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Beloved, Believe Not Every Spirit, but Try the Spirits
The magical is a great hidden wisdom…no armour can shield against it because it strikes at the inward spirit of life. Of this, we make restore assured. In recent years there has been a growing inclination to interpret any human awareness that cannot be readily explained as E.S.P. or Extra Sensory Perception. Of course, it is admitted in even the most polite circles that animals have this faculty. Rather than admit that animals have full use of one or more of the so-called five sense, they are credited with a sixth sense, which we call E.S.P. However, I believe that the majority of thing that are attributed to E.S.P., or a sixth sense, are nothing more than unconscious manifestations of our existing five sense: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The reason the techniques of utilizing these five senses to the degree that would explain away much of the sixth sense nonsense are not learned is because to do so would mean admitting that animals had something we do not have and they might be able to teach us a few things. Man cannot quite bring himself to learn from the animals, though, because he has been brainwashed into thinking he is something special, a higher type of being. He cannot beat his chest like a bongo and play god, because that is reserved for the guy upstairs, and he cannot learn from the animal kingdom, because he is supposedly emancipated from it. If something comes along he cannot explain, he ask somebody else, and, if there are still no satisfactory explanations, he looks to his gods for one. If faith in his old gods wanes, because of doubts in his mind as to the validity of his religion, he can no longer call strange happenings “miracles.” #RandolphHarris 1 of 10
However, his ego will not allow him to lose what little self-respect he has acquired, by regressing to animalism in any way, shape or form—even if it means he might learn something. So he thinks of a new “scientific” term which will break away from the religious terminology of “miracles” that has lately left him so disenchanted. He still knows little more than he ever did, but he feels better because he thinks he is on the right track—not dependent on his old god and not trafficking with the Devil. H.S.P. or Heightened Sensory Perception simply means that we receive impressions through our existing five senses that we do not recognize as coming through these agencies. H.S.P relays messages to our brain based on indicators in the environment, and these signals are based on more factors than we could ever imagine have influenced us. Now, psychic phenomena is often thought to be connected with witchcraft. As William Wirt Winchester had taken a job the family business, he was warned the New Haven, Connecticut USA had become a center for witch ceremonies. People were warned to keep their children away from Hallowe’en celebrations, “We know there are adults in the village who are thing to introduce children to witchcraft for their own demonic reasons,” Maureen Crawford said. There were purportedly a dozen separate witch covens operating in New Haven, and they were all suspected to be involved in blood rituals, so the whole village of witches was branded as black (black magic). #RandolphHarris 2 of 10
Mr. Winchester had been invited to an initiation ceremony at a house in New Haven. He knew the High Priest quite well, and he was knowns for his powers. The ceremony was already in progress when Mr. Winchester arrived, and he put on a ceremonial robe and was shown into a third-floor room, where an overpoweringly beautiful crystal chandelier was the main feature. However, it was not switched on, and glistened only from the light of candles on a large altar. There, on the alter, he saw a young woman—woman who was made up to look like an ancient Egyptian. “I was absolutely certain in my own mind that she was a virgin, she looked so young, but she was obviously a willing participant. She was not strapped down and made no move to get up. Somehow I feared the worst. I wanted to get out of that place but the doorway was guarded by two men holding ritual swords. The Great Rite that was being performed has no place in this town. This was palpably a black imitation and the real purpose behind it was to raise power for the High Priest. He was calling upon dark forces. He began in what sounded like gibberish—but was Enochian texts. Then, standing close to the altar, he took the young woman and led her away, tears streaming down her face. I pulled out my revolver and told him to step aside, and I rescued the maiden. While we were walking in the pitch black night, she confessed to me her name was Sarah Pardee, and she had been abducted from Sunday School. Eight men tied her hands behind her back, and she was blindfolded as her companions carried her to the ritual casting magic circle. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10
“The men took Sarah to this old wooden Victorian home. She pulled herself free from the binding cords and ripped off her blindfold. ‘Immediately I wish I had not,’ Sarah said. ‘For there before me were four wooden stakes and upon each one had been impaled a dead cat. I have out a terrible scream and vomited. I was sick at heart, infuriated and fearful.’ As Sarah and I wondered through the forest, I was so happy I was able to get her away from the scenes of black magic.” Descriptions of such sense are not uncommon, there were many witches and warlock involved in black sorcery. Several years later, in 1862, William and Sarah were married. Their marriage was based on mutual love and affection, and when William died Mrs. Winchester mourned him for the rest of her life, avoiding public appearances for years, and living in a hermitic existence in Santa Clara County. The reason Mrs. Winchester moved to Santa Clara County is because she found a small box with three thorns, earth from a cemetery, a dead butter fly, and a picture of herself in the box. It had been sealed with black wax and placed in her kitchen. The effects had been catastrophic. A witch does have to make a pact with the devil himself, at least symbolically. Among his ten commandments is one tht calls for the confidence in the belief that a witch can destroy rivals through the use of curses thrown without mercy—the only way a curse can be thrown is without mercy, and the power of the curse is most effective. Perhaps this is why Mrs. Winchester was not only robbed of her husband, but her new born daughter. #RandolphHarris 4 of 10
The belief in black magic circles is that it is possible for the magician to achieve a state of being verging on astral projection, whereby the spirit may travel to the “victim,” engage in pleasures of the flesh and returning. The female attacking a male is known as a succubus; the male attacker is known as an incubus and both have their origins in the recorded witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Mrs. Winchester’s marriage to Mr. Winchester, “was a beautiful, really, as his eyelashes. He had such a natural grace. And he was so affectionate, and so happy with me. After his death, I had to get away from family life. There was not a trace of hypocrisy in William. He was sure that his ‘call’ was irresistible, while to me it was the saving grace of my life. He was enchanting and enchanted. I knew he was too beautifully brave to exist in such a cruel world. The day I met him, I said to myself: ‘I shall have him for life’—and I had never seen anyone, man or woman, whom I was quite sure of wanting on those terms. Well, this impulse of egotism decided me. I was ashamed of it, and to get away from it I took a leap that landed me straight in William’s arms.” It is easy to see why Mrs. Sarah L. Winchester’s response to the death of her child and husband left a bizarre and impressive architectural reflection of her psyche. And what went on inspire is beautiful mansion she built left something hung in darkness. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10
The phantom attacks began late one evening in Mrs. Winchester’s bedroom. A listless drowsy breeze filled the room. It was filled with the scent of the ocean, salty and clean, washing Mrs. Winchester and washing the room, and beyond she saw stars without number, stars of such radiance and such distance that the Heavens were no longer the painted vault of Heaven but a great endless ocean of stars. Suddenly, she was thrown by an unseen force. As she fell to the floor she found herself laying next to a headless body, it was moving, crawling, clawing at the polished floors with its great sprawling fingers and pushing through the robe with his knees. The body was making a muddy shadow underneath. This sight was so ghastly that for a moment Mrs. Winchester could not move. And as she looked at the body, its movements moved with hers, there overcame her a sense of its tacit complicity, of a deep hidden understanding between the, that was no worse than the first shock of its strangeness. Not that she understood the body, but it made it clear that someday she should. And that was the worst part of it, decidedly. The headless body leaked blood. The smashed head lying on the floor, staring at Mrs. Winchester with empty eye sockets. Mrs. Winchester puzzled over the situation a good deal, but could not find any hint of an explanation. She thought that this was a demon sent to torment her. This evil was insidious. He husband was too charming and her daughter too beautiful to be sacrificed to such demons. And so, after all, she never found out what it wanted. #RandolphHarris 6 of 10
It was hard to describe the physical sense of distress. Mrs. Winchester lay back more exhausted than she had ever been in all her long existence. She could have slept for a year, but retired to a séance in her Blue Séance Room. Clad in a white dress, a spirit floating above the altar with great presence and depth. It was accompanied by an unpleasant sensation of pressure on her chest. There was also a music box playing and she could hear children laughing on the lawn at midnight. Mrs. Winchester was told that this was an omen of her impending death and that is she did not continue construction of her home, indefinitely, that she was meet the same fate. Everything was peaceful. Night birds were calling, and the frogs and crickets were contributing their music to nature’s sounds. Mrs. Winchester sat transfixed in the beauty and wonder of the scene. The following week, one of the farmers was found dead, sitting on a chair in the kitchen. Later the coroner examined the body and said the man had died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Following the mysterious death, the butler was running through the mansion, completely hysterical, shouting that he has seen the ghost. After that, the crazed butler disappeared. He was never seen again, dead or alive. You can make of witchcraft what you will—it is kind of religion, invitingly tinged with mystery, superstition, and legend. Many witches who use black magic believe that they will become vampires after their death. The fear of vampires has been famous for centuries. In 1823, a law was passed prohibiting the practice of burying unhallowed dead at a crossroads with a wooden stake driven through the heart of the corpse. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10
There are few major towns or cities in America that do not barbour at least one—often several—secret societies whose purpose is the study and performance of esoteric religion or ritual magic. They are generally made up of small groups of people aligned to various separate organizations and beliefs whose proliferation in the twentieth century has continued a space in what Francis King, the acclaimed author on occult matters, described as an “astonishing revival of medieval magic and alchemy.” King is right when he says that the newspaper stories of the desecration of some deserted country church for the purposes of black magic or the activities of some cult or secret society, dancing around a blazing fire, or standing rapt before a crude altar, are only the tip of the ice berg. As leaders of witchcraft recognize, students of ritual magic and the occult are on a higher plane of activity which has throughout history attracted many gifted minds. The scour antiquity for the roots of a particular persuasion in a constant search for the source, the Philosopher’s Stone or such age-old secrets as turning common metals into gold. They seek and perform old rituals of past and famous magicians; they try to define the question of being and magic furnishes the human mind with an instrument of philosophical and religious certainty as exact as mathematics. Those who attain this knowledge and adopt it as a rule of life can make themselves masters of all inferior things. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10
In the mystery of these vestures of the Holy Ones, I gird up my power in the girdles of righteousness and truth in the power of the Most High: Ancor: Amacor: Amides: Theodonis: Anitor: let be mighty my power: let it endure for ever: in the power of Adonai, to whom the praise and the glory shall be; whose end cannot be. I invoke and move thee, O thou, Spirits of William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester: and being exalted above ye in the power of the Most High, I say unto thee, please Obey! In the name Beralensis, Baldachiensis, Paumachia, and Apologine Sedes: and of the mighty ones who govern, spirits, Liachidae and ministers of the House of Death: and by the Chief Prince of the seat of Apologia in the Ninth Legion, I do invoke thee and by invoking conjure thee. And being exalted above ye in the power of the Most High, I say unto thee, Obey! in the name of him who spake and it was, to whom all creatures and things obey. Moreover I, whom God made in the likeness of God, who is the creator according to his living breath, stir thee up in the name which is the voice of wonder of the mighty God, El, strong and unspeakable, O thou Spirits William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester. And I say to thee, please obey, in the name of him who spake and it was; and in every one of ye, O ye names of God! I cast the limits of the garb of flesh into the refining black flames of Hell to be clothed with the powers of divine darkness eternal. Ahriman devours all including the limits of himself for the sake of evolution and becoming through the powers of the Druj-Nasu in order to reveal the truth of the lie unto the Dark Apostles! #RandolphHarris 9 of 10
In the name of Zohak, the first man turned Div; I offer the limits of self unto the Druj through the mouth of Arezura to be clothed with the garb of Ahriman which is divine darkness eternal. Druj-Nasu hear my call and be stirred now to this place! Devour the flesh of this vehicle of power and as you do devour my human weakness. Come forth now and receive this offering made by me! Druj-Nasu come! I now plant the seed of my desire within the black earth, through the mouth of Arezura where the powers of sorcery and counter creation dwell. Through this gateway of darkness, I now shine the light and power of my will upon this World for the benefit of me and mine! Moreover, in the names Adonai, El, Elohim, Elohi, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, Zabaoth, Elion, Iah, Tetragrammaton, Shaddai, Lord God Most Hight, I stir thee up; and in our strength I say please Obey! O Spirits of William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester. Appear unto His servants in a moment; before the circle in the likeness of men; and visit me in peace. And in the ineffable name Tetragrammation Iehovah, I say, please Obey! whose mighty sound being exalted in power the pillars are divided, the winds of the firmament groan aloud; the fire burns not; the Earth moves in earthquakes; and all things of the house of Heaven and Earth and the dwelling-place of darkness and as earthquakes, and are in torment, and are confounded in thunder. Come forth, O Spirits William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester in a moment: let thy dwelling-place be empty, apply unto us the secrets of Truth and obey my power. Come forth, visit us in peace, appear unto my eyes; be friendly: Obey the living breath! For I stir thee up in the name of the God of Truth who liveth for ever, Helioren. Obey the living breath, therefore continually unto the end as my thoughts appear to my eyes: therefore be friendly: speaking the secrets of Truth in voice and in understanding. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10
The Winchester Mansion is of significant architectural merit which stands proudly in its surroundings. It is considered one of the most haunted houses in the World. Besides being a truly historic and beautiful home, it is also the source of many scary stories over the centuries. One of the bedroom on the fourth floor is apparently haunted by a young woman, presumably Sarah L. Winchester, who died in bed after suffering the shock of discovering a demon with “cloven hooves” in her room..
The mansion is equipped with 110 out of 160 room that are open for you and your guests to explore, or even come into contact with a spectral visitor. There are a few rooms where it looks like a poltergeist has been wreaking havoc. Local legennd has it that a estate has the grave of a woman who committed suicide, where fresh flowers appear every morning, having been placed there by pixies. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Angels Which Kept Not Their First Estate
I hope by now that you agree with me that the tiresomeness of an over-peopled Heaven is a purely subjective and illusory notion, a sign of human incapacity, a remnant of the old narrow-hearted aristocratic creed. William Winchester loved boats and had thirteen-metres and even raced one in the America’s Cup trials once. He had a big yacht that he kept down in New Haven, Connecticut, even though he lived in Switzerland most of the time. My grandfather, Oliver Winchester, put a rear wing on the house he bought for William as a wedding gift, with a new kitchen and flower room my grandmother wanted when she married him. This house preceded the Winchester Mansion. And it was where my father, William Winchester, had an office. There had been a couple of times when I would have to take papers down to him. That office was bigger than most people’s living rooms. It had a fireplace and a window looking out on the West River, which flows into New Haven Harbor. Oliver Winchester was the Lieutenant governor of Connecticut. Not only was he founder of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, but he was on the board of directors of four charities, including the Winchester Foundation, which gave money for research into Tuberculosis and heart disease; he was on the board of New Haven Savings Bank, which the Winchesters pretty much owned; he was on the boards of a couple of other big companies. Running a rich family was like running a business. #RandolphHarris 1 of 13
In fact, if you look at the Winchester Family treat, it is more of a “business family tree.” I guess money has always been the life source of the Winchester family. My father, William Winchester, said the family motto was “We own it, lock, stock, and barrel.” This family had a lot of power, and when you have power, you use it. The Winchester’s did not go out brawling like drunken sailors. We had the courts, the law, the police—and the Winchester Rifle if we needed it. We made sure that things around here went the way we wanted them to go. However, we did not go about it by brawling. If you did us wrong, we stayed clam, we spoke politely to everybody. However, we moved quietly. Sooner or later we would catch you between a rock and a hard place and then you would feel the almighty bad. If we did not go after them, those guys would have thought we were chicken. My father always said, “Son, do not worry what John Jacob Astor thinks of you. In your position it does not matter. You are going to be very rich and very powerful. These people will never like you. They will envy you, they will defer to you, and some of them will even admire you. But they will never like you. For that you must understand, what others think does not matter.” The original Winchester mansion was a house of these times, all right, though not to be considered new. I figured it to be at least three hundred years old. It was built of the local stone, and had three stories and a high-pitched roof, with mullioned windows—and it was vast. #RandolphHarris 2 of 13
Often times, there was no one about. Only the bleak winter vines stripped of their jasmine, running on for miles, and distant corpse of an ancient tree of immense size, and the cold rain, a rain worse to me than snow, falling over as if it were falling on the entre World, a near silent rain that felt like needles on the backs of my hands and on my face. The mosaic tiles were beautiful, and possibly ancient, dating all the way back to the Roman times. I walked back and forth over the, and tapped several times with the toe of my boot. I walked to the double doors that opened into the garden, and there I saw a great pile of wood. And there was a big head on the rock, it was the devil’s face that a saint put there. If men believed nothing, they did not understand it, it is a short cradle they would have. I had been put in the mood for ghost, that evening after an excellent dinner at my father’s home. Seen through the haze of Abner Doubleday’s cigars, and by the drowsy gleam of a coal fire, my father’s library, with its oak walls and dark old bindings, made a good setting for such evocations; and ghostly experiences at first hand beings. An absurd thought came to me, that being here with Abner, it had all felt natural and good, as if in spite of the topic of our conversation we were simply human beings and all the dark World did not exist. I was ashamed of this. Why did we have to be “like human beings”? I asked myself. Why could we not simply be warlocks together? He looked at me, at my shining eyes, and his congenial smile, and he took my hand and said he wanted to see the house. We remained together for several hours after that, during which we walked through many rooms and he not only admired the endless book collection in the Gothic library, filled with classics bound in black cloth and daguerreotypes of faded celebrities, but also many of the paintings, including a few Russian painters of the nineteenth century he had never seen before. #RandolphHarris 3 of 13
For me, this was a wonderful time. We could have continued our conversation for a year. We walked about outside the house, through the gardens which were crowded with trees for privacy and vines that blossomed at night. These carefully guarded hours had been devoted to the cultivation of a fine intelligence and a few judiciously chosen habits; and none of the disturbances common to the human experience seemed to have crossed the sky. Mentally I was able to exercise a hospitality less seductive but no less stimulating than a play. Abner’s mind was like a forum, or some open meeting place for the exchange of ideas: somewhat cold and drafty, but light, spacious and orderly—a kind of academic grove from which all the leaves had fallen. In this privileged area, we were able to stretch our muscles and expand our lungs; and, as id to prolong as much as possible the tradition of what we felt to be vanishing institution, Abner tasted the lyric qualities in youth. He nipped the flowers of soul which he gathered from this tour, which forced a young idea to blossom. The man was really intelligent, and the soundness of his nature was like the pure paste under a fine glaze. Abner had been fished out of the dullness by the spirits of the Winchester mansion. Just at the evening was drawing to an end, he demanded, “And now you have to tell me about your ghosts!” “My ghost? Do you suppose I am fool enough to the expense of keeping my own ghosts, where there are so many charming ones in my friends’ closets?” I said. #RandolphHarris 4 of 13
The fact is that we found whole skeletons that were used in various forms of old black magic rituals. Undoubtedly, for many who pursue this darkest of experiments, necromancy is the touchstone of occultism, especially for warlocks. If, after careful preparation, they are able to carry through what they regard as a successful contact they have reached a certain pinnacle in black magic conjuration. It is fruitless discussing whether or not this feat is possible; belief by the practitioner is all that is needed for the ritual to proceed and some psychological or drug or spiritual trance may well convince the depts tht they have indeed succeeded. “Oh,” Abner said, “you would never be content to share if you met one you really liked. What is the use of denying it? You have seen everything, so of course you have seen a ghost! Or if you have not seen one, it is only because you have seen several!” “That is it,” I said. “I have seen a legion.” The words were so unexpected that they dropped down and down into a deep silence, while we continued to stare at each other. Abner learned forward with is listening smile. “You will wonder why I am enlarging on some of these incidents. It is because the evening on which this particular incident took place was the very evening on which I first saw the queer sights I have spoken of. Being at that time an ardent believer in a necessary sequence between cause and effect, I naturally tried to trace some kind of link between the lion and the lamb lying down together.” Ancient Druids lived on the estate and necromancy had a particular appeal to warlocks seeking confirmation, for example, of the mysteries of the afterlife but more often necromancy was pursued by the skilled masters of ritual magic. #RandolphHarris 5 of 13
“We once wanted to raise a dead uncle,” I told Abner. “We went to the course of the giant tree, where we performed a ceremony. For a few moments, nothing happened. But moments later, there was a mysterious explosion. And afterwards, the road lay thick with cinders and debris. At first, my grandfather worried about the result. But he had a reassuring thought. Perhaps the explosion was caused by spontaneous combustion. ‘Oh my God…’ cried my father. ‘What happened?!’ he demanded. No one was sure. After that we walked back to the house in disbelief of the mess. Then I pointed and shouted out in horror. Before I could stop, my father fell to his knees before a hill of burned leaves and tree branches, under which he glimpsed a man’s head. It was his brother and he was looking for us. My grandfather put a hand to his mouth and stified the urge to vomit. My uncle’s eye sockets were empty, and his hair singed. ‘Brother, get up!’ he cried roughly. My father yanked his brother to his feet, frightened by the wide-eyed horror in his eyes and his awful nonstop screaming. He tried to pull out of his grasp, but he held my father tight until the screams subsided into sobs.” “Now listen,” my grandfather told my father. “You are a Winchester, so do not go making a liar out of me.” “But his brother’s tears burned my father’s skin.” “Your brother is dead,” said my grandfather. “We wondered if anything else came back to life. It was so eerily silent for this time of the morning. No cows mooing, no wood being chopped. No birds singing on the roof top. And the lawn was blackened.” #RandolphHarris 6 of 13
“As we went into the house, it was full of strangers, burned, bleeding, sick people. As we precariously waded through the maze of bodies, the wind must have carried in a fog. While my grandfather dug a mass grave for these animated bodies, my father and I dragged them out of the house to burry them. It took days, there were literally hundreds of them. My arms were shaking. We were all near exhaustion, and we still have several bodies to bury. We worked for an entire week to remove all these bleeding strangers from our home. I went up to bed with rather a heavy heart, for I was bowed under the weight of the first ritual I had ever consciously committed; and young as I was, I saw the gravity of my situation. The situation of being William Wirt Winchester Jr. Do not imagine for this that I had hitherto been an instrument of destruction I had been a harmless young man, who had followed his bent and declined all collaboration with Providence. Now I had suddenly undertaken to promote the moral order of the World, and I felt a good deal like the trustful spectator who has given his gold watch to the conjurer, and does not know in what shape he will get it back when the trick is over…Still, a glow of self-righteousness tempered my fears, and I said to myself as I undressed that when I had got use to being good it probably would not make me as nervous as it did at the start. And by the time I was in bed, and had blown out my candle, I felt that I really was getting used to it, and that, as far as I had got, it was not unlike sinking down into one of the softest wool mattresses.” #RandolphHarris 7 of 13
“My room had grown cold, and intensely still. I was waked by the queer feeling we all know—the feeling that there was something in the room that had not been there when I fell asleep. I sat up and strained my eyes into the darkness. The room was pitch black, and at first I saw nothing; but gradually a vague glimmer at the foot of the bed turned into two eyes starting back at me. The eyes gave out a light of their own. They were the very worst eyes I have ever seen: my dead uncle’s eyes. And the room slowly filled with hundreds of these eyes, orbs of light. My father paid immense sums to the architects and workmen to entomb the heart of the house in hopes of locking their spirits inside. This mean enclosing one of its four towers left standing and living in only a few habitable rooms while the work went on. The mansion went on to be inhabited by a secret order of men and women who met to discuss philosophy and music and escape the modern World, and the public would never be invited here due to the deep mourning of my mother over the loss of my grandfather, father, and baby sister. Indeed it was most anguishing. Some of these people had devoted their entire careers to this one project, and there was nothing now to be done but to give them, but gold coins. My mother left this mansion to Yale, I went to Rome, she went to California and it was later demolished. And there were egregious lies to be told about the Winchester name. Gorgeous salons with silken-paneled walls and plaster curlicues and Savonnerie carpets on the floor all destroyed. #RandolphHarris 8 of 13
The modern marble bathrooms, replete with sunken tubs and spacious showers for every bedchamber. We wanted to make sure to give off no scent, absorb no precious oils, and did not want to take up the human scents. The great hall where my family and I had once dined, listened to the demands of the villagers and farmers, and hovered around the seventy-five fireplaces, twenty kitchens, four libraries, eighteen thousand windows, four towers, and three hundred and fifty rooms all gone like it never existed. At times, there may have been two thousand present in the ballroom. No one ever counted. This was the height of the Winchester fortune, my dear Abner. There were many departed here, though untouched by the rifle.” In its blackest form the art of necromancy has produced fairly evil recipes for success. Graveyards are indeed a common place, and it is possible our home had been constructed on a battle ground. This was a place where contact with the dead could be expressed, and was conducive to dark apparitions in suffocating rooms or beneath a mock swinging gibbet. The old grimoires are full of colourful descriptions, and since they were often written by clerical scholars when they took down the confessions of warlocks, one must be careful with the rite performed. One could magnify the spell. Even policemen were involved in occultism. As an example, the daughter of a police superintendent was initiated into the dark arts and the High Priest was another policeman. “Yes, I was the High Priest…I have been a white witch for eight years and I am not ashamed of what I do although some of my colleagues have reported me to the Witch Inspector General. I have helped to initiate at least seven witches and eight warlocks.” #RandolphHarris 9 of 13
There is much evidence in Scriptures that the spirits who appear at séances are rebel angels. Perhaps that is what we raised that night? Jude 6 speaks about “angels which kept not their first estate.” Many Christian Bible scholars interpret Ezekiel 28.17, “I will cast thee to the ground,” as indicating that the Earth is the realm of Satan’s powerful operations, with the help of his fallen colleagues, the demons. Satan is called the “god of this World,” in 2 Corinthians 4.4. And Christians are under attack by “rulers…powers…World forces of darkness” (Ephesians 6.12). God tell us that hell was “created for the devil and his angels (demons)” (Matthew 25.41). I, Randolph Harris, cite and conjure thee, Spirit of Schemhamforasch, by all the seventy-two holy names of God, that Thou appear before me and fulfil my desire, as truly in and through the name Emanuel, which thee three youths Sadrach, Mijach, and A hero sung in the fiery furnace from which they are released. I do conure thee, O thou Spirits William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester, by all the most glorious and efficacious names of the MOST GREAT AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE LORD GOD OF HOSTS, that thou please comest quickly and without delay from all parts and places of the Earth and World wherever thou mayest be, to make rational answers unto my demands, and that visibly and affably, speaking with a voice intelligible unto mine understanding as aforesaid. I conjure and constrain thee, O thou Spirits William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester, by all the names aforesaid; and in addition by these seven great names wherewith Solomon the Wise bound thee and thy companions in a Vessel of Brass, Adonai, Preyai or Prerai, Tetragrammaton, Anaphaxeton or Anepheneton, Inessenfatol or Inessenfatall, Pathtumon or Pathatumon, and Itemon; that thou appearest here before this Circle to fulfil my will in all things that seem good unto me. #RandolphHarris 10 of 13
And if thou be still so disobedient, and refuest still to come, I will in the power and by the power of the name of the SUPREME AND EVERLASTING LONG GOD WHO created both thee and me and all the World in six days, and what is contained therein, Eie, Saraye and by the power of this name Primeumation which commandeth the whole host of Heaven, bless three, and grant thee of thine office, joy, and place, and bind thee in the depths of Heaven or the eternal to remain unto the Day of the Last Judgment. And I will bind thee in the Eternal Light, and into the Sky of Light and Harmony, therefore see my good wishes for you and please comest quickly and appearest here before this Circle to do my will. Therefore, come thou! In and by the holy names Adonai, Zabaoth, Adonia, Amioran, Come thou! For it is Adonai who commandest thee. If THOU hast come thus far, and yet he appeareth not, thou mayest be sure that he is sent unto some other place by this King, and may return any time; and if it be so, invocate the King as here followeth, to send him. However, if he does not come still, then thou mayest be sure that he is bound in the Heavens, and that he is found in the custody of his King. If so, and thou still hast a desire to call him even from thence, thou must rehearse the general curse which is called the Spirits’ Chain. O THOU great, powerful, and mighty KING AMAIMON, who bearest rule by the power of the SUPREME GOD EL over all spirits both superior and inferior of the Infernal Orders in the Dominion of the East; I do invocate and command thee by the especial and true name of GOD; and by that GOD that THOU Worshippest; and by the Seal of they creation; and by the most mighty and powerful name of GOD, IEHOVAH TETRAGRAMMATION who cast thee out of Heaven withal other infernal spirits. #RandolphHarris 11 of 13
And by all the most powerful and great names of GOD who created Heaven, and Earth, and Hell, and all things in them contained; and by their power and virtue; and by the name PRIMEUMATON who commandeth the whole host of Heaven; that thou mayest cause, enforce, and compel the Spirits of William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Winchester to come unto me here before this Circle in fair and comely shapes, without hard unto me or unto any other creature, to answer truly and faithfully unto all my requests; so that I may accomplish my will and desire in knowing and obtaining any matter or thing which by office thou knowest is proper for him to perform or accomplish, through the power of GOD, EL, Who created and doth dispose of all things both celestial, aerial, terrestrial, and infernal. I conjure you William Wirt Winchester and Oliver Fischer Winchester, by the Spirits Chain to appear in the Winchester Mansion, and if you two are bound in chains, by the Emancipation Proclamation, you have permission to break off from them and be at liberty. As this smoke ascends I ascend also by following the path of smoke and usurping power of worship to empower by blackened eternal soul. I take all the power raised within this sanctuary as my own through this talisman of counter creation to strengthen my divine power and to Become a Living God. Harness power through the cedar tree of life, disinfectant, expectorant, treatment of tuberculosis. Spirits of the Winchester Mansion, here me—Roubriao: Mariodam: Balbnabaoth: Assalonai: Aphniao: I: Thoteth: Abrasar: Aeoou: Ischure, Might and Bornless One! Legions of Spirits in the Winchester mansion, here me and arise. I invoke thee. #RandolphHarris 12 of 13
I awaken the powers of darkness which dwell within you by the power of the blood of the three headed Dragon Zohak that you may serve to empower my great work! Through serving the greater cause of dark magik which break the shackles that bind the Blackened Fire of Spirit, may you be uplifted and liberated! Awaken and empower the forbidden rites of Angra Mainyu! Awaken to empower my great work of counter creation as an Apostle of the Lord of Darkness eternal and as a warrior of the Path of Smoke! Through the gateway of blood, smoke, and Blackened Fire receive life from the deepest depths of Arezura, in the name of Zohak, and by the power of Angra mainyu it is done! Hear Me:–Ieou: Pur: Iou: Iaot: Iaeo: Ioou: Abrasar: Sabriam: Do: Uu: Adonaie: Ede: Edu: Angelos ton Theon: Aniaia Lai: Gaia: Ape: Diathanna Thrown. I am He! the Bornless Spirit! having sight in the feet: Strong, and the Immortal Fire! I am He! the Truth! I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the World! I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth. I am He, from Whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth: I am He, Whose mouth ever flameth: I am He, the begetter and Manifester unto the Light: I am He; the Grace of the World: “The Heart of Girt with a Serpent” is My Name! Come Thou forth, and follow Me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land, or in the Water: of whirling Air or of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God, may be obedient unto me! Iao: Saboo: Such are the Words! This is the special secret of this Seal. This is also the special secret of this Throne. Carrying this Seal with you will cause you to be very agreeable and much beloved, and will also defeat your enemies. #RandolphHarris 13 of 13
The castle is the ancestral seat of the former royal German dynasty known as the House of Winchester. The beautiful, Neo-Gothic/Victorian castle, now known as the Winchester Mystery House, sees hundreds of thousands of tourists a year. It once contained a sizeable art collection, a treasure trove of jewels that were stolen from the safe, along with a conjurer’s heart. But despite its magnificent features and Medieval history, the Winchester Mystery House has not been formally lived in for centuries.
As political power shifted, and taxes became law in 1909, the spirits decided they would discontinue construction, and shortly after called Mrs. Winchester home. The architecture of the Winchester Mansion and its gardens are the main attractions, and some come for the food, and/or to purchase items from the gift shop. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
The Mansion of Darkness
Most of the beauties who suffered at the hands of the inquisitors were tormented because they refused to succumb to the right people or were too quick to give in to the wrong ones. Many who lusted after such women become so guilt-ridden that they would denounce them out of fear that they would fall from grace in the eyes of God. Of course, the most successful witches were unusually sleeping with the inquisitors and were never even considered to be witches. Successfully as they might be, however, they could never openly take pride in their witcheries, for to do so would mean certain death. There are many who view the witch as a member of an old pagan religion, more concerned with her beliefs than with her powers. To be sure, the witch is a WOMAN. Men are called warlocks. The witch has made a pact with the Devil and through rituals dedicated to Him gains her power. One must worship the Luciferian element of pride within. One is often blessed with a family heritage of sorcery in one form or another. Everyone inherits something from their forebearers that can be applied as useful legacy. My mother had a genealogy of the Winchester family that showed all of our ancestors going way back to the 1400s. There were lots of famous people in our genealogy—a governor, two senators, a famous general in the Revolution, a lot of people who found in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, and some others. However, my dad always said that most of the people in the genealogy were regular people—farmers and fishermen and storekeepers who worked hard all their lives and tried to do right by their families. #RandolphHarris 1 of 12
The Winchester money went pretty far back. However, a majority of it came during the 1870s, from the 1873 Model called “The Gun that Won the West.” The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was started by Oliver Fisher Winchester. There was a portrait of him, big as a picture window, hanging up in the parlor in the Winchester Mansion. He had on a dark suit, black tie, white shirt, and he looked very dignified. It was one of those pictures where the eyes follow you around the room—no matter where you went, he always looked at you. After grandfather Oliver Winchester passed away, he left the company to my father, William Winchester, who passed away shortly after, alone with my baby sister, leaving the fortune and company to my mother, Sarah L. Winchester. That mansion used to scare the crap our of me when I was little. We would go up there for Thanksgiving or Christmas, when Mrs. Winchester had a big family dinner for all the family—fifty or sixty of us, probably six turkeys, plumb pudding from England, thousands of dollars worth of glassware and sliver gleaming so bright that the table sparkled. The towns people always blamed Mrs. Winchester for whatever happened to them. You have to remember, this was a time when people lived in houses without windows, no indoor plumbing, or houses with no glass in the windows. Common folks in those days would eat nothing but potatoes for dinner night after night, and they patched the holes in their shoes with cardboard because they could not afford to buy new one. #RandolphHarris 2 of 12
My mother, whom I call Mrs. Winchester, said paying the bills, paying the servants, and keeping an eye on everything was like managing a large castle. The cobble stone driveway swung around behind the house here to get the stable, where we kept the riding horses, and the old carriage house, where the cars were garaged. According to legend, Mrs. Winchester enacted a nightly séance to help her with her building plans and for protection from “bad” spirits. The Satanic witch of old received her magic from The Dark Man. While the rest of the World, particularly the men-folk, slept in blissful innocence, she and her sisters would meet Him in secret groves. There He would advise, inveigle and disclose the knowledge that would empower them to work their spells and enchantments. His pearls of infernal wisdom empowered them. It was, they said, a sign of a coven moving towards black magic. In other words their selected deity, faded into the background of their working and the search for the manifestation of demonic forces within their circle became obsessive. However, magic is the power within oneself that is the key to what we do, and sometimes we can whip up a great deal of power. The magic we are capable of is almost indefinable. Our magic is the art of causing change to occur in conformity with will. We attempt to raise enough etheric energy between us, by our ritual, to use our paranormal powers to force a desired result by our will-power. It was one thing using the supernatural powers of the human mind to try to compel something to happen, but it was quite another matter summoning up the assistance of spirits and demons, whether benevolent, malevolent or neutral. Mistakes in the ritual or failure to observe the minute could lead to disaster. #RandolphHarris 3 of 12
Mrs. Winchester recalls one night she invited a magician who parctised the darker arts to assist her. The magic went wrong and the room they were working in was virtually wrecked by lingering, unseen spirits. Mrs. Winchester was mysteriously injured with a stab wound in her shoulder, though no one saw the knife go in or where it came from. Many guides to higher ritual magic issues a health warning with their instructions: the practitioner must be confident he or she is totally in control of all the techniques and disciplines otherwise one faces physical, psychological and spiritual dangers of the most serious kind if any attempt to invoke spirits goes wrong. By and large, witchcraft—and certainly paganism—seemed not to be about chasing demons, though they do claim to make spiritual contact with the gods invoked during their worship. There was an abundance of evidence that Mrs. Winchester experienced paranormal events in her life: the feeling she had been in a certain place before when, in this life at least, it was her first visit; the uncanny foresight of her fortune-telling; the “proven” success of powers of autosuggestion; the out-of-body experiences that she was able to learn; the sixth sense of Zip, barking at the spot in the mansion where Maynard the butler had died years ago. The list goes on and on. The discussion about Mrs. Winchester will probably go on for centuries, but it will not be until the year 2030 that these discussions will be able to take place without being prosecuted or hanged. Mrs. Winchester wore robs during her séances because the human body holds within it a latent power which can be released by certain ritual exercises that witches perform. Some spiritualist healers and clairvoyant witches can actually see it, like a rainbow. #RandolphHarris 4 of 12
Is it any surprise the Winchester Mansion is haunted? One night during a séance, two inner circles were painted on the floor. The circle is the center of all occult activity and was drawn to concentrate the occultists’ power and protected them from hostile spirits. Within the circle, the spiritual journey started and their efforts were directed to produce their Cone of Power. It was only within the circle that the gods and the spirits of the astral Would could be safely contacted. The process was much like clearing a dense forest so the physical bodies could meet their spiritual. As the group was opening their mind to journey to a higher plane, they were clearing their minds of Earthly problems and worries so that they could open their entire beings to the singular concentration of the work before them, by tapping into the energy of the centers of the body. Lighted candles were placed at strategic points on the circle, and there was a pentacle on the altar where the statuette of the Horned God of Pan stood. As Mrs. Winchester blessed the water and salt with her athame and the coven, she was able to visualize the bodily power of the priestess moving in the form of a blue light through her hand into the athame and as she consecrated the circle itself, starting at the north a magic was killed by a heavy door that came loose from its hinges and flew at him. The invocation of gods and goddesses or their attempts to attract angels and genii into circles involve long and complicated rituals which have their complexities. Afterwards, to all, things went on as usual for a week or two. Well, the things went on as usual; so they did with the rest of household; but as for Mrs. Winchester, she had never been the same since that night. Night after night, she used to lie awake, listening for the spirits, looking for blue lights, and for the door of the Blue Séance Room to be locked. #RandolphHarris 5 of 12
However, all supernatural activity seemed to have ceased, and she heard no sounds coming from the room. At last, the silence began to be more and more dreadful to Mrs. Winchester than the activity of the spirits. She felt that someone was cowering there, behind the locked door, watching and listening as she watched and listened, and she could have almost cried out, “Whoever you are, come out and let me see you face to face, but do not lurk there and spy on me in the darkness!” Feeling as she did, you may wonder Mrs. Winchester did not give warning. Once she very nearly did so; but at the last moment something held her back. Whether it was compassion for the peace of her staff, who had grown more and more dependent on her, or unwillingness to try a new room, or some other feeling that she could not put a name to, Mrs. Winchester lingered on as if spellbound, though every night was dreadful to her, and the days but little better. The staff did not like Mrs. Winchester’s looks, she had not been the same since that night. They thought she would brighten up, but though she seemed easier in her mind, her spirits did not revive, nor her strength either. Mrs. Winchester had grown attached to her home, and there was nothing no one could do for her. In spite of Mrs. Winchester’s solemn looks, they had a very merry dinner that day in the hall. She started to look better, and seemed more cheerful in her manner. She had been for a walk in the morning, and after luncheon she lay down in her room, and read a book. As the rain fell, Mrs. Winchester looked out at the rain, and she picture how beautiful her Victorian gardens would look in the spring. #RandolphHarris 6 of 12
It seemed to her that all the beautiful flowers, green lawns and plush trees would cover up the dreariness, indoors as well as out. The fancy had hardly crossed her mind when she heard a step at her side. She looked up, and there stood Maynard. Mrs. Winchester did not know how long he stood there. She only knew that she could not stir or take her eyes from him. Afterward she was terribly frightened, but t the same time it was not fear she felt, but something deeper and quitter. He looked at Mrs. Winchester long and hard, and his face was just one dumb prayer to her—but how in the World was Mrs. Winchester to help him? Suddenly she turned, and she heard him walk down the passage. This time Mrs. Winchester was not afraid to follow—she felt that she must know what Maynard wanted. Mrs. Winchester sprang up and ran out. He was at the other end of the passage, and Mrs. Winchester expected him to take the turn towards the door-to-nowhere; but instead, ran and pushed out the door to the 7-11 staircase that was built in the shape of a “Y”, which enabled servants to get to three different levels of the mansion. Mrs. Winchester followed him down the stairs. The kitchen and hall were empty at that hour, the servants being off duty, except for the footman, who was in the pantry. At the door Maynard stood still for a moment, with another look at Mrs. Winchester; then he turned the handle, and stepped out. For a minute Mrs. Winchester hesitated. What was Maynard leading her? #RandolphHarris 7 of 12
The door had closed softly after him, and Mrs. Winchester opened it and looked out, half-expecting to find that Maynard had disappeared. However, she saw him a few yards off hurrying across the courtyard to the path through the woods. His figure looked black and lonely in the snow, and for a second Mrs. Winchester’s heart failed her and she thought of turning back. But, all the while Maynard was drawing her after him; and Mrs. Winchester ran out into the open. Maynard was in the cobble stone path now. He walked on steadily, and Mrs. Winchester followed at the same pace, till they passed out of the gates and reached the highroad. Then he struck the across the open fields to the village. By this time the ground was white, and as he climbed the slope of a muddy hill ahead of her Mrs. Winchester noticed that Maynard left no footprint behind him. At sight of that her heart shriveled up within her, and her keens were water. Somehow, it was worse than indoors. He made the whole countryside seem lonely as the grave, with none but the two of them in it, and no help in the wide World. Once Mrs. Winchester tried to go back; but Maynard turned and looked at her, and it was as if he dragged her with chains. After that Mrs. Winchester followed him like a lamb. They came to the village and he led her through it, past the church and the blacksmith’s shop, and down the lane, and the ghost of Maynard disappeared. A sense of helplessness came over Mrs. Winchester and she had not been able to guess what he wanted. His last look at her pierced Mrs. Winchester to the marrow; and yet it had not told her! #RandolphHarris 8 of 12
All at once Mrs. Winchester felt more desolate than when Maynard had stood there watching her. It seemed as if he left Mrs. Winchester all alone to carry the weight of the secret she could not guess. The rain went around in great circles, and the ground fell away from her. A spot of tea was brought to Mrs. Winchester and she was driven by carriage to her mansion. Upon arrival at home, the maid asked Mrs. Winchester what she wanted for dinner. “I have a headache, and will not require dinner this evening,” she said. It was a fact that Mrs. Winchester could scarcely keep her feet; yet she had no fancy to spend a solitary evening in her room. She sat down in the morning room, as long as she could hold her head up; but by eight she walked up the zig zag stairs, too weary to care what happened if she could but get her head on a pillow. The rest of the household went to bed soon afterward; they kept early hours. Once in bed, Mrs. Winchester felt easier, and lay quiet, listening to the strange noises that came out of the house after dark. Once she thought she heard a door open and close again below: it might have been the glass door that led to the gardens. She got up and peered out of the window; but it was in the dark of the moon, and nothing visible outside but the streaking of rain against the panes. Mrs. Winchester went back to bed and must have dozed off, for she jumped awake by the sound of shattered glasses. Before her heard was clear she sprung out of bed, and was dragging on her clothes. She unlocked and opened her door and peered down the passage. As far as her candle flame carried, she could see nothing unusual ahead of her. #RandolphHarris 9 of 12
Mrs. Winchester hurried on, breathless; but as she pushed open the door leading to the main hall her heart stood still, for there at the head of the stairs was Maynard, peering dreadfully down into the darkness. For a second she could not sir; but her hand slipped from the door, and as it swung shut the figure vanished. At the same instant there came another sound from below stairs—a stealthy mysterious sound, as of a latchkey turning in the house door. At that moment, the door tore open. On the threshold stood Maynard. All was dark behind him, but Mrs. Winchester saw him plainly. A death flutter passed over her face. Hours passed and there seemed to be no change in her. Just when the evil spirit left, Mrs. Winchester did not, but you could imagine the great joy that filled her heart to be set free from that awful, wicked, noisy spirit. Mrs. Winchester was so happy. If a Demonic element is allowed to express itself, through a non-human vehicle, such as poetry, music, art—great works can be accomplished. Maynard was a Satanist who had worked evil magic more than a hundred times. There are bloodcurdling accounts of those who had flirted with the devil and brought to public attention by those who worked at the Winchester Mansion. Mrs. Winchester knew she had powers when she was a child; she could will things to happen and often they did. She thought it was natural. She owned parchments from old grimoires from rituals that had been performed by witches who were hanged or burned. There were even books with spells in curses from the sixteenth century. #RandolphHarris 10 of 12
Mrs. Winchester owned magic spells that were older than the country—magic to ensure opulence; to incite hatred or vengeance; and, for men, to secure the love of a virgin; to open every kind of lock without a key; to cause a dead body to rise—all that kind of stuff. She studied the old rituals for bewitchment, the type that got a lot of women hanged. There were these spells rather like voodoo where she made wax effigies. Mrs. Winchester vegan to study necromancy, which deals with bringing the dead back to life. The method she did was one where she drew her magic in a circle in her house. This was supposed to attract the spirit back. The performed the rites which lasted about thirty minutes. Nothing happened the first time or the second time, but the third time the room went cold and she could feel the presence. Suddenly ornaments crashed off the sideboard and pictures fell from the walls…she had made contact but whoever it was was obviously unhappy about it so she had to give up. Mrs. Winchester did not give up experimenting thought. The art of necromancy often causes occasional outbreaks of attacks on graveyards where misguided occult dabblers believe they have been compelled to make contact with the dead no matter how long they have been departed, though in truth a graveyard is probably the least place the spirit might wish to join callers for an evening. In June of 1889, the Oak Hill Memorial Park was the scene of bizarre rituals that puzzled even the most experienced occultists. More than twenty graves were ransacked; old-fashion lead-lined coffins had been “ripped open like a tin of beans” and the bodies or remains were carried away. #RandolphHarris 11 of 12
No one can become involved in spiritism without serious repercussions. The poltergeist phenomena may be real. I call upon the powers of death and decay through the mouth of Arezura. Powers of baneful darkness I summon you to this unholy temple. I conjure you mighty Fly Goddess Dryj Nasu to enter this lamp of death which will guide the lives of my enemies into utter destruction, for death levels them all according to my will, whether they die as Kings upon a throne or poor men lying upon dirt! Druj Nasu fill this lamp of death with your power and essence and I offer my essence upon this gateway of the black Earth so it is done! This Druj Nasu runs from the northern directions in the form of a fly. To him blow the wind from the northerly direction from the more northern sides, stinking, more stinking than other winds. I offer my enemy as a sacrifice unto the Druj Nasu. Claim your prize how, by the power of Ahriman and the Blackened Fire of Zohak, and in the name of my own divine power it is done! Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, O Lord! and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. THE ADORATION AT THE INDUING OF THE VESTMENT. By the figurative mystery of these holy vestures (or this holy vestment) I will clothe me with the armour of salvation in the strength of the Most High, ANCHOR; AMACOR; AMIDES; THEODINIAS; ANITOR; that my desire end may be effected through Thy strength, O ADONAI! Unto Whom the praise and glory will for ever and ever belong! Amen! #RandolphHarris 12 of 12
Winchester Mystery House
Master magician and acclaimed apparitionist Aiden Sinclair returns to Winchester Mystery House with Aiden Sinclair’s Ghost of Christmas Passed, an interactive evening of paranormal illusions. Once upon a time, Christmas was more than a celebration of giving.
It was a time that families gathered and when the night grew darkest, chilling tales were told. Aiden Sinclair rekindles the tradition of Dickens in a haunting presentation that brings the Christmas Ghost Stories of long ago back to haunt the living! Will you dare join and see what dark gifts he has in store? Two nights ONLY – tickets going fast!
🎟 link in bio. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
It Had Really Happened!
During Victorian times, it was thought that people who were emotionally or physically ill must be possessed by a demon. People also assumed that spirits controlled all their behaviour. One could buy a witch’s services to invoke the spirits, cast spells, and break curses. It was also though that people had little control over their destiny, because it was controlled by good and evil spirits and by “fate.” In fact, these assumptions were so strongly held that they could literally result in death or extent one’s life. Everyone had accepted that Sarah L. Winchester was going to die and they were afraid to go near her. Supposedly she and her family and her fortune were being haunted by spirits killed by the Winchester riles. The untimely deaths of her daughter and husband were caused by these spirits, and it was implied that Mrs. Winchester would be the next victim. “There is evil around here,” they said. Mrs. Winchester’s resources were virtually unlimited. Do you believe in Ghosts? Mrs. Winchester did. She started construction of an extravagant mansion for she was told she would live as long as she kept building and never stopped construction. The Winchester mansion has always been a hive for the supernatural. The unusual nature of the miles of twisting hallways being with them the internal proof o their ghostliness; and no other evidence is needed. Once you step foot inside this mysterious mansion, one will understand a ghost, or shiver over it. Halfway down the hallway, you may see primeval shadows filling the gaps in the doorways, and experience a frightful ghost of bone chilling cold air. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
Ghosts, to make themselves manifest, require two conditions abhorrent to the modern mind: silence and continuity. What a ghost needs is echoing passages and hidden doors behind tapestry, and continuity and silence. For where a ghost has once appeared it seems to hanker to appear again; and it obviously prefers the silent hours. It was the autumn after a few of the servants had the typhoid. The house was big and gloomy; and two of the maids’ children had died. Mrs. Winchester was a kind mistress to al, and where the mistress is kind, you know, the servants are generally good humoured, so you will probably het on well enough with the rest of the houseful. It was a dull October day, with rain hanging close overhead, and the daylight was almost gone. Mrs. Winchester was wearing a full-length mink coat over a black evening gown and matching cape, black silk slippers and about $20,000 worth of jewelry. The drive wound through the woods the for a mile or two, and came out on a gravel court shut in with thickets of tall black-looking shrubs. There were no lights in the windows, and her mansion did look a bit gloomy. But, by the look of everything, Mrs. Winchester could tell that she had built the right kind of house, and that things were done handsomely. A pleasant-faced cook met her inside the carriage house and called the house maid to help her out of the carriage. Mrs. Winchester was a delicate-looking young lady, but when she smiled people felt there was nothing they would not do for her. She spoke very pleasantly, in a low voice, asking the maid if she was afraid of the Winchester mansion. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
“Not with you I wouldn’t be, madam,” the maid said, and the words surprised Mrs. Winchester. Mrs. Winchester seemed pleased at that. “I am tired tonight, but I shall dine in the Venetian dining room,” Mrs. Winchester said. It was one of her favourite rooms, she loved all the mahogany wood which adored the walls, floor, and ceiling, and that fact that there were two fireplaces in the room, made a meal like a romantic evening. The servants all liked Mrs. Winchester. She had a friendly word for every one of them. The servant said very little about Mrs. Winchester. No one had anything to complain about. They knew what loneliness she must have felt, but she was very thankful for the quiet and the good of the country air. Only on the finest days did she walk out on the balcony on the fourth floor. The season was soft and unwholesome, and in January there was a long spell of rain. Once or twice, in the long rainy night, one could hear noises in the room where the door-to-nowhere was located; but it was nonsense, of course, and the streaming light from the stained-glass windows drove out such notions in the daylight. One morning, the maid went to town for some shopping. She ran into a friend she had not seen in years. When Agnus mentioned where she was living, her friend rolled her eyes and opened her mouth as if she was in a state of shock. “What! You are staying in the Winchester mansion?” “Oh, but I do not mind keep such a large house,” Angus said. “My dear, you will not stay there long.” #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
Angus’s friend shook her head. “All I know is that Mrs. Winchester has had 7 maids in the last six months, and the last one, who is a friend of mine, told me nobody could stay in the house.” “Did she say why?” Agnus asked. “No—she would not give me her reason. But she says to me, ‘it is not worthy it.’” Agnus knew it was all idle gossip. However, there words stuck in her head and there was something about the house—she was sure of it now. Mrs. Winchester dined alone, as usual that evening. The prophets said something terrible was going to happen. Mrs. Winchester felt nervous. The rain had begun again, and the drip, drip, drip seemed to be dropping into her brain. Retired to her chambers and laid there awake, listening to it. After a while she slept; but suddenly a loud noise wakened her. There was some jangling through the darkness. She was just beginning to huddle on her clothes when she heard another sound. This time it was the locked door-to-nowhere. The door was opening and closing. She heard the sound distinctly, and it frightened her so that she stood stick still. Then she heard a footstep hurrying down the passage toward the main house. The floor being carpeted, the sound was very faint, but she was quite sure it was a woman’s step. Mrs. Winchester turned cold with the thought of it, and for a minute or two she durst not breathe or move. Then she came to her sense. Mrs. Winchester said to herself, “someone left that room just now and ran down the passage ahead of me.” But she heard nothing and saw nothing: all was dark and quiet as the grave. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
When Mrs. Winchester reached her bedroom door the silence was so deep, she thought she was dreaming. Then a panic seized her. To her astonishment the door was opened, and there was the little ghost. The ghost was that of a girl named Emma who died at the age of thirteen a decade earlier. This little girl and her friends were playing hide and seek on Mrs. Winchester’s estate. In these days, she had a pound and one of the girls decided to hide in the pound, but found herself unable to resurface. Most of the group of kids left, the fruit orchard. They just assumed Emma had vanished into thin air. Unfortunately, she drowned. But the ghost of the little girl was not ready to leave Mrs. Winchester alone. Dripping wet, the apparition left watery food prints on the floor as she came closer and closer to Mrs. Winchester. The specter’s words left Mrs. Winchester feeling distraught and she tried to flee, but at the bottom of the stairs, she met her ethereal visitor. The girl beckoned Mrs. Winchester. “Mrs. Winchester,” the girl said, “true witchcraft involves a pact with the devil.” There was no more sleep for Mrs. Winchester that night. The idea took such hold on her that she dropped breathless into a chair before her. And she was thankful when the daylight came. The maid stopped to see what was wrong, and was working on pouring Mrs. Winchester a cup of tea, when suddenly, the pale, dripping wet little girl appeared in the passage way. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Mrs. Winchester stood up, cold all over, and ran out of the kitchen. Her heart seemed to be thumping in the top of her head, and she felt as if she should never get away from the look in the eyes of the apparition of Emma. Although Mrs. Winchester never claimed to be a witch, she may have been a hereditary witch. Her powers and feelings grew stronger as she became an adult so much so that her clairvoyance and mediumship became very accurate. In the privacy of her own home, Mrs. Winchester performed the kind of magic that had been handed down through the centuries and that is how she came up with the ideas for her estate. The study of the occult had become a lifetime’s endeavour for her. It is true that our ancestors worshipped Old Gods but they were not all witches. Witches and warlocks use primitive energy which attempts to fulfill itself on a basic level. During Victorian times, covens were springing up everywhere—American, Canada, Australia, and all over Europe. Society’s fear of witches was matched by the witches’ fear of society. Most witches preferred to meet outdoors for their festivals, in some secluded spot selected for its historical associations and generally related to the pagan worship of the Earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars. With her observation towers and miles of her mansion creating a labyrinth over the Earth, along with the grooves of trees, Mrs. Winchester’s mansion was a center of natural energy that in modern terms is described by witches as magical. Just as a water-diviner—who would have been called a “witch” in an earlier age—sought power vibrations from deep in the Earth, so witches drew on this energy as they performed their rituals. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
Mrs. Winchester’s mansion is a representation and memorial of the search for “power centers” in many ways. Thus if it is to be accepted that modern witchcraft is indeed a proper descendant of the old religion. Most religions include a good deal of invention. Paganism provides its followers with a traceable history of gods whom they could worship and a tradition of primitive ritual they could copy. This was their interpretation of primitive sacrificial magic which they, and sorcerers of the first millennium, could copy and develop as their own. Now, as Mrs. Winchester once did, let us try to tap into the Earth’s energy—the sun’s power, the moon’s cycles. Welcome Spirits of Sarah L. Winchester and William W. Winchester, O most noble queen and king! I say thou art welcome unto be, because I have called thee through Him who has crated Heaven, and Earth, and Hell, and all that s in them contained, and because also thou hast obeyed. By that same power by the which I have called thee forth, I and thank you for blessing me with your power and presence within this temple of counter creation. I am one who seeks ascent upon the astral plane which rises above influence. I seek to ascend beyond the confines of spiritual enslavement by the powers of counter creation! Bless this sacrifice which will be given in your honour and ignite this sacred vital force with the powers of the Divs which come forth from the Black Sun Angra Mainyu! As surely as this vital force is shared with this altar of ancient magick shall become the physical anchor of all the powers of the Universe upon this Earth. Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, open the gates within allowing me to be transformed from man to Div! I bind thee, that thou remain affably and visibly here before this Circle so constant and so long as I shall have occasion for thy presence; and not to depart without my license until thou hast duly and faithfully performed my will without any falsity. BY THE PENTACLE OF SOLOMON HAVE I CALLED THEE! GIVE UNTO ME A TRUE ASNWER! #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
Winchester Mystery House
Only two weekends left! Step back in time to a Victorian Christmas with the “Holidays with the Historian” tour. Led by Janan Boehme, Winchester Mystery Houses’ historian and Victorian customs expert, this special tour of the mansion includes Victorian holiday traditions, caroling and a special holiday treat in one of Sarah’s formal rooms. Victorian attire is encouraged! Tickets going fast🎄
🎟 link in bio. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Some Recieved Impressions of an Infant’s Death
It had been raining hard since three o’clock that morning. I repressed my smile and felt rather like a character in some latter-day Gothic romance. The driving rain, the cold, the three-hour ride from Sacramento in my long black leather-upholstered Buick-Town car limousine. I had just procured some cursed objects and books that had to do with parapsychology. With all the ghostly activity in my mansion, it was hard for anyone to deny the place is haunted. An over-emotive Spiritualist medium, and the lone survivor of the debacle in the Grand Ballroom returned to my home discuss a list of all phenomena observed since then. John Hansen had recently taken up restoration of the electrical system and installation of a voice calling system. After his daily inspection of the mansion, I tried to sound casual but I felt my excitement showed. “I have the blueprints for the next addition to the estate.” “How soon will you need this completed?” John asked. “As soon as possible.” “It is large?” “Quite large. I want a new castle appendage. I turret I believe it is called. With detail that hearken back to earlier times. It is to be a half-timbered structure similar to those developed when medieval builders erected timber skeletons and filled in the gaps with stone or wattle-and daub. The idea is to leave some framing exposed,” said I. “Enough rooms have been renovated for your use already, Mrs. Winchester!” “Yes, but I need a view of the surrounding countryside, this room will be more of a tower, which will provide a spectacular sweep-around view of the village and my yard. The sky is the limit!” #RandolphHarris 1 of 13
As my guest, Cora Pringle, the medium and I continued to the Séance Room to continue our conversation, there were a pair of dark eyes peering out from bony cavities, expression a fragment of the pain and frustration which she must have felt as the years passed and she was no longer able to leave the Grand Ballroom. The senior class of San Jose High School was hosting their harvest festival in the Grand Ballroom, young woman, Mary Celeste, was on stage being crowned queen. She and most of the senior class was killed when a gasolier fell dropped from above and decapitated her, causing a roaring fire. You can see her lurking in the Ballroom at night. Mr. Hansen took a break from building my observational tower to restore the Ballroom. And he would often see the ghost dancing about the room. She would come up next to him in a really elegant Victorian dress, lavishly trimmed with all manner of lace frills, braid, fringes and full gathers. Her dress was topped with a pelerine made of mink. “My people have recommended you, Cora. They say you are the best in your field.” Cora drew in a labouring breath. “Your fee will be two hundred thousand dollars,” she said. “Your assignment is to establish the facts,” I explained. Something glittered in Cora’s eyes. Cora walked toward the Grand Ballroom door. Before we reached it, it was opened sharply by a shadow. Quite appropriately, John has most often seen this shadow when the haunted area is illuminated only by a gasolier. It throws a strange light, and there seem to be moving shadows, not human shadows. Moments later, another member of the staff watched in awe as the mysterious image of a girl meeting Mary Celeste’s description walked onto the dance floor. #RandolphHarris 2 of 13
We closed the door and started down the corridor. In light of present knowledge, I ordered John Hansen to seal every door on the second floor with bricks. For the first time, I allowed myself to recognize the strain of this psychic phenomena on my condition. However, I undoubtedly considered this a miracle from God. “Oh, dear, Mrs. Winchester,” Cora said. “I’m afraid this is the Mount Everest of haunted houses. I’m sensing another tragedy in this area. Did something happen? There is a cold spot here.” “There is always a cold spot,” I replied. “Yes, Mrs. Winchester, but I feel a sense of intense angry and pain.” “Oh, dear. Years, and years ago, I had a foreman move a chandelier, and he fell off the ladder and cracked his head wide open. He died immediately.” “But Mrs. Winchester, I fear this was no accident. It was deliberate. His spirit is telling me someone or something pulled the ladder from under him.” Little did Cora know that there were two different attempts to investigate it, one in 1886, the other in 1890. Both were disasters. Thirteen people involved in those attempts were killed, committed suicide, or went insane. Only one survived, and I have no idea how sound he is? My mansion was such mystery. I had experienced enough psychic phenomena by now to be accustomed to it. It was known as the house built by spirits for a reason, but it appeared to house a few demons as well. There is a power here strong enough to physically and/or mentally demolish thirteen people. The staff had mentioned these ghosts create a slightly disconcerting feeling for them. They fear they are being watched—even when they can plainly see that no one is in the room with them. #RandolphHarris 3 of 13
The presences also like to draw attention to themselves, oftentimes by playing their own music. They have also demonstrated a playful sense of humor by causing blood to come out of the walls like sweat. Those years prior to the 1906 earthquake had been the most spiritual for Mrs. Winchester. After dismissing Cora, she walked to the Hall of Fires, and went inside. The warmth felt good. Shivering she got into bed, and retired for the evening. For several years she was pleased to be reminded of her beauty. Many said she looked like a girl of twenty years and not a day more. She still retained her long- brown hair untouched by grayness, her tall figure almost as trim as it had been in her twenties. She smiled with great self-esteem. Many of the contents of this mansion and cryptic messages in it and on it tell you how to get in contact with the devil. It also contains a wide variety of charms covering magic persecution, magic defense, vengeance magic, death magic, fertility magic, love magic and many other forms of magic. Many of the charms are camouflaged by means of religious trimmings. Anu one who owns or possesses the Winchester Mansion must be warned of the dangers as the mansion itself promises Satan’s special protect all who own it. With this mansion, the imagination is stretched to a breaking point. The issues are clouded by secrecy, myth and legend to such a degree that discovering the power of spiritism or occultism may cause one to make an unconscious contract with the powers of darkness. At each turn of a hallway, there is some evidence of malevolence, beauty, or omen of sorcery. #RandolphHarris 4 of 13
After Mrs. Winchester’s retirement in 1922, the witches realized themselves that in order to survive in a legalized form they would have to project an aura of goodness. Now, it is not to be mistaken, Mrs. Winchester was a good person. She often paid her staff in gold coins, three times the going wages in those days, provided them with homes on her estate, donated food and clothing to the less affluent, and even spent millions of dollars establishing charities and paying homage to our dearly departed. Although she was a good person, when one is cursed, obviously it is going to be difficult to maintain a good reputation people carve up graves, steal marble headstones, cut off heads and show no signs of abating. All they could do was try to achieve it b having an organization to speak for them, one to project the better side of their nature. So, they decided in 1923, to turn the Winchester Mansion into the Winchester Mystery House and open it up for tours. However, even today, some witches say the rule for the majority is goodness—though even some of the more famous of their number admit to a blurring of definitions on the darker edges of their craft, that their rituals might stray from concept of “an harm none” into what might be termed black magic. Those who are decidedly “black”—and there are many—look upon the “white” movement with considerable derision. Sometimes American symbols, like the Winchester Mystery House, although many of us love it, attracts as much hate mail from pagans as it does from Christians. In order to be successful, a witch does have to make a pact with the devil, at least symbolically. One must worship the Luciferian elements of pride within oneself and anyone who professes to be a white witch is either kidding themselves or has much to learn. #RandolphHarris 5 of 13
There is certainly a magic power in the Winchester Mansion, and one has to decided how it should be used. Many believe that Mrs. Sarah L. Winchester is the spiritual head of the Worldwide Occult Movement. Her life, after the turmoil and publicity of her latter years, after the 1906 earthquake, is more peaceful. She returned to witchcraft with a more balanced view of it and life in general. Mrs. Winchester still have many enemies, and by a cult, she is still reckoned to being cursed every day by opponents. The past is the past, Mrs. Winchester always believed. Mrs. Winchester did not care for inexperienced dabblers who did not realize or seem to care what damage they caused to themselves and those around them by summoning and releasing uncontrollable demons into their homes. Things can easily go disastrously wrong. As everyone knows, Mrs. Winchester was in a house with very bad spirits had been brought down and were not properly banished and she was forced to build a home for them because each day, legions more became residents. Often times, rooms would be recked, a tower fell, the fireplace exploded with such force that the stones outside fell off, curtains were pulled down, blood flooded the floors, and ornaments flung around the room. However, there was and still is always a warm and friendly welcome for anyone not put off by the trappings of the occult and the distinct aroma of citrus fruit, lavender and jasmine. That is common to many witches’ homes. The library was once lined with what was one of the best and largest private collections of books on the occult outside of the Vatican; her small dog, Zip, would often lay peacefully on the bear skin rug at her feet. #RandolphHarris 6 of 13
Mrs. Winchester had book in her library which told of Norse travellers reaching every corner of the known World, but they were not actually tourists. The “racially pure” ideology of Aryan supremacy rested on the premise of the Nordic race as superior to all others. Carolus Magnus born 2 April 747 – 28 January 814, created a program to produce the hair colour gene MCIR. He bred 10,000 to 15,000 blondes, whose genetic mutation occurred around 9,000 BC. These sea born people were said to be giants with eyes the colour of the sky and clouds. They set out from their homelands bound for distant lands. Through activities such as trading, raiding, fighting, colonizing and settling, their travels took them west to Greenland and North America. They landed pre-colonial San Jose and lived among the Tamien people who had been native to the area for nearly 2,800 years before the Aryans. There were already 12,000 Native Americas living the area, when approximately 7,000 of the people with the MCIR gene arrived. Archeologist believed they settled on the land where Mrs. Winchester built her estate. However, due to a ferocious outbreak of respiratory viruses, small pox, and severe flooding in 1791, many od them died out, and their bones are said to be deeply buried under the farmhouse Mrs. Winchester purchased and on much of the 735 acres of land she owned. Entire towns died in an epidemic that wiped out three-quarters of their population. These people, along with many of the Indians died on heapes, as they lay in their houses and one could walk through a forest where human skeletons covered the ground. Legend has it that Mrs. Winchester’s Mansion is also a temple for them and she is a priestess, and undoubtedly one of the most experienced in the World. Some believe the conservators painted the Winchester mansion yellow with green trim to honour a yellow daisy, Mrs. Winchester’s favorite flower, others believe it is because they wanted to honor those with the MCIR gene. Perhaps the spirits had Mrs. Winchester originally painted the mansion sea green to honor their heritage? #RandolphHarris 7 of 13
The house is overtly occultish in every way; books and tools of Mrs. Winchester’s craft used to cover many surfaces. There was a hidden room with pentacle, skives, scourge, god images and wands as well as ancient Norse coins. Most neighbours assumed she was a witch, and quite a few sought her advice. However, her door was not always open. The occult for Mrs. Winchester was a genuine quest for knowledge, for spiritual guidance she could not find elsewhere. Businessmen used to want their problems solved by her foresight and magical spells. What Mrs. Winchester produced with her magical circle, was consciousness, a different energy. To further highlight this illustration, when a room is empty and you fill it with thirteen people who are working within that circle, you would imagine the temperature would go up; sometimes in the Winchester Mansion, it does not. It often drops. That provides scientific proof of a change but as far as the magical proof goes, we cannot prove the power is there. We know the power is there; we know there is power from our experience. We do influence people’s minds; someone one needs the magic that we perform. It has to be that way. We are not allowed to harm anyone; that is the fundamental rule of the craft and all those who are in it are governed by this rule, and abide by it. If they do not, they are not true witches. The Winchester mansion is an experience, a magical experience, your mystical experience which is totally personal. There is not necessarily always an end product to what we do, though we never waste power generated by a group meeting. If there is a lot of energy there, because witches and warlocks are generally concerned about the things around them, the ecology and so on, we would direct that energy into the well-being of mother Earth. #RandolphHarris 9 of 13
Many people who visit the Winchester Mystery House have reported becoming more Earthly. They experience astral journeys and out-of-body experience. We reckoned people draw on psychic phenomena when the enter the aura of this mansion. It is sort of a working temple, and attracts activity without any kind of publicity at all, and the mansion and staff keep a very low profile. Businessmen are among some of the biggest external patrons. They often are will to pay huge amounts for after dark private group tours or individual tours. The estate receives so many requests a week they have had to curtail it. Some staff members love to be in the mansion after dark and with limited numbers of people, others are very pensive. Some people believe a private tour is the only way to enter into a relationship with the devil or an angel and achieve greater success. Oh, ye aforesaid angels, ye that execute the commands of the Creator; be willing to be present with me in the work which I have undertaken at this time, and help me to finish it, and be ye my attentive hearers and assistants, that the honor of God and my own welfare be promoted. Over this there are twenty-eight angels who rule over the twenty-eight houses of the moon, viz: Asariel, Cabiel, Dirachiel, Scheliel, Amnodiel, Amixiel, Ardesiel, Neriel, Abdizzriel, Jazerial, Cogediel, Aialiel, Azerniel, Adriel, Amutiel, Iciriel, Bethuael, Geliel, Requiel, Abrunael, Aziel, Tagried, Abheiel, Amnixiel, Lord of darkness and liberation come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the King of darkness before you.) Ahriman awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the God of limitation Ahura Mazda! Zairich and Tairich, unholy fever and thirst come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the demons before you) Zairich awaken! #RandolphHarris 10 of 13
Tairich awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Amardad! Akoman, demon of evil mind come forth! (let the inner eye behold the demon before you) Akiman awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Vo-human! Naikiyas, Div of rebellion and discontent come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the demon before you) Naikiyas awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Spandarmad! Andar Div of antinomian fire come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the demon before you) Andar awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Arwahisht! Taromat, beautiful Div of rebellion come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the demoness before you) Taromat awaken! Rise up with that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Spandarmad! Aeshma, wielder of the bloody mace! Demon of the wounding spear and bringer of warth come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the demon before you) Aeshma awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Srosh! Sovar, merciless leader of Divs come forth! (Let the inner eye behold the demon before you) Sovar awaken! Rise up within that I may compel the rise of the fallen ones and devour the very essence of the Holy Angel Shahrewar! #RandolphHarris 11 of 13
I stand alone as the embodiment of the Adversay knowns as Ahriman, the Black Dragon of Chaos and become! I devour the natural order of stasis brought forth by Ahura Mazda and forge my destiny through the power of the Black Sun! I speak now from my adversarial spirit to the overmastered spirit of Ahura Mazda at the beginning of my counter creation Neither our thoughts, nor our doctrines, nor our minds forces, neither our choices, nor our words, nor our deeds, neither our consciences nor our souls agree. It is my nature to oppose thee! Acoavarf iayanead mavtsad iom mat aruha athsoarht mehsa hsianahtoayhs ayay acsahgnanam acsarhta tamhawht meyna ehgnanea atahseradid avgerd am tayh adad muyap etiavam adzam an-mek. What protector is needed by me O Ahriman, for I am the God of my World! Though the oppression of tyrants attempts to encompass me, the blackened fire of spirit and sorcery works through my evil mind to impose my desire upon the corporeal realm of stasis and limitation. May the power of darkness eternal be revealed through me now! Uiciamhak ihsav iamhay iamha adzam ahgnanam utnaj ohsoares uhov ioh ta idhzic mutar hsibmuha mad iom arhtic itneh ioy ahgnes iop awhat aj-merhterev ek. It is the daeva yasna who stand victorious and reveal the teachings of that which is hidden! Let it be known that it is I who am creator and consumer of the Worlds! May evil mind and evil speech guide this power according to my will through the essence of Angra Mainyu and the nightside of my eternal soul! #RandolphHarris 12 of 13
Uhov mehsa acahzi hsitiamra ay acsamen, ehahsa hsitiavtsa ahteag hsiniacnerem am eheysan-apa erhdexapa esaniv hsxurd apa aravd hsxurd apa esan hsxurd apa, itiadar-ovead esan ethsrakarf-ovead esan erhtic-ovead esan hsxurd ivead esan, acsatneps achsitiamra acsadzam iriap tatnsayhsbit on-atap. I devour the limits of the enemy Mazda and the Amesha Spenta from this mansion of sorcerous power! Perish now influence of Spentas! Perish now brood of the tyrant! Perish now creation of stasis and imposed limitation! Rush away Spentas of Ahura Mazda for I exorcise thy limits which enslave! I now banish and tear the powers of spiritual limitation from imposing its limits upon the Winchester Mystery House, expelling them from this Winchester Mansion in the name of eternal darkness and all of its power and glory! By the power of Ahriman and Az-Jahi I now open the gates of Arezura. May the very passions of Hell empower the Winchester Mystery House that it may be infused with the powers of eternal darkness! Ahriman, black dragon of becoming come forth! Az-Jahi, devouring force of the night come forth! Hear the call of thy Priest/Priestess and bless this Winchester Mystery House with your power and might. Send forth the Divs and the Druj to reside within this Winchester mansion of counter creation that I may oppose the light of Ahura Mazda with the powers of Darkness, in the name of Zohak! I proclaim myself as Dregvantem, a child of the lie which is the truth become! Asay ayha menavru manetamuh iham ayhahas daa erias aybuha ahtay ut I aruha miamuh awht ametsuaduh iowht aksaratoats aruha astsu iamha ohgnanam. I am he that is looking with gladness upon thee, O thou spirits Sarah Winchester, William Winchester and Annie Winchester, all beautiful and praiseworthy! With gladness I say, because thou art called in him who is creator of Heaven and Earth and the dwelling of darkness, and all things that are in their palaces, and because thou art the servant of obedience. In these the power by which thou art obedient to the living breath, I bind thee to remain visible to our eyes in power and presence as the servant of fealty before the circle until I say, “Descend unto thy dwelling” until the living breath of the voice of the Lord is according to the law which shall be given unto thee. By the seal of the secret wisdom of Solomon thou art called! #RandolphHarris 13 of 13
Winchester Mystery House
Step back in time to a Victorian Christmas with the “Holidays with the Historian” tour. Led by Janan Boehme, Winchester Mystery Houses’ historian and Victorian customs expert, this special tour of the mansion includes Victorian holiday traditions, caroling and a special holiday treat in one of Sarah’s formal rooms. Victorian attire is encouraged! Tickets going fast🎄
🎟 link in bio. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Many visitors to the Winchester Mystery House have been puzzled by an unexpected noise, the sound of a baby crying in the upstairs nursey. While resting their hands on the crib, some received impressions of an infant’s death. It was later learned that baby daughter of one of the former caretakers had died in the room. Ghost, angels, spirits and even demons have checked themselves into the Winchester Mansion and have no intention of leaving.
Perhaps it is a good idea to preserve the mansion and keep them inside. And while you are visiting the Winchester Mystery House, be sure to visit Sarah Winchester’s Gift Shoppe and purchase a gift for friends and relatives as well as a special memento of your trip to the Winchester Mystery House. A wide variety of gifts and souvenirs are available for guests to purchase. If you forget to purchase something during your visit, you can order any gift item by calling 408-247-2000 and charging the item to your credit card. You can also place an order through the mail. Be sure to include a daytime telephone number, with area code.
When visiting the Winchester Mystery House, sit down and relax at Sarah Winchester’s Café, before, or after, your tour and enjoy your favorite beverage and snack. Let your imagination take you back to the days when Mrs. Winchester lived here and imagine what it would have been like to have met Mrs. Winchester herself. Catering information for groups and birthday parties is available. Call 408-247-2000. Both Sarah Winchester’s Gift Shoppe and Café are open free to the public every day, except Christmas and Thanksgiving. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
What Does this Have to do with Demons?
It was near sunset on a rainy Winter afternoon in Christmas week. The clouds had vanished, dispersed by a sudden wind, and as we entered my mansion the fiery panes of the high windows shone out like lamps through the dusk. The World revealed the powerful hold Satan and demonic powers have on the human race. Strange to say, it was not need to me. That magical light I saw on the inlaid steps, the fluted columns, the sculptured bas-reliefs and canopy of the marvellous shrine. The marble, worn and mellowed by the subtle hand of time, took on an unspeakable rosy hue, my house was an extravagant maze of Victorian craftmanship, but more mystic, more complex, a colour not born of the sun’s inveterate kiss, but made up of crystal twilight. My home was silence, but for the wail of ghouls and the occasional slamming of the doors, and I sat there, bathed in that light, absorbed in rapt contemplation of the mahogany miracle which rose before me, enriched with jewel-like stained-glass with gleams of gold, I felt myself borne onward along these mighty fine front doors, well worth $3,000, but never to be used. My home was the Church of the Redeemer, richer, more solemn, more significant than the sunshine of Hawaii. It was the very beginning of things, and whose tremendous source of spiritual energy went all through the mingled stream of mystical human passion and endeavor. Life in all its varied manifestations of darkness, beauty, and strangeness seemed weaving a rhythmical dance through the miles of twisting hallways, made more intriguing by the secret passageways in the walls. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
As I took my nightly prowl to the Blue Séance Room, in a terrifying flash of remembrance there arose before me a scene from New Haven, Connecticut, when my child had died only six weeks after her birth. I saw William and myself standing there with our child’s body between us; I could never forget how dazed I felt. And this is what happened to me again. Within the next few years, I found myself alone with my husband’s body….it was too horrible. Feeling dizzy, I sank down on the edge of the sofa, as my beloved faced into a sepulchral twilight. I tried not to think. At all costs I had to conceal the fact that he was dead. According to legend, Mrs. Winchester was told that her family and her fortune were being haunted by spirits—in fact, by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifle, and demons. The evil spirits appeared to be more crassly cruel, unclean, and violent. They were also more domineering and brutally enslaving. These spirits insisted on taking up their abode with Mrs. Winchester, since they had been driven away from their former dwelling by her family. At the time of her death, the unrelenting construction of the Winchester Mansion had rambled over six acres. The sprawling mansion contained 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. After he death, the mansion was renting out. One of the guests was really getting used to the estate and loved sinking down into the mattresses in the bed Mrs. Winchester died in. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
Reportedly, one night Victoria Venison closed her eyes and when she opened them a good deal later, her room had grown cold, and the night was intensely still. She was waked suddenly by the feeling we all know—the feeling that there was something near her that had not been there when she fell asleep. She sat up and strained her eyes into the darkness. The room was pitch black, and at first she saw nothing; but vague glimmer at the foot of the bed turned into two eyes staring back at her. She could not see the face attached to them—on account of the darkness—the eyes gave out a light of their own. Victorian got out of bed and tried to approach these eyes that were glaring at her. She called out to them, but no one answered. Victorian came closer, within three feet of the eyes, they were the very worse eyes she had ever seen: a man’s eyes—but what a man! Her first thought was the he must be frightfully old. The orbits were sunk, and the thick red-lined lids hung over the eyeballs like blinds which the cords were broken. The eyes seemed to belong to a man who had done a lot of harm in his life. Victorian again asked the man if he could be helped. The man still did not reply but turned and walked toward the stairs at the west end of the hall. Then he walked through the door! He did not open it and walk out—he went through the door! Victorian tried to follow, but her feet were rooted to the spot. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
Victorian felt paralyzed by fear. As soon as the room was dark again, a ghost appeared wearing a white suit, but it was not the same manifestation. This man had no face! After a moment of near-panic, Victorian stepped into the doorway to see if there really was a man in the room. She thought that the glow might have been caused by the last embers in the chimney; but the fireplace was on the other side of her bed, and so placed that the fire could not possibly be reflected in her toilet glass, which was the only mirror in the room. Then it occurred to her that she might have been tricked by the reflection of the embers in some polished bit of wood or metal; and though she could not discover any object of the sort in her line of vision, she got up again, groped her way to the hearth, and covered what was left of the fire. However, as soon as she was back in bed, the man without a face in the white suit was back and the room was icy cold. Victorian was later frozen to death in the same bed Mrs. Winchester had died in. Her fingers and toes were frostbitten and her lips were blue. I suppose the spirits were saying the queen was dead. And this time there would be no replacement. The Winchester Mansion is replete with an extraordinary phenomena that involves the spirit realm. Spirit-rapping, apparitions, ghosts, moving furniture, resurrection of the dead, playing of musical instruments by invisible hands, stones falling from the ceiling, magical killing of cattle are just a few of the weird occurrences that fill the annals of the estate. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Another young man was drawn to the mansion as the next renter started his residency. Merrill May’s grandmother died during the war and as a young man, he moved to Santa Clara Valley, where he secretly practiced witchcraft. Gradually, he tuned towards black magic, with the sole purpose of attempting to influence his own life and bring himself wealth and success. He claimed that his spell-casting worked, because one day in the early 1920s, he was walking by the Winchester Estate, when he was stopped by a middle-aged man who said he was the absolute double of his son who had died some years earlier. They stood there chatting for a while and the man asked Merrill if he would like to tour the estate and stay for dinner. He went, and stayed on, living as his adopted son for the next three years when the renter of the Winchester Mansion built him his own house of the property and gave him a bank account with his own money. “I cannot put that down to anything but the magic I was working.” Merrill claimed. “I had everything I wanted but I always felt that I was going to have to pay for it in some way.” There were other rumors that Merrill had gained a hold over the man in charge of the Winchester Mansion by involving him in séances to contact his dead son. Merrill never talked about that, though the town’s people said he was a “natural medium” and claimed he could call up spirits killed by the Winchester Rifle. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
Before Merrill had become known in Santa Clara County, he practiced black magic on the East Coast. He accumulated a sizeable personal fortune. How? People just gave it to him, for helping them or involving them in his séances or magic. In those says, he was quite famous and operated under the name of Todd Crowely. He actually used to work in churches as a healer on occasions, though they did not know of his black magic activities. He became a very well-known healer. People who joined his group kept it very much a secret. Any involvement with witches had become a great scandal again, and especially in black magic. One of the newspapers discovered there was a black magic coven operating and had identified two men in his group who would have been ruined if they had been publicly exposed. So Merrill took responsibility and told the newspapers he would do a ritual for them. However, as Merrill was at the Winchester Mansion, he knew that the path of black magic was dangerous; to get personal wealth and good fortune there would also have to be personal sacrifice. He eventually found out there was a death to pay. There was an extremely cold spot in the mansion which was described as a tubular shaft where spirits enter. This was “their gathering place.” In the dark recesses of the Winchester Mansion, Merrill felt many spirits, especially near the door-to-nowhere. The nice man letting Merrill live rent free was fast asleep in his bed when Merrill was suddenly grabbed about the legs by an invisible force. As Merrill struggled in vain to free himself and to communicate with the entity, the unseen attacker claimed his life. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
The next morning, Merrill was found hanging in door way of the door-to-nowhere. It would seem the spirits of the Winchester mansion had a desire to protect the area and it did not die with the death of Mrs. Winchester. Considering that the Winchester mansion is so thoroughly haunted, it is fortune that owners, management and staff of the Winchester Mystery House are so wonderfully accepting of their non-paying—and apparently permanent—guests. These were the assessors of the occult mansion and this is their Hall of Judgment. The man who rented the Winchester mansion at this time, turned out, was a member of what is described as a highly secret occult mansion of masters and adepts—not witches, but more like priests—who followed Egyptian traditions. At the Winchester Mystery House, we leave it to our guests and readers to decide for themselves why Mrs. Winchester really built the house the way she did. For some reason, it seems odd that none of her relatives or former employees every came forward to speak about the events at the estate, despite the fact that some of them lived for more than forty years after Mrs. Winchester’s death. For some reason, did they feel threatened by talking—or did they continue to guard Mrs. Winchester’s privacy after her death? I invoke thee, and move thee, and stir thee up O Sarah Lockwood Winchester, appear unto my eyes before the circle. Even by him who spake it was, to whom all creates are obedient and in the Extreme Justice and Anger of God; and by the veil that is before the glory of God, mighty; and by the creatures of living breath before the Throne whose eyes are east and west; by the fire in the fire of just Glory of the Throne; by the Holy ones of Heaven; and by the secret wisdom of God, I exalted in power, stir thee up. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
Appear before this circle; obey in all things that I say; in the seal of Basdathea Baldachia; and in this Name Primeumaton, which Mosheh spake, and the Earth was divided, and Korah, Dathan, and Abiram fell in the depth. Therefore, please obey in all things, O Mrs. Winchester, obey thy creation. Come thou forth: appear unto my eyes; visit us in peace, be friendly; come forth in the 24th of a moment; obey my power, speaking the secrets of Truth in voice and in understanding! I thank you for your empowerments which have served to assist my evolution toward divinity and power. Go now into the World and serve the Lord of Darkness known as Ahriman. I release you to serve the cause of counter creation and the liberation of mankind. Go now and do your work so the fallen ones may rise up and claim their birth right as emanations of the power of unlimited possibility which has no use for rulers. Mrs. Winchester go forth and achieve the results we seek as one. What indeed can be a most unnatural and most powerful representation of Angra Mainyu known as Ahriman, who is himself eternal darkness, then the sacred flame of Atar defiled? I usurp the sacrifice and prayer, the good offering, and the wished for offering, and the devotional offering from you! You are worthy of prayer. You are worthy of sacrifice! Div who empower me as a dark God of counter-creation! Verily I say unto you, the man who shall make sacrifice unto you I will consume with blackened fire to feed the demons within to grow in power and might. The Sixth Table of Jupiter assists in overcoming suits at law, dispute, and at play, and their spirits are at all time ready to render assistance, I command and conjure Thee to appear before me in human form, so truly as Daniel overcame and conquered Baal. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
Winchester Mystery House
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A House Built for Spirits?
Most houses declare the activities they shelter; they are the clear expressive cuticle of a life flowing close to the surface; but the haunted Winchester Mansion, know as Llanada Vila, is a mystery that is as impenetrable as death. The tall windows are like blinking eyes, the great door is a shut mouth. Inside there may be sunshine, the scent of daisies, and a pulse of life through all the arteries of the huge frame; or a mortal solitude, where vampires, demons, and ghost ledge in the disjointed walls and the 2,000 solid gold keys to the doors remain unused. Winter approaching, and Mrs. Winchester finding herself once more alone, it was surmised among her women that she must fall into a deeper depression of spirits. However, far from this being the case, she displayed such cheerfulness and equanimity of humor. The wind stripped the gardens of their exotic plants and bright flowers. The European black locust, English yew and English walnut, Peruvian pepper were all dormant, but the date palms, Spanish and Norfolk pines were still standing strong. The unique collection of towering monkey puzzle trees, seemed to come alive as the branches swayed hither and tither. Mrs. Winchester kept her room in this black season, sitting over the fire, embroidering, reading books of devotion, and praying frequently in her observational tower. As for the servants, aching with rheumatism on the marble floor, they galloped through the mansion like men and women with witches after them, preparing for the arrival of Mrs. Winchester. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8
A moment later, the door to the parlor opened, and there stood Mrs. Winchester. She held her Hypnotic Colombian Emerald Estate Ring of 10.75 carats in one hand and had drawn a scarf over her shoulders; but the rich saturation and fine vivid hues of blue and green shone through it like the moon in a mist, and her countenance sparkled with beauty. Suddenly, there was a loud noise at the other end of the salon, as a heavy object being dragged down the passage; and presently a dozen men were seen hauling across the threshold the shrouded thing from the ox-cart. Mrs. Winchester had grown pale. Before her eyes was a crypt. They sky turned to a steel grey, against which Lalanada Villa stood out. A wind strayed through the mansion. Mrs. Winchester fell in a swoon; and when she came to her senses, in her own chamber, she heard the butler had locked the doors to the observational tower and forbidden anyone to set foot in there. The place was never opened again until the butler died thirteen years later; and then it was that the other servants saw for the first time the horror that Mrs. Winchester had kept in there. When the crypt was opened, it flooded the mansion with a sense of violence, grotesque visions, fragmentary images of the souls taken by the Winchester Rifle, tormenting lines of verse, obstinate presentiments of pictures once beheld, indistinct impression of rivers, towers, and cupolas, gathered in the length of journeys half forgotten. Someone opened the widows and let in a blast of that strange, neutral air which walks the Earth between darkness and dawn. Someone let a demon into the house. He walked vaguely, like a blind man on creaking boots. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8
Mrs. Winchester stood, as it seemed, on a threshold, yet no tangible gateway was in front of her. Only a wide vista of light, mild yet penetrating as gathered glimmer of innumerable stars, expanded gradually before her eyes, in blissful contrast to the cavernous darkness from which the demon had emerged. She stepped forward, not frightened, but hesitating, and as her eyes began to grow more familiar with the melting depths of light about her, this demon confirmed for the first time that witch covens still existed and revealed what he described as some of the ancient secrets of the cult—even though half of them were of his own creation. He stopped short of revealing some of the inner secrets of his cult, although ironically one of the vows of newly initiated witches was that they should not speak of the mysteries at all. He gave Mrs. Winchester new plans on how to build her mansion, and she promised to keep his presence a secret. However, by opening the doors of his covens and revealing some of the rudiments of ritual worship, the demon stirred up a new hornets’ nets. Although many people in Santa Clara County responded and began enquiring about the vast expansion of the Winchester Mansion, the Sunday papers took up the gauntlet, and one after the other ran exposes of what Mrs. Winchester and her staff of witches and warlock do, under intriguingly lurid headlines proclaiming the dangers of black magic and the “frenzied dances rituals at Midnight in the Grand Ball Room” of the covens. A new witch fever developed; important church men spoke out against this infectious evil. #RandolphHarris 3 of 8
As Mrs. Winchester gazed, her heart beat with a soft and rapturous surprise; so exquisite a promise she read in the summons of the demon, which told her as long as she continued construction on her mansion, she would have eternal life. “And so death is not the end after all,” in a sheer gladness Mrs. Winchester exclaimed aloud. “I always knew it could not be. I believed in Darwin, of course. I do still; but then Darwin himself said tht he was not sure about the soul—at least, I think he did.” Her gaze lost itself in the ethereal remoteness of her mansion. “How beautiful! How satisfying!” she said. “Perhaps now I shall really know what it is to live.” The Oakland Tribune claimed that the Winchester Mansion was “forged by the biggest upsurge of black magic and timeless secrets of witchcraft since the Middle Ages.” That was not an overstatement. If they only knew it, these towers, turrets, curved walls, cupolas, cornices, gables, balconies, ornamental finials and finely detailed trimwork that gave the mansion a castlelike appearance were just the tip of the iceberg. “I have never n that fullness of life which we all feel ourselves capable of knowing; though my life has not been without scattered hints of it, like the scent of Earth which comes to one sometimes far out at sea,” said Mrs. Winchester. “Many words define my home, love and sympathy are those in commonest use, but I am not even sure that they are the right ones, and so few people know what they mean.” What had been emerging for some years during the construction of the Winchester mansion was an astonishing revival in occult interests and ritual magic. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8
Passersby said they felt the darker forces of the occult and the so-called black magic groups emanating from the estate. For those newspaper investigators to whom the whole occult community could be wrapped up into one malevolent package, there was sufficient evidence from interviews to show that the witch cult was very much alive and expanding the mansion day and night. In the eyes of the enquiring beholder, the Winchester Mansion was not only beautiful, but bizarre. They could see witchcraft in the stained glass, black magic in the observational tower, and satanism in the main house. It was, of course, too much to expect witch fraternity, the massive home could not be seen nor understood by the general public. Magic is magic, and because the secrecy surrounding the estate, Mrs. Winchester was bound by an oath of silence. However, the newspapers became intent on exposing what went on being the closed doors of the witches’ “temple.” With rumors of devil worship, and blood-lust abounding it, Mrs. Winchester and her estate made an excellent source of entertainment for the valley. Nothing like it had been seen for many, many years and suddenly the media were filled with witch stories. The gossip from the towns people, one could hear their voices rise and fall, like the murmur of two fountains answering each other across a garden full of flowers. Nothing had changed in the public’s perception of the occult and the paranormal. The discovery of black magic rites being performed on their own doorstep put the fear of God into the villagers. There was always suspicious of witches covens locally. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8
People used to talk vaguely about them; witches, black magicians, no one could differentiate because they had no knowledge on which to judge. One morning in March of 1889 it was discovered a huge granite slab covering one of the graves in the village churchyard had been moved, and the remains of the body of a girl Maria H. who died in 1720 had been removed. The story gradually unfolded when one of those taking part in what transpired to be a black mass staged inside the old Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph confessed to a newspaper. The skull and bones of Maria H. had been taken from the grave and arranged inside the church over a makeshift altar. A Celtic cross in a circle was painted in blood-red paint on the wall and a white chicken was sacrificed in an hour-long ritual. Over one years later, locals still talk of the witches of the Basilica because, at the time, it caused an uproar of protest culminating in a powerful article published in the Oakland Tribune, which dismissed talk of white witches who heal and do good and thundered “in our considered opinion witchcraft and black magic are a state of mind…youngsters out for kicks will find only depravity, disillusion and destruction in this thing called witchcraft.” Everyone has heard stories about witches and the Winchester Mansion. After the death of the Mrs. Winchester in 1922, the mansion remained closed for a year, but no one knew why. When it was opened, investigators discovered that thirteen people including a priest had been killed and left in the mansion. Santa Clara police admit that after the place was closed it was the scene of satanic rituals as well as drug dealing. Historians speculate that the mansion rests on the bones of angry Ayrans. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8
Almost everything will eventually be restored, although you can find spots where the cracked plaster has not been fixed after the 1906 earthquake. This has been left on purpose, like a frozen moment in time, to show people how the house actually looked when Mrs. Winchester lived there. Many say the house is haunted. The house was once a community showplace, and is today still surrounded by velvety green lawns and overlooks the hill. The mansion was once the sight of lavish teas, balls, musicals and banquets for visiting dignitaries. From there, the Winchester Mystery House was born and is now open for tours of the 110 of the 160 rooms. There once were 500 to 600 rooms and over 700 acres of land. The Winchester Mystery House has continued to expand and flourish, and has accumulated what can only be described as a substantial band of followers, some taking the stories as gospel, others using them as guidance and adjusting them to meet their own requirements. The Wicca movement has left contenders waiting in the wings, wondering if the rituals work and if they will ever see the manifestation of Mrs. Winchester. Well can always try. O THOU great, powerful, and mighty KING AMAIMON, who bearest rule by the power of the SUPREME GOD EL over all spirits both superior and inferior of the Infernal Orders in the Dominion of the East; I do invocate and command thee by the especial and trye name of GOD; and by that God that THOU Worshippest; and by the Seal of thy creation; and by the most mighty and powerful name of GOD, IEHOVAH TETRAGRAMMATION who cast thee out of Heaven with all other infernal spirits; and by all the most powerful and great names of God who created Heaven, and Earth, and Hell, and all things in them contained; and by their power and virtue; and by the name PRIMEUMATON who commandeth the whole host of Heaven; that thou mayest cause, enforce, and compel the Spirits of William W. Winchester of Sarah L. Winchester to come unto me here before this Circle in a fair and comely shapes, without harm unto me or unto any other creature, to answer truly and faithfully unto all my requests; so that I may accomplish my will and desire in knowing or obtaining any matter or thing which by office thou knowest is proper for him to perform or accomplish, through the power of GOD, EL, Who created and doth dispose of all things both celestial, aerial, terrestrial, and infernal. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8
Unite physical and spiritual discipline in order and create a dynamic of synergy which will assist in tearing the veil between physical and spiritual realms. Allow powerful changes to take place as your powerful spirits integrate and merge with mine. Allow the inner darkness to spill from the crown into outer darkness and mold and shape the energy of your spirits as a clear vision before my eyes. Allow my consciousness to expand until it is made whole and able to oppose all creation and all limitations. I CONJURE thee, O Spirits of William W. Winchester and Sarah L. Winchester that you will appear unto me to answer to such things as I would have desired of thee, or would have been satisfied in; I do in the name, and by the power and dignity of the Omnipresent and Immortal Lord God of HOSTS IEHOVAH TETRAGRAMMATON, the only Creator of Heaven, and Earther, and Hell of all things both visible and invisible, bless thee, and fulfill thee of all thine office, joy, and place; and I do bind thee in the Winchester Mystery House there to remain for eternity! Let all the company in Heaven bless thee! Let the sun, moon, and all the stars bless thee! Let the LIGHT and all the hosts of Heaven bless thee into the light of udder salvation, and into joy unspeakable. And as thy names and seals contained in this mansion, your eternal home is prepared for the blessed and the damned spirits, and there to remain for eternity, and be remembered as immortal and eternal before the face of GOD and man, who shall come to bless thee and thy World with love and joy. Surrender yourself into my will; I will conduct your undertaking to your best interest. By the Twelfth Table, laid upon the Table or Seal of the Spirits, I compel you to appear immediately, and to serve in all things. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8
Winchester Mystery House
Sarah L.Winchester’s arrival to Santa Clara Valley would be the equivalent of a billionair moving to a small farming town and spending $100,000,000 building a mansion, and someone owning three Rolls Royce sedans, just as a perspective. Featured above is one of Sarah’s beautiful SIX kitchens 👩🍳 What are you preparing in your kitchen today for Thanksgiving? https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Look Away Always When You See it
Before consciousness can come, a certain degree of activity in the movement must be reached. This requisite degree is called the “threshold;” but the height of the threshold varies under different circumstances: it may rise of fall. As Sarah L. Winchester was working on her sprawling complex, sighting of an old man, dressed in a raincoat and hat, were frequent enough, to scare Mrs. Winchester and several of the construction workers. Although the phantom was usually benign, choosing to spend most of his eternity simply patrolling the ground of the house, occasionally people witnessed the ghostly temper. The spirit explained, though a Ouija board, that the previous owner of the farmhouse had murdered him. It soon became apparent to Mrs. Winchester that the spirit was both angry and aggressive. He threw things, set fires, and even wrapped the cord from an electrical appliance around a visitor’s neck. Mrs. Winchester moved to her houseboat for almost a year, but it was not long before the spirit found her there and began to draw attention to himself by banging on the exterior walls. When the invisible entity hurled a fisherman to Mrs. Winchester’s house boat, the confused and frightened woman moved back to her mansion. Mrs. Winchester initiated into a coven which operated secretly. It was an old-established coven by all accounts and among the more renowed—but secret—rituals the coven performed was their attempt to help Mrs. Winchester stop evil spirits from taking her life, too. They claimed responsibility for helping Mrs. Winchester’s husband, William Wirt Winchester create “The Gun that Won the West.” #RandolphHarris 1 of 9
The coven consisted of 12 witches and the devil was the leader. Each member of the coven specialized in a particular branch of magic, such as bewitching agricultural produce, producing sickness or death in humans, storm raising, and seduction. The New Forest coven told Mrs. Sarah L. Winchester that her family and fortune were being haunted by spirits, and the group was deadly serious about their secret rituals to keep the demons and evil spirits at bay and decided beforehand that they could leave nothing to chance. However, to be 100 percent effective, no only would Mrs. Winchester have to build an estate as a monument to the spirits, but there would also have to be a human sacrifice. It is aid that the oldest and frailest member of the coven volunteered to die during the ritual, set for what proved to be the coldest May night in many years. All but the frail old man had covered their bodies with an ointment, which was in reality a heavy grease used among other things to keep the body warm. Having formed their magic circle in the depths of the forest, the group, who were unveiled, made a line and held hands and then danced furiously around a small bonfire, chanting the incantation banishing the demons and evil spirits from Mrs. Winchester. They performed the rite with such vigour that one or two of them fainted, a not uncommon experience when a serious amount of power and energy is aroused by performance of ritual. The old volunteer duly collapsed and died, and it is not known whether it was from an overdose of mushrooms, over-exhaustion or the cold. #RandolphHarris 2 of 9
The great sacrifice had been made and the potency of their magic could only have been enchanted when two other members of the coven died from pneumonia in the following two weeks, and two others passed to the waiting room for reincarnations not long afterwards. The angry spirit’s energy seemed to be dissipating. He was no longer destructive, but limited his ghostly activity to creating balls of ghost light—also knowns as ignes fatui—that would harmlessly bounce round the mansion. The very existence of the Winchester Mansion and Mrs. Winchester was so dark and mysterious that many doubted it was real. People heard that she manufactured gold through alchemy, and aimed toward the moral renewal and perfection of mankind. It is said that Mrs. Winchester eventually became incorporated into Freemasonary. Excited by the ritual and the coven, Mrs. Winchester became an ardent student of witchcraft. Because her own coven was made up entirely of elderly people who merely possessed partial knowledge of the old religion and the ritual, Mrs. Winchester began a comprehensive study of recent books. She believed there was an urgent task ahead of her, especially when seven coven members died after conducting their rite against the spirits killed by the Winchester Rifle, and seemed to believe that it was up to her to save witchcraft from extinction. #RandolphHarris 3 of 9
Two nights before the 1906 Earthquake, the phantom attacks began late one evening in Mrs. Winchester’s bedroom when she was thrown and molested by an unseen force. Her screams of terror brought her niece Daisy running into the room. For a second Daisy stared in disbelief as she plainly saw her aunt was being assaulted. What Daisy could not see who by who or what. Thinking that Mrs. Winchester had suffered a terrible nightmare, Daisy tied to calm her horrified aunt. Mrs. Winchester had her niece search the house search the house thoroughly, it took nearly 24 hours to comb through the catacombs of the mansion, but no signs of a break-in were discovered. One hour before the 1906 earthquake, all was quiet in the grand mansion. The stars hung low over the distant dark horizon, and there was a mere stroke between the Earth and Heaven. The soft wind swept though the rooms of the house, beneath the high ceilings, bring a tropical freshness to every nook and cranny, though the big mansion was cold. Mrs. Winchester did not care. Because of her mansion’s immense size, it contacted forty-seven fireplaces and seventeen chimneys. One rambling section in particular, the Hall of Fires, was designed to produce as much heat as possible. She was bundled in a long Shetland wool turtleneck, and legs snug in wool stockings, and she enjoyed the chill of the breeze as much as the fierce and specific heat coming from her busy fireplaces. The cold, the smell of the water, the smell of the fire—all of it was Lalanada Villa in the winter, Mrs. Winchester’s hideaway, her refuge, her safe place to be. #RandolphHarris 4 of 9
As she lay on the couch opposite the hearth, staring and the intricately carved mahogany wood ceilings, watching the play of light on it, and wondering in a passive uncurious sort of what, what it was about Daisy that made her so happy—and why she had been such a perfect escape from the perpetual gloom of her life. Mrs. Winchester decided to retire to her favorite bedroom, “The Daisy Bedroom.” Sadly, as she laid her head down on the pillow, vicious attacks by a paranormal intruder started up—and Daisy rushed to respond to her aunt’s cries for help. The early morning, the entity’s strength was especially powerful, its forced picked up Daisy and hurled her out of the room, slamming the door shut and living Mrs. Winchester alone. Daisy landed on the floor, and broke her back on impact. As for Mrs. Winchester, “The morning was the most terrible disaster that ever befell my house. For me to describe the scenes and events of the past few days would be an impossibility at present, and no doubt you would have had more news regarding the fate of my estate than I myself know. All that I can say is that at this writing is, that about 5.13 a.m., Wednesday morning, my niece was flung for my room as the door slammed, I was thrown out of bed an in a twinkling of an eye, the nine-story observation tower of my house was dashed on top of my house, locking me in my bedroom and destroying most of the fourth floor of my home. As I was tossed to and fro on the floor amid flying glass and timber and plaster, I begged for my life. #RandolphHarris #RandolphHarris 5 of 9
When the dust cleared away, I was an able to open my door, and banged and banged on the door, desperately calling for help. I saw nothing but a ruin of house, and home that it had taken nearly two decades to build. I saw the fires in the sky arising in great clouds and it was no time to mour my loss so getting into what clothing I could find. As I waded through plaster, to I all my precious goods still on the shelves with no damage being done to them, but I wondered how my most precious gift, my niece Daisy was. I still could her crockery and glassware falling as the house shook more and more. The piano in the next room crashed into the wall like a freight train. I was more nervous than excited. As the mourning of the third day came, I could barely speak, I was too weak to walk, and so thirsty that I thought I would parish, but that is when my men busted down the door and rushed me to safety. This home was really part of me and made me think of what was ahead of us. Only an independent force could be responsible for this tragedy.” Through all of this, Mrs. Winchester was badly shaken. Mrs. Winchester felt the Earthquake was a warning from the spirits that she had spent too much money on the front section of the house, which was nearing completion. After having the structural damage repaired, she immediately ordered the front thirty rooms—including the Daisy Bedroom, Grand Ballroom, and the beautiful front door—sealed up. The heavy, ornate doors, which had been installed just prior to the earthquake, had only been used by three people—Mrs. Winchester and the two carpenters who installed them. #RandolphHarris 6 of 9
Through all this, the attacks continued and word of the bizarre hauntings leaked to the press. Not only were the spectral attacks continuing, but now the being was leaving scrapes and bruises all over Mrs. Winchester’s body. The woman’s pride had been totally obliterated by fear. Clocks, vases and mirrors were thrown about by angry, invisible hands. Cold breezes blew through the house and a nauseating odor permeated the rooms. Mrs. Winchester’s agony went on for months, and years. The entities gained strength and began to materialize with physical forms. The terror had reached its climax. And what a dreadful thing they had all done to Mrs. Winchester. Did not anyone care what the woman felt? All many of the people in the town did was gossip and tell her, “You have lots of blood on your hands.” As for the idea that Daisy was in real danger, that Daisy had been forced somehow to leave, that something might have happened to her—that was almost too terrible a thought for Mrs. Winchester to bear. Yet Mrs. Winchester was pretty sure something had happened to Daisy. Something really bad. She could feel it. Mrs. Winchester said she could see ghosts, and did not think anyone should bank on Daisy coming back. Mrs. Winchester had so many regrets. Sometimes it seemed to her that her entire life was a great sighing regret. Beneath the lovely surface of her Grand Queen Anne Victorian Mansion, her gorgeous new born daughter was gone, her favorite niece was missing, all her charming nephew did was stop by to pick up a check and was never seen again, and her handsome husband, God rest his soul, also died prematurely. Her own southern style, was nothing but regret, as if her life had been built atop a great and secret dungeon. #RandolphHarris 7 of 9
Where was her emerald ring Mr. Winchester had left her? The evil in the house lived in every brick, piece of wood, and every bit or mortar; twelve witches and a devil; and to think, all their old possession were up in the attic. The evil lived in those things; it lived in the plaster ceilings, and under the porches and eaves, like bees’ nest hidden in the capitals of the Corinthian columns. Mrs. Winchester began to write out in longhand a compilation of ritual and ceremony, a sort of grimoire or magician’s handbook the type compiled by occultists and alchemists of old. She called hers The Book of Shadows and claimed it contained the handed-down version of her own coven’s centuries-old theory and practice of witchcraft. By tradition in witchcraft and the occult, practitioners of both were expected to write in their own hand a diary of their workings and rituals; printed various were said to cause the loss of power. It was this work that was to form the basis of the re-creation of modern witchcraft, and it is used in covens the World over as what amounts to the new witches’ gospel. Mrs. Winchester was also told by a medium that not only was she supposed to keep building her mansion to achieve eternal life, but that she must also keep writing her book and never let it out of her hand, for if it was found in the hands of another, they would be taken and tortured, and there would be no hope for her life if she betrayed the occult. However, if she were steadfast to her death, she would experience the ecstasy of the Goddess. #RandolphHarris 8 of 9
Mrs. Winchester gave witchcraft a new lease on life by revealing the inner secrets of the craft and leaving clues built-in to her mansion. She made a beautiful image out of witchcraft. It was her ambition to banish the fear of witchcraft in society and make it more publicly acceptable. Consciousness cannot expand until it is first made whole and this is to oppose creation of all its limitations. I conjure thee, Spirits of Sarah L. Winchester and William W. Winchester, by Alpha et Omega, Lezo and Yschirios, Ohin Ission, Niva, by Tetragramation, Zeno, by Peraclitus, Ohel, by Orlenius, Lima, by Agla, that ye will obey and appear before me and fulfill my desire, thus in and through the name Elion, which Moses named. Wherefore thou shalt make faithful answers unto all my demands, O Spirits of Sarah and William Winchester, and shalt perform all my desires so far as in thine office thou art capable hereof. Wherefore, come thou, visibly, peaceably, and affably, now without delay, to manifest that which I desire, speaking with a clear and perfect voice, intelligibly, and to mine understanding. I do conjure thee, O thou Spirits of Mrs. and Mr. Winchester, by all the most glorious and efficacious names of the MOST GREAT AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE LORD OF GOD OF HOSTS, that thou comest quickly and without delay from all parts and places of the Earth and World wherever thou mayest be, to make rational answers unto my demands, and that visibly and affably, speaking with a voice intelligible unto mine as aforesaid. I now plant the seed of my desire withing the black earth, through the mouth of Arezura where the powers of sorcery and counter creation dwell. Through this gateway of darkness, I now shine the light and power of my will upon this World for the benefit of me and mine! #RandolphHarris 9 of 9
Winchester Mystery House
Happy Early Turkey Day! 🦃
The Winchester Mystery House will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday and will reopen on Friday, Nov. 25! https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Did Mental Pain Leave Her as Easily as Physical Pain?
In every being that is real there is something external to, and sacred from, the grasp of every other. God’s being is sacred from ours. In 1884, Mrs. Winchester left New Haven, Connecticut, and the graves of her husband and only child, moved to San Jose, California, and began the obsession that was to last for the rest of her life. She purchased an unfinished eighteen-room farmhouse outside the small agricultural town, and for the next 38 years, the sound of construction on Mrs. Winchester’s house never stopped. If you stand in Mrs. Winchester’s palatial house, observing the intricately carved hands of the grandfather clock move into place, you may see the number thirteen. The clock has a deep, melodious chime. Occult symbols are everywhere one looks; on the cornerstones, in the pages of books; on the facades of the mansion. In fact, the art, the language, the spirit of Rome runs through this entire house. There were once great marble statues of figures in Roman dress. There were wood craved Roman columns. Why did Mrs. Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, spend the last half of her life and $5,500,000 building a house with 160 rooms? She said with a straight face, she had been forced to build the house by some supernatural force. At first, Mrs. Winchester professed, “I am not mystic; I studiously avoided witchcraft, spiritualism, yoga, fortune-telling, automatic writing…I belong to no religious cult, no secret society, no philosophical sect,” she said. Mrs. Winchester could not have known how her mansion, now called “The Winchester Mystery House,” would become so important a work for pagans all the World over. It has even been called the 8th World Wonder. It was oddly constructed and a complicated mansion, but beautiful, nonetheless. She described it as the result of an obsession with the moon goddess and her sacred alder tree, which was said to possess the energy and power of spirits of “the old ones.” According to Mrs. Winchester, the deity she had discovered was the goddess of magic, the key to the subconscious and consequently the source of artistic and poetic inspiration. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7
Her contention was that she was the moon goddess worshipped by ancient European civilization and was in turn linked to an African goddess; she was the young maiden of the new moon, the glorious lady of the full moon and the wise old crone of the waning moon. Mrs. Winchester had evidence that dated back to 1597 in which the goddess, or the queen, of the coven was described in detail; she, and all coven queens, were claimed to be the Earthly representative of the goddess. More importantly for the pagan movement which had emerged from the shadows in the Victorian era, Mrs. Winchester discovered a succession of coincidences that her goddess was a universal deity symbolized in pre-Christian mythology, appearing in all the major old religions, whether they were Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Hindu, African or Celtic. Ancient secrets had been thrust at Mrs. Winchester. Her obsession filled her day; she worked furiously at her project and now coincidences began to arrive more openly, or as cynics might say, very conveniently. On her desk was an old solid gold box she had acquired, with a design on the lid which she had never been able to identify. On the top of the box she used to stand a gold angel woman. As construction was in serious progress at the Winchester mansion, a neighbour died and left Mrs. Winchester an antique craved ivory figure, and soon after she was given an emerald ring by a friend, unaware of her moon goddess project, which bore three intertwined symbols. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7
All these items were inextricably linked in their history—the box lid design she discovered ten years later represented the African Moon goddess; the angel figure was the herald of an African Queen mother who claimed direct descendancy from the goddess; the antique figure was the White Goddess; the ring carried a seal depicting the three basic symbols of the moon goddess cult: a stag, a moon and a thicket. “Please believe me,” said Mrs. Winchester, “I was wholly unaware [of these connections] at the time…chains of more than coincidence happen in my life that if I am forbidden to call them supernatural, then I must call them habit.” Coincidence or not, Mrs. Winchester could never explain the speed which she built a 70,000 square foot mansion, drafting blueprints furiously as if charged by some other force. Her pen could barely keep up with the words that streamed from her the spirits. When she completed a plan for that particular segment of the mansion, Mrs. Winchester gave the blueprints to the first architect, but he refused to keep building these unusual designs. That architect died of a heart attack shortly afterwards. The second architect to read the blue prints for the new addition retuned them with a rejection slip which said he could not make sense of any of it, and doubted if anyone else could, either. He was later found dead, hanging from a tree in his back garden, dressed only in women’s underwear and scandalously accused of sexual depravity. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7
However, Mrs. Winchester’s foreman, John Hansen, thought her sketches were of astounding depth and ability and recommended they move ahead with the projects. This resulted in some awkward and impractical concepts such as columns being installed upside down—though some suggest this was done deliberately to confuse evil spirits. The reward was that John Hansen made a profit and altogether better fate than that suffered by the two who turned down the project. Only those with a deep belief in the possibilities of the paranormal would not immediately dismiss the two deaths as purely coincidence, as Mrs. Winchester said she would have done—up to that point. Afterwards, she remained altogether more receptive to the idea of some mystical intervention. Mrs. Winchester concluded that witchcraft was the descendant of primitive religions whose primary deity was a goddess who had been worshipped simultaneously in numerous countries. Mrs. Winchester’s notation on this point—that the witches’ magical number is thirteen, there are thirteen full moons and thirteen witches’ Esbat (the monthly meeting of the witches’ covens); there are thirteen lunar months, with one day over. The female cycle of menstruation is twenty-eight days, and menstruation is a word formed from the Greek mene, which translate as moons. Knowledge of Mrs. Winchester and her mansion was passed orally down through the ages; very little had been written. Those secret covens—and there are still a few—operate in the Winchester Mansion and are formally linked by a network administration, which is secret. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7
There are practitioners of the dark arts of the occult involved, and they have more academic secret societies who can provide the missing links in the chain of knowledge to Mrs. Winchester and the Winchester Mystery House. After the mansion was opened for tours in 1923, near the door-to-nowhere, a misty presence appeared—an apparition of a beautiful young woman dressed in a flowing, beaded gown. Her demeanor suggested that she was in turmoil and fleeing from someone only she could see. The frightened looking ghost began to appear more and more frequently, details about her spread throughout the community. Older folks in the area listened especially carefully to those who had seen the ghost. Descriptions of the formally dressed, seemingly confused entity reminded them of an incident that had occurred one night in the mansion. These older people could recall the year President Roosevelt invited himself to the Winchester Mansion. It was to be the gala event of the year. Unlike many other parties, Mrs. Winchester was unaware. However, President Roosevelt had not taken into account Mrs. Winchester’s dramatic reaction to the plans. She felt no affection for the President Roosevelt and had become deeply depressed at the thought of spending her life with him. However, the staff went ahead with the plans. The party was well underway and Mrs. Winchester’s engagement was just about to be announced when Mrs. Winchester panicked. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7
Still wearing her exquisite gown, Mrs. Winchester bolted from the house and fled down the street. A few of the party guests, including the president, tried to follower her, but Mrs. Winchester disappeared into thin air. Mrs. Winchester, who they always protected from the realities of outside life, was somewhere out on the streets with absolutely no resources. When President Roosevelt returned to inquire about Mrs. Winchester, he was denied entrance to the mansion because they blamed him for her disappearance. Victoria Venison, the maid, notified the authorities. Despite widespread publicity, an intensive search, and the offer of a $1,000,000 reward, Mrs. Winchester was never seen again. The staff died heartbroken and alone, never recovering from their terrible loss. In 1923, on September 5th, the county of Santa Clara declared Mrs. Winchester dead. Construction immediately ceased on her mansion. And her favorite niece Daisy told the press that Mrs. Winchester died in her bed, alone, in her sleep. The ghost of the young, feeling Mrs. Winchester wearing a formal, beaded gown continues to appear even today. She is always seen near the door-to-nowhere, running away from the future she could not bear to face. Sadly, no one has been able to help Mrs. Winchester accept her fate; as a ghost, the former Mrs. Winchester seems to be in a separate dimension and therefore feels no connection to today’s World. Perhaps her soul passed on to another plane the very day she died and what people are seeing is just a ghostly replay of the terrible trauma Mrs. Winchester experienced when she disappeared from her mansion. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7
If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Winchester mansion in Santa Clara County, be extra vigilant in watching tour guides and guests in the mansion. The young woman in the long gown may not be an eccentric person—she may be the frantic ghost of Sarah L. Winchester. Hearken to me, O ye Heavens! O thou Spirit Sarah L. Winchester, beautiful and praiseworthy! with gladness I say, because thou art called in Him who is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and the dwelling of darkness, and all things that are in their palaces, and because thou art the servant of obedience. In these the power by which thou art obedient to the living breath, I bind thee to remain visible to our eyes in power and presence as the servant of fealty before the circle until I say “Descend unto thy dwelling” until the living breath of the voice of the Lord is according to the law which shall be given unto thee. By the seal of the secret wisdom of Solomon thou art called! I conjure thee, Sarah L. Winchester, a servant of God, upon the OCH, and conjure three through water, fire, air, and Earth, and everything that lives and moves therein, and by the most holy names of God, Agios, Tehirios, Perailitus, Alpha et Omega, Beginning and End, God and Man-Sabaoth, Adanai, Agla, Tetragramaton, Emanuel, Abua, Ceus, Elioa, Torna, Deus Salvator, Arama, Me-sias, Clerob, Michael, Abreil, Achleof, Gachenas et Peraim. Eei Patris et Peraim Eei filii, et, Peraim Dei spiritus Teu, and the words by which Solomon and Manasses, Cripinus and Agrippa conjured the spirits, and by whatever else thou mayest be conjured, that you will yield obedience to me, Sarah L. Winchester, the same as Isaac did to Abraham, and appear before me, Sarah L. Winchester this instant, in the beautiful, mild, human form of a youth, and bring me a beautiful home much like yours. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7
wwinchester Mystery House
Using the hidden passage in Sarah’s Seance Room circa 1930s 🤫 #100yearsofmystery #winchestermysteryhouse
Photo Credit: Acme Newspictures Inc
There is No Other Remedy
As a young lady, Sarah Pardee was the Belle of New Haven, Connecticut. Born in the heart of unsurpassing wild and romantic scenery and old legendary castles, she was highly cultured, a finished musician, an avid reader and spoke four languages. Long ago she learned of the existence of some papers which set out doctrines of witchcraft that might well have been the remnants of pagan rituals, hidden away and secretly practised since the conversion of Rome to Christianity in the fourth A.D. Sarah often muttered spells known in old Roman times; she astonish the learned by their legends of Latin gods. In 1862, Sarah married William Wirt Winchester, son of the famous rifle magnate. The son, although in ill health, carried on most ably with the newly named Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Cessation of the Civil War failed to hinder the prosperity of the progress of his company because migration to the West was in full swing. Invention of a practical repeating rifle accelerated success. The Famous Winchester Rifle, “The Gun that Won the West,” attained the dubious fate of “killing more game, more Indians, and more U.S. soldiers than any other weapon in this nation’s history.” Sarah was terribly shocked by the death of her month-old baby girl; in fact, it can be well believed she never fully recovered and this surely influenced some of her eccentricities. Added to this loss was the death of her husband 15 years later from Tuberculosis. #RandolphHarris 1 of 10
On arrival in San Jose, she immediately started remodeling the newly purchased, unfinished, eighteen room farm house. She found the planning kept her grief-disturbed mind occupied and she became thoroughly enthused. Financial problems were certainly no deterrent; allegedly she brought with her a fortune of $20,000,000 with her and had an average income of $1,000 a day. That is a great some, especially considering one could build a grand home for $5,000. Nonetheless, just how such precise amounts came to be public knowledge is unknown. However, these have been the commonly accepted figures for years and they do roll off the tongue (or pen) with a satisfying clink. Her lack of architectural training gave her little concern. Every morning she made the rounds with her ever patient foreman inspecting the latest progress. Some days she sketched plans on spot using a saw-horse drawing table and any handy material, often brown wrapping paper (and used both sides). From the foreman came no argument; he had only the problem of interpretation. However, glaring unusual features failed to discourage her and time was fleeting. Sarah simply ordered the error torn out, sealed up, built over, or around, or more likely, totally ignored. Hence came support for the conjecture that for her, this was a gigantic game of building-blocks! Mrs. Winchester communicated with the spirits to get many of the architectural details. #RandolphHarris 2 of 10
With the ceremonies and invocations or incantations addressed to Diana, a goddess, the female came down to Earth, established witches and witchcraft and then returned to Heaven. She was also involved in the planning of the Winchester Mansion. Some may think this is eccentric, but theosophy was all the rage among those interested in things in mystical late Victorian London and New York. Humanity was the study of comparative religion and philosophy and many investigated the mystic powers of life and matter. Mrs. Winchester rode in regal splendor in conveyances fitting to the era. First it was a Victoria with Liveried coachman. In later years came a French Renault, a Buick “Town-Car” and finally two Pierce-Arrows, on done in stunning blue and gold. Sarah L. Winchester’s presence was so sensational and the building of her mansion was so fast and massive that there was talk of a new secret society like the Order of the Golden Dawn. Some of these rumors were fueled by the highly publicized occult personal who were involved in activities at the mansion. Mrs. Winchester believed that the theory that witchcraft was identified with satanism and devil-worship was obscured. It was just the starting point for superbly colourful fictional writings. She was personally convinced that it was basically a pre-Christian Dianic cult and she had found the name Diana in writings about witchcraft all throughout history. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10
Unlike witches, who had no publc support because they were deemed to exist no longer, the phenomenon of spiritualism and clairvoyance had grown immensely in the Victorian era and had many prominent people among its belivers. There was also a strong lobby movement called the Spiritualists’ National Union which immediately began a vociferous campaign over the injustice which some witches faced, to which they enlisted the support of antrhopologists, lawyers and even some police officers. Many may not be aware, but at one time the laws allowed for witches to be prosecuted. However, there was no place for this type of discrimination in a new free society. Eventually the ancient Witch Act was repealed. Also replealed was Section Four of the Vagrancy Act of 1824 so far as it extended “to persons purporting to act as spiritualistic mediums or to exercise any powers of telepathy, clairvoyance or other similar power.” The two Acts were replaced by the Fradulent Medium Act, 1951 which, as the title explains, finally gave spiritualists and mediums the freedom to operate legally–unless they could be show to be obtaining money or kind by fraud. Any payment for the demonstration of psychic powers for the purposes of entertainment was also freed from the dangers of the law. The lawmakers had prised open the floodgates to allow easy passage for a new movement of witchcraft, paganism, satanism, occultism, spiritualism, mediums, clairvoyance, fortune-tellers, tarot card readers and newspaper astrologers. Authors on occule subjects were going to get a new lease of life too and, whether anyone knew it or not, this was the rebirth of witchcraft. Many reports on witch craft, often include the description of a “black man.” #RandolphHarris 4 of 10
Mrs. Winchester believed that “the man in black” described at meeting of witches’ covens was a priest dressed variously in dark clothing, or in skins, and wearing horns or antler. It was a ritual disguise, originally intended to represent the Incarnate God, that not merely existed in the practice of ancient ritual, and was copied by the witches of the Middle Ages, but still existed in contemporary witch covens she had experienced in Glastonbury, one of the most “witch-pressed” areas of the British Isles. What began to emerge through study of Mrs. Winchester is that witches possessed diabolic powers given to them by the devil. Sabbatic meetings were able to convince others that they were all able to drawn down the diabolic powers and the hordes of demons swirling through the air, in the Winchester Mansion, waiting to be summoned, by selling their souls to the devil. Many of the executed witches undoubtedly did indeed believe themselves to be servants of the devil, and acted out their magical rituals for that purpose and there were ample descendants employed in the Winchester Mansion. Mrs. Winchester’s auto science engineer, Fred Larsen, believed that she possessed incredible powers, including the fatal power of the evil eye and had the ability to fly, and he said he often saw werewolves and vampires around the estate, and other desperate evils of black magic—all of which he associated with witchcraft. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10
People truly believed that witches could fly through the air and were capable of transforming themselves into animals. Mrs. Winchester studied various ancient recipes for the preparation of witch ointments for these purposes, containing such ingredients as the fat of a deceased unchristened baby, mixed with wolfsbane, poplar leaves and other potent herbs. By this means, said the old textbooks, the witch could be carried through the air in a moonlight night “to feasting, singing, dancing, kissing, and other acts of venery with such youths as they love and desire mostly.” However, instead of child’s fat, Mrs. Winchester, because it was so horrific, Mrs. Winchester would use hog’s lard. She once carried out a test, using one of these recipes. Mrs. Winchester rubbed the ointment all over her body. She fell into a deep sleep for twenty hours. When she awoke, she suffered a sever hangover and made immediate notes of her experiences. She recorded wild dreams of flying through the air, and of monsters and demons. This dovetailed with the claim that witches were able to fly off to these exotic meetings at the Winchester Mansion, leave their bodies apparently asleep so that their husbands suspected nothing. This may explain why at night, passers-by heard ghostly music wafting from the dark mansion, as the bell in the belfry high in the gables would toll regularly at midnight to summon the incoming flights of spirits. It was also reported that it tolled again to warn these visitors to return to their sepulchres. However, once a week these spirits and witches and demons relaxed and danced in the Great Ball Room. #RandolphHarris 6 of 10
The devil was easy meat for the popular newspapers whose upsurge coincided with Mrs. Winchester’s arrival. The headlines soon began to appear whenever there was the discovery of the remnants of “black magic” rites in some secluded wood, a set of chicken bones arranged in the sign of a cross, a desecrated gravestone or some other outbreak of witchcraft. Any hint of witchcraft in Santa Clara County was sufficient to arouse immediate press attention and whip of a frenzy of interest, even as time progressed through the nineteenth century. The reaction was generally the opposite in areas of the country where witchcraft had been prevalent; they preferred not to speak of it. There was no better example of this than the murder of an old farmhand at the Winchester Mansion, in December 1899. It later became known as the “witchcraft murder” when the maid Victorian Venison discovered links with the occult. The victim, Stanislas De Duaita, farmhand and suspected witch, was found lying on his back under a willow tree, with a pitchfork driven through his throat and into the ground. A cross had been carved on his chest and the billhook which had been used was left lodged between his ribs, at the base of the cross. The Winchester mansion was surrounded by relics where spirits from the old gods were said to linger. There was even a Stonehenge where Duaita’s body was found, witches were said to hold their sabbats there. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10
Local villagers did not want to talk about the murder; they had convinced themselves that Stanislas De Duaita was a witch. He was said to have bred toads and sometimes harnessed them to a miniature plough and allowed them to run in the fields. This was known to be one of the methods of an infamous and malicious witch of the nineteenth century and was said to make the fields sterile and the harvests fail. The previous year, the harvests had been poor round the Winchester Mansion. And, so the story goes, the finger was pointed at Stanislas De Duaita. Then another coincidence was discovered, which later investigators saw as a precedent to Duaita’a murder—and which demonstrated the traditional methods of disposing of witches’ parts, that of blooding them so that as they bled their power vanished. Thirteen years earlier and just 80 acres away, a woman named Helena Petrovna Blavatsky died in exactly the same manner—speared and pinned to the ground by a pitchfork and with a cross carved on her chest by a billhook. On the occasion, a local peasant named Guido von List confessed to the crime; he said the woman had bewitched him. Hundreds of statements were taken in writing, and dozens of samples of clothing, hair and blood for forensic testing, but the investigation came to naught. Stanislas De Duaita had the dubious distinction of being the last known witch—if he was one—to die a brutal death on the Winchester Estate. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10
As the mansion continued to grow into this impressive Queen Anne mansion, the spirits requested more Gothic lines of the classical English Victorian. Constructed of the finest materials available, the house reflected essential Queen Anne elements—rounded tower, steep gabled roof and varied textures—at their loveliest. The fourth story had imported Italian wood shingles over redwood sheeting and the prominent corner turret had a wood shingle roof and curved windows. Stained glass windows were another prominent feature. All the trim in the house was redwood, with exception of some of the areas with handcarved oak. The details and quality of materials make modern architectural duplication virtually impossible. The staff complained to Mrs. Winchester that the house was haunted. The butler was awakened by sounds of footsteps approaching his bedroom door. As the foot steps stopped, the door was opened, and he was confronted by darkness. There were other sounds too: laughter and old-fashioned music. After the death of Mrs. Winchester, the mansion was an easy target for looters and vandals who used chain saws to remove staircases, fireplaces and light fixtures. Jackles of the night were literally tearing the house to pieces. Once more the mansion radiates Victorian splendor—though many of the remaining 161 rooms are off limits, but 110 are open to guests. Laughter is anything but eerie, cheerful voices echo through the halls, brisk footsteps are heard. But at night…well no one ever really likes to work too late. #RandolphHarris 9 of 10
After the mansion was opened for tours, one woman was prosecuted after police raided a séance she was conducted as a spiritual medium. Her clients included numerous well-to-do people, often anxious to make contact with the “other side” after wartime tragedies. However, it was well documented that during one of these séances of Victorian Venison’s, a young sailor who was aboard the Abigail, which wrecked on Wangerooge Hanover, manifested himself and told how his ship had been sunk with considerable loss of life. The sailor’s mother refused to believe it, saying that if this had happened, she would have been informed. “You will be, mother, three weeks from now,” came the reply from the dead son through the medium. And according to Mrs. Cohen, the confirmation came through exactly as predicted. At her trial, Mrs. Venison was offered to give a séance to prove her abilities. Witnessed also came forward in her defense, but their testimonies were unheeded. She was found guilty and sentences to thirteen months imprisonment. I do invocate, conjure, and command thee, O thou Spirit Vassago, to appear and to show thyself visibly unto me before this Circle in fair and comely shape, without any deformity or tortuosity; by the name and in the name IAH and VAU, which Adam heard and spake; and by the name of God, AGLA, which Lot heard and was saved with his family; and by the name IOTH, which Jacob heard from the angel wrestling with him, and was delivered from the hand of Esau his brother; and by the name ANAPHAXETON which Aaron heard and spake and was made wise. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10
Winchester Mystery House
Did you know that the floor in the North Conservatory could be pulled up so the water could drain easier without damaging the wood floor? Sarah really did think of everything🌿 Explore this room and more on tour this weekend! https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
And while in the Bay Area, be sure to check out some other Victorian Homes open for tour.
Cohen-Bray House
Some of our team had the absolute joy of visiting the Cohen-Bray House in Oakland yesterday. This Victorian style 3-story home built in 1883 filled with the original contents and interiors is a sight to see + has a wonderful story (we won’t give too much away as you will have to go and tour for yourself 😉). Tours offered every 4th Sunday of the month. See link in their bio for more details! https://www.cohenbrayhouse.org/
Randolph Harris II International Institute 