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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Jane Wolfe
50 rue Vavin Paris VIe
14 March 1922
My beloved Soror Estai [Jane Wolfe]
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I hope you are putting through urgent enquiries about the Himalayan book, which has not arrived.
I have also been waiting with impatience to hear what the Secretary of State had to say about Nathan's insulting conduct. If you have not had an answer, put in a short follow-up letter; and also take up the matter with Nathan's superiors in Rome. Don't imagine that the matter is negligible: it is a small but essential part of a gigantic plan of campaign, and failure to obtain redress would be very serious. In fact, there must be a public apology, and the reprimand or removal of Nathan before I can consider the question of carrying on the Work in Cefalù at all.
You will (with your customary astuteness) observe from the tone of this letter that I am feeling better, and the reason for that is that something has happened, which is going to put the Work on an entirely new footing. In fact, the Abbey [Abbey of Thelema] in Feb-March 1921 E.V. when Alostrael [Leah Hirsig] ran it, will be the model. The story is brief: last night I spent over 5 hours talking to young Booth-Clibborn [Arthur Booth-Clibborn], grandson of the "General"; and he told me a few simple home] truths which cleared up my mind about the way to manage a movement. In future, it will be run like the British Navy. As I am personally a hopeless ass, I am going to get out and keep out, merely transmitting to my representatives the orders which I receive from Ra-Hoor-Khuit as to the broad principles of action. But I shant interfere with the machine, which will be run with ruthless and indomitable energy. I have done much to train you to become a tough officer; and you have got to make good by showing active qualities of inventiveness, initiative, and executive power. And you will please finally forget once and for all about your progress and even our mission. It is not your mission; the mission uses you, caring nothing about you; and it will wear you out if you're good, and throw you out if you're bad.
Now I have left you in full charge in Sicily, and it is up to you to clear the Abbey both as to public esteem and public credit, and if you fail in either respect the Work will have weighed you in the balances and found you wanting. Expect no help from headquarters, spiritually or otherwise; I have put in your hands the keys of all power; you can go to the Gods for anything you want and get it; but you must feel yourself the Boss and act accordingly. Your Freudian phantasm of your "romantic destiny must be banished. Send Leah a copy of the Rabbi Blau [Joel Blau] Letter, with instructions to put it over in England: esp[ecially] to get it to Rt. Hon. Edward Montagu ex-Secy of State for India.
My Thelema which is Agape upon you all.
Yours ever,
The Beast 666.
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