Abbot or Abbess.
26. The members of the Abbey shall fast totally on each Wednesday, unless that day happens to be one of the feast days of the Book of the Law.
27. Every Wednesday night the Abbot or Abbess shall preach to the community, according to the formula of Liber LXIV.
28. All male residents shall be addressed as Brother. All female residents shall be addressed as Sister. The Abbot and members of the administrative council shall be addressed as Father or Mother in accordance with their biological gender. Brothers and sisters may be addressed by a superior or equal by their chosen names, or an acceptable abbreviation or English equivalent thereof. Children shall be addressed by their given names. Children born in the same Abbey shall not be permitted to marry.
29. The children of the Abbey of Thelema shall address all of the residents as Father or Mother and shall be raised, disciplined as required, and educated by the community as a whole.
30. Any person found to have done physical or psychological harm to any child, including the crime of circumcision or genital mutilation, shall be immediately expelled, with no possibility of reinstatement.
31. The corporal punishment of children is forbidden.
32. The mass media and all other forms of popular servitude and indoctrination are forbidden within the Abbey of Thelema.
33. The use of the first personal pronoun is forbidden to all except the Abbot or Abbess and the members of the administrative council.
34. The members of the Abbey shall greet each other with the words ìDo what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,î followed by the reply, ìLove is the law, love under will.î The farewell is ìLove is the law, love under will,î reiterated. The use of the abbreviated form, ì93,î is not acceptable within the Abbey of Thelema.
35. Any conflict between the members of the Abbey shall be brought to the immediate attention of the Abbot or Abbess or the administrative council. Once the cause of such a discord or disagreement is identified, the Abbot or Abbess shall resolve it according to their ingenium. Once resolved, any further discord or disagreement for the same cause shall be considered a breach of the Vow of Holy Obedience, and punishable by penance or, in extreme cases, by anathema or physical expulsion.
36. The entry of the Sun into the signs of the zodiac, the newness and fullness of the Moon, the birth and puberty of children, the marriages and deaths of residents, the quarter days, and the feast days prescribed in the Book of the Law, shall be observed by rituals and celebrated by feasts. In addition, the Abbey of Thelema shall sponsor public readings and performances of the works of Aleister Crowley and such other works as the Abbot may authorize.
37. The Gnostic Mass shall be observed every Sunday at 12 noon, following the Adoration of the Sun, in lieu of the noon meditation.
38. Those who do not accept the Law of Thelema may not enter the sanctuary of the Abbey of Thelema. Above all entrances to the Abbey the motto DO WHAT THOU WILT shall be superscribed. Guests and new members shall sign the following pledge form immediately upon admission to the Abbey: ìI do solemnly declare that I accept the Law of Thelema, that I will devote myself to discover my True Will, and to do it.î Those who refuse to sign may be admitted to a gatehouse outside the sanctuary established for the purpose.
39. The admission, expulsion, and advancement of members of the Abbey shall be at the personal discretion of the Abbot assisted by the administrative council. The Abbot at their personal discretion, excluding corporal punishment, may exact penances. The education of the Abbeyís children shall be the personal responsibility of the Abbot.
40. Any member of the Abbey may leave the Abbey at any time and without shame simply by informing the Abbot of their will, provided they are not under any penance at the time.
41. Any member of the Abbey who fails to observe the Rule of the Abbey of Thelema may be shunned. The Abbot, according to the severity of the infraction, shall determine the duration of shunning. In extreme cases, they may be physically expelled, temporarily or permanently.
42. Each Abbey shall incorporate itself as a religious society, in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is located, and establish itself on a sound financial basis. In particular, the Abbey shall endeavour to acquire any land or property that may become available in its vicinity, in order to enlarge its domain. Abbeys shall extend hospitality to each otherís members and to visiting Thelemites, at the discretion of the Abbot. Each Abbey shall be autonomous, subject to this Rule, which shall be observed by all.
43. Any resident who has the means to do so shall contribute to the financial welfare of the Abbey at least equal to his prorated share of the cost to the Abbey of his residency.
44. Each Abbey shall if possible be located at or near a geographical power centre or other location notable for beauty or some other special quality. The name of the Abbey shall be based on the Holy Books of Thelema.
Copyright © 1997, 2011 by the Fraternity of the Secret Door (www.teootsd.wordpress.com).

The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org.

Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small
donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site.

The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories,
each dealing with a different branch of
religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge.
Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit:
interdisciplinary: geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness
occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells
religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo
societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc.

SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE

There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):

Search For:
Match:  Any word All words Exact phrase

OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST

Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including slave narratives & interviews
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy, sacred architecture, and sacred geometry
Lucky Mojo Forum: practitioners answer queries on conjure; sponsored by the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Herb Magic: illustrated descriptions of magic herbs with free spells, recipes, and an ordering option
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: ethical diviners and hoodoo spell-casters
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith, the Smallest Church in the World
Satan Service Org: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive: FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century ceremonial occultist
Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective
The Mystic Tea Room: divination by reading tea-leaves, with a museum of antique fortune telling cups
Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, etc.
      Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
      Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
      Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
      Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races