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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Edward Noel Fitzgerald
Hampton N.J. P.O. Box 581
January 11, 1956
Dear Noel:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The 2 document-letters from and to Dr. Gardner [Gerald Gardner] came back, with your letter of Jan. 1. While I have no objection to send you a formal Charter, I suggest you do not wait for its arrival but go ahead with preliminary steps and let me know how your propose to set it up. As you know, the O.T.O. has a definite scale of fees. I discussed this years ago (around 1946 or a little before) with 666 asking whether they should not be reduced or adjusted. He said positively No, for definite reasons of the magical field. With Grant [Kenneth Grant] I had great difficulties. He did not want to pay for books; he expected that we here, who are poor, supply what we have as duplicates, or what we print under personal sacrifices, free of charge. And so forth.
As long as the O.T.O. existed, there have always been fees etc. They may appear high for the higher grades. But then the members who are admitted to the higher grades should have reached them by genuine effort and be able to use any powers conferred to the improvement of their station in life, so as to be able to help better in the establishment of 93; unless, of course, their T.W. [True Will] is of a different nature.
In the Los Angeles Lodge of the OTO it was handled so that half of the fees collected went to the local Lodge for expenses. The other half, and all IX° fees went to the Headquarters. I only state this. I am not, at the present time, expecting any financial aid from England Lodges. What is important for you to bear in mind is that you will have to have some cash funds for all sorts of purposes. So it is a good plan to start off with the right foot. It is always difficult later on to impress members with the need to pay their fees. If, for instance you have actually in mind to print, or to help print some books such as Metzger [Hermann Metzger] is doing—how will you do it? Believe me, Metzger has no funds. The reason why he accomplishes so much with bare hands, is his clean and pure aspiration, his passion to publish 83 books in German, his drive. That is something which is worth more than anything else.
Liber Aleph, I am glad you think of this. Houghton [Michael Houghton] in a cocky moment wanted to publish this immediately after "777". So far he has evaded when I tackled him. I wonder whether you could help tickle him by asking whether the book would be issued and when? Or, if some of your devotees would casually ask him. I might, if he or somebody else would plan its publication in a good form, go so far as to offer some financial help towards actual costs.
Your warning as to be discretion is well heeded. Don't worry.
There is nothing that I can think of at the moment, so will send this off.—Oh yes: have you the rituals of the IV° V° and VI°? I traced the VI° last year, and Yorke [Gerald Yorke] has the original MS. book. Please wait a little for "Emblems and Mode of Use." I sent a copy to Yorke on condition it was only for him personally (not to show) it to Grant. [illegible] if I authorize him.
Love is the law, love under will.
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