Information AboutAiwass |
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Aiwass is the name of the being who is said to have dictated The Book Of The Law —the central sacred text of Thelema —to Aleister Crowley on April 8th, 9th, and 10th in 1904 . THE DICTATION The single appearance of Aiwass was during the Three Days of the writing of Liber Legis. His first and only identification as such is in Chaper I: "Behold! it is revealed by Aiwass the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat" (AL I:7). ). However, Harpocrates also represents the Higher Self, the Holy Guardian Angel . Crowley described the encounter in detail in ''The Equinox of the Gods'', saying that as he sat at his desk in Cairo , the voice of Aiwass came from over his left shoulder in the furthest corner of the room. This voice is described as passionate and hurried, and was "of deep timbre, musical and expressive, its tones solemn, voluptuous, tender, fierce or aught else as suited the moods of the message. Not bass—perhaps a rich tenor or baritone." Further, the voice was devoid of "native or foreign accent," perhaps meaning that it was similar to his own (i.e. British). Crowley also was able to describe his general appearance, which he got from a "strong impression." Aiwass had a body composed of "fine matter," which had a gauze-like transparency. Further, he "seemed to be a tall, dark man in his thirties, well-knit, active and strong, with the face of a savage king, and eyes veiled lest their gaze should destroy what they saw. The dress was not Arab; it suggested Assyria or Persia, but very vaguely." IDENTITY Crowley went to great pains to argue that Aiwass was an objectively separate being from himself, possessing far more knowlege than he or any other human could possibly have. As Crowley writes in his ''Confessions'': "I was bound to admit that Aiwass had shown a knowledge of the Cabbala immeasurably superior to my own" and "We are forced to conclude that the author of ''The Book of the Law'' is an intelligence both alien and superior to myself, yet acquainted with my inmost secrets; and, most important point of all, that this intelligence is discarnate." Finally, this excerpt (also from ''Confessions'', ch.49): :"The existence of true religion presupposes that of some discarnate intelligence, whether we call him God or anything else. And this is exactly what no religion had ever proved scientifically. And this is what The Book of the Law does prove by internal evidence, altogether independent of any statement of mine. This proof is evidently the most important step in science that could possibly be made: for it opens up an entirely new avenue to knowledge. The immense superiority of this particular intelligence, AIWASS, to any other with which mankind has yet been in conscious communication is shown not merely by the character of the book itself, but by the fact of his comprehending perfectly the nature of the proof necessary to demonstrate the fact of his own existence and the conditions of that existence. And, further, having provided the proof required." However, Crowley also spoke of Aiwass in symbolic terms. In ''The Law is for All'', he goes on at length in comparison to various other deities and spiritual concepts, but most especially to The Fool . For example, he writes of Aiwass: "In his absolute innocence and ignorance he is The Fool; he is the Saviour, being the Son who shall trample on the crocodiles and tigers, and avenge his father Osiris. Thus we see him as the Great Fool of Celtic legend, the Pure Fool of Act I of ''Parsifal'', and, generally speaking, the insane person whose words have always been taken for oracles." Perhaps more importantly, Crowley later identified Aiwass as his own personal , the Head of the A.'.A.'. " GEMATRIA Crowley, being the , the number of Thelema itself. Crowley remained perplexed, though, since the spelling of the name in AL was "Aiwass" not "AIVAS", which does not add up to 93. However, when Crowley decided to use the Greek Qabalah, he discovered that ... :"...it's value is 418! and this is the number of the Magical Formula of the Aeon . It represents the practice of the Book as 93 does the theory. It is now evident with what inconceivable ingenuity AIWAZ has arranged his expression. He is not content to give one spelling of his name, however potent; he gives two which taken together are not merely twice as significant as either alone, but more so, in a degree which is beyond me to calculate." NOTES SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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