…but to do thy Will.
Hear me, ye people of sighing!
The sorrows of pain and regret
Are left to the dead and the dying,
The folk that not know me as yet.
Liber Al Vel Legis, 2:17
I always enjoyed reading the works of Aleister Crowley, and reading quite a bit of the trove of “Crowleyana” out there as well. I found some of the material a bit sycophantic; whether it was authored by Crowley or not. Being knowledgeable of quite a bit of Ceremonial Magick, Alchemy and Tarot, I wasn’t surprised that at the beginning of the new millennium I met up with members of one of the biggest Thelemic Lodges in the country – in Texas, no less.
I was working at my Art in a small company in Austin, Texas and I knew several people there were the well-groomed, corporate-camoed, hippy-types, and I proved my Padar (Pagan-Radar) accurate when I put out some Easter candy for the clerical staff and management and Ii noticed a beautiful Pagan calendar on someone’s desk. She came back to her desk before I got a chance to leave it as a surprise and she smiled.
“Happy Easter,” and then paused a moment with a raised eyebrow and finished, “or should I say, Happy Oestara?”
Needless to say she was stunned that I just “knew” we spoke the same language, but I told her that I noticed the calendar before she came in. She laughed and asked if I was Wiccan and I said no, but that my wife followed that path – and a few others. She said something about getting together some time for coffee or wine and I thought it sounded like a good idea. Of course, I digress.
That was my first encounter with heretical spiritualists in Texas, but not even close to being my last. About a week later, while waiting in the lobby for a ride home (we had one car at the time, and everything is an hour away in Texas), I said hello to one of the guys that I knew worked in the records department of the company.
I was reading a rather heavy volume and I didn’t flaunt what it was, but when my coworker walked by he looked at me rather surprised and said, “Is that Gems from the Equinox?” It was. Soon my new acquaintance was introducing me to The Lodge.
I pause for tonight.
