Testing Nobility
"He that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is filthy shall be filthy
still. Yea! deem not of change: ye shall be as ye are, & not other. Therefore the kings of the earth shall be Kings for
ever: the slaves shall serve. There is none that shall be cast down or lifted up: all is ever as it was. Yet there are masked
ones my servants: it may be that yonder beggar is a King. A King may choose his garment as he will: there is no certain test:
but a beggar cannot hide his poverty. Beware therefore! Love all, lest perchance is a King concealed! Say you so? Fool! If
he be a King, thou canst not hurt him. Therefore strike hard & low, and to hell with them, master!" Liber al vel Legis
2:57-60
The message is clear. All stars are preordained. We are what we were created to be from the beginning.
We cannot consider changing either ourselves or those about us. The kings of the Earth remain kings, even though they choose
not to appear as kings. The slaves, or masses of humanity, will serve the kings. Nothing we do can change this. "None
shall be cast down or lifted up: all is ever as it was."
That doesn't mean we should not strive to improve our place in life. Crowley wrote: "Every star
has its own nature, which is right for it." Finding our will and pursuing it to the fullest is our bliss. Nothing should deter
us from this goal.
What is wrong is for the wealthy and powerful, be they kings or beggers in nature, to attempt to
set the standards for those around them. The Christians may not impose their belief on their neighbors. The town zoning board
must not force the poor to live in homes designed for the wealthy.
Even though all stars may not be born into nobility, Nuit's wish is for all to be free to pursue
their will. And we all must make a choice. "Love is the law, love under will. Nor let the fools mistake
love; for there are love and love. There is the dove and there is the serpent. Choose ye well!"
If we are to love, why does Hadit command that we "strike hard and low"
as if to test the worth of the king? "If he be a King, thou canst not hurt him."
And why does Horus command (3:57) "Despise also all cowards; professional soldiers
who dare not fight, but play; all fools despise!"
There is an obvious separation in progress. There are the followers of the law, and then there are
the fools, cowards and professionals who slack their jobs. Because we all are skilled at hiding our light behind masks and
layers of masks, it sometimes takes severity to determine who is who among the would-be Thelemites. The enemy would infiltrate
the camp and strike from within. It is an old trick designed to deceive the enemy. Beware the Trojan Horse!
Thus the warning: "Beware therefore! Love all, lest perchance is a King concealed!
Say you so? Fool!" Love under will means exactly that. We will our love to those deemed worthy of it. And "to hell"
with the others.
I can't count the times we have put our trust in strangers who talked the talk, and walked the walk,
only to find they were deceivers who came to stab and destroy.
Hadit assures us that the true kings will withstand the fire of severity. We must test one another
constantly so that we not only know ourselves, but can place our trust in the solders fighting in the bunker beside us. For
we are at war and we cannot afford to spare quarter.
The Brad Pitt film "Fight Club" comes to mind as a good example of the testing that seems to be
required. It seems harsh to strike out verbally, mentally and even physically at those we love. But if "he
be a king" he will arise and continue on, understanding the necessity of continual testing.
Thus we come to a deeper understanding of the verse: "There are love and love.
There is the dove and there is the serpent. Choose ye well!" Love under will is constant, unwavering, in spite of all
odds. It survives fire and comes back for more. It is the mark of a king.
Copyright - James Donahue
