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Correspondence from Jane Wolfe to Aleister Crowley
[9 March 1942]
Re Manifesto. I knew nothing about it until it was read aloud in Camp at the January meeting. Little was said at the tine. A poor stick has not shown up since, but some of the members expressed themselves as satisfied. The next day Regina [Regina Kahl] and I let off steam between us and in the evening she gave Wilfred [Wilfred Talbot Smith] a very bad hour or two. But at this late date, all this seems quite unnecessary, especially as you have my letter of Jan. 29, in which I took no stand against it.
However, as it turns out, it was the means of an excellent piece of housecleaning. Your letter came 3 or 4 days after Smith's operation for hemorrhoids—which all these years he was going to cure himself, by God and by Jesus. This was the first yielding. Your letter, after its initial fire-and-anvil job, occasioned additional relaxation of that drive in him which has made his pathway thorny; and altogether he is now more amenable.
The trouble has been that he and Regina were a closed corporation. He was her particular property. She has wanted him to attain, most certainly, but always with herself as the driver, the position she held when he was a shivery, frightened, but cocky youngster. She pushed him forward, took him places, made him talk, etc. All very good. But he was a projection of Regina and only last year Frederic Mellinger, who likes her tremendously, complained of the "woman-run" organization.
Regina's hold was weakened, however, if not broken altogether so far as the Order is concerned, by Helen and Jack Parsons. By Helen as the new partner and by Jack in the strength of his manhood, as well as their combined better breeding.
And only a few days ago she had an illuminating wallop. She was brought to realize that this "great minded", "great and gracious Lady Bountiful" was a pose for the purpose of self-glorification and to achieve her. own selfish and self-indulgent aims. Aquarius rising, with Jupiter in the first house. You said of Hansi, "a genius or a rogue." Regina, from her horoscope, should become a genius. If not, one of these popular, blatant Bohemians with an admiring court of pseudos who are regaled with her stories and her rather boisterous sense of humor. But I hardly think this to be her future.
I could not write you sooner because Smith wavered in the balance until yours of the 16th Jan. He held up Liber OZ, which was to have gone out earlier. But after reading that letter he took the helm once more and we are moving along with what seems to be a new and lively current. New members are joining, of a better calibre than heretofore. This doesn't mean by the dozen but a steady 2 or 3 a month are heaps to us. — — —
Incidentally, I believe Jack Parsons—who is devoted to Wilfred—to be the coming leader, with Wilfred in advisory capacity. I hope you to get together some day, although your present activities in England seem to have postponed the date of your coming to us. Jack, by the way; cares in through some inner experiences, but mostly, perhaps, through the world of Science. That is, he was "sold on the Book of the Law" because it foretold Einstein, et al. Heisenberg (?) whose work is not permitted in Russia, the 'quantum' field folks— —? whose work is along the "factor infinite and unknown" lines, etc. You two would have a whale of a lot of things to talk over. He and Helen are lock, stock and barrel for the Order.
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