The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley

Although embittered by his experience of the Brethren faith, Crowley did not reject religion outright. "I did not hate God or Christ, but merely the God and Christ of the people whom I hated." In his early college years, an existential crisis led him to the realization that all ambitions and careers are ultimately lost in the sands of time. He concluded the only thing that mattered, that endured, was the spirit. His quest for spiritual truth led him to mysticism and occultism and the search for the Great White Lodge, an invisible college of enlightened teachers offering guidance to those determined enough to find its door. So the stage was set for this sheltered, spiritual, wealthy, handsome, and profoundly rebellious young man to become Aleister Crowley. (p17)

Rose described a ceremony (later called the Supreme Ritualı for Crowley to perform on March 20, 1904, the vernal equinox. He was subsequently instructed to go into his Cairo flat at precisely noon on April 8, 9, and 10 and, for the next hour, write down the words he heard. This he did, and the result is The Book of the Law. It is a text that exhilarated, bewildered, and even shocked him. It not only declares the beginning of a new era for humanity, but names Crowley its prophet as the Beast 666. It spells out a doctrine of joy, empowerment, and individual liberty, and calls on all people to discover and fulfill their true nature. Its central tenet is "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Crowley would ultimately devote his life to spreading its word. (p22)

Will is the soul of Aleister Crowley's magical philosophy; his famous definition of magick is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." He named his system Thelema after the Greek word for Will. Everyone has a Will—a purpose, unique talent, calling, or function in the smooth running of that magnificent cosmic machine which is the Universe. Magick provides the tools to accomplish two things: First is to “know thyself"—to use techniques like journaling, meditation, ritual, and invocation to identify your personal strengths and successes-and thereby discover your true Will. The second is to use these same tools to accomplish your Will. (p53–54)

Crowley also united the various systems of the East and West into a cohesive package. Magick recognizes certain universal truths contained within all religious and spiritual systems. Crowley attempted to extract that essence from the teachings of the world's varied schools of spiritual attainment. Building on an idea common in esoteric groups like the Theosophical Society and the Golden Dawn, he forged a particularly effective integration of Western magic, Eastern yoga, Qabalah, Hermeticism, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and other mystery traditions throughout history. (p54)