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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Jane Wolfe
K.J. GERMER 133 West 71 New York, N. Y.
December 4, 1943
Dear Jane,
I have your two letters of Jan. 4 and 5. I have not yet received the monthly contribution, and despite a recent letter from 132 [Wilfred Talbot Smith]. I do hope it will not be less than the last.
In the last week or so I have been extremely busy and I have not been able to devote much thought to the Californian matters. But I must say that I was much relieved when I received your letter of Jan. 4. I had known that you had gone to Roy's [Roy Leffingwell] ranch, and that you had also met Max [Max Schneider] there. I has asked Roy specifically not to influence you in any way, and I had, or course, not told either Roy or Max what it was all about, except that you had been charged by A.C. to come to an independent decision in an important matter.
You are not very specific about your decision, but I take it that you are fully carrying out the suggestion, or rather instruction the way 666 charged you. I understood this to mean that 132 will be completely relieved, for the time being, from his function in the Lodge [Agape Lodge], and that he will by this time have left the Community House at 1003 [S. Orange Avenue, Pasadena, California]. I have not had the leisure to concentrate on this these last few days. If my hands run over this keyboard properly, I may yet write to-night. I do not wish him to feel anything that looks in the least like hostility. He is a Brother, and as such we have to help him, in his own interest as well as in that of the Order. Never lose sight of this.
I also take it you have fully informed 666 by this time. The best would have been to have nightlettered him, as a lot of correspondence, which nowadays takes so long, is going back and forth, and your cable would not only relieve him of any strain, but also enable him to send you further advice, and, if necessary, instructions. As the charge to you was from 666 direct, it is hard for me to do anything positive. I would also have to know how this new development has worked out in practice, or whether there have been any consequences or difficulties.
Let me point out to you one characteristic: you have the habit of writing a, let me say, positive letter, and follow this up by the next mail by a negative letter. I suffer from the same defect, perhaps no longer as much as formerly, and I believe it is a general fealty of human nature. Steps which often have to be carried out from observations on the magical plane, are usually in conflict with habits, wishes, inclinations etc. on the human side and relation. It is similar with the lover who knows inside that the time has come to depart, and yet cannot make up his mind when he sees the tears and the (apparent) suffering it will cause to his beloved. Yet from a higher insight it has got to be done, otherwise there will be the curse of the relations of two people with exhausted love. 132 has the stuff of greatness; but he has got to be pushed into it, so it seems to me; and you should know that the birth of the Crowned Child is preceded by pangs and throes. "If he is a King thou canst not hurt him" applies. Haven't you lived long enough with A.C. to have seen this time and again?
The decisive thing, the last straw, was for me that Master of the Temple and the Chokmah-Magus matter. It's so wrong magically, and I don't see how you don't see this. It is like a searchlight thrown on the whole problem that has puzzled me (and I suppose A.C.) so long. There is absolutely nothing in the whole of 132's correspondence with me that indicates that he is a M.T. [Magister Templi]. Quite the contrary! A M.T. has given up all that he is. A M.T. who still has such spiteful, hateful and hostile personal reactions as Smith expressed on many occasions openly in his letters to me and A.C., is a very funny M.T. indeed. I know that Smith aspired to the grade a long time ago, obsessed by Jones' [Charles Stansfeld Jone] example. But the demonic forces that lie in wait for such a one, are too formidable to be tackled easily. You know the literature on this well enough yourself. I have never quite lost the suspicion that Smith was somehow obsessed by such demons. To deal hardly with him is in my opinion the only help he can be given.
You have misunderstood those passages in my letter of Dec. 4th which you quote on Jan. 5. I have no objection to magical names at all. I only pointed to Smith's severe inferiority complexes which turn up right and left and make him incapable for any real work and success. They must be broken, or got rid of else he will never push through the veil.
And, don't fear the Order. Better none, or one that is dormant for a while, than one which has defective leaders. As somebody said to me: "How can your Law of Thelema be any good when such things as have happened the last two years—of which I am more or less a witness—in California exist?" The whole trouble is that Smith has not been under personal tuition by A.C. They don't know each other personally and Smith fell into the job of leading the Lodge and getting the IX° conferred by a desperate situation in Europe when A.C. (perhaps) lost hope for a moment, thought he might die, and needed somebody, and Smith was the only one in sight, those that had the training having dropped out for good or temporarily. But anyway, Smith was appointed, it inflated him beyond measure, and he proved that it was premature, to say the least.
Let me hear soon, and if I can help you in your difficult position, I will gladly do so.
Love,
Karl
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