I. Philological Foundations: The Semantics of Will in Antiquity
To understand the trajectory of "Do as thou wilt," one must first excise the modern, secular understanding of "will" as mere preference or whim. The origins of the phrase are deeply rooted in the linguistic struggles of Greek and Latin theology to define human agency in relation to the Divine.
The Greek distinction: Thelo vs. Boulomai
In Classical and Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament and the Septuagint, the concept of "will" is bifurcated. The word Thelema (θÎλημα), which would later become the central noun of Crowley’s religion, is derived from the verb thelo (θÎλω). In classical usage, thelo often signified an appetitive will—desire, wish, or even sexual impulse. It carried a connotation of emotional urge rather than rational choice. This contrasts with boulomai, which implies a rational, deliberative will or counsel.
However, a significant semantic shift occurred in the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) and the New Testament. The writers of the scriptures frequently employed Thelema to denote the Will of God. For example, in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10), the petition "Thy Will be done" uses the word Thelema (genethito to thelema sou). Similarly, in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:42), Jesus submits his human preferences to the Divine Thelema.
This theological loading of the term is critical. By the time the concept reaches the Renaissance, Thelema is not merely "want"; it is a word charged with divine authority. It represents a will that is absolute, irresistible, and creatively potent. When later esotericists like Crowley adopted the term, they were not reclaiming a word for petty appetite, but appropriating a term reserved for the omnipotent volition of Deity, applying it to the individual human subject.
The Latin Voluntas and the Augustinian Shift
In the Latin West, the corresponding term Voluntas became the battleground for the debates on Free Will (Liberum Arbitrium) and Grace. It is within this context that the first recognizable iteration of the mantra emerges, not as a call to rebellion, but as a paradoxical solution to the problem of Christian freedom.
II. The Patristic Origin: Saint Augustine of Hippo and the Will of Love
The earliest textual ancestor of the phrase is found in the homiletic corpus of St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE). Often misquoted or stripped of context by later libertines, Augustine’s formulation is arguably the most rigorous and restrictive of all interpretations.
The Homilies on the First Epistle of John
The phrase appears in the In Epistulam Ioannis ad Parthos, specifically in the Seventh Homily (Paragraph 8), delivered around 407 CE during the festival of Easter. The Latin phrasing is Dilige, et quod vis fac—"Love, and do what thou wilt" (or "Love, and do what you wish").
To understand the gravity of this statement, one must contextualize it within the Donatist Controversy. The North African church was schismed between Orthodox Catholics and Donatists, the latter of whom refused to recognize sacraments administered by clergy who had lapsed during Roman persecutions. Saint Augustine, arguing for the Orthodox Catholic position, faced a pastoral dilemma: he supported the use of imperial force and ecclesiastical discipline to "correct" the Donatists, yet he preached a gospel of love.
Augustine reconciles this by relocating the moral quality of an action from the external deed to the internal motivation. He argues that actions which appear harsh (discipline, shouting, correction) can be acts of love, while actions that appear gentle (indulgence, silence) can be acts of hatred if they allow a soul to perish.
The Mechanics of the Augustinian Imperative
Augustine’s maxim is a conditional statement. The imperative fac ("do") is entirely dependent on the antecedent Dilige ("Love").
"Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what thou wilt: whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace; whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct, through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good."
Here, "Love" (Caritas) is not an emotion but a theological virtue—a participation in the Divine Life. If a human will is truly rooted in Caritas, it is aligned with God’s Will. Therefore, it becomes ontologically impossible for that will to desire evil. Ideally, the sanctified will can "do what it wants" because it only "wants" what God wants.
Second-Order Insight: The Inversion of License
Critically, Augustine’s formulation acts as a trap for the uninitiated. To the libertine, it sounds like permission to sin ("I love God, so I can sleep with whom I want"). But to the theologian, it is a crushing burden. It requires a level of introspection and purity of motive that is nearly unattainable. It demands that every impulse be scrutinized to ensure its root is Love. Thus, the first origin of "Do as thou wilt" is actually a doctrine of extreme moral constraint, not freedom. It asserts that true liberty is only possible through total submission to the ordo amoris (the order of love).
III. The Renaissance Allegory: Hypnerotomachia Poliphili
A millennium after Augustine, the concept of the Will re-emerges in the Italian Renaissance, moving from the pulpit to the dreamscape. The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499), attributed to the Roman Catholic Dominican Friar Francesco Colonna, serves as the essential bridge between medieval theology and the humanist utopias that would follow.
The Personification of Thelemia
Colonna’s text is a dense, architectural phantasmagoria describing the dream-quest of the protagonist Poliphilo. Crucially, Colonna personifies the human faculties as guides. Poliphilo is accompanied by two nymphs:
- Logistica (Reason)
- Thelemia (Will or Desire)
This is a seminal moment in the history of the concept. By naming the guide "Thelemia," Colonna elevates the faculty of Will/Desire to the status of a divine psychopomp. In the narrative, Poliphilo encounters three gates leading to different paths of life: the Glory of God, Worldly Glory, and the Love of Polia (his beloved). Logistica urges him toward the first two, arguing for duty and intellect. Thelemia, however, urges him to follow his desire. Poliphilo chooses the third gate, rejecting Reason in favor of Will.
The Architectural Blueprint of Will
The Hypnerotomachia is not merely a narrative; it is an architectural treatise. It describes the Island of Cythera and the Garden of Venus in excruciating geometric detail. The text describes hexagonal courtyards, elaborate fountains, and a society dedicated to beauty and sensory experience.
This text provided the spatial imagination for the "Do as thou wilt" philosophy. It suggested that the exercise of the Will requires a specific environment—a secluded paradise or abbey—where the constraints of ordinary society are suspended. The rigorous architectural descriptions in Hypnerotomachia (specifically the hexagonal structures) would be directly copied by François Rabelais in his construction of the Abbey of Thélème.
Thus, Colonna contributes two vital elements to the genealogy:
- Epistemological: The validation of Will/Desire (Thelemia) as a superior mode of knowing compared to pure Reason (Logistica).
- Spatial: The necessity of a constructed utopia (the "Garden") to protect and cultivate this Will.
IV. The Humanist Manifesto: François Rabelais and the Abbey of Thélème
If Augustine provided the soul and Colonna the body, François Rabelais provided the name. In his 1534 masterpiece Gargantua, Rabelais synthesizes the Augustinian and Colonnian streams into the most famous literary exposition of the mantra: the Abbey of Thélème.
The Anti-Monastery
Rabelais presents the Abbey of Thélème as a reward given by the giant Gargantua to Friar John of the Funnels for his help in the war. Friar John refuses to govern a traditional abbey, citing the restrictive vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. instead, he proposes an anti-monastery.
The constitution of Thélème is defined by its negation of monastic rules:
- Instead of poverty, the inhabitants are wealthy.
- Instead of chastity (celibacy), they are encouraged to marry.
- Instead of obedience, they are free.
- Instead of walls, the abbey is open, for "walls generate murmurs and conspiracies."
The Single Rule: Fay ce que vouldras
The governing statute of the abbey is reduced to a single clause:
"Fay ce que vouldras" (Do what thou wilt).
However, Rabelais, like Augustine, includes a critical conditional clause that is often overlooked. He explains why this freedom is possible without descending into chaos:
"Because men that are free, well-born, well-bred, and conversant in honest companies, have naturally an instinct and spur that prompteth them unto virtuous actions, and withdraws them from vice, which is called honour."
The Doctrine of Honor and Synderesis
This passage reveals the Humanist optimism at the heart of Rabelais’ philosophy. He relies on the concept of Synderesis—an innate moral compass or "spark of conscience" that guides the soul toward the good. For Rabelais, this spark is not universally active; it requires specific social and biological conditions: "well-born" (bien nayz) and "well-bred" (bien instruictz).
The "Will" in Rabelais is not the raw, animalistic appetite. It is a refined, aristocratic volition. The inhabitants of Thélème can "do what they will" because their wills have been shaped by education, beauty, and noble company to inevitably desire the good. If one person wishes to drink, they all drink; if one wishes to play, they all play. The "Will" is synchronized through a shared culture of Honor.
Rabelais thus secularizes Augustine’s Dilige. He replaces "Grace" with "Breeding." The constraints are no longer supernatural but sociological. This version of the mantra became a beacon for Enlightenment thinkers who believed in the perfectibility of man through education and liberty.
V. The Satirical Turn: Dashwood and the Hellfire Clubs
In the 18th century, the mantra crossed the Channel to England, where it was stripped of its utopian idealism and repurposed for political satire and aristocratic excess. Sir Francis Dashwood (1708–1781), a high-ranking politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer, founded the "Knights of St. Francis of Wycombe," better known to history as the Hellfire Club.
The Mock Abbey of Medmenham
Dashwood leased the ruins of Medmenham Abbey on the Thames and renovated them into a clubhouse for his circle, which included radical figures like John Wilkes and Lord Sandwich. Over the doorway, he inscribed Rabelais’ motto: Fay ce que vouldras.
However, the context had shifted dramatically. Dashwood’s "monks" were not the idealized humanists of Rabelais’ fiction; they were powerful rakes engaging in drinking, sexual liaisons with "nuns" (often prostitutes or society ladies in masks), and elaborate parodies of Catholic rituals.
The Political and Occult Dimensions
Recent scholarship suggests that the "Satanic" reputation of the Hellfire Club was possibly a fabrication by political enemies (particularly the scandal-mongering of John Wilkes after a falling out). The "rites" were perhaps more theatrical than theological—a way for the ruling class to privately mock the religious strictures they publicly pretended to uphold.
Yet, Dashwood’s architectural choices betray a deeper engagement with the tradition. He excavated the Hellfire Caves at West Wycombe, a subterranean network leading to an "Inner Temple" beneath the local church. He also built a hexagonal mausoleum on the hill, explicitly mirroring the hexagonal geometry of Rabelais’ Abbey of Thélème.
Second-Order Insight: The Privatization of Will
The Hellfire Club represents a crucial pivot point. Under Rabelais, "Do what thou wilt" was a proposal for a model society (a utopia). Under Dashwood, it became a privilege of the elite. The motto asserted that the aristocracy, by virtue of their power, existed above the moral laws that governed the common citizenry. "Do what thou wilt" became a statement of impunity. This association with secrecy, caves, and sexual transgression imprinted the phrase with a "sinister" allure that paved the way for its adoption by later occultists.
VI. The Magickal Synthesis: Aleister Crowley and the Law of Thelema
The most significant modern codification of the mantra occurred in 1904, when the British occultist Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) received The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis) in Cairo. Crowley claimed the text was dictated by a praeter-human intelligence named Aiwass, the messenger of the Egyptian god Horus.
The Aeon of Horus
Crowley announced that humanity was entering a new era: the Aeon of Horus.
- Aeon of Isis: Matriarchal, nature-worship.
- Aeon of Osiris: Patriarchal, sacrifice-based (Christianity), emphasizing submission.
- Aeon of Horus: The era of the Child, emphasizing the sovereignty of the individual.
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
"Love is the law, love under will."
The Theological Definition of "True Will"
Crowley explicitly acknowledged his predecessors. He cited Augustine, Rabelais, and even the "Hellfire" legacy as precursors to his revelation. However, Crowley radically redefined the nature of "Will."
For Crowley, "Do what thou wilt" is not an invitation to indulge in "wants" or "whims." He distinguishes sharply between the ego's desires (boulesis) and the True Will (Thelema).
- The True Will: This is the individual's inherent, cosmic trajectory, determined by their nature. It is analogous to the orbit of a star.
- The Duty: "The True Will is described as the individual's orbit, and if they seek to do anything else, they will encounter obstacles".
Crowley’s interpretation is paradoxical: it is a command of absolute freedom that results in absolute determinism. If one perfectly follows their True Will, they have no "choice" in the conventional sense; they must do exactly what they are meant to do. As Crowley wrote in Liber II: "Do what thou wilt—then do nothing else".
The Abbey of Cefalù
Crowley attempted to actualize the Rabelaisian dream by founding his own Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù, Sicily, in 1920. Unlike Rabelais’ palace of luxury, Crowley’s abbey was a farmhouse dedicated to rigorous magical training, drug experimentation, and the breaking of psychological taboos to liberate the Will. The experiment ended in scandal and expulsion by Mussolini’s government, highlighting the friction between the Thelemic Will and the "Will of the State."
VII. The Ethical Softening: Wicca and the "Harm None" Clause
In the mid-20th century, the mantra underwent its final major transformation within the Neopagan revival. Gerald Gardner, the father of modern Wicca and an associate of Crowley, integrated the concept of Will into his witch-cult, but it was likely his High Priestess, Doreen Valiente, who formalized the version most known today.
The Wiccan Rede
The Wiccan Rede (counsel) states:
"An it harm none, do what ye will."
(Note: "An" is an archaic English term for "If").
This formulation fundamentally alters the mechanics of the maxim by reintroducing a negative constraint.
- Crowley’s Law: The Will is paramount. If one's True Will involves conflict (e.g., a soldier), then conflict is holy.
- Wiccan Rede: The Will is free only insofar as it does not cause harm.
The Role of Doreen Valiente
Valiente, recognizing the "black magic" stigma attached to Crowley and the Hellfire Clubs, sought to sanitize the craft for a post-war audience. By adding the "Harm None" clause, she aligned the Thelemic Will with the "Golden Rule" and Eastern concepts of Ahimsa (non-violence). This version stripped the phrase of its aristocratic and aggressive undertones, making it a tenet of personal responsibility and environmental stewardship.
Debate persists within Pagan communities regarding the interpretation of "Harm None." Some argue it creates a paralysis of action (since merely breathing consumes resources), while others view it as a guideline for mindfulness rather than a dogmatic law. Nevertheless, this is the iteration that entered the pop-culture bloodstream of the late 20th century.
VIII. Cultural Ripple Effects: From Led Zeppelin to Modernity
The mantra did not remain sequestered in occult lodges. It permeated the counterculture of the 1960s and 70s, becoming a slogan for the sexual revolution and the rejection of traditional authority.
The Rock and Roll Connection
Jimmy Page, the guitarist of Led Zeppelin, was a devoted collector of Crowleyana and even purchased Crowley’s former estate at Boleskine. Page inscribed the two phrases of the Law of Thelema into the run-out grooves of the initial pressings of Led Zeppelin III:
- Side A: "Do what thou wilt"
- Side B: "So Mote Be It"
This act broadcast the phrase to millions of listeners who had no knowledge of Augustine or Rabelais. For this generation, "Do what thou wilt" was interpreted largely through the lens of the Hellfire Club—as a license for hedonism ("Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll")—rather than Crowley’s rigorous spiritual discipline.
Literary Echoes
The Rabelaisian utopian tradition also survived in Victorian literature. Walter Besant’s The Monks of Thelema (1878) and C.R. Ashbee’s The Building of Thelema (1910) kept the dream of an "Abbey of Will" alive, influencing the Arts and Crafts Movement and early socialist utopias. These works bridged the gap between the libertine Hellfire era and the solemnity of Crowley, portraying Thelema as a noble social experiment.
IX. Comparative Analysis of the Will
The following table synthesizes the distinct "flavors" of the mantra across its history, highlighting the shifting conditions required to exercise the Will.
| Era | Key Figure / Text | Phrasing | Prerequisite Condition | Teleology (Goal) |
| 5th C. | St. Augustine | Dilige, et quod vis fac | Divine Love (Caritas) | Alignment with God’s Justice |
| 1499 | F. Colonna | Thelemia (Allegory) | Rejection of Pure Reason | Erotic/Aesthetic Illumination |
| 1534 | F. Rabelais | Fay ce que vouldras | Honor / Good Breeding | Virtuous Social Harmony |
| 1750s | F. Dashwood | Fay ce que vouldras | Social Status / Privacy | Pleasure / Satire / Liberty |
| 1904 | A. Crowley | Do what thou wilt... | Knowledge of True Will | Cosmic/Aeonic Fulfillment |
| 1964 | Wicca (Valiente) | An it harm none... | Harmlessness | Ethical Personal Freedom |
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