Giordano Bruno and Thelema:

 

Giordano Bruno and Thelema:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“All things aspire to an end for which they are ordained, and the more perfect its nature the more nobly and effectively does each aspire. Man alone, however, as endowed with a twofold nature, pursues a twofold good, -- “on the boundary line of eternity and time, between the archetypal world and the copy, the intelligible and the sensible, participating in either substance.”

It always fills me with joy to see how all of these old Rosicrucian ideas tend to perfectly compliment what has been given to us in Liber AL. That there exists no schism between the old and the new is always entirely refreshing and tends to fill me with lust for the Work, and certainty concerning the revelation of the Book of the Law. Here Giordano Bruno is talking about the True Will, and it is by building a bridge to unite Heaven and Earth, that we may find expression through its medium. This bridge is depicted on the Tree of Life as the path of Samekh and is built between Yesod and Tiphareth and establishes firmly one’s connection to the divine realm and the Supernal Triad. Which is an idea admirably demonstrated in the above quote. It is also noteworthy, that he refers to the copy of the archetypal world in context of the Qabalah, or Briah and Atziluth. This copy is expressed by the Ruach, from whence the object of the work is to unite with the intelligible and the sensual, in order for the Great Work to be accomplished. Therefore, as accorded by the metaphysics of Thelema as well as it seems, that of Giordano Bruno, a magician has to firmly establish himself at the centre of the Ruach, uniting the worlds of Briah and Yetzirah, to get an inkling of what his True Will might be, and for him to more “nobly and effectively” work his Will. This Will can be interpreted as the divine Will of Atziltuth finding expression via the above-mentioned union, in the world of Asiah, where the Daughter is placed on the throne of her Mother and awakens the Eld of her Father the King.

“If “Universal Nature” or Spirit is able to satisfy the appetite of each “particular nature” or mode of itself, and that of itself as a whole, then the understanding and desire which are innate, inseparable from and co-substantial of all shall not be in vain, nor look hopelessly to a false impossible end.”

Spirit which is everywhere the same and in all of us the same, makes it impossible for one who has attained union, not to have an effect on that which he is adding to through his own revelations of Spirit. He then achieves immortality through his intercourse with the divine and he no longer looks to “a false impossible end”. He also indicates that it is the Ego which drives this revelation, and the True Will is the self’s expression of divine inspiration, thus laying to rest all the New Age mumbo jumbo about the Ego, which plagues modern occultism.

“It is true that even the desire for continuance of our present life is not satisfied; a particular mode of matter cannot realize all “forms” or ideas at once, but only in succession and one by one; it knows and therefore desires that which is present to it at any given time: by force of nature, therefore, it comes in its ignorance (which rises from the “contraction” of the form to this or that particular matter and the limitation of matter by this or that form) to desire to be always that which it now is. The wise soul, however, will not fear death, will indeed sometimes wish for it, since there awaits every substance eternity of duration, immensity of space, and the realization of all being.”

Every person needs to work and do his or her Will, within the context of what their capacity dictates, this is a fact of life that nobody can escape. It includes not only the individual’s characteristic attributes but extends to the realm of nature herself. One needs thus to establish congruence between the objective and subjective worlds, in order to realize his or her potential. This may be a miserable aim, if the person is content to be a plaything of the elemental world, but for those who strive to more, I suppose the above affirms, that more awaits. Individuation is the means by which this misery can be changed into joy, so that every act, regardless of the conditions or consequences, becomes an act of Hadit’s expression in the world of contending forces, an act of Love. By fearing death and the fragility of temporal existence, a person is prohibiting himself from attaining intercourse with the divine, a feat, that demands character and courage. The world of matter in all its glory, may lead one astray in this way, as creating the illusion of something unattainable, such is the nature of temporal existence, which is a fleeting experience. If a person then strives daily, working towards fulfilling his office as a vehicle for divine inspiration, life is pure joy and death becomes the bed for which he longs.  

Write, & find ecstasy in writing! Work, & be our bed in working! Thrill with the joy of life & death! Ah! thy death shall be lovely: whososeeth it shall be glad. Thy death shall be the seal of the promise of our age long love. Come! Lift up thine heart & rejoice! We are one; we are none.

Liber AL vel Legis, Chapter II, 66

Strive ever to more! And if thou art truly mine---and doubt it not, and if thou art ever joyous!---death is the crown of all.

Ah! Ah! Death! Death! Thou shalt long for death. Death is forbidden, o man, unto thee.

The length of thy longing shall be the strength of its glory. He who lives long & desires death much is ever the King among the Kings.

Liber AL vel Legis Chapter II: 72,73,74

“Love is the law, love under will.”