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Mary Butts Diary Entry Friday, 30 September 1921
Back here [in Paris]—such windy, cold autumns. The rain comes back in brief gusts, but now the house is seen to. I shall have time to teach myself to enjoy pleasant things again.
Cefalù has given me a different self-conscious[ness]. Once it was a blind discomfort; now I know what caused the discomfort, my various fears. I was and am troubled by them instead. For instance—I used to dislike it if people made an allusion to me that I could not quite hear. Now I know that is a fear of the pack complex—I see what a fool I am being, and want to kick myself because I am being a fool. I saw the glance I give on these occasions sideways in a glass, one look, fear, rage—snarl—and an arranged smile. It is remarkably easy to shew courage in a place that does not know one. L aur 'swinging on my [illegible], half lion, half child'—in Paris—In London I feel as though I were walking about naked, but then I have over-tired myself.
At Cefalù. The Great Work.
Aleister's approaches—
I. 'Knowledge and Conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel'. (daimon) II. Psycho-Analysis. III. Ceremonial Magic. IV. Yoga. V. Examination of the 'Astral Plane'. VI. Examination of the 'subconscious mind'.
This programme has three aspects—
(i) The original Great Work of the Magi and the Saints—which presupposes not necessarily a God, but certainly Gods and [illegible], in a huge order of which our natural world is one aspect, and man the microcosm. It is the actual attempt to make the individual intelligence in each man capable of understanding and employing his universal order—It is the attempt to turn man into God.
(ii) To strip religion of theologies and morals, and find the common denominator, give a scientific account of it, and find a formula for its production. He has reduced it to the condition of simple ecstasy which picks up a theological and moral outfit as it goes into common life. It must have a moral outfit, since [illegible] finally mean what makes life good to man, and man [illegible] have his beatitude resultant in [illegible].
(iii) To find scientific evidence for an intelligence in the universe other than man's intelligence. This he has not done. Three months I spent, and was never once objectively convinced—Three months in heat and filth and starvation and fever and insolence, and fatigue, and sickness, and contempt, and there was nothing shewn that might not have been produced from my mind or Leah's [Leah Hirsig], or Cecil's [Cecil Maitland], or the Beast's, or Genesthai's [C. F. Russell], or Pro Gradior's [Frank Bennett], or Ninette's [Ninette Shumway], or even Jane's [Jane Wolfe]. His Kabbalistic proof won't do. I haven't examined it fully, but it sounds—I think—contemptible—but perhaps I have a prejudice against words that add up to 666. The last night when I wore the robe of a Master of the Temple—there was the bell I still hear—but Leah said that the ceremony disappointed her, and I am not sure that I was not also disappointed. Previously he told me a magical secret I have not had time to test—that might do—I will, and will keep notes.
There is the exploration of the astral plane which is (i) layers of ones subconscious mind brought to light or (ii) something else. His idea of an astral atlas made by reference to the Tarot cards is not good. I shall make one myself.
Note. He has not enquired whether his 'Aiwas' or communicating daimon may not be a liar and a demon.
Examination of the Astral Plane
II. His analysis of the subconscious mind has all the ardour of the discoverer, and the indiscretion—He is a man with no sense—Had he sense equal to his sensibility. He has no sense at all and some sadism—A [illegible] from a victim, who only escaped the second by brave and skilful defiance. He offered us every drug in and out of the pharmacopoea, and tried to take away Cecil's cigarettes. This to a man who had recently cured himself of what looked like dipsomania, and had reduced his count of fags from fifty to twenty-five a day.
He does not care what he turns up. When Genesthai went gaga and hiked to the top of the rock, and ate fleas and his magical wand, he lost his head. But then he wanted Genesthai to arouse him in bed, and Genesthai did go unwillingly. 'It often took him over an hour, and I was sure from my time with Camille that my charms are not waning', and this is how religions are made, and it is no use grumbling, not at Mohammed's harem, and Christ's arrogance. or Buddha's laundry soda.
As for me, [illegible] I suffered from complexes (fear—of—the—crowd principally) I now know I do and suffer double. I am also constrained to reason it out.
Examination of the Astral Planes.
Method—take a symbol, i.e. a formal, representative work which has an age-long association with the planet—say Venus. This does not mean that your goal is Venus, but for a set of perspectives and appearances in nature for which Venus is the symbol. Go ahead on A.C.'s place.
I have done this continually, with extraordinary results—I will make a list of 'planes of vision'.
I. There is a series of pictures, like living in a coloured film where one sees bogies—real, unimaginable, dull, harmless, bogies. Qlippoth.
II. There is a formal plane with water and heraldic things, (that I believe is called the Alchemical plane.)
III. There is a high, brilliant world very white where are the archetypal shapes.
IV. There is a heightened image of the world we know—woods more brilliant, cliffs higher, darker seas.
V. There are place memories exceedingly distinct.
VI. There are places no imagination can picture or retain, celestial fields, people no people were ever like, echoed in literature in Fiona Macleod and [William] Morris, in ballads. Also the Good Friday Parzival music.
I should prefer III.—it’s pure and profound but I long for VI. I have been there two or three times.
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