Please note: This recording ended abruptly due to technical problems and we will look to append additional notes in due course.

There is arguably no topic more central and fundamental to Thelema than the concept of Will. The word θέλημα (thelēma) itself, of course, derives from the verb θέλω (thelō), meaning ‘to will,’ ‘to wish,’ or ‘to desire.’ Nevertheless, central and fundamental as it may be, successfully doing “what thou wilt” is rarely straightforward. Indeed, it is often complex, arduous and even contentious (even by the standards of the famously 'congenial' broader Thelemic occultural community).

This presentation will examine the idea of Will in Thelema, both in theory and practice, and its relationship with other prominent philosophies, religions, and ideologies—with a particular focus on the personal reflections and insights gathered from the speaker's multifaceted perspective as a longtime scholar of (oc)cultural studies and an experienced practitioner of magic(k).

Cavan McLaughlin is a Senior Lecturer in Media Production at the University of the West of England (UWE), with research interests related to the role and function of occulture. Editor of the volume Trans- States: The Art of Crossing Over (2019), Cavan has also published on Crowley, esotericism and narrativity, open-source occultism, and contemporary occulture. Currently undertaking a PhD entitled ‘Occultural Production as Re-visionary Mythmaking’, they remain a practicing filmmaker, artist, and all-around creative media practitioner. As a media professional of over twenty years, Cavan has been involved in almost all aspects of audiovisual production, specialising in video art, music videos, and visual poetry. Cavan is the founder and Chair of Trans- States (trans-states.org); co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Monad: Journal of Transformative Practice (monadjournal.com); a trustee of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (www.rensep.org); and, Vice-Chair of the South-West Association for the Study of Esotericism (SWASE). Cavan has a profound affection for cows, fungi, and rainbows.