|
Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Karl Germer
[14 October 1947]
Dear Karl,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I have not been well enough to answer your letter 'till now. There seems nothing the matter with me but extreme exhaustion lasting over many years & now I've got to pay for my overwork.
Jean's telegram was a dreadful blow. As a rule a first stroke passes off but then one has to be very careful afterwards because of a second, if not immediately fatal, is much worse than 'the first.
You ask me for suggestions as to what to do & I am afraid that there is nothing that can be done. I don't think the ninth degree is any good in such cases though you can never tell & there is no harm in trying.
As to curtailing the transfers, I am extremely sorry; but, first of all the withdrawal of Max's [Max Schneider] support curtails them automatically. In the second place, this very prolonged illness of mine is going to cost a young fortune, and always there is the printer hovering in the background ready to pounce. I can only think of one practical idea. You might get out a circular letter to all members recalling his loyalty and general usefulness for all these years. You might argue from this that we should form a special fund to help Max. I wouldn't mind giving it a start with £10, but I am afraid that would be about the limit of what I can do.
Nor do I think that it is very necessary provided that Jean, can support herself, because you can always get free treatment in a hospital,—but it's not as if we were trying to keep him going in his home.
Well, that is how things are & we must trust in the Gods to alleviate the situation, if and how they choose.
Being bed-ridden day after day, I cannot attend properly to the printing so that matter is again more or less stagnant. He assures me that he is doing all that is possible. The press proofs ought to be here any day & Frieda [Frieda Harris] has undertaken to do what is necessary about the cover. For some reason it has had to be redesigned, another delay.
I am sorry to hear what you say about Sascha's [Sascha Germer] health; it seems as if there were a general attack on us all round. Once again there is nothing to be done but trust to the Gods.
I do not like this—I am always so keen to be active but needs must when the devil drives.
Love is the law, love under will.
With every blessing upon you all,
I am yours fraternally,
666
|