Correspondence from Charles Stansfeld Jones to Aleister Crowley

 

     

 

 

January 30th 1923.

 

 

P.O. Box 141, Chicago. Ill

 

 

My Beloved Father,

 

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!

 

Your letters of January 8th and 9th have just reached me. I am very glad that you wrote the long frank letter, before the receipt of Q.B.L.. I wish to thank you for your confidence and your whole-hearted endeavour to clear up any apparent differences of opinion which may have arisen.

     

I shall answer your letter, taking up the points as they occur.

     

I sent the first copy of Q.B.L. to 114 Highbury Hill.

     

Without laboring the point I might suggest that if from the Crown itself we are told the three delusions spring, we should also remember that they are delusions and seek the Truth. At the same time I never suggested any change in the arrangement of the Sephiroth and therefore of the Grades. It may be quite possible to attain to the Grades despite obstacles illusory and delusionary, but if—perchance—we have been taking into account the wrong types of Influence between the Grades, that may have made the process more difficult. It is just a question of which sets of ideas we deal with first and the order in which we combine these in our minds. Do I make myself plain? Aleph—Air—joining Yesod and Malkuth is not such a bad idea when the importance of Pranayama at the early stage is taken into consideration. etc. In fact we have adopted just that course in practice.

     

"Crystal Vision through Crystal Gazing" should be off the press in two weeks. I will send you a copy by all means.

     

"The Chalice of Ecstasy" or Parzival book has been accepted for publication early in March. You will receive your copy of this also.

     

I will try to obtain a copy of the Diary of a Drug Fiend as I want to read it. Had one been forwarded to me from the publishers in the first instance, I could have made no wrong estimate of the value of the work. All I got was a copy of one of the English papers, sent without consent by someone over there. I had had so many sickeners over the Det[roit] affair, and they had just started to revive it over some more foolishness of R's, that I did feel a bit blue, not because I do not realize the depth of the Work, but because the false impressions seem to spread so much more easily than the real ones we are struggling so hard to exemplify, despite all obstacles, over here.

     

I very much appreciate your sending me the correspondence between C.F.R. [C. F. Russell] and yourself. I, in turn, enclose extracts from letters of same period, showing the advice I gave him, which seems in no way to conflict with yours. I will refer to that matter again later on.

     

I am glad to hear of the success of your methods on other Aspirants. You say "people are brought to the brink of the Abyss one way and another" In one case we know of I think the Chinese Maxim (author unknown) might have been borne in mind: "It is too late to pull the rein when the horse has gained the brink of the precipice; the time for stopping the leak is past when the vessel is in the midst of the river."

     

I really do not want to make distinctions. The Great Work is One. Of course the three years have brought many changes to both of us, it would indeed be a pleasure to have a real talk, but after all, the Spirit of the Work is within us, and we cannot make very great mistakes for long. I have found, time and time again, that the Sorrows are but shadows, and so are the little misunderstandings. But we may learn much from these apparent errors, at least I always seem to get a benefit from them in the long run.

     

I can well imagine how busy you are. Now that I have had a little experience with writing, printers etc. I can really appreciate your Work much better. That is one of the things I have learnt anyway. Another is what you call the absurd paradox of being most moral, despite the terrible license the Law is said to give. I find that to follow the Course of the True Will is very like the straight and narrow way—not at all what it is made out to be by those who have never tried to understand the matter.

     

I do not think, if you were here, you would be under the impression we were trying to use subterfuge. I have never backed down on things in any way that I know of. I find that people need to be fed rather gradually if they are to be kept together, on the other hand those who misunderstand through jumping at conclusions too hastily, generally see their mistakes in time.

     

I do not know whether I am a big enough man to move the world. I have tried to be big enough to start again at my beginnings, whenever it seemed necessary for the furtherance of the Work. I am not dazzled by grades, I seek to make myself fit to accomplish my task—whatever that is—and to fill in any missing links—if such there be—overlooked when I "looped the loop". Then considered as M.T. [Magister Templi] one was at considerable disadvantage for Nemo who has his work to do underground, is in a poor position if openly proclaimed Master of the Temple as in the case of Live 165. As Frater Achad my grade is Neophyte and my sphere of influence is Malkuth. I have enough to do to solve the material problems at present, but I shall leave no stone unturned, no path untried, if my work seems to indicate that a comprehension of any particular set of ideas is advisable or necessary.

     

Psychomagia, Inc. is not a fizzle. It is an educational society, a New Aeon Organisation for the Cultivation of The Good, the Beautiful and the True and the extension of Light, Life, Love and Liberty.

     

Psychomagia, was my original word and formula for this purpose. The Psychomagian Society, as I see clearly now, served a very definite purpose for the short period during which the term "Psychomagian" was used. C.F.R. invoked Choronzon and proclaimed a 333 formula. I refused to cooperate. When I had to take him on and deal with him I was led to introduce into this country and to him, another formula of 333 for Psychomagian adds to that number. The result was that immediately these two were combined in his unconscious being—forming 666—he tries to back to you. We change our formula to the original one and Incorporate as Psychomagia. and the other current fizzles out being burnt up by the Solar forces. Psychomagia is still paying the expense of spreading the New Law to a number of people here, though I give my services without payment, and in fact subscribe my fee with the others.

     

Ruby [Rubina Stansfeld Jones] is sending you a photograph of Dede [Deirdre Stansfeld Jones] and a little story entitled "The Icicles of Isis" written by the same young lady.

     

The quotation is from Gorn Old's translation of the T.T.K. Chapter V.

     

Strangely enough there should be just 100 blank cards left at the printers, and I will gladly send them to you.

     

Yours of Jan 9th.

     

I am sadly aware of the mis-prints in Q.B.L.. I can hardly tell you of the terrible time we had to get the book even to its present imperfect state. The Hebrew was the great source of difficulty since all the slugs had to be out and reversed, and even then, they fell out and after once right, got wrong again. In any case, it was a first attempt, and I have learned much from the experience. The large letters have not been used in my other two books. In the case referred to I used a typewriter on which all letters were very small and I did not realize how they would look in print, till after it was too late.

     

I do think people have tried to make mischief between us, in more ways than one. But never mind, things will straighten out alright, it would be difficult to imagine the occult bond between us as broken. The reason I asked you for the names of any 7-4 people, was that I received a clever cipher letter purporting to be from such, congratulating me on my break with you. I wished to discover the source, if possible, and put the matter right, since I was not aware that such a break had occurred or was likely to occur.

     

I shall wait for your full criticism on Q.B.L.. I am glad you got the point about the notes. The matter was intended as a sort of suggestive enquiry. I do not know what you mean about my proposed alteration of the Sephiroth. I never suggested that as far as I am aware.

     

I do think the fact that the paths may be so arranged that the Astrological Planets and Signs fit in perfectly, is of importance and indicates the probable arrangement of the original Plan. It is much more likely than the arrangement we have been using.

     

I wish Russell had had the decency to ask me about any points that were not clear to him, instead of expressing his entire satisfaction and at the same time thinking me crazy. Anyway, I think I have been led to do the right thing as far as he is concerned, despite his evident lack of trust. He needs the severest discipline, and I fancy he is going to get it in quite an unexpected manner.

     

The copies of letters enclosed will show fairly clearly whether he had any right to act as he did.

     

With all good wishes, from all, to all.

 

Love is the law, love under will.

 

As ever,

 

 

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