Wili

The term "Wili" is not tied to a specific ancient language in the way many esoteric terms are. It appears to be a conceptual term used by Blavatsky, possibly derived from or resonating with the Latin "voluntas" (will), or the Proto-Germanic "*wiljô" (will, desire). Its usage here signifies an abstract, foundational principle.

See "We." Will. In metaphysics and occult philosophy, "Will is that which governs the manifested universes in eternity. Will is the one and sole principle of abstract eternal ^Iotion, or its ensouling essence. "The will," says Van Helmont, "is the first of all powers. . . . The will is the pi'operty of all sjiiritual beings and displays itself in them the more actively tlic move llie>aiv freed from matter." And Paracelsus? teaches that "determined will is the beginningof all magical operations. It is because men do not perfectly imagine and believe the result, that the (occult) arts are so uncertain, while they might be perfectly certain." Like all the rest, the Will is septninry in its degrees of manifestation. Emanating from the one, eternal, abstract and purely quiescent Will (Atma in Layam), it becomes Buddhi in its Alaya state, descends lower as Mahat (Manas), and runs down the ladder of degrees until tlie divine Eros becomes, in its lower, animal manifestation, erotic desire. Will as an eternal principle is neither spirit nor substance but everlasting ideation. As well expressed by Schopenhauer in his Parcrgn, "in sober reality there is neither matter nor spirit. The tendency to gravitation in a stone is as unexplainable as thought in the human brain. ... If matter can — no one knows why — fall to the ground, then it can also — no one knows why — think. ... As soon even in mechanics, as we trespass beyond tlie purely mathematical, as soon as we reach the inscrutable adhesion, gravitation, and so on, we are faced by phenomena which are to our senses as m.ysterious as the will." Wisdom. The "very essence of wisdom is contained in the NonBeing", say the Kabbalists ; but they also apply the term to the Word or Logos, tlie Demiurge, by which the universe was called into existence. "The one Wisdom is in the Sound", say the Occiiltists; the Logos again being meant by Sound, which is the substratum of Akasa. Savs the Zohar, the "Book of Splendour": "It is the Principl

Blavatsky's articulation of "Wili" as a metaphysical principle offers a profound counterpoint to modern deterministic views or purely mechanistic understandings of the cosmos. It posits a universe not as a clockwork mechanism, but as a dynamic, volitional entity, animated by an inherent drive. This is not the will of a anthropomorphic deity, but a more abstract, pervasive force, akin to what Mircea Eliade described as the will of the sacred that imbues the world with meaning and power.

The idea that "will is the one and sole principle of abstract eternal motion" suggests a universe in constant, purposeful flux, driven by an internal impetus. This resonates with the Taoist concept of the Tao, the ineffable source and principle of all things, which flows naturally and effortlessly, guiding the universe without explicit command. Van Helmont's assertion that "the will is the first of all powers" and Paracelsus's emphasis on "determined will" as the "beginning of all magical operations" point towards the practical implications of this principle. It suggests that the efficacy of any endeavor, particularly those seeking to influence or understand deeper realities, is rooted in the clarity and conviction of one's own inner volition, a focused intention that aligns with the cosmic Wili.

This concept challenges the passive observer. It implies that consciousness, particularly when freed from the limitations of gross matter and egoic desires, becomes a more potent conduit for this universal will. The descent described, from abstract divine will to "erotic desire," maps a spectrum of manifestation where the same fundamental principle operates at different densities and levels of awareness. It suggests that even our most primal urges are echoes of this original, creative force, albeit filtered through the complexities of embodied existence. Understanding Wili, therefore, becomes an invitation to recognize the animating spirit within oneself and the universe, and to cultivate a conscious participation in its ongoing creation.

RELATED_TERMS: Shakti, Logos, Tao, Divine Will, Prana, Creative Force, Karma, Sankalpa