Bast Temple and Thelema
The inclusion of Thelema in the Golden Dawn system varies among the various branches (Orders) of the tradition. Some Orders bar completely Thelemics from being members; other Orders are more Thelemic than Hermetic.
Bast Temple's official position is that the works of Aleister Crowley are useful determining what was being circulated in Golden Dawn and RR et AC before the Revolt of the Adepts (the events that resulted in the Order being split apart in 1901). There may also be merit in the Holy Books of Thelema. And many of the techniques developed and expounded by Crowley are worthy of study and practice by the Hermetic magician.
Unfortunately, many Thelemics (Thelemites) use the certain law of Thelema, "Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law," as an excuse to do whatever they please, including behavior that is currently criminal and/or questionable.
Because of this, Bast Temple while it occasionally uses something from the writings of Thelema, either from Crowley or another Thelemic magician, does not emphasize Thelema. Do not apply to Bast Temple believing that the lodge and its parent Order is Thelemic. It is not. Bast Temple is a Hermetic offshoot of the Golden Dawn tradition.
While members are allowed to be Thelemics, they are not allowed to be fanatics. This rule applies to all religious fanatics, be they Christian, Thelemic, Hindi, pagan, Wiccan, etc.
Book thumping and insisting that yours is the only religion that is proper to correctly gauge and rule one's life is a sure way to bar oneself from membership.
Thelemics, like the individuals of other religions, are judged individually when it comes to membership. If the current voting members of the lodge believe that you are an open-minded, serious student of the occult and magical arts with ethics and morals compatible with the group, your application will be given serious consideration. On the other hand, if you are involved in the occult for shock value, and no one wants to spend time in the same room with you, then your application will be rejected.
Full Disclosure: Bast Temple’s webmaster and Archive Officer, Morgan Drake Eckstein, was briefly a member of the Thelemic Golden Dawn. He was initiated into the Degree of Neophyte of that Order by David Cherubim in 1999. MDE has since became inactive in that Order and in other Thelemic circles---OTO, AA, etc., (mainly because of personality conflicts)---though he may still be considered a member of one of these groups. MDE still occasionally uses techniques and rituals learned in his time in TGD, as well as from the material written by Aleister Crowley and other Thelemites (in particular the Invocation of Horus, created by Crowley as modified by Cherubim). His use of this material is a personal choice and does represent an official opinion ot teaching of any group, including Bast Temple. Ye has been warned.