I have a couple of things to say. Not to start a flame war but to simply present another point of view. The idea of, do what thou wilt not what you want, has me thinking.
In his new comment on AL 1:40 in the
Old and New Commentaries, Crowley said, "From these considerations it should be clear that 'Do what thou wilt' does not mean 'Do what you like.' It is the apotheosis (highest form,
Abrac) of Freedom; but it is also the strictest possible bond."
Crowley's thoughts on this closely parallel Christian doctrine. All Crowley has done is substitute the person's "higher self," for God. Instead of "thy will be done," it's "thou will be done." It makes me wonder why Thelemites are so quick to criticize Christianity as "restrictive" when their doctrine so closely mirrors it.
For example, compare these Bible verses with what Crowley said:
Galatians 5:13 -- As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another.
1Peter 2:16 -- Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God."
Crowley -- "It is the apotheosis (highest form,
Abrac) of Freedom; but it is also the strictest possible bond."
And then this one:
Jas 1:25 -- "But the one who looks into the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (emphasis mine)
There's really no justification for the idea that Christianity is restrictive any more than Thelema is restrictive, they only have different conceptions of deity. There may be Christian teachers who have come along over the years and made it restrictive with their dogma, but restriction per se isn't taught in the New Testament.
Crowley's comment "but it is also the strictest possible bond." is a bit of an enigma until you look at it in comparison with Christianity. Thelema teaches that the higher self, or holy guardian angel, is God for that person and therefore the person and God are one. Christianity teaches the same thing only in a somewhat different direction. It teaches that when a person is born again, the old self dies and a new self is born that's in the likeness of Christ, and God & Christ are one (John 10:30 -- I and my Father are one).
Some people have referred to Thelema as "Crowleyanity," and I'm starting to believe this isn't far from the mark at all.