93

(Revision as of 16:41, 15 Jan 2005)

As it is written in The Book of the Law, the Law of Thelema is stated as "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." It is further said, "Love is the law, love under will." The two primary terms in these statements are Will and Love, respectively. In the greek language, they are Thelema (Will) and Agape (Love).

Using the Hebrew technique of gematria—which applies a numerical value to letters—the letters of both of these words when added together equal 93:

Thelema=Θελημα=(Theta)9+(Epsilon)5+(Lambda)30+(Eta)8+(Mu)40+(Alpha)1=93

Agape=Αγαπη=(Alpha)1+(Gamma)3+(Alpha)1+(Pi)80+(Eta)8=93

The relevance of this technique is found in the art of correspondence. When two words have the same value, they are said to have a meaningful connection. In this case, it is considered significant that the two central concepts of Thelema—Will and Love—are of equal value, and therefore have a direct connection.

There are other words found in Thelemic literature that equal 93, such as Aiwaz and LAShTAL.

"93" as Salutation

It is common for Thelemites to greet each other with "93" in person as well as in the opening and closing of written correspondance. This custom derives from Aleister Crowley's guideline that Thelemites should greet each other with the Law. Since saying the entire Law can be cumbersome, using 93 has become a kind of shorthand.