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The Great Beast's shag pad: Yours for €1.5m

Aleister Crowley's Sicilian cottage up for sale

Those with a taste for the occult and a more than a few quid to spare might be interested in viewing the Sicilian cottage where "wickedest man in the world" Aleister Crowley once held court.

According to the Telegraph, the "Abbey of Thelema" near the town of Cefalu is on the market for €1.5m, and for your money you get a "tumbledown" property with some interesting interior decor.

The Great Beast shacked up in the house in the early 1920s, naming it in honour of his religious philosophy "Thelema". It hosted a commune which indulged in "yoga, adoration of the Sun and the study of his own mystical philosophical writings", and, in keeping with the basic Thelemic tenet "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", enjoyed "orgies and experiments in free love".

None of this much impressed Mussolini and chums, and Crowley and his entourage were finally booted out of the country in 1923.

Crowley's Sicilian legacy is represented by the property's "explicit, erotic frescoes of men and women entwined together", painted by the man himself.

Crowley also added a few choice words to his artwork, including one phrase which reads: "Stab your demonic smile to my brain: Soak me in Cognac, C*nt and Cocaine."

While the rooms containing that and other musings probably aren't suitable as kids' bedrooms, the estate agents flogging the Abbey of Thelema reckon they could form the basis of a Crowley museum.

We reckon the success of such a venture is doubtful. Apart from the extravagant asking price, timorous locals believe the house is cursed and won't set foot in the place.

There are some photos of the Abbey of Thelema and its frescos, taken back in 1989, right here, and more on Crowley here. ®

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