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An Litir Bheag 827

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir àireamh 827. Roddy Maclean is back with this week's short letter for Gàidhlig learners.

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Sun 21 Mar 2021 16:00

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An Litir Bheag 827

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Aleister Crowley agus Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn. Ann an Lunnainn, thachair Crowley ri fear a bha an sàs ann am buidheann dìomhair, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Bha iadsan ri draoidheachd de dh’iomadh seòrsa. Cha b’ fhada gus an robh Aleister na bhall. Dh’ionnsaich e mu dheas-ghnàthan draoidheil agus mar a bhiodh cleachdadh dhrogaichean mar phàirt dhiubh. Goirid an dèidh sin cheannaich e Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn.

Chaidh Crowley agus muinntir Golden Dawn a-mach air a chèile. Bha cuid mì-thoilichte leis an dol a-mach feiseil aig Crowley. Bha e dà-sheòrsach agus bha iomadh cèile feiseil aige. Ge-tà, phòs e tè Shasannach, Rose Kelly, ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a trì (1903). Bha dithis chloinne aca còmhla. Thachair rudeigin ‘spioradail’ dhaibh nuair a bha iad anns an Èiphit.

Chruthaich Crowley nàdar de chreideamh air a bheil Thelema. Tha Thelema a’ dol fhathast. Gu ìre, tha e stèidhichte air leabhar beag ris an canar Leabhar an Lagh. Thuirt Crowley gun do sgrìobh e fhèin an leabhar. Sgrìobh Crowley na briathran a chuala e aig nàdar de dh’aingeal – facal air an fhacal. Co-dhiù, ʼs e sin a bha e fhèin a’ cumail a-mach.

Fhuair Crowley cuidhteas Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn ann an naoi ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1914). Sheòl e dha na Stàitean Aonaichte. Tro bhliadhnaichean a’ Chogaidh Mhòir, bha e a’ coiteachadh às leth na Gearmailt ann an New York. Ach gu fìrinneach, bha e ag obair às leth nan seirbheisean brathaidh Breatannach. Bha e a’ dèanamh brathadh air Gearmailtich ann an Ameireagaidh. 

Anns na ficheadan, bha e ann an Sicily greis. Ach chaochail fear dhen luchd-leantainn aige an sin. Bha an riaghaltas faisisteach mì-thoilichte agus dh’iarr iad air Crowley an dùthaich fhàgail. 

Chaochail Crowley ann an Sasainn ann an naoi ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a seachd (1947). Bha Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn leis an fhear-chiùil ainmeil Jimmy Page anns na seachdadan is ochdadan. Chaidh an taigh a sgrios le teine o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean. Ach tha e a-nise le buidheann-chathrannais ionadail. Tha planaichean aca an taigh a leasachadh às ùr. Cha tàinig sgeul fada Thaigh Bhoth Fhleisginn gu crìch fhathast.

The Little Letter 827

I was telling you about Aleister Crowley and Boleskine House. In London, Crowley met a man who was involved in the secret group ‘The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn’. They were involved in many types of magic, sorcery. It wasn’t long until Aleister was a member. He learned about magic ceremonies and how the use of drugs would be part of them. Shortly after that he bought Boleskine House.

Crowley and the people of Golden Dawn fell out with each other. Some people were displeased with Crowley’s sexual behaviour. He was bisexual and had many sexual partners. However, he married an Englishwoman, Rose Kelly, in 1903. They had two children together. Something ‘spiritual’ happened to them when they were in Egypt.

Crowley established a sort of religion called Thelema. Thelema is still going. To an extent it is based on a small book called The Book of the Law. Crowley said that he wrote the book himself. Crowley wrote the words that he heard from a sort of angel – word-for-word. Anyway, that’s what he maintained himself.

Crowley got rid of Boleskine House in 1914. He sailed to the United States. Through the years of the Great War, he was lobbying on behalf of Germany in New York. But, in truth, he was working for the British security services. He was spying on Germans in America.

In the twenties, he was in Sicily for a while. But one of his followers died there. The fascist government was unhappy and they asked Crowley to leave the country.

Crowley died in England in 1947. Boleskine House was owned by the famous musician Jimmy Page in the seventies and eighties. The house was wrecked by fire a few years ago. But it’s now owned by a local charity. They have plans to develop the house anew. The long story of Boleskine House has not yet ended.

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  • Sun 21 Mar 2021 16:00

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