Right Aspiration (Pāli sammā saṅkappa; Sanskrit samyak saṃkalpa) is the second factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, often translated as “Right Intention” or “Right Resolve.” It denotes the mental orientation that precedes and informs action: the deliberate turning of the mind toward renunciation, goodwill, and harmlessness, away from sensuality, ill will, and cruelty.

Position on the Tree of Life

In the schema of Liber 777, Right Aspiration occupies Path 13, the path of Gimel (the Moon) that connects Kether to Tiphareth. This placement aligns aspiration with the lunar current of receptivity and the reflective intelligence that bridges the supernal crown and the heart of the microcosm. As a “right” virtue, it is one of seven such qualities assigned to the lower paths, each corresponding to a step in the Buddhist or occult discipline of the will.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Path 13 is governed by the Moon, whose fluid, formative nature suits the quality of aspiration: a constant, gentle pressure toward the ideal rather than a forceful assertion. In the 777 system, the Moon’s association with dreams, intuition, and the subconscious mirrors the aspirational impulse that shapes character from within.

Historical context

The term sammā saṅkappa appears in the earliest Buddhist suttas (e.g., the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) as the second spoke of the Eightfold Path. The Buddha defines it as the resolve for renunciation (nekkhamma-saṅkappa), for non-ill will (abyāpāda-saṅkappa), and for harmlessness (avihiṃsā-saṅkappa). In the Abhidhamma, it is classified as a mental factor (cetasika) that directs the mind toward wholesome objects. Later Mahāyāna texts, such as the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra, expand the concept to include the bodhisattva’s vow to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings.

In Western esoteric reception, Crowley’s Liber 777 adapts the Eightfold Path into a series of “Right” correspondences on the Tree of Life, placing Right Aspiration on Path 13. The choice reflects the Thelemic emphasis on will and intention: aspiration is the initial, conscious alignment of the will with one’s true purpose, preceding speech, conduct, and the higher stages of recollection and rapture.

In Liber 777

At step 13 (Path 13) of column LXXXII, Right Aspiration appears as the English rendering of the Buddhist virtue, set in a table that correlates it with the Moon, the Hebrew letter Gimel, and the Tarot trump The High Priestess. The entry serves as a mnemonic for the aspirant: the lunar path of reflection and intuition is the vehicle through which right intention is cultivated and sustained.