In the esoteric philosophy of

Thelema Thelema () is a Western esotericism, Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and a new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial ma ...

, founded by

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 ...

in the early 20th century, an Aeon is a astrological age defined by distinct spiritual and cultural characteristics, each accompanied by its own forms of magical and religious expression. Thelemites believe that the

Great Year The term Great Year has multiple meanings. In scientific astronomy, it refers to the time required for the equinoxes to complete one full cycle around the ecliptic, a period of approximately 25,800 years. According to Ptolemy, his teacher Hipparc ...

of human history is divided into a series of these Aeons, each governed by a particular deity or archetype that embodies the spiritual formula of the era. The first of these was the Aeon of

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

, associated with

prehistory Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...

, a time when humanity revered a

Great Goddess Great Goddess is the concept of an almighty goddess or mother goddess, or a matriarchal religion. Apart from various specific figures called this from various cultures, the Great Goddess hypothesis, is a postulated fertility goddess supposed ...

, symbolised by the ancient Egyptian deity Isis. This was followed by the Aeon of

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

, spanning the classical and

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

s, during which the worship of a singular male god, represented by Osiris, dominated, reflecting

patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...

values. The current Aeon, known as the Aeon of Horus, is believed to have begun in 1904 with the reception of ''

The Book of the Law ''Liber AL vel Legis'' (), commonly known as ''The Book of the Law'', is the central sacred text of Thelema. The book is often referred to simply as ''Liber AL'', ''Liber Legis'' or just ''AL'', though technically the latter two refer only to ...

'' (''Liber AL vel Legis''), which Crowley maintained was dictated to him by a praeterhuman intelligence named Aiwass. The Aeon of Horus, frequently referred to as simply the Aeon and symbolised by the child god

Horus Horus (), also known as Heru, Har, Her, or Hor () in Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as the god of kingship, healing, protection, the sun, and t ...

, is seen as a time of greater consciousness, individual sovereignty, and spiritual awakening. Thelemites believe that this Aeon represents a departure from the constraints and dogmas of the previous Aeon, particularly the influence of the

Abrahamic religions The term Abrahamic religions is used to group together monotheistic religions revering the Biblical figure Abraham, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The religions share doctrinal, historical, and geographic overlap that contrasts them wit ...

, and heralds an era of self-actualisation and the realisation of human potential. Within Thelema, each Aeon is characterised by its own specific

magical formula In ceremonial magic, a magical formula or a word of power is a word that is believed to have specific supernatural effects. They are words whose meaning illustrates principles and degrees of understanding that are often difficult to relay ...

, which is fundamental to the practice and understanding of Thelemic Magick. The transition between these Aeons is understood not merely as a change in religious or cultural practices, but as a profound shift in the underlying spiritual

paradigm In science and philosophy, a paradigm ( ) is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field. The word ''paradigm'' is Ancient ...

that governs human existence.

Aeons

Aeon of Isis

The first Aeon, of Isis, was maternal. The female aspect of the Godhead was revered due to a mostly

matriarchal society Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of Power (social and political), power and Social privilege, privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. Whil ...

and the idea that " Mother Earth" nourished, clothed and housed man closed in the womb of Matrix. It was characterised by pagan worship of the

Mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

and

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

. In ''

The Equinox of the Gods ''The Equinox of the Gods'' is a book first published in 1936 detailing the events and circumstances leading up to Aleister Crowley's 1904 transcription of ''The Book of the Law'', the central text of Thelema. Included in ''The Equinox of the Go ...

'', Crowley describes this period as "simple, quiet, easy, and pleasant; the material ignores the spiritual." Lon Milo DuQuette wrote that this aeon was "the Age of the Great Goddess", tracing its origin to prehistory and identifying its zenith around "approximately 2400 B.C." In doing so, he was drawing upon the hypotheses of early 20th-century archaeologists such as Sir Arthur Evans, whose work at Knossos suggested a prehistoric, matriarchal, goddess-centered religion. Continuing in this vein, DuQuette described the period as one in which the hypothetical cult of the

—a unifying figure behind many goddesses across diverse cultures—would have been truly universal and worshipped under myriad names and forms across the ancient world. However, DuQuette cautions against assuming that the magical formula of this aeon manifested solely through the worship of any specific anthropomorphic female deity. He explains: "Like every aeon, the magical formula of the Aeon of Isis was founded upon mankind's interpretation of the 'perceived facts' of nature, and our Isian-age progenitors perceived nature as a continuous process of spontaneous growth."

Aeon of Osiris

According to Crowley, the classical and

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Aeon of Osiris succeeded the Aeon of Isis and marked a shift from matriarchal, nature-based spirituality to a patriarchal religious structure centered on

moral dualism Dualism or dualistic cosmology is the moral or belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other. It is an umbrella term that covers a diversity of views from various religions, including both traditional religions and scri ...

self-sacrifice Self-sacrifice is the giving up of something that a person wants for themselves, so that others can be helped or protected, or so that other external values can be advanced or protected. Generally, an act of self-sacrifice conforms to the rule tha ...

, and submission to the Father God. Crowley identified

as the archetype of the slain god, whose death and

resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

formed the theological foundation for many religions of the period, including

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. During this aeon, spiritual truth was seen as external and transcendent, mediated by priesthoods and scriptures. The individual was perceived as a fallen being, requiring redemption through obedience, suffering, or sacrificial rites. He characterized this period as emphasizing the solar father figure, contrasted with the lunar mother of the Aeon of Isis, and anticipated its end with the birth of a new aeon focused on the divine child, Horus. The occultist Kenneth Grant later elaborated on Crowley's framework, interpreting the Aeon of Osiris as an era of spiritual concealment in which esoteric knowledge was systematized, ritualized, and obscured beneath layers of dogma. He emphasized that the dismemberment of Osiris symbolized a fragmentation of primordial wisdom, and regarded the aeon as dominated by reflective, lunar consciousness rather than direct initiatory experience. In his view, the transition to the Aeon of Horus marks a return to more immediate, transformative modes of spiritual engagement.

Aeon of Horus

The Aeon of Horus, identified by Crowley as beginning in 1904 with the reception of ''

'', marks the current era in Thelemic philosophy. This aeon emphasizes

self-realization Self-realization is a term used in Western philosophy, psychology, and spirituality; and in Indian religions. In the Western understanding, it is the "fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one's character or personality" (see also ...

individualism Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote realizing one's goals and desires, valuing independence and self-reliance, and a ...

, and the pursuit of one's True Will, symbolized by the child god Horus representing new beginnings and potential growth. Crowley described it as a time of the Crowned and Conquering Child, focusing on spiritual awakening and personal freedom. He also stated, "every man and every woman is a star", highlighting the unique and divine nature of each individual. Key figures such as Israel Regardie and Kenneth Grant highlight the transformative nature of this aeon, encouraging individuals to embrace their True Will and move beyond previous constraints. Regardie saw it as a shift towards new spiritual and psychological paradigms, while Grant emphasized the break from the restrictions of prior aeons. DuQuette elaborates on the Aeon of Horus as a period of growing individual consciousness and the realization of one's spiritual potential, contrasting it with the Age of Aquarius, which he sees as a smaller aspect of a greater spiritual age. Gunther interprets the Aeon as a time of significant spiritual evolution, driven by the awakening of individual consciousness and the unfolding of the True Will. The Thelemic calendar uses a unique dating system incorporating Tarot trumps and astrological positions, aligning significant events with corresponding Tarot cards and the positions of the Sun and Moon, reflecting the Thelemic emphasis on synchronizing personal and cosmic cycles. Crowley detailed the practice of recording magical work in his writings on the magical record, emphasizing the importance of documenting spiritual progress.

Aeon of Ma'at

Aleister Crowley believed that the Aeon of

Ma'at Maat or Maʽat (Egyptian: ''mꜣꜥt'' /ˈmuʀʕat/, Coptic: ⲙⲉⲓ) comprised the ancient Egyptian concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. Maat was also the goddess who personified these concepts, and regula ...

will succeed the present one. However, Crowley suggested that the succession of the aeons is not bound to the

axial precession In astronomy, axial precession is a gravity-induced, slow, and continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical body's rotational axis. In the absence of precession, the astronomical body's orbit would show axial parallelism. In parti ...

of the equinoxes in his 'Old Comment' to Liber AL chapter III, verse 34, where he states, "Following him oruswill arise the Equinox of Ma, the Goddess of Justice, it may be a hundred or ten thousand years from now; for the Computation of Time is not here as There."Crowley as quoted in . According to one of Crowley's early students,

Charles Stansfeld Jones Charles Robert Stansfeld Jones ( ; 1886–1950), aka Frater Achad, was a Canadian occultist and ceremonial magician. An early aspirant to the A∴A∴ (the 20th to be admitted as a Probationer, in December 1909) who "claimed" the grade of ...

(a.k.a. Frater Achad), the Aeon of Ma'at has already arrived or overlaps the present Aeon of Horus. Crowley wrote:

References

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Works cited

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