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Abbey Of Thelema
The Abbey of Thelema is a small house which was used as a temple and spiritual centre, founded by Aleister Crowley and Leah Hirsig in Cefalù (Sicily, Italy) in 1920. The villa still stands today, but in poor condition. Filmmaker Kenneth Anger, himself a devotee of Crowley, later uncovered and filmed some of its murals in his film ''Thelema Abbey'' (1955), now considered a lost film. Name The name was borrowed from François Rabelais's satire ''Gargantua and Pantagruel'', where an ''Abbaye de Thélème'' is described as a sort of "anti-monastery" where the lives of the inhabitants were "spent not in laws, statutes, or rules, but according to their own free will and pleasure." Prior to arriving at the name, Crowley referred to the house as Villa Santa Barbara. The name "Thelema" is derived from the Greek θέλημα (« thélêma »), which refers to 'divine will'. Objectives The Abbey was to be Crowley's commune, while also being a type of magical school, giving it the design ...
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Cefalù
Cefalù (; ), classically known as (), is a city and comune in the Italian Metropolitan City of Palermo, located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily about east of the provincial capital and west of Messina. The town, with its population of just under 14,000, is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Despite its size, every year it attracts millions of tourists from all parts of Sicily, and also from all over Italy and Europe. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Names The city's Sicilian name is . It was named by the Greeks who called it () or (). These were latinised as and . Under Arab rule, it was known as . Under Carthaginian rule, it was known as "Cape Melqart" (, ), after the Tyrian god. History Of Siculian foundation, in the fourth century BC the Greeks gave the indigenous settlement the name of ''Kephaloídion'', evidently derived from its situation on a lofty and precipitous rock, forming a bold hea ...
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Great Work (Thelema)
Within Thelema, the Great Work is the spiritual endeavor aimed at realizing one's True Will and achieving a profound mystical union with Nuit, the Thelemic personification of the infinite and boundless expanse of the universe. This path, crafted by Aleister Crowley, draws inspiration from Hermetic alchemy and the Hermetic Qabalah. The cornerstone of Thelema is the ''Book of the Law'', received by Crowley in 1904 through a communication with the entity Aiwass. This text became the central scripture, heralding a new Aeon for humanity and outlining the principles of Thelema. The core purpose of Thelema is twofold: to discover one's unique True Will, or life's purpose, and to attain mystical union with the universal consciousness. Crowley described the Great Work as the unification of opposing forces, be it the individual with the universal or the ego with the non-ego. The techniques to achieve these goals are collectively termed "Magick", encompassing Western ceremonial magic, med ...
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Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, fourth-most populous city in the European Union and the List of cities proper by population density, 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2022. Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of the world's major centres of finance, diplomacy, commerce, culture, Fashion capital, fashion, and gastronomy. Because of its leading role in the French art, arts and Science and technology in France, sciences and its early adoption of extensive street lighting, Paris became known as the City of Light in the 19th century. The City of Paris is the centre of the Île-de-France region, or Paris Region, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 inhabitants in January 2023, or ...
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London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Roman Empire, Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the centuries-long host of Government of the United Kingdom, the national government and Parliament of the United Kingdom, parliament. London grew rapidly 19th-century London, in the 19th century, becoming the world's List of largest cities throughout history, largest city at the time. Since the 19th cen ...
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Pranayama
Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with '' prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the ''prana-shakti'', or life energies. Pranayama is described in Hindu texts such as the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and the ''Yoga Sutras of Patanjali''. Later, in Hatha yoga texts, it meant the complete suspension of breathing. The pranayama practices in modern yoga as exercise differ from those of the Hatha yoga tradition, often using the breath in synchrony with movements. Etymology ''Prāṇāyāma'' (Devanagari: ') is a Sanskrit compound. It is defined variously by different authors. Macdonell gives the etymology as prana ('), breath, + ''āyāma'' and defines it as the suspension of breath. Monier-Williams defines the compound ' as "of the three 'breath-exercises' performed during (''See'' ', ', '". Monier-Williams, p706, left column./ref> This technical defi ...
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Dhāraṇā
''Dhāraṇā'' () is the sixth limb of eight elucidated by Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga in his ''Yoga Sutras of Patanjali''. It is directing and maintaining the mind's attention to a specific location of the body after sense-withdrawal has been attained. Etymology ''Dhāraṇā'' is translated as "firmness, steadfastness, certainty," as "the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining, retaining, keeping back (in remembrance), a good memory," and also as "collection or concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath)."Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Monier-Williams, (c) 1899 This term is related to the verbal Sanskrit roots ''dha'' and ''ana'', to hold, carry, maintain, resolve. Dharana is the noun. Yoga Sutras Yoga Sutras verse III.1 states ''deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraņā'', meaning: * ''deśa'': "place" "location," "spot" * ''bandhaś'' (''bandhah''): "bound, fixed" * ''cittasya'': "of the mind," "whose mind," "senses" * ''d ...
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Jane Wolfe Cefalù
Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name including list of persons and characters with the name * Jane (surname), related to the given name including list of persons and characters with the name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama film starring Lee Min-ji * ''Jane'' (2017 film), an American documentary film about Jane Goodall * ''Jane'' (2022 film), an American psychological thriller directed by Sabrina Jaglom * Jane (British TV series), an 1980s British television series *Jane (American TV series), an educational adventure television series Music * ''Jane'' (album), an album by Jane McDonald * Jane (American band) * Jane (German band) * Jane, unaccompanied and original singer of "It's a Fine Day" in 1983 Songs * "Jane" (Barenaked Ladies song), 1994 * "Jane", a song by Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album ''The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner ...
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Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until Fall of the Fascist regime in Italy, his overthrow in 1943. He was also of Italian fascism from the establishment of the Italian Fasces of Combat in 1919, until Death of Benito Mussolini, his summary execution in 1945. He founded and led the National Fascist Party (PNF). As a dictator and founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired the List of fascist movements, international spread of fascism during the interwar period. Mussolini was originally a socialist politician and journalist at the Avanti! (newspaper), ''Avanti!'' newspaper. In 1912, he became a member of the National Directorate of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), but was expelled for advocating military intervention in World War I. In 1914, Mussolini founded a newspaper, ''Il P ...
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Lawrence Sutin
Lawrence Sutin (born 1951) is the author of two memoirs, two biographies, a novel and a work of history. History of works Sutin's debut book was ''Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick''. He subsequently edited two volumes of writings by Dick, ''In Pursuit of Valis: Selections from the Exegesis'' and ''The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick: Selected Literary and Philosophical Writings''. Sutin then served as editor, interviewer and author for ''Jack and Rochelle: A Holocaust Story of Love and Resistance'', about his parents' experiences in Jewish partisan units in wartime Poland. Sutin's second biography was ''Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...''. Sutin has also published ''A Postcard Memoir'', a set of inter ...
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Typhoid Fever
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several days. This is commonly accompanied by weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, and mild vomiting. Some people develop a skin rash with rose colored spots. In severe cases, people may experience confusion. Without treatment, symptoms may last weeks or months. Diarrhea may be severe, but is uncommon. Other people may carry it without being affected, but are still contagious. Typhoid fever is a type of enteric fever, along with paratyphoid fever. ''Salmonella enterica'' Typhi is believed to infect and replicate only within humans. Typhoid is caused by the bacterium ''Salmonella enterica'' subsp. ''enterica'' serovar Typhi growing in the intestines, Peyer's patches, mesen ...
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Betty May
Betty May (born Bessie Golding 25 August 1894 – 5 May 1980) was a British singer, dancer, and model, who worked primarily in London's West End of London, West End. She was a member of the London Bohemianism, Bohemian set of the inter-war years, claimed to have joined a criminal gang in Paris, was associated with occultist Aleister Crowley,Tiger-Woman: Betty May and the Abbey of Thelema
Caroline Potter, ''A Sketch of the Past'', 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
and sat for Augustus John and Jacob Epstein. She became known as the "Tiger Woman".Betty May.
Boundary Gallery, 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
She adopted the name ...
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Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest university in the English-speaking world; it has buildings in every style of Architecture of England, English architecture since late History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon. Oxford's industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing, science, and information technologies. Founded in the 8th century, it was granted city status in 1542. The city is located at the confluence of the rivers Thames (locally known as the Isis) and River Cherwell, Cherwell. It had a population of in . It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. History The history of Oxford in England dates back to its original settlement in the History of Anglo-Saxon England, Saxon period. The name � ...
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