My philosophy

The root of my personal philosophy is simple. It can be summed up in eleven words: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law". In essence, this is an affirmation of individual freedom. But, while it may seem simple on the surface, in practice it is hardly easy. For one, most people miss that this is not meant to excuse whatever behavior you might wish to display toward others but that it is more of an invitation to the person you are addressing to follow their chosen course without interference. You see, nobody can be truely free unless everyone is equally free. This is the basis of most of my action these days. But, like I said, it's hardly easy.

Now, those who have already heard the above quote will recognize this philosophy as Thelema. However, everyone is ultimately the product of their experiences, overlaid one upon the other like a collage. While I do subscribe personally to the tenets proposed by Thelema, my personal philosophy is made up of pieces of all of the various practices that I engagned in along the way. Among these are Catholicism, Scientology, Seth, Hermeticism, Magick, and (more recently) Buddhism.

One of my talents this life seems to be the ability to make complex things seem simple through the use of analogy. I am also able to see the similarities between different systems of belief and I'm not so stuck to any one of them that I can't accept what's useful from other systems. These two talents, in combination with the unique path I happen to have followed, have given me what I think is a unique perspective on the ancient principles of hermeticism. I intend over the next few months (or years, if need be) to write a series of lectures on the subject.

I have also been thinking about how Thelema works as a political platform. That's not to say that existing Thelemic groups are not political. On the contrary, there is often more "politics" in the typical Thelemic magical group than in society in general. But what I am referring to is the concept of expanding Thelema to be more than a hobby for armchair magicians and anarchists.

To that end, I also host the Thelemic New Conservatism and Controversial Order of Secular Ecclectic Thelemites web pages. The former is a start-up political movement aimed at developing a usable platform based on Thelemic principles. In time, it may prove to be a decisive blow against the forces of tyranny, superstition, and oppression. The COSET is a secular movement which seeks to provide a refuge from the political infighting so common in modern Thelemic Orders. Check both out for yourself and let me know what you think.

And, beyond all that, I have a certain drive to make my experience and knowledge available to whoever may be able to use it. The web offers a unique opportunity to do just that, from the comfort of my own desk, with little investment. To that end, I've written a number of short essays on various topics:

• Computer Virus Hoaxes, Spam, and other Nuissances
• Sobering Advice for anyone contemplating a cross-cultural marriage
• A Cynic's Guide to Visiting Japan

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