Scandal in the Family and evil tales of darkness
I found out that I have the teensiest, tenuous-est connection to Aleister Crowley.
Isn't that fun? I like Crowley because he, to me, embodies how easy it is to wind people up. Usually, it seems, egotistical people do not have to suffer particular hardships, and it is this cosiness which hones their raging narcissism. Old Al certainly went through some difficulties- dying destitute and heroin-raddled for instance- yet none undimmed his overarching sense of self-importance. That entertains me.
Anyway, here's the tale. My great-grandfather (who'd been disowned) was the brother of Superintendent Alec Spooner. Spooner was involved in the Lower Quinton 'Billhook Murder' investigation, an unsavoury case of 1945 in which farm worker Charles Walton was found on Valentine's Day, dead and considerably disadvantaged by sharp implements.
There was more than a suspicion of witchcraft about the murder, and it was tinged with local folklore (namely Black Dogs). Fabian of the Yard! (fanfare) was unable to unearth a culprit and it was eventually found to be the work of 'person or persons unknown'.
Spooner was informed, roundaboutly, that the murderers were sinister occult types, operating under Crowley's influence in Cornwall (and including the mother of Aleister Jr.) This possible involvement lead Fabian to go to The Great Beast's rather quiet funeral in 1947, in the hope of some posthumous fessing-up (or perhaps a messagefrombeyond, I don't know).
Spooner resolved to clear the case before he died. (He didn't.) He remained committed, going to the village pub every year on Feb.14th, just to stare at people and hopefully jolt them into confessing.
That's it! I said it was tenuous... incidentally, my great-grandma was also disowned.
Isn't that fun? I like Crowley because he, to me, embodies how easy it is to wind people up. Usually, it seems, egotistical people do not have to suffer particular hardships, and it is this cosiness which hones their raging narcissism. Old Al certainly went through some difficulties- dying destitute and heroin-raddled for instance- yet none undimmed his overarching sense of self-importance. That entertains me.
Anyway, here's the tale. My great-grandfather (who'd been disowned) was the brother of Superintendent Alec Spooner. Spooner was involved in the Lower Quinton 'Billhook Murder' investigation, an unsavoury case of 1945 in which farm worker Charles Walton was found on Valentine's Day, dead and considerably disadvantaged by sharp implements.
There was more than a suspicion of witchcraft about the murder, and it was tinged with local folklore (namely Black Dogs). Fabian of the Yard! (fanfare) was unable to unearth a culprit and it was eventually found to be the work of 'person or persons unknown'.
Spooner was informed, roundaboutly, that the murderers were sinister occult types, operating under Crowley's influence in Cornwall (and including the mother of Aleister Jr.) This possible involvement lead Fabian to go to The Great Beast's rather quiet funeral in 1947, in the hope of some posthumous fessing-up (or perhaps a messagefrombeyond, I don't know).
Spooner resolved to clear the case before he died. (He didn't.) He remained committed, going to the village pub every year on Feb.14th, just to stare at people and hopefully jolt them into confessing.
That's it! I said it was tenuous... incidentally, my great-grandma was also disowned.