Absurdism

[LMNO]

Saint Thomas Aquinas: "Love, and do as you will."

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Shakespeare: "To thine ownself be true"

Rabelais story of the Abbey of Thelema, where all the Monks 'Did as they wished"

St Augustine: Love and do what you will.

The other thing to keep in mind is that Crowley was not stating that we should exist in anarchy, where any act we wished to do was acceptable. Rather, the 'Will' was of a metaphoric sort, 'Will' meant purpose... Do as thou are Purposed. Crowley felt that each human had to investigate and find their true self and their true purpose... then live according to that Will.

[LMNO]

Whoops.  I knew it was a "St. A_____".

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Whoops.  I knew it was a "St. A_____".

Aren't most of the Saints A_ _ _ _ _ _ _?

[Honey]

Not sure about Aleister but will try to read something, maybe Book of Lies?  I do like Nietzsche, his work seems to haunt me wherever I go.  & can't seem to step away from Camus in all this.  Another stab?

He is asked to leap. All he can reply is that he doesn't fully understand, that it is not obvious. Indeed, he does not want to do anything but what he fully understands. He is assured that this is the sin of pride, but he does not understand the notion of sin; that perhaps hell is in store, but he has not enough imagination to visualize that strange future; that he is losing immortal life, but that seems to him an idle consideration. An attempt is made to get him to admit his guilt. He feels innocent. To tell the truth, that is all he feels -- his irreparable innocence. This is what allows him everything.
Albert Camus, An Absurd Reasoning

We are all being asked to leap.  This is what allows us everything.

& in the in-between places or at the edges?  Maybe a form of absurd reasoning would allow us passage between the boundaries between the one & the other?  Maybe a certain type of flexibility of mind, body & soul is required? 

& our innocence (because I dunno what else to call it?) is shattered sometimes with the ideas forced on us in order to retain some semblance perhaps? of 'civilization.'  Shattered sometimes but not broken beyond repair.  We can only 'fix' ourselves 'cuz only we know what broke us.  & human love, respect, compassion, curiosity, & desire just might be the glue?  God I hope so!   

& the tools at our disposal with these kinds of things?  Being flexible of mind, body & soul is one I think?  Being as flexible as you can in all & any way you can possibly muster up.  When we come into this world we are soft, cuddly, flexible to a fault almost, sooo fragile.  Many times it's hard to tell boys from girls 'cuz both look the same, like old people or aliens even.  Beautiful tho. 

Then unfortunately, (unless you are in some way paradoxically strong enuff?) you become harder, rigid, inflexible, downright despicable even.  & sometimes when you try to stay flexible, open & curious, people will tell you to grow up, & it's more like telling you to shut up.

From the cradle to the grave. Some people just get meaner & more inflexible & well just yuckier!  When we die, the body attains the state of "rigor mortis."  Permanent inflexibility.

& then Cain said somewhere:
And to seize those chances to mix things up, bring in ideas from the opposing streams of ideas, requires a certain flexible, intelligent, practical and goal orientated mentality.

S'why I try to hide my body in the Big Dipper as often as I can.  I think it works but how would I know?

Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice.

Therefore the Master remains
serene in the midst of sorrow.
Evil cannot enter his heart.
Because he has given up helping,
he is people's greatest help.

True words seem paradoxical.

-From the Tao te Ching, Chapter 78

[Cain]

Crowley, on the other hand, had a series of safety nets and harnesses to keep him from tumbling headfirst into Da'ath. Maybe its watered down, or maybe its a safer version of the same concept, or maybe its the same territory, as seen through two different sets of bars.

Though I did appreciate this Crowley essay that I had completely forgotten about until your post reminded me (and Google came Through!!!)

http://www.dreamlandgrid.com/occult/Aleister%20Crowley/The%20Vindication%20of%20Nietsche.pdf

Precisely, no fun.

Also, I would attribute Nietzsche's insanity more to something like brain cancer or frontotemporal dementia rather than his philosophy.  While he was no doubt depressed and nihilistic throughout significant portions of his life, Thus Spake Zarathustra was very much the work that put him back on track with his life.  Despite a couple of setbacks, he had more than a couple of philosophical projects he wanted to undertake (he had found Dostoevsky's work the year before, and was invited to look at the work of Kierkgaard, both of which fascinated him) and having got rid of both the presence of his anti-semtitic publisher and sister, I imagine he was in fairly high spirits.  His prodigous output in this period, among some of his best work, would seem to confirm that.

I'll definitely have a look at that download however. Thanks.

[Honey]

Jokes can be noble. Laughs are exactly as honorable as tears. Laughter & tears are both responses to frustration & exhaustion, to the futility of thinking & striving anymore. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning to do afterward - & since I can start thinking & striving again that much sooner.

- Quoted from Palm Sunday by Kurt Vonnegut

Just had to add that.

[Iason Ouabache]

Sorry.

Is there a pdf of Syssyphus laying around?

I only ask because it would be quite unfortunate if someone left easy access to a copyrighted work.

*cough*
Click here!!
*cough*

[the last yatto]

yatto would like to reserve this topic for his issue of intermittens. to go alongside crazy prepared