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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Heinrich Tränker
[EXTRACT]
[circa June 1925]
Let it be quite clear that I do not intend to live in obscurity. The answer to the question "By what authority dost thou these things?" The first cardinal virtue of the student of our art is intellectual honesty. At present there is no single outwardly working organization which can claim an authentic tradition which will stand the test of initial scholarship. [ . . . ] Those who chose me for the Cairo Working March and April 1904 gave absolute proof of their right to command me and indeed of their right to direct the whole course of humanity, but in this matter I understand that they were in some sense identical with those Chiefs referred to in the previous questions [about the Golden Dawn's claims to come from German neo-Rosicrucian orders through "Fraulein Anna Sprengel," allegedly of Nuremburg and prior to that from the "Unknown Superiors" of the Asiatic Brethren and the Fraternity of Christian Rosenkreuz] and that therefore they had chosen me to replace Mathers [MacGregor Mathers] who had forfeited their confidence. That they had in fact by approaching me reforged the link with the masters broken at the death of Fraulein Sprengel.
It is to be understood clearly that I have no need of any historical proofs for myself. For one thing I do not much believe in history in any case and for another the proofs which I possess of the authority of the A∴A∴ and in a lesser degree of that tradition which the O.T.O. claim are entirely convincing. The point at issue is far different.
Especially in India and China do we see the beginnings of the breakdown in the last twenty years. In view of the greatly increased facility of communications it is impossible to find a satisfactory magical formula of merely local application as could be done and was done in the past. Any such attempt would be checkmated by criticism from outside, for example: Mohamed could not have ruled over his followers if he had to face the analysis of the Buddhists. It should then be clear to you that this formula of "Do what thou wilt" is the only one possible. It gives an absolutely binding moral sanction to each man individually, where he can always judge his conduct by an appeal to his true Will and he can also be guided by expert advice. Further, the justice of punishment can be rationally reestablished. It will be possible to construct a judicial system independent of all local variations in custom—a strictly mathematical law.
The progress of physics in the last century has shown us so many previously unknown and subtle forms of energy and even orders of energy that the mind of the world is opened to new dimensions on this plane, but there has [been no] new particle of evidence for the existence of any ultra-human intelligences with the single exception of The Book of the Law.
It's the Will first to establish the Law of Thelema to this end: I wish to obtain control of all existing movements. This is possible despite the natural jealousies and other inhibitions because there is no single person elsewhere in the world posing as a leader who is really pure of himself. They are all afraid of being found out, hence, incidentally, the universal fear of me as able and willing to expose falsehood wherever I find it.
This fear must be overcome by use of the Oedipus Complex of these unheroic persons. As soon as they see that it will be really much easier for them to knuckle under, which they will readily do as soon as convinced that the authority is genuine, it will be easy to collect the sheep into my fold and employ their united strength to accomplish the Great Work.
You see I chose always to look at things in a very brutal way for thus I am less likely to be deceived. The position is that the world is full of many robber chiefs. I must show them that it is to their advantage to unite themselves under a strong head who will preserve to each one his privileges, protect him against his neighbors and enable him to sleep in security. Those who do not agree but prefer to remain isolated must feel themselves in danger of being attacked and exterminated by a combination.
He who refuses to accept this Law so far as he understands what he is doing by that act is a slave who as the book says—shall serve. Such a one has no right beyond those of the lower animals because he has not dared to will.
Now then in these lodges we have to our hand a weapon of great power. You say that you have already something like 1000 members but if they were a million they would be no use if they are a mob. They must be prepared to accept discipline as in the army and I must know the exact capacity of each one.
The difficulty which I have always found most serious in training students who appeal to me for assistance is their lack of selfishness. They talk constantly of attainment but they do not really wish to get anywhere. Their interest in occult science is in fact a flight from reality; of such material nothing can be made, save hewers of wood and drawers of water. It is not only the Law of Thelema but ordinary common sense to assign each individual to his proper place in the system.
It is of the greatest importance that the rule of the Order with regard to the keeping secret the identity of the Frater Superior should be maintained severely. The necessity of employing a British interpreter [for the conference] demands that he be sworn specially to maintain silence on this point.
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