(10/21/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley

1814th Ord S&M Co (Avn)
APO 149, % PM, NY NY
21 Oct. 1944
Belgium

Dear A.C.,

Yours of 28th Sept. Hove to the other day so have taken the night off, it is now past 0130 AM, to get your ‘Artemis’ off to you. It is being forwarded under separate cover. This is the only time of day I can corral the typewriter from its official duties – as well as being the only time of day I have to write. Not wishing to trust my only copy to the hands of unknown censors who might cut some of it or remove the thing entirely, thus forwarding an empty envelope to you, I have made a carbon copy which I am forwarding while I retain the original you sent me. I am inclosing in this letter three poems of recent origin – “In September”, “The Cynic”, and “Normandie in June”. The first I put a great deal of work on and I hope it stands up to your test, this second I make absolutely no defense of it – it just came that way, and the third was a spur of the moment thing which may or may not be indifferent.

Have still been unable to find any practicable means of forwarding money to you direct. The post office refuses, still, to make out money orders to the U.K. I have written to Jack requesting information as to his receipt and forwarding of the $80, for July. No reply as yet. I sent nothing for September or October. My commitment had been filled and money was needed elsewhere. I shall, however, endeavor to dispatch $80, on the 1st of Nov. – if not directly at least to Germer. Perhaps Finance has some English notes which I could exchange for and send via registered mail. Will try. I have no objections to your method of paying me for the money I put into the Tarot – I would, however, like to have a receipt or notation to this effect that you received the second fifty pounds. That, according to my files, came though in or around January and February. I won’t expect receipt for the 100 lbs on the fifty letters until you know definitely that Jack forwarded the $80 I sent him.

Don’t believe I was permitted to name towns visited in previous letters. If not the list reads something like this; Cherbourg, Valognes, Mounteburg, St. Mare Eglise, Carentan, Isigny, St. Lo, Vire, Avranches, Dol, Mont St. Michael, Chartres, Paris, Leon, Rheimes, Brussels, etc. They do say that travel is educational.

Doubt if I will get a chance to see Falconer as we are up in Belgium now. Think I will drop her a note anyway.

Have a deal on for “La Gauloise” which may break it wide open. Hope to be able to tell you more that it in the near future.

Any progress organizing the group? Hope to hear good news from you on that soon. That would give us an entirely new set of factors to coordinate but well worth the bother.

as ever,

Note: Originally published in Thelema Lodge Calendar, September 2001.

(10/21/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley

Note: Thank you to William Heidrick for making this image available.