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Correspondence from Paul Foster Case to Dorothy Olsen
B.O.T.A. Foundation Room 606 - 367 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts
April 26th, 1929
My dear Dorothy Olsen:
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."
From all points of the compass I have been getting circulars about MAGICK [Magick in Theory and Practice]. Indeed they do interest me, as does everything that A.C. writes.
But I hear from New York that there is some difficulty in Paris. I hope the rumor is unfounded, for the prospectus certainly is most attractive, and I shall want the book.
I'm not sending you an order with this letter, because I'm in one of those temporary tight places which become familiar to those who have Mars in the second house. (Do you know astrology?) But one will be coming along soon, for I'm going to Toronto to enlighten the heathen! There's one of A.C.'s satellites there who is also very much interested in this undertaking, and I have prospects of a pretty good class.
Asta has been having a wonderful time recently in New York, where she did the title part (a luscious Venusian priestess of Ashtoreth!) in Robert Norwood's "Witch of Endor." They put it on for four nights at the million-dollar St. Bartholemew Community House.
Asta, by those four nights, overcame a doubt of herself which has been festering for many moons, gained much kudos, and considerable cash. And out of it she has made connections which promise to be most useful. She's a never-failing source of interest to me; but you can possibly imagine that the old Hermetic rule of working "suavely and with great ingenuity," particularly in occult matters, has to be borne in mind by this Swami! Verbum sap!
Well, anyway, it's a gay world. And there really seems to be a growing interest in Tarot and the Qabalah, which, as you know, are my specialties.
By the way, can you give me any dope on the present activities of Frater Achad [Charles Stansfeld Jones]? He suffers from an "originality complex," it seems to me, and some two or three years ago was mixed up with certain pseudo-occult fantastics that seemed to have switched him off.
When I was in New York recently, Malcolm Schloss seemed to be very glad to have the agency for A.C.'s books. I can't seem to do business with Malcolm, however. He's always on the verge of great things, but never seems quite to materialize them. That's a failing of occultists, though, isn't it?
Speaking of Asta, I must warn you that she has a childlike faith in people, and equally childlike prejudices about others. So I'm not telling her about this letter. You see, that Tertium business has impressed her rather unfavorably so far as you and A.C. are concerned, and I fear she'd think this "trafficking with the enemy."
You and I, being somewhat more realists, can understand her romanticism, and yet look facts in the face. Some of these days I expect that T. will be in a position to assist materially in carrying on publication work for us all. I hope that day is not far distant! But I've learned to be very patient. And I've also learned that the first duty of an occultist is to "keep it dark."
How I run on, and this the first letter I've written to you! But I feel sort of "behind the scenes" with you.
Do you ever see anything of Jacque's "Joey"? I wish he weren't mixed up more or less with the racketeers in Chi. You know I used to be a resident of the good old dirty burg, in the days long before Prohibition, when Tuckhorn's was on the present site of the Blackstone, and things were more as they ought to be. Jacque, I suppose you know, is eminently respectable, and keen about her husband's aviation venture. Asta had a flight in one of their planes Easter Sunday.
Do put me in touch with what is really going on. I'm temporarily sentenced to Boston, and if you could see my audience of nice old ladies, and yearning not-quite-so-olds, you'd agree that sometime I must have been a very sinful and joyful proprietor of a harem, to be reaping this particular Karma.
When, and if, you answer this letter, mark the envelope personal. Brother Claybourne, whose name is at the top of the first sheet, takes this Swami very seriously!
"Love is the law, Love under will."
Your Brother in L.V.X.,
Paul Foster Case.
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