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Correspondence from Charles Stansfeld Jones to Aleister Crowley
P.O. Box 141 Chicago. Ill.
January 10th 1922 E.V.
Beloved,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!
Your letter of December 15th is just to hand. The mail service is poor to say the least of it.
You will have by now received the 2000 lire I sent you on December 31st, that is to say unless the telegraphic communication is as bad as the mail service. I trust this will have brought a little relief, things are very quiet again now and I cannot see anything else maturing for the present.
There has not been much to report of any kind, my work here occupies practically all my time, I should appreciate a chance to talk things over with you now and again, but when it comes to writing there isn't much to say.
I should like to try to make things clear to you as far as possible. This Law of Thelema, the fulfillment of one's purpose by Way of the Tao, the identification of Will and Necessity, as you must be aware, makes it difficult to estimate the possibilities of the life of any other being. At best one may give suggestions, but whether or no they are accepted, depends largely on whether they appeal to the other being as an essential part of his particular work, or whether they are forced upon him by circumstances beyond his power of control. Personally, when such a suggestion comes to me, I feel intuitively whether or not it is possible of adoption and in line with my general plan of campaign, whether it may possibly enter into it at a later date, or whether it has no apparent place in the scheme of things as far as I an concerned at present.
I find there are certain things that are obviously necessary to be done, which if left undone, will clog the Wheel and cause endless trouble, in fact I find more and more that the true life is made up of just such things, in other words that the Taoists were right in saying that the Follower of the Tao never does anything great because he always attends to it when it is small, or words to that effect.
I sometimes think that you make suggestions that, although obviously in line with your Will, do not necessarily enter into my conscious Will or Necessity at all. Such suggestions consequently fall off like water from a duck's back, however good they may be in themselves, and not being of me I very often leave them to go on their way without comment. At the present time I can see to outlet here—through me—for your paintings, I am not in that current. I can do nothing with Hansen. I feel no call to the Tribune. Book Four Part III [Magick in Theory and Practice] interests me insofar as Mudd [Norman Mudd] promised means of publication, though I am not going to chase after him if he does not fulfill his promises. We have no means of publication at present and if you find anyone else who fells it his duty and will to attend to the matter there would not be the slightest complaint on my part. I do not feel interested in the publication of Liber Legis at this time and do not think I should, if the funds were on hand right now. The production of Rituals of various kinds has been part of my programme, but at the moment is not entirely feasible.
I look upon my work at the present time as a distinct, independent movement, though very much in line and in sympathy with many of the ideas I have received through my connection with your Work, upon which however I place my own interpretation and use my own discretion in the transmissions of the teachings.
As far as the A∴A∴ is concerned, I expect, from time to time to find among the material I am dealing with, those who may be suitable for that Work.
As far as the literature of the A∴A∴ is concerned my work is incidentally a means of creating a market for it and wherever possible I sell some of it, although, to be frank I should much prefer to be able to purchase a small supply from time to time from an agent of yours at a reasonable price, rather pose as handling the matter and have the continual worry and expense on my shoulders. I have difficulty in collecting for what is sold, and difficulty in paying you in lumps, when I often receive in dribbles.
Re the A∴A∴ Work. We arrived at a point some months ago, when it became apparent that some of our views were slightly different. The effect of this was to cut me off the current as far as I am concerned for the time being, insofar that I have no further comments to make on Liber Legis for the present, although at that time I might have been prepared to express my opinions further according to the Light vouchsafed as from the Source from which Liber 31 was derived. In any case it does not matter, it is for you to Speak, not me and there is little doubt that you will receive all that is necessary for your comment before the possibility of its publication is granted.
Re the O.T.O. The movement no longer interests me, I think it has fulfilled its purpose as far as my part in it is concerned. I do not know that there is any object in my resigning from it just now, but I take no active interest in it as such, as I think, should such an institution become necessary, it would be better to start clean under some other form.
Re. Mrs Ford. She is still in N.[ew] Y.[ork] as far as I know. I have not seen her for some months. She gave me an address in N.Y. East, instead of West, which caused one letter to be returned to me, but she has moved again I think. Your surmise re R.S.J. [Rubina Stansfeld Jones] is wrong, they have never met. Anyway why pin your faith on an almost complete stranger to me and a complete one to you, and send her your views on matters which never reach me through that source?
I am very much amused at your remarks in regard to my inability to establish right-relations between Mystic experience and everyday life. You may be right, but you will probably admit that I've come nearer to it than most of the bunch, since I'm paying my way so far, and have hopes of paying the balance of what is owing to you as soon as possible, in spite of the fact that I really considered it as 'organization expense'.
Anyway;
Love is the law, love under will,
Yours as ever,
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