The impact of religion on history and culture is impossible to deny.
From the ancient Ayurvedic epics to the Mormonism influence on United States expansionism, religion has long played a role in human life.
That extends to common phrases as well, such as to turn the other cheek.
Today, we’ll look at a phrase that has its origin in two different religions.
What is the meaning of the phrase “do what thou wilt”?
The phrase “do what thou wilt” is often translated as “do what you want.” This phrase is important in the religions of Thelema and Wicca, but it’s important to realize it’s not a suggestion to act selfishly. Practitioners of both religions need to keep in mind the result of their actions on others.
The grammar behind “do what thou wilt”
The questions most people have about this phrase are “What exactly is wilting?” and “What the heck is ‘thou’?”
The answer to both of these has to do with how English has changed over time.
The language we call “English” is made up of bits and pieces of Old French and an old Germanic language called Saxon, along with words and pronunciations from elsewhere.
While some words, like fox, have remained unchanged for thousands of years, most have gone through many forms.
In the case of “do what thou wilt,” “thou” is an old-fashioned word meaning “you.” The word “wilt” is the past tense of “will.”
A modern translation of “do what thou wilt,” then, would be “do what you will.”
In other words, “do whatever you want.”
This seems like a call to act selfishly and ignore the needs of others, but when we examine the origins of the phrase, we’ll learn that nothing is further from the truth.
The use of “do what thou wilt” in Thelema
The first use of “do what thou wilt” is from Thelema, an occult religion created by Aleister Crowley in 1904.
This phrase is one of Thelema’s central rules.
We’re not in the habit of exploring religious precepts here at Linguaholic, but in this case we need to make a quick tour through Thelema’s most important text.
In the Book of the Law, Crowley writes that “Do what thou wilt shall be the extent of the Law.”
But what does that actually mean?
Core to understanding this is the definition of “Will” in Thelema.
To Crowley, “will” doesn’t just mean “desire” or “what you want.” Thelema is all about the spiritual improvement of all humanity, one person at a time.
That means you should interpret this phrase as a calling to find your true purpose in life and pursue it without getting distracted.
In Thelema, then, “do what thou wilt” means something like “Figure out your true spiritual purpose and then try your best to achieve it.”
The use of “do what thou wilt” in Wicca
The second religion where “do what thou wilt” carries some significance is Wicca, a neo-pagan religion that formed in England in the 1940s and 1950s.
To be honest, attributing this to Wicca is a bit of a stretch. However, since it’s often confused for an important Wiccan tenet, we’ll discuss it briefly.
In Wicca, the phrase “an it harm none, do what ye will” is referred to as the Wiccan Rede, and is a central part of Wiccans’ beliefs.
Just like the Thelemic phrase, you’ll notice some archaic language here: the words ‘an’ and ‘ye.’ Simply stated, the word ‘an’ means ‘if’ and the word ‘ye,’ just like ‘thou,’ is an old-fashioned way of saying ‘you.’
In other words, the Wiccan phrase means “So long as it doesn’t harm anybody, you may do as you please.”
Far from being selfish, it’s a reminder about the value of other people.
How to use “do what thou wilt” in a sentence
It’s worth noting that “do what thou wilt” carries a religious meaning to anyone who practices Thelema.
Additionally, misusing it might frustrate some Wiccans if they think you’re making fun of them.
And of course, most people will just have no idea what you’re talking about.
With those quick notes out of the way, the most common usage of “do what thou wilt” is to tell someone that their best course of action is to act as they desire.
As we’ve just seen, this is not actually an accurate interpretation of the phrase’s original meaning.
However, as anyone who’s thought about the difference between slacks, pants and trousers knows, language changes over time.
Outside of the specific contexts of a Wiccan or Thelemic discussion, most people will interpret this phrase to mean “do what you like.”
On the other hand, if you want to make your Wiccan friends happy, your best bet is to remind people of the first part of “an it harm none, do as ye will.”
The best way to act is never to be selfish and disregard others. Instead, the most fulfilling lifestyle is one that that is considerate of others and your own desires.
Example Sentences including “do what thou wilt”
Alice: “Eh, do what thou wilt.”
Here, Alice uses the phrase to suggest she doesn’t really care what dinner is.
Therapist: “One thing I’ve heard that might help is ‘as long as it harms nobody else, do what you will’.”
In this example, the therapist draws from Wiccan spirituality to try and help their patient find peace with themselves.
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.