Correspondence from Charles Stansfeld Jones to Gerald Yorke and Others

 

 

 

 

 

2 April 1948

 

 

THE AEON OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE

1.11 P.M. April 2, 1948.

PRAISE BE TO GOD THE PLENUM

OF ALL PERFECTION!

 

 

I, CHARLES ROBERT JOHN STANSFELD JONES of "TALL TIMBERS", DEEP COVE, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, having this day arrived at the age of 62 years, do here and now make the following statement of objective fact in accordance with advice given me yesterday by mail by my friend and Brother Albert H. Handel of New Jersey, United States of America.

     

These facts have chiefly to do with my relationships with one who called himself SAINT EDWARD ALEISTER CROWLEY, who passed from this earth life on December 1, 1947 at Hastings, England and whose earthly body was cremated at Brighton, England in the presence of his friends including Mr. Gerald J. Yorke of London, Lady Harris [Frieda Harris]. Mr. Wilkinson [Louis Wilkinson] and Mr. Bailey [James Gilbert Bayley] together with members of the Press.

     

I have been given to understand by Mr. Gerald J. Yorke, who wrote to me first on February 11, 1948, and with whom I have since been in correspondence, that Aleister Crowley's legal Will contained provisions whereby a Mr. Karl Germer of New York and California, U.S.A., inherited certain property including the original manuscript of a certain historical Book entitled Liber AL vel Legis, published under the title The Equinox of the Gods in the year 1938, together with a certain special ring, called "that of Ankh-f-na-khonsu" (which I have never to my knowledge seen) and various other effects, letters, manuscripts, etc. Also his ashes, which are to be sent to America. In addition to this, I am given to understand that A.C. conferred upon the Brother known as Saturnus (Mr. Karl Germer) his "mantles" both in regard to the Orders known as the A∴A∴ and the O.T.O. Just what these facts specifically imply I have not yet ascertained, but have asked Mr. Yorke to obtain for me a copy of Aleister Crowley's Will from Somerset House. I have no desire whatever to dispute the Will once the facts are known to me. I have never personally, nor by correspondence, met Mr. Karl Germer (Saturnus.)

     

Such being the case it should now be put on record, so far as I can at this sitting remember or easily look up, just what I myself had previously inherited from Aleister Crowley in his personal capacity, as such, and in his connection with the Orders of the A∴A∴ and O.T.O. above referred to.

     

So far as the O.T.O. is concerned I became a member of that Order, under A.C., who was then known as Rex.Sum.Sanc. Ireland Iona and all the Britain's, and himself subject to one known as the O.H.O., the head of the Order [Theodor Reuss]. I received in 1915 a certificate of Hon. VII° giving rights to work O.T.O. in Canada. This was followed in 1916 by Hon. X° Certificate for Canada. The second of these is still in my possession together with photograph of the first, the original of which was for a certain purpose handed to a Mr. W.T. Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith] now of Los Angeles.

     

These certificates, under A.C., were only in connection with Canada—where I established British Columbia Lodge Number One. I have never worked O.T.O. since in lodge Form. Later, quite apart from Aleister Crowley, I received full (not Hon.) X° and Charter for North America from the original O.H.O. [Outer Head of the Order], under whom A.C. still then was. This document still exists, and was concurred in by A.C. It was made out to me as Parzival—which is my name in tat order as IX° as well as in A∴A∴ as 5º=6o (Adeptus Minor.)

     

Later Aleister Crowley was established as O.H.O. on the death of the former Secret Head of the Order. In that change I became, as Parzival, at the new O.H.O.'s own request, PAST Grand Master of O.T.O. for the United States of North America. Any further details in regard to that Order and my connection with it, or separation from it, make no difference to the that fact, viz: that as Parzival I am a Past Grand Master of O.T.O.

     

Now in regard to the much more important matter of the A∴A∴ some of the objective facts are these:

     

Have original certificate of Oath of a Probationer, under Per Ardua (now Major General J.F.C. Fuller) signed December 24, 1909.

     

Have original magical diaries as Probationer and Neophyte to Grade of Zelator, with comments thereon by O.M. (A.C.) and all his correspondence of that period. My Neophyte's Pantacle (design of the universe) is published in The Equinox III.1 together with the early part of my Magical Diary [A Master of the Temple]—the remainder of which was not published, because The Equinox did not continue to be issued as originally planned by A.C.—still possessed by me in its original form.)

     

Have original document issued by A∴A∴—Oaths of the Grades Neophyte to Adeptus Minor, Liber which contains Oaths of Grades, papers A, Classes B, C, D, E, and F. (See Liber XIII, The Equinox I Number 3, "Gradum Montis Abiegni") together with secret books: Libers LXI, LXV, VII and CCXX. This document is signed by A.C. (in his magical capacity) showing that all Grades to that of Adeptus Minor had been satisfactorily passed.

     

Having nothing special to show objectively in connection with Grade of Adeptus Major 6º=5o.

     

Received 7º=4o Name, as Exempt Adept, in presence of A.C. and another, from Amalantrah of the Sphere of Jupiter, March 31, 1918 in New York. This Name is "Arctaeon". Have special vellum copy of Liber CCCXXXIII [The Book of Lies] inscribed: "To my beloved son Arctaeon from To Mega Therion, An XV, Sol in Aries".

     

Grade of 8º=3o publicly declared on my behalf by A.C. in a number of writings, such as publication of part of my diary as Liber CLXV (Nemo) in The Equinox Vol.III No. 1, and confirmed (1936) in The Equinox of the Gods as 777—along with "Parzival" and "Achad" under Seal of Order of A∴A∴.

     

As proof of connections with the past Order of the Golden Dawn, for Historical purposes, have original written copy of Ceremony of 5º=6o, coming from D.D.S. (George Cecil Jones) dated March 6, 1897, inscribed by A.C.: "To 777 from 666, An. XV, Sol in Sagittarius".

     

As proof of inheritance of magical wisdom, so far as it can be put into writing, have original of Liber Aleph, a book written expressly for me as his Magical Son by 666, inscribed: "666 9º=2o  A∴A∴ to my Son 777". Also there is the published letter, Liber CCC—Khabs Am Pekht, in The Equinox III.1.

     

Have signed draft of New Commentary on Liber Legis delivered to me by 666, with many additions afterwards supplied.

     

Have A.C.'s original letter and post-card upon his receipt of original of my Liber 31 which supplied him with Key to Liber Legis. These are dated September 8 & 9, 1919, Liber 31 was to have formed the Appendix to The Equinox of the Gods—or to follow that publication which contained the "Comment" but not the full "Commentaries", together with other qabalistic workings of A.C.'s and others. The Manuscript of Liber 31, supplied to A.C. in 1919, did not survive among his papers—I understand—and was not, in any event, willed to another. Copies have now been made from the Original in my possession, one of which has been sent for eventual deposit in the British Museum along with copy of The Equinox of the Gods and others of A.C.'s writings.

     

I have received from A.C., a large number of letters during the course of years between 1913 and 1936. Many of these are of extreme magical importance, and were written to me as his Magical Son—in the sense foretold in Liber Legis, which is a very special one. These are still in my possession and, although not very likely to be published, form (together with my replies) a complementary aspect of the picture presented in papers etc. which survived and which, I understand, will eventually be turned over to Mr. Karl Germer, as in some sense A.C.'s successor, which includes right to publish certain of A.C.'s papers—not mine.

     

This then implies a certain business aspect, so far as Mr. Germer is concerned, viz: publishing in printed form. So far as all business in regard to sale of books, etc. is concerned, I have a legal Mutual Release, between A.C. and myself, signed for him by his Attorney in Fact, Mr. Max Schneider, in the presence of proper witnesses, on the 4th day of June 1926 which contains the following clause:

It is further mutually agreed by and between the parties that in consideration of . . ., and in further consideration of the mutual promises by and between the parties, that all (money and property) claims, demands, and accounts by and between the parties, are hereby liquidated, released, cancelled and annulled, and that all (money and property) differences by and between the parties of whatever nature or character from the beginning of the world to the present time are hereby released, cancelled and annulled by each party to the other.

(N.B. The Wording as made out by lawyers at first did not contain the words shown in brackets above; they were in at my request, to show that there was no release at that time in regard to ties of a higher nature, such as spiritual or magical bonds of fellowship.)

     

Since the signing of that Mutual Release I have had no further business or property dealings with A.C. of any kind, and have consistently refused to enter into any such further ties when requested to do so by A.C. himself; as, for example, in 1936 when he wished me to contribute to the cost of publication of The Equinox of the Gods and did not like it because I firmly refused to do so—referring him to the existence of the Mutual Release.

     

The passing of Aleister Crowley on December 1, 1947 might, from one aspect, be considered as a Mutual Release on the magical as well as the objective planes. If such is (in view of Almighty God) the case, and one called Saint Edward Aleister Crowley is destined to pass on to well-earned and needed Rest, then R.I.P.

     

But, as his Magical Son, in the sense of Liber Legis, I do not feel that any link has been broken—rather, to use a phrase of his, that we should keep on Loving and Trusting.

     

The world and the press may think and feel that A.C.'s life was a failure. He was branded as an evil man—certainly no Saint.

     

But the objective fact remains that I dedicated my book The Egyptian Revival to "My Magical Sire—the Prophet of the Aeon." And I included part of one of his poems from The Ship, signed Saint Edward Aleister Crowley. It is then perhaps my duty to show eventually that I knew another aspect of A.C.—a Fine one—and that in this New Aeon of Truth and Justice this, too, should be given to the world. Many of his dealings with me, as His Son, proved him to be other than the type of man which the press of the world has passed judgment upon.

     

It is my belief that in essence the soul of every man and woman is Good, Beautiful and True. As Liber Legis has it: "Every Man and Every Woman is a Star"! To this I add: Time will show!

     

Completed April 2, 1948, 3.51 P.M. and signed—with 2 carbon copies:

 

Achad.

 

Now! See 351 in Sepher Sephiroth: Achad (for Perdurabo, the MAN!)

     

N.B. Moses does seem to have had it in for the people with the golden calf. April 2 1948 was 156 anniversary of opening of United States Mint. (? Fall of Babalon) Perhaps changes in financial system indicated. Also at city of seven hills?

 

 

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