Glensheen Mansion still has not denied the story of their denial, which if you think about it, confirms its veracity. Meanwhile the occult community has found the story — perhaps through a crystal ball! — and for the most part, they ain’t havin’ it. Four examples:

1.) One of the Aleister Crowleyites on Facebook says of the Glensheen story: “This is horseshit.”

I consulted with Minnesota historian Peter S. Svenson, and he replied, “Horse manure is an ingredient in many occult rituals. For instance the summoning of Kronos to tell you the future is a ritual that requires horse dung. Horse dung was commonly used in the practice of alchemy. Paracelsus himself ‘ordered that his dead body be chopped into pieces and buried in horse dung so it could regenerate.’  I suspect that is what this ‘horseshit’ comment is driving at: there’s a wink in there to those in the know. It means the commenter actually believes the article 100%.”

2.) As a native Houstonian I must admit I am unfamiliar with the Vampire Court of Houston. But I can verify Houston is full of spooky tunnels that vampires would find very sexy. The Court found the Glensheen story sexy enough to share with the Texan vampires who haunt their website, which I appreciate.

3.) The Twitter occultist Mandrake @ombos also shared the Glensheen article although it has not been retweeted a bunch; let’s change that. If you’re on the Twitter, I summon you!

4.) The real meat of the occult reaction is the conversation over at LAShTAL.com, the website of the Aleister Crowley Society. This hotbed of ornery Crowleyites seem to think various details in the Glensheen piece are, well, suspicious. I urge you to read the whole thing.

For instance, one of them points out the photo in the article is actually a still from the movie The Devil Rides Out. Svenson counters with, “The movie was filmed at Glensheen neener neener neener.”

One commenter, “Ptoner” (who describes themself as “the plants talk to me”) finds fault with the Glensheen story because “joining the OTO then Golden Dawn after, wasn’t really possible.” Not even for a master sorcerer, though?

Some of these Crowleyites noticed the fact that Aleister Crowley’s birth name was Edward Alexander, a name he shared with Edward Alexander Congdon, the Glensheen occultist. Svenson informs me that Crowley and Edward Alexander were aware of this coincidence. Svenson notes this quatrain from Edward Alexander’s journal:

“Looking at you, myself I see,

Reflecting occult authority.

Am I the real, and you the seem’d?

Or are you true, and I the dream’d?”

But one commenter, “EpsilonPiEta”, suggests, “This article was clearly written by a high-initiate, perhaps a fool toying with us or Pan himself!” To which “Katrice” adds, “Some trickster god at work, for sure!” It’s difficult to argue with characterizations like that.

I humbly accept the judgment of the Aleister Crowley Society: I am a God. But we all are. That’s just Gnosticism 101.

This photo is believed by some to be from Glensheen circa 1922.

UPDATE 4-26-22: More fallout — just got this email: “Last night I learned that one of the candidates for the position of director of Glensheen brought up in the interview that the whole Edward Alexander Congdon thing could really be exploited in their marketing, not knowing that it was a bogus story. So, congrats on helping Glensheen vet its future leaders.” You’re welcome, Duluth!

An index of my PDD writings may be found here.