Correspondence from Charles Stansfeld Jones to Gerald Yorke

29 March 1948

Dear Mr. Yorke,

Since the receipt of your first letter of February 17 I have spent a good deal of time in dealing with problems which incidentally arose, and in doing the best I could, not alone to grant your requests but to supply additional information which has had an important bearing on the whole matter. This includes the facts in regard to quite unexpected further clues to Liber Legis and the true state of affairs so far as I am concerned therein. I know you will do your best to digest and evaluate all that has thus been presented to you, and thereafter act according to your best light in the interests of truth and justice to all. You have made me certain promises of reserve on some points which I am sure you will keep until such time as they might be modified by my express wish during my lifetime. I, too, am prepared to make good my word.

One of the true principles of A∴A∴ is laid down in Liber XXX: "The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and willfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge, lest that knowledge pander not to thine own prejudices." That same Liber (which we should, I think, re-study very carefully) also states: "Fear is failure, and the forerunner of failure, and courage is the beginning of virtue." These are some of the old principles upon which the A∴A∴ was first founded—handed down in succession from "The Golden Dawn". There must always be a true succession of such a nature, no matter how much the outer names or plans of such Orders may change. This is one thing A.C. always insisted upon, viz: firm links with the past; for otherwise, anything which crops up as a result of some man's pretended "illumination", or what not, is just a personal manifestation of his own, having no true roots in universal magical or mystical history. Even in the case of the New Law proclaimed in Liber Legis, Therion did his best to account for the reception of it as coming from a source with a tradition—the Sumerian. The O.T.O. likewise had a past, and A.C. always acknowledged his link with the O.H.O. [Outer Head of the Order] from which he received a place in it. Likewise, therefore, I acknowledge the links made, when I entered the A∴A∴ as a Probationer in 1909, with the O.T.O. in founding a Lodge under A.C. in 1913, and with the current of the New Aeon as one foreseen to be connected therewith at the very time of the reception of Liber Legis in 1904 by A.C., whom I did not meet until 1909, since when, he himself having recognized and acknowledged a special relationship between him and myself, the magical and even outer link was established also in 1916. These facts I myself must face—and have always faced without fear.

Whatever the true relationship between A.C. and myself, past or present, certain problems have arisen owing to the passing of A.C. from physical manifestation on December 1, 1947. These problems affect my relationships with the A∴A∴ and O.T.O., as well as with certain Brethren of those Orders and in particular with a Brother, personally unknown to me (as I to him), Saturnus (Mr. Karl Germer), whom, you have informed me, is, by Will registered at Somerset House, no doubt, in some regard his legal successor, as also in some manner, his outer successor in A∴A∴ and O.T.O. with a special custodian-ship of the original manuscript of Liber Legis and, therefore, in that and other ways, closely bound up with the current of the New Aeon and Thelema.

I have been told that Mr. Karl Germer, either as such or as Saturnus, has been and is reluctant to communicate with me. I of course respect his wishes, as I do those of A.C. so far as his outer Will is concerned, that is to say the legal one.

But, as I have I hope showed you during our correspondence, much more than that is involved. To mention only one aspect, there is, for example the question of the ultimate disposition of the complementary records which I possess; even copies of which are at present missing from either your (destined for British Museum) files, or Mr. Germer's inheritance from A.C. These records, and the ability to set them in place in the whole picture and rightly dispose of them, are at present a problem of some magnitude; for without them no true or approximately true history of the Orders can ever be written, and nor can present Work either be carried on, as in the past, or properly become reformulated for the future without confusion and the perpetuation of much misunderstanding. Were this a merely personal matter it could perhaps be dropped, or remain in silence. But there is, I feel, a wider issue, affecting not alone a few agents but the human race, and that issue I cannot in conscience ignore. As a man of integrity, of which I am assured he is, can Mr. Germer do so either? This, of course, also applies to you who are now in possession of some additional facts and information.

Until you first letter arrived I had accepted the passing of A.C. in my own way, and my first act, as you know, on hearing of that passing on December 2nd from Daily Paper, was a gesture of loving acknowledgement, publicly offered to local editor here. But since I have learned of his last Will and Testament, and you have raised other issues in regard to historical records, I have been obliged to turn aside from my own usual affairs and devote much time to unexpected problems—which may take up much more of that time in the future; however they are solved, or whatever solution is attempted. For that reason, viz: economy of time, I am pressing ahead with this correspondence in an effort to arrive at a harmonious settlement of apparent difficulties involving several of us.

Mr. Germer appears, quite sincerely, to be at present working under some misapprehension, so far as I am concerned; that is to say, in regard to my personal character and magical status. Under the circumstances it seems quite natural that he should prefer that no outer communication be established. As things are, I feel rather the same way. But the "division hither homeward" so far as Therion is concerned was all part of the magical formula and ordeals of Liber Legis itself—a necessary and important part. The question is whether division or disunion should in any way be further involved, exoterically or esoterically, one or both, so far as Saturnus is concerned with me and the general problem affecting a number of others.

I have no desire to re-establish the system of the A∴A∴ in its original or later form, nor to try and build up Lodges of the O.T.O.—but I am closely related to what remains of both those systems. I do want clearly to be informed of the truth of the present condition of the "hierarchy" of A∴A∴ The A∴A∴ was built by A.C. on the plan of the "Tree of Life" (following the G∴D∴ [Golden Dawn] in which he was originally initiated) and he always told me: One must have a hierarchy or there's the devil to pay. There was a complete set of people in Grades at one time—while I was a Grand Neophyte. At any rate for Official Publications of importance, some appearance of this had to be preserved. Thus you will find in The Equinox of the Gods, the latest and perhaps most important of his publications, that a list of officers was shown under seal. But (whatever A.C.'s supposed attitude towards me), and without question or consent, my (names) Mottos had to be used in three places (including the post of Cancellarius) and his own Names in at least other three as 666, O.M. and P.[erdurabo]. There is a mystery about 93, who is invisible. Now that A.C. has passed, then, what remains of these officials? I.W.E. [Martha Küntzel] 7º=4^o seems to appear for the first time at that juncture. Will someone please tell me whose motto those letters stand for? Also whether O.S.V. [Ol Son of Vaoresagi—Crowley's Adeptus Minor motto] (whose outer name I don't remember, but who may also have been A.C. and V.N. [Volo Noscere—George Cecil Jones] are still living? The question you see is: what is to be used in the event of a further important publication such as Liber Aleph? If course Saturnus may have definite instructions about this, viz: to change the establishes system long recognized in A∴A∴ But, if not, how about the further use of my Names? This would at least require my consent, and that would depend on carefully considered facts about the whole situation. There are a number of such points which are bound to crop up, and on them a knowledge of A.C.'s views of A∴A∴ (apart from Thelema) is essential. This knowledge, Saturnus, who is, I understand, not much interested in such matters, may or may not have. Saturnus, I gather, seems to favour a much simplified system. The key to this might lie in "The Tree of Life" (under new current, as mentioned in diaries of Initiations under New Aeon) having folded up into a Single Concentric Sphere. Perhaps that is the new form things should take. That is, unless A∴A∴ (as such) is now to be considered as a thing of the past. But, even so, and the sorrows are but as shadows, they pass and are done, THERE IS THAT WHICH REMAINS.

These remains must be something more than ASHES left to the care of TIME. May not, in some way, the PHOENIX be expected to arise? Has he, even now, in the sense of the true word of Masonry (93), already arisen

? For this is Easter Monday—and the Parzival, 418, ABRAHADABRA formula is the principle one of Liber Legis.

These things I submit to you for your grave considerations. I also enclose an extra copy of this letter. Perhaps you will see how it may save time if you care to make good use of it.

Yours in Unity and Love.

Achad.

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