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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Louis Umfreville Wilkinson
Louis Wilkinson Grove Heart Ripley Surrey
17 Jan 46
Dear Louis
Yours of 15th. NOT guilty, m'Lud'! One of yours or one of mine must have gone astray. I always answer your letters by return, bar accidents. One such, yesterday; the weather rather knocked me out, and, as there was nothing urgent, I took a day off, cut out even the Chess Club, although competing in the Championship of the Artic Circle. Their igloo was uninhabitable. One small stove for a room 25 x 40 about, and the windows still suffering from the blitz, they either jack the temp up to 60 F or so, or lend me a cloak and allow me to play my games in comfort.
Re Bray [of Sangorski and Sutcliffe bookbinders]; he has been getting very slack as of late; my order for 20 Thoth [Book of Thoth] to be bound, three months old or thereabouts, doesn't seem even to have got started. You should ring him up, and get a definite promise, or he'll hang up the job forever. Interesting about Augustus [Augustus John]; I don't suppose I can get a Horizon here: we have one of our own, thank the Lord! Should you chance on one, please snatch it for me—to be returned if so desired. I don't know how H[eroin] 'saved my life. But it did help me to work out the parallels between drug ecstasies, hallucinations etc in lunacy, and religious experiences. Of course H (and all similar drugs) should be measured and controlled, and used in conjunction with the proper magical training. It's all the difference between a first-class snooker player, and one who bangs the balls about. Excuse my pulpit manner! Man came to lunch to-day from N.Y. Excellent news of Karl [Karl Germer]. All's well, and encouraging for prospects of your book.
Yours
Aleister
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