Letters | The Grady McMurtry Project

Letters to and from Grady Louis McMurtry:

Letters by Person

Aleister Crowley-McMurtry Collection (1943-1947)
Karl Germer-McMurtry Collection (1943-1948)
Jane Wolfe-McMurtry Collection (1946-1953)

Letters by Year

[ 1943 – 1944 – 1945 – 1946 – 1947 – 1948 – 1949 ]
[ 1950’s – 1960’s – 1970’s – 1980’s ]

1943

(01/04/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady’s first letter to Crowley. Questions Crowley’s ideas of Thelema. Mentions Agape Lodge and impractical plans there. Discusses poetry.
(03/02/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Crowley’s first letter to Grady. Comments on Grady’s poetry. Displeased with Agape Lodge. Cites Liber CI. Mentions W.T.Smith and Karl Germer. The present world economic situation nearing collapse. Thelema, Aeon of Osiris and quality of products
(05/11/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady’s second letter to Crowley. Grady’s marriage to Claire and problems caused by outside sex at Agape. Difficulty of finding time for study. Jack Parsons. Kybalion.
(06/06/1943) Karl Germer to Grady McMurtry –
(07/14/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Crowley reproaches Grady for jealousy, describes the conflict of jealousy with Thelema and asks that this letter be copied and circulated to the members of the Lodge. Crowley discusses his views of women and hints at the significance of the “Duties and Privileges” as applied to support of children. Mentions of Jane Wolfe, Jack Parsons and how things were done at Cefalu.
(07/28/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Argues economic projections and questions Crowley’s moral and practical theories. Poetry mentioned and a list of poems enclosed.
(08/11/1943) Karl Germer to Grady McMurtry –
(08/18/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Dismisses economics as unscientific. Liber AL is aristocratic. Recommends Ouroboros by G. Garrett. The world now in decline. Desert life should help Grady. Character and work. Grady’s poetry improved, but some knowledge of Latin would help.
(09/02/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Surrealist music, poetry and Technocratic economics. Questions about books on Qabalah. Poems enclosed and a fragment of “Space Tides: A Prophesy.”
(09/04/1943) Grady McMurtry to Karl Germer –
(09/24/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – The Word, Omen, and Oracle of the Autumnal Equinox of Anno Ixx, e.n. (1943, e.v.)
(11/06/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady ponders a possible motto and argues for Technocracy. Mentions poems.
(11/10/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Crowley asking when Grady will come to London, if he will communicate some business to Karl Germer, and loans.
(11/19/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Crowley gives Grady his motto “Hymenaeus Alpha.”
(11/25/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady’s ecstatic reply to Crowley’s suggestion of the name “Hymenaeus Alpha, 777.”
(11/29/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Word play and breakfast.
(12/01/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Receipt for Fifty Pound Sterling, to be repaid in Ten Pound increments over five dates, payable by either Crowley or the G.T.G. Signed as ‘Ankh-f.n-khonsu’ and Baphomet X° O.T.O.’ with Crowley’s wax seal.
(12/05/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Revised approach to restoring Crowley’s reputation. Loan. Reading books and writing poems.
(12/10/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Visit to Crowley postponed. Received the Equinox. Early version of the first portion of “Pangenetor.”
(12/15/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Military address change. Pangentor finished and to be sent. Life and language in the Army. Brief mention of a diary — Crowley later gave Grady a small blank book bound as was the Book of Thoth.
(12/25/1943) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Returned Moon Child. Plan for public relations improvement enclosed. Ideas about the cryptic verse in Liber AL. Mail from Jack Parsons and Jane Wolfe.
(12/28/1943) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Incidentals discussed and Crowley’s appraisal of Grady’s proposal to rehabilitate Crowley’s public reputation. J.Parsons and W.T.Smith.

1944

(03/08/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Difficulties at the front and with the mails complicate plans with A.C.
(03/21/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Liber Resh. Crowley’s health. Financial support given monthly by Grady.
(03/30/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Telegram from Crowley to Grady.
(04/13/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Some of the Magick Without Tears letters were actual correspondence, some contrived.
(04/20/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Near miss from a jettisoned bomb. More on the work of the MWT letters.
(04/28/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Technocracy. Plan to rehabilitate Crowley’s public image discussed further.
(05/20/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Critique of the first few letters composing Magick without Tears. Life on the front.
(05/23/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Brief comments on work up of Magick without Tears, money and a borrowed book
(late June, 1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady now in France. Financial needs for publications. Quotes from a Jack Parsons letter on OTO at Agape and Jack’s interest in witchcraft.
(06/30/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Difficulties just after the move to Aston Clinton. Book recovered, chess opponent killed in the bombing, “V” sign and a new anthem for France.
(07/06/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Diatribes, poetry, and distributing ‘La Galoise.’
(07/14/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Book of Thoth to be sent. Finances. An Abbey of Thelema and promoting La Gauloise.
(07/27/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Distributing “La Gauloise” on the battle fields of France. Money and poetry.
(08/04/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Progress with books. A chart of the 44′ Atumnal Equinox analyzed.
(08/22/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Issues of finance and publication. Intimation of Grady’s coming role in the Order.
(08/24/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Liber OZ card, portrait of Crowley, and Crowley wondering where Grady is.
(08/28/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – A public presentation of “La Gauloise” -maybe. Reception of the troops during the liberation.
(09/28/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – V2 rockets, money, Tarot, visitors, Gnostic Mass, and women.
(10/21/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Difficulties of sending money. Towns passed through after D-day.
(11/06/1944) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Discusses Jack Parsons and tasks set by Crowley for Grady.
(11/13/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Artemis Iota received. Appraisal of Grady’s poetry. Plans for writing Magick without Tears. Jack Parsons, W.T.Smith.
(11/21/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – “The Caliphate,” the necessity of having experience in war, the IX°.

1945

(01/17/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – OTO degree Libri received, Liber Aleph coming. Relocated to France. Brief mention of Frieda Harris, Kenneth Grant, Karl Germer and Jack Parsons.
(02/03/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Money sent to Crowley. Jack Parson’s plans for Agape Lodge depend on Regina but not on W.T.Smith. Grady bluffs his way into the home of a Chef d’Orchestre of a Symphony in Paris, to promote La Gauloise.
(02/12/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Acknowledges Crowley’s move, following bombing. Hopes Grant can join A.C. at new location. Jack Parsons wants the letters of Magick without Tears. Grady recommends Steig’s caricatures.
(03/06/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Confused about remarks concerning W.T.Smith and Jack Parsons. Incidentals: stamps and health. Loss of Regina. Attached poem.
(03/16/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady discusses his “Dynamics of Equlibrium” – a work on Technocratic economy
(04/02/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Problems with Jack Parsons and W.T.Smith. Calculation of Grady’s contributions of funds. Regards to Grant.
(04/11/1945) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Certifies that Grady is a IX° and that he owns 25% of Magick without TearsW
(04/26/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Relocated to service in Germany. No response from Kenneth Grant. Other topics of brief mention.
(05/15/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Celebration and high-jinks on the occasion of V-E Day.
(05/28/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grant mentioned. European duty after V-E Day and Pilzen. Grady’s economic theories of Social and Political affairs for the New Aeon.
(07/01/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Book loan. Problems with Frieda Harris. Incidentals.
(07/19/1945) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – “Yogi & the Commissar” and Lady Frieda Harris.
(07/09/1945) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Difficulty keeping track of typescripts and a suspected theft.
(07/20/1945) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – More on book loans. Changes in European deployment. Incidentals.
(10/01/1945) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Grady being shipped off, Latin, Chess, and health issues.

1946

(02/08/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Congratulates Grady on his work for OTO and invites a visit.
(02/19/1946) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Grady reporting on distribution of Book of Thoth advertisements, discussing finances and suggesting plans for future Lodge and book work. Mentions Jack Parsons, Karl Germer and AMORC.
(03/14/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Health difficulties and plans for OTO in Crowley’s last twelve months.
(03/22/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Baphomet’s authorization of Grady to take control of OTO in California in an emergency.
(04/10/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Letter of authorisation, Ninth Degree, Liber Resh, poetry, and Budge.
(04/11/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Baphomet’s authorization of Grady to act as his personal representative in the USA.
(04/14/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Eye problems, Jack Parsons, AMORC, finances in OTO, and asking for advice.
(05/12/1946) Grady McMurtry to Aleister Crowley – Plans to bring Crowley over to California. Poetry enclosed.
(06/14/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Jack Parsons, L. Ron Hubbard, Jane Wolfe, Mellinger, finances, Moonchild, Occult Review, Browning society, Grady’s possible role.
(11/26/1946) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – The Pope, horoscopes, 777, and Magick Without Tears.

1947

(04/07/1947) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Crowley is sensible about the approach of death. Grady advised to keep in contact.
(06/17/1947) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry – Crowley in his last months advises Grady to prepare to succeed Germer as OHO. Copy of Olla sent. Details of Grady’s ownership of 25% in Magick without Tears.

Letters from 1970-1979.

(undated) Jimmy Page to Grady McMurtry – An undated greeting card from Jimmy Page, likely from 1975-7.
(02/21/1975) Grady McMurtry to Jimmy Page – Grady thanks Jimmy for a card, asks about Jimmy restoring Boleskine, ruminates on Boleskine’s import to Liber AL, and asks Jimmy to get together if he’s ever in the San Francisco Bay Area.
(09/16/1975) Grady McMurtry to Jimmy Page – Grady gives condolences to Jimmy for his cancelled US tour, encloses a membership card for the Great Wild Beast Furtherment Society.
(07/19/1977) Grady McMurtry to Jimmy Page – Grady asks about Jimmy purchasing and renovating Boleskine House, inquires about it possibly becoming a Profess House of OTO, and asks to discuss these things with Jimmy.