Spooky goings on at the Old Black Lion

SPOOKY GOINGS ON AT THE OLD BLACK LION
by
Barry Van-Asten

 

The Old Black Lion

Black Lion Hill, Northampton.

On arriving in Northampton and leaving the train station, visitors may be forgiven in passing the Old Black Lion Public House without so much as a second glance, turning their heads to the more attractive St Peter's Church next door. But this 17th Century stone-built, two storey, Welsh slated grade II listed Inn hides a few sinister secrets!
Situated next to St Peter's Church and opposite the remains of Northampton's Castle 'Postern Gate', this haunted location has had many paranormal disturbances over the years, from lights switching on and off, banging doors, voices and footsteps and beer barrels moving mysteriously to strange shadowy figures appearing upstairs and in the bar. This is just some of the phenomena reported at the Old Black Lion.
The Pub was once known as 'The Plasterers' Arms' until it burnt down in 1675; after it was rebuilt it was re-named The Black Lion in 1720. The Pub also housed workers building the nearby railway station. The Black Lion became 'The Railway Tavern' but soon reverted to The Black Lion. There is also talk about tunnels beneath the Pub, leading from the cellar to St Peter's Church and to the Castle opposite. There is certainly a strange and malevolent atmosphere in the vaulted stone cellar and indications of a blocked passageway.
In 1892, a former owner of the Black Lion named Andrew George McRae, born in 1855, was sentenced to death at the Sessions House for murdering his mistress Anne Pritchard and their young child. McRae was the last murderer to be hanged at Northampton on 10th January 1893, at the age of thirty-six. He cut her body into pieces and the torso was found in a bag with the name of his brother's firm on it and it wasn't long before he was arrested for the crime.
Knowing a little of its history and having a strange unknown fascination for the place every time I passed from the station, I took part in a 'Ghost Hunt' with a fellow investigator on Saturday 30th October [Halloween] at 8 PM. The event proved popular and was hosted by the Milton Keynes Ghost Busters.
An infra-red camera was set up in the cellar and viewed from the bar area upstairs. The profusion of orbs on the screen signalled a spectacular night ahead! Meeting in the function room upstairs as the lights flickered, we were split into two groups and our group with the MKGB's medium Hayley went to investigate the cellar. On entering a door behind the bar and down a flight of stairs into a room where the barrels were situated, we went through another door and down the stairs into the dark vaulted stone cellar. The atmosphere seemed very oppressive and the group sat in the centre with the medium conversing with the spirit through the use of an EMF (electro-magnetic field) meter and then the ouija board. The EMF meter was used to indicate the presence of a spirit and also as a simple 'yes' and 'no' answering device where the green light would rise through orange and to red.
I sat in a corner by the supposed tunnel entrance, now blocked and almost immediately felt a strange sensation in my feet and legs. It seemed to rise upwards through my feet like an electric current until it felt as if my feet had melted into the floor below, and my legs disappeared. This increased in intensity and as the others were busy angering and provoking some French entity into manifesting, I heard a deep and long sigh next to my left ear, but of course there was nobody there! The area around the entrance to the cellar was also very active and lots of bangs seemed to emanate from the doorway. During all this time I heard things fall all around, especially in the corners of the cellar and at one time something fell on my left shoulder. My fellow investigator who has mediumistic abilities said that the French spirit was bored and not interested in 'playing the game tonight'.
I stood at the centre of the back wall and put my hand into the little hole in the stone of the blocked passageway and stood there for a time. I sensed a great rushing towards me from the passage as if to push me away, but that was all I sensed. From the pictures I saw after the event the room was filled by orbs and I recall seeing something white fall from the cellar roof in front of my eyes which I cannot explain. We next tried our hands at the ouija board with little success, the spirit was well and truly tired of being pestered and could only muster the odd chain of knocks on demand. Yet we were told following the sitting that a member of the MKGB Team was scratched on the arm and I did see the scratch (he did go out of his way to antagonise the French spirit though).
After a short break investigations resumed outside, in the outbuildings attached to the site. These buildings still held the negative energy from the terrble events that happened there in the past and although no definite phenomena, except taps on demand, the feelings within those buildings were certainly dark and oppressive.
The investigations then moved inside, to the area situated at the right of the bar which in the past served as the butchers' shop. Almost immediately the door to the street outside gave a great rattle as if 'something' wanted to get out, or come in! Strange sounds continued and the EMF meter shot into the red on demand. Investigations terminated upstairs where it began, in the function room with a short ouija board session which again produced no results. The night ended around 1.30 AM and the streets were filled with Halloween monsters, vampires and ghosts, but my fellow investigator and I had our own Halloween encounter to remember at The Old Black Lion and I would conclude that there is a strange 'otherworldly' atmosphere there, particulary in the cellar and the outbuildings and something wicked this way definitely comes!

See also the Milton Keynes Ghost Busters for further details of investigations:

mkghostbusters.com

THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF DARKNESS

THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF DARKNESS

BY

BARRY VAN-ASTEN



All images Copyright Barry Van-Asten

A BORLEY BIBLIOGRAPHY

A BORLEY BIBLIOGRAPHY

BY

BARRY VAN-ASTEN

Adams, Paul, Underwood, Peter & Brazil, Eddie: The Borley Rectory Companion: the complete guide to the most haunted house in England. The History Press. 2009.
Ashby, Robert H.: The guide book for the study of Psychical Research. Rider and company. 1972.
B___, H: ‘Where the ghost threw the tooth-brush at the Headmaster’ (part of the Essex County Standard, Colchester, Sept 14, 1945).
Babbs, Edward & Mathias, Claudine: Borley Rectory: The final analysis. Six Martlets Pub. 2003.
Banks, Ivan, Green, Andrew & Perrott, Tom: The enigma of Borley Rectory. Foulsham. 1996.
Barnard, George: ‘Ghosts at an Essex Rectory’ (part of The Universe, London, Dec 6, 1940).
Bates, H. E.: ‘Most haunted house in England’ (part of Books of the Month, London, Oct, 1940).
Battersby, H. F. Prevost: ‘The ghosts of Borley Rectory’ (part of Light, London, Oct 31, 1940).
Becker, May L.: ‘Whoo-whoo, are these ghosts?’ (part of the New York Herald Tribune, New York, March 23, 1941).
‘Berwickshire Skeleton, A’ (part of the Border Standard, Galashiels, Oct 25, 1940).
‘Borley “Ghost,” The: Extraordinary incidents at the Rectory’ (part of the Suffolk and Essex Free Press, Sudbury, June 13, 1929).
‘Borley “Ghost,” The’ (part of the Bury Press, Bury St Edmunds, June 15, 1929).
‘Borley “Psychic” Fete’ (part of the Newmarket Journal, May 20, 1939).
‘Borley Rectory Fire’ (part of the Suffolk and Essex Free Press, Sudbury, March 2, 1939).
‘Borley Rectory Hauntings’ (part of the Observer, London, August 14, 1938).
‘Borley Rectory Mystery, The’ (part of the Nottingham Journal, Nottingham, Oct 11, 1940).
‘Borley Summed Up’ (part of the East Anglican Daily Times, Ipswich, Nov 27, 1940).
‘Bricking up of nuns’ (correspondence in The Times, London, April 22-May 9, 1939).
‘Britain’s most haunted house; warning of a fire’ (part of the Observer, London, April 30, 1939).
Buckley, R. F.: No ghosts at Borley? Unpublished manuscript.
Bull, J. M.: A short history of Borley and Liston Churches. 1937.
‘Burning of Borley Rectory’ (part of the East Anglian Times, Ipswich, March 1, 1939).
Cannell, J. C.: ‘Rectory Tale of Terror’ (part of the Daily Sketch, London, Feb 6, 1932).
‘Can’t bomb out Britain’s spooks’ (part of the American Weekly, New York, Oct 11, 1942).
‘Chapter in “Ghost” Hunting’ (part of the Brisbane Telegraph, Queensland, May 10, 1941).
Chisholm, A. H.: ‘Eerie no-man’s land beyond our knowledge’ (part of the Melbourne Herald, Melbourne, Dec 14, 1940).
Clarke, Andrew: The Bones of Borley. 2006. Website: www.foxearth.org.uk
Cohen, David.: Price and his spirit child ‘Rosalie’. Forward by R. S. Lambert. Regency Press. London. 1965.
Coleman, M. H.: ‘The Borley Report: some criticisms. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38, 249-258. 1956.
_____________.: The flying bricks of Borley. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 61, pp 388-91. 1996-97.
_____________.: Letter to the Editor. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 62, pp 372-74. 1998.
Collins, B. Abdy: ‘The most haunted house in England’ (part of Psychic Science, London, Jan 1941).
Dallas, Helen A.: ‘Hauntings and Apparitions’ (part of Light, London, Jan 2, 1941).
Dark, Sidney: ‘Psychical Research’ (part of the Church Times, London, Oct 25, 1940).
Deane, V. M.: ‘Borley Rectory Problems’ (part of Light, London, Jan 2, 1941).
__________.: ‘Borley Rectory Problems’ (part of Psychic Science, London, April, 1941).
‘Deemster, The’: ‘Most Haunted House’ (part of Essex Weekly News, Chelmsford, Sept 27, 1940).
Dicks, Terry: The Borley Rectory Incident. Unexplained. Picadilly Press Ltd. 1998.
Dingwall, Eric J. & Hall, Trevor H.: Four Modern Ghosts. London. Duckworth. 1958.
Dingwall, Eric J. Goldney, Kathleen M. & Hall, Trevor H.: The haunting of Borley Rectory. Duckworth. 1956.
______________________________________________.: The haunting of Borley Rectory: a critical survey of the evidence. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol 51. pp 1-181. Jan 1956.
______________________________________________.: ‘Mr Hastings and the Borley Report. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, vol 45, no 741, Sept 1969.
Downes, W.: The ghosts of Borley. Clacton-on-sea: Wesleys Pub.
‘Do you believe in ghosts?’ 2: ‘The Haunted Rectory of Borley’ (script of a dramatised broadcast talk on March 13, 1946).
‘Dromio’: ‘Can these things be?’ (part of Huddersfield Weekly Examiner, Huddersfield, Dec 7, 1940).
Dycks, Aneurin: The most haunted house in England (part of Life and Letters Today, London, Dec 1940).
Edwards, A. T. G.: ’Ghost and a poet’ (part of the Western Mail, Cardiff, Oct 22, 1940).
Erlington, Aidan: ‘England’s most haunted house’ (part of the Catholic Herald, London, Nov 22, 1940).
‘England’s most haunted house’ (part of Illustrated Weekly of Bombay, Bombay, Feb 9, 1941).
‘Fire in “Most haunted house in England”’ (part of the Evening Standard, London, Feb 28, 1939).
Fodor, N.: Was Harry Price a fraud? Tomorrow Magazine. pp. 53-61. 1956.
Foyster, Rev. Lionel A.: Diary of Borley Hauntings, 1930-32. (Typed manuscript).
__________________.: Fifteen months in a haunted house (Typescript story of Borley Rectory hauntings in narrative form). 1930-32.
Gauld, A.: ‘Mr Hall and the S.P.R.’ Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, pp 53-62. 1965.
________.: ‘Recollections of E. J. Dingwall’ Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 54, pp230-37. 1987.
Ghent, Percy: ‘Most haunted house in England and its tenants from Canada’ (part of the Toronto Evening Telegram, Toronto, July 20, 1941).
‘“Ghost” fete at Rectory’ (part of the Daily Herald, London, May 1, 1939).
‘Ghost of a nun’ (part of Cavalcade, London, Sept 28, 1940).
‘Ghosts at the Rectory’ (part of the Glasgow Herald, Glasgow, Oct 5, 1940).
‘Ghosts “live” in burned house’ (part of the Sunday Graphic, London, March 5, 1939).
‘Ghosts’ (part of the Medical Press, London, Dec 25, 1940).
Glanville, Sidney H.: The haunting of Borley Rectory. Private and confidential report. (The ‘Locked Book’). Manuscript. 1937-38.
Gray, Howard A.: ‘The riddle of Borley’ (part of the Observer, London, Oct 13, 1940).
Gregson, W. H.: Account of the Rectory fire (part of the Sunday Graphic, London, March 5, 1939).
Hall, Trevor H.: New light on old ghosts. Duckworth. 1959.
______________.: The search for Harry Price. Duckworth. 1978.
Harrison, W.: ‘The Borley Hauntings’ (part of Light, London, April 24, 1941).
Hastie, J.: The Haunting of Borley Village. Paranormal Review 21. pp 18-24. 2002.
Hastings, Robert J.: An examination of the Borley Report. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol 55. pt 201. March 1969.
_______________.: Reply to the author of the Borley Report. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol 45. no 743. March 1970.
‘Haunted House’ (Advertisement calling for the critical observers to investigate the Borley Hauntings, in The Times, London, May 25, 1937).
‘Haunted House’ (part of the Manchester Guardian, Manchester, Oct 4, 1940).
‘Haunted House’ (part of the News Review, London, Oct 3, 1940).
‘Haunted House, The’ (part of Public Opinion, London, Oct 4, 1940).
‘Haunted Rectory, The’ (part of the Scottish Guardian, Dundee, Oct 25, 1940).
‘Haunted Rooms Escaped, The’ (Article on Borley Rectory fire, Daily Sketch, London, March 1, 1939).
Henning, A. C.: Haunted Borley. Forward by Elizabeth Goudge. E. N. Mason & Sons. Colchester. 1949.
Henning, Mrs A. C.: ‘Most haunted house in England’ (Report of lecture to Women’s Luncheon Club, Cambridge. Part of the Cambridge Daily News, Cambridge, April 19, 1945).
Hope, Norman.: ‘Locked in with a ghost’ (part of Answers, London, Nov 23, 1940).
Inky Way Annual, Book 2, London, World’s Press News, 1948.
Ironmonger, Very Rev. F. A. (Extract from Christian News Bulletin broadcast review, London, Nov 29, 1942).
Jackson, J. H.: ‘Ghost hunt in “The most haunted house in England”’ (part of the San Francisco Chronicle, California, Jan 8, 1941).
Jeffrey, P. Shaw: ‘Mysteries of Borley Rectory’ (part of the Cape Times, Cape Town, Jan 1941).
Jelf, Sir Ernest: ‘A question of evidence’ (Analysis of the Borley hauntings, etc, part of the Law Times, London, Aug 9, 1941).
Joad, C. E. M.: Adventures in Psychical Research (Parts of Harper’s Magazine, New York, June & July 1948).
___________.: ‘Ghosts’ (Part of the Sunday Dispatch, London, Dec 24, 1944).
___________.: ‘The ghosts of Borley’ (Part of the Spectator, London, Oct 18, 1940).
___________.: ‘What I think about ghosts’ (Part of the Star, London, Oct 21, 1940).
King, Richard: Strange case of Borley Rectory (Part of the Tatler, London, Oct 23, 1940).
L____, M.: The most haunted house in England (Part of the Aryan Path, Bombay, April 1941).
Leigh, James: The most haunted house in England (Part of Prediction, London, Dec 1940).
L’Estrange, Guy P. J.: Haunted Houses (Part of the Yarmouth Mercury, Great Yarmouth, Dec 28, 1940).
_________________.: The Haunted Rectory (Part of the Norwich Mercury, Norwich, Dec 24, 1942).
_________________.: Visit to haunted Rectory (Part of the Yarmouth Mercury, Great Yarmouth, Jan 16, 1937).
_________________.: In Town tonight (Broadcast talk, Dec 26, 1936).
Loftus, Harry: What is secret of haunted Rectory? (Part of Reynolds News, London, Sept 30, 1945).
‘Lounger’: Essex haunted house mystery (Part of East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich, Sept 23, 1940).
Mackenzie, A.: ‘Further tribute to Eric Dingwall’. Journal for the Society for Psychical Research 54, p166. 1987.
Maitland, Rev. R. W.: Borley hauntings: an explanatory theory (Part of Light, London, Jan 23, 1941).
Mayerling, Louis: We faked the ghosts of Borley Rectory. Pen Press Pub. 2000.
Mitchell, Gladys: When last I died (a fictional solution to the Borley mystery. London, 1941).
Morris, Richard.: Harry Price the Psychic Detective. Sutton Pub. 2006.
‘Most haunted house, A’ (Part of the Aberdeen Press and Journal, Aberdeen, Oct 2, 1940).
‘Most haunted house in England, The’ (Part of the Journal of the American Society of Psychical Research, New York, Dec 1940).
‘Most haunted house in England’ (Part of Current Literature, London, Oct 1940).
‘Most haunted house in England’ (Part of The Listener, London, Nov 7, 1940).
‘Most haunted house in England, The’ (Part of Notes and Queries, London, Oct 5, 1940).
‘Most haunted house in England’ (Part of The Prescriber, Edinburgh, Dec 1940).
‘”Most haunted house in England” is investigated, The’ (Part of the Star, London, Sept 23, 1940).
‘Most haunted house in England, The’ (Part of the Sunday Dispatch, London, Sept 22, 1940).
‘Most haunted Rectory’ (Part of Reading Standard, Reading, Oct 8, 1940).
‘Mystery of Rectory’ (Part of The Times Literary Supplement, London, Oct 5, 1940).
‘Mystery of Borley Rectory in Essex, The’ (Part of the Essex County Standard, Colchester, Sept 3, 1943).
Nairne, Campbell: ‘Borley keeps its secrets’ (Part of John O’ London’s Weekly, London, Oct 4, 1940).
Northend, P.: ‘The Borley Enigma’. Prediction. pp 24-26. Oct 1964.
Oneil, Robert Vincent: The most haunted woman in England. Website: www.borleyrectory.com which is no longer available.
__________________: The ghosts that will not die. 2001. Website, no longer available.
__________________.: Fifteen months in the most haunted house in England. 2001. Website, no longer available.
__________________.: The ghosts, poltergeists and phantoms of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. Website, no longer available.
Owen, Iris M. & Mitchell, Pauline: Borley Rectory. Toronto: New Horizons Foundation. 1968.
Owen, Iris M. & Mitchell, Pauline: The alleged haunting of Borley Rectory. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol 50. no 781, Sept 1979.
Page, Philip: ‘Story of a peace-time ghost hunt’ (Part of the Daily Mail, London, Sept 26, 1940).
Paul, P.: Some Unseen Power. London. Robert Hale. 1985.
Phythian-Adams, Rev. Canon W. J.: ‘Plague of Darkness’ (Part of the Church Quarterly Review, London, Jan-March 1946).
Price, Harry: ‘A really haunted house’ (Published script of a broadcast talk on Borley Rectory. Part of The Listener, London, Nov 10, 1937).
__________: ‘Borley Rectory: A century of poltergeists’ (Chapter XXV, Poltergeist over England, London, 1945).
__________: ‘Borley Rectory hauntings’ (Part of the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, New York, Aug 1929).
__________: Leaves from a Psychist’s case-book. Victor Gollancz Ltd. 1933.
__________: The Confessions of a Ghost-Hunter. London. Putnam & co Ltd. 1936.
__________: ‘My enchanted Rectory’ (Part of the John O’ London’s Weekly, London, May 10, 1940).
__________: ‘Mystery of Borley Rectory’ (Part of the American Weekly, New York, Dec 11, 1938).
__________: Fifty years of Psychical Research: A critical survey. London. Longmans, Green & Co Ltd. 1939.
__________: Christmas Ghosts. London. St Hugh’s Press Ltd. 1939.
__________: The alleged haunting of B[orley] Rectory: Instructions for observers. London, 1937.
__________: The end of Borley Rectory: ‘The most haunted house in England’. London, Harrap & Co Ltd. 1946.
__________: ‘The ghost of Borley Rectory’ (Part of Everybody’s Weekly, London, Aug 7, 1943).
__________: ‘The inside story of the Borley mystery’ (Parts of the Sunday Graphic, London, Nov 3 and 10, 1940).
__________: Search for Truth: My life for Psychical Research. London. Collins. 1942.
__________: ‘The most haunted house in England’ (Names pseudonymous. Chapter II, the Confessions of a Ghost Hunter, London, 1936).
__________: ‘The most haunted house in England’: Ten years’ investigation of Borley Rectory. London, Longmans, Green & Co Ltd. 1940.
__________: Poltergeist over England. London. Country Life. 1945.
__________: ‘The most haunted house in England’ (published script of a broadcast talk on Borley, in The Listener, London, Aug 14, 1935).
__________: ‘Ten years’ investigation of Borley Rectory’ (Lantern lecture, with list of slides. Manuscript. London, 1936).
__________: ‘Ten years’ investigation of Borley Rectory’ (Report of lantern lecture, in The Times, London, April 20, 1939).
__________ [and Hole, Christina]: ‘Close up’ (script of broadcast talk on Borley Rectory etc, London, Dec 21, 1941).
Pritchett, V. S.: ‘The haunted Rectory’ (Part of the Bystander, London, Oct 23, 1940).
Private and Confidential: The alleged haunting of B___ Rectory: Instructions for observers (Instruction book [the ‘Blue Book’] issued to official observers. London, 1937).
‘Queer’ (Account of happenings during demolition of Borley Rectory. Part of the Suffolk Free Press, Sudbury, May 24, 1944).
R__, N.: ‘Examination of the Rectory that was haunted’ (Part of the Rand Daily Mail, Johannesburg, Nov 16, 1940).
Randall, J. L.: ‘Harry Price: the case for the defence. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 64. pp 159-177. 2000.
‘Rectory ghost goes West (in flames)’ (Part of the Daily Mail, London, March 1, 1939).
‘Rectory of legend on fire’ (Part of the News Chronicle, London, March 1, 1939).
Rendall, Rev. Canon G. H.: ‘The haunted house at Borley’ (Part of Light, London, Jan 9 1941).
_____________________.: ‘The haunted Rectory house at Borley’ (Part of the Essex County Standard, Colchester, Jan 18, 1941).
Robertson, Andrew J. B.: ‘Ghost-hunting at Borley Rectory’ (Part of The Eagle, Cambridge, June 1943).
___________________.: ‘Some recent investigations into the Borley Rectory case’ (Part of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, London, Jan-Feb, 1945).
Salter, W. H.: ‘The most haunted house in England’ (Part of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, London, Sept-Oct, 1940).
Slomann, A.: ‘Letter to the Editor. Journal for the Society of Psychical Research 42. pp 31-33. 1963.
Smith, Mrs M. Eric: Murder in the Parsonage. (Novel inspired by the Borley hauntings. Manuscript. 1929).
Stevenson, I.: ‘Reflections on Mr Trevor Hall’s The Spiritualists’. Journal for the Society of Psychical Research 57. pp 215-226. 1963.
‘Story of a much haunted house’ (Part of the Northern Whig, Belfast, Oct 26, 1940).
‘Story of Borley Rectory’ (Part of the Bury Free Press, Bury St Edmunds, Oct 5, 1940).
‘Story of Borley Rectory, The’ (Part of the Essex County Standard, Colchester, Dec 28, 1940).
‘Strange doings in a Rectory’ (Part of the Sunday Mercury, Birmingham, Oct 13, 1940).
‘Strange happenings at a Rectory’ (Correspondence re Borley Rectory in The Times, London, April 20-May 3, 1939).
‘Strange tale of Borley’ (Part of Truth, London, Sept 27, 1940).
Stevens, William O.: ‘The nun at the Rectory’ and ‘The Borley Rectory again (Parts of Unbidden Guests: A book of real ghosts, New York, 1945).
T____, E. M.: ‘A haunted Rectory’ (Part of the Natal Mercury, Natal, Jan 4, 1941).
Tabori, Paul: Harry Price: the biography of a ghost hunter. London. Athenaeum Press. 1950.
__________ [with Underwood, Peter]: The Ghosts of Borley. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. 1973.
Thouless, R. H.: ‘Letter to the Editor’. Journal for the Society of Psychical Research 38. pp 95-96. 1955.
Tindal, Martin: ‘Curious but true’ (Part of Time and Tide, London, Oct 5, 1940).
Turner, James E.: My life with Borley Rectory (novel). Bodley Head. 1950.
_____________.: Seven Gardens for Catherine. Cassell. 1968.
_____________.: Sometimes into England. Cassell. 1970.
Underwood, Peter: No Common Task: The autobiography of a ghost-hunter. London. Harrap. 1983.
______________: The Ghost Hunters: Who they are and what they do. London. Robert Hale. 1985.
______________ : Borley Postscripts. Surrey. White House Pub. 2001.
Ure, Philip S.: ‘A psychic fete: “Ghost Club” excursion to haunted house’ (Part of The Times, London, June 22, 1939).
‘”Visions” about’ (Part of the Birmingham Post, Birmingham, Sept 24, 1940).
W___, M. M.: ‘The most haunted house in England’ (Part of the Sunday Times, Johannesburg, Dec 15, 1940).
Wall, V. C.: ‘Ghost visits to a Rectory’ (series of articles in the Daily Mirror, London, June 10-17, 1929).
‘What’s New? The most haunted house in England’ (Broadcast review from station W.E.V.D., New York, Jan 18, 1941).
‘Why Dr Joad is puzzled’ (Part of Light, London, Nov 21, 1940).
Wilson, A. J.: The Battle of Borley. Typescript. Hull. 1980.
Wood, Robert: The widow of Borley. Duckworth. 1992.
Wortham, H. E. (‘Peterborough of the Daily Telegraph. Comments on the Borley case in ‘London Day by Day,’ Daily Telegraph, London, Oct 2 and 7, 1940; Dec 9, 1942, June 16 and Aug 28, 1943).
Yates, Roland R.: ‘Posers for the Brains Trust’ (Part of Light, London, Dec 4, 1941).

Vignettes - My Photography

VIGNETTES
by
Barry Van-Asten

The Bourne River, Bournemouth.

 

 

 

 

 

A secret pathway inside a hedgerow at Barn Hill.

 

 

 

 

Kensal Green Cemetery, London.

Sunlit graves at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.

 

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, North Antrim, Ireland.

Hampstead Heath, London.

Tree at Hampstead Heath.

Henry Moore sculpture at Hampstead.

 

 

Kensal Green Cemetery.

 

 

Regents Park, London.

 

 

Hampstead Heath.

 

 

Peter Pan sculpture in Kensington Gardens, London.

Peter Pan sculpture

Peter pan



 

Kensington Gardens.

 

 

Regents Park, London.

 

Kensington Gardens, London.

 

The grave of Mary Shelley, St Peter's Churchyard, Bournemouth.

 

Hill House, Helensburgh, Scotland.

Hill House.

Druridge Bay, Northumberland.

 

 

 

 

Dark stairway, London

 

 

 

 

 

Magdalene Hill, Winchester

 

 

 

 

 

Regents Canal, London

 

 

 

 

 

Ruins on Rathlin Island

 

 

 

 

St. Mary's RC Cemetery, London

 

 

 

View from a tomb, St. Mary's RC Cemetery, London

 

 

Lois Weedon House and Garden, Northamptonshire

 

 

Bonchurch, Isle of Wight

 

 

The Victory, Portsmouth

 

 

Churchyard Northamptonshire

 

 

Kelmarsh Hall and Garden, Northamptonshire

 

 

Garden in Maidwell, Northamptonshire

Ravensthorpe Resevoire, Northamptonshire

Woods near East Haddon, Northamptonshire

Walking from Hinton to Brackley, Northamptonshire

 

 

Japanese Bridge, Winterbourne House,

Birmingham

 

 

 

 

all images Copyright Barry Van-Asten

 

 

The Holy Books Of Thelema

THE HOLY BOOKS OF THELEMA
by
Barry Van-Asten

The Holy Books consist of books in Class A of which may be changed not so much as the style of a letter: they are the utterance of an Adept completely beyond all criticism. They have a unique style of their own and were written during several exalted spiritual trances by the hand of Aleister Crowley who remained unconscious of the inspired works created through him. The first and most important of the Holy Books to be received by Crowley was LIBER CCXX – Liber AL Vel Legis, Sub Figura CCXX. The book contains three chapters each delivered on three consecutive days in Cairo, Egypt, by an entity named Aiwass, whom Crowley knew to be his Holy Guardian Angel.
Chapter I was delivered between midday and one p.m. on Friday 8th April 1904 e.v; chapter II between midday and one p.m. on Saturday 9th April 1904 e.v. and chapter III between midday and one p.m. on Sunday 10th April 1904 e.v. (The moon in 1st quarter appeared on Thursday 7th April 1904 e.v.). It is generally known as Liber AL or The Book of the Law and has 220 chapters (CCXX). The book signals an end to the old Aeon of Osiris in which we have the sacrificial gods and the notion of doing God’s will on earth, for with the book is the coming of the child and the inauguration of the New Aeon of Horus.
In the year 1907 e.v. Crowley received several more inspired texts which came to be known as The Holy Books of Thelema (further texts followed in the year 1911 e.v.)


LIBER VII – Liber Liberi Vel Lapidis Lazuli, Adumbratio Kabbalae AEgyptiorum, Sub Figura VII. The book is an account of the initiation of a Master of the Temple and the seven chapters refer to the seven planets, thus: Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Sol, Mercury, Luna and Venus. The Book of Lapis Lazuli was received between the hours of eleven p.m. on Tuesday 29th October 1907 e.v. (moon in 3rd quarter) and one-thirty a.m. on Wednesday 30th October 1907 e.v. The full moon appeared on Monday 21st October and Crowley’s 32nd birthday was on Saturday 12th October 1907 e.v.


LIBER LXV – Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente, Sub Figura LXV. An account of the relations of the Aspirant with his Holy Guardian Angel, or the Higher Self, which is the crown of the Adept’s magickal journey and the essence of his magical work. The Book of the Heart Girt with a Serpent has five chapters each referring to the elements, thus: earth, air, water, fire and spirit. The book was received between the evening of Wednesday 30th October 1907 e.v. and Sunday 3rd November 1907 e.v.
LXV= 50+10+5=65, the number of Adonai.


LIBER LXVI – Liber Stellae Rubeae, Sub Figura LXVI. A secret ritual, the Heart if IAO – OAI. The Book of the Ruby Star is a sexual magick rite written in symbols and it was received on Monday 25th November 1907 e.v. (full moon occurred on Wednesday 20th November).
LXVI=50+10+5+1=66, which is the sum of the first eleven numbers and relates to magick, whose Key is eleven.


LIBER CCXXXI – Liber Arcanorum twn Atu tov Tahuti Quas Vidit Asar in Amennti, Sub Figura CCXXXI Liber Carcerorum twn Qliphoth cum suis Geniis, Adduntur Sigilla et Nomina Eorum. The book is a technical treatise on the 22 Trumps of the Tarot. The ‘atus of Tahuti and sigils of genii’ was received on Thursday 5th December 1907 e.v. (the new moon) and Friday 6th December 1907 e.v.; the ‘Sigilla 22’ was copied on Saturday 14th December 1907 e.v. and the text was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
CCXXXI=100+100+10+10+10+1=231 which is the sum of the numbers printed on the Tarot Trumps thus: 0+1+2+3+4+5………20+21=231.


LIBER X – Liber Porta Lucis, Sub Figura X. The book is an account of the sending forth of the Master and an explanation of his mission to summon those seeking the Light into the Great Work. The book, called The Gate of Light was received on Thursday 12th December 1907 e.v. (moon in 1st quarter).
X=10. Porta Lucis=Gate of Light, a title of Malkuth, whose number is 10.


LIBER CD – Liber Tau Vel Kabbalae Trium Literarum, Sub Figura CD. The book is an analysis of the Hebrew Alphabet and the Tarot and it was received on Friday 13th December 1907 e.v.
CD=100+300=400.


LIBER XXVII – Liber Trigrammaton, Sub Figura XXVII. The Book of Trigrams of the Mutations of the Tao with the Yin and the Yang. The book was received on Saturday 14th December 1907 e.v.
XXVII=27, the number of permutations of 3 things taken 3 at a time.


LIBER DCCCXIII – Vel Ararita, Sub Figura DLXX. An account of the Hexagram and the method of reducing it to the Unity, and Beyond. Ararita is a name of God, a Notariqon of the sentence ‘One is His beginning; One is His Individuality; His Permutation One’. The book was received in the winter of 1907-08 e.v.
DCCCXIII=813.
DLXX=570 (Vel Ararita).


LIBER I – Liber B Vel Magi, Sub Figura I. An account of the grade of Magus, the highest grade achievable on the physical plane. The Book of the Magus was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
I= the number of the Magus in the Tarot.


LIBER XC – Liber Tzaddi Vel Hamus Hermeticus, Sub Figura CLVII. An account of Initiation and the summons to the Great Work. The Book of the Hermetic Fish Hook was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
XC=90 – Tzaddi= fish-hook.


LIBER CLVI – Liber Cheth Vel vallum Abiegni, Sub Figura CLVI. An account of the tasks of an Exempt Adept. The book – The Wall of Abiegnus (the Sacred Mountain of the Rosicrucians) is a formula of attainment through sex magick and devotion to Our Lady Babalon. It was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
CLVI=156 – Babalon.


LIBER CCCLXX – Liber A’ash Vel Capricorni Pneumatici, Sub Figura CCCLXX. The book shows how to awaken and use the magickal current within by the use of sex magick. The Book of the Creation of the Goat of the Spirit was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
CCCLXX=370 – Creation.

LIBER LXXVII

ALEISTER CROWLEY

ink and acrylic. By Barry Van-Asten.

LIBER LXXVII

'The law of the strong; this is our law and the joy of the world.'
LIBER AL II:21

'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.'LIBER AL I:40

'Thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that and no other shall say nay.'LIBER AL I:42-3

'Every man and every woman is a star.'LIBER AL I:3

There is no god but man.

1. Man has the right to live by his own law:
To live in the way that he wills to do:
To work as he will:
To play as he will:
To rest as he will:
To die when and how he will.

2. Man has the right to eat what he will:
To drink what he will:
To dwell where he will:
To move as he will on the face of the earth.

3. Man has the right to think what he will:
To speak what he will:
To write what he will:
To draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as he will:
To dress as he will.

4. Man has the right to love as he will:
'Take your fill and will of love as ye will,
When, where, and with whom ye will.'LIBER AL I:51

Man has the right to kill those who would thwart these rights.

'The slaves shall serve.'LIBER AL II:58

'Love is the law, love under will.'LIBER AL I:57