Our world is changing. People are becoming increasingly more aware of the interrelationship between themselves and their environment. They are becoming increasingly aware of their spiritual existence. The access to global events via mass media has made it very clear to most of us that we do not live in isolation on this planet. Lasting global peace, while still elusive, is closer to becoming reality at this point in time than it has ever been at any point in recorded history.

To put it simply, the human race is becoming more enlightened.

I have little doubt that the driving force behind this evolutionary process is our rapidly expanding knowledge of the Universe around us. Modern science has revealed in vivid detail things of which previous generations were completely unaware; things both microscopic and macroscopic. Our knowledge of the physical world which surrounds us seems to multiply by an order of magnitude with each passing year. Our lives are no longer limited to just watching TV sitcoms and discussing the local weather. Indeed, technology has helped us to discover just how infinite this Universe of ours really is.

Along with this increased awareness of the infinite comes an increased sense of the limitless personal freedom which such an Infinite Universe would imply. If the Universe is indeed infinite, then anything, anything, that can be imagined, contemplated, or conceived is possible.

This instinctive sense of freedom, true freedom, has existed for a very long time -- an eternal constant that may well have been present in one form or another since the beginning of life itself. Given the present day ease of global communication and travel we have only recently been able to “compare notes”, as it were, with our peers from the far corners of the planet. And as we have met with, communicated to, and learned from each other, we have seen that this concept of Universal Freedom is something we share in common with all members of the human race.

Those of us who call ourselves Thelemites know this Universal Freedom by the name Thelema. What we call the Law of Thelema, in whatever mundane form it may present itself from culture to culture, is the True Charter of Universal Freedom. The form of the Law of Thelema with which we, as Thelemites, are most familiar is: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. This fundamental principle, however, goes by many names and carrys many slogans throughout the world.

We, as a species, have come through the nurturing Age of Isis. We endured the restrictive Aeon of Osiris. We are now well into the 100th year of the Age of Horus, the Crowned and Conquering Child. Having been nutured by the Mother and disciplined by the Father, we are now ready to wander off into the world and make our own way among the Stars. The Aeon of Horus is all about finding one's own way without the need for external controls or guideance. It is about becoming Gods in our own right. Gods in every sense of the word.

Part of the task of becoming a God is the discovery of one's own True Will. By this we do not mean the immediate thirst for temporary physical satisfaction that distracts us on a continual basis. Rather we are referring to that inner drive from which arise our most basic instincts, impulses, and intuitions. Discovering our True Will is only possible in an atmosphere of Total Freedom. How are we to become aware of the subtle forces arising from within ourselves when we are constantly confronted withr, and accosted by, the familiar and banal forces of the world around us?

There is a paradox herein. In order to provide a firm foundation from which we can launch our quest for Freedom, it is first necessary to introduce Structure. Strength comes from the rigidity provided by an unyielding Structure. You cannot drive a nail into a piece of wood with a hammer made from butter. Likewise, you cannot hope to discover and drive your own True Will through the vast Universe without a firm foundation and rigid supports. It is for this reason that we impose Structure on our otherwise Infinite Universe.

However, in our recognition and acceptance of this Structure we must not forget the purpose to which the Structure was introduced: to provide the foundation for the discovery and execution of our own True Will. This Structure is valid only to the extent that it is under Will (that is, only to the extent it is held in place for the sole purpose of advancing our understanding of our own True Will).

The human Spirit is remarkably flexible and, for the most part, quite tolerant and honorable. Left to their own devices, humans would naturally find ways to interact with one another in a fair manner and to deal with those among them who choose not to be quite as honorable. History bears this out in civilization after civilization. Humans tend to place self-imposed restrictions on themselves in order to advance Society as a whole and, in so doing, to provide themselves with that firm foundation necessary to carry out their respective Wills.

There is thus no single “structure” that comes to us from Divine Authority. The structures under which we live are created and enforced by those who choose to live under and benefit from those structures. In an Infinite Universe, it is clearly possible for an infinite variety of implementations of an infinite variety of structures (and for an infinite number of Paths therein). These various implementations / structures / Paths all have the same basic goal -- the discovery and fulfillment of the True Will of each and every individual. There is no other purpose served by such a structure.

Nonetheless, despite however infinite the Universe may be and however many unique Paths there may be for one to choose from, the reality is that there are always some who find it necessary to berate, belittle, mock, (or in some cases, even seek to tear down) the structures under which others choose to exist. Some not-quite-so-enlightened individuals believe that any structure or system which is not in complete conformance with their own self-imposed structures is somehow inferior or defective. This belief not only flies against the very heart of the Law of Thelema -- it also postulates a limited Universe in which is is not possible for multiple Paths to exist that all aspire to the same Goal. Based on what we, as Thelemites, profess to believe, such an idea is counter-intuitive, to say the least.

How much more unfortunate must it be, then, to witness such an intolerant belief expressed by Thelemites against other Thelemites. If we believe in our Heart of Hearts that “every Man and Woman is a Star”, and if we sincerely seek to “Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing & any other thing”, how can any of us possibly say that the particular brand of Thelema that another chooses to practice is any less “pure” or any less “valid” than our own. And who among us is in close enough contact with the Gods of the Infinite Universe to say whether the beliefs or practices of another Thelemite are somehow “less Thelemic” than our own. Not to mention the arrogance expressed when we profess the ability to judge another's conformance (or lack thereof) with their own True Will.

There is hope. The Thelemic League exists to help bring an end to this kind of intolerance. It seeks to do so by bringing the concepts of Tolerance and Universal Freedom, as often as possible, to the forefront of our collective awareness. It seeks to provide a forum wherein fellow Thelemites might meet with the goal of helping each other understand and overcome their own projective intolerant tendencies. It seeks to provide a clearinghouse for information on the various Thelemic Paths that exist in order that we may all better understand each other's systems because True Understanding is the very foundation of True Tolerance.

Nothing in the structure of the Thelemic League should be construed as de-emphasizing the importance of adherence to the values and the regulations of any given system when working within that system or neglecting the importance of secrecy when that secrecy is put in place for the purpose of building up a group mind among willing participants. And nothing in this Manifesto or in the structure of the Thelemic League should be construed as denying any group's right to exist. Quite the contrary. Since groups are themselves composed of individuals, the same Rights and Responsibilities afforded to the individual are incumbent upon the group. That must, of necessity, include the right for a group to decide who will and will not be allowed to participate. This particular sword has two very sharp edges.

Membership in the Thelemic League is not extended by invitation. It is not conferred by initiation. Nor it is dispensed by fiat. There are no membership roles, per se, nor any governing body empowered with the right to accept or deny one's membership. Membership is inherent in the honorable acceptance of the philosophy and assertions of the Thelemic League as laid out in this very Manifesto. One becomes a member by accepting this document and aspiring to live by it's tenets. One likewise removes themselves from membership by virtue of their own words and actions. The Universe is your witness.

The Word of the Law is Thelema. At the very core of the Thelemic League's philosophy is the belief that every man and every woman is a Star; individual, unique, and possessing the inalienable right to exist and to travel upon their own Path, wherever that Path may lead. We also firmly believe that when everyone follows their own unique Path and lets others get on with following their own Path, conflicts are extremely rare and those which do arise are easily resolved.

The primary focus of the Thelemic League is to promote Thelemic principles as they apply to the interactions of individuals with groups that claim to be Thelemic, and to the interactions of Thelemic groups with each other. To that end, there are seven basic tenets laid out by the Thelemic League:

This Manifesto, in its present form or as may be revised from time-to-time, constitutes the sum total of the beliefs, philosophy, and practice of the Thelemic League. Members are encouraged to speak openly about the League, to comment at Will on the details by which they have chosen to implement the basic tenets outlined above, and to refer others to this Manifesto in order to spread the word.

Individuals and groups may affirm their support of the tenets of the League by openly proclaiming their affiliation with the Thelemic League, said proclamation may be openly published in any promotional material in any medium, provided reference is made to this Manifesto.

Thelema is indeed the Charter of Universal Freedom. As Thelemites, we oppose religious intolerance in whatever form it may manifest. To that end, we must be diligent in granting this same Universal Freedom to our comrades in battle. A house divided cannot stand. A religious philosophy which does not honor its own most closely held beliefs is a joke. Together we can make Thelema a shining example of what would happen if we were all to start minding our own Wills and keeping our noses out of everyone else's. Help the Thelemic League become the banner under which this movement finally succeeds.