|
Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Charles Stansfeld Jones
Sidi Bou Said,
Mar. 1, 1925 e.v.
My beloved son,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
You have heard in somewhat disjointed manner of the Magical Operation which began Sept. 1923 e.v., was consummated a year later and is still continuing. The Manifesto of which I enclose 12 copies was given to me as a direct result of this success. It may be taken as marking my new manifestation.
You will notice that it is not without reference to the theory enunciated by Lazenby [Charles Lazenby] in Vancouver. The point is that all the nonsense about Black Magic and the rest should be regarded as a glamour prepared by the Gods in order to perfect the initiation of the chief representatives of R.[a] H.[oor] K.[huit] to inhibit premature action on their part and to supply a test of the intelligence of aspirants.
The strategical aspect of our position at present is that we have the three things necessary—a Sacred Book, historical authority, and leadership of genius. The many Occult bodies in existence possess none of these things except sometimes the last of them in a very diluted and defective form. They are constantly put to new shifts to keep up the bluff. In such bodies there is however as a rule a grain or two of sincerity with odd scraps of ill-assorted knowledge. It should not be our idea to destroy these movements except the hopelessly fraudulent ones. We should, on the other hand, bring them into one fold under one shepherd. We should encourage them in every possible way to strike out for themselves. By being able to appeal to us for support, they will become more prosperous and therefore more honest and hard-working. I cannot deal with such movements from this distance, and of course the position will be far stronger if the Manifesto comes from you. I am not sending it to any one who does not already understand the situation. You will see from my letter to Recnatus [Heinrich Tränker] my ideas as to the general attitude that should be adopted with regard to the New Aeon. We do not want the Law of Thelema to be the slogan of a few specially selected imbecile but to be accepted by the bust business men as the sole solution of modern social difficulties.
With regard to Recnatus and the Conference, it would not be bad to send out a number of invitations to leaders of various movements. We must carefully avoid stating the place; there must be a rendezvous in, say Paris, where they can present their claims for scrutiny and those who pass can be taken on to headquarters. People can be invited on the ground of their actual importance or eminence. In the case of those claiming to be Rosicrucians, they should be warned that they will be asked for definite proof of their right to use the name.
The difficulty about this is that it may be thought a hoax, but I don't think so if people known to be serious sign the invitations. I think people would come in any case—it would do them a lot of good with their own to be known to be absent at a Conference of this importance, even if it didn't exist!
These two matters: the Manifesto and the Conference, must be kept entirely apart. At the Conference I do not appear at all; if present. I am merely an unknown Mohammedan from distant parts, apparently a fifth wheel. As originally stated, the number 66 must not be confused with 700 on any account.
Part of the object of the Manifesto is to prepare people for a revision of their estimate of me and so to minimize the damage which might have been done in case the equation 666 = 700 were formulated later through some indiscretion. On this question of discretion I wish to impress upon you that I am advised by a man, "if I dare call him a man," of satanically subtle intelligence.
In other words, the Conference has nothing whatever to do with me; its object is to furnish those worthy with historical proofs of the right of Regnatus to issue instructions without reference to the Law of Thelema which is proclaimed after the adhesion of the leaders is irrevocable, because immediately it is proclaimed the cat will be out of the bag, and the point of the Manifesto is to give them a plausible explanation of their adhesion to a doctrine connected with so unpleasant a person.
Love is the law, love under will.
Thy sire,
ΤΟ ΜΕΓΑ ΘΗΡΙΟΝ 666.
|