|
Correspondence from Gerald Yorke to Charles Stansfeld Jones
20 June 1948
Dear Jones,
Your 16/6/48. The very brief comment was written as a result of a special magical retirement for that purpose. By this date in 1925 A.C. had completed the bulk of his various Commentaries, and except for a few undated afterthoughts, made no further attempt to elucidate the problems set by the text of Liber Legis. The completion of the comment did however coincide with a fresh phase in his life. Up to the completion of the very short comment, all his major magical workings had been devoted either to acquiring initiations, to seek knowledge, as in the Paris Working; or to comment on Liber Legis, as in the Cephaloedium Workings. These were community workings. After the very short comment, he devoted the rest of his life to putting over The Book of the Law. To do this he wanted to get into a position which would enable him to put these ideas over in a big way. The schemes were many and fantastic. He did not actually neglect magical work, but confined it to IX° privately performed. He might possibly have tried community working for this end if he had had the opportunity, but for the rest of his life he did not have suitable people with whom to work. The change of attitude towards life is explained very simply. He was trying to put over what he had got, as opposed to trying to get it. He was good at the latter, phenomenally bad at the former. In other words he was good as a prophet, but bad as St. Paul.
You are hardly accurate in saying that Handel [Albert H. Handel] and I have all your workings. You have kept to yourself your solution to II 76 on May 30, etc. etc. You have kept back so much of the important stuff that to me at any rate it is impossible to pass final judgment on what you have sent.
I gather now from your letter to John Symonds, and your somewhat evasive and negative replies to me, that you are not prepared to send for copying the other diaries of A.C.'s which you have. I am most grateful for what you have sent. If you do not propose to send any more, I am tempted to reciprocate.
As for your test questions.
1. Yes.
4. My private concern. I lay no claim to being a "lofty one".
5. "Passing through fire" is the normal cathartic experience which everyone goes through as a result of taking the oath of a probationer, or its equivalent in any of the genuine religious or mystical systems.
6(a). True and false at the same time in all three categories. What is truth? (b). 0 equals 2.
7. Take the oath of a Magister Templi and carry it out. As an alternative you can do it once you have acquired the 8 siddhi. In practice you would not do it to show off your siddhi, so the answer is "balls".
Do please reciprocate by giving your solution. You could not be bothered or else did not trust me last time you put a test question.
Yours,
|