The impact of religion on history and culture is impossible to deny.<\/p>\n
From the ancient Ayurvedic epics to the Mormonism influence on United States expansionism, religion has long played a role in human life.<\/p>\n
That extends to common phrases as well, such as to turn the other cheek<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Today, we’ll look at a phrase that has its origin in two different religions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The questions most people have about this phrase are “What exactly is wilting?” and “What the heck is ‘thou’?”<\/p>\n The answer to both of these has to do with how English has changed over time.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While some words, like fox, have remained unchanged for thousands of years<\/a>,<\/strong> most have gone through many forms.<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n A modern translation of “do what thou wilt,” then, would be “do what you will.”<\/p>\n In other words, “do whatever you want.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first use of “do what thou wilt” is from Thelema, an occult religion created by Aleister Crowley in 1904.<\/p>\n This phrase is one of Thelema’s central rules.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In the Book of the Law<\/em>, Crowley writes that “Do what thou wilt shall be the extent of the Law.”<\/p>\n But what does that actually mean?<\/p>\n Core to understanding this is the definition of “Will” in Thelema<\/strong>. <\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n That means you should interpret this phrase as a calling to find your true purpose in life and pursue it without getting distracted.<\/p>\n In Thelema, then, “do what thou wilt” means something like “Figure out your true spiritual purpose and then try your best to achieve it.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\nWhat is the meaning of the phrase “do what thou wilt”?<\/h2>\n
The grammar behind “do what thou wilt”<\/h2>\n
The use of “do what thou wilt” in Thelema<\/h2>\n
The use of “do what thou wilt” in Wicca<\/h2>\n