Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” is the spoken formula at the center of a staged Black Mass in Coven’s live show. Recited by lead singer Jinx Dawson as part of the benediction, it is attributed in the account to Aleister Crowley and immediately precedes a theatrical salute to Satan and the inversion of a cross onstage.

Wording and Attribution

The phrase is presented as a declaration within the performance, not merely as a song title or lyric. Jinx Dawson recites it during the Black Mass’s benediction, and the account identifies it as Crowley’s formulation. Its placement gives the words a ceremonial role: they mark the transition from the band’s musical set to the show’s concluding ritual sequence.

Place in the Performance

Coven’s show combined songs about witchcraft with a staged Black Mass. Behind the stage stood an altar bearing what the band called a Christian cross, on which a road crew member remained in the role of Jesus throughout the performance. Red lighting and candles framed the scene. The Black Mass also served as a segue between songs, so the phrase belonged to a larger, recurring theatrical device rather than an isolated spoken interlude.

At the close of the set, Jinx Dawson delivered the benediction and recited the phrase before hailing Satan at the cross and altar. The performer playing Jesus then pulled himself free, inverted the cross into a Satanic symbol, and danced offstage while the music continued. The words thus lead into a visible reversal staged before the audience.

Dramatic Function

The performance makes the phrase an action-bearing utterance: it is spoken at the point when the show turns from musical presentation to ritualized confrontation with Christian imagery. Its immediate theatrical consequence is not a change in belief established by the account, but a change in stage action—the hail to Satan, the inverted cross, and the performer’s exit. The contrast between a solemn benediction and an exuberant departure gives the declaration its force within Coven’s spectacle.