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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Tuesday, 11 November 1924
die Mars. Nov. 11. Touggourt.
How shall I act in present crisis? [I Ching Hexagram] XV K/Earth. Khien. Humility. (666. Be easy, gentle, yielding, but on a solid basis.)
[Line] 1. Add humility to humility. Brings good fortune, and journey can go on. [Line] 2. Policy succeeds. [Line] 3. Merit recognized. [Line] 4. Be careful when success comes. [Line] 5. Reveal power—use friends—take strong measures. [Line] 6. Confirm victory by adequate action.
Taro one card. 4 C Luna/Cancer Blended Pleasure. Same lesson as Yi. If A wants to go to a pleasure resort, all right.
El-Oued to Touggourt. die Merc. Nov. 5. Left El Oued 3.30. D.O. [Dorothy Olsen] thrown from mule. Dunes solid at first then more dune-y than ever. Arr[ived] Ournie's at 6.10 (12 km) a charming village—palms in pits. Luna occult. Mars a wonderful sight.
die Jupiter Nov. 6. To Mornet el-Kaid 14 k.m. (seemed very long.) Start 8.20 B.. [illegible] 11.15 to 50. All very dune-y; but not so individual. A vast sea of heaving swell. Arr[ive] 1.40 at Bordj. D[orothy]'s mule shied at a package, and nearly threw her. (The men called it 20 km). The dunes were broken up a good deal for the first 2 hours or so; there is now quite a lot of scrub. The bordj is alone by the well and a landmark: it is very ornamental and comfortable—a spring mattress! Tables, chairs, cooking-place! ! XI° [1] for D.O. "good health and spirits".
die Venus. Nov. 7. To Ferdjane 18 k.m. Start 7.15 sunrise (my watch has gained a good deal). Killed viper. 9.40 Bir (Bad water—went on) 11.0 Halt till noon. Wind freshening from W to N. In 2.5. The dunes flattened out at once: much scrub and big bushed till close to bordj when big dunes start again. Bordj very fine and finely situated among huge dunes near a Landmark. (I spotted the place from very far away: two faint dots · · rightly interpreted). 8.40 P.M. = 8.o. P.M. or earlier: watch v[ery] fast. IX°[1] —invoked Jinn. N.B. 2 days before leaving Tunis, invoked Djinn to take me to desert. Offered as sacrifice the first auto that tried to go through Tozeur-Touggourt. It was duly wrecked: I am square with the Djinn.
die Saturn Nov 8 to M'Guitla. Woke 6.0. Off 7.35. In 12.5. Dunes (mixed) lots of green scrub then more dunes—a vast rolling sea. Bordj, big, empty, no bed. Gardian a thief. There was an epileptic in full blast. I had him dragged into shade: he recovered and went on to Tour. next day. D.O. ill all night: I on bare floor, no blanket.
die Sol. Nov. 9. Up 4 Off 6 Halt (tea) 8.50-9.15. The finest sunrise I have ever seen. I had a marvellous ridge-walk over long rows of dunes. They failed some 16 k.m. from Touggourt. Saw Oasis 10.20. Edge 11.20. Hotel 12.20. The place is more "civilized": damp, depressing; unpleasant people. A paka Shaitan-jagar.
1—Crowley performs a magical sexual operation.
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