JoannaB

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Member Back to Top Post by JoannaB on

Restoration of Aleister Crowley's Boleskine House



Following its purchase, plans are moving forward to restore Scotland’s “Boleskine House,” once owned by infamous occultist Aleister Crowley. The house – or what’s left of it – stands on the shore of Scotland’s Loch Ness, famed for its monster, and Crowley was said to have purchased the house in order to perform an elaborate ritual, which involved abstinence from sex and alcohol and required the summoning of 12 Kings and Dukes of Hell in order to bind them and remove their influence from the magician’s life.



Crowley owned the house from 1899 to 1913. It changed hands several times thereafter and was marked by tragedy – one owner ended his life with a shotgun in Crowley’s former bedroom – before its purchase by musician Jimmy Page in 1970. Page himself was an avid occultist and follower of Crowley. Page sold Boleskine in 1992 and the house changed hands twice more before the fire in 2015.



The property was purchased in 2019 by Kyra Readdy, who bought Lots 1 and 3, and William Clifford-Banks, who bought Lot 2. Readdy and Clifford-Banks are members of a board of trustees belonging to the Boleskine House Foundation, a “not-for-profit group aimed at restoring and maintaining the Boleskine House estate.”



A video released by the foundation highlighted the property’s occult history and significance as a place of worship for followers of Crowley’s teachings. “When it comes to heritage property, I feel that we are guardians for future generations,” Readdy said in a statement on the Boleskine House Foundation website. “It is my privilege and honor to work on this project and to be able to secure the future of the house.”



In a similar statement, Clifford-Banks commented, “I would like to dispel the negative rumors about Aleister Crowley and restore the estate as a space to host well-being and mindfulness events such as yoga and meditation retreats, and provide a place for lectures, conferences and even ceremonies.”



The foundation has reportedly been in talks with occult organization Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) regarding the restoration project and the property’s use following its completion. The OTO is an initiatory secret society known to include sexual elements in its magickal practices. The organization was founded at the beginning of the 20th century and is still active today. Aleister Crowley was its best known member.



The following statement was issued by the OTO:



“The new owners have confirmed to us that they wish to restore the house and eventually open parts of the house and its surrounding gardens to the public as a heritage landmark. The new owners wish to honor Crowley’s legacy as part of the estate’s history. They intend to cooperate with OTO to provide opportunities for access to the house and land in a way which has hitherto not been possible.



“The new owners intend to transfer ownership of the estate to a public charity so that it can be preserved for many generations to come. OTO intends to cooperate with the charity in the coming weeks, months and years as this exciting project gets underway.



“Private fundraising efforts have been launched to help start the renovation. Once the public charity is established and formal agreement has been reached, OTO will provide an opportunity for interested parties to make US-tax-exempt donations specifically dedicated to support this project, in full compliance with non-profit rules and regulations. No funds from OTO’s operating budget (member dues, fees and general donations) will be allocated to the project.”



Restoration efforts are estimated at around $1.25 million and the Boleskine House Foundation hopes “to restore the house and open it to the public by spring 2021.”



Source: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, July 14, 2019.



Graveyardbride

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Member Back to Top Post by Graveyardbride on Boleskine House Burns Again and Authorities Suspect Arson



Another fire has destroyed most of what was left of Boleskine House, the former Loch Ness home of Aleister Crowley, and this time, authorities suspect arson.



A spokesman for the Boleskine House Foundation said, “It is with great sadness that we report that the remainder of the building’s interior has now been destroyed, and along with it important historical clues to the features of this important piece of Scottish heritage. We would like to thank the fire fighters who put their lives at risk to save what is left of the building. We can also confirm that this is suspected arson and investigations by the police will be ongoing. Please support us to fund emergency works to protect the structure.”



The house where Crowley performed occult rituals was also badly damaged by fire in 2015, leaving little more than the front outer walls. However, just last month, the new owners announced plans to restore the building as a wellness-type retreat for followers of Crowley’s teachings, with parts of the property open to the public.



Though police enquiries are in their early stage, Detective Inspector Eddie Ross said, “We are working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to establish the full circumstances. We would encourage anybody who may have seen any activity around Boleskine House or nearby to come forward as soon as they can. It should go without saying that deliberately setting fires is incredibly dangerous as you have limited control over how they may develop.”



Of interest to some, the fire was set July 31st, during the “dog days of summer” when Sirius, the Dog Star, often cited in Crowley’s writings, was at its brightest.



Boleskine was built as a hunting lodge in the 18th century and according to local lore, there was once a church on the site that caught fire and the entire congregation was burned to death. This tragedy, it is said, is what prompted Crowley to purchase the property in 1899. Dubbing himself “Laird of Boleskine and Abertarff,” the self-styled “Beast” allegedly evoked evil entities on the property. In 1904, these same entities were supposedly channeled through his wife, Rose Edith Crowley, and provided the information for Crowley’s Liber AL vel Legis, aka The Book of the Law.



The “magick” Crowley performed at Boleskine House is known as the “Abramelin Operation” from The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, a famous grimoire. Crowley performed the complicated ritual in order to communicate with his guardian angel, or higher self, through the dominance of numerous demons. There are those who believe the demonic entities raised by Crowley haunt the area in and around Boleskine to this day.



Crowley sold Boleskine in 1913, more than a hundred years ago, but his short 14-year ownership will always overshadow the property.



Sources: Leo Zagami, USAA News, August 2, 2019; Alison Campsie, The Scotsman, August 1, 2019; and Joseph Laws, The Daily Mail, August 1, 2019.