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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Jane Wolfe
K.J. GERMER 133 West 71st Street New York, N. Y.
March 16, 1943
Dear Jane,
I am frightfully overworked; there is no Sunday, I have no time for leisure, and this has been going on for the last few months. It is difficult for me to find the time to concentrate on matters of the Order.
Yesterday I had your letter; last Saturday a letter from 666. He asked me to forward to you a copy of his letter to you of Feb. 16. I presume you have an original; but here is a copy.
All you people, I almost copy A.C.'s words, remain a puzzle to me. Your last letter to me proves it again. What is one to do or make out of you? I often think the best is to drop a block buster. May-be your Horus Ritual will have that effect anyway. He always comes as the avenger and destroyer first.
As an Hors d'Oeuvre I am sending you herewith 6 copies, signed by me, formally of a letter which has got to be seen by every single member of the Lodge [Agape Lodge] (except Max [Max Schneider] or Roy [Roy Leffingwell] should they be in some way considered as such). Please make some copies of the declaration they are supposed to sign and send either to me direct; or if easier, you can collect them and send them to me. I wish to state a time limit: do you think March 31 will be all right? I do not know all the names of the members. I would have preferred to sign a letter for each one; but to save time, please give one copy to the more important members, and have one copy left on which those who can't get an original, sign their names that they have seen it and taken cognizance. You will have to make, however, a number of copies of the declaration, and give every one a copy. Now, there is no prevarication: neither Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith], nor anyone else will be given a chance to say: Oh, I'm in touch with 666 myself; I'll write him first. Please get this clear: I am exercising my authority for the first time clearly, definitely and without a flicker.
I might add a warning: it would be good to admonish every one that the Heads of the Order do not look favourably on conspiration: each one for himself has to make up his mind as to whether he wants to sign or not; we want individuals; we don't want signatures from people with rubber backbone. The time has come to purge the Order, if there is anything left to purge. Needless to say: only those who sign will get the Vernal Word [Word of the Equinox].
I hope my style and wording of the letter are correct; English is always difficult for me in formal documents. If there are mistakes, please correct without changing the stern meaning.
I'll answer your letter as briefly as possible.
I don't understand your second par[agraph]. What is the instance where all the fact etc. etc.?
Third par. "against your wish": it was clearly in my memory that you had said in one of your letters of 132 [Wilfred T. Smith] being an obstacle. Looking through my files I find your letter of May 20, 1942, par. 5.
Who are the Long Beach group? I had heard the name, but never was told plainly who they are?
Your last paragraph just baffles me completely. What do you mean? On this lowest physical plane, if somebody hits me, I as a non-Christian strike back, just to settle that score and leave no residue to rankle on that plane.
You still take the side of Smith and try to excuse him. I had said all you people are 'overawed', 666 says it better: Smith vampirises you, and as is usual, the vampirised never sees it. That's why everything is so hopeless. You do not know much of my spiritual development before 1926. So I will assure you that I for years lived with a man, under him, in a similar way as 666 was under McGregor Mathers; both had to be destroyed; both went foul. So I have personal experience of the problems that arise, how they arise and all that. I am convinced the situation in California has shown a similar trend. There has been an evil air blowing from Agape Lodge for quite some time.
Where is that other side of Smith? Make it clear to me; show me the ACTS of that side, then let us purge the man so that his beauty becomes visible in acts of pure devotion to the Order. The funny thing is that there is always another side, including McGregor Mathers and others.
No: personal defects, character, manners, etc. do not as such deprecate a man. What counts is his magical nature which always shows in his Work. Where is Smith's proper discipline? I sent him in 1941 my Charter, or at least a copy of it, of my appointment to be his chief. He was modest enough for a month or two, then, when I began to exercise my authority, asked for reports, financial statements and so forth, the obstacles put in my way became regular traffic jams; there was bad will, there was insincerity; there was fear for position; jealousy and all the rest. He ultimately became aggressive against me; and very insulting. I recall a particular piece of impudence when Jack was here. A.C. and I had asked Smith to send me copies of the O.T.O. rituals, such as he had. He instructed Jack to hand them to me, quite evidently with the injunction to give them only after having passed me through some test!!! The fact is that Jack gave them to me not at once, but on the occasion of his last visit.—I considered Jack immature at the time, though I had met him with much love and enthusiasm (vide my first exchange of letters, as long as Smith permitted it). After later reflection I saw the basis of it all. I can vividly recall the almost automaton-like face of Jack's; as though he were in a straight-jacket put on him by Smith.
An acquaintance of mine is an outstanding astrologer. I showed her Smith's horoscope once. She studied it deeply, and said: do you have any dealings with him? Beware; that man is dishonest. She had no idea who S[mith]. was. You see, there is always just one serious defect in the make-up for those McGregor Mathers types; they don't purify it; they transplant it to the higher planes, and through those special defects the demonic forces work, and bring about the magical downfall. Enough of this.
I had a financial report from Helen [Helen Parsons] which was a joke. I disregard it for the moment, because it was evidently written under obsession. But I must have some idea how 1003 is run. I have said time and again that the thing that baffled me most was the inadequacy of the Agape contribution. I heard once that there were 11 people living at 1003. Deduct a few children; also two to run the house. There must surely be 7 who earn at least $35.00 a week as an average. If each one would give 10% of that income for the Grand Lodge it would make over $100 alone per month. To this would have to be added contributions from those who live outside and are members. I have given some 40%, perhaps 50% of my income these last two years, because I was forced to. Somebody else is doing the same. If Grand Lodge would have had to depend on Agape contributions nothing would have been accomplished in 1942 and 1941.
Tell me exactly how much Smith is making per week? I understood at the time that he gave up his Gas job; what other job has he now and is he making more? How much do the other inhabitants of 1003 make? With present war wages it should be easy to make much better contributions.
I wrote a letter to Jack a few days ago asking him to collect a sum of money for the Order in Hollywood. There is no record that the letter was actually posted; yet the letter cannot be found. Did he get it? please let me know, sure.
Love,
Karl
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