The Magical Writings of W.B. Yeats

Discover the esoteric writings of occultist and poet William Butler Yeats, in a new collection of his lesser-known magical essays

W. B. Yeats is celebrated globally for his contributions to poetry and Irish nationalism. However, his engagement with the occult circles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries have passed largely unappreciated. A member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and later drafting his own system for a Celtic magical order, Yeats wrote prolifically on magical philosophy, mystical symbolism, and the occult experience. 

In this new anthology, John Michael Greer presents six of Yeats’ occult writings that have the most to offer the operative mage. From an analysis of the Golden Dawn System, to an investigation of the relationship between folklore and the paranormal experience to occult philosophy, to an outline of Yeats’ own proposed magical order (The Castle of Heroes) that draws on the symbolism of nature, this collection is a much-needed addition to the occult canon.

It concludes with Yeats’ most famous work of esoteric writing, the complete text of the original 1925 edition of A Vision. Written in a series of automatic writing sessions with his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees, this revolutionary essay delves into innovative system that explores human personality, occult philosophy, cycles of history, the afterlife, and the symbolic structures from which all four arise and interleaf. 

Other essays included are Magic; Witches and Wizards and Irish Folk-Lore; Swedenborg, Mediums, and the Desolate Places; Per Amica Silenta Lunae; and Hodos Camelionis.

Edited and annotated, and complete with a new introduction by John Michael Greer, The Magical Writings of W.B. Yeats preserves vital knowledge from the esoteric tradition, and offers the modern magician fresh guidance and perspective from one of the most important occultists of the last century. 

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