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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Louis Umfreville Wilkinson
Louis Wilkinson Grove Heart Ripley Surrey
5 Apr 1941
Barton Brow Barton Cross Torquay
Dear Louis
93.
I had just addressed an envelope to you when your welcome letter arrived. The Abbey of Thelema is now a Fact in Nature—such as it is. Very comfortable—broad views over land and sea—clear bracing air. Small, of course, but possible like unto a grain of mustard seed, or a little leaven, or one of these. A New Order on Earth. I think our new natural aristocracy, based on the daily risk of sudden death (like Knights of Old) will be a sound nucleus. To them qualifying for Old Age Pensions and the like are things that simply do not matter. Getting a name for courage and honour, and a son to carry it on, will be much more important.
I hope you will be able to come here; I want to be able to talk over the principles of the Abbey. It might come to a Book sooner or later.
My heart to the Prophet! The only man I ever heard in post prandial oratory that was even endurable for more than 5 minutes. And his effort was 70 minutes; I have never enjoyed anything more in my life.
I have just been reading Llewellyn's "The Pathetic Fallacy". What a distinguished point of view.
My health is good per interim, like Aramis as a musketeer! That is, I am in no particular trouble until I make an attempt to get better. But unfortunately this will have to be done very shortly.
What follows is very tentative. At times it seems to me that the love of money is the root of all evil. By this I mean that our woes come from counting it. There is enough wealth for all of us; poverty comes from putting it out of reach. Thus in an Abbey of Thelema any one who happens to be going into Torquay buys whatever is need in the Abbey and there is no accounting. So there is no worry, bother, petty squabbling. But the law of private property remains intact. E.g. in Cefalú if a child stole anything he was not punished. He was told "You clever boy! You've got the right idea". So all his possessions were pillaged by the rest of us; and he very soon decided that after all it was a better plan to respect private property. We found this remarkable as a permanent cure. Observe: my copy of 'Swan's Milk' (or what not) is worth much more to me—though to nobody else—than any other copy. So the system enhances the value of everything.
Just a few preliminary ravings about the N[ew] O[rder] for you and J.C.P. [John Powys] to gnaw.
93 93/93
Yours
Aleister
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