AC 2012
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law
When I saw this, I was initially amused. I mean, who would take such a thing as anything other than satire, a joke? I mean these are the things I did when I was 21 and high. However, I like to buy things, and things with Crowley's face mesh well with my impulse shopping needs. I picked up a few things & because I thought it amusing, I pointed it out to others on my Facebook and LJ.
Later, while in an argument with Theibes, he let me know that he was behind the AC 2012 thing by publishing my purchasing history from the AC 2012 shop. In context he seems to consider this a serious and legitimate method of proselytization, or as the OTO calls it, promulgation. Now I admit that I was very annoyed when he published my purchasing history, an act for which lawsuits have been filed before. It is a violation of privacy and of questionable legality. An act fully in keeping with his rather base nature. Anyway, I digress.
Evidently, the idea is that the AC2012 will reach people and “convert” them to Thelema (they may describe it differently, but the actions are the same). This is, frankly, stupid. The only people to recognize the face & associate it with the AC to mean “Aleister Crowley” are those who are already interested in Crowley or the more informed of our opposition. At the best, it is preaching to the choir.
Now, let us go to the actual items. Of the items available, one is a T-Shirt. I own one. This seems like a good place to explain why I have the t-shirts I do. I am misanthropic. I dislike people and I generally want them to leave me alone. I select my t-shirts with an eye toward what will offend people and drive them away. That is why I have the printed t-shirts I do. The more accessible ones are probably my Dethklok & “I support gay marriage if both chicks are hot” t-shirts. The Crowley shirt, with its lurid red and “Oz” sigil works admirably in making people uncomfortable. Somehow, this is supposed to bring people into the fold? A bunch of people wearing black T-Shirts with giant red faces and inverted seven pointed stars surmounted by a phallus? Yeah, that will reassure the masses.
Finally, let's sum up another problem. They sell these shirts to anyone. Any person, no matter how well they know Crowley, are committed to Thelema or dedicated to the OTO can buy these T-Shirts and be a “representative” of the AC2012 movement/group-think/whatever. Let me tell you a true story. Last term, in my Japanese 101 class, I was wearing the AC 2012 t-shirt. Another student asked me about Crowley. He already knew about Crowley and was interested in Thelema. I am used to this sort of thing, people who are interested in Crowley seem to realize that I am familiar with him. I began with my usual response, but I had to stop. Normally, I find out what books they have read, suggest a few more and offer to introduce him to the local OTO. I can't do that anymore. He's read almost nothing, he can't get the books and I was totally unimpressed with the local body the last time I attended.
If you want to promote Thelema, drop the scary goth-occult t-shirts and publish the damn books so that people can read the material. The OTO is on the fast track to becoming yet another worthless bunch of idiots, Christians under a different name who glomp onto the Thelemic equivalent to the cross and can't be bothered to study their bibles.
I realize this may be giving the AC 2012 thing more attention than it deserves, but it allows me to combine so many things: how the efforts of “promulgation” are stupid, how the OTO is failing in its duty by letting the books go out of print & detailing more scurrilous behavior by Theibes.
Love is the law, love under will
Nexist Xenda'ths