|
Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Frederic Mellinger
[Undated: circa late January 1946]
I have been asked to comment on the attitude of Agape Lodge with regard to money, which appears far from satisfactory. It is probably the leavings of the bad influence of W.T. Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith]. It is short-sighted to the point of idiocy not to put yourselves whole-heartedly into the business of supplying Grand Lodge with funds. It has again become possible to get books printed and there are about eight ready for the press, and their value is bound to depend to a certain extent on my going through them personally and putting the final polish on every sentence. Now suppose we are able to get out one book in every year—which in the present situation is optimistic—that means that I have to live to be 77 or 78 in order to see them through the press. Any economy in this respect is therefore a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face. We ought to get out at least two books a year; the copyright is vested in the O.T.O. and to anyone with the most elementary business sense it ought to be obvious that this being the principle assets of the Order, should be in every way protected and enhanced in value.
I myself have shrunk from no personal sacrifice in order to economise with this purpose in mind. For the last two years I have not even had a flat of my own; I am not sure now whether it would not have been better policy to stick to the admirable flat I had in the heart of London, but my real reason for leaving was that I could not work at all in view of the continual racket of traffic and bombs and crowds and the impossibility of getting a decent meal anywhere at any price. But at the present juncture it is impossible to resume full activity and I shall look to the Lodge to support the programme.
We must have a proper head-quarters with adequate appointments. If possible I shall get something in this district as it is much better for health than London, and within easy reach by train or car. It is also absolutely essential that I should have some kind of permanent staff; I need at least one person continually on the job to cope with the mere routine matters. Since the end of the war we have been able to resume relations with Germany, and this throws a good deal of extra work on me. There is also the affiliation of a Branch in Canada.
Furthermore a few weeks ago S.H. Sister Dion Fortune died. With her I had an arrangement by which she acknowledged my authority, but she was wisely, or rather prudently, most anxious to keep this fact secret even from her own followers on account of the old nonsense which was knocked to pieces in Crowley v Constable, and others. A great deal of difficult negotiation is necessary to pick up her following.
You will see from this how great and how diverse the responsibilities which weigh upon me and how they are likely to increase rather than diminish as time goes on. For instance there is a branch in Denmark and another is South America which must also be built into the structure.
I do not want to overburden this letter with details; I hope it will be sufficient to have given this rough sketch of the situation. Let me conclude as I began by emphasizing the primary importance of getting these books printed. Unless our numbers were to increase out of all present probable expectations, these books are our (that is your) assets, and it is not only your duty but your interest to look after them.
|