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Correspondence from George MacNie Cowie to Aleister Crowley
14 Glenisla Gardens, Edinburgh.
16 March 14.
Care Frater.
It evidently takes a long time for a letter to reach Tunis and as the 31st is quite in sight here goes. My last one was not overlong but let us hope the gorgeous spectacle of yourself in red and blue helped to cheer you up. We've had our share of filthy weather too, this is the first real spring day and if Maréchal Soleil does not turn traitor I'm going to have a walk tomorrow afternoon, I am, first time of an afternoon off this year. Things are going smoothly pro tem. Lately I've used what leisure I have in the evenings (I have read a lot of novels, in between, for illustration instructions) to go in bald-headed (no allusion to Perdurabo) for Astrology. I have now got far enough on to cast a figure and by dint of reference books make out its surface meaning. The thing gets very absorbing and as it has considerably extended my field of knowledge we may consider it a step, perhaps, in the Great Work, or towards it. I've been wicked enough to drop Ritual altogether for weeks and months. Partly lessened time, partly 'dryness' is the cause.
Med[itation] goes on, as ever, and I have obviously made advances, but still can't make much out of normally only one hour out of the 24 and he mind always ready to turn to the events of the daily round. On Sundays the mind seems to indulge itself in automatic breaks down precisely at the end of each hour out of pure habit or sheer devilry.
I haven't worked out my own horoscope yet, I need to cast several figures for different hours to see which comes nearest my nature and the events of life. I realise how typically Gemini a person I am—always wanting to do two things at once or go on to one before I have finished the other, and I think that must be in my ascendant too. I notice I have the Sun, Venus and Mercury in conjunction with Gemini. It's possibly the Gemini nature that is a bar to perfect concentration—e.g. I will get the mind smooth and grey and simultaneously catch myself thinking how cleverly I'm doing it and so on.
This year I thought, you know, of making a try at the Operation, but in present circumstances that can't be thought of. I must just go on hoping that a day will come when I can shake off all the thought of worldly cares and business and go for the thing bald-headed, again———no, no, no wound to your tenderest feelings desired.
By the way you've never told me what Inscrutable Mystery is implied by that shaven poll unless its a Symbol that you've thrown your Wig on the Green. Dash my wig, Why?
Ravenons a nous horoscopes: I expect this should help me towards the understanding more quickly of your new system of Geomancy and if you send me the copy I will be very glad to duplicate it for Windram [James Windram] and myself and return you the original when you come back to London. By the way, if you were staying in Tunis till end of April, it's not impossible that I could—might—come across thee. It would be a chance to get a glimpse of the East. Impracticable no doubt, I don't yet know what I will do in the summer. Next year—bring a kilt and go to Boleskine and affect the Highland Landed Proprietor? MacPhiat o'Pawkshoose.
I'm giving my cousin till the end of March to produce the shekels—if not word of 'em soon, I must write as I've no clear notion yet of how the thing is going to pan out. Glad the E[nglish] R[eview] induced idleness. That is what happens sometimes with this minor individual too. I think it is doing a good work—paving the way for the New Law isn't it—How is Windram getting along? This letter is mainly drivel about myself, never mind, I fancy any sort of letter is welcome in exile, and it's meant to cheer you up, not to improve your valuable mind.
I wonder if you noticed this little story in the papers the other day. Lady took her little girl to a meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Little girl sat patiently thro' the proceedings for an hour or so, then in a very bored voice said 'Mamma, when is the cruelty going to begin?'
I'm sorry you're not getting better luck with health. But rest and a warm climate is something worth while and haven't you invented a new Science?
Here's half a sheet left to fill up and I am now feeling singularly uninspired so it will be less cruelty to leave off and let the rest be silence. Yea what says Liber 00?
Fiat Pax!
Yours fraternally.
F[iat] P[ax]
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