(11/21/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry

The Mark of the Beast

Nov 21 ’44 e.v.

Bell Inn
Aston Clinton
Bucks

Care Frater

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Yours of Nov 6: this reply being mostly official, I use the formal style.

As nearly always in correspondence, there is misunderstanding.

The Caliphate“. You must realize that no matter how closely we may see eye-to-eye on my objective subject, I have to think on totally different premises where the Order is concerned.

One of the (strangely few) commands given to me was this: “Trust not a stranger: fail not of an heir.” This has been the very devil for me. Fra.’.[Saturnus].’. is of course the natural Caliph; but there are many details concerning the central policy on working which hit his blind spots. In any case, he can only be a stopgap, because of his age; I hope to look for his successor. It has been hell; so many have come up with amazing promise, only to go on the rocks.

Now it never occurred to me to regard you + Jack as rivals. (Boys, by the way, the wreath of Apollo, not Lays.) The subject was poetry, I think.

But – now here is where you have missed my point altogether – I do not think of you as lying on a grassy hillside with a lot of dear sweet lovely woolly lambs, capering to your flute! On the contrary. Your actual life, or “blooding”, is the sort of initiation which I regard as the first essential for a Caliph. For – say 20 years hence the Outer Head of the Order must, amongst other things, have had the experience of war as it is in actual fact to-day.

([Saturnus] had lots of it: Iron + twice wounded: rose from ranks to 1st Lieut=our Major)

1965 e.v. should be a critical period in the development of the Child Horus!

[I don’t know what you mean by “Jack’s program” or by mine, which “did not succeed”. I myself am unable to say what mine was, or is, and whether it succeeded or not. I know that I failed badly in my duty; but that may have been part of the Plan! So may anything. The only course is to do what seems right at the time, so far as one can; and “unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result” …Yes, I know how bewildering it all is!]

Now about the IX: the theory is simple, and I think I told you enough at 93 for you to work on. Just in case: —

You prepare the Medicine by mixing the two ingredients, with your mind concentrated and exalted on the purpose of the Opus at the moment of mixingYou absorb this; preferably by the mucous membrane (so as to avoid the gross elemental changes which would occur if it were swallowed); and, when a third person or thing is involved, you apply a small portion of it, either directly or by means of a talisman or some such device. In material Opus it may be well to complete the circuit by making contact with earth, e.g. the grass, or a plant, not a floor or any artificial “ground.”

The Art of preparing the Elixir is not easy: (a) you must get a copious Eagle, and (b) the eggs ought to be fertilized: (c) the Link must be made secure. Remember that the thing works in every case; so, if you miss your target, stray bullets will be flying around, and may do endless mischief. They may even hit you!

Experience: the first and only Teacher. I trust that the above will have confirmed rather than instructed. If any point is in doubt, let me know.

I will send you a copy of De Arte Magica under separate cover. (Note that I treat you as a full member of the IX°: only sorry that the grades could not be given in the form originally prescribed.) This book (30pp) give you a lot of extra hints, and is besides a good springboard for your own research. You may discover all sorts of new things for yourself. The one thing that never alters is the basic formula of יהוה.

Love is the law, love under will.

Yours fraternally {11-fold cross} Baphomet O.H.O.

P.S. Calamity!

No Diary to be had for ’45.

I hate to break uniformity of my set; So, IF you didn’t use, or used hardly at all, the one I got for you, I would buy it from you.

BUT – IF – as happened in 1932 they have unused copies of various years in that format, I shall buy one (It needs only altering days of week) In that case, shall I buy you on too?

What a silly mess! The Popes Control blokes are not hampered by intelligence.

P.P.S. Nov 24. I was half dead when I {cut off}

P.S. Please elucidate your penultimate paragraph. “the tack of the H.A.”? “your work”? “decision is yours”*? All this is utterly obscure to me.

{11-fold cross} B

* If you mean the Caliphate, it is not mine. “My sword to him that can get it” John Bunyan. But everyone can aim to make him – or her-self “of Presidential timber”. One needs K.+C. of H.G.A. + communication with the Secret Chiefs: both these may come in more ways than one.

P.P.S. Any luck with Louise – who ought to put you in the way of Eagles! – and [Saturnus]’s Mex papers?

A.C.

(11/21/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry #1 (11/21/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry #2 (11/21/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry #3 (11/21/1944) Aleister Crowley to Grady McMurtry #4

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