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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Wednesday, 21 May 1924
Wednesday.
Awakened by Sol streaming into room.
8.30 circa.
Xantl, high-priest of Xocatuahl in Xacantuatl, was entrusted with the duty of causing the sun to rise. One night he overslept himself, and woke with golden rays streaming on his face. His first motion was of abject terror. Some other wizard, equally powerful, had been at work. But his good sense came to his aid; and by the aid of a favourite and ingenious assistant priest a great Law of Nature was discovered: that on doing a thing regularly, if only you do it often enough, it gets the habit, and will work with only an occasional intervention. So thereafter good old Xantl slept in peace, until the favourite and intelligent youth (who had taken it upon himself to perform the rites in his stead) revealed the state of the case to Quetzcohunihuatl and his ministers. And after that he slept in greater peace. MORAL. It will get on quite well without you; but you had better get up and work to keep the Universe in motion after all.
The fancies of the night. A simple device.
[At this point there is a rough pencil-sketch of a man, seated, against a line A B C]
A. A sheet of iron firmly fixed at all 4 corners. B. A wire snare fastened by a button through A to hold the scrotum of G.C.J. [George Cecil Jones] or other suitable person. C. Fuel. The victim is left absolutely free save for B; and the observer should not know how much fuel is being put on at one time or another.
A sick man's fancy. The assistant priest of Xantl was both intelligent and inglorious therefore hath his name endured unto this day and it was Xuman B'Gaatl. Now Xuman was old and well stricken in years; and he bethought him of the fate of Xantl. So he discovered a new Law of Nature, by which the rising of the Sun depended on the life of the High Priest. And Xuman died full of years and honours; and the people were apalled. For the Sun rose, and man wist not why; and one bold and evil cried openly that Xuman had been a liar. But Bngum his most favourite and intelligent assistant, becoming inspired, declared that the spirit of the high priest had passed into him, and bade the people stone that bold and evil man with stones. And this being done, the land had peace, and the Sun rose daily, and Bgnum reigned in the stead of Xuman.
A sick man's fancy. And it came to pass in the fullness of years that sickness fell about the land of Xacantuatl, and many of the priests died, so that none better could be found to wear the Tiara of King's Eyes than Quaerqws who was little better than a fool. And when he came to be high priest, he caused the rites which make the sun to rise to be performed askew, and maimed, and in reverse. And he said in himself that the rising of the Sun had nothing to do with those rites. Then Qwstm and Qouttu, his assistants, took counsel together, and fell upon Quaerqws unaware and slew him, and proclaimed that the Sun indeed would continue to rise daily by virtue of the mighty magic of the high priests of Antiquity (be Their Names whispered with awe!) provided always that the ancient customs were observed duly. But there arose debate between Qwstm and Qouttu as to wherein lay the true succession to the Tiara of King's Eyes.
A sick man's fancy. The bottom of this old boat is hard: but I didn't make it, and I won't complain. Now, what must I do? I might count the cats that go over the bridge. (Two have passed in the last hour and a half.) I might listen to the church clock of Gormay striking. I might think out plans for attacking the old toll-house at the other end of the bridge: it guards the hostile department of Seine-et-Oise. I might wonder what the man (invisible) is doing that he hammers now and again. (There goes another cat, strange!) Or I might think Whether or no to fix up a card somewhere, saying This is my busy morning and: Do it now. and: Time is money. And all that lot. After all, the river is there to attend to personally-conducted tours of rubbish. No: the bottom of this old boat is too hard: to arms, and look for a softer spot!
A sick man's fancy. There came a vision. All life was vegetable life. Man's thirst and hunger—as he sprouted—awoke in him all energies, devices, what not—all he thinks his own. We are obedient to the rays that kindle, and beget, and heal, and bring to growth, and wean, and slay. So in the vision was no place for any I—until that I was the conscious life of the whole. Them what is this that I have thought of 'all my life'—as "I"? A tree, whose immortality is in its seeds. And thus my thoughts of Wisdom, comprehension, kindness, energy, beauty—all these may take root and flourish in distant soil when my primal stem is withered and dead. So even the England that we loved and have lost survives—though unrecognizably—in her colonies.
[The following is in the hand of Leah Hirsig:]
Wednesday. May 21.
3.14 P.M. The fundamental mistake in all systems of government is that any machinery whatever may be abused by an unscrupulous person who understands the working of it. There is .'. only one art of government: the production of honest and capable men (Initiates) and putting absolute power into their hands.
8.55 P.M. All women's social and other activities are calls for the male. The uglier the woman, the more desperate the efforts. A sliding scale might be constructed on these principles.
? Essay on Henry V [IV] as "the King with a sense of reality". Note his challenge at the Tournament: "to pluck favour for the common'st creature of the Stews" and with it "unhorse the lustiest challenger" showing his perception that all women were alike. Also the dialogue ending "So did he never the sparrow". and the "small beer". I think his courtship scenes are intended to bear this out. Also, his wild life shows his disgust with the artificiality of the Court.
What should we men know of chastity if it were not for women—or of unchastity either.
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