Washington D.C. Sketchbook: December 2005

Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes (circa 1470 AD)

"The feast of Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes is celebrated in her birthplace in Geddes, Scotland, each year on December 10 because on December 10, 1478, Philotheus of Pskov, a monk in Saint Petersberg, Russia, wrote a letter of prophecy to Ivan III.

Among other things, he predicted that Russia would become "a Third Rome" when Saint Leslie Ann (of Geddes, Scotland) is restored to her "rightful" place in the Canon of Saints (more on this complicated tale later). The Knights of Saint Leslie Ann devoted their lives and fortunes to this mystical pursuit."

Excerpted with permission from: "The Legend of Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes and the Reality of the Muse Within theHermeneutics of Roman Maps, and What it Means for International Relations Today in the Context of Russian-American Relations." (PhD. Thesis: -1926- Julie Doucet, Princeton University.)

--
I had been told that Angleton was crazy and to

avoid him. I tried.

But this was what he told me.

And afterwards, I became involved in the great game too deeply to get out.

To understand you'll need to know the whole story, which I shall relate here.

It's Angleton's story too.

The story revolves around the mystery of Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes.

Angleton told me that finding the key would save the world.

He was obsessed with this seeming nonsense.

So, you can see why he was considered crazy: persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, psychosis, schizoprenia?

I would have thought so until...

Well, let me back up.

The first thing Angleton told me is that her name was Leslie Geddeschelli and she moved to Washington, D.C. from a little town named Geddes in Scotland.

The town itself is supposed to be cold and grey and grim, but it's claim to fame is a huge feast that takes place each December.

This is the feast of Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes.

It is celebrated in Geddes, Scotland each year on December 10 because on that date in 1478, Philotheus of Pskov, a monk in Saint Petersberg, Russia, wrote a letter of prophecy to Ivan III.

Among other things, he predicted that Russia would become "a Third Rome" when Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes is restored to her "rightful" place in the Canon of Saints.

It's apparently a complicated and mystical tale full of contradictions and not much sense, but legend has it that a huge treasure was buried there in the 1400's by the Knights of Saint Leslie Ann, who devoted their lives and fortunes to her.

So, the legend lives on and each year thousands gather on December 10 to pay homage to the Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes before getting rip-roaring drunk and going out into the bogs on a treasure hunt.

So far, not a candlestick has been found. But the treasure hunters keep coming back for the ale, the fellowship and the dream of easy riches.

I found the so-called Gospel of Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes in the Art and Archaeology stacks of the Art Museum of Princeton University Library in Princeton, NJ. It is in a box of the collected papers of Richard Halliburton. Attached to it is a note indicating that Halliburton discovered it in Nepal and he traces it to a sect descended from the Apostle Thomas. It was to be the basis of Halliburton's next adventure, planned to Tibet to track down the so-called Pink Lamas whose doctrine was influenced by the tantras of Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes, however that was prior to Halliburton's untimely death. His draft manuscript is titled: "Magical Saints, Magical Tibet." The drawing below is his.

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1:1

After the crucifixion and resurrection, which has already been told of by my brothers and sisters, Jesus appeared to the Apostles which included Mary, who replaced Judas the Martyr. And we disrobed to be as were Adam and Eve and we levitated. And Jesus said: “Be not afraid for I shall provide each of you with the key to heaven and to great miracles on this earth.”

1:2

And Jesus said, “I have taught you to pray, ‘God’s will be done.’ But know this; God’s will can only be done through people while Beelzebub lives in this world and cries havoc through her disciples. Therefore, to teach God’s will is to counter Beelzebub on this earth.”

1:3

And Jesus said, “Beelzebub has many disciples who will shadow each of you on your journeys, their seeking to bring evil in your path.” Jesus then told each of the twelve the names of the twelve devil’s disciples that would seek to bring evil to the twelve apostles, so that they could recite mantras of protection against them.

1:4

And Jesus told Thomas that the name of Mara’s disciple who would seek to destroy him was Ilse of Kronthaler-Peirce, from the country of Siemens and that the mantra to use against Ilse of Kronthaler-Peirce, from the country of Siemens is: ‘om hrih ha ha hum hum phat.”

2:1

And Jesus said, “You have heard it said that in the beginning was the word. That is true. But who here can truly understand the word? And if you can’t, who can? When I said the only way to salvation is through me, dunderheads and the dimwitted would say that means that believing in me is salvation. But do you think the pious Jew who doesn’t know me is not saved? Do you think the pious man and woman who have never heard of the Torah shall be cast into hell? Who could believe such a thing but a dunderhead? This is not what I have said, but words fall short for many.”

2:2

“Similarly, there will be those who will be consumed with anger at those men who cleave to men and those women who cleave to women. Have I not said that it is better to cleave to no person? But if one acts piously and faithfully and out of love then only a dunderhead would be consumed with anger over the actions of those from Lesbos and Greece as a means to distract from their own evil nature, which is in alliance with Mara.”

2:3

“Similarly, I have said ‘Love God with all your heart.’ The dimwitted and dunderheads would say then, ‘do not love yourself’ and that, ‘to love yourself is not righteous’. But I say, ‘fools!’ If you do not love yourself you can’t love God.” Understand this then, that God is within you, the light is within you, and the church is within you. Love yourself and you love God.”

2:4

“But the wise person will ask, ‘Lord, how should I love myself?’ And, this is the most important question of all. Love is an art, not a feeling. Let me thus tell you how to love yourself, by which I mean, value your self.”

2:5

“What matters most is not how you feel or what others think but what you believe about your own value. Therefore, show yourself respect in what you eat, in what you spend, in what you wear and in what you say and do. Take these actions even when you don’t wish to, as a sign of confidence, which is the same as faith in God.”

2:6

“But the wise person says, ‘Lord I have tried but I take actions that do not respect my self. And I say, all lack of respect for self results from power against you. A power imbalance triggers actions that show a lack of respect. And, there are three types of power imbalances."

2:7

"The first is external, such as the power of money. All power is trade, and all trade is money. Even Caesar is subject to this external force, the power of money. When a trader cheats a merchant in a country far away do you think this won’t affect Caesar? And if it affects Caesar that it won’t affect you? All is cause and effect. Money is limited and so it is craved. The limitation of money causes the craving. The craving causes external imbalance in the world system. The external imbalance causes sickness."

2:8

"The second imbalance is internal. This is the pain you carry from a childhood injustice. All have sufferings too painful to acknowledge. Many are greater than others but to each they cause an internal imbalance so do not judge another’s internal suffering; a prophet in the future will ask you: ‘how can you know the grief’s that are inside of me and how can I know yours?' and this is the question you should ask one another. This is the cause of internal, emotional imbalance."

2:9

"The third imbalance is caused by Mara who is looking to place temptation and misfortune in your thoughts and actions and who will create misfortune to harm you."

2:10

“Therefore know this: those that permit power imbalances are doing the work of Mara. And any person who harms a child is in alliance with Mara. And any person who is not with me – by which I mean the pious - is with Mara."

2:11

“But the wise person says, ‘Lord, I understand the power imbalances but still I take actions that show a lack of respect of self, and therefore a lack of faith in God. Help me.’ And, I say, it is not wrong that you don’t understand because in the beginning was the word, but the word can’t be understood by all people and even if it is understood in the head it is not understood in the heart. This is why there is the method and the method shall lead to the Awakening.”

2:12

And Jesus then taught the 144 meditations, twelve sets named for each Apostle.

2:13

And the twelve meditations of Thomas that Jesus taught were these forms of meditation:

1. Breath

2. Mindfulness

3. Respect of Self

4. Mind – physical

5. Posture

6. Walking

7. Drawing

8. Imagination

9. Breaking of Concepts

10. Mantra

11. Dahkini Tantra

12. Compassion

2:14

And Jesus transmitted the 144 meditations to each of the Apostles. And to Thomas he transmitted the first form of the twelve meditations of Thomas, which is the meditation on breath. And Jesus said: “Breath is life".