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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Friday, 7 May 1920
The Building up of a Phrase. I thought for some reason of someone who 'is always speaking in the indicative or the imperative'. I immediately thought of this as criticism of literary style and said to myself: 'Ah! that's my mistake. I use the subjunctive too much.' I thought of this as implying weakness of moral character. Then I thought of using it to criticize a tinned politician by saying, 'He uses the subjunctive too much!' This illustrates the actual process by which a phrase is invented.
9.15 p.m. Opus[1] X, 31-666-31 [Leah Hirsig], p.v.n.[2] Opus excellent. Elixir A1 or better! Object: Invocation ∏N.
Woke up splendidly and wrote on the a beauty of Cefalu.
Gazing on the Shew-Stone,2 its lights and shadows suddenly revealed the jewel-face of a woman. I recognized her as a black woman. I will ask Pan to show her again tomorrow night more clearly.
1—[Crowley refers to a magical sexual operation.] 2—[Per vas nefandum. By the unmentionable vessel, i.e. anal intercourse.]
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