An autograph letter, Signed, from Aleister Crowley to Frieda Lady Harris.
[ca 1941]. Written on all sides of a sheet of quality, buff-coloured parchment notepaper, folded once to give four 7 x 5 1/2 inch pages. The O.T.O. dove and chalice lamen printed in red at the top of the first page. Undated, but we have seen other letters from Crowley to Harris on the same paper that date from mid-1941, and think it likely that it is from the same time period. AN IMPORTANT LETTER ON MAGICK. The letter is addressed simply to "My dear Frieda" and as always Crowley begins and ends with the abridged form of the Thelemic greetings ("93" & "93 93/93"). However, this letter is unusual in that Crowley is clearly writing as Harris's magical / spiritual mentor rather than simply as a friend or artistic collaborator. Thus he ends it: "With my paternal blessing & Blake's word 'Everything that lives is holy', yours" and has signed it with "To Mega Therion" (written in Greek), that is his magical nom-de-guerre drawn from his motto in the grade of Magus, which he mostly used in formal, magical or O.T.O. documents. In contrast the great majority of letters from Crowley to Harris that survive are either personal notes between friends, or exchanges about their work on the Thoth tarot deck, and are typically signed informally: either with "A.C.", "666", or "Aleister". Approx. 400 words. Much of the letter is a harangue aimed at making Harris take her occult studies more seriously, if not for herself for her art "... it hurts you AS AN ARTIST to keep running away from the truth whenever you don't fancy it ..." Then, after addressing a number of issues raised in an earlier letter he berates her for keeping the "company of satelites and sycophants, flatterers who sneer at you behind your back and would drop you instantly were you not My Lady and comparatively solvent." He then goes on to implore her "'to intereperet every phenomenon as a particular dealing of God with your soul'.... then, having embraced and loved the fact (however repugnant) you thereby transform it into holiness and beauty. This is the Great Work [last sentence underlined]." From the collection of Clive Harper who is well-known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. Weiser Antiquarian Books will supply a certificate of authenticity / provenance. One corner of the page has been torn off (without any loss of text) and there are a couple of small pin-holes. Otherwise clean, VG+ condition. Item #65121
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