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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry
S.W.1.
Dec 9 [1943]
I have not got 3 variants of your address, and Please Sir! it frightens Tiny Aleister.)
Care Frater
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Yours of Dec 5 very welcome, especially as there's something to fight!
First, let's get the Money out of the way!
I wasn't relying on you: sent that "Proposal" as routine. "No one was more surprised than the striker" (as we say when a man brings off a 10-shot at billiards) when you came across.
What I was, and am, relying on, is your working out the "Grand Dessein" in detail and letting Jack [Jack Parsons] have a bone to bite on. See AL III 31.41.69.
It is no good just handing me $10,000 and God bless you! I must have a man, or woman, partner or hireling, who can fulfil III 41. A real top grade 100% he-man go-getter. I haven't one single one of the qualities needed: aren't even a 'good mixer'. I can plan, but that's all.
"Crowley's cleverness" be ----ed*! The only point about the "Legend" part of it is that we have a FOCUS, a clear cut issue, the key of a strategic plan. You could spend $000 Grand on boosting the Law of Thelema, and nothing would happen. But the A.C. rehabilitation starts a fright straight off. That gives me a platform, puts us in touch with the real rulers, gives us both power and money. (You seem to see this brilliantly: one reason why I think you may have been picked for the job.)
You say you are giving me the monthly contribution. What dates do I expect it? No need to cable Jack; but the fuller the explanation of the position the better (What the hell! I can leave all this to you: much best that I should: so go to it!) Always pull me up sharp if I use strange words, or don't make myself clear.
Govt won't make any public statement. They might have to, though, in certain [illegible]) But (a) had I been a traitor, I should have been hanged in '18 when you came in A.E.F. or at least when I got back here in '19; and serve me jolly well right.
Col. J.F.C. Carter [Lieutenant Colonel John Carter], the head of the Special (i.e. political) Board at Scotland Yard, went into the whole matter, and I was cleared. Indeed, I worked for him for some time; then he was made Chief Constable of N.W. London; I was away; now he has retired; we've lost touch.
Capt Gerald Yorke 7 Selwyn Gardens Cambridge know all about it; but one can never get him to answer letters; and when he does, he probably tries to do somebody (preferably me!) what dirt he can. You would have to back him up very closely to the facts of your question.
"Getting U.S.A. into war on our side". I didn't say that. Lord, don't I know how you resent it! That prickly independence is one of the most Thelemic traits of you-all.
William J. Burns with 2 million iron men from N.Y. Jews to bribe Leo Frank out of the death-house in Georgia (1915) got out of Atlanta just one jump ahead of the good folk who had got a lovely nail ready, with lots and lots of Fur and feathers to help him on his way! State Sovereignty! My! Ain't they touchy? Of course one justified in persuading other blokes to see the light; but he's a damphool to let them guess what he's after. Knowing that, I got the idea to make the German propaganda odious, by having them make exactly that blunder.
I avoid the use of foreign words unless (a) there is no English equivalent or (b) they ornament the work by some allusion or what not or (c) are needed for style or delivery of expression.
Any advice I give you about poetry is solely to enlarge the scope of your judgment.
Some of your up-to-date slang beats me: I'm of the Menchen substration.
Your penultimate par is 100% OK. What I'm aiming at is to plot out your course in the Great Work. When do I get your Magical Record? (I suppose you've been told about this; your job No 1 is to find out who you are, and whence; so, then whither? If you have not had full instruction about this, let me know P.D.Q., and I'll shoot it along. See—to start—"Magick" [Magick in Theory and Practice] pp 50-59 and 415-422.
I've been working so desperately hard, with no help as usual, for the last few days, that I'm in no state to read poetry, much less criticize. Give me a few days; on Sunday I may have the back of this present job at least cracked. I'm writing this letter only as a revolt against slogging ahead with what I ought to be killing myself at!
So fare thee well awhile!
Love is the law, love under will.
Fraternaly
666.
* I must explains what happens when one is 8º=3o. Am doing this in one of those long letters like what I sent you the excerpts from; so I'll shoot along a copy, or keep it for your visit as it depends when it gets finished.
P.S. Nocte
Sorry I was out when you called—first party I've been to in the Black-Out. At Lord Tredegar's [Evan Morgan]—lots of old friends, Augustus John, Arthur Waley, Lady Illingworth, the Marquesa Casati—all sorts of interesting folk. He's one of the very few people I know who can throw a party. Everyone as lively as crickets. I have to write about it, because parties are so dreadfully dull and stupid as a rule that an amusing one deserves a moment.
Arthur Waley, great Chinese scholar, got very interested in the identification the Yi with the Tarot: he may be very useful to us.
About that Diary.
The Leatherweight is 5" x 3 1/4" and gives you one double page for a week.
To my mind it seems too small for anything but memoranda of one's engagements.
Please let me know by return which you'll have. I've a crush on both at present; but if we hang on too long we might find ourselves with none.
Looking forward to next week-end; perhaps the delay is a blessing in disguise, as I've worked myself to a standstill.
I had intended to prepare for you by a spell of 12 hours or so in bed—and then they sprang this party on me. Oh well!
A.C.
Lieut. Grady L. McMurtry O-1574983 1684th Ord MM Co. (Avn) (Q) APO 635 (?AAF473) U.S. Army
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is [Friday
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