Leiningen is installed but I Get Error When Attempting to Run - clojure

Question

I have Leiningen installed on my computer here: /usr/local/bin/lein (version 2.7.1)
I have Java installed here: /usr/bin/java (version 1.8.0_74)
I have set Leiningen it to be executable, and yet when I go to run "lein", I get the following error message:
"java.lang.Exception: Error loading /Users/jessierichardson/Desktop/project.clj
at leiningen.core.project$read_raw$fn__6407.invoke (project.clj:962)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw.invokeStatic (project.clj:956)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw.invoke (project.clj:952)
leiningen.core.project$read.invokeStatic (project.clj:973)
leiningen.core.project$read.invoke (project.clj:970)
leiningen.core.project$read.invokeStatic (project.clj:974)
leiningen.core.project$read.invoke (project.clj:970)
leiningen.core.main$_main$fn__5998.invoke (main.clj:397)
leiningen.core.main$_main.invokeStatic (main.clj:394)
leiningen.core.main$_main.doInvoke (main.clj:391)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:397)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:375)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:152)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.core$apply.invokeStatic (core.clj:646)
clojure.main$main_opt.invokeStatic (main.clj:314)
clojure.main$main_opt.invoke (main.clj:310)
clojure.main$main.invokeStatic (main.clj:421)
clojure.main$main.doInvoke (main.clj:384)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:421)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:383)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:156)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.main.main (main.java:37)
Caused by: clojure.lang.Compiler$CompilerException: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to resolve symbol: bookmark88 in this context, compiling:(/Users/jessierichardson/Desktop/project.clj:0:0)
at clojure.lang.Compiler.analyze (Compiler.java:6688)
clojure.lang.Compiler.analyze (Compiler.java:6625)
clojure.lang.Compiler.eval (Compiler.java:6931)
clojure.lang.Compiler.load (Compiler.java:7379)
clojure.lang.Compiler.loadFile (Compiler.java:7317)
clojure.lang.RT$3.invoke (RT.java:320)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw$fn__6407.invoke (project.clj:960)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw.invokeStatic (project.clj:956)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw.invoke (project.clj:952)
leiningen.core.project$read.invokeStatic (project.clj:973)
leiningen.core.project$read.invoke (project.clj:970)
leiningen.core.project$read.invokeStatic (project.clj:974)
leiningen.core.project$read.invoke (project.clj:970)
leiningen.core.main$_main$fn__5998.invoke (main.clj:397)
leiningen.core.main$_main.invokeStatic (main.clj:394)
leiningen.core.main$_main.doInvoke (main.clj:391)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:397)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:375)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:152)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.core$apply.invokeStatic (core.clj:646)
clojure.main$main_opt.invokeStatic (main.clj:314)
clojure.main$main_opt.invoke (main.clj:310)
clojure.main$main.invokeStatic (main.clj:421)
clojure.main$main.doInvoke (main.clj:384)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:421)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:383)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:156)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.main.main (main.java:37)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to resolve symbol: bookmark88 in this context
at clojure.lang.Util.runtimeException (Util.java:221)
clojure.lang.Compiler.resolveIn (Compiler.java:7164)
clojure.lang.Compiler.resolve (Compiler.java:7108)
clojure.lang.Compiler.analyzeSymbol (Compiler.java:7069)
clojure.lang.Compiler.analyze (Compiler.java:6648)
clojure.lang.Compiler.analyze (Compiler.java:6625)
clojure.lang.Compiler.eval (Compiler.java:6931)
clojure.lang.Compiler.load (Compiler.java:7379)
clojure.lang.Compiler.loadFile (Compiler.java:7317)
clojure.lang.RT$3.invoke (RT.java:320)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw$fn__6407.invoke (project.clj:960)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw.invokeStatic (project.clj:956)
leiningen.core.project$read_raw.invoke (project.clj:952)
leiningen.core.project$read.invokeStatic (project.clj:973)
leiningen.core.project$read.invoke (project.clj:970)
leiningen.core.project$read.invokeStatic (project.clj:974)
leiningen.core.project$read.invoke (project.clj:970)
leiningen.core.main$_main$fn__5998.invoke (main.clj:397)
leiningen.core.main$_main.invokeStatic (main.clj:394)
leiningen.core.main$_main.doInvoke (main.clj:391)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:397)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:375)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:152)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.core$apply.invokeStatic (core.clj:646)
clojure.main$main_opt.invokeStatic (main.clj:314)
clojure.main$main_opt.invoke (main.clj:310)
clojure.main$main.invokeStatic (main.clj:421)
clojure.main$main.doInvoke (main.clj:384)
clojure.lang.RestFn.invoke (RestFn.java:421)
clojure.lang.Var.invoke (Var.java:383)
clojure.lang.AFn.applyToHelper (AFn.java:156)
clojure.lang.Var.applyTo (Var.java:700)
clojure.main.main (main.java:37)"
I have a project in Clojure that I did several months ago that lein runs fine in and am up to date with current versions of lein and java.
Could someone please help?

Answer 1

When you run lein from a directory that is a lein project (has a project.clj file), it will try to parse the project file even though you did not give it any commands. If you run lein from a directory that is not a project, it will at least print out the commands available, as there's no project file to read.
There is an error "Unable to resolve symbol bookmark88" in the text above. This is in your project.clj file. Paste its contents to your original question if you need help, or examine it yourself to determine the problem. This is the reason you can't run lein.
I would recommend you put your project in its own directory, not on your desktop, as it seems you currently are. Then in your terminal change to the project directory (the one that contains project.clj) and run lein from there.