Victorian Occultism and the Making of Modern Magic

In the midst of increasing secularization and the birth of scientific naturalism, a curious group emerged in Victorian Britain. From 1888-1900, hundreds of men and women were initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn at temples across Britain and in Paris. Among them were famous personalities such as William Butler Yeats, Florence Farr, Annie Horniman, Maud Gonne and the infamous Aleister Crowley. These men and women met in secret temples for even more secretive rituals, in order to learn the techniques of ritual magic. Members purported to put this magic to use in various ways including attempting murder, preserving peace, and travelling to other planets.

This examination of the rituals and personalities associated with the Golden Dawn demonstrates how Victorian magic provided an alternative to the tightening camps of science and religion in an intellectual environment that heightened the allure of magic. Victorian Occultism and the Making of Modern Magic explores how nineteenth-century occultism encompassed many of the aspirations and ideals of the middle-class, while revolutionizing Western magic.

Alison Butler teaches history and religious studies at St Francis Xavier University, Canada. She is a social and cultural historian specializing in nineteenth-century Britain. Her research interests include the history of magic and its intersection with science and religion. She has published on these topics and has received fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Rothermere Foundation.