A prevalent belief in Thelemic thought is that of Æonic Progression. On the simplest level, this is the belief that the Human Race has moved through various phases of socio-politico-spiritual development. These phases are termed Æons and the core Thelemic Æons are known by the names of Isis (Hunter-Gatherers), Osiris (Cities) and Horus (now). From the Typhonian tradition we hear of a fourth Æon that is occurring named Ma'at. Two other organizations of some prominence that claim to proceed from Thelema are Anton LaVey's Church of Satan and Michael Aquino's Temple of Set. LaVey claimed to have succeeded the Æon of Horus with his Æon of Satan. After Aquino split from the Church of Satan, he claimed that his group inaugurated the Æon of Set, which superseded the Æon of Satan.
It is the Temples belief that we are still in the Æon of Horus, as this Æon has not completed the perceived goals of the Æon of Horus. An analysis of the other Æons will show that rather than being new Æons, they are merely different ways of expressing and perceiving the Æon of Horus - much like how Rose, Rosa and Ourda all represent the same type of flower. Further it is the Temple belief that the Æons last for a period of approximately 2000 years and that the astrological sign within which it coincides influences the method of manifestation. We are pretty sure that there are only three types of Æons that are in a looping cycle, the Mother, the Father and the Child1. We are currently in the Æon of the Child as manifested through the astrological sign of Aquarius. This energy was presented under the symbolism of Western Hermeticism, Eastern Metaphysics and Egyptian Symbolism. Descriptions of the proclaimed Æons, including those felt to be merely different names for the current Æon, are given below.
Aeon of Isis
The Æon of Isis is what one is talking about when one mentions the Matriarchy, the period of the Hunter-Gatherers. Women were the center of the social unit and lineage was traced through the mother. God tended to be seen as immanent and other.
Aeon of Osiris
This Æon paralleled the rise of Christianity and its subsequent corruption. Society was organized into hierarchic structures and lineage was usually traced through the father. God tended to be seen as transcendent and other.
Aeon of Horus
This is the current Æon. Society is disintegrating under the weight of the previous Æon's specialized hierarchy. The individual is being recognized as the core block of society and individuals tend to form free associations for mutual aid and benefit. God has been slain and resurrected on an as needed basis -- the self is realized as God.
Aeon of Maat
This Æon is based upon the revelations of Nema, from the Typhonian Tradition of Kenneth Grant. This Æon is purported to run concurrently with the Æon of Horus as a Lunar-Kteis balance to the Solar-Phallic nature (or perceived Solar-Phallic nature) of the Æon of Horus. It is said to be reaching back to this Æon from the future. Please refer to Nema's Maat Magick for more details.
Aeon of Satan
This Æon was inaugurated by Anton LeVey on Walpurgisnacht 1966, with his founding of the Church of Satan. This Æon purports to supercede the Æon of Horus, though an examination of the principles of LaVey's Æon and the Æon of Horus shows that the Æon of Satan is merely a sensationalized popularization of the Æon of Horus. For more information, the reader is referred to Anton LeVey's works, primarily The Satanic Bible.
Aeon of Set
This Æon was inaugurated by Michael Aquino when he split from the Church of Satan and founded his own Temple of Set. While less sensationalistic this Æon suffers many of the same criticisms as does the Æon of Satan. Essentially, this Æon has restored some of the integrity it had lost in the popularization given Anton LeVey's Church of Satan, yet it still retains a few of the more sensationalistic aspects. More information can be read in The Crystal Tablets of Set, primarily The Book of Coming Forth by Night (Commented), The Diabolicon, and Black Magick in Theory and Practice.
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