Online Reference For Body, Mind & Spirit

Term: Book of the Law

DEFINITIONs:
1.  The Book of the Law, also known as Liber AL vel Legis, was channeled by Aleister Crowley in Cairo in 1904 from a "preternatural" entity calling himself Aiwass. It is divided into three sections, respectively attributed to the Egyptian deities Nuit,Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Its chief tenets are "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law," "Love is the law, love under will," and "Every man and every woman is a star."

2.  This book, also known as Liber AL vel Legis [or just Liber AL], is composed of three chapters, each written down by Crowley in one hour starting at noon April 8, 9, and 10 in 1904 in Cairo, Egypt. The words were spoken to Crowley by an entity named Aiwass, later referred to as Crowley’s Holy Guardian Angel. 

The Book of the Law is the holy book for Crowley’s followers. It teaches the Law of Thelema, usually represented by these two phrases:

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law (AL I:40) and 

Love is the law, love under will (AL I:57)  

Thelema is both religion and philosophy, and yet—as used in the GBG—it is more a source of inspiration to the student to continue with the Great Work of attaining the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.

AUTHOR:  Carl Llewellyn Weschcke