Grady McMurtry Shortly After Arriving in California

Grady Louis McMurtry shortly after arriving in California 1969

“In late April (1969), with all his affairs partially in order, Grady McMurtry boarded a plane and headed for California. He left a string of bills behind which would come back to haunt him. His flight arrived at the San Francisco Airport on April 29th 1969. Phyllis, being a romantic type most of her life, diligently waited for him at the terminal. She had driven her van all the way from Dublin with her left arm still in a cast. It had been broken earlier in spring and was mending very slowly. Their initial meeting was quite joyous. Over the next few months Grady spent his time settling into to his new surroundings. It was a period characterized by reality checks in regards to how the other really thought and acted.”

Bearded Grady McMurtry holding a Stele of Revealing
The photo on the left of Grady holding the Stele that he bought in Blythe, California was taken years after the fact. ... In 1973 Grady joined the Sikh order known as the ‘Healthy, Happy Holy Organization’ or 3HO where he took his yoga lessons and it wasn't until the summer of 1974 that he began growing his now trademark beard. All photos of him with a beard have to date after this period.

 

On September 25th 1969 Grady and Phyllis Seckler attended a ‘tag sale’ of Solar Lodge property in Blythe that was listed as being stuff ‘FOR SALE BY OWNER.’ … Grady once wrote, “I don’t know what we had expected, but what we found was a rummage sale in progress. Everything was being sold. Mostly it was garbage, but there were boxes with fine looking silver plate marked ‘temple furnishings’ that must have set them back a penny. And the usual debris. A photo of A.C. on one wall. Enlarged monochrome photos of the Stele of Revealing, front and back, on the wall, in the next room.” … “I picked up a 12”x20” Stele of Revealing, colored photos on wood.”

Mildred Burlingame, Israel Regardie and Phyllis Seckler
Mildred Burlingame, Israel Regardie and Phyllis Seckler

All quotes taken from
RED FLAME, A Thelemic Research Journal, Issue No.13
IN THE NAME OF THE BEAST, A Biography of Grady Louis McMurtry,
a Disciple of Aleister Crowley, Volume No.2 – 1962-1985 by J. Edward Cornelius