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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Karl Germer
10th May. 1930.
Dear Karl,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Your letter of May 8th is quite delightful raving. Your conception of a Post-War profiteer is a little highly coloured. I will recall your attention to the fact that I not only told you that I would not want to take the cheque before my return to England, in case my balance was too low, as fortunately it was not, but I even handed you with the cheque a letter explaining exactly why I had dated it as I did.
It is entirely customary in England to do this. The fault was the Bank's for not noticing the date. You say that "Had I noticed that the cheque had been pre-dated (by which you mean post-dated), you would not have paid it in." Well that simply means that you did not read the letter which I handed you, and it is stupid to blame me for your mistakes.
Now, about your letter of May 7th; it is just as well if Krummheler [Arnold Krum-Heller] comes later. Yorke [Gerald Yorke] will be in Town again on 26th May, and it would be a good plan for you to arrive on that day. Is it understood that we pay all his expenses?
I cannot understand your response about the Law of Thelema. What we are doing is to try to get the Law accepted as a universal moral basis for action, and the more people proclaim, and the more people put it into their rituals the better we are pleased.
I have no patience with these snarling people who say you did not say that clever thing, I said that clever thing. What is important is that the clever thing should have been said.
I do not attach any value to the position which I happen to hold with respect to the proclamation of this certain Law. It is simply a nuisance. But I have not got this personal point of view, and you know the essence of High Initiation is to get rid of it. It simply spoils all good work, and I hope that you can get Krummheller to see so.
It is no use his clinging to his life-work, because as far as it is a life-work it will die with him. What does not die is the essential principle in a work which filters through the generation constantly modified, and renewed, until it forms part of the sub-conscious of the race.
The trouble with these critics is that they cannot penetrate the depth of the mind. They cannot reach the simplicity which is in me, because of the ornaments.
I had a very long talk with Yorke last night, or rather this morning, and even he took about two hours to reach an understanding on a point which to me was so absolutely clear that I could not realise that it was not already in his mind. But then it would have been if he had read the documents bearing on the subject of our discussion. I naturally presumed he would have done so before he came to talk the business over with me, but it is always the same story.
A person like Birven [Henri Birven] is totally incapable of recognising your superiority, and so treats you as an inferior. It is his only protection. We can't afford to worry about such matters. We go on with the work which is the only thing which counts, and whatever results does not matter.
Birven incidentally seems to be the most complete idiot.
Some person, apparently named Franke, describing himself as a Secretary writes to me the most absurd nonsense, about wanting to publish the correspondence. If he is big enough fool for that he is big enough fool for anything, and we do not want to bother with him. He can't do any harm as he has already compromised completely, and he would only destroy himself.
You might well join on of N.H.'s Lodges.
The arrangement for the Aquila is still unsettled. Their lawyer has not submitted the draft Contract yet, and they are naturally very angry with him about it. Until the arrangements are completed I cannot go into the question of the account, but I will see to it immediately it becomes possible.
Love is the love, love under will.
Best love
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