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Correspondence from Grady McMurtry to Phyllis Seckler
[EXTRACT]
[28 January 1969]
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . .
[Crowley] referred to his plan for me as, among other things, his 'Caliph'. But was he only speaking generally, or did he have a specific office within the Order in mind? I was quick to pick up the significance of this, or course, and fired a letter right back. The result of that was his letter of November 21, 1944.
[The] essence of it is that Karl [Karl Germer] was to be Caliph, and I might, or night not, be Karl's successor. Why not? Had he, perhaps, decided that he had been to impetuous in his letter of Nov. 19, 1943, pronouncing my motto to be HYMENAEUS ALEPH, 777? Was that only a literary pronouncement, and not meant as a true magical act of Will? Or had he, in actuality, accepted me as his magical son. but felt that, for various reasons, it would be best not to say so at the time . . . I think that he did, on pronouncing my number to be 777, accepted me as the magical son he had been talking to when he wrote Liber Aleph. So why didn't he 'publicly' say so? Making me legitimate?
It has been hell; so many have come up with amazing promise, only to go on the rocks. [Crowley openly proclaiming the son in the past] may have even have prevented it by letting lose Goetic forces that destroyed the 'crown prince'. [McMurtry relates the Chinese parable of the Grandmother who] when confronted with some idiot complimenting her on the beauty of her latest grandchild, immediately throws the demons off the scent by proclaiming loudly how ugly it is, how deformed, how poor in appearance, etc., for she knows, from ancient wisdom, that the maleficent forces only attack the rare, the good, and the beautiful, for why should they attack that which is already ugly,, deformed and of no value?
[Crowley said] he could not establish the order of the Caliphate. My Sword to him that can get it. Everyone can make him—or herself—of Presidential Timber. [Crowley] simply left it open ended. I had certain advantages. If I could establish myself in the order of succession, fine and good. [Crowley did not want] to blast my chances and possibly me by holding forth his hand because he knew by then, from very sad experience, what frightening and unknown, forces could be set in motion simply by the holding forth of his hand.
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