The Oriflamme, Vol. I, No. I

"For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered From the lust of result, is every way perfect." Book of the Law, I, 44. To-day practically all men must realize that humanity has arrived at a cross road. Society over the whole earth is being rocked to its foundations, and change of great magnitude is facing all established human institutions. Years ago some few foresaw the approaching cataclysm, and a small minority saw the import thereof. In a poem written in 1900 and published in 1906, it is stated: "This is the birth hour of the age of gold, The false gold pales before the gold divine." And we read: "Perfection abideth not in the pinnacles, nor in the founda- tions, but in the ordered harmony of one with all." Obviously there is a de- ficiency of "ordered harmony," for it is most apparent that we are still some distance from perfection. It is foolish to force the human animal to conform to laws which violate the inherent nature of the species. And no person or system can long endure in such a course. The fight for freedom, for liberty of the individual, is an old, old battle in which many have fought, many died, many lost. A few won on a few fronts, and these few bought us what freedom we now possess. We still fight, and will continue to fight, to a final freedom. For inspiration in our battle we need only to review modern history, scry from about the 12th century on, when the Templars fought so well, down to the establishment of this America. What is needed that we slip not from the foothold they fought so hard to gain? Obviously organization: under the eye of an adequate Intelligence capable of comprehending the general and particular need together. Some few now know that such an Intelligence has appeared in the theatre of Life whose utterance is enshrined in the Book of the Law, and that plans for such organization now exist. To this Book, then, we must turn for instruction on how to govern ourselves: and to that organized plan, as the way to harmonize our lives with those of our fellows on our march towards perfection. "There are deep secrets in these songs. It is not enough To hear the bird; to enjoy song he must be the bird." Liber VII, VI, 14 It should hardly be necessary to define the stand of Thelemites in the present conflict. The Law of Thelema is not parasitic, and our entire movement is based on the principal of individual liberty. For us, the war is clear cut. There is no possible compromise between the principles of the Axis and the principles of Thelema. They are anti-thetical.