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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Yorke
Berlin
24/8/31
Care Frater,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Before I start this I want to write a word about the Trust. You don't seem to have got any idea of the contents of the document. The trustees have it in their absolute discretion to pay none, or any part, or the whole, of the income to any one of the beneficiaries. I made my application to you and Frater D.D.S. [George Cecil Jones] to let me have the whole amount while things remain in their present exceedingly critical situation. I think that if you would read carefully again my letter to the Trustees, you will see that I covered all the points. She [Lola Zaza Crowley] is the only child of her mother who has quite an adequate income of at least £500 a year; and Gerald Kelley is making very large sums out of his outrages upon the art which he professes and prostitutes. I think that you ought to see Frater D.D.S. personally and get him to agree to this temporary arrangement. I should not ask for it unless the situation were so terrible. It has certainly done the greatest damage to my health; and, unless things are easier in the winter, I think it would be about time for me to try another inc[arnation].
Now about your man. I hope that your retirement was as successful as it seems. At least I fancy that I note (in your letter to me as well as those to Karl [Karl Germer] and Cora [Cora Germer]) something more like your old spirit. Last year you seemed to be completely obsessed; apparently by the sort of life you were living in London, and by the people who were trying to get hold of you. I think that your experiences in the last year must have done you a great deal of good.
I am not at all sure about this man. He seems to be a good independent experimenter, but to lack the stability given by a systematic training in the history of Magick and the traditions of Initiation.
Compare Equinox 4 about the inability to keep the images of human beings still.
He seems to have got quite a long way in Yoga; but I should think that he is in some danger. The wife business must be rather a drawback.
The plain Cross is not at all a good symbol by itself. It has lost its original potency, and has been abused in every base way. Besides it is incomplete either because it lacks the element of Spirit, or because it lacks the Rose. All these tests which you suggest are no good. What he needs is a careful study of theory, and then something like a retirement to clear up his whole mind about it. You cannot improve upon the A∴A∴ system. He has not formulated his aspiration in a motto and taken the oath. Your ideas of teaching him seem sound enough.
May I point out to you that it is really of the greatest urgency that you should take the grade of Neophyte, which I have no doubt that the submission of your records to date will enable you to do.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
666.
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