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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Norman Mudd
Nefta
Nov. 6/23 e.v.
Care Frater,
93
Yours of Oct. 31
Your excitement. It is well that you took a walk to get rid of your excitement but I was at least right in diagnosing had existed, and perhaps you are not quite fit to judge whether that excitement is fully abated or not. However, I have given my warning and I hope that will be sufficient.
I do expect common sense to be used in interpreting my remarks. For instance, I want something "at the earliest possible moment". Time might be saved by hiring an aeroplane for delivering the goods. Why not do so? Because it violates the sense of proportion.
It is true of course that you, not knowing the relative importance of things from my point of view, cannot use that common sense having no data. I am therefore to blame for using superlatives like "earliest possible" and will be more careful in future. You may however use this criterion: If I wanted anything done which would involve your abandoning your routine work I should explain specifically to what extent I wanted the structure of your pans modified.
Re sympathetic stranger.
I am balked by the panic fear of
me which seizes sympathetic and intelligent people. Compare Estai's [Jane Wolfe]
outburst against me as not to be satisfied while a
[illegible] of Jane Wolfe remains in existence. Strangers
have an intuition (I believe) that I shall demand all they
have and all they are however carefully I point out that the
G[reat] W[ork]
as a primrose path. Alostrael [Leah Hirsig]
will describe a case in point. How am I to corral strangers?
Once I have my
What breaks my heart is not the opposition but the apathy and fear of sympathizers. It seems as if they agreed with everything I propose but lived in absolute terror lest any one should do anything to realize my plans. Here again I want your counsel.
I invariably expect complete frankness in criticism etc. I want you to go ahead with your explanations. I don't think you have quite understood my attitude to all such matters. I am incapable of resentment or of yielding unduly to the influence of any remarks. People are always being surprised by my enthusiastic acquiescence in what they say, only to discover later that it was water on a duck's back. My appreciation is due to the joy in understanding the point of view presented to me. Not till afterwards do I apply it to my general principle of action.
I have laid done a programme of OTO Magical Word. You should read Liber C and the other MSS. relating to the subject and communicate their essence to A.I. [Eddie Saayman] so that you can do your part. I have assigned to him the task of securing victory in the English Campaign; to you that of working out a plan of campaign and obtaining means to execute it with especial reference to securing the publication of my various writings. (But [by] publication I do not mean necessarily through the usual channels. I should be content with a private printing. My anxiety is
α To secure the survival of my works through the catastrophe.
and also
My personal convenience in having Mss. out of the way and available as documents for reference.)
In order to simplify your work I will give you the instructions in a concise and sufficient form. Book C. etc. are only necessary as commentary on the main secrets.
It may help you to know that Alostrael is charged with the Work of assisting you and A.I. in your tasks.
Should like your views on IX° and XI° operations.
Paper A is admirable. Send a copy to Fuller [J.F.C. Fuller].
Please get into touch with Oscar Levy if possible. You might quote AL or generally call his attention to the new prophet.
I mailed you to-day (Nov. 8) my Sunset Meditation of yesterday. I also wrote another excerpt from my diary.
6.35 P.M. Wednesday Nov. 7. I noticed the other day an interesting example of the extravagant extent reached by journalistic exaggerations. In fact I cannot find a word adequate to describe the state of mind and linguistic impotence of the modern "booster". He wanted to describe a new air-ship somewhat larger than usual and proceeded to give particulars of what he called its super-dimensions. Comment is quite impossible.
7. p.m. O.P.V.'s [Norman Mudd] insistence on the dichotomy of 93. This answers Seabrook's [William Seabrook] criticism completely.
Raphael's Ephemeris before end of year.
93 93/93
The Beast
666
per 156 [Leah Hirsig]
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I can do anything with any man. Their resistance crumbles in
everlasting smash: but they escape too often before I can
fasten my claws . Perhaps the best was is for you to catch
them and deliver them all done up nicely with string and
sealing wax. Let me know your views.