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Correspondence from Wilfred Talbot Smith to Aleister Crowley
Box 6374 Station C. Los Angeles.
29 Jan 36
Care Frater 666
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
On January 20th Max [Max Schneider] brought over Mr Herbst [Dr. Vernon Bernard Herbst] to see us, and we had a general conversation. . . . He wanted to me to show him the rituals of the O.T.O., which I did not feel inclined to do on so short an acquaintance. But he did take the Minerval oath, and I read that through to him. He revealed later a closer affiliation with you and some knowledge of the vital matter, which led me to feel I might have been a little conservative.
On Sunday Herbst was here to the Mass [Gnostic Mass] and seemed entirely pleased with it, and the talk I gave afterwards; and he made some further suggestions. He brought with him for me to read the records of some of your work, which time permitted me to read only very hastily. He also conveyed to me your desire for a suitable assistant who could do something in a financial way for the clinic.[1] He was very desirous that I inform you of having seen the papers.
. . . Mr Herbst echoed our feelings that in spite of the slowness of results, our efforts had all been plus and that now matters were opportune. . . .
Love is the law, love under will.
Fraternally
P.S. For the past 3 weeks or more, I have been puzzled over the fact of waking up, thoroughly refreshed, at 3 to 5 a.m. after going to bed from 12 to 2 a.m.: on the top of it, finding myself fit during the day and not over tired in the evening. Just to-day it has dawned upon me that the cause is the Elixir. And now looking over my record, my guess at 3 weeks is supported by the date of the first operation.
1—Refers to Crowley's scheme for a massage and ray treatment clinic which included rejuvenation through his Elixir of Life pills.—G.J. Yorke.
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