Thelema Lodge
Ordo Templi Orientis
P.O.Box 2303
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
June 2000 e.v. at Thelema Lodge
Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers
Mountains or Metaphysics?
(part one)
by Aleister Crowley
Note:
1. Sic for "Illium" -- ed./TLC
by Grady Louis McMurtry
Intellect . . . instinctively selects in a given situation whatever is
like something already known; it seeks this out, in order that it may apply
its principle that "like produces like."1
Understanding of this is of the utmost importance to us because criticism of this primeval tribal mind was to result in Greek philosophy, from which so much of our own rational universe of discourse was ultimately to derive, as schools of thought developed around the critical distinctions that were used to separate the matter of physis into animate and inanimate and the motion of physis into mechanical and vital, vital and divine.
In reviewing the psychological doctrines of the earlier schools,
Aristotle remarks: "There are two points especially wherein that which is
animate is held to differ from that which is inanimate, namely motion and
the act of sensation (or perception): and these are, speaking in general,
the two characteristics of soul handed down to us by our predecessors"
(de anim. a,2,2).
The two vital functions of moving and knowing were much less clearly
distinguished by the early philosophers than by Aristotle. With regard to
the first of them -- motion -- the primitive assumption is that whatever is
capable of moving itself or anything else, is alive -- that the only moving
force in the world is Life, or rather soul-substance. The existence of
motion in the universe is thus immediate proof of Thales' doctrine: "The
All has soul in it." Aetius describes the doctrine as follows: "There
extends throughout the elemental moisture (Thales' physis) a divine power
capable of moving it." This divine or magical power is the same as that
"soul" which Thales ascribed to the loadstone, because it moves iron.
Aetius, a late writer, distinguishes more clearly than Thales could have
done, between the "elemental moisture" and the divine power pervading it.
For Thales the moving soul was the same as the ultimate element, recognised
in water, which pervades all things. The same holds of the "ever-living
fire" of Heraclitus.
At first . . . mechanical motion was not distinguished from vital
activity. . . . The second function of Soul -- knowing -- was not at first
distinguished from motion. . . . Sense-perception, not distinguished from
thought, was taken as the type of all cognition, and this is a form of
action at a distance. All such action, moreover, was held to require a
continuous vehicle or medium, uniting the soul which knows to the object
which is known. Further, the soul and its object must not only be thus
linked in physical contact, but they must be alike or akin.2
Or as Bergson says, "matter is determined by intelligence."4
The ingenuity of the modern logician tends to conceal the verbal
foundations of his structure, but in Greek philosophy these foundations are
clearly revealed. The earlier writers are full of the relics of primitive
word-magic. To classify things is to name them, and for magic the name of
a thing or group of things is its soul; to know their names is to have
power over their souls. Language itself is a duplicate, a shadow-soul, of
the whole structure of reality. Hence the doctrine of the Logos, variously
conceived as the supreme reality, the divine soul-substance, as the
"Meaning" or reason of everything, and as the "Meaning" or essence of a
name.3
Notes:
1. Henri Bergson, Creative Evolution (New York: Henry Holt, 1911), p. 29.
2. Francis M. Cornford, From Religion to Philosophy (London: Arnold, 1912), pp. 131-2.
3. C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards, The Meaning of Meaning (New York: Harcort, Brace, 1949), p. 31.
4. Bergson, op. cit., p. 199.
| 1803rd Ord MM Co (Avn) (Q) 68th Service Group Pendleton Field, Ore. January 4, 1942 {Date is a typo for 1943} | |||
| Edward Alexander Crowley, Esq. 93 Jermyn St., S. W. 1 London, England Dear Sir & Brother, As one of the lesser children of light I come to you. Almost three years ago I came into contact with the group in Southern California. Since that time I have read, been amazed at, ridiculed, half believed and seriously studied your works. Having spent the last two of those three years in the Army, first as a draftee and gradually working up until I now command a Company, I have not had the requisite time to give a wholehearted study to either your books or those of others on that esoteric principle of mysticism that you have called Magick. I have, however, had time to think. Perhaps the best expression of my thoughts is to be found in my poetry, which seems an outpouring from a deep well of subconsciousness. Never having had the opportunity to study verse forms and styles, most of my efforts have been gropings into the unknown. My conclusion to date might be summed up as follows: Grammar is an attempt to form a logical continuity of thought in words. Poetry may very easily scorn grammar as a mode of expression when visualizing thought as thought in itself may be competent {sic} the illogical. The abandoning of grammatical forms in the expression of emotion may be compared to the unfettering of art in the realm of surrealism. How describe a nightmare logically? Can the true glory of natural phenomena be perceived if viewed through the small end of telescoping words? The mind perceives the substance as unit, sing of it thus if you wish. Verse forms are moulds into which a poetical thought may be poured and cast. Some of these are very beautiful casting and they serve their purpose well as such, however be not deceived that all thought may be expresses as so. As examples of ornamental bric-a-brac I suggest "Dance of the Gargoyle" and "Cyclops". As symbols of untrammeled expression I give you "Spirit of Earth", which might have been called "Creed of the Commando", and "Godhead". As a sample of my overpowering revulsion at your ego-mania I humbly offer "Perturbations". A paradox? Maybe. You are a freak. No normal man could have made such giant strides in the realm of the overdrive (translation: Wakeworld). Therefore you have information which I desire and I see no reason for personal likes or dislikes interfering with the transfer of that knowledge. Your decision as to what I should know, or am capable of knowing, will rest on your decision as to my capacity for learning and for the application of said learning. Before this you must realize my existence and so this communication is for the purpose of introducing myself. Perhaps some of my perplexity may be explained thus: You "Proclaim the Law of Light, Life, Love and Liberty". You say that "The word of Sin is restriction". Yet my observation of your devotees, those people who are prone to lean back with closed eyes, inhale deeply and exclaim "Ah, Crowley, that ineffable genius", has been that they are more prone to practice a philosophy of death rather than of life. They have given every appearance of being children demanding all the benefits of life, and yet being unwilling to assume the responsibility of perpetuating same. In one particular instance the birth of two children to the order was looked upon with such disfavor that the mother became a veritable outcast. They give every indication of preferring abortion to birth. I am not exactly the parternal {sic} type. Nor have I a great yearning to stroll the midnight floor packing a screaming brat. But while it may be all very well to be "a bornless babe in the womb of the universe" it is also very true that life, and a way of life, can only be carried on by strong men who are willing to accept responsibility. Thus my dilemma. Is this which I see what you actually preach or have our interpreters bungled the job? Another example of foggy thinking may be seen in the matter of the "Great Chipmunk Experiment". Time and again I have listened to learned discussions comparing "stocking up that place in the country for purposes of weathering the storm of inevitable economic chaos to follow this war". I have yet to hear a discussion comprehending the fact that such an experiment would be worse than futile. They can't seem to realize the fact that America, 1942 version, or '43, sustains a dynamic economy. I would appear to be beyond their comprehension that should such a tidal wave of industrial collapse ensue as they so glibly speak of that a full ninety per cent of the population of this continent would perish in one gigantic orgasm of anarchy. That when this black run of Nihilism had run its course there would not even be a fragment of the body politic upon which to build a civilization. Is this also a part of your philosophy or are these followers of yours just naturally sleep walkers. As I have previously stated my time has been limited for the actual practice of Magick. Perhaps my greatest handicap was that of not having a counselor, some one to whom I could turn when those myriads of minor points confused the neophyte. Of course a person was appointed for this function, but I was not in a position to appreciate those months of silence. Thus my few attempts at simple trances, I achieved the Lotus Seat as a comfortable position until my duties called me away from even this, ended in defeat. My closest approximation to a true experiment was an exercise of my own devising, the principle action of which was, while in the Lotus asana, to throw my arms sharply out and up while roaring something about "in the form of the Striking Falcon". Maybe it was a manifestation of Thoth but results were indecisive. I will greatly appreciate your answer to the questions I have asked as well as any sign you may wish to give me concerning the course that I should follow in the archiving the full mesh of my own "overdrive". | |||
| Fraternally, | |||
| GRADY L. McMURTRY, | |||
| 2nd Lt., Ordnance. | |||
Here's Crowley's first letter to Grady McMurtry, in response to the above. The probable typo of 1942 for 1943 in Grady's earlier letter may be responsible for Crowley's suggestion to contact Germer instead. On the other hand, Crowley might simply have intended it as a helpful suggestion.
 | ||
| 93 Jermyn Street, London, W. 1. England 2nd March, 1943 | ||
| Dear Sir and Brother, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I was very pleased to have your letter of January 4th, and most interested in its contents. With regard to your poetry, I am very favourably impressed. You possess that vigour and virility which is absent from practically all modern verse. The presence of these qualities in my own work is perhaps the principal cause of the fear and hatred with which I am everywhere regarded. I hope these remarks will encourage you to persevere. I have one criticism to make, which if you take in the proper spirit, should be of considerable use to you, especially as you are evidently still quite a young man; that is, that you can improve your mastery of the language and put a somewhat higher polish on your work. This is usually the fruit of experience; if you keep a poem by you for a few months and then pick it up again more or less by accident, you will see what I mean, and be in a position to add the final touches. I was enlightened and horrified by what you say about the California crowd. What you tell me is truly abominable. The official paper -- Liber C.I. on the duties and privileges of Members is absolutely specific on the subject that you mention. Note, in particular, Clauses 34 and 37 - 39. I hope you have a copy of this document. It is published in Volume III of the Equinox No. 1, pages 211 s.q.q. (what is usually called for short the Blue Equinox). I am sending a copy of the relevant paragraph in your letter to my representative in New York, with whom you should get into immediate touch. I may say that I am extremely dissatisfied with the whole position at Pasadena. Ever since I met Smith in Vancouver I have heard practically nothing of him except sordid squabbles. Strong measures are now being taken to clean up the whole mess. You should please reflect that Smith has constantly refused to report to me what, if anything, is going on in his part of the world. Every fresh piece of information that I get is accordingly disconnected with every other piece. I cannot begin to form a mental picture of the -- am I to call it a community? So far as I can follow what you say, I cannot help thinking that the present system is certain to collapse completely. Suppose you draw a parallel between the present time and that of the Caesars. The Pax Romana made travel and commerce between all parts of the known world comparatively easy. It was necessary to unify local systems and the combination of Judaism and paganism which was subsequently called Christianity effected this, but the new magical formula of the Aeon of Osiris was not thoroughly understood; and, in fact, previous systems were bound to perish in order to make way for it. The external result was the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages. Today we see the same conditions; steamships, railways, telegraphs, telephones, wireless, airtravel and transport have almost abolished distance. The result is that this letter will, with any luck, reach you about as quickly as it would have done in the days of sailing ships! The corruption of mankind is due to the overwhelming of the noble by the base, of the individual (and remember that "Every man and every woman is a star") by the herd. Mass production has almost destroyed craftsmanship; but it may quite soon become impossible for mass production to be continued at a profit. It doesn't matter whether we consider this desirable or no; it is a question of actual possibility. You seem to regard with apprehension the annihilation of 90% of the malignant and stupid insects which you describe. Personally, I cannot see that it matters two hoots. What we want is the establishment of a principle; in the same way, the Commander-in-Chief unhesitatingly flings men by the hundred thousand into the jaws of destruction -- that his cause may triumph. I cannot see much point in pretending to be sorry about it. I don't know whether these remarks help you at all, even so far as the explanation of my own position goes; in fact, the question arises whether I have a position. I am the servant of those who sent forth the Book of the Law. I can really do little more than refer every enquirer to that Book. With regard to what you say about your own practice, of course I am completely in the dark. I am very surprised to hear that anyone attempted to instruct you in any way; I certainly know of nobody who is in the least competent to do so. I do hope you will communicate at once with Mr. Karl J. Germer, 133 West 71, N.Y.C. With him you will be able to exchange letters without the lapse of such long periods of time as if you write to me. Of course, if you should be drafted to this country, it would give me the greatest pleasure to meet you, and to do everything that I can personally to help you. I will not detain your further; to do so would be more likely to confuse you than otherwise. But kindly acknowledge this, and give me such further information as you can. Love is the law, love under will. | ||
We conclude this set with a Grady's second letter to Crowley. Note the error in the opening Thelemic salutation -- quick to learn but not yet right. This set of letters is timeless, in a sense. Over the last 20 years of responding to OTO correspondence, I've seen variations on this scenario many times. The approach and the experiences change from person to person, but many will recognize the present in the past here in many ways. -- Bill Heidrick
| 1803rd Ord MM Co. (Avn)(Q) 68th Service Group APO 411, UNIT #1 % Postmaster Los Angeles, California May 11, 1943 | ||
| Dear Sir and Brother, "Do what thou will shall be the whole of the law" {sic} I hope you will pardon my delay in answering your letter. My duties are rather strenuous. Inclosed find a copy of a letter from a member of the Group in So. Calif., also a copy of my reply. Make of it what you will. I hope that it will give you some aid in clearing up this affair. In perusing the inclosed letter you may come to the conclusion that I am bewailing a great loss in the person of the oft mentioned Claire. Such is not the case but perhaps a bit of explanation which I did not need to give Jack, as he is aware of the situation, might help. We met and fell into what is commonly known as "love" while still going to school. I was 21, she was 18. I discovered the Order first and we both took to it like duck to water. We were instinctively "at home". It never occurred to us to doubt the personal integrity of our benefactors so obvious were the great truths they had in their possession. At first, that is. In fact we didn't catch on for some time. But the experience was worth it. I can truthfully say, and with the courage of conviction, that had I not been in the army but had been free to choose my own locale and associates that Claire and I would not have been married. She did not want to be. I did not "want" to be. But when one is not longer the captain of one's fate certain expedients are in order. So we made as much of a farce of it as possible. One of our witnesses, a friend of mine, was prevailed upon to loan me his DeMolay ring, which I slipped on bottoms-up so fast that the J.P. was caught off base. Somewhere in Frisco I found a bronze statuette of "The Sprit of the Flame" (as is pictured on the back of "Balthazar, the Magus", I believe). This we kept above the fire place with long black candles on each side. We probably had some idea that we were playing with the Goetia. You know -- "Ebon candles I have burned -- Cabalistic circles twined -- by the moons occulted light -- In the waning of the night -- etc." Maybe we were. But we were happy. For awhile. But what had seemed a makeshift, temporary expedient grew into a wall of darkness. We had known from the first that to follow our Karma, or whatever, we would have to go our separate ways. But it was so easy to keep on the way we were. The rift came at the appropriate time. I had been promised my first furlough so Claire preceded me to L.A. I arrived in Los Angeles on the morning of December 7, 1941. The first thing I saw as I stepped off the bus was "Pearl Harbor Attached, all military personal are ordered to their posts". That was a quick trip. As I was on 24 hour duty for some months thereafter Claire stayed in L.A. with the mob and found the guts to go through with what she felt was necessary. Besides, as I said before, it was much fun. Naturally I found out. To say that I was hurt rather terribly is an understatement. Even now I can hardly conceive of that blind, flaming blast of pure rage that grabbed my ego and burned it clean over a roaring tornado of primeval fury. That which I had held holy had been thrown to the dogs, and I was young enough, and Fool enough, and Child enough, to know hurt in its deepest sense. And I was man enough to control and rise above it. I was poet enough to exalt it. And perhaps I was sadist enough to even enjoy it. So which? I had advanced, I believe, one step on the road to the Great Work. No longer will emotional ties be allowed to hinder my thought processes. Jack may have attached some importance to our divorce. The truth of the matter is, to paraphrase you, that tho we may attain a state of consciousness that considers such act as communion with one's Adonai -- and that in the light of this the scars of syphilis are as holy wafers -- yet to actually contract this disease is to hinder the progress to one's Karma. Just as jumping off a cliff would be. If she had kept herself within the order I would not have insisted -- but when she started taking on the herd -- I quit. I hope I have not bored you to much. I know it is rather childish -- but it was a great drama -- while it lasted. At the moment I am marking time so far as study goes. Conditions do not encourage prolonged meditation or much reading. I am, however, keeping one part of my mind on detached service always attempting to maintain a state of consciousness such as is implied by the following quotations from the Kybalion -- "Under, and back of, the Universe of Time, Space, Change, is ever to be found The Substantial Reality -- the Fundamental Truth" -- "The half-wise, recognizing the comparative unreality of the Universe imagine that they may defy its laws -- such are vain and presumptuous fools, and they are broken against the rocks and torn asunder by the elements for reason of their folly. The truly wise, knowing the nature of the Universe, use law against laws; the higher against the lower; and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph. Mastery consists not in abnormal dress, visions and fantastic imaginings or living, but in using the higher forces against the lower -- escaping the pains of the lower by vibrating on the higher. Transmutation, not presumptuous denial, is the weapon of the Master" -- "To THE ALL the Universe is mental -- to the finite the Universe is very real indeed." I haven't time to go into detail about the "Great Chipmunk Experiment" at the moment. I have to enlarge on this at the first opportunity. In fact I will need to do so to bring out certain points on which I do not agree -- in a constructive sense -- with the policies of the Order as I understand them. "Love is the law, love under will" 2 Incls: #1 Ltr fr Jack #2 Ltr to Jack | ||
| 6/3/00 | The Rite of Saturn at Grace's in Berkeley. 8:00 PM | (510) 537-3212 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/4/00 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/7/00 | College of Hard NOX 8 PM with Mordecai in the library | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/11/00 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/15/00 | The Rite of Jupiter at Grace's in Berkeley. 8:00 PM | (510) 537-3212 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/18/00 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/19/00 | Section II reading group with Caitlin: Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival". 8PM Library | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/20/00 | Summer Solstice Ritual 8:00 PM in Horus Temple. | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/25/00 | Gnostic Mass 8:00PM Horus Temple | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/26/00 | Sirius Oasis meets in Berkeley 8PM | (510) 527-2855 | Sirius Oasis | |||
| 6/27/00 | The Rite of Mars at Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley. 8:00 PM | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. | |||
| 6/28/00 | College of Hard NOX 8 PM with Mordecai in the library | (510) 652-3171 | Thelema Ldg. |
The viewpoints and opinions expressed herein are the responsibility of the
contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of OTO or its
officers.
Thelema Lodge
Ordo Templi Orientis
P.O. Box 2303
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA
Phone: (510) 652-3171 (for events info and contact to Lodge)
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