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Correspondence from Charles Stansfeld Jones to Aleister Crowley
Post Office Box 70. Vancouver. B.C.
November 29th 1917 E.V.
My Beloved Father,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I have not heard anything from you for some time, and as a matter of fact have little to report except a few more experiments with the Ouija Board. I received the letter re Mr. Clarke of Alaska, and answered same fully, giving him a copy of Liber O. together with some advice, and telling him he needed 777 at any rate.
My own researches so far indicate (1) That a ceremony of some sort does make a difference in regard to the nature of the manifesting force. (2) That some of the information received is at any rate appropriately correct. (3) It would appear that in foretelling an event, unexpected by either of the sitters the spirit gets the event all right—if the thing is already under way—but is liable to error in regard to time and dates, or possibly to accidents caused through the intervention of other human wills. (4) That it is difficult to get information one really wants, and to obtain the Spirit one calls for. (5) So far there has been very little contradiction as regards to certain statements not yet proven correct. On each occasion these seem to be further confirmed. (6) With practice it makes fewer mistakes in spelling etc. and travels definitely from one letter to another without any hesitation. (7) That it seems to start well sometimes, but does not always keep up to the standard.
I am rather doubtful as to whether it is worth while to spend much time on this sort of thing, there is little doubt that it uses up a good deal of vital force; on the other hand there is a sort of fascination about it and it is a means of practicing and helps to increase one with some of the correspondences in 777 etc. It is also a strange phenomenon, and at least an evidence of some cause.
I enclose a record of experiment of 15th November. This as you will see certainly seems to partake of a certain Mercurial nature and the information re the two letters was appropriately correct. On the other hand what about the Manifesto? Why could we not obtain the information required? What do you make of the curious statement re the trunk in England? etc.
Our next experiment was on Sunday Nov 18th. Mrs S. was present the woman mentioned in record of Nov 15th. We decided to find out what the result of a sitting without ceremony would be. I first tried with Mrs S. and got no movement of the board at all. Then Ruby [Rubina Stansfeld Jones] and Mrs S. Result. first something purporting to come from her father, saying one of her brothers had been struck in forehead on 22/10/17 and was blinded, another had been killed. This was followed by some sort of an elemental fight and a message to Mrs S. from some damned Indian who very nearly succeeded in entirely obsessing her. I got up and Banished thoroughly and she got better. This I take it is the usual type of spiritualistic phenomena. (I think a later letter from R's home definitely disproves the statement about her brothers. It would seem that these wandering entities like to worry one if possible for the fun of the thing???)
I forgot to mention another attempt on Friday 15th Nov. that was peculiar in some ways. On that occasion R. [Rubina Stansfeld Jones] and I were alone and had no means of recording. I invoked Raphael as before except that I used the Pentagram of Air only instead of Mecurial Hex. as if he were in Tiphereth. The Board began very deliberately. RAPHAEL 322. USE PENTAGRAM OF FIRE. Then something about a Brother of O.T.O. who had taken up a different position. We found it very difficult to keep taking hands off to record and it seemed to impact the influence. Anyway we invoked fire as directed. The result was (3) persistent references to Roses o Red Roses. Blood Red Roses. which we didn't understand at all. Then A∴A∴ code. Red index Book 152. I tried 777, but that didn't seem right, when it struck me that the Sepher Sephiroth was referred to. I looked up 152 and lo! BENJAMIN. Can it be Brother Dawson [Benjamin Dawson] I said to R. We sat again and whatever was there of our Brother's Astral—I don’t profess to know how much—began to communicate in just his old way, with all his little tricks of speech etc. He said "you never could see me when I came to you" Explained what was meant by the allusion to Roses etc. Gave us some messages for Clark [W.C. Clark] and Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith], and answered all questions etc quite intelligently. For instance I asked what he thought of the Ouija Board. He said all right for minor things, but astral journeys much better for anything important. What happened to him at the front? Blown to bits. Happier in a group-soul Judy. (One of his old jokes) etc. . . . What do you make of this result, How do you suppose he got hold of the correct number in Sepher Sephiroth? I certainly had no idea of it. He made some allusion to Degree work and finished with indicating III° knocks.
I noticed after that if Pent of Air represented Tiphereth and that of Fire Netzah, together they might give path of Death. Is there anything in that?
Our next attempt was on Wednesday Nov 21st at 7.30 P.M. R. and I were again alone. This time I used Banishing Ritual of Pentagram. Then Gemini Section from Treasure House. Then Liber Israfel down to "the speech in the Silence" Having invoked the God this time, I did not use any more specialized Invocation but awaited what might be vouchsafed. There was a real feeling of Holiness on this occasion that was one good thing. Unfortunately we could not keep a record. We were told to use the Invoking Hexagram of the Sun another time. There was a big force present and it filled us both. We asked name of Spirit and got Uriel, whose hour I afterwards ascertained it was (Uriel – Anael I take it) The whole tenor of the message was "GET READY" Cowie it seemed needed me in England, also my own people there would want me for business purposes. I should receive a cable from home on the last day of the year. R A letter from home would be received in two days. (Ruby received one on 24th. from home and quite unexpectedly, but as you will notice this is three days. English mail a little delayed)
Letter from you Ev 25th. I could not understand this as 25th was a Sunday. However this may have been a reminder to deliver your message to Lazenby [Charles Lazenby] as I found he would be here on that date. and did so in evening. (By the by he said I was to tell you he was a friend of Dick Warren and you would know about him)
Uriel having finished, said call Michael. I used Inv Hex of Mercury and did so. After a few moments we immediately began to get war news. Allies hold ground and continue to advance. This seems to be confirmed by papers. We get a lot of extra force around then and felt in excellent shape after, glowing all over.
Last night we made another attempt. Alone as before. Same Invocations plus Hex of Sun. Did not get such a good feeling. The start was peculiar. First of all it indicated a Star. Then the figure 2 several times. Asked what this number was intended to be. TWO. Does this refer to Gemini. BINAH. Two visions will follow this message. We stopped and began to look for same but I am afraid we were rather impatient. KEEP STILL. We did so and then asked where we were to expect these visions to appear. On your right hand Jones. We looked for a little while and both saw a sort of filmy shadow behind the net curtains. The doors and windows rattled, but we found after there was not a breath of wind outside. However we were evidently too impatient. We were told it took time, but as you will. Then we again asked who was manifesting again 2. I looked this up in Sepher Sephiroth and could only find A∴A∴ Has this got anything to do with A∴A∴? It that what the star refers to?
(R. of course did not understand this allusion) V.V.V.V.V. came the answer. I cannot remember the details of what followed something about Editor of International. Therion etc. Keep working. Keep Packing etc. The whole thing seemed to indicate, that you were trying an experiment in communication or something was trying to impersonate you. I gathered that the indications were that you were too pressed to write. Wanted speech with me. Take the first train. I asked how this was possible without the means and was told that this had been arranged. There was a letter already in P.[ost] O.[ffice]. Where? Between here and New York. When would it arrive? Cannot say for certain, perhaps next Tuesday. Mailed N.Y. Wednesday. Keep packing etc.
Dec 4. There was an unsatisfactory feeling about all this and we finished up rather abruptly. Whether there is any truth in it I cannot say. I must wait till I hear from you.
I have now reported at some length on this matter. Perhaps I have given too much time to it. I should like to hear from you though as to what you think of the whole thing, what percentage of truth one ought to expect from such means and whether it's worth while to spend any more time in experiments along this line.
Love is the law, love under will.
Thy son,
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