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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Jane Wolfe
K.J. GERMER 260 West 72nd Street New York, N. Y.
May 29, 1947
Dear Jane,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I am answering your letter of May 26, received this morning, at once. Your letter shows Jane at her best. It gives the sort of information I need, and what I need more is advice in the present tangle of contradicting views and opinions. As a matter of fact, after the latest letters from Rhea [Rhea Leffingwell], Roy [Roy Leffingwell], Georgia [Georgia Schneider], etc. I have written A.C. comprehensively and asked for his views.
Frederick [Frederic Mellinger] is at this moment with A.C. He seems to have arrived a few days ago, and I just had a letter from F.[rederic] saying that he has to be back at his job June 1 or 2 at the latest. F. hopes he can meet me some time this year in Brussels, as he wants to see me. Aleister writes he wants to see me, or rather, he would be happy if Sascha [Sascha Germer] and I could visit him after September 13 when the summer guests are gone. A.C. has had a pleasant news last week: Aleister Ataturk, his son born May 2, 1937, is alive, after an odyssey of travels with his mother through Egypt, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Palestine, etc. etc., dodging from place to place. He pins great hopes on the boy and is very happy he is alive. In fact the news seems to have pepped him considerably. He had feared they were dead, when he had not heard from them for many years during the war.
Aleister is preparing for death. I am not so sure that he will be allowed to die yet. But living in his condition is, it seems, agony. His lungs are too far gone, and death would be a relief. So we have to face the facts. I am not sure whether you should tell everybody as fully as I'm writing to you. I leave this to your judgment. It is, however, in my mind to make the journey to London, it is can be managed.
This is a matter of finance. For the remainder of this year I have enough income to pay for my expenses while staying in London. The problem is the journey. It costs at least $600 both ways to go by plane, with taxes, possibly more. A seat can be procured, I hear, within a short time. I'd prefer to go by boat, which is cheaper, but to get accommodation is a problem.
The reason why I'm writing to you about this is: do you think I could count of any substantial assistance towards ticket expenses from Lodge [Agape Lodge] members? I would like to know before I could settle down to serious thinking and planning.
Another thing is that we are leaving for two months June 28th for Canada. Sascha has worked so hard, she needs a well deserved rest. And her health is not any too good. Once in Canada I plan to visit several Brethren in Ontario, Detroit, as well as Perry Tull in Chicago. My journey to London can only come after that, because A.C. prefers it in September, and Sascha, who would have liked to go along, must be back on her job Sept. 1st.
I cannot write in detail about this to others, and I leave it to you to use this letter to the extent and at the time you see fit.
Now then the matter of the Ranch, which is also a problem of Roy, and the Lodge. I am writing you frankly, because I am confused and need advice. I thought it best after your sending me the extensive data to mail you a copy of my letter to Roy of May 2, and his letter to me of May 19th which is his reply. I have not answered yet.
What happened before is all in the few weeks between Roy's letter of April 9th (after 2 month's silence) and April 20th. I had approved of his plan to develop the house, and had offered financial help to the maximum. But I was so shocked when I heard that he owed over $3000—almost $3500, that I withdrew my offer and suggested he bury all dreams which were not based on facts. He sent several frantic wires, but I saw no way to help keep the main ranch, and it was sold. When this was decided, I suggested that the barren land be not further developed, time wasted, but that everybody, Rhea, Harold [Harold Soulé], Ruthie [Ruthie Soulé], build up a new and independent life, and thus be more happy, content and prosperous.
As an alternative, I said, I could only see it this way: that the barren land of 120 acres be used for that 5000 turkey plan as a basis to recuperate financially; this would mean to rough it until water was got and some living quarters built. But my conviction was that without that turkey project there was no financial background.
I have not heard from Roy in reply to any of my vital, basic questions. I don't know how he is expecting to pay as he goes along. All I realise is that he has embarked on what I called the #2 Plan.
But—about ten days ago I got a letter from Rhea they had decided to detach the lower part of the 120 acres in order to sell it as an independent ranch. That was something new again, I replied, I agreed, but that I in that case insisted on an accounting from the sale of the main ranch and of turning the money they had received to Grand Lodge. Roy's enclosed letter changed that situation. (I had written Roy—No: I'll enclose copy of my letter to Roy of April 24th also, then you see better)
Now I come to my main, puzzling problem, and that is where I hope for your advice: The Gods urge one sometimes to things in Their queer way, which are ill-understood by outsiders. My—let me call it—vision when Roy insisted on the development of the ranch, was quite strong. I wrote him, when I first heard about the 5000 turkey offer, that that seemed a God-send and indication to keep the Ranch and develop it. I even mentioned that I foresaw a crash when it would be nice to have a place available. This referred to A.C.'s desired flight from England. My views have since matured in that respect. The "crash" may be different in type; but I do expect some grave events in the too distant future. After all the conflicting news I don's know what to advise: my feeling is that now that Roy has definitely undertaken the development of the ranch, that he go on; that he must not listen to criticism from anyone; that wavering spells failure. That everybody should pitch in and help to the best of their ability.
Now here is another problem:
I am sending you herewith a list containing the title of 72 "Letters" constituting the proposed book Magick Without Tears. There are a few more that have come later. I have mailed all of these Letters in the original, as received from 666, at one time or another to Max [Max Schneider]. The idea was to make all of them available to the members of the Lodge.
Max returned the majority to me; there are some which I have not got back. My question—and the matter is very serious to me—is: have all the Letters been made available? If Max has not done the necessary to get them copied and distributed to members, please give me the titles of those that you do not have, and I will mail them again.
I feel very strongly on this: there is so much devotion and the Work has been made possible solely by the support of ALL, that the least we can do is to give them without delay access to such light as HQ. receives. Naturally, I want these valuable MSS. treated with care, and not lying around loose. For that reason I asked for their return when I thought they had been loaned long enough.
Georgia mentioned in her last the Rhea has repeatedly told her, that Roy had taken the Oath of the Abyss. In connection with your remark that "you thought you saw a bit of Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith]" (in Roy) makes me ponder. I had bawled out Georgia long ago that there was too much loose talk about the "Abyss", and she recently asked me some pertinent questions. That is how it came out. Since Achad [Charles Stansfeld Jones], and so it seems to me, there is a certain fascination among members of aspiring to the M.T. [Magister Templ] grade, without their realising the awful chances involved. Choronzon and those demons that form the protection of the Supernals, have mouths bigger than a hippo; they don't even notice a small fish when they swallow, except the aspiration to such a grade comes from high necessity; yet the candidate, though prepared and properly fortified, has a hell of a time to withstand the onslaught. Does this throw light on some of the events happening? I like you to keep me informed.
I did not know Roy's motto was "Being, not seeming". Perhaps it is the realisation of his main deficit, and his need to strive ever more toward the first.
Do not bother to return any MSS. to me now, but keep all in a safe place—unless I can get it back here before I leave for Canada. I may want to read the 4 vols. of the Confessions [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley] there.
Please return the correspondence I am enclosing at your earliest. But take your time to reply, I want your considered opinions.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours ever,
Karl
P.S. I may send your letter which is so informative to 666 as it completes my letter to him of y'[ester]day.
P.P.S. You might make a copy of your answer & send it either to me or to 666.
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