The Book of the Law is the central, sacred text of the OTO, written (or received) by Aleister Crowley in 1904. It contains three chapters, each transcribed in one hour, beginning at noon, on April 8th, 9th, and 10th. Crowley asserts the text to have been dictated to him by an entity named Aiwass, whom later identified as his own Holy Guardian Angel (or "Secret Self").

The teachings within this small book have come to be known as the Law of Thelema (a Greek word meaning, Will), distilled into two of its most touted clauses:

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" (AL I:40) and
"Love is the law, love under will." (AL I:57)

According to Crowley, the discovery and manifestation of one's unique True Will is the central task of every "Thelemite", which may be taken to mean the identification with one's own True Self, or Holy Guardian Angel.

Crowley likens the True Will to the orbit of a star. Theoretically, no two True Wills will contradict each other as each one has its unique passage through Infinite Space.

Download a PDF version of The Book of the Law