The name "Thelema"
Rabelais was one of 16th century France's most colourful writers. His rather salty tales told of the glories of life and celebrated the hedonistic pleasures of the body. This was strong criticism of the puritanical Church of the time which pressed its concepts of piety and guilt onto Europe. Rabelais' stories tickle and indulge the senses, throwing social and religious commentary into the same pot as history, comedy and tragedy.
The tale of Thelema comes from a collection of his stories entitled "Gargantua and Pantagruel". In the book of Gargantua, he tells of a great battle between Gargantua and Pichrocole, in which the former "utterly defeated" the latter. After the battle, Gargantua divided the spoils and finally only had to provide for one Monk. Gargantua offered him many lofty titles, complete with bountiful lands, but the Monk refused them all. The Monk explained that he did not wish to rule over other monks - instead Gargantua could reward him with leave to found an Abbey after his own "minde and fancie". This intrigued Gargantua, who thereupon offered him all the land of Thelema by the river of Loire, till within two leagues of the forest of Port-huant. Here, with Gargantua's blessing, grew up a unique religious order.
The Abbey of Thelema was not walled; time was not circumscribed by clocks or sundials; men and women were allowed to live freely with each other; they were dressed in the finest satins and cloths. Rabelais enters into some rather bawdy detail as to what sort of person would qualify as a devotee of Thelema.... " Therefore it was ordained, that into this religious order should be no women that were not faire, well featur'd and of sweet disposition; nor men that were not comely, personable and well conditioned."
In complete contrast to the three vows of chastity, poverty and obedience taken by conventional religious men and women, the followers of Thelema were allowed to be honourably married, become rich and live at liberty. Rabelais' sumptuous account of the Abbey and its followers is best read in the context of his rich writings, which whet the appetite with their lavish descriptions of Serpentine marble, huge libraries, lush fields and magnificent landscapes.
At the foot of this earthly paradise stood a gate bearing a rather stern Admission Reserved Sign. It began:
"HERE ENTER NOT vile bigots, hypocrites,
Externally devoted Apes, base snites...
And forerunners of baboons.
Out strouting cluster fists, contentious bulls,
fomenters of divisions and debates,
Elsewhere, not here, make sale your deceits."
One law governed the Thelemites, a simple and beautiful one,
"Do what thou wilt."
It has been greatly abused and much misunderstood, for the rule is not an open invitation to chaos, but a call for true self-examination.