Tag Archives: HP Blavatsky & Theosophy

Bulwer-Lytton

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Occult Personality

John S. Moore

Bulwer-Lytton Occult Personality
John S. Moore
ISBN: 9781906958855, 166pp/bw & full colour illustrations.
£20+p&p / US$26.00+p&p

Click HERE for the UK edition

Click HERE for the USA & Elsewhere
—
Edward Bulwer, Lord Lytton, once the most successful novelist in the English speaking world, now unfairly neglected and even derided, was also the central figure in the underground culture of magic and the occult. With his esoteric studies he built a reputation for deep learning in the history and philosophy of this alternative tradition, as well as passing for an adept in his own right. His creative influence, especially through his occult fiction, was surprisingly far reaching.

The book sets the achievement of this nineteenth century magus into a large historical context, exploring the intellectual and other influences on him as well as movements he inspired. Some chapters discuss aspects of Bulwer’s life, while some explore people and ideas that influenced him and others those he influenced. His seminal role in several cultural movements has been largely forgotten, not least in his home country. This book offers an often unfamiliar perspective on the Victorian era and hopefully succeeds in provoking some questions about our own times.


With Bulwer as its focus, and employing a wealth of illustrations, it manages to provide a whirlwind tour of much occult and esoteric culture, from Iamblichus to Symbolist art and literature, Theosophy and modern psychedelia.

Watch John Moore’s presentation of Bulwer-Lytton Occult Personality
on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iufOV7EmT0Y&feature=youtu.be

Doors of Valhalla

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An Esoteric Interpretation of Norse Myth
Vincent Ongkowidjojo

 

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Doors of Valhalla
An Esoteric Interpretation of Norse Myth
Vincent Ongkowidjojo
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 978-1-906958-72-5
£15.00 / US $24.00
Subjects: Runes/Odinism/Northern Tradition.

In Doors of Valhalla, the author offers a comprehensive interpretation of Norse mythology based on contemporary esoteric ideas.

From the author’s introduction:
“In modern days, the Ageless Wisdom was first given out by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and later by different writers such as Dion Fortune, Annie Besant, and Alice Bailey. It makes sense to relate what they have to say about the world of the soul to the myth and mystery of Ancient Scandinavia.”

From Maria Kvilhaug’s foreword:
“In his Doors of Valhalla, Vincent Ongkowidjojo makes an honest attempt to consider the worlds of Norse mythology as various planes of consciousness on the path towards spiritual enlightenment in the light of Theosophy and Vedic traditions.”

From David Parry’s afterword:
“His excellent book Doors of Valhalla: An Esoteric Interpretation of Norse Mythology demands our attention, while clearly setting fresh standards for this sort of scholarship.”

Freya Aswynn on the book:
“This is a book that will shake up the Heathen Community. … It fills a glaring hole in the Northern Mysteries and this will be most welcomed by those in Heathenry willing to explore the deeper mysteries behind the lore.”

As a long time student of Freya Aswynn, Vincent Ongkowidjojo helps run her School of Runes and Northern Mysteries. Vincent’s vision is rooted in Western and Eastern esoteric philosophies. He earlier published Secrets of Asgard and Runen in de Noordse traditie. Visit Vincent’s website for latest updates on talks, courses and workshops.

Crowley

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A Beginners Guide
John S. Moore & John Patrick Higgins

Front coverLR

Crowley a beginners guide UK / £15.00

Crowley a beginners guide USA / US $22.00

Crowley, A Beginners Guide
John S. Moore & John Patrick Higgins
Format: Softcover/b/w Illustrated/154pp
ISBN: 978-1-906958-69-5
£15.00 /US $22.00
Subjects: Aleister Crowley/Thelema/Magick/Occult/Biography.
—–
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
Nearly seventy years after his death Aleister Crowley, the notorious Beast 666, is only just beginning to attract serious academic attention. Even so we would not expect to find him on any mainstream university courses; he is still too much associated with occultism. So, Crowley – A Beginners Guide is not your standard beginner’s guide.

“Let my servants be few & secret: they shall rule the many & the known.”
Readers may be surprised at the richness and complexity of his thought, as well as the extent of his influence. He needs background to be understood. Giving this opens fresh perspectives on much recent intellectual history.

Crowley – A Beginners Guide presents his main ideas in a straightforward and accessible format, with drawings and diagrams to place them in their historical context. It relates him to contemporary movements in art and scholarship. It describes his relationship to modernism and postmodernism, and his role in the counterculture of the sixties, as well as his continuing influence today. Interspersed are entertaining stories of his life and reputation.

Brilliantly illustrated by John Higgins, Crowley – A Beginners Guide, is a highly accessible guide to this fascinating, complex and controversial figure. It neither promotes nor condemns him, presenting hostile as well as favourable views of his character and achievement.

John S Moore is a freelance writer and independent scholar living in London. He is the author of Aleister Crowley: A Modern Master (Mandrake of Oxford, 2009) and Nietzsche – An Interpretation, (AuthorsOnline Ltd, 2011) and has written on Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein and Edward Bulwer-Lytton among others. More information at www.johnsmoore.co.uk

John Patrick Higgins is a writer and illustrator. He is the author of The Narwhal and Other Stories www.amazon.co.uk/Narwhal-other-stories-Patrick-Higgins ebook/dp/B007N6KJW8
He writes art criticism for various magazines and is Creative Director of Shot Glass Theatre Company www.culturenorthernireland.org/reviews/performing-arts/shot-glass. See also www.facebook.com
He lives in Belfast, which he continues to find extraordinary.

Read a review of Crowley A Beginners Guide from Magonia Review of Books pelicanist.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/crowley-for-beginners.html

Crowley – A Beginners Guide (Look Inside)

Mystical Vampire

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The Life and Works of Mabel Collins
Kim Farnell

Mystical Vampire
The Life & Works of Mabel Collins
Kim Farnell
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 9781869928858
£15.00/US$26
Subjects: Biography/Theosophical History

Click HERE for the UK edition

Click HERE for USA & Worldwide

Mystical Vampire introduces a cast of remarkable characters:

  • Mabel Collins: Theosophist, novelist, fashion columnist, journalist, and anti-vivisection campaigner.
  • Madame Blavatsky: The extraordinary and influential Russian occultist and author, along with other eminent members of her Theosophical Society.
  • Annie Besant: Social reformer and Theosophist.
  • Robert Donston Stephenson: A suspect for Jack the Ripper and Mabel’s lover.
  • Frances Power Cobbe: Social reformer, suffragist, and anti-vivisection campaigner.
  • Charlotte Despard: Social reformer and anti-vivisection campaigner.

In the oppressive Victorian climate, Mabel Collins stood out as an independent woman. Known for her best-selling mystical text, Light On The Path, published by the Theosophical Society, Mabel’s life took a dramatic turn after her fallout with Madame Blavatsky. She continued her journey as an esotericist, traveller, and writer, passionately advocating for the abolition of vivisection and the welfare of helpless creatures.

***

‘”I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Victorian society and the off-beat origins of many influential institutions on our lives today. Mystical Vampire presents fascinating ideas, such as the possibility of Annie Besant and Helena Blavatsky being more than just friends, making it a worthwhile investment. For Ripperologists, the sections on Collins and Stephenson alone are worth the price of the book, and there may be other gems in there, so it’s worth buying. Few books are as well-referenced and footnoted as this one, and Ms. Farnell has done an excellent job on her subject, Minna Mabel Collins.” – Howard Brown, Casebook: Jack The Ripper, the Web’s largest Jack The Ripper public archive www.casebook.org

”Kim Farnell has done devotees of gaslight and mediums a service in bringing Mabel’s world back to life.” – Gary Lachman – The Independent On Sunday.