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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Jane Wolfe
K.J. GERMER 260 West 72nd Street New York, N. Y.
September 6, 1949
Dear Jane,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Yours of Sept. 1. Meanwhile you should have received my letter of Aug. 31st through Jean [Jean Sihvonen].—It answers part of yours of Sept 1. We cannot be responsible for messes created by people themselves. I myself consider the ranch the best place to recover if that is possible. We all have had to make concessions.—
Re Jung. I don't know anything about Jung's philosophy. I just cannot imagine that he can reach up to insights given by 93.—But we have a very interesting recent case. Our leading brother in Germany, the one appointed by I.W.E. [Martha Kuntzel] as her successor, Lekve [Friedrich Lekve], who has built up an "Abbey of Thelema"; who has quite a following and is preaching the Law actively, was a strict follower of Jung. In fact he misinterpreted the H.G.A. [Holy Guardian Angel] conception in such a way that I had to write him some pretty harsh letters, with the result that he tried to turn to Mildred [Mildred Burlingame]—Ray [Ray Burlingame], etc. etc. One eminent man in Germany who was in touch with Lekve, a scholar, wrote me that he had to drop L.[ekve] because L. was too exclusively sold on Jung, while he thought that certainly a man like Crowley must have a deeper philosophy and one that could not be squeezed into that of a man like Jung.—
I was not a little surprised that Lekve wrote me in his last letter (3 weeks ago) very humbly (after having been quite cocky before) that he had had an illumination in which among other things a voice shook him and told him "I AM, not YOU"! In a blinding flash he realized that his former conception that the H.G.A. was but a function of the Psyche in the sense of Jung, was wrong, and that mine was right. I.e. (in his words) "that the H.G.A. is a living Being of such ineffable qualities compared to which the conception of the 'Self' shrinks to a mere phantom". Etc. etc.—But do read LXV and VII. 'Also I beheld my God and the countenance of Him. . .' Chapter IV, LXV. Liber VII is the love song from one God to another.—(Who create Zero).
I had thought that A.C. in "Aleister Explains Everything" [Magick without Tears] had made all this abundantly clear. There are 'Secret Chiefs', 'Gods', etc. and also the H.G.A., all described under different headings. He also uses the term 'The Masters'. It is a matter of initiation to understand all these things from the inside out.
In fact, Lekve has now to drop all the 'Lections' he had had printed. I had told him that his conception was unthelemic. But I hold nothing against him. We all of us have to GROW through mistakes and false early conception. If you reach those silent cold higher planes: how much have not A.C.'s conceptions changed since you knew him! All we want is that we do GROW, and reach through fog and cloud the fount of Light. 'Come up through the creeks to the fresh water, I shall be waiting for you with my kisses.' The trouble begins when one like Jones [Charles Stansfeld Jones], and others, set up a false God, and are led to disaster.
Agape [Agape Lodge] books at Roy's [Roy Leffingwell]. I wrote about this Aug. 31. Yours of Sept. answers much about this and makes it easier. But I realise the amount of physical work it has meant for you. Do please enlist the help of Mildred in such cases, or whom else you can find. I am very eager to hear more about this angle. Especially also about the 'Rituals and paper' that Rhea [Rhea Leffingwell] wrote me she took away and to the ranch. I presume there are also a lot of Lodge books at the ranch? In my letter to Jean [Jean Sihvonen] I said it might be wise to take and store anything she picks up at the ranch with Georgia's [Georgia Schneider]. That was meant only for convenience's sake, as I thought Jean's & Ero's [Ero Sihvonen] quarters are too cramped.
Please make a complete and exact list of all the papers you collect. We must act businesslike. Even in such trifles. And whatever you have collected (and Jean) hang on to it and don't hand anything over to anybody without my o.k. I'll be glad, and it may be necessary anyway, to appoint you as temporary Head of Agape Lodge and direct representative of Grand Lodge during the phase of Roy's incapacitation.
I'm afraid I can't do much for Ishrah [Herbert Schmolke]. I'd love to and may send him another parcel. But I have so many obligations that I have to concentrate strictly on the first call. Please tell me if you or anyone else is still sending parcels to others, such as Aleister Ataturk? I've got to send parcels to Ruth Schneckenburger (Lekve's friend) as she had made copies of Vol. III of the Confessions with great devotion. She asked for shoes 5 1/2 and 6! No one in your circle has such Liliputan feet. Ask Mildred if she has sent her shoes, and whether she has traced somebody who can spare a few pair. That would save me expenses, as we cannot afford to buy new ones.
Love is the law, love under will.
Should you come to visit us with Jean, and if you pump me sufficiently, I'll be happy to try and make as many things clear to you as I am able to.
Karl
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