The Magical Writings of W.B. Yeats: The Original 'A Vision' and Other Essays on Occultism

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 19^th and early 20^th 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. 

This deluxe edition is part of a limited run of five-hundred copies only.

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was an Irish poet, playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. Although Yeats is celebrated globally for his lyrical poetry and deep engagement with Irish nationalism and mythology, his equally significant accomplishments in occultism have received much less attention. His interest in the occult began in his teens, leading him to co-found the Dublin Hermetic Society in 1885. After moving to London, he joined the Theosophical Society but found a more lasting influence in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, where he rose through the ranks to Adeptus Major. During this time, Yeats sought to merge Irish mythology with ritual magic, drafting a system for a Celtic magical order, the Castle of Heroes, but this collapsed amid the Golden Dawn's internal conflicts at the turn of the century. His most enduring contributions to esotericism stemmed from automatic writing sessions with his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees, which produced his most prominent work of occult literature, A Vision (1925, rev. 1937).

John Michael Greer is the award-winning author of more than fifty books, including The New Encyclopedia of the Occult, The Druidry Handbook, The Celtic Golden Dawn and Circles of Power: An Introduction to Hermetic Magic. An initiate in Freemasonry, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Martinist Order, and three Druid traditions, Greer served as the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) for twelve years. He is also the author of seventeen fantasy and science fiction novels and ten nonfiction books on peak oil and the future of industrial society. He lives in Rhode Island and blogs weekly on politics, magic, and the future at www.ecosophia.net.