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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry
Did you get parcel with Latin Grammar Dec 3 etc. a.c.
S.W.1.
Dec. 28 ’43
Care Frater
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Yours of 25th came this A.M., “Moonchild” 3 hours later. Thanks: glad you liked it.
There are so many letters in the Kelly work that many coincidences with any other series of letters are inevitable.
My nose is bluer than the Mediterranean at its bluest, than the blue gentian, than CuSO4, than the eyes of my true Sailor Lad!
If you were entrusted with a gun of power and accuracy six time greater than any that you ever knew, would you knock it about, and let it rust or get dirty, or start shooting at random—and if you hit your Colonel that would be just too bad!
(It is a very close analogy, as you will learn as you advance in the Order.)
No, you would treat that gun with respect & affection, keep it in first rate order, and get your wage [?] of Ecstasy from your good aim at the Hun or the plane or whatever you want to bowl over.
Do realize that the subject of Artemis Iota is an Art—“more science than Mythology and more practice than billiards.” You must make yourself expert in that. Art for its own sake of course; but one day you will learn that it is more than an amusement; I’m sorry I can’t tell you more at present. The fact is that you must find out for yourself, and then put a pistol to my head, and demand—
Incidentally, it is a most important mental development to be able to combine passion with restraint. The wildest poetry doesn’t involve breaking all the rules of Grammar; on the contrary, you can use the rules so as to enhance the vehemence and excellence of the passion.
I shall deal with business on a separate sheet,
Love is the law, love under will
Fraternally
666.
P.S. Memo on business matters.
1. Your draft of Plan (copy returned herewith)
You have the idea quite perfectly, BUT this plan is to be shewn to dull stodgy, stupid English folks; a spark of imagination, a glint of humor, and they think you (a) a fool (b) not “serious” so all that metaphor and imagery has got to go.
Then, you write as for people who already know quite a lot about it. You have got to set forth the position fully & clearly as for those who know perhaps hardly more than my name, and ‘Isn’t he the fellow that—?’ some rot or other.
There should be a list of the assets of the Machine that I have constructed since 1904 to last 2000 years or so. This sort of thing:—
1. Sacred Book, with internal proof of its prater human origin. 2. Inspired books. 3. Semi-inspired do. 4. Scholarly treatises. 5. Official instructions for self-development, acquiring mystical powers etc. 6. Books, essays, articles &c about the Law, or about a.c.’s work. 7. Ceremony for public use. 8. Ceremonies for lodge use. 9. Ceremonies for private use. 10. Slogan. 11. Political, economic, social reconstruction plans [?]. 12. Greetings, saying “will” before formal meals, etc. 13. Plans for lectures. 14. Songs, national and other. Etcetera.
You must show how each item can be used (a) for publicity (b) to rake in the [?].
This is mostly additional to your plans. Note in particular No.11, capable of inducing nervous billionaires to contribute cheques with 6 figures.
Jane [Jane Wolfe] (Nov 23) reports that jack [Jack Parsons] asked her: could he be reinstated if he pulled the plug on Smith [Wilfred T. Smith]? Not needed; just pull. You remember that I pointed out to you that his resignation was off the record; also, my reply. Did he ever get that? (My Oct. 19 answering his of Sept. 14) if doubtful, with a cable to make sure.
Uncertain, too, if you got mine mailed just before you came up. It asked on what dates to expect the monthly contribution. Is it $2.50 or $5.00 or $10.00. The last was, I thought, October. On Oct 31 you handed me £2.10.0 (= near $10.00) as, I supposed you said, a monthly contribution. You see how muddled I get—you must for your T's and cross your i's when I'm the victim.
Also I told you about the paper, and asked if there was a chance of 2nd £50 soon. The point about the paper is that one can't buy it in the usual way. I get a 'phone call or a visit, say at 11 A.M. and it has to be bought and paid for by 11.15 or somebody else snuffles it. The first lot seemed the printing priority, thank God; if we have luck with the paper, we can make sure of OLLA—perhaps even of Liber Aleph—coming out by A in a. They are both straight forward from the printers' point of view: no illustrations etc to make trouble.
The £50 could be split: say £25 on Jan 1, £25 on Feb 1, and count them as from Jan 16.
Any hope of you coming up this week or next? I've been so overworked that forced relaxation would be "what the doctor ordered."
I believe I've left out a dozen things I wanted to say: I'm nervous. Essays on what I mean when I say "certainty" and answering "Do angels ever cut themselves shaving?" have got me plain hysterical
A.C.
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