Netherwood,
The Ridge,
HASTINGS, England
{added in hand} 14 April ’46
Dear Grady,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Yours of Feby. 19th came in this morning. There is something in the matter with my eyes, but anyway you have been using a weak ribbon in your typewriter and the letter is difficult to read. It is not altogether your fault; I am going to tackle an optician to-morrow. I think I must have my glasses changed, it is 5 or 6 years since I had any. Anyway it makes it awfully difficult to read such complicated letters as yours.
I do not really know what is happening with Jack. He wrote me the sort of letter that would have been useful if I had only left him a fortnight before; he always expects me to know what the actual position is down there without any sort of information whatever. It makes it very difficult to answer him.
I do not think you need fear the competition of AMORC. People who fall for that bunk about learning to play the violin in 6 easy lessons are not going to have anything to do with us, however simply we may try to put things.
The financial position of the Lodge with respect to Grand Lodge has never been properly understood, I think, by any of you. The idea was that all fees and subscriptions from any of the Lodges should be sent to Grand Lodge and re- distributed to the several Lodges in accordance with their needs. I see now that this plan was really only practicable in an “era of abundance”, because it makes no allowance for time lag.
Anyhow, I cannot see any sense in it; for one thing, Jack clamors for the 5th degree, but as no-one has yet put on the Minerval the way it should be put on, this is nonsense.
I think it is a great mistake for any one to write to me for advice. I am altogether too far away. I now too little about the situation, and I have not the sort of mind that is needed to organize things properly.
I have not been through your report properly yet. I have been out of sorts for the last few weeks; and every time I pick up a long serious document I just sigh and put it down again. I think I shall be better after I have finished with the dentist, which should only be 2 or 3 weeks from now.
Forgive me if I break off here, my eyes are really bothering me so much that I feel totally unable to deal with your letter as I should like.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
{signed} Aleister
Capt. Grady L. McMurtrie
1661 Sacramento St., Apt. 3 San Fran. 91.
California
Note: Originally published in Thelema Lodge Calendar, February 2000.
Note: Thank you to BaphoNet for providing this image.