[This is a letter that was published in "The International Forum" section of October 1917 edition of "The International" (page 320). It purports to be a letter from Charles Standsford Jones to Crowley, but is more than likely just Crowley writing to himself. Either way, it is a rather obvious attempt at self publicity. This version was created for S.P.R.T. on the 17th of September 2000 e.v. -S.Crane]
The Editor of the “International.” Sir: —
In answer to the question, “Can you tell us anything of the Great White Brotherhood, known as the A:. A:.,” Mr. Chas. Lazenby, of the Theosophical Society, made the following remarks after his public lecture on Magic, at the Vancouver Labor Temple, July 31, 1917. E. V.
“The A:. A:. is an Occult order having a definite purpose, and was started by a man of immense power (The Master Therion, Ed.), perhaps the greatest living. The place of this great Being in the Occult Hierarchy is a profound mystery, and he and his mission are causing a great amount of speculation at the present time.
“Judged by any ordinary standard, he is absolutely and entirely evil, he has broken his occult vows and all codes of morality, openly stating that he has done so and will continue to do so. He may have a very great purpose in view.
“No living person perhaps has had such an influence on occult thought, and wrought so much change therein. He has knowingly taken upon himself a tremendous Karma, but what will be the ultimate result it is impossible to judge. To all appearance, as I remarked, he is the personification of evil.”
Later, during private conversation, Mr. Lazenby continued: “He is a very wonderful being; an ordinary man like myself has no possible means of judging what his ultimate motive is. “Looked at from known standards he is evil, but from a distance, in perspective, one may imagine that he is taking this great Karma for some definite end, he may be the Savior of the World.
“In any case 300 years from now he will be looked upon as one of the greatest of the World’s geniuses.
“I should not care to have any part in his work myself. You have this to remember, however, that you are connected with a genuine Occult order, not a pseudo-occult one such as Heindel’s and others which are worthless.”
What has the Master Therion to say about this?
C. S. J.
Mr. Lazenby has so long and so laudably labored upon the production of canned soup that he has neglected that of the wine of Iacchus. But I think he only needs to be shown. It is something to be hailed as a possible Savior of the World by one’s avowed and bitter enemies. Nunc dimittis! Anyhow, to be called the “Personification of Evil” is not exactly a precise charge. If I wished to attack Mr. Lazenby, I should define my accusation. I should say that, under Alpine conditions, the Lentil Soup Squares dissolve too slowly.
I believe that H. P. Blavatsky was a great adept. I judge her by her highest, “The Voice of the Silence,” not by any mistakes that she may have made in other matters. I consider that her work has been treacherously ruined by Mrs. Besant, the street corner atheist, socialist, and advocate of abortion. Of this of-fense she was actually convicted. Mrs. Besant’s whole object seems to have been to prevent disciples from making those bold experiments which open the gates of the higher planes. I do not believe that any man or woman can come to ultimate harm by a passionate will to seek truth. They may go insane. They may be slain. They may be damned. These are only ordeals which do them good. If they can stick it out, they will get through. Mrs. Besant wants to be like conscience, to make cowards of us all. In my first initiation I was told, “Fear is failure. Be thou there-fore without fear, for in the heart of the coward virtue abideth not. Thou hast known me; pass thou on.” To prevent men from confronting the unknown, to side track them with petty drivel about minor ethics, to deck them out with the stolen regalia of orders of whose secrets they are profoundly ignorant: these are the works of the Brothers of the Left Hand Path; and of these I believe Mrs. Besant to be the greatest now alive.
THERION, 9°=2° A:. A:.
Last updated on the 21.September.00