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🕯️ Occult Philosophy

A Vision (1962)

Name: A Vision (1962)
Price: 109.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781349005116

✍️ Yeats, W B

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$109.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A 1962 collection of W B Yeats's mystical writings and literary criticism.

This volume offers a distinct look into the esoteric mind of W B Yeats through a structured arrangement of short texts. The content begins with a packet addressed to Ezra Pound, setting a tone of personal correspondence mixed with occult inquiry. The central portion features stories concerning Michael Robartes, supported by an extract from records kept by his pupils. This section provides a narrative framework for the subsequent philosophical explorations. The text progresses through symbolic stages, including the phases of the moon and the great wheel. It addresses the soul in judgment and the great year of ancients, using these concepts to explore spiritual cycles. The final sections utilize the dove or swan as a symbol before ending with All Soul's Night. This structure allows readers to trace Yeats's development of mystical ideas through specific literary devices rather than abstract theory alone.

Key Themes

Michael Robartes soul in judgment great year

Literary Context

Published by Palgrave MacMillan in 1962, this paperback edition addresses the intersection of mysticism and literary criticism. It focuses on English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh traditions while engaging with semiotics and European theory. The work reflects Yeats's specific period of occult study and his influence on modern mystical literature.

Yeats, W B

📚 all books by this author (2) →

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Aleister Crowley · Evelyn Underhill · Sri Aurobindo · The Urantia Book

🕯️

Occult Philosophy

🏛 Palgrave MacMillan 📅 1962 📖 305 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781349005116

Fun Fact

"A Vision" is not a book to be casually skimmed; it demands engagement, patience, and a willingness to embrace its singular, often abstruse, cosmology. Those seeking clear, linear explanations will be frustrated, but readers drawn to the profound interplay of literature, mysticism, and philosophical systems will find an unparalleled intellectual adventure. It stands as a monumental, if eccentric, achievement, offering an indispensable lens into one of the 20th century's greatest poetic minds and a unique, challenging contribution to esoteric thought.

📝 Description: A Vision (1962)

W B Yeats presents a collection of mystical writings in this 1962 paperback edition. The volume contains a packet for Ezra Pound alongside stories about Michael Robartes and his friends. Readers will find an extract from a record made by the pupils of Michael Robartes, which grounds the narrative in a specific fictional history. The text moves through various esoteric concepts, beginning with phases of the moon and the great wheel. It then examines a completed symbol before moving to the soul in judgment. The work also covers the great year of ancients and concludes with imagery of either a dove or a swan. An epilogue titled All Soul's Night closes the collection. This book suits readers interested in mysticism and literary criticism focused on English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh traditions. It draws on semiotics and European theory to explore the mind, body, and spirit. The physical edition measures 1.8 centimeters in height, 20.32 centimeters in length, and 13.34 centimeters in width. It weighs 0.36 kilograms and contains 305 pages. The ISBN is 9781349005116. Readers seeking straightforward historical accounts may find the symbolic structure challenging. Those interested in the intersection of occult themes and literary theory will appreciate the specific focus on Yeats's unique approach to these subjects. The publisher Palgrave MacMillan released this edition to preserve the author's work for modern study.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Yeats’s self-devised system is undeniably fascinating for those deeply invested in esoteric thought and literary analysis. However, readers seeking clear, conventional philosophy or straightforward historical narratives will likely find this dense cosmology impenetrable. The reliance on complex symbolism and intricate diagrams may alienate those unprepared for abstract metaphysical speculation. It is an essential key for scholars of Yeats but a poor fit for casual readers expecting accessible prose or linear argumentation without prior knowledge of occult traditions.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers fascinated by the hidden mechanics behind W.B. Yeats’s poetic genius will find this text indispensable. It offers a unique window into the intricate cosmology derived from automatic writing sessions, revealing how lunar phases and geometrical diagrams map human destiny. If you seek to understand the mystical underpinnings of his celebrated verse and desire to unveil the cosmic architecture governing history, this book provides the essential key. It is not merely a philosophical treatise but a profound engagement with the occult that illuminates spiritual evolution.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

For the seeker drawn to the intersection of poetry, mysticism, and philosophical systems, "A Vision" offers a challenging yet rewarding journey. If you yearn to comprehend the esoteric undercurrents in modern literature or to explore a truly unique cosmology, prepare to be both baffled and…

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Yeats’s self-devised system is undeniably fascinating for those deeply invested in esoteric thought and literary analysis. However, readers seeking clear, conventional philosophy or straightforward historical narratives will likely find this dense cosmology impenetrable. The reliance on complex symbolism and intricate diagrams may alienate those unprepared for abstract metaphysical speculation. It is an essential key for scholars of Yeats but a poor fit for casual readers expecting accessible prose or linear argumentation without prior knowledge of occult traditions.

❓ Frequently asked questions

"A Vision" defies easy categorization. While presented as a divinely revealed system, its intricate narrative and symbolic structure often blur the lines between esoteric philosophy, autobiography, and imaginative literature, making it a unique hybrid that resists simple classification.

While not strictly necessary, understanding "A Vision" greatly illuminates the symbolic landscape and philosophical underpinnings of his poetry. It serves as a profound interpretive key, enriching one's appreciation of his verse, particularly his later works, by revealing the hidden cosmic logic behind his metaphors.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Cosmic Cycles Unveiled

Yeats unveils a grand, cyclical view of existence, where history, human personality, and spiritual development unfold in recurring patterns. The text meticulously details the "Great Wheel" and "Phases of the Moon" as symbolic frameworks, illustrating how all phenomena are interconnected and perpetually moving through predetermined, yet profoundly meaningful, stages of development and decline, offering a profound understanding of time and fate.

Human Personality & Destiny

Explore a typology of human souls, classified into twenty-eight lunar phases, each corresponding to distinct psychological traits and spiritual challenges. This system offers a profound lens through which to understand individual purpose, relationships, and the inevitable unfolding of personal destiny within a larger cosmic design, offering both insight and a sense of predetermined fate, yet leaving room for individual will.

Spiritual Revelation Systematized

The book presents itself as a divinely inspired revelation, transcribed through the automatic writing of Yeats's wife. It's an attempt to systematize mystical experiences and esoteric wisdom into a coherent philosophy, asserting a hidden order behind the apparent chaos of the world. This framework provides a unique spiritual understanding that transcends conventional religious dogma, grounding the abstract in a complex, structured cosmology.

📜 Historical context

"A Vision" emerges from a rich vein of late 19th and early 20th-century esotericism, deeply influenced by Theosophy, the Golden Dawn, and the Hermetic tradition. Yeats, a prominent figure in the Irish Literary Revival, sought to imbue Irish culture with a spiritual depth often absent in purely materialistic perspectives, creating a singular system that blends ancient wisdom with modern philosophical inquiry and personal revelation.

📚 Glossary

Phases of the Moon
Great Wheel
Daimon

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on moments in your own life where you have observed cyclical patterns, whether in personal growth, relationships, or societal trends. How might Yeats's "Great Wheel" offer a framework for understanding these repetitions?
Consider the concept of the "Daimon" as an antithetical self. In what ways do opposing forces or challenging influences in your life contribute to your growth and self-discovery, pushing you beyond your current limitations?
If you were to categorize your own personality or a significant life period within a "phase of the moon" system, which phase would it align with, and what characteristics would define it according to Yeats's framework?