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Correspondence from MacGregor Mathers to Annie Horniman
8 January 1896.
(Private except to the Ch[ief] Adept in Charge [William Wynn Westcott].)
Cara et V.H. Soror "Fortiter et Recte",
I am glad to receive your written disclamation of having formulated any intentional charges against either the Rosicrucian Wisdom or myself, though I am bound to say that after repeated re-readings o f your letters of the 26th and 30th ultimo. it was difficult for me to see how otherwise to interpret them. However, having now your official disclamation before me, I accept it was the correct interpretation of your meaning. I do this with the greater pleasure, considering how much I have been pained by their (to me) only possible apparent rendering, conformably to the written sense. A chief reason with me in spending much time over an important letter is that I may be assured of its conveying the meaning I intend. Unimportant letters can be written with ease, but hurry and want of reflection in those of weight and moment I have always found bring vexation in their train.
But there is one especial point in your letter of disclamation, of the 6th instant, which I now at once notice and combat, because it is the key of the error in your working; and is unchecked encouragement will lead you into serious mistake and trouble in all more advanced [occult] working. In the world without it would be liable to bring you into frequent clash and dissension with others. But in out Order it will be far more serious in effect, and will be certain to bring serious trouble upon you, if you do not comprehend its meaning. I do not say this to wound and hurt you, believe me; I have repeated this before and tried to make you understand this error to which I allude; and you have done so much good and unselfish work hitherto, and have so tried to improve, that it is worth some trouble on my part to help you to sure yourself. Believe me, it is no pleasure for me to reprove your faults. It would be far easier and pleasanter to dwell on your many and prominent good qualities.
The phrases in your letter to which I take exception are: "I could not accept it as for me, and my present companions, the propriety, etc." . . . "the desirability formed in my present state of contemplating such alliances being made by my friends, etc., etc." (The underlining is mine.) You have every right to your own opinion regarding yourself but what your companions do is a matter for their consideration and consciences. And now I will show you how this is an error in occult working, and why. When you entered the Order, you took the motto of "Fortiter et Recte", that is, you left the "Miss Horniman" personality outside the Order. Do not forget that the words "person", "personality" are derived from the Latin word "Persona" which means "a mask". Now if, in the Order, you will dwell on the outer personalities of the others with whom you are associated; to such an extant that you are actually hindered in working spiritually by their neighbourhood, as you insinuate you would be, it is a sure proof that you have brought far too much of your own personality into the working of "Fortiter et Recte". Why, even if you were surrounded by the Qlippoth you ought by this time to be able to protect yourself and continue your operation.
Assuredly, if in an operation of the Light you allow your personality as "Miss Horniman" to act as a factor, you will awake immediately the Forces of your Evil Persona. Thus, were it the invocation of Adonai, or Spiritual Development, you would have a horrible influx of the exact opposite of the pure, into your sphere; disgusting and obscene thoughts, etc., in other words, you would awake the Development of the Evil Persona, through the Human. If, on the contrary, you are not "Miss Horniman" but an initiate striving after Light, the Evil Persona cannot arise.
If when you are doing a Magical Working, you trace a symbol too much in Assiah, and lay too much value on the mere mechanical correctness of the same, without considering its spiritual effect, you will at once awake the Forces of Doubt, etc., in the Evil Persona, i.e., Tagaririm. And if, in teaching, you instruct your pupils too much to learn like school-children instead of student initiates, you will be paving the way for them to commit the same error.
A [Magical] Formula properly applied will awaken a Force; but it depends upon the Operator's understanding thereof on what plane it is aroused; and thus it is possible to awake an Evil Force through a Divine Formula. And now I must ask you, whatever matters of sex arise in the Order, and you are asked for instruction thereon; to refer them to G.H. Frater N.O.M. [William Wynn Westcott]; and not judge them yourself, until you can do so apart from your outer personality.
I do not want to rake up the matter of your previous letters, but I may say: re: Amore—she was recommended Elemental marriage, because of in her case the extreme danger of invoking an incubus instead of a Fay, through want of self control.
Re: 3°=8° Soul Lecture. I intruded the parenthesis in my letter concerning abuse of conjurative force against an invoked Elemental to answer this.
And now, as I close this letter of probably unpalatable advice to you, so do I close it in all friendship and sincerity; hoping that this time at least you will be able to comprehend my meaning; and that in it I am neither charging you with error in the whole of your working, nor denying the great part of your occult power which has been well and worthily used, nor intentionally using my authority as a Chief to wound your feelings and lower your self-respect.
And so, with all honour and affection, Vale V.H. Soror, sub umbra alarum tuarum, יהוה.
Deo Duce Comite Ferro 7°=4°
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