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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Yorke
12 Dec 28
I have found a studio which I think in all respects ideal. It is situated in the Rue Pergolèse between the Avenue de la Grande Armèe and the Avenue de Bois, in quite the best part of Paris. Besides a small kitchen and a bathroom, there is only one vast studio, but it is high enough (in case we want to go tiger shooting on elephants with lofty howdahs) with ample room for a full sized Circle. The furniture is really old stuff and very artistic. Absolutely genuine and just the place where one can receive royalty. There are one or two drawbacks of convenience. For instance the telephone has to be installed. But it is in a very quiet blind alley, fifty yards or more from the road. The rent is 3000 francs a month in winter and 1500 in summer. I think by taking a yearly tenancy we might average it out at 2000. The place is quite bug enough to store any amount of books and furniture. It is extremely comfortable and there is a dais, occupied by a bed it is true, but which could be arranged by means of screens to form a throne in case of our wanting to put on ceremonials of the Rites-of-Eleusis or semi-Masonic type. In other words, it appears quite heaven-sent. It has even the advantage of having a large establishment of young girls next door, who can with appropriate rites, be transformed into modern representations of the Convulsionaries of St Médard, which I think would be quite evidential.
It is also an ideal place for doing ordinary work. Such as producing masterpieces of art and literature. I think taking this studio will realize considerable economy, and (what is far more important) enable us to establish a Rashith ha-Gilgalin—a center of whirling force from which to direct the planet—a soil and atmosphere and sun, through whose activities the Lotus that blooms only once in a thousand years may bloom.
Please let me have your paternal benediction on this scheme, and I will try to put it through within the next week. By the terms of my lease I have to give 15 days notice before leaving here, as far as I can make out. If so I should get into the new place on or about January 4th. I might perhaps arrange to take it from the 1st, so as to have everything ready there before actually moving in. In that case we might be ready to invoke the most terrific demons on the date of your next visit. . . .
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