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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Anne Macky
[Undated: circa 1943/1944]
Cara Soror,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
You ask me for the Magical and Thelemic attitude to Pain as distinct from "sorrow", which is a rather nebulous idea, wandering all over the place, on every plane, and really nothing more than a mood. "When the melancholy fit shall fall" and so on. "all the shapes are as shadows; they pass and are done."
No; nothing of the sort; you want me to talk about toothache.
The Book of the Law does not discuss the problem at all. There is no argument that it is good for me. "Strength through suffering" is part of the old Formula of Osiris. The only mention in the Book is in these verses: I,30, I,32, and II,17.
But let me first make sure, so far as is possible, what the word actually means. All clear through French (and Middle English) 'peine' and Latin 'Poena' from the Greek πόνος; but if we go back further, we find a suggestion of Punishment, or revenge, of payment. Hence, I suppose the Christian, or Black magical connection with guilt, sin, and similar morbid ideas.
It seems to me one of the minor proofs of the quality of the author of AL that so often a sentence, at first sight simple, even commonplace, should turn out on closer examination a thesis of precision. So here "the joys of my love will redeem ye from all pain" helps to define 'pain' for us; the "joys of my love" are the fulfilments of all possibilities, however superficially unpleasant; 'pain' is thus identified with the effect of 'Restriction'; we must learn to enjoy whatever may happen to us as "a play of Nuit"; the mere fact that they have happened shows them as an addition to our experience, and therefore to our realization of our perfection. (The 0 = 2 thesis again). And the word 'redeem' deals with 'pain' so far as that word implies a debt. The Panglossian absurdity "Whatever is, is right" proves accurate if we only take it far enough. Fact is obviously in accord with Nature, for discord would postulate an irreducible Duality, which would be twice as bad as the old inexplicable Unity! To the Elephant standing on the tortoise we should have to add a camel standing on an alligator; and we can only explain by reflecting that neither exists. (2 = 0)
I will ask you to note the preliminary condition "seek me (Nuit) only!" For this redemption to take place she must be fully concentrated upon this gathering of experience.
Turn now to the earlier verse "the pain of division". This is really simple enough, if one remembers "pain" as "Restriction". Often the moment restricts its perfection by formulating itself as 2. That is the grain of sense hidden in the monstrous lie "Existence is sorrow". "the world is evil", or the like. It is the rest of all the muddle-making doctrine of Maya.
Only once more does this word pain occur (II.17). This is a most curious verse.
It is appallingly bad poetry—to call it poetry at all is an outrage. Even the syntax is hateful. Then—what is it? Where does it come from? It breaks in suddenly on a very difficult Qabalistic Message, referring to the Tarot; it changes the subject in a flash. It sounds like a quotation from a very bad hymn book, brought in to serve as a text for the long and superb dithyramb which follows and continues with hardly an interruption up to the end of the Chapter.
To me, I confess, the verse is entirely obscure. There is probably some Qabalistic doctrine which could not have been otherwise introduced. Such is the utmost sea-mark of my speculation.
Now, child, don't be impatient! I know you don't want all this stratosphere-soaring; you want to know about pain in the cancer, meningitis, gallstones, and gout, in the ordinary way. That too is simple enough; unless you are able to sublime the pain as a "play of Nuit", it is "just too bad"; there is no good in it at all, except in those rare cases where it is useful as a warning. And of course, it may serve as a hint that life on the physical plane is not all Golden Syrup, and that you ought to build yourself a citadel where such things do not dominate the entire landscape.
One other case: but this time the question answers itself. Algolagny. Not in my dictionary; but it means taking pleasure in either giving or receiving pain. Everybody has it usually in very mild degree; it can be extended by the usual means of mental development, but not, I imagine, to the extent of enjoying a long lazy luxurious belly-ache.
Enough.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
666
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