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@Michael Staley said
"(extracts from these letters were published in the fifth issue of Starfire in 1994)."

Which of course is unavailable. "

That issue of Starfire does come up on the second-hand market from time to time. The extracts were published in the course of an article entitled 'It's an Ill Wind that Bloweth'. Although the article does not appear in Ecpyrosis - a selection of essays and artwork from the first five issues of Starfire - it is available online on Peter Koenig's website.

"(extracts from these letters were published in the fifth issue of Starfire in 1994)."

Which of course is unavailable.

Germer did a great job in the 1950s and early 1960s, publishing key works of Crowley's - The Vision and the Voice with Crowley's commentary, Magick without Tears, Liber Aleph - with little resources.

"I've read somewhere that Karl Germer despised meditation and he simply couldn't do it. "

A bit off topic (okay, a lot off topic), but the Dalai Lama stated in one of his books that he is bad at meditation.

Some of Germer's letters have been published. When I get home, I'll look up some references.

"I've read somewhere that Karl Germer despised meditation and he simply couldn't do it. Is this true? I'd have to dig to find the resource...but I find it to be hard to believe given his attainment. "

Actually, that's a fair representation of his view concerning ritual. He had little regard for initiation rituals, or ritual in general.

He may have said something similar about meditation in some context... some vague memory is pinging off in the deep recesses of back-memory... but it wouldn't have been true in the obvious, surface sense of the words. Karl was a natural at meditation and a deep, spontaneous mystic (especially after he plowed through the dense tortoise-hide of his controlling, rigid personality.

"Also, I've heard that he completed his Adeptus Minor Work in a concentration camp. That's pretty extraordinary. I've also heard he was an extremely nice and quiet guy...a little different than the accounts of Crowley."

Yes, in solitary confinement. He had sufficient privacy - BTW, what your statement doesn't include is that Crowley was also "an extremely nice ** guy." He prided himself on his gentlemanly graces.

"How did they meet?"

I think it was at a conference in Germany or Austria where various European Rosicrucian organizations were convening and Crowley hoped to be recognized as their common Superior. Politics and personalities got in the way as usual, but a relationship with Germer was started. (I think that's the story.)

"Also, are there plans to ever publish these things, or possibly but a history/biography together regarding the Meral lineage of the A.'.A.'.? JIm? "

Most of that story is already published. Have you read Soror Meral's serialized biography of Jane Wolfe from In the Continuum? You can get all the issues as free downloads at <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.thelema.org/publications">www.thelema.org/publications</a><!-- w -->