Rolling Stone Orchard.
                                             Chipping Campden.

                                             Jan. 7, 1940


       Dear Aleister,

            The 26 cards have gone to be mounted, so we are beginning to be 
       terrifyingly finished. There are several I should like to try again, 
       but none of them are what I have hoped to be able to do. Therefore 
       tonight I am the victim of the most profound hump, and I think in 
       future I had better stick to mechanical typing. Also I have been 
       reading your truly magical Liber L.X.V. Oh no, I do not pretend to 
       apprehend it, only it is like music, and the only kind of writing I 
       want to read, only it makes me feel as if I lived in a desert and I 
       am mighty thirsty. Shall I never get on a bit? Yoga practices I 
       never seem to advance in. I cannot live more quietly, but even then 
       the business of living takes time. I am positively alarmed at the 
       prospect of the end of this work, as if I do not get any more handed 
       to me, I shall have to return to the awful life I have escaped from 
       in my conscience during the last 2 years, and I doubt if I can. I do 
       not think the ritual of Magic is much good to me, I seem to have to 
       draw everything I want to understand. Thank you beyond words for all 
       your help patience and understanding. At any rate, thanks to that, 
       you have penetrated a slight amount and in the far distance I can 
       see a bit what the Wisdom of the past and the present might mean. I 
       do wish I could do better, I feel like a lump of undigested suet.
           No. 2 Disks is on the stocks, is the serpent's eye to be red? It 
       is a bit awkward, as there are several colours introduced in that 
       card which do not belong to Jupiter and Capricorn, I mean the 4 
       element colours and they make inharmonious patches. Did you say 
       anything about jewels on the serpent? I think you will like him. The 
       vile lettering will have to start again, it makes me cross and ache 
       all over.
            I am longing to have a go at Mercury, but I am determined to do 
       the Universe first. I have told the man not [to] fasten any cards in 
       the frames, so we can look at them very carefully, it will be awful, 
       but I must get them as nearly right as I can, tho the bother is that 
       watercolours are the devil to alter, even if I were sure that the 
       addition was going to fit in with the design, and altho I can redo, 
       it is not possible to regain the memory of the emotion and one tends 
       to produce a bad copy.

                              Yours ever          Frieda

       [P.S.] What happened in 1547 because I woke up today saying "Don't 
       forget 1547". Has it any sense?






                                             Rolling Stone Orchard

                                             Jan. 28, 1940



       Dear Aleister,

            Thank you for your letter.
            The No. 5 is also done.
            About the Stafford Galleries. I think the best way of handling 
       Ala Story will be for me to invite her for the weekend, show her the 
       cards & let the suggestion that she should show them come from her. 
       Percy has offered to drive her down & it was all fixed up, when she 
       developed a cold & could not come. She is an erratic cove & from 
       long experience of her I am sure she is more likely to function if 
       she is allowed to think she is the originator of any business 
       scheme. In spite of her alluring manners she is fundamentally a very 
       capable business woman & she won't be persuaded to do anything that 
       will not mean publicity or money.
            There is one more thing--I do not think those cards will sell 
       if you include any sort of ritual. People generally are afraid of 
       being made fools of, getting bad luck by associating with black 
       magic, especially at these times, when all the world is crossing 
       itself to avert the evil eye, & the secular business man, whose 
       money you need if the cards are to be reproduced, simply will not 
       touch anything in the nature of a stunt for fear of offending his 
       general public.
            I humbly suggest that we let Ala advertise it in her own way, 
       keeping very much in the background, for my part anonymously & so 
       stimulate the curiousity of the public & the critics. The whole 
       production will be unusual enough to make a mark, that is if I have 
       done my part well enough, & I have observed that a well staged 
       mystery is a magic of great value in attracting attention. I would 
       even like to suggest that you do not sign your work either. To 
       those, who know your lucid prose & classic style, it will be 
       unmistakable, to the general public, it will be taken as a shock, 
       but, without the suspicion that you, Aleister Crowley, are either 
       attempting to pull their leg or poisoning them with some dangerous 
       new creed in the attempt to raise funds or the wind. In my case I 
       should be acused of trying to learn them, & anyhow why should we 
       respect this insane art when "Percy Harris ought to have the poor 
       thing locked up, he can afford it, only he is too mean."
            THE WEATHER. I don't find it too bad. It is really lovely to 
       look at. The trees are incased in ice, I have never seen anything 
       like it, & living & walking, everything ordinary has assumed a rare 
       & dignified aspect with the elements completely out of control. 
       Also, the howling wind, & this new invention "icisny" which is 
       neither raining or snowing, keeps everyone away, so I can read, 
       paint, or cook to my entire satisfaction, also slither up & down the 
       ladder to my studio which provides the necessary exercise & danger 
       to stimulate me & keep me warm.
            But it is much too cold for you to brave the train, also I am 
       not quite ready to show enough work I should like to have the 
       Universe done first, so I shall stop & take another brood on it.
            The still life I sent you is the favorite "eat" of the 
       Cotswold. I ate mine after posting some to you & I must confess, 
       though tasty & strong meat for us babes, it did seem a bit tough, 
       but I hoped your genius would lead you to discover how to cook them, 
       I only baked mine in butter.

                             Goodnight
        
                                      Yours fraternally

                                                  Frieda Harris

       [P.S] I should like hours of brain-picking with you. I have 1000 of 
       things I want to ask you, I shall never remember when I see you! 
       Qaballa, Chinese, Eddington medley & questions & demands for your 
       sage & onion explanations pierce the ether all round me.

       Have you by any chance heard G.P. Wodehouse's masterpiece on the 
       wireless [...]! Saturday afternoons.

       



       [first portion of letter apparently missing]


            Do not forget those pictures are set now & difficult to alter.
            I have no stimulus from you about the Princes--but I am doing 
       an oil when I can extract a few minutes, so they can wait your 
       Breath.
            A few pointers seem to indicate a journey to Devonshire in 
       early December or November. Liman North Devonshire Aleister Torquay 
       & Raufman at Minehead. If I can I want to take the short course of 
       geometry 3 weeks in Dec. under Raufman at Minehead. It will clarify 
       some of my geometrical conceptions. He has sent me very good notes 
       on the cone.
            So I hope to see you soon. Don't, Aleister, say "like me a 
       little". If I may aspire to such a position, your are my friend & 
       when my friends are rude to me I cannot remember it. They remain the 
       cone, the eye, the node, from which is generated all the pleasure I 
       have in life.

                         Love is the law, love under will.

                              Au revoir

                                   Frieda Harris
       
       93 93/93

       [P.S.] I don't know. I think this little a bit savvy don't you--it 
       is late. I feel as flat as the sole I ate for supper. Carelessly 
       cooked it was & so, so, dull. [small drawing of a flat sole]