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The Haunted Freetown State Forest and the Bridgewater Triangle

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Sometimes you can tell which dark trees are covered in darkness, and the haunting that follows. The Haunted forest of Freetown State Forest in Massachusetts is one example said to be in the mysterious Bridgewater Triangle, where the area seems to have attracted much evil throughout the years and lingers within the trees.

Behind the picturesque scenes of Massachusetts’ Freetown State Forest lurks a haunting history steeped in murder, fear, and the ominous presence of the paranormal outside of the Hockomock Swamp. The natives named it as a place where the spirits dwell, and the early settlers named it the Devils Swamp. 

Being a part of the infamous Bridgewater Triangle, this seemingly serene forest conceals a dark reputation, earning it the chilling moniker of the Cursed Forest of Massachusetts of alleged paranormal phenomena, ranging from UFOs to poltergeists, and other spectral phenomena, various bigfoot-like sightings, giant snakes and thunderbirds. 

The Cursed Bridgewater Triangle

Part of the legendary Bridgewater Triangle, Freetown State Forest stands as a magnet for the weird and horrifying lingering inside of the 5000 acres forest. Amidst its shady paths and sunlit clearings, people seem to think that the very forest emits a dark energy that creates more darkness. 

The Bridgewater Triangle is an area of about 200 square miles in southeastern Massachusetts. First described in the 1970s by cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman in his book, Mysterious America. 

Read more: One of the more famous spots in the Bridgewater Triangle is perhaps the Lizzie Borden House where a horrible murder was committed and only paranormal forces lingered. 

The Bridgewater Triangle is known for hosting an array of spooky sightings, from Bigfoot, Thunderbird to UFOs to ghosts to satanic cults and old Native American monsters and ghost stories. The history of this haunted expanse is more than mere speculation—it is a documented tapestry of tragedies and crimes that contribute to the ominous allure of the Freetown State Forest.

The Haunted Forest of Massachusetts Of Freetown State Forest Murders

On a cold November in 1978, the dead body of Mary Lou Arruda was found inside of the woods. She was a 15 year old cheerleader that had been kidnapped from Raynham town two months ago when she was riding her bike through the Freetown State Forest, only two days after her birthday. She was found tied to one of the trees. Dead. 

An autopsy revealed that she had either died from strangulation or asphyxia. In addition, it was uncovered that Arruda was alive when she was tied to the tree and that she had died the same day she had been abducted. Medical examiners believe that she died when she became unconscious from a ligature around her neck. Ultimately, this caused her to suffocate.

Mary Lou Arruda: 15 year old Mary Lou Arruda is only one of the victims the forest has claimed. Her death was much written about and her case certainly tainted the forest reputation in modern times.

The suspicion soon fell on James M. Kater when a composite sketch was created with the help of an eyewitness. Kater worked at a local donut store at the time of the killing and had previously been convicted for kidnapping. According to him he had gotten married and left on a honeymoon abroad the day after Arruda went missing. 

Afterwards, due to the endless efforts of local police and eyewitnesses, he was linked to the crime using multiple pieces of evidence, the most important one being tire tracks found near Arruda’s cycles which matched the unusual patterns made by his car tires. 

Kater was found guilty in 1978 and 1986, but both convictions were overturned on appeal due to hypnotized witness evidence. The 1992 trial resulted in a mistrial, which was followed by another one in 1996, when he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Despite efforts by local police and eyewitnesses, Kater’s initial convictions in 1978 and 1986 were overturned on appeal, primarily due to evidence presented by hypnotized witnesses. 

The case went through multiple trials, with the 1992 trial resulting in a mistrial. Another trial in 1996 ultimately found Kater guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison. The crucial piece of evidence linking him to the crime was tire tracks found near Arruda’s bicycle, which matched the distinct patterns made by Kater’s car tires. The complex legal proceedings and the use of witness testimony under hypnosis added layers of intricacy to a case that sought justice for the tragic fate of Mary Lou Arruda.

Satanic Cult Activity and Satanic Panic in the 80s

The murder of Arruda was not the last time the Freetown State Forest got tied up in a murder investigation. In 1980, police investigating a murder near the forest were confronted with reports of Satanic cult activity during the fear and Satanic Panic years of the 1980s and 90s. 

Locals spoke of witnessing eerie rituals in the woods, possibly linked to the infamous “Fall River Cult Killings” that was going on simultaneously taking the life of Doreen Levesque, Barbara Raposa and Karen Marsden. 

Stained clearings, marked with animal blood, fueled rumors of ritual sacrifice within the haunted woods, amplifying the forest’s already ominous reputation.

Its connection to satanism didn’t stop there though and especially animal mutilation have been reported, most notably in 1998 when the police investigated a case of mutilated animals believed to be the work of a cult. One was of a butchered cow found in the forest, and the other was a group of mutilated calves in a clearing of the Freetown State Forest. 

Assaults and Mysterious Incidents Throughout the Years

So what is really going on inside of this forest? Freetown State Forest’s sinister legacy extends to multiple murders, assaults, and bizarre occurrences along the forest and at its paths. From the mistaken killing of a homeless man in 1987 when someone thought he was an undercover cop. 

There was also the discovery of gunshot-riddled bodies on Bell Rock Road in 2001, the forest bears witness to a series of dark events. Reports of aggressive dogs, an escaped emu, and wires strategically placed to harm visitors underscore the unsettling atmosphere that pervades the woods.

In 2006 there were aggressive dogs running wild in the area and in May in 2016 they found wires along paths that many people frequented. The purpose of these wires was most likely to decapitate off-road bikers when they came driving. 

But there are also more ancient and more supernatural forces at play if we are to believe the local legends that came to be much earlier than the country itself. 

Supernatural Forces at Play in Freetown State Forest

The paranormal veil hanging over Freetown State Forest thickens with tales of blood sacrifices, UFO sightings, ghostly apparitions, black helicopters, mysterious orbs of light, and strange disappearances. Legends speak of giant snakes slithering through the shadows, poltergeist activity, and rumored abductions. 

Read More: Check of all stories from Haunted Forests

Even President Ronald Reagan himself reported witnessing unexplained lights in the forest’s sky. Whispers of the forest’s dark influence leading people to suicide circulate, while ancient legends weave the presence of Pukwedgies, humanoid creatures from Wampanoag native tradition, who are said to stalk the haunted woods.

The Native American Curses

Once, this land around Freetown State Forest used to belong to the native Americans that used to go from Cape Cod up to Rhode Island. Even though there still are tribes in the area, their designated living places have diminished extensively after the first European settlers arrived. 

Some of the local legends of the land is that it is a Native American curse over it. One of the legends is about a lost object that is still missing. Once, the wampum belt, a traditional shell bead of  the Eastern Woodland Tribes, was lost during the King Philip’s War from 1675-76 between the European settlers and the local tribes. 

“Philip’s belt, curiously woven of wampum nine inches broad in black and white figures and flowers, and many pictures of birds and bears. This when hung upon Captain Church’s shoulders it reached to his ankles. And another belt of wampum he presented to him wrought after the former manner, which Philip was wont to put upon his head. It had two flags on the back part which hung down his back, and another small belt with a star upon the end of it, while he used to hang upon his breast.”

Metacom (c. 1638–1676), was Massatoit younger son who is also a part of the haunted Freetown State Forest history, became tribal chief in 1662 after Massasoit’s death. He had taken the name Philip and led the war that was one of the bloodiest wars in Colonial American history. After his loss and his death, more than 1000 colonists and 3000 natives had died. Half of the New England’s towns were destroyed and hundreds of the Natives were enslaved and sent to Spain, Portugal, Jamaica and Barbados.

After the war, the belt was lost, something that was often used as a token of identity as well as currency in the early decades of colonization. 

In addition to causing a ruckus and a bad energy in the Freetown State Forest there is also a cave said to belong to King Philip as one of his hiding places. People claim to have seen strange lights known as spook lights inside it, especially around Anawan Rock. Phantoms fires, things that look like campfires are also known to have appeared in the distance, however when coming close to them, they disappear. People also claim to hear the sound of drums that are now known as phantom drums. 

The Pukwudgies Roaming in the Freetown State Forest

Another thing said to haunt Freetown State Forest is the monster from the Wampanoag native tribe known as the Pukwudgie. Translated to English often as “little wild man of the woods that vanishes.”

It is said to be a human-like creature about three feet tall that lives in parts of Indiana, Delaware and Massachusetts. Often seen as little people or tricksters of the Algonquian folklore.

According to folklore, Pukwudgies possess the ability to manifest and vanish at their discretion, adeptly shapeshifting into various forms—a common depiction involves a creature resembling a porcupine from the rear and a half-troll, half-human from the front, walking upright. These mystical beings are attributed with luring individuals to their demise, employing magical arts, launching toxic arrows, and wielding control over fire.

In Native American beliefs, Pukwudgies were initially benevolent towards humans but eventually turned antagonistic, warranting caution and distance. Legend has it that those who irked a Pukwudgie faced reprisals in the form of malicious pranks or relentless pursuit, leading to various troubles. 

Their menacing activities include kidnapping, pushing victims off cliffs, employing short knives and spears in attacks, and using sand to blind their targets.

The Ghost sitting on Profile Rock

There is also a big rock inside of the Freetown State Forest the local legends claim depicts the Wampanoag Chief Massasoit who was known to have a long standing alliance with the colonists. The 50 foot granite rock is also sometimes known as Old Man of Joshua Mountain, taking its name from Joshua Tisdale, a settler that once claimed to own the land. 

The true origin of the rock though is thought to be the result of dynamite in the mid 1800s. Some also claim that the son of Chief Massasoit Sachem, King Philip, spent the last night of his life under this rock.  

Some claim that the ghost of the Chief Massasoit Sache has been seen sitting cross legged with his arms stretched out toward something. Almost as if he is blessing his surroundings, or perhaps even cursing it. 

In recent years the attraction inside of Freetown State Forest has been severely damaged by both graffiti and incidents where portions of the rock have fallen off, and it is almost unrecognizable. The park issued people to stay away from the area. 

The Ghost at Assonet Ledge

The Assonet Ledge is another landmark found in the Freetown State Forest and people think that it’s a haunted place as well. The place is a high rock looking over the dark pond underneath. Many say they have seen the spirit of a native person among the trees as well as mysterious lights and phantom fires. Some even believe that the granite stone is cursed. Allegedly it was one of the victims of the war against the Puritans in the 17th century. 

Assonet Ledge: According to the legends, this ledge as well as the waters below is haunted by the many that ended their life jumping off the cliff.

According to the legend, several of the native warriors chose to jump off the cliff rather than die by the hands of the English. One thing though, it is also said that both the ledge as well as the pond underneath didn’t exist in the 17th century.

Another ghost story associated with this place inside of Freetown State Forest is about the lady of the ledge, a young girl who regularly met up with her boyfriend at the ledge. Their parents didn’t approve of their relationships, so it was both risky as well as futile to pursue their love. In some variations of the legend it is the story about a native american princess and a white man. Then one day he suddenly stopped coming. After being left, she threw herself off the ledge and died. Although her spirit remained. 

Many have claimed to have seen her ghost wandering on top of the ledge, some even see her jumping off the cliff and disappearing as she hits the water without a splash. 

One of the creepiest parts of this legend though, are all of the people that have been standing at the edge with an urge to jump, even though they were far form suicidal before coming. In 2004 a man even did the leap in front of his friends and girlfriend, even though his family claimed he had no history of mental illness. 

A Walk Through the Haunted Freetown State Forest

As the moon ascends high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the Freetown State Forest, the shadowy woods come alive with whispers of the past. Among the rustling leaves and foreboding silence, the spirits of the departed seem to beckon from the darkness, their spectral presence palpable in the chilling air.

As the brave souls who dare to venture through this haunted realm tread cautiously, an inexplicable sense of unease settles upon them. Wisps of fog weave through the gnarled trees, and the distant sound of phantom drums echoes through the desolate expanse. Amidst the oppressive stillness in Freetown State Forest, the legends and tragedies of the forest converge, intertwining with the present in a spectral dance.

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References:

NEW ENGLAND FOLKLORE: Ghosts of the Assonet Ledge 

Massasoit – Wikipedia 

The Most Haunted Forest in America: Massachusetts’ Eerie Freetown Fall River State Forest 

The Most Haunted Forest In America Is Right Here In Massachusetts 

Bridgewater Triangle – Wikipedia 

https://eu.patriotledger.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2020/10/28/enter-the-bridgewater-triangle-if/581946007/

What happened to Mary-Lou Arruda’s killer James Kater? Details explored ahead of Killer Cheer on ID 

Disturbing Details Found In Mary Lou Arruda’s Autopsy 

Profile Rock – Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pukwudgie

Bridgewater Triangle – Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River_murders

https://eu.heraldnews.com/story/news/courts/2022/11/15/robin-murphy-convicted-in-fall-river-cult-murders-denied-parole-satanic-carl-drew/69646239007/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90782637/mary-lou-arruda

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The Bizarre Story of the Highgate Cemetery Vampire

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The supposed haunted Highgate Cemetery in London left to decay suddenly became the hotspot for paranormal and occult phenomenon in the 1970s, when reports about the Highgate Vampire became a sensation and the hunt for it began. 

Settled in the heart of North London lies a place that’s shrouded in mystery and intrigue – Highgate Cemetery. With its overgrown pathways, eerie Victorian tombs, and gothic architecture, it’s no wonder this place has developed a reputation for being one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world and was certainly one of the most spookiest places in the 60s and 70s. 

From tales of ghostly apparitions to reports of unexplained phenomena, the dark secrets of Highgate Cemetery have captivated the imaginations of many over the years. But what is it about this place that has people so fascinated? 

The Dark History of Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery was opened in 1839 in Camden and quickly became the resting place of choice for wealthy Victorians and has today over 170 000 people buried there. The cemetery was designed by architect Stephen Geary and was intended to be a place where the rich and famous could be buried in style. However, as the years went by, the cemetery fell into disrepair and began to attract a less desirable clientele. 

Highgate Cemetery: The Cemetery was really made to make a more peaceful place to rest compared to the crowded churchyard graveyards. Today, it can seem like we have come full circle.

By the turn of the 20th century, Highgate Cemetery had become a shadow of its former self, with many of its tombs and monuments falling into a state of disrepair.

Famous Graves and their Mysterious Stories

Highgate Cemetery is home to many famous graves, each with its own fascinating story. One of the most famous graves in the cemetery is that of Karl Marx, the father of communism. Marx’s grave is a place of pilgrimage for many socialists and communists, who come to pay their respects to one of the most influential political thinkers of the modern era.

Another famous grave in the cemetery is that of Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Adams’ grave is a popular destination for fans of his work, who often leave tributes and memorials at the site.

Pathways: Green pathways with tombs on each side fills the Highgate Cemetery in London.//Source: Panyd at English Wikipedia

But perhaps the most mysterious grave in Highgate Cemetery is that of Elizabeth Siddal. Siddal was a model and artist who was married to the pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti. After her death, Rossetti buried a manuscript of his poems in her coffin. The manuscript was later exhumed, and the poems were published, but were not a commercial success. Her husband was haunted by his action for the rest of his days. 

The Ghosts of Highgate Cemetery

There have been tales about the paranormal surrounding the cemetery for decades. After WW2 the cemetery fell into disarray and had little to no maintenance for a long time. In 1960 and 70s, it was so overgrown and left to decay that it was a perfect setting for horror movies like Taste the Blood of Dracula from 1970 and Tales from the Crypt in 1972. 

There were reports of locals from 1965 about seeing ghosts around the premises. There were especially two different figures that had been seen. One was that of an older woman wearing all white that was haunting the graves, looking after the graves of her murdered children. Another thing that was talked about was the skeleton that was standing guard by the main gate. 

There were also those that told that occult and even satanic rituals were held in the cemetery, people rising from the graves and other strange phenomena that attracted the attention of seekers of the strange and the paranormal. 

The Grey Figures Haunting the Cemetery

Over the years, there have been countless reports of strange sightings and unexplained phenomena at Highgate Cemetery in addition to the strange case of the Highgate Vampire. Many visitors to the cemetery have reported feeling a sense of unease or being watched, while others have claimed to have seen ghostly apparitions moving among the graves.

Seekers of the Paranormal: David Farrant in Highgate Cemetery caught the attention of the media when he claimed something strange was lurking in the cemetery. Was it a ghost? Was it a vampire?

In 1970 there was a man that wrote to the paper about seeing strange figures at the cemetery. On 24th of December he had passed the cemetery and seen what he described as a “gray figure” and asked if people had seen something similar. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from haunted cemeteries around the world.

The man was David Farrant, an investigator for the British Occult Society and in his article headlined: “Why do foxes die?” he claimed that the foxes that had been found dead in the cemetery with their throats slit had been killed by the Vampire. 

Vampire Hunter: Sean Manchester in an interview. He claimed that the supernatural thing in Highgate was a King of Vampires.

People replied and told about many different figures that they had seen that they thought had to be of a supernatural origin. There was one tall man in a hat, a ghost of a cyclist as well as a woman wearing all white that was glaring at them through the bars. Another figure had been seen wading through a pond. 

There was then a man named Sean Manchester that claimed that the gray figures they had seen was that of a vampire practicing black magic and even made a claim that this phenomena they were now witnessing was the King of Vampires from Wallachia, the home of Dracula before having being buried in the cemetery but awakened by satanists. 

Manchester was a bishop of the Old Catholic Church, not related to the Vatican, and a self-proclaimed exorcist as well as a vampire hunter. Soon the two men were on a mission to be the first to stop and capture the vampire and restore the peace of the holy ground of the cemetery. 

The Highgate Vampire Frenzie

The legend of the Highgate Vampire quickly spread, and soon the cemetery was attracting visitors from all over the world who were keen to catch a glimpse of the legendary creature.

Storming: Vampire hunters jumping over fences and gates of Highgate for vampire hunts.

Read More: Check out the story of Paris’ Haunted Père Lachaise Cemetery or Poveglia Island — The Most Haunted Place in the World for more stories about vampires.

Farrand and Manchester both claimed they were the one to get rid of the figure and Manchester said he was going to hold an exorcism in the cemetery the 13th of March in 1970 and they were filmed and interviewed about it. 

After they were shown on TV a mob of people that wanted to see for themselves flooded the cemetery. The police tried to control the masses by locking the gates, but they got over the gates and walls in the chaos. They were armed with stakes and roamed the cemetery to find the vampire and opened graves, beheaded and staked the corpses. 

Despite the fact that the vampire was never actually seen, the legend had a profound effect on the cemetery. Over the years, Highgate Cemetery has become synonymous with the supernatural, and many people believe that the cemetery is haunted by the ghosts of those who were buried there.

The Finding of the Staked Body

Months later the case was still widely discussed. On August 1st, a woman’s body was found headless and burnt close to the catacomb by two school girls. It was the body of a woman that had died a 100 years ago, been dragged from her coffin and staked through the heart before being left on the pathway. The police suspected she had been used in some sort of black magic ritual. 

When the police were searching the next couple of days, they found Farrant wandering around in the churchyard next to the cemetery with a crucifix and a wooden stake on the 17th of August.

He had gathered his Society to do an exorcism by holding a seance. He tried to run for the exit when the police arrived, but was caught and arrested, but when the case came to court it was dismissed. 

From BBC 24 Hours in Oct 1970 after Ferrant was aquitted.

It was not the last time Manchester visited Highgate Cemetery either. According to him his psychic helper guided him to a family vault where they broke open the door. He claims he lifted the lid of one of the coffins that he thought didn’t belong in the vault and had mysteriously been moved there from another catacomb. 

Right before he was about to stake the body in the coffin, another one of his helpers stopped him. He reluctantly listened and left garlic and incense in the vault before they exited out from the vault. 

After the Media Circus Died Down

Both Farrant and Manchester kept the legends about the strange satanic things going on at Highgate Cemetery, long after the other moved on. 

Farrant was arrested and jailed in 1974 for vandalism and desecration of the graves and the dead at the cemetery. He kept insisting that it was the work of Satanist’s and not him. He was also involved in politics and ran as the sole candidate for the Wicca Workers Party. His cases were for free nudity and sex as well as establishing state brothels. He was less keen on communism which he wanted to ban as well as leaving the EU Common Market. 

Their feud about what happened at Highgate Cemetery until Farrant died in 2019. They even challenged each other to a “Magician’s Duel” that was supposed to take place on Parliament Hill on Friday 13th in 1973, although that never happened. 

There were rumors that the two were going to sacrifice a cat in front of naked virgins. When a man’s cat never returned home one day after this, Farrant was persecuted by the RSPCA and the media as they thought he was behind the disappearance of the man’s beloved pet. 

Later he did sue News of the World for him being portrayed as a cat killer. And for the RSPCA inspectors, he sent them voodoo dolls with pins stuck in their heads, as well as two of the police officers that were involved in the arrest in 1974.

Staking the Vampire of Highgate Cemetery

Manchester on his end continued to write blog posts about Farrant, illustrating paintings of him looking like a demon and said he had a narcissistic personality disorder. 

On his quest to rid London of what he called the King of Vampires, he claimed to have tracked it down to a house in Crouch End. There he had staked the vampire and burnt the body, finally ridding them of the vampire tormenting Camden Town. 

Dracula A.D 1972 were inspired by the bizarre events:

Trailer for the movie Dracula AD 1972 that were supposedly inspired by the events that happened at Highgate around that time.

Behind the Hunt for Media Attention

What really happened in Highgate Cemetery is up for speculation. How much occult rituals and pagan sex parties with the devil really did happened or was blown up in the media’s satanic panic headlines is uncertain.

Today we don’t really hear much about vampires or ghosts from the cemetery other than hardcore paranormal investigators or curious tourists that wants to have a look at what it’s all about. Because who really knows, it is certainly not the first, nor the last cemetery were a vampire is rumoured to roam.

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References:

Featured Image: Nick Garrod/Flickr

Highgate Cemetery – Wikipedia

Highgate Vampire – Wikipedia 

The strange tale of the Highgate vampire 

The hunt for a vampire in Highgate Cemetery that led to a real magician feud – MyLondon 

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The Westerfeld House — The House of The Occult

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All that jazz and rock’n roll with witchcraft and satanic rituals clearly took its toll on the Victorian house known as the Westerfeld House. But is it still a hint of paranormal presence lingering there? Or has the restoration brought it back to its original sweet glory?

In the beautiful city of San Francisco there is a house that catches the eye of those passing by. Gothic, beautiful, bold and old as many of the surrounding houses are. But perhaps none other than this house has acted like a magnet for its peculiar tenants over the years. 

Old House: 1198 Fulton Street has a history of occult and strange tenants almost since it was first built in 1889.
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith/wikimedia

The William Westerfeld House, or simply the Westerfeld house is an historic building right by Alamo Square. The picturesque Victorian Italian styled villa at 1198 Fulton Street is today steeped in history, some more haunting than others, as well as some are more true than others.

The origin of the house however is a sweet tale as the building was built for the German confectioner William Westerfeld in 1889. By this time he had already established a chain of bakeries and built this 28 room mansion. Business was good for Westerfeld, however, he died only a few years after the house was built in 1895 and since then, sweet turned darker to pitch black. 

It was bought by John Mahoney and the building’s cultural reputation started to take place where strange occurrences happened. He loved to entertain his guests with spectacular shows, and among others, Harry Houdini himself tried to send telepathic messages to his wife across the Bay. So the experimental and spiritual part of the house started early on. However, no one could have guessed just how dark it would get. 

Czarist Night Club And All That Jazz

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After the Westerfeld House had served as a home to Mahoney, it fell into the hands of many different people with different purposes. A group of Czarist Russians turned it into a nightclub called Dark Eyes in the roaring 20s. It was informally known as the Russian embassy because of all the meetings taking place on the upper floor. 

After the second world war the home was converted into apartment buildings, mostly rented out to African-American jazz musicians playing in the nearby jazz clubs during the Beat area. This house jazz area lasted until the 60s, when jazz was replaced with rock and the political and philosophical beatnik area morphed into the wild and spiritual 60s. 

The Occultists In the Westerfeld House

In the 60s the Westerfeld House was used as different types of collectives, and one of those who set a mark on the house as well as recorded it, was occult filmmaker, Kenneth Anger who lived there from 1966 to 1967. During those times it was a rather rough area in the city and the people frequenting there, darker and rougher than many.  

It is here the story of the Westerfeld House turns from strange to occult. At best, the time Anger and his peculiar guests spent in the house was a terrible nuisance to all the neighbors with all the acid being taken and satanic rituals being held. At worst, they stirred up the rumours of paranormal activity to the house as well as opened the gate to hell. 

Satanic Rituals: Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey started frequenting the house, holding black masses in the Westerfeld house. Here from the movie, ‘Invocation of my demon brother’, made by Kenneth Anger.
Photo: Invocation of my demon brother/IMDB

“Up at Fulton and Scott is a great shambling old Gothic house, a freaking decayed giant, known as The Russian Embassy.”

This is how the writer Tom Wolfe talks about the Westerfeld House when he introduces it in his book: ‘The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test’, chronologizing his time spent there with a group of hippies.

Anger himself was an occultist and drew much of his elements in his films from Thelema, a pagan oriented religion founded by perhaps the most well known occultist, Aleister Crowley.

Another notorious person that stayed under the roof was Manson family member Bobby Beausoleil lived here for a while before he joined the cult of the Manson called, the Family. Beausoleil was chosen by Anger to inhabit the role of Lucifer in a movie he was working on. Together they spent their nights in the tower, trying to look for UFOs. And according to Anger, he did indeed have a “a couple of very good flying saucer sightings.” Here it is important to note just how important taking acid was to Anger. 

Allegedly, Beausoleil stole reels of Angers film: Lucifer Rising and took off with them being on bad terms. Manson himself made frequent visits to this house, and according to caretaker, Kelly Edwards, it was here that Beausoleil were drawn into the cult that eventually was behind the Helter Skelter murders. 

Black Masses of the Church of Satan

Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey also spent time in this very tower as shown when Anger shot the movie ‘Invocation of my demon brother’ where we in this psychedelic experimental movie can see LaVey, aka, ‘The Black Pope’ himself holding a black mass. According to Anger, the film was assembled from scraps of the first version of Lucifer Rising. It includes clips of the cast smoking out of a skull, and the publicly filmed Satanic funeral ceremony for a pet cat.

But he did not look after UFO’s as Anger did on his acid trips. Instead, he spent his time practicing witchcraft, as well as worshipping Satan with around 500 candles in this wooden building. This tower used to have a large pentagram etched into the floorboards to keep the wiccan and satanic rituals more permanent. He also owned a lion cub as he used to be a lion tamer before starting the Church of Satan. You can see proof of that very lion because of the scratches in the wooden paneling, even to this day.  

As well as spending time in the tower, he also performed satanic rituals in the ballroom on the ground level of the house. 

Rock n Roll

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After Angers departure from the Westerfeld House, the occult was turned into rock’n roll as the likes of Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, Tom Wolfe and Jerry Garcia among many others passed through the halls, either as tenants, or holding concerts at the Avalon Ballroom. It continued to be used as an underground rock scene until the 70s, when the first attempts to rehabilitate the much used building began. 

And although the owner that took over in 1986 had no occult interest, he also wanted to be on the safe side when initiating the old house with a particularly rocky history. The new owner of the Westerfeld House, Jimmy Siegel told hoodline that: 

“I was always attracted to the architecture of the building,” he told us. “The occult happenings in the house were of little interest to me but to be on the safe side I had the monks from the Hartford Street Zen Center do a cleansing and a blessing for the house when I bought it in 1986. I have never experienced any darkness or paranormal activity in the house.”

The Addams Family House

Siegel bought the Westerfeld House because it looked like something the Addams family could have lived in and he had always loved the architecture and design from the Addams family. And under a LSD trip in his teens, his dreams of owning this particular house started to take hold. 

Siegel turned his drug induced dream and turned it into his life mission. He spent his time restoring the Westerfeld House that had long been neglected. And with it, he also preserved the history of it. 

Today the rooms in the Westerfeld House are rented out to various people and as movie sets. According to reports, none of them have complained of any malevolent activity or remains of satanic activity. But they have reported about ‘overwhelming emotions’ as well as a physical presence in their home, with nightmares being a common trait of the tenants. Paranormal activity of psychological manifestation of knowing the house history?

Even Siegel himself mentioned he had what he called a paranormal experience in the house to SFGATE:

“I was in bed watching TV and my bed violently shook. I assumed we were having an earthquake, only nothing else was moving. Then I felt someone get into bed with me even though I was alone. It was quite unnerving.”

So what is it Siegel? Was the Westerfeld House haunted or not?

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References

National Register #89000197: Westerfeld House in San Francisco, California

William Westerfeld House

The Spooky History Of The Westerfeld House

Invocation of my Demon Brother & Lucifer Rising – Kenneth Anger

This Alamo Square Victorian holds 100 years of SF counterculture history 

Visiting the Westerfeld House and Its Haunted Past. — Eric J. Kuhns 

Westerfeld House – [2021 

The Westerfeld House: San Francisco’s most storied Victorian

podcast, Review

Occult Podcasts to Recommend

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Occult Confession

A chatty and inspired podcast of all occult. Everything from the Illuminati, secret societies and black magic. It is superbly researched and manages to rely the dry historic research in a witty way together with the alchemic actors, breaking into songs, taking unexpected side roads in the conversations.

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Twitter

Witch Wave

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Butter smooth voice taking you on a journey with the witches and a peep behind the curtain as how to live the witch life in the modern era. The host is a great interviewer and a great and optimistic view on the occult, even the most skeptics can respect and appreciate.

Find them:
Podcast
Twitter

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Into the Dark

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A sort of roadhouse bar playing stomping rock and metal, talking with practitioners of several types of magic, occult traditions. And even though the host, Cooper Wilhelm is a practitioner himself he really lets his guest take the place and comes off as an interested and a guy willing to ask questions about anything! Too bad this is a finished podcast, but enjoy the episodes that were made.

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Twitter

Night Tide

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For the more researched based distanced podcast, check out Night Tide. A bi-monthly production, these guys really take their time doing the research, and presenting it in a great way. The host Stacy is super pleasant listening to and is one of the podcast host that manage the balance between music/narrating and the stories are the perfect blend of creative and informative storytelling.

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The Satanic Panic

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Love a niche podcast, and this is it! Satanic panic was raving through the 80’s America, where a numerous cases accusing others for satanical acts. The hosts takes you through what really happened, covering the court cases, rumors, dungeons and dragons and the Church of Satan. Yeah, its great, check them out.

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5 Songs About the Devil

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Some of them uses him more of a muse of exploring the dark sides of humanity. Some use him just for financially gain, like Jack Black himself said when saying: “Satan sells tickets.” Some have gone even further, dabbling in the occult or being straight believing in Satan and worshiping. This is mostly harmless, but then again, churches have definitely burnt down in the name of Satan.

Satan was something of a multi-instrumentalist himself, because as well as playing the fiddle, Ezekiel 28:13 states that he had his own instruments built into his very being. So perhaps not that strange that many musicians find him alluring as a character.

The Deamon Lover

This is a famous Scottish ballad about a man (usually the Devil) returns to his former lover after a very long absence, and finds her with a husband and a baby. He entices her to leave both behind and come with him, luring her with many ships laden with treasure. It can be traced back to the 1700.

Lyrics

Well met, well met, my own true love
Well met, well met, cried he
I’ve just returned from the salt, salt sea
And it’s all for the sake of thee

I’ve come for the vows that you promised me
To be my partner in life
She said my vows you must forgive
For now I’m a wedded wife

Yes I have married a house carpenter
To him I’ve born two fine sons
For it’s seven long years since you sailed to the west
And I took you for dead and gone

If I was to leave my husband dear
And my two babies also
Just what have you to take me to
If with you I should now go

I have seven ships out upon the sea
And the eighth one that brought me to land
With four and twenty bold mariners
And music on every hand

It was then she went to her two little babes
She kissed them on cheek and on chin
Saying fare thee well my sweet little ones
I’ll never see you again

They had not sailed much more than a week
I know that it was not three
When altered grew his countinence
And a raging came over the sea

When they reached the shore again
On the far side of the sea
It was there she spied his cloven hoof
And wept most bitterly

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Me and the Devil Blues

One of the most famous Made-A-Pact-With-The-Devil stories must be Robert Johnson, that made a deal for some crazy guitar skills. In the crossroad of highway 61 and 49 intersect a legend was born. In 1930 it is alleged he went out to make a Faustian pact with the devil to be the greatest guitar player. In any case, talent he got. When he died he was only 27 and it is said he was poisoned by the devil. The legend goes he heard the howling of the hell hounds, coming for him when the devil claimed him as his own.

Lyrics

Early this mornin’
When you knocked upon my door
Early this mornin’, ooh
When you knocked upon my door
And I said, “Hello, Satan,”
I believe it’s time to go.”

Me and the Devil
Was walkin’ side by side
Me and the Devil, ooh
Was walkin’ side by side
And I’m goin’ to beat my woman
Until I get satisfied

She say you don’t see why
That you will dog me ’round

Now, babe, you know you ain’t doin’ me right, don’cha

She say you don’t see why, ooh
That you will dog me ’round
It must-a be that old evil spirit
So deep down in the ground

You may bury my body
Down by the highway side

Baby, I don’t care where you bury my body when I’m dead and gone

You may bury my body, ooh
Down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
Can catch a Greyhound bus and ride

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Sympathy For The Devil

The Rolling’s stones is perhaps not remembered as a satanic rock band, but once upon the time, they kind of were. Mostly Mick Jagger was the one interested in occult books like Taoist Secret Of The Golden Flower. And in 1969 sympathy for the devil came out. There were also claims that the Church Of Satan used the song as an anthem. Hey, it was the late 60s!

Lyrics

Lyrics:
Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
I’ve been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man’s soul and faith

I was ’round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around St. Petersberg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the Czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a general’s rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
What’s puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I watched with glee as your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the Gods they made
I shouted out
“Who killed the Kennedys?”
When after all
It was you and me

Let me please introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
And I lay traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reach Bombay

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah
Well, get down, hit it

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
But what’s confusin’ you is just the nature of my game

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails just call me Lucifer
‘Cause I’m in need of some restraint

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste, mmm yeah
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, mmm yeah
But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Released in 1979, the song was the most successful one for the band Charlie Daniels Band. It is a pretty upbeat song, but with a more sinister lyric. Inspired by a poem the song deals with the deal with the devil motif. The song begins as a disappointed Devil arrives in Georgia, apparently “way behind” on stealing souls, when he comes upon a fiddle-playing young man named Johnny.

Lyrics

The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin’ for a soul to steal
He was in a bind
‘Cause he was way behind
And he was willin’ to make a deal
When he came across this young man
Sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump
And said, “boy, let me tell you what”
“I guess you didn’t know it
But I’m a fiddle player too
And if you’d care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the devil his due
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold
Against your soul
‘Cause I think I’m better than you.”
The boy said, “my name’s Johnny
And it

The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin’ for a soul to steal
He was in a bind
‘Cause he was way behind
And he was willin’ to make a dealWhen he came across this young man
Sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump
And said, “boy, let me tell you what””I guess you didn’t know it
But I’m a fiddle player too
And if you’d care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with youNow you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the devil his due
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold
Against your soul
‘Cause I think I’m better than you.”The boy said, “my name’s Johnny
And it might be a sin
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret
‘Cause I’m the best there’s ever been.”Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
‘Cause Hell’s broke loose in Georgia, and the devil deals the cards
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose, the devil gets your soulThe devil opened up his case
And he said, “I’ll start this show.”
And fire flew from his fingertips
As he rosined up his bowAnd he pulled the bow across the strings
And it made an evil hiss
Then a band of demons joined in
And it sounded something like thisWhen the devil finished
Johnny said, “well, you’re pretty good, ol’ son
But sit down in that chair right there
And let me show you how it’s done.””Fire on the Mountain” run boys, run
The devil’s in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in a bread pan pickin’ out dough
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, noThe devil bowed his head
Because he knew that he’d been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle
On the ground at Johnny’s feetJohnny said, “Devil, just come on back
If you ever wanna try again
I done told you once you son of a bitch
I’m the best that’s ever been.”He played “Fire on the Mountain” run boys, run
The devil’s in the House of the Rising Sun
The chicken in a bread pan pickin’ out dough
Granny, will your dog bite? No child, no

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Houses Of The Holy

Songs like this made people talk aboud Led Zeppelin being a Satanic Band. Jimmy Page himself was extremly occupied of exploring the occult, attending séances, collected occult artefacts. He also bought a house in Loch Ness. Page once said that mixing in Satanic influences was like an “alchemical process”.

Lyrics

Let me take you to the movies
Can I take you to the show
Let me be yours ever truly
Can I make your garden grow

From the houses of the holy, we can watch the white doves go
From the door comes satan’s daughter, and it only goes to show, you know

There’s an angel on my shoulder, in my hand a sword of gold
Let me wander in your garden and the seeds of love I’ll sow you know

So the world is spinning faster are you dizzy when you’re stoned
Let the music be your master will you heed the master’s call
Oh Satan and man

Said there ain’t no use in crying ’cause it will only, only drive you mad
Does it hurt to hear them lying?
Was this the only world you had? oh oh

So let me take you, take you to the movie
Can I take you, baby, to the show
Why don’t you let me be yours ever truly
Can I make your garden grow, you know

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What The Truly Terrifying Thing About Cult Movie Antrum Is

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The 2019 faux movie-within-a-movie type of horror has taken up interest again, the movie, “Antrum, the deadliest film ever made”. I can’t really remember that a so popular movie have fooled so many people since Blair Witch. Correct me if I’m wrong, but most of the trending now is challenging people to watch it, believing the intended myth behind this mockumentary-found footage type of movie. The premise of the cursed horror movie is of a real cursed movie from the 70s, now resurfaced. After watching it, jumping on the wagon a bit late, I couldn’t help noticing, what truly terrified me after watching. So after the initial hype has died out, and the truth is sort of “out there”, this is my take on it.

Spoilers ahead, so be warned.

Synopsis

The movie opens with a documentary type of style, talking about a horror movie from the 70s allegedly from the Soviet that caused the death of many many people, from casual movie goers to film festival leaders. It claims that it caused the death of 56 people in Budapest when it screened in a cinema that burned down in 1988. And also it injured and killed a woman in San Francisco in 1993 when someone laced the popcorn with LSD. Then it does a countdown of a clock, and the movie Antrum starts. Simple, but so effective. Then the “real” movie begins.

Source: IMDB

It tells the story of a teen sister and her kid brother, hiking. They recently lost their dog, and the boy is convinced the dog went to hell. So they travel to a place and try to dig their way to hell to get the dog back. They follow the instruction of a book the sister claims she got from a certain “Ike”. All told through a beautiful European art-house film from the 1970s filter, but with a horror twist in the cinematography. The rest of the movie is them battling hillbillies, what is dream, what is reality and the lurking shadows in the corner of their eyes. An honest discussion about what happens when one believes a lie.

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Background of the “movie legend”

Of course, none of this is true, but it is some of the allure of the movie, and in my eyes, some of the social commentary the movie Antrum brings to the table, elevating it from mere horror-flick, to more of a drama with a purpose and moral. We learn halfway through the sister is behind it all, making the book, lying about meeting the devil and that it was all made up in order to help her brother, suffering from nightmares and the belief that the dog went to hell. But the fiction turns on her, making her lie true because of people believing in it.

Source: IMDB

Perhaps, it is a long time since a mockumentary was able to fool as big of an audience as it did. What is truly frightening is the way some with so many followers, like the teens on Tik-Tok, blogs and YouTube channels fuels this “found footage” story. Isolated, this is fun. Harmless lies we tell in the dark as we always have, as good horror intends to. It is also fascinating that even in the time of internet, were the truth is literary one google search away, people still believe the hype, the narrative, the story. On the other side, it is in these time of “fake news”, a bit sad of when we see how actual important news, fake as well as real, can be manipulated, believed and not believed in. But never mind that (puts the media education away) let’s look at how genius they did it (puts on horror loving hat):

Yes, hell is real
source: IMDB

For one, it is clear they put a lot of effort in making it be in the 70s. From the clothes, filming style, the grainy filter and color palette. Even down to that creepy CGI of the squirrel. A truly demonic entity that is.

As with other cult movies, they did something cool in the way they let the influencer who were fooled market the thing for them, making the viewing something of an event rather than just a standard movie night. Also it is something quite endearing about the collective watching of it that is only found in the horror community, I think.

Even with my obsessive googling, it took a couple of searches to truly find evidence of the falseness. Even down to the actors’ age was removed from their IMDb profiles, making it easier to keep up the belief. It is also cool about how it is finally a movie thinking more about the movie being bigger than the actors, not the other way around.

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The terrifying thing about the movie Antrum

Is this a scary movie? In some regards, yes. Like the Blair Witch Project, it is the format that makes the scares, the legend behind it, the myth bigger than a simple movie. And the way the shaky camera movements from most found footage makes movies unpredictable and scary, it is the the overlaying of “cut in clips no one knows were came from” and the clip in of the sigils and Latin phrases making one question: Could it really be?

Is it truly “bad” enough to be believed in though? I think not, and I was sort of bothered about how perfect it all looked from a Soviet movie from the 70s. But then again, it did sort of look too rough to be a more “proper” movie. Also they spoke English, and none of the non-English speaking people can sort of believe that mash up. It just seems weird and sort of a very American thing to do, making it in English instead of just putting subtitles on.

What my main take of it was that it was more of a heart felt movie than a demonic one. I felt more sympathy for the siblings and believed in their relationship than I believed I was cursed by Satan after watching it.

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It occurred to me mid movie, what scared me the most though. Even the myth, claims I would die few days after watching it, and that creepy demon between the trees, it was none of them though that made my heart race. It was the threat of people:

True, jump scares don’t really work on me in the long run, great costumes sort of blend in when watching as many horror movies as I do. But what never cease to scare me, are the threat of real humans. It never goes away. In the movie, not only do they have to fight of demonic entities, but some good old fashioned hillbillies, that does these random gruesome things like: fucking dead animals, boiling people alive, shooting children and wear antlers on a trucker hat. Yes, not really the most original or in depth type of characters. But when checking my pulse throughout the movie, it is sort of only in those scenes a steady rush of fear comes. I found that very interesting. That no matter how much of a supernatural, demonic myth, claiming it would take your life, nothing is as scary as the threat of real humans, wanting to do you harm.

And that is what really was terrifying about this cursed movie.

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