Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune the focus of new book published by Llewellyn
By Psyche | January 18, 2010
Richardson is the author of several other esoteric books, including one on Dion Fortune called Priestess: The Life and Magic of Dion Fortune
So, what can we expect from this new book exploring the lives and works of two of the most…differently oriented people, shall we say? – of their time?
From Llewellyn:
Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune were two of the most controversial and powerful occultists of the 20th century. Crowley was regarded by many as a creature of the night, albeit one whose soul was streaked with brilliance; Fortune was viewed as one of the Shining Ones, who nevertheless wrestled with her own darkness. Between them they produced some of the best books on magick ever written, and their influence upon contemporary magicians has been profound.
Written by occult scholar Alan Richardson, this unusual and provocative book draws upon unpublished material to reveal little-known aspects of Crowley and Fortune’s relationship, and their role as harbingers of sweeping cultural changes—foreshadowing the women’s movement, the sexual revolution, and 1960s counterculture—as well as other surprising influences upon our present culture.
I’m intrigued.
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“So, what can we expect from this new book exploring the lives and works of two of the most…differently oriented people, shall we say? – of their time?”
Were they really that differently oriented? For one thing, both dedicated their lives to magic. Both were extremely influent in the Occult and Pagan revivals of the last century. Both wrote Occult classics which are still published to this day. And both had very remarkable personalities.
I read the book, it’s interesting.
PS.: Cool blog. :)
Thanks for your comment!
Well, Crowley was about sex, drugs and exhibitionism, and Fortune struck me as rather against all of those things. Their approach to practice and their general outlooks seem radically different to me, but I haven’t read the book yet. I’ll post more about it once I have. :)