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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to J.F.C. Fuller
[23 May 1908]
My dear Fuller,
I have been reading Mark Twain's 'Christian Science'. Go thou and so likewise. It is the modern equivalent for 'Il Principe' of Machiavelli, and should enlighten the paths. I think the vulgar must have miracles, which are luckily cheap. And the chief thing seems to be to go on talking about it.
This really means that King Solomon's Temple is the next thing, as Jones [George Cecil Jones] justly said. [By the way, I hope you're sitting down to the siege of Allan [Allan Bennett] and picking his brains.] I shall try and give you the synopsis soon. I hope your promotion exam. is over by now, and that you will have some spare time. I want you to sit on my right hand while I make your enemies your footstool. This is now possible. I don't think we should shut our eyes to the fact that I am now a bachelor to all intents and purposes; and what's better one in the glorious and unassailable position of not being able to marry if I want to!
There's a stance!
Now I am working very hard at the rituals and other things necessary; and I want you to take full responsibility for the works which can only be done in England.
These are
1. The writing of the 'Scaffolding'
2. The seeing through of the proofs of the three booklets, and the stimulation of Jacobi if necessary by occasional fivers'. Jones has a little money in hand which will help.
3. You might see Cameron Swan, and get the [illegible] pylon or its engraving from him. Probably if you gave him £3.3.0 he would hand over. Explain that I was only the agent of a Society, and that my personal account there is another matter altogether. See Cameron Swan himself. He is a wonderfully good imitation of a gentleman.
I can't tell you (unfortunately) what is being done in my private affairs. Eckenstein [Oscar Eckenstein] knows, if anybody does. The date of any return depends entirely on this.
There is another matter I want your help in, if you have the time.
'Tis the proofs of 'Clouds without Water' and 'The World's Tragedy' which I have asked Renouard [Phillipe Renouard - Parisian printer] to send you.
The way it is with me is that though I have plenty of time to work, I have more to think; if that goes on, the work degenerates.
Yet again. I herewith send a fair copy of the better part of W's T [The World's Tragedy]. Please get a very perfect typed copy made of it, and send that copy to M. Ph. Renouard, 19 me des St. Peres, Paris VIe with a note to explain that it is the expected end of the W's T.
I don't know where I shall be going next week or two. Maybe nowhere. But I'm very peaceful, and I think the scirocco rather agrees with me [illegible].
Yours
Aleister Crowley
Synopsis for The Scaffolding
Drop poetry. Write it like Joseph McCabe's biography of Haeckel. [But of course avoid names. Use mythic initials.]
Cap I. Revolt. Motive power probably puberty. Shelley—emotional side of revolt etc.
Cap II. Initiation. Waite [Arthur Edward Waite]—Bakes [Julian L. Baker]—Jones [George Cecil Jones]—the G∴D∴ [Golden Dawn] 0º=0o (ask Jones for this; better than me)
Cap III. Astral visions from MSS.
Cap IV. Further initiations. 1º=10o to 4º=7o. Ceremonial magic—Allan Bennett. (Talk to Allan about this)
Cap V. Rosicrucianism (avoid the word like the plague, and imply it throughout) 5º=6o ritual.
Cap VI. Abramelin. Taking of Boleskine. Preliminaries from MS. The great renunciation of the Abramelin Operation to save the G∴D∴
Cap VII. The great split in G∴D∴ Exile. Mexico.
Cap VIII. Eckenstein. (Mexican MS.) Concentration.
Cap IX. Honolulu—Japan—Ceylon. Allan again. Hindu methods. Dhyana. The Sword of Song. Hatha yoga. (from MSS.)
Cap X. Buddhism. asceticism. Egypt. Boleskine. Work at Buddhist Meditations (from MS 1903) Include 1905 in this cap.
Cap XI. Egypt 1904. The great illumination. 'Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor-Khuit' Liber Legis.
Cap XII. 1906. China. Conquest of Reason. The 'fall' into Binah—reft of all attributes. (Diary explains clearly)
Cap XIII. 1907. Diary explains itself here too. End of Solve.
Cap XIV. The new books Liber Liberi etc. Beginning of Coagula.
Cap XV. The programme.
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