Women's experiences in Thelema
In the last week or so a couple of us have posted about dealing with sexism and racism in Crowley's writings. stevensteven made a really good point today - he said, granted that Crowley said racist and sexist things. What is the next point?
I think it's important to stop and acknowledge this moment in the conversation. I very much appreciate that there are sisters who have pushed past their discomfort to write about their experiences and thoughts. I also appreciate that there are brothers who are working with us and genuinely trying to understand what we are saying. The discussion seems to be getting somewhere, and that is a new and hopeful turn.
Here's a suggestion for our next steps: speak out. Tell stories. Over the years I have heard many stories about women's uncomfortable experiences at Thelemic events. That's one reason we have a checkered reputation in the wider magical community. Women who have that kind of experience walk out and report this to their Golden Dawn, Wiccan, Pagan, Dianic sisters. "Those Thelemites attract creepy guys." If you're looking for a safe place to send a woman to explore her own power, Thelema isn't the first thing that pops into mind.
There's a story in Women's Voices in Magic I had a really hard time reading. A woman in OTO was physically abused by her male partner who specifically quoted Crowley's writings to support this behavior. She said when she's able to hear "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" without flashing on moments of violence in her life she will have conquered the experience. But that may never happen for her - we may have lost her forever.
Let's look at this again. Crowley says:
"...a woman is only tolerable in one's life if she is trained to help the man in his work without the slightest reference to any other interests soever" (Confessions, Chapter 10.) "Here therefore is the Limit of Her Aspiration in Magick, to abide joyous and obedient beneath the Man that her Instinct shall divine so that by Habit becoming a Temple well-ordered, comely and consecrated, she may in her next Incarnation attract by her Fitness a Man-soul" (Liber Aleph, De Via Propria Feminis).
What's the point? Crowley's writings encourage Thelemic men to treat the women in their lives as whores and magical servants. It's not a surprise that some men take him up on it. The surprise is that Thelemic community in general doesn't condone this kind of behavior. The Thelemic women I know are personally powerful and the Thelemic men I know are thoughtful esotericists.
The point is that this is coming from our own cultural predilections, not from Crowley's own attitudes. Read those quotes again and look at them as if he meant exactly what he said - he wasn't being ironic, joking, just one of the boys, you know, but he really meant, women are men's servants. Why would a 21st century woman spend another minute with his writings, or risk hanging out with people who take this seriously? This is a serious question.
I love Thelema and find strength in the Book of the Law, but many times this is in spite of what Crowley wrote, not because of it.
I think it's important to stop and acknowledge this moment in the conversation. I very much appreciate that there are sisters who have pushed past their discomfort to write about their experiences and thoughts. I also appreciate that there are brothers who are working with us and genuinely trying to understand what we are saying. The discussion seems to be getting somewhere, and that is a new and hopeful turn.
Here's a suggestion for our next steps: speak out. Tell stories. Over the years I have heard many stories about women's uncomfortable experiences at Thelemic events. That's one reason we have a checkered reputation in the wider magical community. Women who have that kind of experience walk out and report this to their Golden Dawn, Wiccan, Pagan, Dianic sisters. "Those Thelemites attract creepy guys." If you're looking for a safe place to send a woman to explore her own power, Thelema isn't the first thing that pops into mind.
There's a story in Women's Voices in Magic I had a really hard time reading. A woman in OTO was physically abused by her male partner who specifically quoted Crowley's writings to support this behavior. She said when she's able to hear "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" without flashing on moments of violence in her life she will have conquered the experience. But that may never happen for her - we may have lost her forever.
Let's look at this again. Crowley says:
"...a woman is only tolerable in one's life if she is trained to help the man in his work without the slightest reference to any other interests soever" (Confessions, Chapter 10.) "Here therefore is the Limit of Her Aspiration in Magick, to abide joyous and obedient beneath the Man that her Instinct shall divine so that by Habit becoming a Temple well-ordered, comely and consecrated, she may in her next Incarnation attract by her Fitness a Man-soul" (Liber Aleph, De Via Propria Feminis).
What's the point? Crowley's writings encourage Thelemic men to treat the women in their lives as whores and magical servants. It's not a surprise that some men take him up on it. The surprise is that Thelemic community in general doesn't condone this kind of behavior. The Thelemic women I know are personally powerful and the Thelemic men I know are thoughtful esotericists.
The point is that this is coming from our own cultural predilections, not from Crowley's own attitudes. Read those quotes again and look at them as if he meant exactly what he said - he wasn't being ironic, joking, just one of the boys, you know, but he really meant, women are men's servants. Why would a 21st century woman spend another minute with his writings, or risk hanging out with people who take this seriously? This is a serious question.
I love Thelema and find strength in the Book of the Law, but many times this is in spite of what Crowley wrote, not because of it.