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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Cordelia Sutherland
The Ridge Hastings
July 5. [1945]
Best and dearest!
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
What happiness to hear from you again! Do you know, I had got it somehow into my stupid head that you were cross with me.
I am in a complete state of jitters, and was afraid to write any more, or telephone, lest I should make bad worse. [illegible].
I am having no end of a [illegible] with the dentist. A day every week [illegible] buried [illegible]; then three months more to settle down; then to do the constructive work. Can you wonder that I'm so nervous? Never a solid meal, nobody to talk to—and when there is, impediment in speech. Louis [Louis Wilkinson] arrived the same day as your chit; he will have told you by now.
But the chess is perfect. Here lives the world-famed E.M. Jackson; also one Kirk, who has played for the Championship; I have to be in form, and then go all out, to beat them. What about you? You can't imagine how I miss these happy days, watching you improve.
I have got a quite first-class secretary here; one half day a week, and one or two girls do the rest of the work in her office.
The Yi King was not very bright about the election. [I Ching Hexagram] 29 Khan: hard to interpret, but the main impression I get is of a small majority, with the affect of paralyzing the country. To have an election at all was plain lunacy: imagine [illegible] sardonic [illegible].
Retreat in the country? Yes indeed: [illegible]!
I am aiming at the Abbey of Thelema. You as Virgin Guardian of the Sangraal; I as Knight Guardian of the Sacred Lance: Louis Umphraville [Louis Wilkinson] and his girl—who is charming; Pearl Brooksmith to [illegible] the staff; and Miss [illegible]-Drury, daughter of the U.C.; a chauffeur-barber-handy man and wife with daily "help": such is the first test. We can have a town house and a country house, with a couple of cars, by pooling resources.
What about it?
Things in U.S.A. are going smoothly at last, and we are increasing in knowledge and stature, and in favour with God and man; also in numbers, though slowly. Anyhow, I can reckon £1000 or more from that source alone. If only I knew how to manage it! So you see there are real prospects of an Abbey.
Louis was very comfortable here for this 3 nights: only sorry, he had to move to this house 200 years or so when he wanted a [illegible].
Surely you can manage to scrape for a little. The downs are really superb, and the sea is always the sea. Yes, the [illegible] are fallen unto me in pleasant places. The food, too, is first-class [illegible] if only I could eat it.
Love is the law, love under will.
With infinite devotion.
Love,
Aleister
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