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Correspondence from Charles Stansfeld Jones to Gerald Yorke
1 May 1948
Dear Yorke,
Your letter of April 24th arrived yesterday. Thought I would wait until May Day, and let the month of April Fools end in silence.
Thanks for the promise of a copy of Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente with notes. I will not ask you to send typescript of The Vision and the Voice unless or until there seems some need of the notes therein.
I am in full agreement with what you say about the Tao, etc. and quite understand that you contact me better when I am writing personal letters to you rather than firing at you a lot of stuff, not altogether in your line, for the sake of record. But I felt it to be my stern duty to do just that during the special period through which we have passed last month. It is good of you to have taken it so well.
It is lack of understanding which has caused so much trouble in the world. The Magi gave forth but were not understood. Those confined to the City of the Pyramids were in Darkness and were silent. If this new Aeon is one in which it becomes possible to Speak and be Understood, it will indeed be something New to the world, and Truth may at last prevail.
It is necessary for me to take you into my confidence if you are to understand somewhat of the true nature of the present situation from my point of view. I am in a position of great trust and responsibility, and must do the best I can in view of the circumstances as known to me and my own human shortcomings. Were I the incarnation of the lamb of God itself, it would still be true that I inhabit an elderly physical body, with aches and pains and many weaknesses, and so far it is in no sense proved that these are due to a process of regeneration rather than merely the natural one of old age, sickness and ultimate physical death. For the moment it is better to be a living dog than a dead lion. Nevertheless one may look for life more abundant and the overcoming of the last enemy in some way and by right means—if that is according to the Great Purpose. Also have lived for many years on faith and Alms and have no financial capital whatever (save a few dollars). But no debts of a monetary nature.
We own our home and grounds—so long as we pay taxes. The family consists of my wife and grown daughter, who provides for herself; an adopted boy of 13; and two foster brothers of 11 and 12, whose bare maintenance is provided for by the Children's Aid and Government. I must provide my share in order to keep going. This money "comes" without asking from those of my students who are satisfied with their own progress—rather than with what they get from me, for they are often much neglected; as has happened during the last two months. There is, however, provision for their progress by means of documents, and these are not always distributed by me directly—therefore they have in some cases not been at a complete standstill.
When, therefore, you suggest: "We should build up the old A∴A∴" or "You should prepare this, that or the other for publication" or "It is your duty to preach and publish your Word" etc., you are suggesting things which are very desirable in some instances, but which I have to consider in the light of what seems best to do first under the circumstances—that is, if one tries to "do": anything at all, rather than letting things "do" themselves and attending to my own business.
One point is, however, that the System of A∴A∴, though it may have been, and still might be, very excellent, is not the only one worthy of consideration. The situation is a peculiar one. The A∴A∴ did not include a certain, much older traditional system of which A.C. knew nothing. The traditional system, however, had not been sufficiently brought up-to-date—by a certain Chief who passed on—to include and in any way account for Liber Legis and the new Law of Thelema. When I entered the traditional system I was already M.T. [Magister Templi] in A∴A∴—but not too proud to start all over again while waiting about in Darkness in the City of the Pyramids. Therefore, instead of "devising a new Universe of my own" to "put over" as a Magus, I simply worked until I attained the grade of M.T. in the traditional system which had the complete Plans for understanding this Universe as it is—not on some magical or astral plane that caused nothing but muddle and confusion. The passing of A.C. enabled these two M.T. views to coincide in a practical manner. There's no further need for the Illusory "Magus" idea, with its "Curse" and the need to "Speak Truth in order that it may enslave souls". Let's try to speak a bit of truth that can be understood by the common man and help him in his problems—which are many.
Therefore, Brother, if it gas been so arranged by A.C. that Saturnus is to carry on with A∴A∴ and O.T.O. activities, let's just wait and see what he does about it—in view of the "earful" I've already given him about the New Aeon. I still have a considerable following to attend to, who are working on a System that they can understand—if not fully cope with because of its Macrocosmic extent and complexity. It's the Pattern of the Macrocosm, and of the Microcosm, which has to be used to form a World Government which will work in harmonious fashion. Without those Plans it will never work.
Yours in Unity and Love,
Achad.
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